For those who have chosen the path of yoga, sooner or later the question of proper nutrition arises, both in terms of physical and informational food, because without control over what we immerse ourselves in, it is impossible to advance on the path of spiritual self-improvement. As you know, Patanjali’s “Yoga Sutras” says that before starting the practice of yoga, one should establish oneself in the yamas and niyamas, that is, follow the moral precepts. The need to maintain physical and spiritual purity is indicated by the principle of shaucha, or purity. And this is no coincidence - our state directly depends on what we immerse ourselves in. For example, by eating the bodies of other living beings, we will load ourselves with the energy of death, fear and suffering. Is it worth it to be surprised that all this will come into our lives and our consciousness will be, to put it mildly, specific?
The same applies to information “hygiene”. If every day we watch some youth series with a primitive plot and a very negative message, it is not surprising that the motivations for our actions will be far from adequate. So, the need for hygiene at all levels is obvious. Giving up animal and other junk food and throwing out the TV from the house with the proper level of awareness is not so difficult, but another problem arises: how to cleanse the body and consciousness of the already accumulated ballast that will always pull us down? Cleansing practices can come to the rescue; one of the most effective is regular 36-hour fasting.
General information
Those who promote fasting as a way to effectively improve their health often talk about its benefits. The benefit of dry fasting is that it is one of the methods for treating a variety of diseases.
Answering the question of what dry fasting is, it should be noted that the history of this technique goes back very deeply. Its essence is that a person goes completely without food and water for a certain period of time. Proponents of this technique argue that with its help it is possible to provide treatment for diseases, the spectrum of which is very wide. But still, despite the many arguments in favor of this technique, it is very important to understand that dry fasting, even one day, is a very serious stress for the body. Therefore, it can be practiced only in the absence of contraindications and with strict adherence to a number of important rules. How the preparation is carried out, the benefits and harms of this method, and how to properly practice it at home will be discussed in the article below.
Books
- Bragg P. The miracle of fasting.
- Voitovich G. A. Heal yourself.
- De Vries A. Therapeutic fasting.
- Ermakova S., Zharov L. Fasting for health: family experience.
- Kokosov A. N., Luft V. M., Tkachenko E. I., Khoroshilov I. E. Therapeutic fasting for internal diseases.
- Kurdyumov N. Technique and nuances of fasting.
- Malakhov G.P. Great encyclopedia of therapeutic fasting.
- Nikolaev Yu. S., Nilov E. I. Fasting for health.
- Petrov M.I. Fasting treatment according to the method of A.A. Suvorin.
- Suvorin A. A. Suvorin's method. Fasting treatment.
- Filonov S.I. Dry therapeutic fasting: myths and reality.
- Sharafetdinov Kh. Kh. Therapeutic fasting.
- Shelton G. Orthotrophy: nutrition and fasting.
- Shchennikov L.A. Healing abstinence from liquids and food.
- Yugov E. Dry fasting (methodological manual).
Dry fasting is without a doubt one of the most effective weight loss techniques. However, it is worth thinking about the fact that all the supposedly “scientific” principles that explain its benefits are actively criticized by official medicine and are not confirmed, but are at the stage of hypotheses. Cases when people achieved excellent results with its help both in weight loss and in terms of health improvement are rare. To do this, they spent years developing a system of abstinence from food and water, and competently prepared the body for this.
Most attempts end in, at best, disturbances in the functioning of the stomach, and at worst, serious complications and hospitalization. This should give anyone thinking about losing weight in such an extreme way something to think about before making such an important decision.
Types of dry hunger
It is customary to divide dry fasting into several subtypes. First of all, there is a distinction between soft and hard fasting. During mild (partial) hunger, it is allowed to maintain hygiene - take a shower and bath, brush your teeth, and wash your face. You can also rinse your mouth. In this case, water should never be swallowed, so as not to violate the rules of this method.
In case of severe (complete) hunger, any contact with water is prohibited - you cannot wash your face, brush your teeth, or, moreover, take a shower. That is, the point is that the body does not come into contact with water at all.
For any type of dry hunger, enemas are not performed.
