Everyone is very much aware of how to be healthy and fasting is one of them. By maintaining our Diet we can be more healthy, here we will see The Benefits Of Fasting and the different methods.
Fasting is practicing for more than 10,000 years by human beings and it not an ‘Unnatural’ thing to practice. They have a practice of not having food at the time of illness.
Our body has capacity of working without food also, by using pre-stored energy pockets called carbohydrates.
When it is about being healthy, Nutrient food and adequate exercise are the core pillar of the healthy life.
More often, we have been hearing from our friends, colleagues that
“I’m on diet.”
Because of obsessed with the more weight we will start restricting our daily food style, And making our mind to NO for many junk foods. and by leaving food. We will see the benefits of fasting and methods.
Fasting meaning
It is a willful refrainment from the food for some period of time. By lapsing some of the meals, normally we will eat three times as breakfast, lunch, and dinner and in between some small foods like snacks or drinks. Only three meals per day is an ideal one and sufficient for body metabolism.
Without eating for some hours, or for a complete day man can stay and the body has that system. There are so many methods of fasting in that 16/8 and 5-2 are popular, those are called as Intermittent fasting later paragraph we will see more about Intermittent Fasting.
Fasting for being healthy is a one-part and for religious aspects is another part. Most of the religions have different importance upon fasting and they have their particular fasting periods and times.
Short term fasting is more scientific and most effective for the metabolism of our diet, long term fasting also has some good benefits, although it has some cons too.
Fasting in different religions.
Almost all religions follow fasting practice in their respective days, some follow for long months and some are for the day. Anyhow the reason behind fasting is beneficial to our health only.
Because of the benefits of fasting awareness many religions adopted the fasting.
Let us see some of the major religions who follow fasting.
Fasting in Hinduism.
In Hinduism ancestors very well known about the benefits of fasting and it is the most common thing. Before pooja or homa they used to do fasting.
Fasting is well known as Upavasa in India. Some people do weekly once between Sunday to Sunday depending upon the god they fast on that day for every week.
Ekadashi is a fasting day which will come twice a month, every 11th day after the full moon and some special festivals like on Shravan in Worship to god Shiva, Dussara, and many special occasions people will do fasting.
Fasting in Christians
The Catholic Christians will follow fasting every Friday day of Lent it is about a six-week period and on Good Friday, people will eat only one meal on those days.
In protestants, it not like everyone must follow and must fast, before the day, life-changing decisions people fast in order to focus on the prayers and god. Like in Bible Jesus fasted before he began ministry for about 40 days.
Fasting in Islam
People will fast during the holy month of Islam that is Ramadan, they will fast sunrise to sunset without having water !! every Muslim will follow this month.
On the ninth month of the Islamic calendar people will do fast for about 6 days that is Shawwal.
Fasting in Jewish.
Jews fast on the day of Atonement ( Yom kippur) and ninth Av both day they won’t eat and drink for 24 hours.
They fast for four days in commemoration the defeat by Babylonians.
Fasting in Buddhism
In Bouddhism it is a regular practice, Some don’t eat every day and some eat only one meals.
Sometimes Monks won’t eat for a week, In Buddhism People do fasting for the purification and clarify themselves.
What is Intermittent Fasting or Intermediate Fasting?
Although we have different religious fasting. here the intermittent fasting is a scientific and proven method of fasting.
In our daily regular habit of eating, most of us without eating properly so the obesity of our body and will feel unhealthy. The one is aware of fasting he usually heard about This Intermittent fasting or Intermediate fasting method.
Giving some rest to our stomach by leaving meals or fasting foods for regular hours is called Intermittent or Intermediate fasting.
In this method, there is no restriction on what to eat, but it has about when to eat. The pattern of eating split into days or weeks. the popular are 16-8 ( hourly bases ) or 5:2 ( Day bases ).
It is not difficult one. If you are missing the breakfast weekly twice. Do you know? you are doing intermittent fasting
Types of intermittent fasting
There are many methods in restricting the eating patterns but the popular are 16-8, 5:2 and eat stop eat methods.
1. 16-8 intermittent fasting method.
16-8 intermittent fasting is easier, safe and sustainable one.
As number suggest it is about hours, in total 24 hours, 16 hours fasting and 8 hours of window eating (balanced food).
you can prefer the eating hours from noon to 8 pm or 9 am to 5 pm. Because one needs to fast at the sleeping hours so that he cannot tire or could not get hungry often.
Skipping breakfast and can start eating at noon is a easy method.
While in eating periods don’t eat heavily try to eat balanced and healthy diet.
For beginners start for weekly once then by practice you can increase the days or whole week too.
2. 5:2 intermittent fasting method.
It is a popular method of intermittent fasting. That involves regular fasting.
It is of weekly schedule as the numbers 5 days regular food and 2 days balanced food.
Here balanced food means should eat 500 calories for woman and 600 calories for men for a day.
You can see here of 500 – 600 calories of diet
Between these two eating there should not be two continuous balanced food days. you can choose any of the two days of the week.
3. Eat stop eat method
In this method weekly once or twice one should not eat any thing for 24 hours.
Means if you are eating at 9 am until next morning 9 am one should not eat. But we should be hydrating regularly.
Because dehydration of body, it will leads negative impact on the health
Drinking plenty of water regularly is a best option.
The benefits of fasting
As already we have seen many types of intermittent fasting. here are the some fasting benefits.
1. Fasting blood sugar levels.
Scientist have proven the result of the fasting will improves the blood sugar control. who are having Diabetes and practicing fasting.
Intermittent fasting and alternative day fasting are more effective for the blood sugar level.
Fasting reduces insulin resistance, so the body will be sensitive to insulin as a result the transportation of glucose from the blood to the cells will be more effective.
Once glucose amount reduces in the blood, the sugar level will be controlled in the diabetes patients.
2. Fasting for weight loss.
Short interval fasting is more effective for bodyweight loss. Research has shown up to 9 % of the weight of the body will lose if one regularly practices fasting.
By irregular eating, fat will be contaminated at the body in the form of glycogen. At the time of fasting by the biochemical reaction, this fat will be used as energy for metabolism. As a result of reduction in weight, we will feel.
3. Delay aging and extent longevity.
By Fasting the cells will get refresh and repairs themselves, which in turn lowers the risk of disease.
Better health, metabolism and less sickness will increase the longevity.
And other benefits of fasting
- Increases the chemotherapy effect.
- Might reduce the risk of cancer.
- Increase the human growth hormone secretion.
- Boost the brain function and keeping better brain health.
- Enhances heart health and regulates blood pressure.
- Improves overall fitness.
At the bottom line one need to follow the fasting we have seen the benefits of fasting. we should follow the fasting methods and suggest others too
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