Many people are afraid of fasting. They have the notion that if they fast they will become weak and will be moving closer to the grave. They link fasting with starving. They read a lot about starvation deaths in the newspapers, and feel this is another form of fasting. This is not correct. Fasting is a deliberate act. It takes a lit of will power. Starvation only begins when fasting ends.
Man can read about starvation deaths. We also read about people trapped in house crashes, surviving without food or water for many days of this ordeal. Those who die they do so not of starvation but some other different causes including shock or fear. Men lost in the desert or trapped in a ship wreck die usually of thirst and not of starvation. those lost in the polar region are likely to die of extreme cold and not the lack of food as is erroneously believed.
In the mines, for instance, the workers are usually exposed to poisonous gases or foul air which brings about their ultimate end. In all these conditions, there is fear and worry which act as contributing factors. In the famine conditions in some countries of Asia and Africa, people do not get adequate food. Both quality and quantity leave much to be desired. For months on end their body resistance sinks to a low level. Fear, filth and exposure also contribute to take their toll.
If a well fed and healthy animal is starved to death the length of time he takes to reach his doom will depend on the condition of his body and the stored fat. It has been noticed that he loses almost half the body weight before dying. In a few instances he may lose as much as 60% of his body weight. However, he can recover completely, if fed.
I have not heard of a similar experiment done on man. But there should be every reason to believe that the same would hold good. A healthy man with an average weight will lose almost half his body weight before death by starvation. It may be pointed out then he may die much earlier if some other factor of destruction is present.
A human being would lose almost one pound each day while fasting. A man weighing 150 pounds before dying of starvation. Now, suppose we have a therapeutic fast in the same person for 30 days, he will lose almost 1/5th of his weight and he is quite safe. It has been seen that man loses during fasting almost one pound per day in the first week three to four pounds in the following week and for the fifth week onwards only 1-2 pounds weekly.
We can conclude therefore that overweight persons can undergo longer fasts much safely than those who are slim. Slimmer persons needs not subject themselves to fasts, they can take a shorter fasting period and if needed repeat it after about three months. A fast lasting a few days will clean the elementary canal and free it from the circulation or morbid matter. This will itself lead to an initial appreciable loss in weight. It could be 2-5 pounds a day in the beginning. This reduction would include the loss of water which is caused due to the stopping of the daily intake of common salt.
This creates the illusion that the weight is lost quickly in the first few days of the fast. But that part of the body which is not fat will be regained when normal eating is resumed. The real reduction is due to the consumption of body fat as fuel during fasting. It was been pointed out that chemically pure fat a fuel value of 4000 calories per pound. The fatty issue in the body has almost ? moisture content. A pound of body fat is equal to 3000 calories a day should lose ? pound a day. During fasting the actual weight loss is little more than these figures because some non-fatty tissues are also lost.
During a rigorous, full fasting period, the muscles, blood, liver and other vital organs lose weight, but, surprisingly, not the brain. The average man doing a moderate a mount of exercise and not engaged in heavy physical labour loses about a pound a day. A woman not inclined for exercise would lose ? pound a day. Below is a table to give an idea of salt losses by the body during fasting.
Loss on 1st day – Loss on 21st day
Sodium 2.07 – 0 .066
Potassium 1.63 – 0 .644
phosphorus 0 .72 – 5 .699
While fasting, the elements which are needed by the body are retained. Those in excess of the body requirements are thrown out, as is clear from the above table. The loss of phosphorus is negligible at the beginning and at the end of 21st day of the fasting experience as well. The loss of potassium was nearly three times at the beginning than at the end of the 21st days of fasting.
The sodium which is always in excess than required by the body because of our habits and the custom of adding a good measure of common salt (sodium chloride) to our food gets secreted out heavily during fasting. We can see that the sodium extracted from the body in the beginning of the fast is almost 30 times than that lost on the 21st day.
Fasting calls for a strong mind and a proper atmosphere. If you have friends around you to encourage you while on fast then it becomes easy. If you have people who will discourage you (and there is not dearth of such people) then it becomes difficult. During fasting, you become mentally weak due to increasing weakness. To continue fasting you have to keep your eyes on set target. You have to remind yourself about the many benefits that are going to come your way health-wise at the end of the fast.
During fasting you don’t lose strength quickly. For the first 2-3 days you can easily do your routine work. If your work is not strenuous, you can continue doing so for a few days more. If you are fasting while suffering from cold, fever or diarrhea, you must take complete rest for a quicker response. Acute disease calls for immediate fasting and fast even if you are thin because it will need 3-4 days of fasting only. In chronic diseases fast only after a good preparation. People who are bodily strong can go for a longer fast for one, two or even three weeks.
Do not venture into a long fast, if you have not fasted before. For the beginners I would recommend Dr.dewey’s no breakfast plan. This method was popular in the U.S.A. Dr. Dewey asked his patients to stop taking breakfast. Give rest to your digestive system till lunch time. But a word of caution, don’t overeat at brunch. If you eat 25 or 50 percent more missing breakfast the whole purpose will be lost.
Dr. Dewey’s observation was that inspite of the fact that different doctors give different medicines to their patients, the percentage of cures remains the same. He concluded that medicine hardly played any role in curing diseases. He concluded that medicine hardly played any role in curing diseases. He happened to examine a poor young girl patient. Due to her pain she could not even digest water. Being poor she could not afford medicines. On her own, after a few day’s fast she was able to retain water. Gradually she started gaining strength. Her skin became clear and the tongue clean and red. On the 35th day she asked for food and that was retained too. Her fever was gone, her pulse rate became normal and in a few days she was healthier than before.
