When you hear the name ‘fasting,’ the first thing that might come into your mind is starving yourself, or not eating for a few hours or even days. Well, yes, fasting is actually a good thing and also equals numerous health benefits.
Fasting isn’t a new discovery. This was already practiced many years ago by various cultures and religions because they believe that there’s an intimate connection between your spiritual state and physical state. Now, it’s increasingly becoming popular among a lot of people, especially the health-conscious community because of its plethora of benefits.
Below are six benefits of fasting that will hopefully motivate you to get started with this practice.
- Helps With Your Weight Loss Goals
If you’re looking to lose weight, fasting is the safest and quickest way to get to your target weight. Normally, your body burns the food you eat to provide energy and fuel for your daily activities. That extra food you eat that isn’t used as fuel for your body will be converted into fat and stored in your body for future used, leading to weight gain.
When you fast, less food will be converted into energy. Hence, your body is forced to use the stored fat and use it as energy. Overall, fasting is more effective in burning fat than regular dieting. That’s why many athletes also use fasting to achieve low body fat percentages when joining tournaments and competitions.
If you’re looking for a reliable and long-term solution for your weight loss goals or weight maintenance, it’s time to switch up your lifestyle with fasting.
- Speeds Up Your Metabolism
If your digestive system is weak, its ability to digest food and burn fat will be affected and reduced. Through fasting, you can give your digestive system enough time to rest. By the time you eat again, your well-rested digestive system will work better, boosting your metabolism’s performance in burning more calories and acquire more energy from your food. Fasting has also been proven to promote healthy bowel movement, thus enhancing your metabolic functions.
- Promotes Longevity Of Life
Some of you may think this benefit is a little overboard, but fasting is also believed to extend your life’s longevity. In short, the less you eat, the longer your life will be.
Here’s how fasting can guarantee a longer life:
- As mentioned earlier, fasting speeds up your metabolism and prevents your body from losing muscle tissue.
- As you age, your cells’ performance weakens as they also grow older. A decreased performance of your cells is what causes aging. When you’re fasting, your old body cells will be broken down, allowing them to recycle and rejuvenate themselves, hence, slowing down your body’s aging process, both internally and externally.
- Enhances Your Immune System
Another benefit you get from fasting is it enhances your immune system. As you can observe, an animal stops eating when they’re sick. That’s because their body’s natural instinct is to reduce the stress for their internal organs and systems, thereby redirecting their energy in fighting off the infection.
Thus, next time you get sick, don’t start craving food and, instead, focus your energy on fasting. It will help the cells in your immune system to rejuvenate, thereby improving your immunity functions.
- Boosts Brain Function
Fasting helps increase the production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which sets your brain stem cells in motion as they convert into new neurons. This hormone is also responsible for protecting your brain from conditions such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease.
Apart from that, fasting also reduces your brain’s over-activity. When you eat too much food, it could lead your brain to overdrive, making it harder to focus or concentrate. That’s why it’s recommended that you don’t overeat, especially when you have plenty of tasks to complete.
- Encourages Body Detoxification
One impressive benefit you get from fasting is it encourages your body to detoxify. Since your body doesn’t have any new food to digest and gain energy, it will use the stored fat as an alternative energy source. Since the stored fat is burnt and converted into energy, the toxins will also be released.
Wrapping Up
Overall, fasting isn’t only about depriving yourself of food for a few hours or days. It also has numerous health benefits, such as weight loss, improved brain function, enhanced immune system, and better body detoxification. Make sure when you incorporate fasting into your routine, couple it with a healthy lifestyle for even better results.
