Navratri is a religious festival celebrated with much enthusiasm in India and abroad. It is observed for nine days and nights and during this period, people who observe the festival fast from all kinds of food grains and certain other foods. But did you know that there are amazing factors involving nine day fasting benefits.
That's right: by observing the fast, you can help your body obtain some vital nutrients and minerals that normally don't make it into our diets. In addition, nine day fasting benefits can include other benefits such as strengthening our digestive system, helping us to remain focused and more.
If you're interested in learning more about the health benefits of Navratri fasting, then this article is for you! We'll discuss 10 amazing ways that fasting during Navratri can improve your overall health.
Overview of Navratri Fasting
Navratri fasting or Navaratri upvaas is a religious Hindu practice observed by millions of people each year. During this fast, devotees abstain from grains, dairy products and certain types of fruits, instead relying on fruits, nuts, seeds and other foods considered sattvic—pure and conducive to spiritual transformation—for sustenance.
It's more than just a religious tradition—this fast comes with a number of scientifically-backed health benefits too. From improved energy levels to boosted immunity, learn how nine day fasting can help you achieve greater wellbeing.
1. Nutrient-Mediated Benefits of Navratri Fasting
Navratri fasting is a safe and effective way to promote health and wellness. When done properly, it can provide some amazing health benefits. Here are three nutrient-mediated benefits of navratri fasting
Improved Digestion: During Navratri, you abstain from certain foods – like wheat and certain dairy products – which can help improve your digestion. Eating smaller amounts of food can also help stimulate the digestive system and reduce bloating, gas, and indigestion.
- Increased Nutrient Absorption: Nine day fasting during Navratri can help your body absorb more nutrients from the food that you do eat because the digestive system isn't overburdened by processing too much food. This increased nutrient absorption helps keep your metabolism running smoothly.
- Detoxification: The detoxification of your body starts as soon as you begin fasting during Navratri. Toxins are flushed more quickly out of your body since it is not busy digesting heavy meals filled with unhealthy ingredients. This detoxification process helps to improve energy levels and strengthens the immune system.
2. Immunomodulatory Benefits of Navratri Fasting
Navratri fasting comes with more than just spiritual and emotional benefits. Turns out, it also provides immunomodulatory benefits, meaning that it can modulate your entire immune system for the better.
How does this happen? During Navratri fasting, you reduce your overall calorie intake, which naturally lowers inflammation levels. This then helps to stimulate the body’s natural immunity responses.
Studies have also found that Navratri fasting can be beneficial in boosting immunity against infections, such as colds and viruses. Research also suggests that it can increase infection-fighting cells such as lymphocytes and macrophages in the body, while also helping to improve gut health.
3. Gut Health Improvement With Navratri Fasting
You may not have heard, but Navratri fasting can really benefit your gut health. That's because during these nine days, certain foods are eaten in moderation or eliminated altogether. By temporarily reducing the amount of food your system needs to process, you can give it a much-needed rest and allow it to reset.
So what kind of things does this type of nine day fasting do for your gut? Let's take a look:
Improved digestion
When you make the conscious decision to fast during Navratri, you're likely to consume fewer calories and processed foods. Fasting helps reduce inflammation in the gut and increases nutrient absorption, which can help your digestive system get back on track.
Reduced risk of digestive issues
Because you'll be consuming fewer processed foods (which often contain chemicals and additives that are hard for the body to process), your risk of digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or leaky gut syndrome should decrease. It also helps reset your body’s natural rhythm, allowing it time to repair itself before reintroducing new foods into your diet again.
Weight Loss
Fasting during Navratri can also help with weight loss by reducing calorie intake each day. This can lead to a healthier overall body weight, which has been linked to reduced risk of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
With all these benefits in mind, it's no wonder why so many people choose to incorporate Navratri fasting into their lifestyle each year!
4. Detoxification Effects of Navratri Fasting
You may not know this, but Navratri fasting actually promotes detoxification of the body, which can have a range of positive health effects.
Clearing Toxins
When toxins accumulate in the body, it can cause inflammation and cell damage. But since nine day fasting gives the digestive system a break, it gives your body space to clear out the toxins.
Boost Immunity
Navratri fasting also helps to boost your immune system by regulating your digestive process and producing gut bacteria that help absorb nutrients. This can help with digestion and reduce your risk of infection.
