We no longer go to "western" (pharmaceutical driven) doctors except for major illness/surgeries (knock on wood - none of those this year). Instead we see a naturalist doctor for the last year. I am amazed how country-grandma-remedies really do hold true. So far we have been more than pleased. I started with 14 auto-immune diseases and am down to 3. And I want those 3 gone!!!
So I laid it on the line last month and said I would do whatever it took - he said 3 months of a juice fast to allow my body to heal itself. WHAT! Are you crazy! Well I tried if for 2 weeks - felt great, slept great, pooped (TMI) great. Was surprisingly not hungry. But why did i quit? I just couldn't shake that it just can't be possibly healthy - it must just be a fad diet - but why the heck is a medical doctor advising me to do it?
So I did my own research and the reason it works is because 70% of our intake is used in the digestion process. Just like a newborn with breast milk which allows for the best growth --- fruit and veggie juice (no fiber) requires no digestion. So your body is able to heal because it is not digesting (and most of my issues are metabotical/digestion related).
So..... I went one a retreat and read and read and read and stumbled on an article from Ghandi. To my surprise he spent much time on the subject of the body healing itself thru fasting with juice. Can this really be right? Is this the problem -- I am not trusting my body to do what God designed it to do?
Frankly, I quit after 2 weeks because I wasn't convinced in the method and was not willing to PUT IT OUT there for folks and be comfortable defending my decision. I have spent 3 weeks researching it. I am a bit more convinced - accepting that I am never 100% confident regarding the miracle of the human body!
In the spirit of Lent, I am sharing all the famous folks from many years gone by - religious and non-religious- who believe in fasting is not only a mental cleanse but the first go-to medical advice :-) I am humbly embarassed that I never even considered all old remedies and was so blinded by our current medical approaches.
Wish me luck!
"feed a cold, starve a fever", mom's of all ages :-)
"Fasting is an institution as old as Adam. It has been resorted to for self-purification or for some ends, noble as well as ignoble." - "True happiness is impossible without true health. True health is impossible without the rigid control of the palate." - "A complete fast is a complete and literal denial of self. It is the truest prayer." - "A genuine fast cleanses the body, mind and soul. It crucifies the flesh and, to that extent, sets the soul free." - "What the eyes are for the outer world, fasts are for the inner." - "My religion teaches me that whenever there is distress which one cannot remove, one must fast and pray." - Fasting will bring spiritual rebirth to those of you who cleanse and purify your bodies. The light of the world will illuminate within you when you fast and purify yourself." - "More caution and perhaps more restraint are necessary in breaking a fast than in keeping it." - "Experience has taught me that it was wrong to have dwelt upon the relish of food. One should eat not in order to please the palate, but just to keep the body going. When each organ of sense subserves the body and, through the body, the soul, its special relish disappears, and then alone does it begin to function in the way Nature intended it to do."--Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948; Indian Independence Movement leader)
"A little starvation can really do more for the average sick man than can the best medicines and the best doctors. I do not mean a restricted diet; I mean total abstinence from food. I speak from experience; starvation has been my cold and fever doctor for 15 years, and has accomplished a cure in all instances."--Mark Twain (1835-1910; American author and humorist)
"Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and kindles the true light of chastity. Enter again into yourself."--Saint Augustine (354-430 A.D.; "On Prayer and Fasting," Sermon lxxii; Doctor of the Catholic Church)
"Fasting is an effective and safe method of detoxifying the body. . .a technique that wise men have used for centuries to heal the sick. Fast regularly and help the body heal itself and stay well. Give all of your organs a rest. Fasting can help reverse the aging process, and if we use it correctly, we will live longer, happier lives."--James Balch, M.D. ("Prescription For Natural Healing")
"The ideal technique for successful fasting is the use of fresh, raw fruit and vegetable juices. On such a diet, the full spectrum of nutrients is supplied in an easily assimilated form, so the digestive tract is able to remain essentially at rest. It is only through the combined use of both cleansing processes, and a very good diet, that one will be able to reach her or his maximal level of physical health and an unclouded consciousness."--Rudolph Ballentine, M.D. ("Diet & Nutrition"; established holistic medical clinics in Chicago, New York, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis and Honesdale, PA, and authored "Radical Healing: Integrating The World's Great Therapeutic Traditions To Create A New Transformative Medicine," hailed as "a masterpiece" by Caroline Myss, Ph.D., and "an instant classic" by Deepak Chopra, M.D.)
