at once. This is the time for fasting. Fasting will do immense good in the early
stage. Many of the serious ailments can be averted if you start fasting in the early
stage. If you allow any disease to strike deep root then it will be difficult to cure it.
You will have to take recourse to long fasts. The effect will be very slow.
Fast until hunger returns. The tongue usually clears along with the breath, the
complexion and taste in the mouth.
Fast occasionally even though you are in good health. You will derive immense
benefit. You will enjoy better health afterwards. Fasting must become habitual.
Fast daily a little bit in some way or other. This will keep you in perfect health.
Give up morning breakfast. Adopt the no-breakfast plan method. Stop your night
meals. Continue this kind of fasting in the morning alone or in the night for some
days till the digestion becomes all right.
On Ekadasi day, every fortnight, have a complete fast. Do not take even a drop
of water. This will do you immense good. If it is impossible for you to remain
without water drink a little water. Break the fast with coconut water or fruit juice in
small quantity. Later on you can take buttermilk and vegetable soup. How you
break the fast is most important. You should never, never break the fast with
solid foods like parota, iddli, uppma or bread , even though you have a very good
hunger. When you fast for a long time you have the stomach of a newborn baby.
Remember this point well. If you thrust into the stomach heavy foods, you simply
ruin the digestive apparatus or alimentary canal.
You can have a complete fast or partial fast according to the state of your health,
severity of digestive disturbance and condition of disturbance of appetite, etc.
Have complete fast for two or three days or seven days. You can take a little
water with lemon juice. Then live on diluted fruit juice, vegetable soup, buttermilk,
coconut water, conjee-water for a week or fortnight. You will be cured of
dyspepsia and other digestive troubles. Take an enema before you start the fast,
and also daily during the fast. A small, simple enema of one pint of warm water
will serve the purpose well.
If you have no leisure or holidays have only short fast. During vacation or
privilege leave you can take long fast. You can do light work during the fast.
There are some people who work hard during the forty-day fast and show no ill
effects.
Even old persons can fast. They should fast. No one ever becomes too old to
fast. They can observe short fasts. They will be free from diseases.
The fast should not be continued when the heart's action becomes very slow,
and you feel very, very weak.