HEALTH FARMING

( By Dr. Krishna Murari Modi )

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2-Fasting Tones Up Body and Mind

Fast is abstinence from food, or certain kinds of food, for a period of time. Though its origin is lost in the mists of time, the custom of going on fast has played a crucial role in the practices of major religions. In the early religions, fasting had been related to the desire to keep gods friendly, or to improve food supply. Religious group, through fasting, seek pardon for their misdeeds and sins. A fast in some religions is undertaken during mourning. In others, people believe that fasting will lift their minds away from physical things and produce a state of spiritual joy and happiness. There are important days of fasting in Hinduism, Islam, Christianity or Jainism to mention a few. Jewish law orders a yearly fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Muslims fast for a month before Id. Christians fast for 40 days before Lent commenmorating the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. Christians of have some food during the fasting days. Muslim from dawn to sunset every day during Ramzan abstaining completely from food and water in this the hottest month in their countries. Buddhists and Hindus fast regularly, particularly, during religious, particularly, during religious occasions. Mahatma Gandhi used fasting, both as a penance and as a political weapon of protest Scientists have studied the effects of fasting on the body. They know that the intake of food affects the body by increasing its metabolism. After fasting, metabolism can become as much as 22 per cent lower than the normal rate. But research has also shown that after long periods of fasting, the body tend to adjust itself by lowering the rate of metabolism itself. After fasting, a person should, gradually, resume eating. Religious groups believe that a fast promotes self-control and strengthens the will.

Fasting

The Hindu Scripture mentions an ancient saint, Dadhichi, who fasted and meditated for many years. He did it sitting in the same posture. By the time he was found, there was no body left but only bones. Saint Dadhichi was covered by a fair amount of mud, hillock mud rather than one made by white ants. It was difficult to recognise him.

At the same time, there occurred a great fight between Asuras and Suras. Suras were dying in great numbers and were on the verge of losing battle. They called an emergency meeting which was chaired by Brahma, the Creator of the Universe. This meeting was summoned to find out some way to win the battle. Lots of suggestions were put forward but nothing worked. Ultimately a suggestion was made that the only way to win the battle was to make weapons with the bones and the ribs of Rishi Dadhichi to kill devils. This seemed a good idea that could yield results. It was decided that the Devtas would go to Rishi and plead before him or the bones for this noble cause. Under the leadership of the Brahma they straddled to Rishi Dadhichi and described to him their woes. They begged for his help without which this battle would be lost. Rishi Dadhichi agreed. He left his body. The bones were used as weapons by Asuras. Needles to say, they won the battle.

This is only one of the many mythical stories. The description of many long fasts and meditation has been given in the Bhagwat Gita and Ramayana. Fasting has helped in achieving longevity. It can store energy which helps to improve health, carry on daily rituals with zeal and achieve greater goals.

Not long ago, an Irish leader Bobby Sands died after 66 days of hunger strike in belfast jail, in Northern Ireland. Bobby Sands who was then 27 was started to have spent one third of his life in jail. The fast was carried out by this intrepid young man under the observant eyes of the jail authorities. A doctor used to visit him every day. Prior to his death every day a bulletin on his health was issued to the Press describing in detail his condition. He undertook this fast under mounting tension, anxious to give a lead to Irish people to put pressure on the British authority for solving their dispute.

Fast ‘unto death’ has become fashionable. It is a weapon in the hands of leaders who press for their demands. In religion, fasting is an old practice. Which religion does not demand fasting from its followers, whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish or Sikh? Religious leaders knew he advantages of fasting for health and incorporated in such a way that this should become a part of their mundane existence.

In a way, fasting was prevalent in the pre-historic period. Our ancestors lived in the jungle. They had to depend for food on herbs and fruits or animals they had to remain hungry for days on end. Probably this was the reason they were fit and in the best of health. This was essential to live in jungle conditions and be fit for hunting. They could survive only if they were fit.

We have a natural instinct, an appetite, a call for food by the body when required. But how many of us have a feel of "real" appetite. With the addition of condiments and frying, we make the food suitable for our taste and we tend to overeat. We eat too frequently and so we don’t know what "real" appetite is. Gradually we lose the natural instinct of body i.e. appetite, the call of body for food when it requires it. How many of us follow the natural law of the body, to miss a meal when we do not have appetite for it.