"There is both a physical and a spiritual fast. In the physical fast, the body abstains from food and drink. In the spiritual fast, the faster abstains from evil intentions, words and deeds. One who truly fasts abstains from anger, rage, malice, and vengeance. One who truly fasts abstains from idle and foul talk, empty rhetoric, slander, condemnation, flattery, lying and all manner of spiteful talk. In a word, a real faster is one who withdraws from all evil." - "As much as you subtract from the body, so much will you add to the strength of the soul." - "By fasting, it is possible both to be delivered from future evils, and to enjoy the good things to come. We fell into disease through sin; let us receive healing through repentance, which is not fruitful without fasting."--Saint Basil (329-379 A.D.; Doctor of the Catholic Church)
"Fasting is a normal part of our walk with God, as is exemplified by our Lord Jesus. Immediately following the Lord's prayer, he said: 'Moreover, when ye fast, be not of sad countenance, that thou appear not unto man to fast, but unto thy Father, which is in secret, and thy Father shall reward thee openly.'" (Matthew 6:16-18) - "Seest thou what fasting does: it heals illnesses, drives out demons, removes wicked thoughts, makes the heart pure. If someone has even been seized by an impure spirit, let her or him know that this kind, according to the word of the Lord, 'goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.'" (Matthew 17:21)--"Bible"
"Fasting with a pure heart and motives, I have discovered, brings personal revival and adds power to our prayers. Personal revival occurs because fasting is an act of humility. Fasting gives opportunity for deeper humility as we recognize our sins, repent, receive God's forgiveness, and experience His cleansing of our soul and spirit. Fasting also demonstrates our love for God and our full confidence in His faithfulness."--Bill Bright (1921-2003; "The Coming Revival"; American founder of "Campus Crusade for Christ")
"Not nakedness, not platted hair, not dirt, not fasting or lying on the earth, not rubbing with dust, not sitting motionless, can purify a mortal who has not overcome desires." - "Make thyself an island, work hard, be wise! When thy impurities are blown away, and thou art free from guilt, thou wilt enter into the heavenly world of the elect. . .thou wilt not enter again into birth and decay. Let a wise woman or man blow off the impurities of her or his self, as a smith blows off the impurities of silver, one by one, little by little, and from time to time. Rely on wisdom, not on ordinary consciousness."--Gautama Buddha (566-486 B.C.; "The Dhammapada")
"Renew yourselves and fast, for I tell you truly that Satan and his plagues may only be cast out by fasting and by prayer. Go by yourself and fast alone, and show your fasting to no man. The living God shall see it, and great shall be your reward. And fast till Beelzebub and all his evils depart from you, and all the angels of our Earthly Mother come and serve you. For I tell you truly, except you fast, you shall never be freed from the power of Satan and from all diseases that come from Satan. Fast and pray fervently, seeking the power of the living God for your healing. While you fast, eschew the Sons of Men and seek our Earthly Mother's angels, for he that seeks shall find." ("Essene Gospel of Peace")--Jesus Christ (c. 8-4 B.C.-29? A.D.)
