Ramadan is the holiest month for Muslims. Capable fasting Muslims abstract from drinking, eating, performing any sexual act, or even smoking all for their own spiritual reasons and for a whole month. Others, however, include some health-related reasons as to why they fast Ramadan. It turns out that holding yourself from having any food intake for a certain period of hours can be actually healthily rewarding.
It’s not only the Muslims who practice fasting. The old Greeks recommended fasting; for example, the well-known Socrates used to fast from 7 to 10 days and Plato used to fast almost a similar period of time. These philosophers believed that fasting assists in clearing the mind and can be used to handle some health or medical problems. And nowadays, a lot of health specialists suggest modified ways of fasting for both physical and mental advantages.
Through not eating any food, our body will focus on eliminating toxins while we give the digestive system a break. Many people who practiced fasting have found that, when performed well, they were able to lose weight and gain lean muscle mass.
So, what are exactly the health benefits of fasting?
- Detoxifying the mind and the body.
Ramadan is a great detoxifying opportunity. It not only cleanses the body, but it also cleanses the mind. The digestive system is given a scarce chance to be detoxified when the person is not eating or drinking. The fat deposits in the body can be preserving some harmful toxins. Fasting can help the body get rid of these toxins when it starts burning fat reserves to provide energy. This is a major difference that many people experience, and it can lead to a better and healthier lifestyle outside of Ramadan.
- Lowering the cholesterol in the blood.
People who practice fasting in Ramadan were noticed to have better lipid profile This means that they enjoy the reduction of cholesterol in the blood. This paves the way to minimizing the chances and risks of suffering from heart problems such as heart attacks and it can reduce the chance of getting a stroke. Therefore, not only correctly fasting individuals can lose their extra weight during Ramadan, but they can also easily maintain their now-lowered cholesterol levels.
Read our article on some Tips for a Healthier Ramadan.
- Easier Nutrients Absorbing:
the body in Ramada absorbs nutrients faster and this is due to an increase in the hormone known as adiponectin. It is produced by a combo of having food intakes late at night and fasting, allowing your muscles to absorb more nutrients. And of course, a lot of the body’s organs will benefit from such absorbing and will accordingly function better.
However, there are some circumstances in which people are not advised to fast. It’s like any major lifestyle change; it comes with its own risks. People with poor health, or others that are monitored by a specialist for any complications of wellbeing, should contact a doctor before attempting to control any of the side-effects. For one thing, fasting can result in low blood glucose rates, which reduces concentration and increases fatigue.
Moreover, individuals who wish to lose some weight by fasting in Ramadan need to know that losing weight in Ramadan can only happen when regular fasting is applied along with healthy habits when breaking the fast. The lost weight can be easily restored when some individuals return to their normal lifestyle.