I happened to interview a few persons who had reached their eighties and nineties. How is it they had survived, kept themselves fit and were still doing productive work? A secrete which I learnt and would like to share with you. They all had much smaller meals, they ate less frequently and had lighter food. Either they missed a meal or fasted now and then. One more thing, they kept their anxieties out of their minds as much as possible.

Fasting has been described as avoiding all eatables, except water. It is not a new discovery. Man has learnt a great deal about the effect of fasting on the body by continued experimentation, observation and studies for centuries. As appetite is an instinct in man, it is so in animals too. An animal stops eating when he is sick and has no appetite. Does a man do the same? Man keeps on eating even when he is sick with a disease or emotionally upset.

The silver salmon fasts for weeks while swimming upstream for hundreds of miles in search of spawning fish eggs. The queen ant eats nothing until the eggs are hatched. Many insects and animals abstain from food during hibernation. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, recommended fasting to many of his patients. He said "when you feed the sick, you feed the disease" On the other hand if you withhold food, disease ebbs away.

Many great men of history and science fasted. Socrates and Plato fasted for 10 days to attain mental and physical fitness. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the mountain and thus could not be tempted by the devil. Moses fasted and prayed for many days in the mountains. Gandhiji did many fasts lasting 21 days. Pythagoras fasted for 40 days before taking examination at the University of Alexandria. Mohammad and Buddha fasted for many days.

In Germany at Bad Pyrmont in Buchinger Sanatorium 70,000 juice fasts were conducted during 48 years period. At natural Hygiene resorts Dr. Albert Burton conducted thousands of fasts. In U.S.A., Dr. H.M. Sheldon personally supervised 30,000 fasts in 50 years. Great Paracelsus once said "fasting is the greatest physician within". Arab physician avicenna prescribed fasting for 3-5 weeks. Plutarch said "instead of using medicine, better fast a day".

Dr. von Seland of Russia wrote "as a result of experiments, I have come to the conclusion that consideration educationally". In Germany, Dr. Adolph Mayor said "fasting is the most efficient means of correcting any disease". Experimenters Dr. Carlson and Dr. Kunde of Department of Physiology, University if Chicago kept a 30-year-old man on 14 days fast. They found that at the end of the fast his tissues were in the physiological condition as those of a 17 year old youth. Dr. Kunde said that, during the fast, the weight came down by 45%. Subsequently, it was restored by normal diet. Approximately ? of the weight thus restored was new protoplasm. Fasting had brought about rejuvenation.

On 18th may, 1933 when Gandhiji was on his 10th day of fasting, he was examined by his physicians. One of them commenting on Gandhiji’s health said "from the physiological point of view the Indian leader was as healthy as a man of forty". Dr. Louis A. Estes writing in his 1927 publication about raw food and health confirms "there is no question but that scientific fasting eliminates the bodily poison, adipose tissue and breaks down destructive cells."

Dr. Lennart Edren led a 300 mile walkathon while on fast. A total of 30 (fasting) people walked with him with no ill effect. Bernarr MacFadden, the father of physical culture in the U.S., sponsored a fasting and health contest in 1903. After 7 days f fast J.H.Waltering captured the first placed in a 50 yard dash in 6 and 2/3 seconds. And later a mile run in just over 6 minutes.

Mr. Gilman Low from Boston lifted 500lbs. Weight 20 times in just 15 seconds. On the 7th day of fast he lifted in 19 second 500 lbs. 22 times. It was closely observed by doctors. Bernarr MacFadden a great health culturist celebrated his birthdays by parachuting from a flying plane. He died in December 1955 (born on 1st August 1868) at the age of 87. During 20 days of fast, George Hasler Johnston covered 577.88 miles. Average distance daily covered was 28.9 miles. Total loss of weight was nearly 38lbs. From the original body weight of 157 ? lbs.

Dr. Vithal Das Modi, a pioneer of nature cure in India, has supervised 35,000 fasts in his hospital Arogya Mandir, At Gorakhpur, during 48 years of his work. He has undertaken a fast for 40 days and written a diary of this fast published in Hindi Up was se labh (Benefit of fasting). It is not correct to think that a person becomes frail weak with fasting.

