Fasting as a way not only to lose weight, but also to cleanse, has been used since ancient times. And there are still heated discussions about whether this is useful or not. Someone vehemently proves that fasting is an excellent method of healing, someone categorically does not accept this method. Both sides are reasoned, which is why it is not possible to come to a consensus. Fasting is a complete rejection of food. Fruits, vegetables, juices suggest a fasting day. Why does the headache during fasting and is there any benefit in this procedure?
Is there any benefit in fasting?
Opinions about the usefulness of such a method of healing and losing weight, as fasting - are countless. The most popular argument is that during serious illnesses, any living creature completely disappears from the desire to eat food, and the return of appetite is a clear sign of recovery. Proponents of starvation believe that this is nature itself suggests that to cure it was necessary to simply refrain from eating. During the disease, the brain in every possible way dulls the feeling of hunger and directs all energy to the fight against harmful pathogens. In this case, there is no way to spend your last energy on digesting a delicious dinner. There is also an opinion that various kinds of diseases arise precisely because of the large accumulation of toxins and toxins in the body. And here starvation comes to the rescue, during which the body gets rid of this “garbage”. The benefits and harms of fasting on water is a topic that causes heated debate.
Starvation also launches the reserve forces of the body, which leads to an improvement in the functioning of all organs and systems. This method also reduces blood sugar and cholesterol. In addition, the main essence of healing is the release of energy and ketone bodies, which are used by the starving body for proper functioning. This was written in his book "The Miracle of Fasting" by Paul Bragg.
When the body is starving and does not receive the necessary nutrients, it is forced to spend reserves. The first under the distribution are just harmful tissues, dead cells, tumors, edema. The body seems to operate on its own. In addition, fat breakdown occurs, which just provokes weight loss.
Is starvation harmful?
The flip side of the coin is also quite reasoned. Opponents of starvation note - it provokes a lack of insulin, due to which fat is not completely burned and ketone bodies are not completely released. This does not contribute to purification, but poisoning.
Safe fasting lasts no more than a day, and a longer process does not justify the result. Nutritionists note that when you refuse food, the body does not break down fat, but muscles. As a result, wrinkles, sagging skin and even cellulite appear. Due to a lack of nutrients, immunity is reduced and the body does not recover, but becomes defenseless when exposed to bacteria and viruses. It also increases the risk of anemia, hemoglobin decreases, and the number of red blood cells decreases, whose task is to provide cells with oxygen. At the first stages, this manifests itself in the form of headaches, weakness, fatigue, and general malaise. In addition, vitamins are depleted, which leads to a deterioration in the condition of hair, nails, skin and a decrease in the general tone of the body. Starvation is a lack of glucose, so the brain is inhibited, which can lead to severe pain.
Hunger and weight loss - harm?
The benefits of fasting for weight loss are also in question. A prolonged refusal of food slows down the metabolism, therefore in the future, when a person returns to a normal diet, the probability of not only returning the lost kilograms, but also acquiring a couple of new ones is extremely high. Many people wonder why a headache hurts when fasting, but this is not the biggest misfortune that could overtake you in the future due to such radical methods.
Contraindications
Starvation is a great stress for the body, so not everyone can use this method of purification and recovery. First of all, those who suffer from serious diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, diabetes, heart failure, arrhythmia, kidney disease and muscle atrophy will have to refrain even from daily starvation. Do not forget to consult with your doctor. 7 days of fasting is the most common program that is used in some health centers.
Hunger and headache
Hunger and pain in the head are closely related concepts. This discomfort is characterized by different degrees of pressure in the forehead. The degree of pain depends on the duration of fasting, the sensations are usually uniform, over the entire surface of the head, aching in nature. The first unpleasant sensations appear after 16 hours. But this period is not concrete, all conditions are strictly individual, someone feels unwell earlier, someone after a few days.
Why does pain occur?
