The pursuit of wellness and longevity has been going on for decades. It’s common to read about the newest diet fad that’s changing the way people eat or nourish themselves. For one, intermittent fasting has enjoyed increasing interest over the years, and this article discusses how your overall health is affected by this practice.
Plenty of debate has been going on as to whether or not fasting is good for your health. Many people wonder why anyone would need to fast for extended periods, especially when there are so many healthy, balanced, and nutritious foods available in the supermarkets. People also wonder how long the body can handle being deprived of water and nutrients from food. To help you out, here’s some basic information on how fasting helps you lose weight and affects your overall health.
What Is Fasting?
Fasting is naturally a part of our lives. It’s practiced by people from different cultures and religions around the world, and it has shown to have many health benefits as well. The biggest benefit that fasting has shown is it may help with weight loss and improved the absorption of nutrients into the body.
When you fast, your body goes into a mode where it uses up stored energy, which it calls ‘free radical energy,’ to repair itself. When the body heals, there’s a reduction in toxins and bacteria from the digestive tract. This means that when your body doesn’t have enough water and nutrients from the foods you eat, you’re going to detoxify the liver and other organs because they’re used to getting their regular nutrients.
Some people may not have the option of intermittent fasting daily, but will still turn to this method once in a while to help their body detox.
The Effects Of Intermittent Fasting To Your Overall Health
A good amount of people doesn’t realize that fasting may improve their health. The question that a lot of people are asking, ‘what particular ways can it affect your health?’
Here are the ways your body and mind will benefit from intermittent fasting:
- May Help Lose Weight
As mentioned, intermittent fasting (IF) shouldn’t be considered a new form of diet because it has been around for thousands of years. When people consider how fasting affects their health, they think that it can help them with their weight.
When it’s practiced together with a healthy diet and regular exercise, IF may help promote weight loss by boosting the metabolism and limiting the calorie intake.
There are different ways to perform intermittent fasting, hence it’ll be best if a physician will determine the most suitable fasting plan for your unique health requirements.
- May Help Prevent Disease
Some studies suggest that fasting may also help prevent different ailments and conditions, such as:
- Multiple sclerosis: Fasting may help reduce the risks for chronic inflammatory conditions like multiple sclerosis by decreasing the markers of inflammation.
- Diabetes: A fasting diet may help reduce resistance to insulin and also decrease blood glucose levels, lowering risks for developing diabetes. Keep in mind that fasting may impact the blood glucose levels of men and women differently.
- Heart disease: Incorporating fasting in your daily regimen may benefit your heart by lowering blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglycerides.
- May Extend Longevity
As aging occurs, our bodies normally begin to shut down the natural processes that allow it to fight off disease and aging. Our bodies need the rest time to regroup and to rejuvenate itself. It also lets you look at your diet and your lifestyle in a new light.
Aside from disease prevention, fasting benefits your overall health by allowing your body to take the ‘time out’ that it needs to recharge itself. The effects of fasting are more than just removing toxins from the body. Fasting can help your body better deal with stress, help you heal faster and more effectively, and increase your immune system’s ability to combat diseases.
Takeaway
Like other people, you might be interested in knowing what fasting does for your body. There’s a large amount of information out there that can help you figure out if fasting works to benefit your body and your health in general. The main reason many people choose to fast is so they may improve their overall health, which means they’ll be able to live a longer, happier life.
Many people find it difficult to go through a fasting period because they’re not used to fasting. When you’re fasting, you have to be prepared to deal with a few symptoms that may possibly occur as a result of this process. One of the symptoms is that you may experience headaches. You should be aware of this if you plan on fasting for an extended time.
If you do decide to fast intermittently, you must consult with your physician before starting any diet program.
