Fasting is part of various religious traditions. As a weight-loss strategy, intermittent Fasting is becoming popular nowadays because of its plethora of benefits. A lot of miracles happen in your body while fasting. Fasting or starvation is not an unusual thing for the body. Your body is inherently adapted to survive fasting. Fasting helps activate specific proteins in your body, which improves the functioning of the brain and other body parts.
12 Hour Fasting
It triggers the release of growth hormone, a fat-burning hormone. Sometimes people take injections of this growth hormone to heal their body, which is not always advisable for everyone. Fasting and exercise are natural ways to stimulate the production of this hormone automatically. Also, it is involved in healing your joints, anti-aging, and protein synthesis.
18 Hour Fasting
It initiates autophagy, a process that triggers the recycling of damaged proteins. When on a high carb diet, the sugars combine with your body's proteins, making them ineffective. Autophagy decomposes old proteins into amino acids, which the body uses to create new things. Also, autophagy cleans out microbes, fungus, and mold
24 Hour Fasting
It leads to depletion of glycogen reserve in your liver. More depletion of glycogen leads your body to run on ketone, a superior alternative fuel for your body. Ketones act as an appetite suppressor. So no more hunger pangs or cravings. Moreover, they build more antioxidants, which means a reduction in body inflammation and an increase in body efficiency. Gut healing, improvement in cardiovascular and brain function is another significant benefit that starts with 24-hour starvation.
48 Hour Fasting
It leads to the stimulation of stem cells. These stem cells are unique because they do not serve a specific function; instead, they can turn into the tissues that the body needs under particular conditions. Stimulating stem cells while Fasting can increase healing, anti-aging, and more repair with decreased risk of cancer and tumor size reduction.
72 Hour Fasting
leads to more stimulation of stem cells, thereby improving your immune system on the whole. It improves your stress resistance. However, 72-hour Fasting may have consequences like nutritional deficiencies, dizziness, or headaches, so do it periodically.
Some tips to get maximum benefits from fasting
- Adopt an 18:6 intermittent fasting pattern: 16-hour Fasting and 6-hour eating window.
- An optimal intake of water and minerals adds to the benefits of Fasting.
- Mild morning exercise burns some extra sugars.
- Breaking fast with a meal that is both nutritious and easy to digest.
Who should not fast?
It is better to consult a physician if you are suffering from any of the following conditions.
- Diabetes
- Eating disorders
- Children or elderly people
- Pregnant or lactating mother
Besides its physical benefits for your body, Fasting has a lot more to do with your lifestyle. It reduces your money, time, and effort required to cook and plan food throughout the day. Thus, it simplifies your life. Giving your body a break from the digestive activity, we cleanse both our soul and body.