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Intermittent fasting can be secret to better heart health & longer life

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While the Navratri fasting is done for religious reasons, there are undoubtedly some health benefits!

Synopsis

During the Navratri, devotees often hold a nine-day-long fast as a sign of devotion to Goddess Durga. However, religious significance notwithstanding, fasting has some proven health benefits!

India’s biggest festival - the Shardiya Navratri has finally arrived.

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This year, this grand nine-day festival will commence on October 15, and end on October 24.

While there are many regional variations to how devotees welcome the arrival of Goddess Durga from her heavenly abode of Kailash to the mortal realm (in many regions of North India, especially Gujarat, people hold vibrant and colourful dancing competitions known as the Garba), while in West Bengal, Bengalis queue outside ornate pandals to catch a glimpse of the deity), the central theme of the festival is one - to celebrate and pay homage to the nine forms of Devi Durga for nine days.


In North India, many devotees hold a nine-day fast to seek blessings for themselves and their family members.

While the Navratri fasting is done for religious reasons, there are undoubtedly some health benefits!

Your Hormones Change For The Better

When you go without food for a long time, your insulin levels drop, which facilitates fat burning. Your body also generates a lot of human growth hormones which help you gain muscles and reduce chronic inflammation.
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Aids In Weight Loss

The secret to weight loss is pretty simple: You consume less calories and burn more. Due to low insulin levels and high HGH levels, you end up burning more fat when you fast. As per a recent survey, intermittent fasting can cause you to lose 3 to 4 per cent fat over 3 to 24 weeks!

Can Help Control Inflammation

Inflammation or oxidative stress is the root cause of many comorbidities and chronic illnesses. Chronic inflammation causes free radicals to react with molecules and damage our DNA. Several studies have shown that intermittent fasting can strengthen our immune system and help protect against inflammation.
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May Improve Heart Health

Overeating or excessive addiction to processed and fast foods leads to the build-up of high blood sugar and high levels of cholesterol. This increases the risk of heart attacks. Fasting definitely keeps blood sugar levels down and may also regulate blood pressure levels.

Boosts Cell Health

Lesser amount of inflammation will lead to better cell heath. During fasting, our body undergoes a waste-removal process called autophagy which involves the cell removing wastes and dysfunctional proteins. This improves our immune system and may help us steer clear of cancers in the long run.

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