5 Great Things That Happen To Your Body When You Fast

The start of Ramadan falls on 14th April 2021, which also signifies the beginning of the fasting month for our Muslim friends. During this month, our Muslim friends practice abstaining from water and food, from dawn to dusk.

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It’s a time to heighten self-reflection and devotion. We are reminded to be selfless and kinder to our family and friends which helps to improve moral and spiritual character. Besides, the month long devotion helps to nurture a peaceful and healthy mind.

Surprisingly, did you know that your body is also benefiting greatly when you fast for a month? Despite limiting the amount of food and water intake, your body is actually undergoing great transformation!

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Here are 5 positive changes to your body as you fast

1. Your gut health improves

Imagine using your digestive system for 18 hours a day without rest. Will it still be performing at its most optimal state? Not really. Giving time for your digestive system to rest allows your body’s enzyme to focus on breaking down unwanted immune systems and removing toxins from your body. Besides, your digestive system requires large amounts of energy to heal, repair and perform a general maintenance of the body. 

Hence, it makes sense to give your digestive system a little vacation break.

2. The aging of your body slows down

Fasting supercharges your body, by helping to enhance the breakdown of nutrients and accelerate DNA repair. It also helps to increase the level of antioxidants produced in your body which can help prevent your body cells from being broken down by free radicals. Some studies suggest that fasting can even improve life span! Now, that’s irresistible!

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3. Your mental clarity and cognitive function improves

Fasting puts our body in a state of starvation and this heightens our natural instinct especially in memory and problem-solving abilities. When we fast, the Norepinephrine (closely related to Adrenaline) levels in our body increases which functions to enhance mental focus, memory storage and cognitive functioning in the brain. This comes in handy especially for better productivity in your work task.

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4. Your heart health improves

Research shows as you fast, your blood pressure and cholesterol are naturally reduced, helping to enhance heart health. This is associated with a lower risk of developing Coronary critical illnesses and is even touted to promote longer and a healthier life span.

With heart-related diseases being the no.1 health problem in Malaysia, we need to remind you of the importance of having adequate protection against heart-related diseases. With Gibraltar BSN’s GoXtra Care, you get to receive multi-stage coverage for more than 150 critical illness conditions which include different Cardiovascular and Circulatory System related diseases.

5. Your body has better blood sugar control

Fasting significantly decreases your blood sugar level which is useful especially for those who are at a risk of Diabetes. It keeps your blood sugar steady by preventing spikes in your blood sugar level while optimising the transport of glucose from your bloodstream to the cells. 

This is important as it was reported in 2020 that almost 1 out of 5 Malaysians are suffering from Diabetes. Hence, don’t be part of the statistics and let fasting help to lower your risk of Diabetes. It’s also never wrong to take precautions, so be sure you are covered against Diabetes with Gibraltar BSN’s GoXtra Care which provides up to 350% of the coverage amount.

With this read, you now have more reasons to embrace fasting in the Ramadan month. If you’re able to notice these changes happening to your body, be sure to share it with us on our social media platform at Facebook and Instagram.

To all our Muslim friends, we at Gibraltar BSN, wish you Salam Ramadan!