How Fasting Can Actually Make You Healthier

Fasting has been a part of human culture for years. Some do it for religious purposes, some for weight loss and some just for checking their body endurance. However, only a fraction of the population knows the extent and full potential of this activity.

It’s not just a religious practice or a fun activity; it’s a solution to the health diseases that are surrounding each and every one of us in this hectic world. It is by far the best practice for busy people who don’t have the time to go to the gym or partake in sports activities but still want to stay fit.

On a good note, you don’t need anything extra for it. No accessories, no membership, no special supplements, or anything. Just a plan and self-control are all that’s required.

The only problem you will face with this activity is your body’s craving for food. It’s used to your regular high-calorie diet and wants to force you back to it, but you can fight the urges. Just focus on the goal and the following benefits that come with the successful completion of fasting routines.

Improve Heart Health

Did you know that heart attacks are the world’s biggest killer with a death toll of 610,000 people per year in the United States alone? One in every four deaths in the United States is a result of this disease.

Astonishingly, fasting can help you prevent the risk

of this dangerous disease. It can deal with all the heart disease factors including cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity. Regular fasting metabolizes and boosts the overall functioning of the body. It is an excellent way to decrease the low-density lipoproteins which are the reason for arteries and veins clogging.

Tests have shown that fasting can boost brain activity, reduce stress, balanced blood sugar, decrease inflammation, and lead to a better active body and safe blood pressure. It is also a fat killer, so the risk of diabetes and other blood diseases decreases to a minimal level with fasting.

So when you have balanced, fats, cholesterol, and blood pressure and eliminated the clogging issues, there is nothing to boost the risk of a heart attack.

Boost Metabolism And Weight Loss

It’s pretty evident that while fasting you are running the body without the addition of any extra calories so it has to lose weight. However, there is a lot more to it than just some calorie loss.

Fasting means that nothing, other than maybe water, will be entering the body for some time. The body uses this time as leverage to perform all the cleanup and healing processes. It starts to balance the secretion of hormones, digest stored calories, and also focus on the various muscles of the system.

This food break also helps to regulate insulin levels and increases insulin sensitivity in the body. In short, it stimulates healing HCH production, strengthens metabolism, and decreases disease risks.

Improves Brain Functioning

During the fasting stage, the body shifts from using glucose to reserve energy like fats, glycogen, and more. This break from regular functions gives the brain a little break from the complex digestion and other energy storage processes. The low-calorie intake also stimulates the various parts of the brain cells which leads to the production of proteins.

One of the standard proteins produced at this point is the brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF. This BDNF plays a crucial part in improving the learning and memorizing qualities of the brain. It also plays a significant role in the generation of new nerve cells in the memory part of the brain called the hippocampus.

Further, fasting triggers the process of autophagy. This process leads to the removal of damaged molecules and dysfunctional mitochondria.

Additionally, after the fasting cycle, the neurons get shifted from anti-stress resource conservation mode to growth mode, which optimizes neuroplasticity, stress resistance, and learning skills.

It can also prevent and slow Alzheimer’s. A study has shown that 9 out of 10 patients, who fasted for a short duration, showed fewer symptoms of this disease.

It Can Enhance Mood

Fasting facilitates fat burning in the body, eliminating the free radicals and increasing the overall growth of the brain cells. It is one of the many activities that force the body to run on fuel sources other than just glucose. These factors lead to the burning of Ketone particles in the body.

It is well known that when the concentration of ketones gets balanced the body’s functioning is enhanced both physically and mentally. These benefits include a lower risk of diseases, longevity of living, and stress management, which all directly contribute to the balanced secretion of hormones.

With a body that is active, fit, and fully capable of handling stress, there is no reason to stay upset.

Increase Longevity Of Life

In the fasting stage, the body utilizes the stored glucose which means fewer chances of glycation. The restricted calories also mean a balanced secretion of digestive enzymes and insulin sensitivity which directly leads to increased metabolism. Lowering the intake of glucose also helps to stimulate the blood cells.

In red blood cells, it leads to the utilization of stored energy. The white blood cells go into survival mode eliminating the foreign bodies and infections from the body.

Long story short, it eliminates all the factors of slow metabolism, premature aging, diseases, and stress. With all of these problems gone, there is nothing to stop your body from living longer.

Improves Liver Health

The glucose in the food and drink you consume mostly ends up as the fuel for all the cells. However, the remaining components are for the liver to process. It digests them and turns them into glycogen for later usage. With time and constant intake, the amount of glycogen also increases and becomes a reason for fatty liver and other diseases.

By fasting for a short span, you offer the body a chance to break this vicious cycle and utilize the deposited energy components. The studies also suggest that depriving the liver of food results in the production of some proteins that regulate the metabolism of the liver.

Regulates Hunger Cycles

Imagine what would happen if you start filling the gas tank of your car after every 3-4 hours? It would get more fuel than it needs so at some point it will begin to overflow or get damaged. The same theory applies to your body, but here, the damages will be more severe.

The body is getting more than it needs and will never feel the real hunger sensations. Luckily, the condition is rectified with controlled food intake or prolonged fasting. It works as a reset button which ensures that the brain sends you the right signals about hunger and also balances the hormone levels.

Fasting is also a remedy for those who are suffering from binge eating disorders.

Final Words

The human body is capable of a lot more than you can imagine. It has systems that can deal with and eliminate all diseases and problems by themselves; the only thing it needs is some time. Fasting for a short duration provides precisely the time it needs.

It is an activity that lets you reset the whole digestive, hormonal as well as neural system of the body for better functioning and boosted healing. By skipping just one meal, you can add years to your life, and prevent diseases like heart attack, cancer, and more without any heavy lifting or physical activity. What more can you ask for?