Devotees from across the country fast during the entire nine days to express gratitude to Goddess Shakti. While some consume only fruits, others refrain from having garlic, onion, non vegetarian food, etc. Though, fasting is tough but people perform it religiously to please Goddess Durga. But do you know fasting also improves the cardiovascular function and blood composition of your body? Here we will tell you some of the benefits of fasting.
* Drinking a lot of liquids such as coconut water and herbal tea help aggressively in flushing out toxins from the body and maintaining electrolyte balance.
* Another benefit of fasting is that it brings self-discipline and keep us away from eating unnecessary food.
* Following the pattern of the traditional and Satvik diet that includes fruits, lassi (Buttermilk), lemon water, sendha namak, etc eases the digestive system, which helps in preventing constipation and dehydration.
* Ketosis, or the fat-burning, is reached by fasting. It helps in burning the fat reserves. Excessive central fat stored around organs, like your liver and kidneys, interferes with organ function. Fasting, helps in reaching ketosis and hence improves the organ function.
* Leptin, which is the "satiety" hormone, also increases thyroid hormone production. Due to fasting, leptin sensitivity increases and this in turn increases the rate of metabolism in case of sluggish thyroid.
* Due to fasting, body secretes less insulin because there is not enough and steady doses of sugar coming into the body. So, these lower levels of this hormone lead to increased sensitivity in those with insulin resistance.
* Blood triglycerides decreases during the fasting state. Having fatty blood increases your risk of developing narrowed arteries. So, fasting reduces this risk.
* Fasting reboot, the immune system, clearing out old immune cells and regenerating new ones. This process could protect against cell damage caused by factors such as aging and chemotherapy.
Fasting not only purifies mind and soul but also body. On a related note, Navratri which begins from Mahalaya literally means nine auspicious days during which devotees worship nine avatars of the Goddess Durga.
(With IANS inputs)
