Benefits of fasting

Good news for those with sleep disorders and problems related to mood and appetite. Results of a research study conducted in the United Kingdom have shown that eating within a 10-hour window has positive health benefits in terms of mood, energy, and hunger. The research study findings have also said that intermittent fasting, or limiting one’s meal consumption to a specific timeframe, is not just a popular weight-loss method but also one way through which one can also improve one’s mood, sleep, and appetite. It has also been found that with a ten-hour window, one can improve one’s health considerably by limiting one’s daily eating schedule to ten hours and abstaining from consuming anything during the remaining 14 hours. The findings have also pointed out that consistency counts: those who maintained the same timeframe for fasting had greater benefits than those who varied their eating window from day to day. What, however, is important to note is that while the West has been experimenting and conducting research studies on fasting only in recent times, in India it has been a time-tested practice since time immemorial. While sadhus and sages have, since olden days, resorted to fasting as a part of their lives, there are numerous occasions when the common Indian people also abstain from taking any kind of food. Fasting, in fact, is a moral and spiritual act whose aim is to purify the body and mind in order to acquire divine grace. The Indian tradition of fasting is considered to be a kind of activity that increases consciousness of God or helps one become closer to God. Additionally, it works as a mechanism to cleanse and purify both mind and body, apart from helping counter negative forces during inauspicious occasions.