Navratri is celebrated in India with grandeur and joy. These celebrations include a variety of sweets, fasting menus and dandia nights with friends and family. Navratri is the best time to rejuvenate and refresh your mood with tasty foods, fasting practices and prayers for the 9 day period.
Though fasting during Navratri has its own religious and cultural importance, for those with health issues, its essential you consult your doctor before embarking on any diet.
Here are the benefits of fasting during the nine day celebration of Navratri:
Helps in Detox
We inhale and consume toxins in our day to day life either through food or living in a polluted environment. Fasting is a great opportunity to detox the body and get rid of the toxins that might have accumulated in the tissues over the years.
The fresh and light diet during Navratri can boost the immune system, flush out the chemical residue in the body, mucus or any faecal matter that is unwanted.
Soothes the Digestive System
Digestive system is constantly working to break down foods and carry forward the process of digestion. While fasting, our digestive system gets a break and time to rest.
Calms the Mind
A study in 2003 found that fasting helps lower stress levels.
Fasting leads to better cognitive health, reduction in oxidative stress, reduces depression, improves focus and memory of the person.
Controls Blood Sugar Levels
Several studies indicate fasting can help control blood sugar levels.
Moreover, fasting helps reduce insulin resistance in the body which makes the body less sensitive to the hormone and promotes better transfer of glucose from the blood to the cells.
Reduces Inflammation
Though inflammation is a process which helps the immune system fight infections, but research suggest that increased inflammation may lead to chronic diseases like cancer, heart diseases and arthritis.
Different studies with different fasting conditions showed that people on fasting had reduced levels of inflammation.
Improves Metabolism
According to the studies by National Institute of Health, fasting increases the production of HGH hormone (Human Growth Hormone) that is responsible for muscle growth, metabolism, increase in height and reduction of weight.
Controlled blood sugar levels during fasting also helps increase production of the HGH hormone in the body.
Improves Overall Health
It reduces the risk of heart diseases, reduces cholesterol, keeps the blood pressure in control, produces ketosis that improves blood sugar levels and helps the body manage stress in a better way.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)