21 Incredible Benefits Of Fasting in Teej Festival | Tips To Nepalese Women

Fasting in Teej:- Teej’s origin has its roots in the Hindu mythology of Lord Shiva and the goddess Parvati. According to this myth, Parvati observed an exhausting fast during Satya Yug to get Lord Shiva as her husband.

What is really interesting is that because of her unwavering commitment to attracting him at all costs, she has caught the Lord’s unprecedented attention.

Since then, it has become a popular festival where married women have to fast or fast (sometimes hard) for the long life of their husbands. Singles often go all day without drinking a drop of water, hoping to have a perfect husband like Shiva in the future.

The term “fasting for others” has made Teej a celebration of oppression rather than liberation.

Mythical stories about Teej that they have heard since ancient times are so burned into their minds that they cannot think of not observing Teej in this way. Given their low awareness of gender equality and the empowerment of women, will they admit that Teej adds problems to their suffering instead of making them happy?

However, the women of the new generation use this festival as an opportunity to relax from the monotony of work. Some of them have even given up the practice of staying all day without eating and drinking milk, fruit, and water to replenish the nutrients in their bodies is becoming more common.

How can fasting increase religious value in Nepalese culture?

Therefore, Teej’s speech was limited to conservative religious beliefs and it was difficult for women to question orthodox practice. In many cases, women had to fast at the expense of their health.

While husbands exercise freedom without realizing that their wives need the same thing, women primarily dance for them on an empty stomach. Hence the idea of ​​liberation is paradoxical.

How can women be considered free when their festive atmosphere is limited by a number of factors that strengthen patriarchal rule? Why should women be victims of submission for the ages of men?

The importance of women’s independence and respect for their individual identity has not been adequately considered in our society.

Although gender equality and the empowerment of women in various public forums have grown in importance, the absolute reluctance of the main actors in the patriarchal system to implement them has exacerbated the problem of women.

We live in a society in which the male head of the family, who publicly declares that any form of discrimination against women is unacceptable, is consistently discriminatory towards women in their own families.

In other words, the perception of women by men remains traditional and has been shaped by patriarchal structures and their institutions.

On Hariyaali Teej day, women adorn themselves with green shades, from brangles to saris. They fast all day and pray to the goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva for their married life. Some young women are too fast.

Some women eat fruit and milk during the day, while others opt for “brat without water,” where they don’t drink a drop of water a day. Pregnant and sick women are advised not to proceed so quickly.

Read Also: Benefits Of Fasting in Teej Festival for Hindus

On this day, Parvati women offer beautiful leaves with turmeric, fruit, flowers, and rice, sing songs and listen to folk tales. Break the fast with a hearty vegetarian meal that includes lentils, casserole, plenty of curries, and potatoes.

They also enjoy many festive desserts like Gevar and Laddu. Ghewaris, is a Rajasthani dessert that is generously prepared around Teej. It looks like a honeycomb and consists of all-purpose flour covered with khoya, cream, nuts, and cutlery.

Here is a Me Ghewar recipe that you can try at home for this green tea. Fasting is nothing new. The practice has played a central role in various religions and cultures for centuries. The month of Ramadan is known worldwide as a fasting month for Muslims.

Catholics fast on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. The Jews adhere to a six-day fast, the most famous of which is Yom Kippur. Hindus observe fasting during the new moon and festivals such as Pooja, Saraswati, and Shivaratri. Mormons fast every first Sunday of the month.

Many other religions like Buddhism, Taoism, and Jainism have their fasting methods. Many of these religions practice fasting because they believe that there is a connection between physical and spiritual conditions. The popularity of fasting has increased in recent decades.

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However, many today adopt this old practice and do not do it for religious reasons. They do it for health: In the past, when people fasted for spiritual reasons, scientists and researchers confirmed that fasting also has health benefits.

Below are 10 benefits of fasting that will surprise you and hopefully motivate you to start exercising.

