AtoZ Holistic Self-care: F is for Fasting
Have you ever fasted? For weight loss or health, religion,clarity of mind?
Fasting is more than a ‘fitness fad.’ Fasting has been aroundas a practice for centuries.
Fasting comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some folksabstain from all foods, others from only certain foods. Some tout the benefitsof long-term fasts, others believe in intermittent fasting (IF) – which entailsestablishing rhythms for eating on specific hourly or daily cycles. Some fast purelyfor body fitness, others for purity of the soul.
Because I’m neither a doctor/health practitioner nor a saint,I’ll ‘fast’ from providing the details of HOW to fast, and simply share thoughtson how fasting might impact body, mind, and spirit.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. I’ve not beentrained in any natural or alternative medicine theory. I share what I’ve readand what I know from experience. If you are thinking of undertaking any fastingregiment, please do your own research and consult a doctor or practitioner ofyour choosing to give the go-ahead.
Body:
Fasting may help:
- sync circadian rhythms and fight offmetabolic diseases
- keep the weight off over the long term
- lose weight without following a traditional,calorie-restricted diet
- lower your risk for cardiovascular disease
- slow down the aging process
Mind:
Fastingincreases:
- autophagy, which removes andeliminates damaged molecules and cellular waste that could lead to neurologicaldisease.
- BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein that prevents the death of stressed neurons, which couldlead to cognitive disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
- neurogenesis, or newbrain cell growth, which creates new connections in the brain and improvescognitive function.
Spirit:
People fast:
- To focus on love of God and spiritual matters
- To free the mind and enhance concentrationlevels during meditation
- To aid yogic feats like generating inner heat
- To control fleshly desires, resistance togluttony
- As penance or atonement for sin
- To purify one’s energy and raise vibrationlevels
- In solidarity with the poor
- To counterbalance modern consumerism
- To advance a political or social-justice agenda
Have you ever fasted? Will you try fasting? Are you an all-in abstain fromeverything faster or an intermittent faster? Do you fast for body, mind, orspirit?
