HEALTH BENEFITS OF FASTING DURING NAVRATRI

India exhibits cultural and religious diversity practiced with great dedication and enthusiasm. One such auspicious festival is "Navratri," celebrated by Hindus in India and worldwide. Navratri is observed twice a year at the onset of summers and winters, and according to religious beliefs, fasting during this period is auspicious as Goddess Durga bestows her blessings upon all. However, the scientific justification says that fasting during seasonal change helps in purification and the intake of Saatvik food imparts various health benefits.

1. Detoxify the Body:

Navratri marks the two main junctures of seasonal change, the crucial times when the human body is the most vulnerable and susceptible to illnesses. Fasting helps the body cells produce more antioxidants, which help detoxify. During fasting for Navratri, abstaining from certain foods and including a lot of fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and grains in your diet help flush out toxins from the body, build immunity, and promote your overall well-being.

2. Restore digestive system:

Religious beliefs emphasize omitting foods like garlic, onion, meat, grains, and eggs from the diet during Navratri. The reason lies in the fact that they are heavy and high-energy foods that can cause inflammation and other digestive issues during our low immunity phase. It has been scientifically proven that eating fruits and easy-to-digest food gives rest to your digestive system and allows the gut to cleanse and strengthen its lining.

3. Promote weight loss:

According to diet experts, fasting boosts the ketosis or fat-burning process in the body. During fasting, your body burns excess fat stored around the liver, kidneys, and other organs that helps improve organ functions. In addition, fasting during Navratri recommends a gluten-free diet that keeps you full for longer durations and provides requisite nutrients, thus promoting weight loss. Other food options such as fruits, healthy spices, fresh fruit juices, curd, and buttermilk also help maintain a healthy body weight.

4. Promote heart health:

Fasting lowers the risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease. Research studies evidenced that intermittent fasting improves blood cholesterol levels and alleviates the risk of associated conditions. It helps remove fat deposits in the blood and lowers the risk of narrowed arteries, heart attack, and stroke.

5. Reduce bloating:

A fasting diet specifies the intake of certain grains, such as amaranth flour, buckwheat flour, water chestnut flour, and sago, in your diet. The healthy and gluten-free diet consumed during Navratri is rich in fiber and easy to digest, thus minimizing digestive distress and bloating. Navratri fasting is particularly beneficial for people with gluten intolerance.

6. Boost Mental Health:

Fasting foods lack carbohydrates, so our body utilizes fat as its prime energy source. Since the metabolic end product of fat is a ketone, the brain's energy source, it promotes more acetylcholine that helps increase concentration power and cognitive skills and spikes the production of serotonin, the hormone for happiness. Praying, singing hymns, and practicing meditation radiate positivity and helps in achieving mental peace.

7. Foster Self-discipline and self-control:

There is a direct relationship between fasting and self-control. When you restrict yourself from eating certain foods and stick to a specific lifestyle, you break your regular lifestyle pattern, promoting self-discipline and self-control. Controlling our minds can also help to overcome negativity and psychological issues like anger, insatiability, emotional distress, anxiety, indolence, and hate.

Conclusion

Fasting during Navratri helps to boost our overall well-being in all four dimensions of health, namely, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. The food choices during fasting help to improve our digestive system and eliminate various gastric issues like bloating and gastritis. A self-disciplined lifestyle and prayers provide inner peace and boost an individual's mental and emotional aspects. The festive mood spreads positivity and spirituality among the populace.