Main benefits of fasting in Teej for Nepalese women

1. Hartalika Teej, the fast of Lord Shiva, is supposed to fulfill all the wishes of the devotees.
2. This offer has many advantages in the life of a woman, including receiving her husband’s love and securing her husband’s life.
3. This will quickly become an advantage even for single girls. She is blessed by a good husband like Lord Shiva.
4. Fasting is voluntary abstinence or the reduction of some or all food, drinks, or both for a certain period. Although fasting is sometimes considered unhealthy, private, or reserved for religious reasons, it can offer excellent health benefits.
5. With increasing research in this area of ​​health, fasting is increasingly accepted as a legitimate means of weight control and disease prevention. At the same time, it is important that fasting is carried out appropriately and healthily.
6. Temporary fasting is a new name. What we have learned from experience in the science of yoga, modern science is still oriented towards today. Your body and mind only fully function when your stomach is empty.
7. We always make sure that our stomach is empty in two or three hours, no matter how much we eat. Your stomach must be empty for any improvement and cleansing that must be in the body.
8. It’s very important. Otherwise, there is no cleaning at the cellular level. For yoga, at least eight hours of space between meals is recommended. If you do this, you will find that regardless of your health problems, at least fifty percent will go away in six weeks.

Other Health Benefits of Fasting in Teej festival

Fasting helps you lose weight

For those looking to lose some weight, fasting is one of the fastest and safest ways to get there. Any additional food that is not depleted as fuel is converted to fat and stored within the body for future use. This is what leads to weight gain.

When you start fasting, there is less food to convert to energy, therefore your body is forced to start converting stored fats to energy. This occurs through a process known as lipolysis.

Read Also: Benefits Of Fasting in Teej Festival for girls

One of the biggest advantages of fasting as a means of losing weight is that it is more effective at burning fat cells compared to the regular diet. Fasting also burns fat cells without affecting muscle tissue, which is why many athletes use fasting as a means of achieving low percentages of body fat before competitions.

Additionally, fasting is incorporated as a lifestyle change, making it more sustainable and more effective compared to many “diet weight loss solutions”. Several studies have found that fasting is one of the most effective and reliable long-term solutions for weight loss and maintenance.

Fasting Promotes Longevity This may seem a bit of a stretch, but several studies have shown that fasting can help you live longer. There are several reasons why fasting can help you live a longer life.

The first has to do with metabolism. As you age, your body’s metabolism begins to slow, leading to the gradual loss of muscle tissue through a process known as sarcopenia. Fortunately, fasting helps speed up your metabolism, preventing this degeneration and loss of muscle tissue.

Secondly, as you get older, your cells also get older and their performance decreases. There is an accumulation of old cellular material inside the cell. The decreased performance of old cells and the accumulation of old cellular material within the cell is what leads to aging.

Nutrient deprivation that occurs during fasting activates a process known as autophagy. This is the process by which old cellular material within cells is identified and broken down. Autophagy also allows the cell to recycle and rejuvenate the mitochondria, allowing the cells to function optimally again. 

All of these effects slow down the aging process, both internally and in your physical appearance. Research by the University of Chicago has shown that fasting also prevents the early development of disorders that commonly lead to death.

According to Mark Mattson, head of the neuroscience laboratory at the National Institute on Aging, cell regeneration occurs during fasting as the body treats fasting as a constant threat.

In preparation to deal with this threat, the body activates powerful cellular defenses to protect cells against molecular damage and also activates the repair of damaged tissues, leading to a slower rate of aging.

Several animal studies have been conducted to test the benefits of fasting that extend throughout life. In one study, a group of male Wistar rats was fed every day, while another group was fed every other day from weaning to death. The fasting group (fed every other day) aged much more slowly and had an 83% longer lifespan compared to the daily fed group.

Other studies by researchers at Kyoto University and Kyushu University, as well as other independent researchers, have also reported that fasting affects increasing longevity.

However, it is good to note that the effects of fasting on longevity have not been tested in humans, although the effects are believed to be valid in humans as well.

Promotes detoxification

Many of the processed foods we eat today contain many additives, some of which are toxic to our bodies. As the food is digested and absorbed by the body, these toxins are also absorbed by the body and stored in fat deposits the body.

During fasting, your brain treats diet deprivation as a threat and activates adaptive stress responses to help you cope with the threat. The brain also begins to think about how it supplies the body with energy without food.

To ensure that metabolism continues to function, the brain activates the conversion of glycogen stored in the liver into energy. However, glycogen is not a great source of energy and after about 12 hours the glycogen stores are used up.

At this point, the body has to find an alternative source of energy and therefore uses fat that is stored in different parts of the body. When fat deposits are burned for energy, the toxins stored in the fats are released.

Read Also: Benefits Of fasting in Teej festival for ladies

These toxins are removed from the body with the help of the liver, kidneys, and other organs, which keep the body free of accumulated toxins.

The metabolism increases

Fasting also helps to increase your metabolism. A weak digestive system usually affects your ability to metabolize food and burn fat.

Intermittent fasting gives your digestive system time to rest. If you eat after your digestive system has rested, your metabolism will be boosted, which means that your body will burn calories more efficiently and get more energy from the food you eat.

