Is it good to “go hungry” every day or some days of the week? Apparently, many scientific pieces of evidence indicate that timed fasting periods or intermittent fasting are beneficial to our overall health.
Fasting has become very popular in recent years, especially among the community of health professionals. While most health professionals are afraid to recommend eating less to their patients, this does not take away the incredible benefits of a controlled fast. In this article, we will explore 10 benefits of fasting that will surprise you and how you can incorporate them into your own life.
1. Fasting helps weight loss
Fasting can be a safe way to lose weight, as many studies have shown that intermittent fasting (fasting that is controlled within a certain number of hours) allows the body to burn fat more effectively than with a regular diet.
Intermittent fasting allows the body to use fat (which is the main source of energy) instead of sugar. Many athletes today practice fasting as a means to achieve low body fat percentages in their competitions.
2. Fasting improves insulin sensitivity
Lasting has been shown to have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity, which allows you to tolerate carbohydrates (sugar) better than if you did not fast. One study showed that after fasting period, insulin becomes more effective by telling cells to take blood glucose.
3. Fasting accelerates metabolism
Intermittent fasting gives the digestive system a rest, and this can energize your metabolism to burn calories more efficiently. If your digestion is poor, this can affect your ability to metabolize food and burn fat. Intermittent fasting can regulate your digestion and promote healthy bowel function, thus improving your metabolic function.
4. Fasting promotes longevity
Believe it or not, the less you eat, the longer you will live. Studies have shown how people’s lives in certain cultures increased due to their diets. However, we do not need to live among a foreign community to reap the benefits of fasting. One of the main effects of aging is a slower metabolism, the younger your body is, the faster and more efficient your metabolism. The less you eat, the less your digestive system will have to work. Indeed in the anti-aging Genf20 Plus clinical study it was shown that taking their supplement while doing intermittent fasting improved the results significantly. In short intermittent fasting can be added to any anti aging regimen if you are seeking maximal results.
5. Fasting improves appetite
Think for a moment, can you really experience real hunger if you eat a meal every 3-4 hours? Of course not. In fact, to experience the true nature of hunger, it would take between 12 and 24 hours.
Fasting helps regulate hormones so you experience what hunger really is. We know that obese people do not receive the correct signals to let them know that they are full due to excessive eating patterns. Think of fasting as a reset button: the faster you fast, the more you can regulate your body to release the right hormones so that you can experience what hunger really is. Not to mention, that when your hormones are working properly, you become faster.
6. Fasting improves your eating patterns
Fasting can be a useful practice for those who suffer from eating disorders, and for those who find it difficult to establish a correct eating pattern due to work and other priorities.
7. Fasting improves your brain function
Fasting has been shown to improve brain function, as it increases the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF).
BDNF activates brain stem cells to convert them into new neurons and triggers many other chemicals that promote neuronal health. This protein also protects brain cells from changes associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
8. Fasting improves your immune system
Intermittent fasting improves the immune system because it reduces the damage of free radicals, regulates inflammatory conditions in the body and eliminates the formation of cancer cells.
In nature, when animals get sick they stop eating and focus on resting. This is a primary instinct to reduce stress in your internal system so that your body can fight infection. Humans are the only species that look for food when we’re sick, even when we don’t need it.
9. Fasting contributes to self-illumination
Fasting has helped many people feel more connected to life during reading, meditation, yoga and martial arts practices, etc. Without food in the digestive system, we leave room for more energy in the body; the digestive system is one of the most energy absorbing systems in the body.
10. Fasting helps clear the skin and prevent acne
Fasting can help clear the skin because, with the body temporarily released from digestion, it is able to focus its regenerative energies on other systems.
Not eating anything for a day helps the body cleanse toxins and regulate the functioning of other organs of the body such as the liver and kidneys.