It has long been known that starvation not only leads to dramatic weight loss, but can also be beneficial for the entire body. The term therapeutic starvation has even been coined.
Starvation is used to treat a wide variety of diseases. There are special therapeutic diets for the treatment and prevention of exacerbations of diseases of the stomach and duodenum, chronic intestinal diseases, acute hepatitis, nephritis, cholecystitis, etc.
The benefit of therapeutic fasting is explained very simply. During fasting all the reserve forces of the body are mobilized and lead to the improvement of all organs and systems, cleanse the body of toxins.
The Holistic system of weight loss, recovery and rejuvenation uses daily therapeutic fasting.
Recreational fasting in the holistic system is carried out without subsequent light (dietary) meals, its purpose is the general prevention of health and does not require a doctor’s supervision.
Health-improving fasting used in Holistic system of weight loss, recreation and rejuvenation as well as therapeutic fasting is based on the fact that in the absence of food coming from outside the digestive organs and related systems switch to “recovery mode” and the organism activates endocrine system to support its vital functions and uses first of all its least valuable formations. Methodologically, it is more correct to conduct “periodic short-term fasting”. Besides the direct therapeutic result, it leads to such additional effects as cleansing the body, freeing it from the so-called toxins, and rejuvenation.
PAUL BREGG
Paul Bragg, the famous American nutritionist and naturopath, is the creator of a health system that can rightly be called a method of prolonging youth. His own life journey confirms the effectiveness of the chosen combination of a rational diet, exercise, hygiene, harmonious state of mind with the gifts of Mother Nature – water, clean air and sun.
The most famous of all of Bragg’s books, “The Miracle of Fasting” has been published in the West in millions of copies and republished many times in our country. And the best illustration of Bragg’s lectures, articles, and books was Bragg himself, his own experience, his way of life. At 90 years of age he was as strong, agile, flexible and hardy as a young man. He jogged three to five kilometers every day, swam a lot, hiked mountains, played tennis, danced, took long hikes, exercised with dumbbells and weights, and enjoyed surfing.
The holistic system of weight loss, recuperation and rejuvenation took as its basis Paul Bregg’s methods of recuperation and rejuvenation of the body by means of short-term fasting.
But it is impossible to agree with some of his statements now after more than thirty years.
Firstly, one cannot agree with a very strange requirement to constantly lie down and rest during fasting. I don’t think Bragg himself followed his recommendations here. When immobilized, fasting is much worse than with good motor activity. We recommend more walking while fasting, running, skiing. If you have joint disease it is important to put strain on these joints during fasting. Many patients who underwent therapeutic fasting, on the contrary, had a great need for physical activity.
Of course, the physical load is dosed very individually. You should not force a person to move when he has neither physical nor moral strength. It seems to me that based on the concept of saving strength during a fast, Bragg simplifies much the understanding of the mechanism of purification from toxins. This process goes on at the cellular and subcellular level, and it now seems much more complex than it was 30 years ago.
Secondly,one cannot agree with Bragg’s requirement to drink only distilled water during fasting. Not to mention the fact that it is very difficult to get such water in our country, there is no special need in distilled water. You may as well use ordinary boiled water and, even better, use melted water.
Thirdly, Bragg’s recommendations to abstain from colon cleansing with enemas and laxatives cause disagreement. Alas, such abstinence is fraught with intoxication of the organism. We recommend to start any fasting with taking a good dose of laxative, the best one is magnesia sulphate, or in other words English (bitter) salt. It is not toxic and is able to remove many poisons from the body in one blow. The normal dose is one and a half to two tablespoons of salt per mug of warm water. Since the laxative tastes very bitter, you can drink a couple more glasses of clean lukewarm water immediately after taking it. The best way to take it is a few hours after breakfast. Let’s say a person had breakfast at 8-9 hours (this is the last meal before fasting), and at 14 hours he received laxative. It will have its effect within four to five hours. Thus, the person will go to bed with a cleansed stomach. After this he will easily endure the next day and another night without food.
Let’s remember: a laxative is taken only on the eve of the fast. Then use a cleansing enema. At least once a year. Without it there is no real restructuring in an organism.
I won’t be wrong to say that fasting is designed for an intelligent person, who is able not only to understand the principles of this procedure, but also to apply it creatively, based on the reaction of his organism.
As part of the Holistic system of weight loss, recovery and rejuvenation, it is recommended to start with a 24-hour fast, one week later repeat the daily fast. If fears are successfully overcome and well-being improves, a 36-hour fast (two nights and a day) can be done a week later and then repeated after another seven days. It is not advisable to switch to longer fasts, such as 48-hour or three-day fasts, in case you have no medical indications for that.
If you tune up well and conduct everything correctly, then fasting is very easy.
It is important that a 36-hour fast once a week, at the very least, a 24-hour fast should become a habit and become a norm for you.
Interestingly, the most useful and easy fasting occurs on the 11th and 25th lunar day. On these days the body is very good at getting rid of toxins.