National Fasting February is observed every year to bring awareness about the health benefits of fasting, especially intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting is an umbrella term used for eating patterns where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. There are different schedules for intermittent fasting ranging from 16:8, where you fast for 16 hours and eat during an 8-hour window, to 20:4, and alternate day fasting.

These are some of the health benefits of intermittent fasting:

  • Intermittent fasting improves cellular repair which helps remove waste from the cells.
  • It can increase Human Growth Hormone levels that help in fat burning and muscle gain.
  • Intermittent fasting helps you eat fewer calories while boosting your metabolism. This aids in weight loss and losing visceral fat.
  • Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance and lower blood sugar levels.
  • It is known to reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in the body which helps against aging.
  • Intermittent fasting can help regulate blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers that in turn promote heart health.
  • It is found beneficial for increasing the growth of new neurons and can protect the brain from damage.
  • Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can improve longevity.
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Here are some quotes that will motivate you to follow fasting:

  1. "The best of all medicines is resting and fasting." – Benjamin Franklin
  2. "Fasting for the body is food for the soul." – Saint John Chrysostom
  3. "I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency." – Plato
  4. "Fasting is not nearly so deadly as feasting." – J. Harold Smith
  5. "Fasting for many people becomes not only a physical but also an emotional and spiritual process." – Cynthia Thurlow
  6. "Fasting is the single greatest natural healing therapy. It is nature's ancient, universal 'remedy' for many problems." – Elson Haas
  7. "Everyone who does intermittent fasting talks about it as a lifestyle, not a diet. They come for the weight loss, but stay for the health benefits." – Unknown
  8. "I assert that fasting is the most efficient means for correcting any disease." – Adolph Mayer
  9. "Fasting and natural diet, though essentially unknown as a therapy, should be the first treatment when someone discovers that he or she has a medical problem." – Joel Fuhrman
  10. "Through fasting...I have found perfect health, a new state of existence, a feeling of purity and happiness, something unknown to humans." – Upton Sinclair