(A Holiday  For Your Health )

We all have noticed people fasting on different days , specially our mothers. So why they do so ? Is it just  tradition or  is there any scientific reason behind that ?

Let’s understand that with an example , in the day to day life everyone is busy and  don’t  spend much time with their friends or family members. So usually they take a day off from all the working days to become a little relaxed and to feel the real essence of life. Similarly our body also gets tired by doing that daily conversion of food to energy.



When we fast the body does not have its usual access to glucose , forcing the cells to resort to other means and materials to produce energy. By eating light food  for a week or maybe once in a week one is supposed to give their system a little rest.

During fasting body focus is less on production of energy but more on other functions like it increases the growth of new Nerve cells, and it increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. BDNF can help prevent brain problems such as depression and development of new Nerve cells , can improve other brain functions . Now question arises how fasting decreases depression? 

Actually during fasting it gives brain a better opportunities for the production of “happiness” hormone ( endorphine) ,  which automatically improve mood  including in the case of the suffering from moderate forms of depressions.

Regular fasting and better heart health is also linked to body metabolic cholesterol and sugar can decrease low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol . This can reduce the  risk of gaining weight and developing diabetes which are both risk factors to heart diseases.

Fasting can be mentally and physically tiring so people must carefully prepared themselves by : 

  • Eating well before the fast with foods that are high in energy

  • Picking a time that will allow for rest , may be a day when not at work

  • Avoiding fasting if un well or very tired

  • Avoiding demanding exercise

So all this clearly shows that yes fasting is beneficial if done in proper way for the one who is doing that and not to the other's  health . But still there are a lot of myths and beliefs which needs to be changed and stopped from being a big disease to the society. As nowadays everyone is aware about the so-called tradition but not about their scientific reasons behind , about why those  sought of rituals were being made . As a result one starts following them which will in turn doesn't help in any way. So before following anything blindly one should first know the real reason behind.

Mythbuster

Womens use to put on Sindoor into their hair, as it has some antibacterial properties and at that time they don't have time and shampoos to clean up their hair. But we are following the same pattern even after having a wide variety of shampoos and hair care products. There is no problem in that but things should not be imposed on everyone by judging them for the same. There might be many other reason for applying sindoor but its antibacterial activity is scientifically proven.