Fast to improve your gut health and keep stress at bay
Experts say fasting, an important part of Navratri, can help cut down on the level of toxins in the body and reduce anxiety, too
The festival of Navratri has begun, and many of you would be observing fasts (vrat). During this nine-day festival, special delicacies are consumed, made of ingredients such as kuttu ka atta, sendha namak, etc. as well as nuts and fruits, during certain periods of time in a day. But, what you may not know is that this age-old practice not only enables the body to flush out toxins, it even induces a sense of calm and helps reduce stress.
UNDERSTANDING STRESS AND ITS IMPACT
Stress is the body’s way of reacting to any circumstance that requires an adjustment or response. During stressful events, the body releases a burst of chemicals, causing muscle tension, fatigue, headaches and loss of sleep. Prolonged exposure to stress is touted as a major factor for the impairment of the cognitive regulation of emotion, according to research published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Further, stress has been associated with ailments such as cancer, lung disease, diabetes, thyroid and cirrhosis of the liver, observes a study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, USA.
HOW CAN FASTING HELP REDUCE STRESS?
Fasting is an eating pattern in which certain food items are to be consumed within a cycle of eating and fasting. This traditional practice helps manage erratic eating habits, and boost the digestive system by removing toxins from the body.
The removal of toxins will in turn boost your gut health and help your mind to calm down. In fact, a research published by Harvard Health Publishing notes that good gut health is inextricably linked to mental well-being. Therefore, the overall levels of stress and anxiety may plunge when fasting, as the body experiences a period of cleansing and improvement in gut health.
FASTING HELPS MANAGE ERRATIC EATING BOOST HABITS AND THE DIGESTIVE REMOVING SYSTEM BY THE TOXINS FROM BODY, THEREBY IMPROVING HEALTH
THE RELATION BETWEEN GUT HEALTH AND FASTING
When fasting during Navratri, people tend to eat a lot of fruits. Oranges, apples and pomegranate
are widely consumed during this period, which provides fibre to the body. Fibre works brilliantly for digestion, since it has a natural laxative effect on the digestive system, thereby removing toxins from the body.
Grace Bains