From the point of view of the duration of this process, one-day fasting and hunger lasting several days are distinguished. Of course, those who are going to go without food and water for the first time should start with one day of fasting. People who already have some experience in this field can fast without water for 3 days. Even more experienced people manage to fast for 7 days and even 11 days. But under no circumstances should such experiments be carried out at home without the supervision of a doctor - this is dangerous to health and life.
With 7 or 11 days of fasting, sometimes not absolute, but cascade fasting is practiced, when periods of complete abstinence from food alternate with “non-fasting” days.
But in any case, the main rule is this: three-day fasting and fasting for more days cannot be practiced without the supervision of a doctor.
By the way, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest dry fast in the world lasted 18 days. However, there is evidence of a longer period without food and water. For example, there is evidence that the yoga master Swami Sat Marga fasted without water for 21 days.
What it is
Dry fasting is complete abstinence from food and water on a voluntary basis. For a certain period of time (from 1 to 7 days), a person refuses all meals and any drinking, and in some cases even water procedures. It can be used for medicinal purposes (to get rid of certain diseases) and dietary (for weight loss). It belongs to alternative medicine and is subject to active criticism from the official.
It’s clear how the process of losing weight occurs during dry fasting. In the absence of food, the body begins to consume its own reserves to obtain the necessary resources. Proponents of this method focus on intensive fat burning, the death of non-viable cells and the use of excess fluid that accumulates in tissues. The toxins also go away with them. However, what is usually not said is that muscle fibers are broken down first.
The results are mixed. Supporters write about incredible rejuvenation of the entire body at the cellular level, miraculous relief from almost all diseases, and weight loss of 10-15 kg in a week. Critics, in contrast, cite the example of people who found themselves in a hospital bed after several days of abstaining from food and water. A number of sources indicate cases of diabetic ketoacidotic coma and even death.
To understand what dry fasting really is – the elixir of eternal youth or self-torture, it’s worth getting to know this technique better.
What happens to the body?
Therapeutic fasting, when a patient spends a certain time without food and water, began to be used in medical practice in the nineties of the last century. It is generally accepted that it is more effective for the body compared to regular fasting.
During the period of abstinence from food and water, the body is in a state of severe conditions compared to “normal” hunger. As a result, from his reserves he is forced to use not only the fat layer, but also water. As a result, with a lack of water, foreign microorganisms are actively destroyed and pathological processes are suspended. It is believed that dry fasting can get rid of inflammation.
During abstinence from food, in order to maintain vital functions, the body consumes not only fat, but also proteins. First of all, proteins from altered tissues are consumed - adhesions, tumors, edema, atherosclerotic plaques. As a result, if you abstain from food and water, you can get rid of suppuration, infections, boils, inflammation, etc.
This effect is also observed during normal hunger, but during dry hunger it occurs much faster.
Thus, dry fasting is effective in the following cases:
- with inflammation of an infectious nature;
- in case of trophic ulcers;
- for rheumatoid arthritis , osteochondrosis, polyarthritis , etc.;
- for various benign tumors;
- in case of gastrointestinal diseases;
- for skin diseases.
Those who have assessed the results of proper dry fasting in practice note that after this period many positive changes occur in a person: the complexion and teeth improve, lightness appears, and diseases disappear.
It is noted that dry fasting, which lasts up to 3 days, does not lead to too much dehydration of the body, so it is relatively easy to tolerate.
At the same time, many experts who at one time studied the effect of hunger on the body in theory and practice note that dry abstinence from food for three days is comparable in its therapeutic effect to a 7-9-day regular fast with water consumption.
At one time, scientists conducted experiments during which it was confirmed that absolute hunger without water and food has a positive effect on the condition of the body in case of tumors and severe immunodeficiencies .
It is also important that long-term dry fasting is a spiritual practice, when not only weight loss occurs, but also a rethinking of life values and purification of thoughts.
Thus, in the absence of food and water, the following changes occur in the body:
- inflammatory processes occur;
- stimulation of immunity ;
- weight stabilizes, the person loses weight;
- the effect of rejuvenation appears;
- prevention of the development of tumors and other serious diseases is noted;
- there is a surge of energy, lightness appears.
Negative consequences
After a person has done dry fasting one or more times, in some cases he may have negative consequences:
- dizziness;
- dry skin and the appearance of cracks on it;
- deterioration in performance and sleep disturbances;
- fragility of blood vessels;
- dehydration;
- severe stress on the psyche.
