Fasting - How It Affects Your Health?

Now that the Navratri has started, more and more people are fasting on these 7-8 days. But what most people are not aware of is that fasting has some super beneficial effects on health too. Of late, it has become increasingly popular not just due to its religious angle but also due to the health benefits attached that are being to it. Even dietitians and health practitioners have started recommending fasting once a week for the overall well-being of the body.

Following are some of the reasons how fasting is amazing for health. 

1. Fasting helps in weight loss: Many studies have proved that fasting is the safest way to burn calories. It is more effective as compared to planned dieting. Fasting helps the body to effectively use fat cells for generating energy. Even athletes these days are recommended to fast for a day to keep up the shape of the body.
2. Insulin sensitivity: As per a study published in the Flemming Dela Journal of Applied Physiology, fasting has a very affirmative effect on the insulin sensitivity of the body. Insulin hormones get activated and communicate effectively with the cells in the body to exchange glucose from the blood.
3. Ramp up metabolism: Fasting occasionally can give rest to the digestive system. It further energizes the metabolism and enables it to burn more calories effectively. For people who have a problem with digestion, fasting once a week can pay rich dividends to improve metabolism. Fasting also aids in smooth bowel function.
4. Fasting improves longevity: Absurd as it may sound, studies conducted by the University of Tokyo have shown that fasting has a direct co-relation with longevity. The study had shown that one of the reasons people age is due to a slower metabolism. Fasting helps a person to maintain an agile metabolism.
5. Fasting enhances hunger: Fasting can effectively manage the hormones in the body. The smooth flow of hormones helps a person feel true hunger. This is especially true for the obese patients, as they do not get the correct signal of hunger. Longer the duration of fasting better are the chances of the hormones sending the correct hunger signals to the neurons. Fasting half-a-day, twice-a-week can do a world of good to an individual.
6. Improves eating pattern: People suffering from binge eating disorders, find it hard to establish an eating pattern due to work priorities. There are many people who do not eat anything until the sunset because of work pressure. They tend to eat quite a lot from evening onwards. This is a very dangerous eating pattern. It can result in indigestion, putting on weight, etc. Fasting once in a week can greatly help in improving the eating pattern and enable people in getting their appetite back in the daytime.
7. Fasting can clear the acne: Fasting can greatly assist in clearing acne. This is possible since the body doesn't have to focus on the digestion aspect and can focus on regenerating the energy to all parts of the skin. 

Now that the benefits of fasting have been established, it is advisable that when people fast during Navratri they should keep the health angle in mind and do it the right way. In case of a concern or query, consult an expert & get answers to questions!