When people had to go without food, they carried on because this was life as usual. Throughout human evolution there have always been periods of famine and this means two choices: fast or die. We are built to fast and we are built to fast while sick or unwell. Without fasting we would not be here, as our ancestors would have died. We are the genetic children of fasting generations throughout history. There has always been a safe and healthy place for fasting throughout our evolution. The only generations to not fast regularly have been the generations born after the year 1900.
Fasting is an ancient practice
Throughout our long and varied medicinal history, fasting has been regarded as one of the most dependable, curative and rejuvenate measures available. Galen prescribed it. Paracelsus called fasting, ‘the greatest remedy; the physician within.’ The father of medicine, Hippocrates, found that fasting, ‘helped the body heal itself’, and wrote a great deal about its incredible medicinal potential. Plato said, ‘I fast to attain greater mental and physical efficiency.’ Fasting has been practiced by many great philosophers and thinkers such as Socrates, Mahatma Gandhi, and Aristotle, Jesus Christ and Dr Martin Luther King.
Religions and philosophers recommend fasting
Most world religions have recommended fasting as a way to cure illness, improve physical health and attain spiritual clarity. Many cultures include fasting as part of their discipline because of its freeing effect on the mind as well as the role fasting plays in self-discipline. The Bible and the Koran make frequent recommendations about the benefits of regular fasting. Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Essene, Chinese medicine and Ayurveda teachings all recommend fasting for physical and mental health.
In 1978, Edmond Bordeaux Szekely published his book, The Essene Science of Fasting. He said some interesting things: ‘Fasting is the most ancient therapy of humanity. Even our forefathers observed that after some days of fasting, a recrudescence of vitality and vigor shows itself in the organism. Nature turns it to account for the purpose of accelerating the functions and by the vital machine’s slackened activity resulting from the fast to cast off the impurities of the organism by every channel. I do not know of any therapeutic method which can be as effective as the fast. It is sad but none the less true, that generally we eat very much more than is necessary for the organism as regards both quantity and quality. Fasting is a radical cure which counterbalances the evil effects of overeating and unwise choice of food’.
**PLEASE NOTE: For those who are brand new to fasting and are a little unsure, please read my ‘Fasting: WARNING‘ article before you try fasting.
GOLDEN Rule 1: Be Prepared and Control your Environment
GOLDEN Rule 3: Honour Thy Bowel
GOLDEN Rule 4: Give up what Weakens You
GOLDEN Rule 11: Regular Intelligent Fasting®
GOLDEN Rule 20: Find your H.A.P.P.Y. Paradigm
Jason wishes to deeply thank, acknowledge and recognise the effort and contribution that the PIF Foundation has provided on a voluntary basis since 2014, as we educated, motivated and inspired change that helps transform the health, vitality and longevity of people all over the world.
