Fasting has been used as a healing strategy since the beginning of mankind. At times, fasting happened naturally because our ancestors did not have the frequent access to food that we have now. Fasting is beneficial for the body in many ways and is often considered better than any other nutritional strategy. You can experience a healthy fasting lifestyle by doing intermittent fasting. This means you eat your normal amount of calories in a 6 to 8 hour window. It is a powerful approach to eating that is becoming very popular because it can help you lose weight without feeling hunger. If done correctly, intermittent fasting can also lead to better sleep and lots of energy. Here are some other benefits of intermittent fasting.
Increased Cellular Cleansing
Autophagy is a function of the immune system. During autophagy, the body breaks down old, damaged cellular components and abnormally developing cells. This is true cellular cleansing, where we cleanse the cell of older, inferior components to make room for newer, more well-functioning cells.
One key element of autophagy is called mitophagy. This is where the body metabolizes old, damaged mitochondria to use the materials and space in the cell to develop new, healthier and more stress resilient mitochondria. The better functioning cellular components and mitochondria our body contains, the better we will function. This means higher performance and that we are more resilient to stress, aging and the development of chronic disease. Practicing a fasting lifestyle is the number one way to induce the appropriate amount of autophagy in our bodies.
Rests the Digestive System
Our digestive system needs time to rest and repair itself. When we fast, we are able to divert the energy that would normally go into digesting our meal towards healing and repairing the immune system, our joint tissue, brain cells and other regions of the body. Additionally, by fasting, we take the mechanical stress off of the gut and allow it to heal and repair itself.
Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Optimal insulin sensitivity is crucial for your health, as insulin resistance or poor insulin sensitivity contributes to nearly all chronic diseases. In addition, high insulin levels from frequent feeding and high carbohydrate foods, stimulate inflammatory pathways. Fasting improves the use of insulin, so we need less of it when we consume food and therefore, we have less fat storage and less inflammation.
Having good insulin sensitivity is also important for the delivery of nutrients throughout the body. For example, insulin helps get magnesium into the cells of the body where it is a part of over 300 functions. This is one reason why your actual nutrient needs may be reduced when you are fasting. Your body will truly be operating with improved energy efficiency when you get on a fasting lifestyle.
Increased Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
Fasting increases the rate of HGH production, which has an important role in health, fitness, and slowing the aging process. HGH is also responsible for cellular rejuvenation by acting on certain genetic repair mechanisms. In addition, HGH helps improve cellular healing and stimulates fat burning, lean muscle and bone development and helps to modulate the immune system in such a way that it reduces inflammation. Finally, HGH has been found to improve the quality of collagen tissue in our joints, skin and nails.
Many believe HGH to be a sort of anti-aging serum within our bodies. By applying the principles of a fasting lifestyle, we can get a great boost of HGH on a regular basis to improve our physical appearance and bodily structure and slow down the aging process.
Improved Mindfulness
Many of us may have caught ourselves eating mindlessly and have struggling with sugar, carb, dairy and other cravings. You may find that intermittent fasting helps you to realize that these cravings are based on mental and emotional needs and can be overcome. If you feel deprived when you are fasting, it may be a sign that you have been using food as a type of mood drug. Fasting will help you reset your neurochemistry and may also help with cravings.
Fasting also helps us to be more grateful and present with the food we do consume. Most people notice that they practice more mindfulness when they eat after an extended fast or while participating in a fasting lifestyle for a period of time. You may also find that you are in a better mood, feel more alert, and have a new sense of calmness.
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