FASTING

Everyday Ayurveda

“When we say the word fast, immediately people conjure images of being hungry and deprived. Honestly, for most people, it sounds like nothing short of punishment. But, fasting does not have to mean completely cutting off from food. You can go on a juice fast, a fruit fast or the more popular intermittent fast. Everyday Ayurveda guides people that fasting is not a diet in itself and is actually a break from your normal diet. It is a way to give your body a chance to heal itself. There are numerous health benefits to fasting. It is an excellent way to manage your weight. It leads to a rise in human growth hormones and helps in the cellular repair process. It is especially recommended for people with insulin resistance issues as it helps you manage your blood sugar levels. It also helps in detoxification of the body which is, simply put, getting rid of the waste products in your body, and reducing oxidative damage. Mountain Biologicals is always there for you, if you need more incentive to fast, it has been proven that it has a positive effect on both brain and cardiovascular health. In fact, some medical studies also suggest that it can help you fight off cancer and Alzheimer’s. So, fast for a day every once in a while, and you could be really helping your body fight off some major diseases not to mention helping it cleanse and rejuvenate.”

A Fast Every Few Days May Keep The Doctor Away

A fast is that one day when you decide to give your body a rest by letting it detoxify itself and recover from the ordeals you put it through. A fast comes in many forms now, a juice fast, an intermittent fast or a complete day of no eating. Depending on your eating habits, appetite, and ability to fast, you can choose any of the options. Intermittent fasting has recently gained much prominence due to its many health benefits for detoxification and weight management, and is finding endorsements from all the top fitness experts who swear by it.

The most popular form is the 16-8 format where you eat for 8 hours (typically between 10am-7pm) and then fast for 16 hours. Unlike other forms of fasting which are essentially done after longer gaps, this fast can become a lifestyle in itself. On the other hand, full-day fasting at regular intervals not just promotes good health, but also gives you one day to self-heal, which is absolutely necessary given our current lifestyles and food choices.

Scheduled abstinence is highly effective in weight management

Fasting helps put your body in a fat burning state and thus keeps unwanted weight gain under check. This is absolutely essential as it targets your fat reserves and trims down the fat centred around the organs, keeping them fresh and in prime shape. Fasting also increases leptin sensitivity which leads to a higher rate of metabolism, helping you keep calories from piling up.

Fasting increases insulin sensitivity

When you fast, your body does not need insulin as there is no food in the body which leads to a heightened insulin sensitivity. This is particularly beneficial to those who have developed an insulin resistance due to high-fat content in the body and are thus unable to break down and get rid of their  fat reserves. In a similar vein, it also helps you manage blood sugar levels. It has been reported that with just a few days of fasting in a month, insulin resistance could drop significantly and over time, as your body adjusts to the changes, you will cease to feel the lack of energy usually associated with low blood sugar.

A regular fasting regime is an antidote to inflammation

Unhealthy food items like sugar, alcohol, meat, dairy and the fried food we love are all things that cause inflammation in the body. In addition to that, some metabolic activities also generate by-products that contribute to the inflammation. Fasting helps you keep these inflammation levels in check by fighting both food and body related causes.

While a fast has many health benefits, it is not something that can easily be made a part of the hectic schedules that people are required to maintain these days. It needs a certain kind of discipline and motivation that is difficult to incorporate in the lifestyles we follow today. Even if you can not fast regularly, Ayurvedic supplements can help give your body the tools it needs to self-heal and fight the harmful toxins that enter and accumulate in your body. Unfortunately, it has become almost impossible to keep the harmful chemicals away, even when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Therefore, we must return to our traditional healing practices for a sustainable solution. A winning combination is the adoption of both fasting and Ayurveda in your life that will help you regain lost health and strengthen your body from within.