Moreover, fasting gives your digestive system time to regenerate so that it’s better able to process food and absorb nutrients. This is especially important when you’re eating healthy foods. The result? A stronger immune system over time!
It's important to note that you don't necessarily have to fast for all nine days—you can start with one day at a time if need be. Just keep in mind that if you're trying out short-term detoxification, it may not be as effective as detoxing through an entire nine-day routine like Navratri fasting.
5. Stress Relief With Navratri Fasting
It's no secret that fasting during the nine days of Navratri can be a great way to reduce stress. After all, it's a period of self-observation, which is an essential component of being mindful in today's fast world.
So if you're trying to reduce stress during these nine days, it all revolves around one thing: self-control. You have to be able to control yourself, to observe your cravings and resist the lure of unhealthy foods.
Of course, the hardest part is resisting temptation—it takes discipline and commitment to stay on track with nine day fasting and the other rituals involved in the festival. But this self-control can help you learn how to better manage stress in your life.
Improves Concentration and Focus
Navratri fasting also has been shown to improve concentration and focus as it requires a great amount of dedication and ambition. This can lead to more clarity of thought, improved decision making abilities, and an overall higher level of productivity at work or school.
Increased Sense Of Wellbeing
Navratri fasting not only has physical benefits but psychological ones too! Through its rituals and practices, it helps promote a sense of wellbeing which leads to increased happiness levels.
6. Metabolic Benefits of Navratri Fasting
You might know that Navratri fasting is a great way to cleanse the body and give it a break from all the unhealthy food, but did you know that it can also help with weight loss? Fasting for nine days of Navratri can help your body detox and reset its metabolism, giving it a jumpstart on its fat burning efforts.
It's important to remember though that Navratri doesn't just mean starving yourself—proper nutrition is key. You should focus on eating nutrient-dense foods like nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables while avoiding processed foods to ensure your body is getting all of the vitamins and minerals it needs.
Navratri fasting also provides other metabolic benefits including:
- Flushing out toxins from your body
- Improving digestion
- Regulating blood sugar levels
- Enhancing immunity
7. Cardiac Benefits of Navratri Fasting
You may not know that Navratri fasting can be beneficial for your heart, too! Several studies have shown that nine day fasting benefits do include a positive effect on the heart, reducing cholesterol and helping to lower high blood pressure.
Lowering Cholesterol
Recent research suggests that the total cholesterol levels of people who fast during Navratri are significantly lower than those who don’t. It’s thought that this is due to the cleansing process of fasting, as well as the reduction in unhealthy foods consumed during this period.
Reducing High Blood Pressure
Fasting during this time of year can also help to reduce any high blood pressure issues. This is because when you fast, your body begins to flush out excess fats and toxins from your system—all things that contribute to a rise in blood pressure.
Moreover, abstaining from animal products and eating mostly plant-based foods has been shown to help reduce inflammation in the body which can be linked to high blood pressure. So if you or someone you love has high blood pressure, it might just be worth trying out a Navratri fast!
8. Cancer Prevention Properties of Navratri Fasting
You might not have known this, but Navratri fasting can actually help in the prevention of cancer! The dietary restrictions and increased consumption of detoxifying food items that come with fasting during Navratri can help to prevent various types of cancers.
Detoxifying Properties
The dietary restrictions during Navratri fasts, like eliminating animal proteins and processed foods, actually helps to detoxify your body. This detoxification process helps to flush out toxins and other harmful elements in your body that could be promoting the growth of cancerous cells.
Increased Vegetable Consumption
During Navratri fasts, you will be consuming mostly plant-based food items like vegetables, grains, fruits and nuts. These foods are rich in antioxidants which can help to reduce the risk of cancer or even slow the growth of existing cancerous cells in the body.
Navratri fasting comes with so many health benefits that it's hard to ignore! Not only will you improve your overall health by reducing toxins from your body, but you will also reduce your risk for various types of cancer and other illnesses. So what are you waiting for? Start nine day fasting today and experience all the amazing benefits for yourself!
Conclusion
Health benefits of navratri fasting are immense if considered seriously. Not only can it result in physical benefits such as controlling diabetes and boosting immunity, it can also bring forth mental and spiritual clarity. The practice of fasting can be tailored to each individual's needs, and with so many resources available to help create a plan, embarking on the journey of Navratri fasting can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Finally, it can bring us closer to our roots and help us connect with our Indian culture. So go ahead and experience the joy of fasting on this Navratri!
