In addition to traditional methods of treating various diseases, alternative methods are becoming increasingly popular. Many have already heard about the benefits of therapeutic fasting. But there are more radical methods. Among them, dry fasting is becoming more common.
Method Appearance
One of the first famous people who experienced and began to talk about the benefits of fasting, is Paul Bragg. He promoted a healthy lifestyle and complete abstinence from food - the promotion. But he did not talk about the need to abandon water; rather, on the contrary, he argued that it was needed. With a simple refusal of food, in his opinion, you can get rid of many diseases.
Of course, among doctors, his theories did not find support. Also, many supporters of other alternative methods of treatment do not agree with him. But, despite this, he has a lot of followers. Some of them, like Paul Bragg, have published books on healthy living and have been promoting hunger.
Among them, for example, doctor Filonov S.I., professors Nikolaev Yu.S., Kokosov A.N. All of them practiced fasting and spread information about this method. But Filonov began to promote not only worship, but also a complete rejection of water.
Operating principle
The method of dry fasting is based on the fact that any inflammatory process in the body requires water for its development. The problem area swells. A humid environment only contributes to the fact that bacteria, worms or viruses of various types begin to multiply actively in it. Water scarcity, on the contrary, leads to their death. This is the basic principle on which this method of healing is based.
The founder of this method is S. I. Filonov. Dry starvation, in his opinion, contributes to the fact that fat is broken down more rapidly than with ordinary abstinence only from food while maintaining the drinking regime. In this case, all diseases are eliminated faster, because microorganisms cannot exist without water.
Types of starvation
Therapy, based on the complete rejection of water, is divided into two subspecies. The first of these is the method of hard (full) dry fasting. In addition to a complete rejection of water, it is required to abstain from any water procedures. The prohibition includes bathing, brushing your teeth, washing your hands, and other processes associated with human contact with water.
With mild starvation, it is not allowed to just eat food and drink water. Hygiene procedures are not prohibited. You can swim, brush your teeth (you can’t swallow water at the same time, you just need to rinse your mouth), and fall into the rain. They say that with wet starvation, toxins leave the skin faster. But at the same time, with both types of dry abstinence, any enemas are prohibited.
Potential hazard
Speaking about the dangers of starvation without water, many doctors say that death cannot be ruled out. It can occur when a person loses up to 25% of body weight. They also argue that it is difficult to save a person who adhered to the principles of dry fasting for 7 consecutive days. Irreversible effects on the body occur within 3 days.
There is a pattern according to which, with a loss of fluid in an amount of 1 to 5% of the total mass of a person, severe thirst attacks are followed, the temperature may rise, and a feeling of nausea may appear. Dehydration by 6-10% entails shortness of breath, speech impairment, muscle weakness. If the body loses 11 to 20% of the water, then the body begins to cool, the tongue swells, hallucinations appear, hearing and vision are disturbed.
Alternative look
But the founder of the method and his followers who practice dry fasting treatment do not agree with the opinion of official medicine. They say that without water a person can survive 12-16 days, the recorded record of such abstinence is 18 days. This their opinion is based on the fact that the body is switching to endogenous nutrition. At the same time, proteins begin to “eat up”. The body takes them from those organs that it considers less important. First of all, altered painful tissues, edema, adhesions, tumors, atherosclerotic plaques are destroyed. In medicine, this process is called autolysis. In this case, the body operates as if operating itself, it independently gets rid of harmful tissues. You can start this process only with abstinence from food. In classic fasting, in which it is allowed to drink water, autolysis is also present. But if not only food, but also any liquid ceases to enter the body, it flows much faster.
The regenerative effect of dry fasting, according to proponents of this method, occurs 3-4 times faster than with the classical abstinence from food.
Therapeutic effect
Adherents of the method of dry fasting do not get tired of talking about its healing properties. So, they argue that this mandatory treatment method must be used in the following cases:
- concussion: all problems arise due to swelling of the brain tissue, so it is so important to minimize it as soon as possible;
- colds
- problems with internal organs;
- deforming arthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and other similar diseases;
- persistent ovarian cysts.
In the absence of moisture, all problems are minimized. Such starvation for more than 11 days in a row leads to the fact that the mode of physiological processes changes, tissue regeneration is activated, the pineal gland (the so-called mysterious pineal gland) begins to work actively . But many appreciate the very different results of dry fasting. As a result of abstinence, consciousness falls into a hitherto unknown state. This is a good way of self-knowledge, the opportunity to test your body and learn about its hidden reserves.