Such symptoms most often appear if a person enters and exits hunger incorrectly and violates the rules that are important to follow during the period of immediate refusal of food.
How to fast?
If a person plans to fast without water for 24 hours, then he will not need long preparation for this period. The day before fasting should be spent eating vegetables and fruits, trying not to overeat. It is recommended on this day to eat the “Pastelka” salad, which contains grated cabbage, carrots and beets.
Proper preparation for a longer fast is carried out over about a week. During this period, it is necessary to completely exclude fatty, fried foods, alcohol, coffee, sweets, and meat dishes from the diet. Food should be as light as possible. 3 days before the start of the process, you need to switch to a plant-based diet and drink a lot of clean water these days.
Directly on the day of hunger, it is recommended to do something to distract yourself from thoughts about food. Diaries of starving people confirm that in the absence of interesting activities, it is more difficult for a person to endure hunger due to constant thoughts about food. Ideally, this time should be spent in nature.
On the day of hunger, it is not recommended to cook food, so as not to expose yourself to additional temptation. You cannot take any medications on this day.
To make fasting a habit, some experts recommend doing it once a week on the same day. After some time, it will become part of your personal schedule, and fasting will become much easier. After this, you can try to practice longer abstinence from food.
It is recommended to practice dry fasting according to the following schedule:
- one-day – once a week;
- three-day – once a month;
- five days - once a quarter;
- eleven-day – once or twice a year.
Indications
Therapeutic dry fasting is recommended if you have the following health problems:
- atherosclerosis;
- allergy;
- infertility, prostate adenoma;
- bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary sarcoidosis;
- helminthiasis;
- constipation, colitis, ulcer;
- infections, inflammations;
- cardiopsychoneurosis;
- skin diseases;
- overweight, obesity.
- osteochondrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, polyarthritis, salt deposits in joints;
- swelling;
- cold.
Scheme
Cascade fasting is used for weight loss. This technique consists of alternating days of abstinence from food and days of eating. With this scheme, a gradual cleansing of the body and weight loss occurs. The important fact is that it is relatively easy to endure such a period. There are several schemes for cascading hunger.
- Gentle - this method is suitable for beginners. It provides for several periods: a day of fasting - 2 weeks of normal nutrition; 2 days of fasting - 3 weeks of eating; 3 days of fasting - 3 weeks of eating, etc. However, for beginners it is not recommended to fast for more than three days.
- Short is a shorter cycle, during which it is recommended to spend more time in the fresh air and do gentle physical exercise. According to this scheme, you need to fast like this: 1 day of fasting, 2 days of eating; 2 days of fasting, 3 days of eating; 3 days of hunger, exit.
There are other cascade schemes developed by famous nutritionists and doctors.
According to Filonov
This scheme provides for a three-month health course. Sergei Ivanovich Filonov is a famous doctor who has been studying the features of therapeutic fasting for several decades. The essence of this scheme is as follows. First month: the first two weeks - dietary nutrition, the third week - a period of intestinal cleansing, the fourth - a strict diet with the consumption of buckwheat. Second month: first week – one day of water fasting (WF), six days of diet, second week – two days of WF, 5 days of diet; third week – three days of VG, 4 days diet; Week 4 – 5 days VG, 2 days diet. Third month: everything is the same as in the second, only dry fasting is practiced instead of water fasting.
According to Lavrova
This method is practiced with the aim of rejuvenating all organs and systems. The technique involves eliminating all contact of the body with water - you even need to wear gloves when washing anything. Preparation for the course lasts 14 days. At this time, you should not drink alcohol, coffee, sugar and its substitutes, salt, or meat. Within a week, it is important to completely switch to a plant-based diet. It is important to drink plenty of water 1 hour before the start.
Next is the diagram itself. First stage: fasting day, feeding day; second stage: two days of fasting, two days of nutrition; third stage: three days of fasting, three meals, etc., until the fifth stage.
