Fasting has major role to play in the treatment of diseases and it can reverse the diseased condition near to normalcy. Fasting is the basic treatment modality to detoxify the body of its toxins, which is the most important need to enhance the healing properties. Though, body has the healing potentials, unlike many animals in nature for example dog, it fasts itself until it regains its natural appetite. At any cost it does not get attracted even to its favorite foods. But, we the human beings, superior to animals with our discriminating faculty, do not really justify the situation and act. In sickness, we infact feed the patient more as an act of courtesy, love, affection, hospitality etc. etc. which are really unwanted to the body and mind. Body needs rest, so that it can divert its potential energy from doing the normal routine digestion & elimination to detoxifying & healing. Hence it creates lot of acute disorders & people do not still take care of the body reminders, indulge in suppression of acute disorders & head towards chronic diseases.
Acute diseases are the natural signals of the body and mind to hint the person to find the causative factors of his suffering and try to correct. What the body needs is to get rid of the toxic accumulation, though the body has its own healing potentials and it does by creating the acute symptoms, diseases, an intelligent human being needs to help the body to do so, by natural remedies, Acute diseases, are the natural signals of the body and mind to hint the person to find the causative factors of his suffering and try to correct. What the body needs is to get rid of the toxic accumulation, though the body has its own healing potentials and it does by creating the acute symptoms, diseases, an intelligent human being needs to help the body to do so, by natural remedies,
Fasting:
Fasting is much more than simply abstaining from food. It is an art as well a science which influences the psychological and emotional levels of human body. A fast is to abstain from food while one possesses adequate body reserves required to maintain normal functions of the body. Fasting should always be distinguished from starvation with the help of symptoms produced by the body at ripening stage.
Starvation is to abstain from food after one’s reserve food stores get completely exhausted. Infact, the human body is in a position, regulating mechanism, to survive from complete abstinence from food for many weeks without damaging ones health. Soon after the bodily stored food materials are completed the fasting enters into the ripening stage and the body exhibits certain signs and symptoms indicating the necessity of breaking fast. In case the fast is continued but for some reasons, the food reserves exhaust and body is not in a position to draw the energies from food reserves and starts decaying. This stage is called starvation.
Fasting:
It is most important aspect of Diet therapy. Naturopathy believes that all diseases arise from the toxins and toxins get accumulated in the body and in the digestive organs, it is essential to clean them by diverting the energies of the body. It is essential in almost all the diseases. It also cleanses body and muscles. It helps in strengthening and relaxing the mind. Thus, there is clarity in each and every work. One does there is clarity in each and every work. One does well to remember that eating in diseases does not supply nutrition to the body, but only feeds the disease. During fasting though the stores are used there will be need for electrolytes, which is not supplied through or does not exist in the body stores. Hence, juices, honey water, tender coconut water etc. are the substitutes for the electrolytes & it also enhances the fat utilization in the body, other wise the lean muscle is lost, which is not a good sign to the body healing properties. In cases, where walking or exercises are possible to some minimum extent, the fat (stored energy) is burnt out & is utilized & some are converted into lean body mass along with vegetable juices and fruits. So, during fasting the body composition has to be taken care, in diabetes care for keta acidosis, care for hypotensives & hypo glycaemics etc. are needed
Fasting is recommended under proper guidance & doctor’s supervision. It needs four types off rest viz. physical, mental, physiological & sensory rest. Hence, during fasting patient should not involve in strenuous mental activities like business, official work & should be free from worries. Only tolerable physical activity in the form of treatments exercises, yogasanas is permitted. During fasting traveling, excess of talking, watching T.V etc. is to be avoided, So that there is sensory rest to the body. Patient should not be involved in talking or gossiping about food, or should stay in and around an atmosphere where there is too much of sensory & physiological stimulation due to smell / sight of different varieties of eats & drinks.
