FASTING- 1

FASTING-1

It is recognised as the cornerstone of natural healing. The practice of fasting is one of the most ancient customs. It is followed in almost every religion. 

Fasting refers to complete abstinence from food for a short or long period for a specific purpose. Fasting is nature’s oldest, most effective and yet least expensive method of treating disease. 

The common cause of all diseases is the accumulation of waste and poisonous matter in the body which results from overeating. The majority of persons eat too much and follow sedentary occupations which do not permit sufficient and proper exercise for utilisation of this large quantity of food. 

This surplus overburdens the digestive and assimilative (tendency to absorb) organs and clogs up the system with impurities or poisons. Digestion and elimination become slow and the functional activity of the whole system gets deranged.

The onset of disease is merely the process of ridding the system of these impurities. Every disease can be healed by only one remedy by doing just the opposite of what causes it, that is, by reducing the food intake or fasting.

HOW FASTING WORKS

By depriving the body of food for a time, the organs of elimination such as the bowels, kidneys, skin and lungs are given opportunity to expel, unhampered, the overload of accumulated waste from the system. Thus, fasting is merely the process of purification and an effective and quick method of cure. 

It assists nature in her continuous effort to expel foreign matter and disease producing waste from the body, thereby correcting the faults of improper diet and wrong living. It also leads to regeneration of the blood as well as the repair and regeneration of the various tissues of the body

DURATION

The duration of the fast depends upon the age of the patient, the nature of the disease and the amount and type of drugs previously used. The duration is important, because long periods of fasting can be dangerous if undertaken without competent professional guidance. 

It is, therefore, advisable to undertake a series of short fasts of two to three days and gradually increase the duration of each succeeding fast by a day or so. 

The period, however, should not exceed a week of total fasting at a time. This will enable the chronically sick body to gradually and slowly eliminate toxic waste matter without seriously affecting the natural functioning of the body. A correct mode of living and a balanced diet after the fast will restore vigour and vitality to the individual.

USES

Fasting is highly beneficial in practically all kinds of stomach and intestinal disorders and in serious conditions of the kidneys and liver, for eczema and other skin diseases and offers the only hope of permanent cure in many cases. The various nervous disorders also respond favourably to this mode of treatment. When a person is distressed physically, mentally, or emotionally, this juice fast will bring him back to normal far better than the taking of drugs.

HARMFUL

Fasting should, however, not be restored to in every illness. In cases of diabetes, advanced stages of tuberculosis, and extreme cases of neurasthenia, (lassitude (lack of energy) fatigue, headache, and irritability), long fasts will be harmful. 

OBESITY

The overweight person finds it much easier to go without food. Loss of weight causes no fear and the patient’s attitude makes fasting almost a pleasure. The first day’s hunger pangs are perhaps the most difficult to bear. The craving for food will, however, gradually decrease as the fast progresses. Seriously sick persons have no desire for food and fasting comes naturally to them.

In most cases, however, no harm will accrue to fasting patients, provided they take rest, and are under proper professional care. A lot of energy is spent during the fast in the process of eliminating accumulated poisons and toxic waste materials. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that the patients gets as much physical rest and mental relaxation as possible during the fast.

ENEMA

A precautionary measure which must be observed in all cases of fasting is the complete emptying of the bowels at the beginning of the fast by enema so that the patient is not bothered by gas or decomposing matter formed from the excrements remaining in the body. Enemas should be administered at least every alternate day during the fasting period. 

The patient should get as much fresh air as possible and should drink plain lukewarm water when thirsty. Fresh juices may be diluted with pure water. The total liquid intake should be approximately six to eight glasses.

EXERCISE and BATH

Only very simple exercises like short walks may be undertaken during the fast. 

A warm water or neutral bath may be taken during the period. Cold baths are not advisable. Sun and air baths should be taken daily. Fasting sometimes produces a state of sleeplessness which can be overcome by a warm tub bath, hot water bottles / bag at the feet

BENEFITS

There are several benefit of fasting. During a long fast, the body feeds upon its reserves. Being deprived of needed nutrients, particularly of protein and fats, it will burn and digest its own tissues by the process of autolysis or self digestion. But it will not do so indiscriminately. The body will first decompose and burn those cells and tissues which are diseased, damaged, aged or dead. The essential tissues and vital organs, the glands, the nervous system and the brain are not damaged or digested in fasting. 

Here lies the secret of the effectiveness of fasting as a curative and rejuvenate method. During fasting, the building of new and healthy cells are speeded up by the amino acids released from the diseased cells. The capacity of the eliminative organs, that is, lungs, liver, kidneys and the skin is greatly increased as they are relieved of the usual burden of digesting food and eliminating the resultant wastes. They are, therefore, able to quickly expel old accumulated wastes and toxins.

Fasting affords a physiological rest to the digestive, assimilative and protective organs. As a result, the digestion of food and the utilisation of nutrients is greatly improved after fasting. The fast also exerts a normalising, stabilising and rejuvenating effect on all the vital physiological, nervous and mental functions.

Fasting provides physiological rest for the organism. It provides the body with its best chance for throwing off the retained impurities plaguing the body cells. Organs and structures throughout the system are able to regain, as much as is possible, their former strength. No chemical, cutting, or radiation can provide that healing; only the body's own resources can do it. And the body will try to do it, if permitted work with the body, not against it.

Nature is a wonderful healer and physician. Soon after an individual is put on a fast, the system begins to oxidize (burn up) materials from the tissues of the body. These are used for basic life functions (basal metabolism) while the healing continues.

Obviously, fasting must be used thoughtfully and skillfully. It is not a  stereotyped (generalized) method, to be applied equally to all. One individual may be able to fast with complete comfort while another may become very distressed on one fast and perhaps not on another.

 A person who is mildly ill will actually feel better on the fast. But one who is quite sick, or has some organs in poor shape, may feel worse during a first attempt at fasting.

A person who is normally very thin, may not be able to fast as long as a person who has average or excess weight.

BREAKING THE FAST

The success of the fast depends largely on how it is broken. This is the most significant phase. The main rules for breaking the fast are : do not overeat, eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly; and take several days for the gradual change to the normal diet. If the transition (the process of changing from one condition to another) to eating solid foods is carefully planned, there will be no  discomfort or damage. The patient should also continue to take rest during the transition period. The right food after a fast is as important and decisive for proper results as the fast itself.

DISCONTINUE

The toxic wastes enter the blood stream rapidly, resulting in an overload of toxic matter, which affects normal bodily functions. This often results in dizzy spells, followed by diarrhoea and vomiting. If this physical reaction persists, it is advisable to discontinue the fast and take cooked vegetables containing adequate roughage such as spinach and beets until the body functioning returns to normal.

1. What is the common cause of all disease?

2. How does fasting works?

3. How many days should we try to fast?

4. Fasting can be done for such cases like....

5. Fasting should not be done for those who are suffering from...

6. Why enema should be done and how many times?

7. What type of exercise is advisable during fast?

8. What type of bath should we take during fast?

9. Mention some benefits of fasting.

10. Mention the main rules for breaking fast?

11. When should we discontinue fasting?