According to Leonid Shchennikov
Dry fasting according to Shchennikov involves three stages: preparation, from 5 to 11 days of dry fasting and exit. For two days before the fast begins, you should eat only raw vegetables. It is important to follow several rules: breathe slowly and be in a good mood; move a lot, doing it smoothly; ventilate the room; shower, but do not rinse your mouth. You need to sleep from 6 to 10 o’clock, then walk from 10 to 13, then engage in mental activity from 1 to 15. From 15 to 18, classes with a trainer are recommended. Again you need to sleep from 18 to 22 o'clock, and from 22 to 6 am - spend time actively in the air.
According to Anna Yakuba
Anna Yakuba recommends alternating dry fasting and a raw food diet . In this case, two programs are recommended - for two weeks and for a month. On those days when you can eat, it is recommended to eat raw vegetables and fruits, nuts, herbs, and dried fruits. You need to eat little and in small portions. With a two-week course, the days alternate as follows: the first day is dry fasting (DF), the second is a raw food diet, the third is SG, the fourth is a raw food diet, etc.
With a monthly course, the days go “increasingly”: 1 day - SG, 1 day - raw food diet; 2 days - SG, 2 days - raw food diet, etc. until 5 days, after which - exit.
According to Porfiry Ivanov
Porfiry Ivanov developed his own system of dry fasting. He recommended fasting from Friday evening to 12 noon on Sunday. At the same time, you need to go out for this period gradually, and initially do not eat from Friday evening to 14.00 Saturday. As a result, you need to reach 40 hours of dry fasting. It is recommended to overcome hunger with kefir or warm milk. After a couple of hours, you can eat a little diet food.
Real experience of dry fasting (7 days).
Today I introduce you to Alexander. He read my article “Healing fasting - a spiritual tool ,” where I talk about the experience of a 21-day transition to prana nutrition according to Jasmukhin, and immediately decided to go on fasting.
I have never seen such a quick readiness for this. I myself have been nurturing the idea of long-term fasting for a very long time.
Alexander emailed me asking for more information on this issue. I began to advise how to prepare, he replied that he had already started fasting.
Here is an excerpt from the letter:
“I want to go full term. If I don't die in the process. More precisely, I have already started this action. Today I don't eat or drink anything.
What illnesses do I have? Of the obvious ones, second-degree hypertension, excess weight, gallstones, high cholesterol. Maybe there is something else, but I don't know. I recently went to apitherapy. I liked your article.
I want to cleanse myself spiritually. And some weight loss in the process will not be superfluous. And I would also like to learn clairvoyance, clairvoyance and intuition. I'm trying all of this. This may not be relevant to your process. I'm not working right now. And I have time."
I was very surprised, and we started working.
Firstly, you need to study how all processes occur in the body in order to know what can worsen, what can manifest itself during fasting, so that there is no fear.
Secondly, it is very good to support yourself during fasting with energy practices, meditation, and breathing exercises. Therefore, on the fourth day of fasting, I offered Alexander support with Reiki energy - we conducted one session a day.
During fasting, a lot of “blackness” comes out of a person, both literally and figuratively, you need to learn to cleanse yourself energetically.
Alexander answers my questions about his first experience of dry fasting.
On the third day after fasting.
Golden Nata : Alexander, greetings! You have completed a course of healing fasting. How and why did you decide to do this?
Alexander : Hello Natalya! How did you decide? Yes, I just took it and decided. I’ve been thinking about this topic for a long time, but there was no impetus to start. And then your newsletter caught my eye. I read and understood, it’s time...
For complete information, see the “Healing Fasting”
I have sometimes practiced fasting before to cleanse the body. And then I learned from your newsletter that fasting can help cleanse not only the body, but also spiritually, cleanse my energy body. And this only added to the attractiveness of fasting.
Golden Nata : Wonderful! How many days did you decide to go? What exactly did you want to acquire spiritually?
Alexander : I decided to go on a seven-day dry fast. It was interesting to test myself, and after reading the information, I decided for myself that this was the optimal duration in terms of price-quality. What about spiritually? It's more complicated here. I want to get rid of age-old negativity... and open my “third” eye.
Golden Nata : Was it hard for seven days without water and food?
Alexander : In general, it’s not hard. But these are my personal impressions. Fasting in this way is easier than “wet” fasting . Although “wet” was quite easy for me. But I was on “wet” for a maximum of 4 days, and on “dry” I stayed for seven days.