A study by researchers from the Department of Internal Medicine IV at the University of Vienna found that fasting can increase metabolism by up to 14%.

Another study also found that fasting can increase levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in the blood, which also contributes to increased metabolism. Intermittent fasting has also been shown to promote healthy bowel function.

Increase your brain function

Fasting is not only great for your body but also good for your brain! Fasting improves brain function in several ways. First, fasting increases the production of a brain hormone known as the neurotrophic factor (BDNF) from the brain.

The release of BDNF activates the stem cells in the brain and turns them into neurons. BDNF also triggers the release of various other chemicals that are good for your brain’s health.

Increased BDNF production has been shown to protect brain cells from degenerative changes associated with diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, while low BDNF levels have been associated with depression and various other brain problems.

In addition to BDNF production, fasting also improves brain function by reducing overactivity in the brain. Depending on the type of food you have eaten, the energy of the food can sometimes cause your brain to get a little faster.

In this state, too much is fired into the brain, which is generally not a good thing. It also makes it difficult for your brain to concentrate properly. When you fast, your brain goes into survival mode and increases your ability to focus on the tasks ahead.

Read Also: Reasons for Fasting in Teej Festival

Fasting has also been linked to reduced oxidative stress, reduced insulin resistance and low blood sugar, and reduced inflammation, all of which are good for brain health. Several studies have been done to show the effects of fasting on brain function and health.

A 2015 study conducted on humans and animals and presented at this year’s Society for Neuroscience meeting showed that intermittent fasting improves memory, supports recovery after a brain injury or stroke, and promotes neuron growth.

The study also found evidence that fasting can improve both cognitive function and quality of life for people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Another study in rats found that fasting can improve the growth of new nerve cells, while another animal study found that fasting can protect the brain from stroke damage. Several other studies have had similar results.

Improve your immune system

 Have you ever noticed that animals stop eating when they get sick? Have you ever wondered why this happens? This is an instinct through which animals try to reduce stress in their internal systems and focus their energy on fighting infections.

The next time you get sick, resist the urge to look for food and focus on fasting. Fasting affects your immune system. Remember, we mentioned that fasting triggers the regeneration of old cells in the body. This includes the cells that are part of your immune system.

This rejuvenation of the cells leads to an improved immune function. According to a study, a three-day fast can lead to the regeneration of the entire immune system and the production of completely new white blood cells, which have an increased ability to fight diseases.

As we have already seen, fasting also triggers fat burning and the release of toxins from the body, which can also improve the body’s ability to fight diseases.

Fasting on fruits can further boost your immune system by providing your body with a source of essential vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A and E, which are excellent antioxidants.

Read Also: Why women are observing fasting in Teej Festival

Fasting also prevents cancer cells from forming, regulates the likelihood of inflammation, and helps reduce the occurrence of free radicals in the body, which damages the cells, DNA, and proteins of the body, thereby contributing to the disease.

Fasting rejuvenates the skin and prevents acne

If you’ve tested cream for the cream to make your skin look better, you’ll be surprised that fasting can help you get the look you want. How did it happen?

First, fasting gives the body a break from digestion so that the body can spend more energy regulating and improving the functioning of other organs such as the liver, kidneys, and skin.

Fasting also helps the body get rid of toxins that can contribute to skin conditions. We have also seen that fasting contributes to autophagy. This happens to all cells in the body, including skin cells. When you fast, your body regenerates the cells that make up your skin and cleans old cell material from existing cells, giving it a better appearance.

This regeneration can even help scars heal faster. Remember, we have also seen that fasting reduces inflammation, which is one of the culprits for some skin conditions like acne.

Fasting not only improves the appearance of your skin but also contributes to healthy and strong hair and nails and makes the eyes white. In general, fasting not only improves your feeling but also your appearance.

Improves insulin sensitivity

Type 2 diabetes has become increasingly common in recent decades. This condition is characterized by reduced insulin sensitivity, which leads to increased sugar content in the blood. Usually, eating leads to an increase in blood sugar levels when eating.

In response, the pancreas produces insulin, which triggers the uptake of glucose (blood sugar) from the blood by fat and muscle cells, which then use this glucose for energy. In this way, insulin helps lower blood sugar levels to the normal range.

In some cases, however, the body’s insulin sensitivity can be reduced, which means that the body increasingly needs more insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. The cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for the production of insulin, become overloaded and start to wear out.