Followers of the theory claim that Jesus had to endure dry fasting during a wandering through the desert for 40 days. In their opinion, this was what contributed to his resurrection. As a result of abstinence, his body was rebuilt and turned into a photonic state.
Acidotic crisis
But do not think that adhering to the basic principles of fasting and refraining from food and water for several days is easy. It is not only about the need to endure a feeling of hunger, thirst, or the psychological aspects of giving up everything.
Before you begin to practice fasting on a dry basis, you need to understand that with it, a ketoacidotic crisis is inevitable. This is due to the fact that neither food nor water enters the body from the outside, it is forced to extract resources for life within itself. At the same time, completely different chemical reactions begin to take place in it, and metabolism changes.
This process is accompanied by an increase in the level of ketone bodies. These are products formed as a result of the incomplete breakdown of fats or triglycerides. Feeling unwell appears on the 2-5th day. In the first times of fasting, the crisis is especially pronounced. It is accompanied by weakness, dizziness, nausea, lack of air - all the symptoms that are present during intoxication. The number of ketone bodies grows until the body finds a way to utilize them. There may also be severe pain in the process. They must be prepared in advance.
But those who practice periodic fasting say that every time the crises are less pronounced. With subsequent abstinence, they come faster, pass easier and last noticeably less.
Followers of the theory say that every acidotic crisis is replaced by an improvement in well-being. This happens when ketone bodies begin to be disposed of. Their number is gradually falling. Ketone bodies are high-energy components, they are fuel for the synthesis of new amino acids, and through this process tissue regeneration begins.
Positive effect
In the process of starvation, all weak links inevitably die, giving way to the strong. In the absence of moisture, degenerated, weak, damaged, diseased cells are the first to suffer. All nonviable components die. This means that only the strongest remain in the body - healthy cells that can withstand any conditions and give decent offspring. Thus, a natural rejection is carried out.
This is the basis of the rejuvenating and healing effect of abstinence. The benefits of dry fasting for people who have been able to withstand all restrictions are obvious. They talk not only about improving well-being, increasing the body's resistance, endurance, but also about the emergence of new forces. Some talk about improving physical performance, others note increased performance, unprecedented clarity of mind and consciousness.
Possible variations
One of the most common are considered one-day dry fasting. They are often practiced for colds. In this case, the body warms up, and the disease is burned, as it were. It should last 36 hours. That is, the last meal occurs in the evening, and the next in the morning every other day.
At the first attempts, it is advised to hold out at least 24 hours - until the evening of the next day. Dine preferably with raw or boiled vegetables. If this does not work, then in order to start, you need to try to hold out at least until noon.
Experienced people practice longer abstinence. 3 days are enough for someone, and for some dry starvation lasts 5 days or more. Their duration depends on the goals, preliminary training and capabilities of each person.
Important aspects
If you decide on such a radical method of therapy and restoration of the body as dry fasting, then it is advisable to do this under the supervision of a doctor. But unfortunately, not everyone has such an opportunity.
It is important to understand not only how fasting goes, but also how to prepare for it. To do this, it is advisable to start with a few training days on vegetables. Suitable for these purposes cabbage, carrots, beets, watermelons, plums, grapes, apples. Fruit or vegetable diet helps cleanse the body, shakes it, includes defenses. But kefir, cottage cheese or meat are not suitable. Moreover, it is advisable to refuse dairy and meat products at least one day before entering starvation, and it is better to do this in 3-4 days.
But we need to find out not only how to prepare for abstinence. It is important to figure out how to get out of it correctly. Before completing, it is important to drink some medicine for the intestines, for example, 3 capsules of Linex. It is better to have breakfast ½ cup juice, you can drink it every hour before dinner. For the second meal, vegetable stew, salad, a few bananas, and oatmeal porridge (without the addition of oil, salt or sugar) are suitable. You can also cook buckwheat or rice (from unpeeled varieties) porridge. For an afternoon snack, juice or fruit is ideal. For dinner, you can cook a vegetable salad, boiled potatoes, any porridge.
With intolerance to juices, they can be replaced with oat broth. This scheme is ideal for patients with ulcers, colitis, gastritis. Also, it is necessary to adhere to beginners and overweight people.
Short abstinence
Periodic fasting for 1-3 days is called cosmetic. During this time, the capital restructuring of the body does not have time to begin. There is, so to speak, a small cosmetic repair. The immunity is restored, part of the toxins are removed, the digestive organs rest from the load, the nervous system comes into tone, all the energy channels are cleaned.
