Fasting is defined as a period without eating any calories. I often fast for health and anti aging benefits. People have fasted for thousands of years as a natural eating cycle as well as for religious, health and healing purposes. In this post I will be going over the amazing benefits of fasting for anti aging and health overall.
What Is Fasting?
Most people are already fasting on a regular basis. When you stop eating at night you sleep,then the first meal of the day, no matter what the time, is breakfast, breaking your fast that is where we get the word breakfast. Before modern times of eating 3 meals a day plus snacks, humans did not eat that way.
They hunted and gathered and would eat maybe once or twice a day. Our society now is eating a lot more than we are really supposed to which is not great for our digestive system or overall health. Obesity rates are high and diseases are on the rise. Fasting gives our system a rest so the whole body can regenerate. There are many studies done on the benefits of fasting and much of the health benefits.
Intermittent Fasting
You may be practicing intermittent fasting in your life right now. When intermittent fasting you only consume calories during a certain window of time such as 11 am – 8 pm. This type of fasting can also help you lose weight and rest the digestive system as well as regulate your blood sugar. I intermittent fast everyday I stop eating at 6 pm and do not eat again until noon the next day. There is a great author and doctor, Dr. Jason Fung who wrote books about fasting you can find that info here.
How Fasting Helps With Aging
Fasting has a profound effect on aging. When you’re fasting for long periods of time your body regenerates cleaning up and getting rid of old cells. This process is called autophagy. Fasting increases your metabolism making your body more efficient in burning calories and breaking down nutrients. The degradation of DNA is a normal process that happens when we age and fasting may slow down that process and repair DNA.
Fasting Benefits
There are many benefits to intermittent fasting and long term fasting such as:
- Weight loss
- Enhanced energy
- Lowers risk of heart disease
- Lowers risk and may reverse diabetes
- Brightens skin tone
- Lowers risk of cancer
- Repairs damaged cells and DNA
Conclusion
Fasting has amazing health benefits, not only for weight loss but also whole body rejuvenation. Before starting any fasting or dietary changes always speak to your doctor or healthcare professional. Have you fasted before? Please leave any comments or questions below.
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