The Prime Rules Of Fasting

Categories: Fasting
Sources: How And When To Be Your Own Doctor

Another truism of natural hygiene is that we dig our own graves with

our teeth. It is sad but true that almost all eat too much quantity

of too little quality. Dietary excesses are the main cause of death

in North America. Fasting balances these excesses. If people were to

eat a perfect diet and not overeat, fasting would rarely be

necessary.



There are two essential rules of fasting. If these rules are ig ored

or broken, fasting itself can be life threatening. But if the rules

are followed, fasting presents far less risk than any other

important medical procedure with a far greater likelihood of a

positive outcome. And let me stress here, there is no medical

procedure without risk. Life itself is fraught with risk, it is a

one-way ticket from birth to death, with no certainty as to when the

end of the line will be reached. But in my opinion, when handling

degenerative illness and infections, natural hygiene and fasting

usually offer the best hope of healing with the least possible risk.



The first vital concern is the duration of the fast. Two eliminatory

processes go on simultaneously while fasting. One is the dissolving

and elimination of the excess, toxic or dysfunctional deposits in

the body, and second process, the gradual exhaustion of the body's

stored nutritional reserves. The fasting body first consumes those

parts of the body that are unhealthy; eventually these are all gone.

Simultaneously the body uses up stored fat and other reserve

nutritional elements. A well-fed reasonably healthy body usually has

enough stored nutrition to fast for quite a bit longer than it takes

to "clean house."



While house cleaning is going on the body uses its reserves to

rebuild organs and rejuvenate itself. Rebuilding starts out very

slowly but the repairs increase at an ever-accelerating rate. The

"overhaul" can last only until the body has no more reserves.

Because several weeks of fasting must pass by before the "overhaul"

gets going full speed, it is wise to continue fasting as long as

possible so as to benefit from as much rejuvenation as possible.



It is best not to end the fast before all toxic or dysfunctional

deposits are eliminated, or before the infection is overcome, or

before the cause for complaint has been healed. The fast must be

ended when most of the body's essential-to-life stored nutritional

reserves are exhausted. If the fast goes beyond this point,

starvation begins. Then, fasting-induced organic damage can occur,

and death can follow, usually several weeks later. Almost anyone not

immediately close to death has enough stored nutrition to water fast

for ten days to two weeks. Most reasonably healthy people have

sufficient reserves to water fast for a month. Later I will explain

how a faster can somewhat resupply their nutritional reserves while

continuing to fast, and thus safely extend the fasting period.



The second essential concern has to do with adjusting the intensity

of the fast. Some individuals are so toxic that the waste products

released during a fast are too strong, too concentrated or too

poisonous for the organs of elimination to handle safely, or to be

handled within the willingness of the faster to tolerate the

discomforts that toxic releases generate. The highly-toxic faster

may even experience life-threatening symptoms such as violent asthma

attacks. This kind of faster has almost certainly been dangerously

ill before the fast began. Others, though not dangerously sick prior

to fasting, may be nearly as toxic and though not in danger of

death, they may not be willing to tolerate the degree of discomfort

fasting can trigger. For this reason I recommend that if at all

possible, before undertaking a fast the person eat mostly raw foods

for two months and clean up all addictions. This will give the body

a chance to detoxify significantly before the water fast is started,

and will make water fasting much more comfortable. Seriously,

dangerously ill people should only fast with experienced guidance,

so the rapidity of their detoxification process may be adjusted to a

lower level if necessary.



A fast of only one week can accomplish a significant amount of

healing. Slight healing does occur on shorter fasts, but it is much

more difficult to see or feel the results. Many people experience

rapid relief from acute headache pain or digestive distress such as

gas attacks, mild gallbladder pain, stomach aches, etc., after only

one day's abstention from food. In one week of fasting a person can

relieve more dangerous conditions such as arthritic pain,

rheumatism, kidney pain, and many symptoms associated with allergic

reactions. But even more fasting time is generally needed for the

body to completely heal serious diseases. That's because eliminating

life-threatening problems usually involve rebuilding organs that

aren't functioning too well. Major rebuilding begins only after

major detoxification has been accomplished, and this takes time.



Yes, even lost organ function can be partially or completely

restored by fasting. Aging and age-related degeneration is

progressive, diminishing organ functioning. Organs that make

digestive enzymes secrete less enzymes. The degenerated immune

system loses the ability to mobilize as effectively when the body is

attacked. Liver and kidney efficiency declines. The adrenals tire,

becoming incapable of dumping massive amounts of stress-handling

hormones or of repeating that effort time after time without

considerable rest in between. The consequences of these

inter-dependent deterioration's is a cascade of deterioration that

contributes to even more rapid deterioration's. The name for this

cascading process is aging. Its inevitable result--death.



Fasting can, to a degree, reverse aging. Because fasting improves

organ functioning, it can slow down aging.



Fasters are often surprised that intensified healing can be

uncomfortable. They have been programmed by our culture and by

allopathic doctors to think that if they are doing the right thing

for their bodies they should feel better immediately. I wish it

weren't so, but most people have to pay the piper for their dietary

indiscretions and other errors in living. There will be aches and

minor pains and uncomfortable sensations. More about that later. A

rare faster does feel immediately better, and continues to feel ever

better by the day, and even has incredible energy while eating

nothing, but the majority of us folks just have to tough it out,

keeping in mind that the way out is the way through. It is important

to remind yourself at times that even with some discomfort and

considering the inconvenience of fasting that you are getting off

easy--one month of self-denial pays for those years of indulgence and

buys a regenerated body.