Fast: Truly a Miracle for the Digestive System

A good diet helps undoubtedly, but fasting is a miracle. Giving complete rest to the digestive function is called upvaas and commonly known as Fast. Actually, it is through fasting only that we give rest to our digestive system and organs or else we keep on giving work to it by eating something or the other 3-4 times a day. In India, since ancient times a lot of importance has been given to fasting and all religious texts support fasting as a most important medium to bring purity and equanimity of mind and body. Fasting is a natural state and it should be very spontaneous not forced upon. In times of illness, eating can be as bad as poison and fasting can be as beneficial as ambrosia.

Fasting. Credit-manofmany

Fasting is a miracle for the digestive system

Whenever we fall ill, immediately our hunger diminishes but see the irony we as intelligent beings keep feeding ourselves and ignore the direction of nature. By doing so we bring more misery to our already depleted health. During the course of illness, the foreign and toxic body that is responsible has to be removed from the human body. By fasting the entire life energy concentrates its effort in the detoxification process. Fasting itself is not an energizing process but the removal of toxicity that is causing the illness, once removed gives time for natural intrinsic healing and a person feels more energetic and revitalized.

Fasting is not starving, its good for the digestive system

A person who is not ill but has toxic stuff in his body can fast sometimes so that the problem is nipped in the bud. Many people wrongly interpret fasting as starving to death. And it is a big folly on their part to think like that. The toxicity is the main reason for the body being ill state. All the while during fasting, the body tries to excrete the poisonous foreign materiel from the body while depending on already reserved nutrients for such times. Once the toxin is out of the system the body naturally needs food for consumption. This is a natural demand for the body and the end of fast. But continuing the fast even when the purpose is solved will eventually force the body to nurture essential materiel in the body. This now brings the person on the state he calls “starving to death”.

According to Dr. Carrington, the difference between starving to death and fasting is “fasting starts from leaving the food and ends with a natural need for food while starving to death starts from natural hunger and ends with death”.

Fasting is said to be the divine cleansing method of physical, mental, and spiritual cleanliness. A person with a clear understanding of the meaning of fast can reap its full benefit. Not knowing the fasting science and not doing it under the guidance of experts can have very harmful effects.

Types of fasting

Early morning Fast

This is the easiest of fasts where you skip breakfast and tend to eat during the day and at night. English people call it no breakfast system.

Evening Fast

In this fast the meal is taken once during the day and night is food-free. People with chronic diseases benefit greatly with such a process but it is essential to have very easily digestible and natural food during the day.

Monodiet Fast

If you have 2 apples in the day, you have to have just the vegetable at night or if you had bread during the day it’s only the pulse at night. This type of fasting is having one diet at a time without mixing. It is helpful for people with mild problems. For a normal healthy person, this fasting gives miraculous results.


In this fasting process, no solid is consumed. Neither grain nor fruit is eaten during this fast. Only soup or juice of natural fresh fruits and vegetables is taken. Also taking Anema during this fast, detoxification of the body happens very fast. Milk is also prohibited in this fast as it is considered in the same category as solid food.

Fruit fast

Few days of eating only juicy fruit or raw veggies is trait of this fasting. Complete fasting for few days is advised before starting the consumption of only fruits. If a person has problem adjusting to a particular fruit then he should eat a light dish made of vegetable.

Milk fast

In this fast, only freshly milked milk is taken 4-5 times day.

Butter Milk fast

In this type of fast, instead of milk butter milk is consumed. The buttermilk should be fat less.

Complete fast

No other thing other that clean fresh water is taken in complete fasting.

Weekly Fast

For office going people, this once a week complete fast is beneficial in removing fatigue, headache, lethargy and many physical and mental ailments.

Short Fast

3 to 7 days of complete fast is called short fast.

Tough fasting

This is for people with terminal or degenerative diseases.

Interrupted fast

Here complete fasting is done for 5-7 days. Later, consume light food for a few days, then again the 5-7 days of fasting continues. This type of fasting gives rest to digestive system.

Long term Fast

Complete fasting usually is done from 21 days to 60 days in cases of lethal collection of toxic materiel in the body. It should be done under the guidance of an expert only.

Sarvyoga takeaway

Fasting is extremely good for the digestive system. When done under the guidance of experts is more beneficial than eating. It should be followed by one and all not because of religious reasons but excellent health reasons too.

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