Effect of Fasting on the Body

During fasting the senses become acute. Even a little smell of food can assail your nostrils. During a fast, a person can see better, hear better and think better. The taste buds on the tongue become extra sensitive after the fast. Even simple food tastes good.

You may sleep less, during the fast. But if you have been suffering from insomnia you are likely to have better sleep, for as many as 20 hours a day. Fasting helps the heart, arteries and blood. The cholesterol level in the blood goes down. In the case of people with high fat levels (cholesterol of and triglycerides) the risk of a heart attack is the greatest no matter what kind of fat it is. The report of a study published in "The Times", London (April 2, 1986) said that for 10 years, doctors around the world have believed that people with high proportion of one type of cholesterol (high density lipoproteins) in the blood would enjoy protection. Fasting helps to bring down the low density lipoproteins in the blood which are bad for the heart and raise the high density lipoproteins which are good for the heart.

Blood engorgement in the blood vessels is reduced and so is blood pressure. The congestion of lungs is brought down by fasting. You can breathe in more air and much easily after a fast. The eyes become brighter and more youthful and the sight improves by fasting. The kidney and the liver function better after a fast. Now a word of caution. If you are suffering from a severe liver and kidney ailment, better be careful. As these organs help in the excretion of body’s morbid matter during a fast, their load of work increases.

The skin becomes fresh and youthful. Wrinkles, blotches, dicolouration and pimples disappear during fasting. At the initial stage of a fast, the pulse rate may rise. Slowly it comes down and settles at approx. 40 beats per minute. It rises again to about 60 beats at the end of the fast. The pulse rate may come down even as low as 20 beats per minute. If the pulse rate remains either too low or too high for a ling period calls for the breaking of the fast.

Those suffering from a heart condition may notice that the variation in their pulse rate is much more and it can become erratic. If it remains erratic for a long time the patient should discontinue fasting.

Fasting Phobia

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 2.070 .066
Potassium 1.630 .644
phosphorus .725 .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.

How to break a fast

Health farming experts will admit : "Any fool can fast. But only a wise man knows how to break it". There is a reason for this. During fast the digestive system tends to reduce digestive juices. Now just as you would to a toddler, you will have to coax your digestive system into the processes of digestion. This is done slowly. Generally, it takes an equal number of days as fasting to come to a normal diet.

In the beginning, the fasting person should take easily digestible things where hardly any digestive juices are required. For second day take one orange every two hours. The third day have one peach or one pear or one handful of grapes three times a day.The fourth day have 2 pieces of fruit for breakfast and 3 pieces for lunch and dinner.

The fifth day have two varieties of fruit at a time for breakfast and lunch and boiled vegetables at dinner. The sixth day have vegetable soup, for lunch and dinner. The seventh day have fruits for breakfast, soup at lunch and boiled vegetables for dinner. The eighth day have fruits for breakfast and one chapati with boiled vegetables at lunch and dinner. The ninth day add a cup of milk with fruits for breakfast, boiled vegetables plus two chapatis for lunch and dinner.

The tenth day add small portion of dal for lunch and dinner. Gradually, add a little fat in your meals, ghee or oil while cooking vegetables or apply a little ghee to your chapatis. The assimilation power of the body increases after fast. After the food is properly digested and absorbed by the body, changes begin occurring in the blood. The number of red blood corpuscles increase after fasting. It has been mentioned that in one case the R.B.C. count increased from 1 million to 5 million after the fast.

The iron and other elements which are stored in the body are taken and used by the body. Assimilation after fast is at its highest level. Rabbits were put on fast for 17 days. They slowly gained 56% of the body weight to the normal level after fasting. Broken bones and wound heal more rapidly during fasting. Inflammation subsides faster and the body tends to become youthful. Fasting gives the body organs a complete rest. The work load that organs normally do is reduced. As no food is taken in no digestion or assimilation takes place. So all energy required is saved and utilised for eliminating the morbid matter from the body. organs get rest, they recuperate and regain their vital powers. The elementary canal becomes free of unfriendly bacteria.

More nourishment is derived from less essential tissues. The effusion, swelling, fat, infiltration etc. is absorbed with great rapidly. So the body gradually frees itself from surplus waste material.

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