Dr. Dewey was amazed because he knew that if this girl had been forcibly fed and given medicine, she would have died. Who would have been responsible for her death? Dr. Dewey believed in giving minimum drugs to his patients, like a simple pain killer if the pain was too much or a purgative if the patient had no motion. As food he would suggest a little boiled rice water or porridge. He did not prescribed milk. If you adjust well to the “no breakfast” plan, it may do wonders to your system. Then you can try to improve the dinner and lunch requirements. Have smaller quantities and at the main meals have salads and green vegetables.
This will prepare you to go on a 3 day’s fast and get used to the idea of fasting. There will be a feeling of goodness in the body. Taste will improve even after a short fast. This will be source of encouragement. This will prepare you for a longer fast. The body will get rid of smaller quantities of morbid matter during these small fasts, you will not have violent reactions as it may occur in ling fasts. When you get acquainted better with fast and its benefits, you will understand the body and how it will react during fasting. You may then be prepared for a much longer fast.
I have found that people have addiction for a certain type of food. Unless they eat the same stimulating food that they have been taking all along and have become accustomed, they will not feel satisfied. When you miss a meal, the craving for food becomes great. Like an addict whose drug has been withheld you will get withdrawal symptoms. During this period the tongue becomes coated, the breath becomes foul, there is an obnoxious taste in your mouth, the urine becomes clouded and offensive. You may feel like vomiting. Considerable waste matter is thrown out in vomiting. Do not worry if you vomit, drink warm water and drink it in plenty so that you may vomit a lot with ease. You may feel dizzy upon rising. Keep your mind strong. Try to fight the urge to take food inspite of such a great upheaval inside the body. These symptoms will disappear slowly as the body’s reserves begin nourishing the body.
If you cannot fast. Do not worry, try to live on fruits for one day. Take one fruit at a time, 3 times a day. If you can do it successfully, completely the fast on any day or a religious occasion Start listening to your body. On slightest illness like cold, flu, diarrhea or small pain, go on a short fast. Stop food completely. You may be ready to do your fast for 3 days now. Drink plenty of water. You can continue with your work. If you feel feverish of weak, take rest.
If you suffer from a chronic disease you may go on a longer fast. A word of caution, fasting is not the remedy for all ills. Do not fast if you have diseases like T.B., leprosy, cancer or heart ills. There is always an element of “crisis” during a fast. The sicker the body, the crisis reactions will increase. Suddenly you get the nagging feeling that your condition has deteriorated. Do not panic when you reach this stage. Crisis is a welcome sign. It is the body’s way of telling you that it is making an effort to throw the waste out of the body. This is when the toxic material is diverted into the blood stream for elimination.
The effects of crisis may result in the retention of urine, diarrhea, headaches, vomiting, insomnia. It may occur due to worry or lack of sleep. At this point of time the patient needs a lot of rest, fresh air and sunshine. The sunshine during fasting is tempting. It should be had for a short duration and taken in early hours of the morning or late in evening when the rays of the sun are mild. The duration of sun bathing should be gradually reduced as the fasting progresses. You should try to drink hot water, may add fresh lime to it.
If you can have a 3 day’s fast on your own, you can do so later for 7 days. Do not have a prolonged fast without the help of a good guide. You can fast, but the guide will hold your hand and take to your goal safely. He will give you encouragement, he will warn you about the bad spells that might occur during the fast and get you prepared to face them. If you need to have a long fast get admitted to a suitable health farm. There will be many patients fasting together. They act as a source of encouragement to each other. All together can share experience. Fasting in a group is much easier.
Gandhiji suggested taking hot water with worm fresh lime, salt and soda bicarbonate. This will help overcome and relieve the crisis symptoms. Some others advise taking honey along with hot water and lime, two full teaspoons thrice a day. This will provide strength and help overcome the crisis. What happens during a fast? Hunger will vanish after five days. the pulse rate will slow down, blood pressure decreases. the secretion in the stomach is reduced. the stomach as a routine expects food every day an it keeps on secreting gastric juices in anticipation. After 3 days, the stomach becomes sure that food will not come and the secretion will be slowly reduced. this is why after 3 days of fasting the pain of peptic ulcer vanishes.
In a health farm you can rest physically and mentally. I have conducted a two three weeks’ fasting session with a few hundred patients. I have found that fasting for 40 days, can be safe. My advice is to have shorter fasts of 2-3 weeks and repeat them after a few months if required. If you cannot fast, you may go on an eliminative diet. Eat fresh fruits (except banana) and drink juices for a few days or take to soups and boiled vegetables for a few day. the results flowing from this simple diet may be somewhat slower in coming than fasting but they are much easier. this dietary control for a week or two along with a lot of rest will work a miracle.
It will help in cases of peptic ulcer and may cause the wounds to heal completely. After 3 days the eyes will become brighter, the hearing becomes acute and the red cells in the blood increase in number. This is why it helps in cases of anaemia also. As the fast nears completion the taste in the mouth improves, nausea disappears, the tongue become clear and pink, the breath become odourless, the stomach starts secreting again and hunger returns. The mind becomes clear and calmness dawns over the body and mind as if you are becoming prepared to see God.
This is the time for breaking the fast. do not forget: it is very important to slow down while breaking the fast. Go slow on your food on the first day and increase your meals as the days go by. The “crisis” does appear in an eliminative diet but it is not of a violent nature and is therefore easier to handle.If you have undergone eliminative diet for 2-3 weeks, you will later on find that you can undertake a longer fast, the crisis will be much less and you will be able to go on longer fast without upheavals.