It felt like I didn’t want to eat or drink. I was surprised myself. On the third day, my lips started to dry out. On the fourth day, my lips stopped drying and I felt a surge of strength. And on the sixth and seventh days the lips dried out. Some fatigue and weakness appeared.
During the fast, I did energy exercises “shield and sword” from Sufis, it wasn’t difficult, everything was as usual. There was some weakness at the end, but it was tolerable.
Golden Nata : Have your feelings become more subtle during fasting? Perhaps your hearing and sense of smell have become more acute? Has the feeling changed? Remember some life situations, how you felt before and how you feel now?
Alexander : The sense of smell has become more acute. I began to feel energy. During Reiki sessions, I felt warmth spreading throughout my body. And after the session I felt fresher.
I won’t say that there has been a reassessment of values, but attitudes towards some situations and events have changed. I began to look at it a little differently, calmer and more positive or something. Love for people has become wider and greater . It no longer fits into me.
Golden Nata : Cool! This is the highest spiritual achievement!
Alexander : I agree! Fully!
Golden Nata : How did you get out of fasting? Maybe the time of day and mood are important?
Alexander : I was in excellent spirits all this time. I am coming out of fasting according to the recommended regimen. The time of day is not important to me. The first day I didn’t feel like eating at all. I drank water according to the plan and two glasses of herbal tea per day.
Entry and exit from fasting according to Goltis, see here
On the second day, watermelon, tea and fruit juice. A bit of everything. In the evening I ate one banana and was full and satisfied. Today is the third day: tea, vegetable salad. Everything else is ahead.
I understand that getting out is important. And I don’t force it at all.
Golden Nata : Now food preferences may change, maybe you won’t want meat. Feel yourself. Drinking and food should be separate; do not rush to add salt, spices, herbs, garlic and onions, preferably after two weeks. Chew your food very thoroughly and for a long time.
Alexander : I chew thoroughly, although this is not typical for me. But now, surprisingly... I don’t want to drink and eat together. All separately. With an hour break it works on its own.
I no longer want vodka, as I wanted during the fast. And in general I don’t want alcohol again. And I really wanted it... But I doubt it about the meat. I love him.
Golden Nata : What do you feel when you take the first sip of water? Did you like the water? Was the taste of water new to you?
Alexander : The first sip of water is a sip of life. Taste of life.
How to charge water for healing fasting, see more here
But to be honest, I didn’t really like the water. There was no water in the water supply. I had to buy drinking, carbonated water. I released as much gas as possible, but the taste remained. But in principle, everything is fine.
The fact is that where I spent my childhood, we had excellent artesian water. I still haven't had anything tastier. In Tomsk there is also artesian water in the water supply, but it is not as tasty. In Tomsk the water is hard.
Golden Nata : How many kilograms of weight were lost after seven days of dry fasting?
Alexander : I don’t know for sure. But I think 15 kilograms. But this is at the time of release. Now they will slowly add water.
Golden Nata : Did you meditate while fasting?
Alexander : It’s hard to say from meditation. Maybe I'm meditating incorrectly altogether. Don't know. I have now listened to two meditations from the temples of Telos. Feeling of coldness in the body. Flight... Some spots in the eyes, white and colored. And, in general, that's all.
In Sufis there is a trajectory of tahajjut. This is to clear away negativity. I've done it before. When the negativity comes out, there is a feeling of coldness. The first time I had the feeling that my brain was covered with a crust of ice. It was terribly cold. I even slept clothed that night.
Golden Nata : Great! In general, do you ever want to repeat the experience of dry fasting?
Alexander : I don’t know yet. But there is no rejection. Time will show.
On the fourth day after fasting.
Alexander : Hello Natalya! Things are fine. The appetite wakes up. I want everything.
Golden Nata : Yes, I know that. I want to try every dish, the taste itself is attractive. And how are you coping?
Alexander : I’m coping for now. But this is a difficult matter.
Golden Nata : This is why the way out is considered more difficult than fasting.
I didn’t know the Goltis way out before and came out in a different way, but I was weak later, and now everything is different.
Alexander : Let's see. So everything is fine. I can eat fruit, so I eat it. The maximum that will last me is two weeks of release. I won’t eat some foods according to Goltis, and they don’t exist, and I don’t eat them. For example, dandelion soup. And even without potatoes and meat...
Golden Nata:
