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Journalism of Courage
Apart from keeping the calories at bay, what does fasting do for your body? Read on to find the answer
Fasting is as old as mankind itself. There have been plenty of debates surrounding the health benefits of fasting regularly. One school of thought advocates that the less you eat, the longer you live. Almost every religion advocates abstention from food for both physiological and spiritual benefits. However, there are enough of us for whom fasting is a means of weight loss. Can repeatedly depriving your body of food actually lead to kilos peeling off?
Detoxification is the most important argument presented by advocates of fasting. Due to lack of incoming energy, the body must turn to its own resources. The less one eats, the more the body turns to stored fats, ultimately burning calories. 8220;Broadly, fasting can be divided into three categories; medical fasting that8217;s done before certain tests, rejuvenation fasting to kick start a slow metabolism and religious fasting,8221; says Dr. Shikha Sharma, a popular Delhi-based nutritionist. However, to gain benefits from fasting one has to balance it out so that under-nutrition doesn8217;t become malnutrition. 8220;Fasting doesn8217;t mean your stomach has to be completely empty. Eat light, eat right, and stay away from pulses, tea, coffee or pickles,8221; says Sharma.
Fasting with the idea of losing weight has its critics. 8220;When people keep the navratra fast, they usually end up eating more,8221; says Dr Seema Puri of the Institute of Home Sciences, 8220;Even if it8217;s not a religion-based fast, this a very extreme approach to weight loss and its not a long-term, permanent solution.8221; Puri says no fast should be undertaken without medical supervision, especially if you8217;re diabetic or have low blood pressure. Also, people who are fasting should make it a point to eat some fruit or liquid every three hours, so that the sugar level in the body remains stable. If you suffer from low blood pressure, you need to supplement the salt intake.
8220;The idea isn8217;t to punish your body, just to give it a rest,8221; says Dr. Sharma, 8220;Going for 12-14 hours without water or nutrition sends the body into shock. Fasting like that in the summer months could lead to dehydration.8221; And of course, the most crucial, when you break the fast, make sure you do it with healthy food and don8217;t end up over-eating. If you8217;ve fasted correctly with a healthy, nutritive approach, chances are you won8217;t be ravenous when evening approaches. 8220;Break the fast with some carbohydrates or a banana for instant energy,8221; says Puri.