"Fasting is the soul of prayer; mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So, if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy. If you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to other, you open God’s ear to yourself."--Saint Peter Chrysologus (c.380–c. 450; Doctor of the Catholic Church)
"Fasting of the body is food for the soul." - "As bodily food fattens the body, so fasting strengthens the soul. Imparting it an easy flight, it makes it able to ascend on high, to contemplate lofty things, and to put the heavenly higher than the pleasant and pleasurable things of life." - "It is necessary, most of all, for one who is fasting to curb anger, to accustom her- or himself to meekness and condescension, to have a contrite heart, to repulse impure thoughts and desires, to examine one's conscience, to put one's mind to the test, and to verify what good has been done by us in this or any other week, and which deficiency we have corrected in ourself in the present week. This is true fasting." - "Do you fast? Then feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, do not forget the imprisoned, have pity on the tortured, comfort those who grieve and who weep, be merciful, humble, kind, calm, patient, sympathetic, forgiving, reverent, truthful and pious, so that God might accept your fasting and might plentifully grant you the fruits of repentance."--Saint John Chrysostom (347-407 A.D.; Doctor of the Catholic Church)
"I often observe in fasting participants that. . .concentration seems to improve, creative thinking expands, depression lifts, insomnia stops, anxieties fade, the mind becomes more tranquil, and a natural joy begins to appear. It is my hypothesis that when the physical toxins are cleared from the brain cells, mind-brain function automatically and significantly improves, and spiritual capacities expand."--Gabriel Cousens, M.D. (Founder, Tree Of Life Rejuvenation Center, Patagonia, AZ)
"Abstinence and fasting cure many a complaint."--Danish proverb
"Fasting is the master key to mental and spiritual unfoldment and evolution."--Dr. Arnold Ehret (1866-1922; German Father of Naturopathy, a.k.a. Naturopathic Medicine)
"Life is slow suicide. Nine humans in ten are suicides." - "To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals." - "The best of all medicines are rest and fasting."--Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. (1706-1790; American founding father, statesman and inventor--bifocal glasses, iron furnace stove and lightning rod)
"Fasting is the single greatest natural healing therapy. It is nature’s ancient, universal 'remedy' for many problems. Juice fasting is commonly used (rather than water, alone) as a mild and effective cleansing plan; this is suggested by myself and other doctors and authors, and by many of the European fasting clinics. Fresh juices are easily assimilated and require minimum digestion, while they supply many nutrients and stimulate our body to clear its wastes. Juice fasting is also safer than water fasting, because it supports the body nutritionally while cleansing, and probably even produces a better detoxification and quicker recovery."--Elson Haas, M.D. ("Staying Healthy With Nutrition")
"Every request needs humility of spirit. Fast then, and you will receive from the Lord what you ask." - "When you are going to fast, observe it in this way: first, avoid any evil and desire, and purify your heart of all the vain things in the world. Your fast will be perfect if you do this."--Hermas (A.D. 55-150; "The Shepherd"; Roman Christian)
"Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them, an act of discipline."--Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826; "The Writings of Thomas Jefferson"; 3rd U.S. President)
"The goal of fasting is inner unity. This means hearing, but not with the ear; hearing, but not with the understanding; it is hearing with the spirit, with your whole being. The hearing that is only in the ears is one thing. The hearing of the understanding is another, but the hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty, to the ear, or to the mind. Hence, it demands the emptiness of the faculties, and when the faculties are empty, then your whole being listens. There is then a direct grasp of what is right before you that can never be heard with the ear or understood with the mind. Fasting of the heart empties the faculties, frees you from limitations and from preoccupations."--Fr. Thomas Merton (1915-1968; "The Living Bread"; American Trappist monk, writer and poet)
"Fasting is a valid experience. It can benefit any otherwise healthy person whose calories now have the upper hand in his or her life."--"The New England Journal of Medicine"
"I have pondered the paths that the fasting therapy method should follow, and concluded that there are two: prophylactic and curative. Timely measures for the prevention of a disorder must be considered very important. Fasting therapy can play a key role in this aspect. Systematic short-term fasts can raise the body's reactivity and defensive forces, and they can achieve overall improvement in the patient's condition. Because the environment is constantly polluting us, fasting is essential for the arrest of the development of various chronic disorders, for the preservation of the health of following generations, and for defense against premature aging. Short-term fasting also helps to reduce the duration of mass infectious diseases, since the body's defensive powers are activated and they can more effectively fight the disease."--Yuri Nikolayev, M.D. (Russian psychiatrist; director of the fasting unit of the Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry)
"Fasting is the greatest remedy, the physician within."--Philippus Paracelsus, M.D. (1493-1541; Swiss physician and alchemist. . .considered one of the three Fathers of Western Medicine)
