While many people think of fasting as something for the severely-inclined, or someone with a long-standing medical condition, the benefits of fasting have been around for thousands of years. Also, while fasting is generally used by those who are religious to avoid temptations to consume food (especially during the Lenten season), it actually provides many health benefits. In fact, fasting has even been used by many athletes and bodybuilders for years.
Fasting is defined as the willful refrainment from eating for a certain amount of time. When you try out intermittent fasting, you’re expected to fast for 14 hours in a day, and then eat within a window of 10 hours. Some people would fast for a few days straight or restrict their calorie intake for two days a week.
If you’re still having a hard time deciding whether you should try fasting or not, the reasons listed below might help you come up with a decision:
1. Improves The Efficiency Of Your Digestive System
Your digestive system plays a vital role in your health and wellness because it’s responsible for breaking down food into nutrients. Having a healthy digestive system will make it easy for your body to absorb nutrients from the foods and drinks you consume.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your digestive system, try fasting. Fasting is a great way to keep your digestive system healthy because it allows your digestive system to rest and recover. Over time, this may help your digestive system become more efficient.
2. Helps You Manage Weight
Losing weight is a task that’s easier said than done. A lot of people understand how important it is to maintain a healthy weight but only a very few of them know how to achieve this goal or have been successful in achieving this. Losing weight requires commitment because progress can’t be seen overnight. If you’re planning to use yoga apps, for example, you need to exert time and effort to follow the poses for weeks or even months before you can see results.
If you’ve been trying to lose weight in the past but to no avail, fasting might be the solution. Fasting can help you lose weight because whenever you fast, your body uses stored fats as its source of energy (as you’ll be consuming less food), resulting in weight loss.
3. Cleanses The Body
If you want to attain optimal health, you’ll have to think about a lot of things. Aside from making sure that your body receives essential vitamins and minerals, you also have to make sure that your body is free from toxins, undigested fats, and unprocessed nutrients.
Another reason why you should try fasting is that it may effectively cleanse the body. This happens because whenever you fast, you’re giving your body the chance to spend more time and energy on recuperating and healing itself.
Moreover, fasting gives the opportunity for the body to repair cells, organs, and tissues because its functions aren’t solely focused on digesting food. Aside from cleansing the body, fasting can also cleanse the skin from harmful toxins, keeping it free from acne.
4. Boosts Immune System
Your susceptibility to get sick depends on the condition of your immune system. Your immune system works by recognizing any antigens, then gets rid of them before it enters your body, preventing illnesses and diseases.
As mentioned, you’ll be able to cleanse your body from toxins when you fast, which is something beneficial for your immune system; your immune system will be able to function properly when it’s free from any kind of toxins. The healthier your immune system is, the less susceptible you are to getting sick.
5. Gives You More Energy
It’ll be challenging for anyone to make the most out of available opportunities if they don’t have any energy during the day. How can you impress your boss at work when you’re always sleepy? Do you think you’ll have the vigor to mingle with other people if you’re experiencing fatigue?
There are many ways on how you can boost your energy for the day, but fasting is one of the easiest and most effective. Sure, food is one of the major sources of energy, but are you aware that digesting food also requires energy, and eating too much will exhaust the body of that energy?
When fasting becomes part of your daily routine, you’ll eventually notice that you’ll become more energetic because your body will use less energy as you’re consuming lesser meals. The energy that your body will save from digesting too much food can be used for many other things.
Consult A Doctor
Fasting can provide many health benefits, and these benefits are probably the reason why more and more people are trying to jump on this bandwagon. If you’re thinking of doing the same soon, make sure to consult a healthcare professional about your intentions.
Fasting may improve the quality of your life, but keep in mind that making abrupt changes to your diet can also take a toll on your health and safety.