Eventually, it becomes impossible for the body to produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels, which leads to an increase in blood sugar levels and ultimately to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Fortunately, people with insulin resistance can increase their insulin sensitivity by intermittent fasting. When fasting, the body uses glucose in the blood and liver because it has no other source of energy to help lower blood sugar.

In addition, after breaking the fast, insulin more effectively triggers glucose absorption by fat and muscle cells, as part of the excess glucose stored in your body has already been used up.

Read Also: How women are observing fasting in Teej festival

At this point, your body does not need as much insulin to absorb glucose from the blood, so the pancreas no longer produces too much insulin, which in turn leads to lower insulin levels in the blood.

All of this contributes to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and better general health. Several studies have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of fasting on insulin sensitivity.

A study by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago found that fasting lowers insulin levels by 20-31% and blood sugar levels by 3-6%. Another study in diabetic rats found that fasting can help prevent kidney damage from diabetes.

All of this means that fasting can be of great benefit to people at risk for type 2 diabetes.

Fasting can help prevent cancer

 That may sound too good to be true, but fasting can help reduce the growth of tumors and the spread of cancer throughout the body. We have also seen earlier that fasting helps the body remove some toxins from the cells.

The lack of toxic substances in the cells reduces the risk of cancer the cells. Fasting can also be very helpful for people receiving chemotherapy. It can help suppress many of the negative side effects associated with chemotherapy.

Since fasting also helps boost your immune system, it can help fight some of these side effects. A study by researchers from the University of Southern California found evidence that fasting is beneficial for patients receiving chemotherapy.

Several other tests have also shown that fasting is good for preventing or fighting cancer. A study conducted by a Brazilian university on rats found that intermittent fasting can help prevent tumor formation.

Another study of cancer cells in a test tube showed that exposure of the cells to intermittent fasting delayed tumor formation in the same way that chemotherapy did. It also increased the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs in preventing cancer.

Fasting is good for your heart.

At a time when more people are dying from heart disease than from any other disease, it is good to know that fasting can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Fasting has several benefits for your heart.

First, we have already seen that fasting can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. This is important because people with diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. During fasting, the body also burns part of the LSD cholesterol in the body to provide fuel.

This is good in two ways since LSD cholesterol is a major cause of decreased insulin sensitivity and diabetes, and also contributes to increased blood pressure.

Fasting also helps reduce various other risk factors associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease, including blood sugar levels, inflammation markers, and blood triglycerides. A study by researchers from the University of Illinois found that fasting every other day for about 8 weeks reduced body triglyceride levels by 32% and LDL cholesterol levels by 25%.

Read Also: When women did start fasting in Teej Festival

Another study also found that fasting leads to reduced blood pressure and triglycerides and cholesterol levels in the body. Another study found that fasting reduced the risk of developing coronary artery disease. All of this shows that fasting is good for cardiovascular health.

Regardless of whether you are a religious person or not, incorporating fasting into your everyday life can be a great way to improve your health. As you have seen, fasting has many health benefits.

As with any other major lifestyle change, starting fasting can be a bit difficult at first, but over time it becomes easier for your body. If you want to take advantage of all of the benefits above, consider fasting today. The earlier you start, the sooner you can reap the benefits.

When it comes to ideas for a healthy lifestyle, good nutrition and proper exercise are often the cornerstones. While this is true, there are more things we can consider regarding our relationship with food and healthy living.

The scientific benefit of fasting at the Teej Festival

• A variety of evidence now supports the benefits of fasting, although the most notable data has been recorded in animal studies. Nevertheless, these results are promising for humans. In essence, fasting cleanses our bodies of toxins and forces cells to do processes that are generally not stimulated when there is a constant flow of fuel from food.
• When we fast, the body does not have the usual access to glucose, which forces the cells to use other means and materials to produce energy. As a result, the body begins gluconeogenesis, a natural process for making its sugar. The liver helps by converting carbohydrate-free materials such as lactate, amino acids, and fats into glucose energy. Because our body saves energy during fasting, our basal metabolic rate (the amount of energy our body burns at rest) becomes more efficient and lowers our heart rate and blood pressure.
• Ketosis, another process that occurs later in the fast cycle, occurs when the body burns stored fat as its main source of energy. This is the ideal way to lose weight and balance blood sugar levels.
• Fasting puts a slight strain on the body and our cells adapt by improving their coping ability. In other words, they are getting strong. This process is similar to what happens when we strain our muscles and the cardiovascular system during exercise. As with sport, our body can only become stronger during these processes if there is enough time to rest and relax. Fasting at short notice is therefore recommended.