The benefits of fasting for the psyche are already obvious. The will is strengthened, self-confidence is growing, and stress resistance appears.
You can practice short-term abstinence with any regularity. Some people prefer to spend one dry fasting every week. To endure 1 day without water and food is not difficult for them. But the truth is, some say that the body gets used to such abstinence. Those who practice more rare but prolonged fasting do not need one-day weekly fasting.
Many daily fasting days are perceived as a holiday, as an opportunity to cleanse, improve well-being and give the body a day of rest. Of course, for people suffering from chronic or colds, a hunger strike is a real test.
Possible loads
If you were able to get used to one-day abstinence and realized that the pangs of hunger are too exaggerated, then you can try moving on to longer posts. For starters, you can try two- and three-day options. It is necessary to prepare for them. On the eve, it is better to make a cleansing enema, to abandon animal food in a few days.
With short starvations, you can do any work, with the exception of heavy work. True, on the third day you need to spare your body. You must try to spend as much time as possible in the fresh air in motion. An ideal option is considered ordinary walks.
Prepared people can try longer dry fasting. 7 days, for example, not all can withstand it. But practitioners say that after 4 days, hunger dulls. True, it is important not to support it artificially, for example, not to think about food that can be enjoyed after the abstinence is over.
The maximum period for which adherents of the theory of dry fasting are solved is in most cases 11 days. Only few are able to withstand a longer period.
Cascade fasting
One of the abstinence options was developed by Lavrova. The scheme involves 5 periods, each of them can be repeated without special restrictions. This is the so-called dry cascade starvation. It consists in the fact that it is necessary to alternate the days of hunger and food, starting from 1 day and ending with 5. That is, the day of hunger is the day of food, two days of hunger - two days of food, this lasts up to 5 days. After the last 5 days, the exit begins.
But this is not the only option cascade. There is also a gentle method. It consists of alternating successively 1, 2, 3 and 4 days of hunger with 1-3 weeks of food after each period of abstinence. This cascade ends with 5 days of hunger and a gradual exit. For sick people, it can be replaced by the so-called cautious regimen. With him, the day of fasting is replaced by 12 hours.
Reduced cascade fasting can only be used by experienced followers after a long break from a previous post. With him, 3 days of abstinence is replaced by 5-10 days of food, after which a person proceeds to 5-day fasting.
Reviews and Potential Benefits
Beginners are recommended to practice first one-day (if possible 36-hour) abstinence. Having become accustomed to them, you can gradually increase the period of hunger for a start, you can start for several hours, gradually moving to 2-3-day posts without food and water.
Many decide on experiments, reading reviews about dry fasting. Its results become visible quickly enough. So, someone needs to improve their health and cleanse the body a little, while others want to get rid of chronic diseases. Of course, achieving the last task is a little more difficult. For these purposes, one-two-day abstinence is not suitable. You need to prepare to limit yourself for a longer period. To do this, you need to start practicing short hunger strikes, and after the body gets used to them, go on to longer ones.
This is the only way to transfer a certain time relatively painlessly without the ingestion of food and water. You can’t start long dry fasting without preparation. Before deciding and morale on such a post, it is necessary to "rehearse". If you want to try out long-term fasting as early as possible, but at the same time you have never limited yourself so severely, then it is better to choose cascading sparing fasting.
People who practice such abstinence note that they have increased willpower, they become more decisive, which contributes to the achievement of success in many endeavors. This is due to the fact that for most it is quite difficult to voluntarily refuse to eat, and even more so water throughout the day. Making a decision even about short-term fasting and fulfilling the plans makes a person more decisive, he becomes stronger in spirit.
In addition, it is dry fasting that allows a person to understand how much food and water he needs to support life. This contributes to the normalization of nutrition, the revision of its basics.
Most adherents of the principles of fasting without water say that in normal periods they eat everything in a row, they do not even refuse obviously harmful foods and drinks. But unloading allows them to cleanse the body, the digestive organs get rest so necessary for them. The results of dry fasting cannot be overestimated.
But it is important to understand that immediately after it, the load on the body should be moderate. No wonder the proponents of the method argue that special attention should be paid not so much to preparing for starvation as to getting out of it. With one-day abstinence, it is not necessary to strictly adhere to all established rules. It is important to remember only that the first meal should be easy so as not to give a serious burden on the digestive system. It is also important to pay attention to the quality of the products: the cleaned intestines are extremely sensitive to various pathogenic microorganisms.