Each cell in the body does its activity. Cellular digestion and defecation is the essence of good health. When cells get choked by toxins termed as “Cellular Constipation” and gives rise to diseases. Hence, fasting is essential to deal with acute and chronic diseases. There are three types of fasting – dry fasting, water fasting and fasting on dilute fruit juices. Dry fasting is not much advised for therapeutic purpose. Whey water fasting depends on endurance capacity of the individual. Fasting with diluted fruit juices/ tendered coconut water/ honey water, lemon water/ vegetables 3-4 times in a day etc. are most preferred. Apart from this 2-3 liters of plain water has to be consumed. The duration of fasting may range from three to ten days. In long fasting one can go up to 30 to 40 days depending upon the individual capacity & stores. In, health fasting can be carried out for one day in a week for prevention of diseases.
In fasting body and mind throw out toxins from each & every cell, organ, glands, the excretory organs – skin, kidneys, colon, lungs, to facilitate the eliminatory process certain treatment like, enema, – plain, saline water, neem water (margosa leaves boiled water) – acts as an antiseptic, tone enemas – honey, wheatgrass etc. are advised. It is very essential to give enema, here the toxins which are eliminated gets reabsorbed, as the faecal matter lacks consistency due to lack of roughage diet or any diet as such. It can also lead to undue symptoms, which may lead to disease crisis instead of healing crisis due to low vitality of body and mind. Other cleansing techniques are – colon hydrotherapy – which cleansing entire colon & also during the process there detoxifying of other organs of the body especially the digestive organs like liver, gall bladder, pancreas, small intestine etc. In Yogic kriyas – Vaman Dhouti has been proved to be highly beneficial to cleanse the upper G.I.T. so that the acid precipitation due to habitual acidic formation as well as some stimulation may occur from sensory and mental areas. Certain relaxation techniques, pranayama, asanas etc. also can be practiced to control the stimulation of mind. A hydrotherapy treatment like Hipbath, abdominal packs, gives soothening effect to the G.I.T, which helps in elimination process. Mud therapy – packs applied to abdomen help to improve circulation, which increases the peristalsis.
A healing crisis occurs during the fasting period to aid the recovery like diarrhea, catarrh, cold, fever, boils, skin rashes (eruptions) etc. There may be feeling of excessive gas elimination, cottonmouth (unpleasant bitter, sticky taste of mouth), nausea, vomiting, weakness, sleeplessness, which are again treated according to the individual symptoms e.g. in case of diarrhea cold enema is suggested.
When to breakfast?
The ideal time to break the fast:-
a) Hunger returns
b) The tongue coating clears up & becomes pink in colour. (this is its natural color)
c) Breath becomes odorless and there is a clean taste in the mouth
d) Pulse becomes normal
e) Temperature becomes normal
f) Urine becomes odorless
g) Eyes becomes clear
h) Respiratory rate becomes normal
All this indicates that body has been cleansed. Slowly food can be resumed.
How to breakfast?
Fasting is easy & breaking the fast is difficult, it needs lot of will power. Safest way to break the fast is with fresh fruit juices / juicy fruits, with an interval of 3-4 hours. There needs to be slow change over the normal food depending upon the days of fasting. For e.g. if a person has fasted for 5-6 days to go back to normal diet it may take minimum 3-5 days. Immediate feasting after fasting is not advised instead fasting can be carried out after feasting, but it is always better to reduce the caloric intake few days before fasting so that the appetite shrinks & facilitate the fasting.
Fasting is not advised in severe weakness, old age and pregnancy, feeble and fatigued persons. In cases of epilepsy, T.B, severe ulcers, malnutrition and deficiency disorders it is not advised. It is also avoided in states of mental disturbances. Like severe depression / neurotic depression, severe anxiety neurosis.
Fasting can be done in acute diseases like fevers, cold, diarrhea, dysentery, headache, vomiting, abdominal / stomach pain etc. As, such there will be lack of appetite in these conditions. Fasting can be continued till the acute phase is over and slowly break the fast & regain normal diet. In chronic diseases there is no complete impairment in digestion like in acute diseases. Hence, there is no necessity to extend the fasting till symptoms disappear, since they are long standing. However, during healing crisis fasting should continue till symptoms disappear. Chronic diseases like asthma, arthritis, osteo & Rheumatoid, gout, hypercholesterolemia, migraine, hypertension, spondylitis, hypothyroidism, indigestion, obesity, etc. are benefited directly or indirectly. So, fasting is a wonder healer and restorer of health a panacea for all bodily evils. Properly conducted fasting can unravel the body’s inherent healing potentialities & cure the diseases.