The Science and Fine Art of Fasting

2013 Reprint of 1963 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This is the fasting portion only of what was originally published as "Fasting and Sunbathing" (The Hygienic System, Vol 3). Herbert Shelton wrote 40 books over his 60-year career in health education and "natural hygiene." He supervised over 30,000 fasts of chronically ill and terminal patients, losing only three. Shelton's teachings on fasting inspired Ghandi as well as such popular authors as Fuhrman, the Diamonds, Mercola and Graham. Harvey and Marilyn Diamond said of Shelton: "A man of astounding intelligence and understanding, Dr. Herbert Shelton was the greatest health oracle of the 20th century."

One of the key tenets of natural hygiene is toxemia + enervation = disease and that symptoms of disease are remedial efforts by the body to return to balance. For example, a fever is instituted by the body to speed metabolic action and kill germs. It is a healing event that should be allowed to run its course, not a dreaded enemy to be suppressed.

The best action to take when first becoming ill is to stop eating and rest, which goes contrary to the prevailing advice to take a drug, eat to keep up your strength, and keep on going. When you fast, you are not starving your body of nutrition, because it obtains all the nutrition it needs from its own tissues. But in doing so, the not inconsiderable amount of energy that would have been spent in digestion is now spent in repair of tissues and elimination of toxins.

Long fasts of up to three months followed by healthy living practices can (but not always) reverse chronic degenerative diseases such as arthritis, heart disease, colitis, migraines, mental illness, even cancer. (See also Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease.)

This book will teach you most of what you need to know to conduct a fast of any length. The chapters are:

1. Definition of fasting
2. Fasting among the lower animals
3. Fasting in man
4. Bill-of-fare for the sick
5. Autolysis
6. Fasting is not starving
7. Chemical and organic changes during fasting
8. Repair of organs and tissues during fasting
9. The influence of fasting on growth and regeneration
10. Changes in the fundamental functions while fasting
11. The mind and special senses during a fast
12. Secretions and excretions
13. Bowel action during fasting
14. Fasting and sex
15. Rejuvenescence through fasting
16. Gain and loss of strength while fasting
17. Gain and loss of weight during fasting
18. Fasting does not induce deficiency "disease"
19. Death in the fast
20. Objections of the fast
21. Does fasting cure disease?
22. The rationale of fasting
23. The length of the fast
24. Hunger and appetite
25. Contra-indications of fasting
26. Fasting in special periods and conditions of life
27. Symptomatology of the fast
28. Progress of the fast
29. Hygiene of the fast
30. Breaking the fast
31. Gaining weight after the fast
32. Living after the fast
33. Fasting in health
34. Fasting in acute disease
35. Fasting in chronic disease
36. Fasting in drug addiction
37. Fasting versus eliminating diets