Long before juice cleanses, 5:2 diets and liver detoxes, humans have engaged in ritual deprivation.
Many Buddhist uk canada goose outlet monks and nuns abstain from food from noon canada goose outlet to dawn, Muslims observe the month of Ramadan and many Christian traditions observe a month of restraint for Lent.
Many of the fasts observed by canada goose coats on sale these religions don’t completely withhold any food and drink, but studies have shown observing periods of restraint around canada goose outlet jackets food can have health benefits, whether you canada goose outlet shop do it for religious reasons or not.
What happens in your body during a fastEating and canada goose outlet online digesting food takes a toll on the body, and taking the odd break from that can canada goose outlet toronto factory be a good thing, says Professor Amanda Salis, who researches severe energy restriction at the University of Sydney.
“There is some collateral damage from eating, there’s also food that contain free radicals and that causes some damage canadian goose jacket to your body,” she said.
“Eating is not all good. It’s necessary, but having a rest from it is probably going to give our bodies a rest from those processes.”
Research showed taking a break from eating can sometimes reduce risk factors for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, she said.
“We don’t know yet if this means a reduction in the incidence of those, but certainly the risk factors are reduced.”
But while eating has its downsides, fasting is also a stress on the human body. It causes an increase in the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your blood and activates the canada goose factory outlet sympathetic nervous system, a process that is sometimes called the fight or uk canada goose flight response.
“These are all processes the body tries to liberate sugar from your body for the brain. These all have https://www.outletmoncler.de collateral damage on the body as well,” Professor Salis said.
The key, as in so many things when it comes to health, is moderation. Professor Salis advises to start by simply waiting until you truly feel hungry before you eat your next meal or snack.
Fasting and mental health
Your physical body isn’t the only thing that benefits from a break from eating. Fasting can also help you reset your official canada goose outlet relationship with food, according canada goose outlet uk to psychologist Meredith Fuller.
Ms Fuller, who has taken part in fasting for health, not religious reasons, said she sees it as a way of respecting her own canada goose outlet cheap canada goose uk online uk health and wellbeing.
“It’s just a way of honouring my body. I’m honouring myself, I’m getting in touch with what I need and I’m much more in control of when buy canada goose jacket cheap I eat, where I eat,” she said.
To Ms Fuller, the mental health benefits of fasting come after food is reintroduced.
“Some people feel really out of control about food. They feel ‘I can’t say no, I can’t stop’. You learn that’s not the case, I have more choices in life than I think I do. What am I really craving right now?” she said.
“It’s about listening to our bodies, and it’s interesting how much our bodies really want to have healthy food.
“Your body has really got a wisdom of its own.”
For non religious people, experiencing a fast can also give them more empathy for their canada goose store friends who do fast for religious reasons, Ms canada goose jacket outlet Fuller said.
Planning to fastBut before you plunge headfirst into a fast, make sure that’s the best thing for your body.
Talk to your doctor about whether there are reasons you shouldn’t be doing it. Ms Fuller said you should also examine your motivations and what you’re hoping to get out of the fast. And be willing to call it if the fast doesn’t agree with your body.
“Be mindful of how you’re going,” she said.
“It’s important not to be rigid about any of these things.”
Professor Salis canada goose outlet sale said it could help to try fasting in a community canada goose outlet setting, the way people do for a religious fast.
Alongside the physical benefits, you also get the benefits of being part of something that connects you to the people around you.
Professor Salis, who is not religious, took part in canada goose outlet nyc Ramadan several years ago in preparation canada goose coats for a research project into the fast.