"For as long as sentient beings remain in suffering, may I remain to help dispel misery, especially through this greatest of all healing modalities, by which all with the courage and discipline to do it achieve FAR greater health, happiness and healing power, just as the Buddha, Christ, Mohammed and all great spiritual teachers taught, as did all three Fathers of Western Medicine."--Dennis Paulson (Founder/Director, Fasting Center International, Inc.; World's Largest Fasting Clientele over 35 years, with clients on seven continents representing 220 countries)
"I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency."--Plato (428-348 B.C., Greek philosopher and mathematician--student of Socrates; teacher of Aristotle; laid foundations of Western Philosophy)
"Dear Brothers and Sisters! In our own day, fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning, and has taken on, in a culture characterized by the search for material well-being, a therapeutic value for the care of one’s body. Fasting certainly bring benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a 'therapy' to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God. The faithful practice of fasting contributes, moreover, to conferring unity to the whole person, body and soul, helping to avoid sin and grow in intimacy with the Lord." - "Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God. At the same time, fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live. Voluntary fasting enables us to grow in the spirit of the Good Samaritan, who bends low and goes to the help of his suffering sister and brother. This practice needs to be rediscovered and encouraged again in our day." - "It seems abundantly clear that fasting represents an important ascetical practice, a spiritual arm to do battle against every possible disordered attachment to ourselves. Freely chosen detachment from the pleasure of food and other material goods helps the disciple of Christ to control the appetites of nature, weakened by original sin, whose negative effects impact the entire human person. Quite opportunely, an ancient hymn of the Lenten Liturgy exhorts: 'Let us use sparingly words, food and drink, sleep and amusements. May we be more alert in the custody of our senses.' Since all of us are weighed down by sin and its consequences, fasting is proposed to us as an instrument to restore friendship with God."--Pope Benedict XVI ("The Great Joy of Fasting" 12.11.08)
"The penitential practices suggested by the Church include fasting. This traditional form of penance has not lost its meaning; indeed, perhaps it ought to be rediscovered, especially in those parts of the world and in those circumstances where not only is there food in plenty, but where one even comes across illnesses from overeating." - "Penitential fasting can be considered therapy for the soul. In fact, practiced as a sign of conversion, it helps one in the interior effort of listening to God. Fasting is to reaffirm to oneself what Jesus answered Satan when he tempted him at the end of his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4) - "Today, especially in affluent societies, St. Augustine's warning is more timely than ever: 'Enter again into yourself.' Yes, we must enter again into ourselves, if we want to find ourselves. Not only our spiritual life is at stake, but indeed, our personal, family and social equilibrium, itself. One of the meanings of penitential fasting is to help us recover an interior life. Moderation, recollection and prayer go hand in hand." - "Sisters and Brothers, let us learn from the Blessed Virgin. The Gospel tells that she pondered in her heart the events of her life (Luke 2:19), seeking in them the unfolding of God's plan. Mary is the model to whom we can all look. Let us ask her to give us the secret of that 'spiritual fast' which sets us free from the slavery of things, strengthens our soul, and makes it ever ready to meet the Lord." ("Penitential Fasting Is Therapy for the Soul," 3.10.96) - "With physical fasting and, even more so, with interior fasting, the Christian prepares her-/himself to follow Christ and to be His faithful witness in every circumstance. Moreover, fasting helps us to understand better the difficulties and sufferings of so many of our brothers and sisters who are oppressed by hunger, severe poverty and war. In addition, it prompts us to a concrete solidarity and sharing with those who are in need." ("Angelus," 3.2.03)--Pope John Paul II
"If thou wouldst preserve a sound body, use fasting and walking; if a healthful soul, fasting and praying. Walking exercises the body; praying exercises the soul. Fasting cleanses both."--Francis Quarles (1592-1644, English poet)
"O ye who believe, fasting is prescribed for you. . .as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may safeguard yourselves against every kind of ill and become righteous."--"Quran" (c. 651 A.D.)
"Fasting is the first principle of medicine."--Mevlana Rumi (1207-1273; Persian poet and founder of the Turkish Mawlawi fraternity of Sufism)
"Through fasting. . .I have found a perfect health, a new state of existence, a feeling of purity and happiness, something unknown to humans."--Upton Sinclair (1878-1968, American writer)
"Through fasting, let your mind depend on its own power. When that power manifests, the life force in the body becomes increasingly reinforced with the eternal energy continually flowing into the brain and spine from the cosmic energy around the body, entering through the medulla. Becoming detached from dependence on outer, physical sources of bodily sustenance, the life force sees that it is being supported from within, and wonders how this is so. The mind then says: 'The solids on which the body used to depend are nothing more than gross condensations of energy. You are pure energy, and you are pure consciousness.' Then, whatever command the mind impinges in the consciousness of the life force, it will manifest accordingly."--Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952; "Man's Eternal Quest"; Indian Kriya Yoga teacher and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship)
Keep me, God, for in You I take refuge.
