How Fasting Affects Your Mental Health
You may have heard about the benefits of fasting for your health. Some people even go as far as saying that it's a miracle cure. But what exactly is fasting? What does it mean to fast? And is it really good for you?
Fasting is more than just a dietary practice. It's a spiritual journey that can help you make huge leaps forward in your personal growth. For example, Muslims go on a month-long fast during Ramadan. During this time, they abstain from food, drink, and smoking from dawn to dusk. The result is a feeling of personal and spiritual growth.
In this article, we'll look at how fasting can affect your mental health. We'll also explore some of the mental health benefits of fasting.
What Is Fasting?
Before we dive into the specifics of fasting, it's important to understand what exactly it is. Fasting is the voluntary abstinence from eating food.
Fasting can be short or long and intermittent or continuous. Intermittent fasting is where you eat all your meals during the day but skip one or more meals. The practice you choose will depend on your health goals and your personal preference.
Why Fast?
The idea of fasting has been around for centuries. Many cultures around the world have their own traditions for fasting. For example, many Christians fast on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Some Christians fast on certain days during the year. Early Hindus and Buddhists had fasting as a major aspect of their lifestyle and spiritual cultivation.
I remember growing up and seeing other kids fasting on Sundays and Fridays. It seemed to be a really big deal. For me, fasting was about giving up food and drinking for no purpose. I used to think, “Why would someone starve willingly?”
However, as I grew older, I began to see fasting as a tool for self-improvement. I realized that it could be a form of self-therapy. If I wanted to change my life, I would need to do something different. Fasting was a way of changing my life for the better.
Effects Of Fasting On Mental Health
1. Improves Mood:
One of the first mental health benefits of fasting is that it can help improve your mood. In fact, it can be so effective that some people even say it's a cure for several mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. This is because fasting is known to help reduce stress.
A study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology looked at the effects of a 10-hour water fast on people's moods. The study showed that fasting improved the participants' moods and self-esteem.
2. Makes You Learn Self Control:
Fasting can help you develop self-control since you learn to control your cravings. You build discipline and willpower. This can be very helpful if you want to live a healthier lifestyle.
I have experienced it myself as I used to be overweight, and losing weight was a nightmare. I couldn't stop myself from eating junk food and unhealthy snacks. But after fasting, I learned to control my cravings.
The first few weeks were really hard for me. I was a complete failure. I would always go out to eat with my friends. But after a few months of fasting, I started to see results and began to lose weight.
3. Resolves Sleep-Related Issues:
Most of us are sleep deprived and prone to insomnia due to the hectic life schedule we have to follow. During fasting, your metabolism slows down. This helps you sleep better. Your body has to use less energy to process food. This means you'll get more restful sleep.
Also, a hormone called leptin is released during fasting. It controls your appetite. When you're not eating, your body releases more leptin. This makes you feel full and less hungry. It also helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
4. Evokes Sense Of Empathy:
When you're fasting, you'll notice many people around you who are sick or starving. You'll also see a lot of people who are obese and suffering from diabetes. Fasting will make you understand their struggles better. It can make you empathize with them and even feel sympathy for them.
In fact, this is one of the reasons why many people fast. They do it to learn compassion for the poor and less fortunate. You also develop a sense of gratitude and appreciate what you have and what others do not.
Bottom Line
No matter what religion you belong to, you can perform fasting for the positive effects it poses on your body and mind. When most people think of fasting, they think of someone who doesn't eat for 24 hours. But in reality, fasting is more than just abstaining from food or drinking water. It can be an act of self-examination, repentance, devotion, preparation for something, meditation, and even spiritual guidance.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8624477/
