Facts You Do Not Know About How Our Body Works During Fasting
The holy month of Ramadan is when Muslims across the world fast during daylight hours for a month. There are many sayings about the main essences of celebrating the month-long Ramadan, but does abstaining from eating and drinking for 15 hours daily actually benefit the body in any way?
Here are some facts you should know about how does fasting affect the body!
Also known as the intermittent fasting, health experts have found that restricting food intake during the day can help prevent health problems such as high cholesterol, heart disease, and obesity, as well as improve mental health and well-being. During fasting, our body can “reset” by removing toxins, as we give the digestive system a rest throughout the month.
Fasting allows our gut to cleanse and strengthens its lining. It can also stimulate a process called autophagy, which is where cells self-cleanse and removes damaged and dangerous particles. When your body starts eating into fat reserves to create energy, it will also burn away any harmful toxins that might be present in fat deposits.
During fasting hours when no food or drink is consumed, the body uses the carbohydrate stored in the liver and muscles and fat to provide energy. This situation happens once all the calories from the foods consumed during the night have been used up. Hence, bringing the effect of reducing blood cholesterol and triglycerides and helps with weight loss.
The 30-days of fasting allows the body to undergo detoxification stages as such:
At the beginning of Ramadan, our body starts the cleansing process, both blood sugar levels, and blood pressure drop, which might cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and intense hunger.
After the first week of Ramadan, our body is adapting to the fasting schedule and the digestive system can rest. During this stage, the organs start their repairing process by cleansing and healing the cells.
Halfway through Ramadan, energy levels will have increased, and we will be able to concentrate better. The body’s healing process becomes a lot more efficient during fasting, and so the body repairs any damaged cells at this stage. The colon, liver, kidney, lungs, and skin detox by eliminating toxins in our body.
During the last few days of Ramadan, our organs are finishing up their healing process and once all toxins are removed, the body can function at its maximum capacity, providing health benefits.
Despite there are many pieces of evidence showing that fasting provides health benefits, it is important to always practice a healthy lifestyle to achieve optimal health. Make sure to eat balanced meals, drink plenty of water, exercise, and sleep early to enjoy healthy living!
Written by: Jasmine Lim
(Love Earth Nutritionist)
[Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietics (major) &
Food Science (minor) lowa State University, USA]
#LoveEarth #LoveLife #LoveOrganic
