Mineral water and fasting — both are trendy topics for those trying to optimize their health and wellbeing. Both may help flush toxins from the body. Both may play a role in freshening the mind.
Together, they may work even better.
Fasting seems to be the latest trend in not just the diet world but also the realms of fitness and healthful living. With more and more research showing the myriad benefits of fasting, this trend could become a way of life for many.
In its most basic form, fasting is simply choosing a window of time during which you do not consume calories. This window could be several hours, a full day or longer. One thing you can consume throughout this window: water. So, choosing a good water — one naturally rich in essential minerals like Mountain Valley Spring Water — becomes essential.
Mineral water and fasting: Drink well, fast well
Fasting may seem like a fad, but evidence continues to grow in favor of fasting as a powerful tool for health. While you cannot eat or drink caloric beverages during periods of fasting, you can enjoy water.
And experts agree, you should make that water count.
Drinking water while fasting keeps you hydrated, while also helping to boost metabolism. This is true of most any water, but mineral-rich waters such as Mountain Valley Spring Water may have additional benefits. The beauty of mineral waters and mineral-laden spring waters like Mountain Valley is that they come by their trace nutrients naturally.
As of our most recent Water Quality Report, Mountain Valley Spring Water has naturally occurring calcium, magnesium and potassium. Americans have glaring deficiencies in these minerals. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 40% of Americans eat a diet that is deficient in magnesium and calcium, while a whopping 97% Americans are lacking in potassium.
Why does this matter? Because these nutrients serve integral roles in the human body.
- Magnesium and health: Found in spinach, avocadoes, seeds and beans, magnesium supports muscle and nerve function, and it helps our bodies create energy. Chronically low levels of magnesium put people at risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. The recommended daily allowance of magnesium is 400-420 milligrams for adult males and 310-320 mg for adult women.
- Calcium and health: While calcium is known to be critical for bone health, this mineral also helps with blood clotting and muscle contraction. It regulates the rhythms of the heart and aids in nerve functions. In addition to dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, tofu, kale and bok choy are good sources of calcium. The National Institute of Health recommends 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium per day for adults.
- Potassium and health: Raisins, lentils, beans, squash and potatoes are naturally rich in potassium, a mineral almost all of us aren’t getting enough of. Potassium’s main role is to maintain healthy fluid levels in our cells. It also helps muscles to contract and supports healthy blood pressure. The National Academy of Medicine recommends 2,600 mg of potassium per day for women and 3,400 mg for men.
Drinking mineral-rich waters while fasting can help balance any deficiencies while also keeping you hydrated and healthful.
Mineral water and fasting: How fasting works
Whether you call it fasting, intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating, the concept is the same: giving yourself a substantive period of time away from food and caloric beverages.
Fasting has a long and storied history. Some of the earliest documented cases of therapeutic fasting date to the 5th century BC, when the famed Greek physician Hippocrates recommended abstaining from food and drink as a treatment for certain illnesses. Fasting has also served religious purposes over the millennia, from Catholic Lent, which dates to 325 AD, to the Islamic tradition of Ramadan, which started in the 7th century.
In modern day, the practice of fasting is being used to help with weight loss, heart disease, diabetes and inflammation. Health experts at Harvard theorize that fasting may align with how our bodies evolved to eat over time. Back when humans lived a primarily hunter/gatherer lifestyle, they would endure long stretches without eating punctuated by shorter periods of food abundance.
Humans also evolved on a day/night eating schedule, where most meals took place during daylight hours, with our metabolism kicking in accordingly, and with nighttime reserved for sleep and decreased metabolic functioning. While these rhythms have changed for many in the modern world, our bodies haven’t had time to catch up. When we challenge these natural rhythms, our health can suffer. Research has linked nighttime eating with weight gain and diabetes.
Beyond evolutionary advantages, experts believe fasting helps people to eat more conscientiously without having to count calories or feel deprived and restricted, as can happen when following more traditional diets.
Mineral water and fasting: The health benefits of fasting
While many think of fasting as a tool for weight loss, research has shown the benefits of fasting may be far deeper.
Health benefits of fasting:
- Fights inflammation: Chronic inflammation can have serious ramifications. It’s linked to dementia, heart disease, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Fasting has been found to decrease levels of inflammation and improve health.
- Helps control blood sugar: Fasting has been shown to significantly decrease blood-sugar levels in those with type 2 diabetes. Fasting is also effective at reducing the body’s resistance to insulin, which allows insulin to transport glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells more efficiently.
- Boosts cardiac health: Fasting may reduce cholesterol and triglycerides. People who fast have also shown lower risks of coronary artery disease.
- May help cognitive functions: While more research is needed, fasting in animals has been shown to improve the brain’s functioning as well as its structure. Since fasting helps reduce inflammation, that could also mean fasting may help improve outcomes for those dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s.
- May boost muscle growth: Studies have shown that fasting could naturally increase levels of human growth hormone, or HGH, in the body. HGH is essential for healthy metabolic rates and is key for weight loss and muscle growth.
While fasting has many benefits, it isn’t right for everyone. Health experts advise against fasting for pregnant women. Skipping meals can also be harmful for people with diabetes and for those who take medications for heart disease or blood pressure. Before starting any new diet or exercise regimen, people should always first consult with their doctor or healthcare provider.
Mineral water and fasting: Purely sourced, easily delivered
Mountain Valley Spring Water isn’t just healthful and naturally mineralized, it’s also delicious. So delicious, it’s garnered a whopping 19 honors from the esteemed judges at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting.
Sourced from the same protected spring located deep in the verdant heart of the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas for more than 150 years, Mountain Valley is water as nature intended: pure, crisp, loaded with natural minerals and thirst-quenchingly delicious.
Whether you’re prepping for your first fast or a longtime fasting fan, it’s never too late to add the country’s most award-winning spring water to your regimen. Get started with home or office delivery and have the refreshing goodness of Mountain Valley Spring Water dropped off at your doorstep. Just click here.