Despite heated discussions, the only true reason for the appearance of pain has not yet been established. The following options are possible:
- Natural process. Proponents of fasting in order to improve their health say that headaches are normal, because the body goes through a cleansing procedure and gets rid of toxins and toxins. The theory says that the more “slagged” an organism is, the more its head will hurt.
- The reaction of the body to stress. Thus, the body protests, suggesting that the food is over forever and thus panics. This is a peculiar manifestation of the instinct of self-preservation.
- Lack of sugar. The brain's fuel is glucose. And with starvation, as in the case of low-calorie diets, blood sugar levels drop.
Pain in the head during hunger is provoked by the hypothalamus, it is here that the center is located, which is responsible for the feeling of hunger and satiety. When food does not enter the body for a long time, it is this part of the brain that receives signals from all organs and systems, such a load and provokes pain. If you want to thoroughly understand why your head hurts when fasting, you should seek the advice of a doctor. After all, this question is strictly individual.
Myths about hunger
Fasting is a process that has not yet been thoroughly studied, so it’s very difficult to even answer the question of why the head hurts when fasting. There are a sufficient number of common myths, the exposure of which is strictly necessary:
- Myth number 1: the best way to lose weight is fasting. This, of course, may be true, but only if you starve you will be the rest of your life. But in fact, losing weight through starvation will only contribute in the future to an even larger set of kilograms. Starvation as a way to gain weight is used even in animal husbandry, when animals are not fed for several days, and then again they begin to feed. So animals gain much more kilograms than on ordinary food.
- Myth number 2: hunger is the best healing procedure. But this is not entirely true, and with some ailments, hunger can even aggravate the situation.
- Myth number 3: hunger is longevity. This myth causes a storm of discussion, because scientists have proved that low-calorie nutrition slows down the metabolism and, as a result, slows down the aging process. But not a single centenarian in the world was starving, all of them adhered and adhere to a balanced diet.
The reviews and results of fasting are very different, but in no case should you do it yourself, without medical advice.
Recommendations
If it is sensible to a process such as starvation, then there is only one conclusion - it makes no sense to abuse it to an ordinary person. In order to improve your health and get in tone, it will be more beneficial to cleanse the body, followed by proper nutrition and physical activity. If, nevertheless, curiosity prevails and the choice falls on such a method of purification as fasting, do not rush into the pool with your head. Start small: let the first step be a 6- or 12-hour refusal of food, after a week - a day, and so on. The main thing is to monitor your well-being. If after starvation you began to feel better, more cheerful and more fun, you can slightly increase the period of refusal of food from one day to two. If problems began with the gastrointestinal tract and the heart, even if not essential at first glance, then the undertaking will have to be abandoned.
Prolonged fasting is recommended in specialized places under the supervision of a doctor. Today there are a huge number of sanatoriums, the main direction of which is precisely therapeutic fasting. The best option for cleansing the body - fasting days. But they should not be abused, turning your life into one big fasting day is strictly prohibited. More information about the principles of therapeutic fasting can be found in the book by Paul Bragg "The Miracle of Fasting."
And no matter how paradoxical it may sound, in no case should you resort to starvation in order to reduce weight - obesity in the future will not be long in coming. Long-term hunger is pain in the head that is accompanied by severe stress and a slowdown in metabolism. The body perceives prolonged starvation as a threat to life, and stress, in turn, provokes the production of bad cholesterol, which can subsequently lead to the formation of cholesterol plaques and death. If headache hurts during fasting, only a doctor will tell you what to do - independent treatment with medications is strictly prohibited.
Hunger = obesity?
Nutritionists chorus about the dangers of starvation for the figure, no matter how strange it sounds. Headache is not the biggest problem, but when the body in a state of stress begins to intensively accumulate fat and fight for every calorie, here modern beauties should be worried. During fasting, the body is firmly convinced that it is dying and will no longer receive food. And therefore, any food that enters the stomach immediately begins to be processed into fat. What if they don’t give it anymore? Therefore, the essence of hunger strikes is simple - the longer and more people refuse food, the more the body stores fat in reserve.