ELECTIVE VERSUS PLANNED FASTING

Elective fasting gets deplored and condemned. It comes with hazards, even if only mildly so. So exist incorrect in principle and
therefore unwise to undergo.

Let me explain. In elective fasting a person chooses voluntarily to abstain from food as a consequence of a "hunch", instinct or
intuitive feeling. Sometimes people "feel" a desire to detoxify and attempt fasting for a few days and thus think it beneficial.

On the other hand, a planned fast gets undertaken when there a clear and unmistakable indication that withholding of food would
benefit.

A fast of one, two or three days at a chosen time would come with hazards in each case. It seems extremely unlikely that an elective
fast of two or three days would seriously harm people except under special circumstances such as following gross starvation, severe
malnutrition or during medication. But when people embark upon extended indiscriminate fasts (when the body has not gotten
prepared and has not indicated its readiness) then dangers could occur.

If fasting in times of a Healing Crisis possible dangers get avoided. So fast when no contraindications exist.

Some pitfalls exist to keep awareness of. People may possibly fast because they appear to have an abnormally high temperature. This
may seem correct action but stay on guard against indications such as, a faulty thermometer reading. A faulty thermometer could read
38 degrees when the patient's body temperature is actually 37 degrees. Some years ago one large retail firm had to return 50,000
thermometers to the maker because they were faulty in this way. Via awareness of this using verification by compare new
thermometers with ones known to read correctly helps.

It exists better to fast when a Healing Crisis occurs. Abnormally high temperatures exist as criterion of a Healing Crisis but other
indications may come up too. When a Healing Crisis occurs abnormally high temperatures happen and general sense of un-wellness,
nausea, tiredness, lack of mobility, excessive perspiration, aches, pains, swelling or redness too could show up. If we listen to the
"voice of the organism" it will tell us in many subtle ways that a process of cleansing, repair, adjustment and regeneration goes on
within. If these signs accompany an abnormal high temperature feel assured that a Healing Crisis goes on and realize a fast would
benefit. If fasting in these times, know that it exist as a biological fast and not an indiscriminate one.

Healing does not get instigated by man. It exists as a natural biological process that goes on each second of life. Typical wear-and-tear,
accidents, cuts, abrasions, etc get taken care of automatically by metabolic action. Fast does not get suggested under normal
conditions. In order to ensure that normal reparative action takes place live naturally.

When something happens to threaten the organism the body institutes a Healing Crisis. This Healing Crisis, a fever or acute disease
causing redness, swelling, heat, etc. The temperature will rise above the normal of 37 degrees. Then we fast, and fast as long as the
body indicates it necessary. Short fast or long fasts make no sense, but necessary fasts. bodies know how long to fast. Listen to the
"voice of the organism" and fast until it indicates to us that the fast get terminated. If doing this people do not fall into the error of not
fasting long enough or fasting too long. If not fasting long enough the body may not have gotten the ability to complete the task it set
out to perform. If fasting too long the body starves itself, and no virtue comes from doing that.

Elective fasting seems indiscriminate, random, haphazard and without direction or preparation. This casual approach to fasting often
brings some benefits but accidentally. A planned fast undertaken when the body clearly indicates a fast gets needed exists as safer and
better.

In COSMOS MAN AND SCOIETY, Professor Edmond Szekely says: "There are some kinds of fasts which must be wholly
condemned; irrational fasts, fasts without preparation, fasts of long duration without an experienced guide and fasts which are only
inspired by the wish to follow a system momentarily in vogue".

In THE PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE CURE, Dr Henry Lindlahr says: "Fasting in chronic disease - at all times some of our patients
can be found fasting but they do not begin until the right physiological and psychological moment has arrived, until the fast is
indicated".

Some elective fasts can easily proceed towards starvation with come with the risks attendant upon such. Elective fasting exists as
hazardous. On the contrary, planned therapeutic fasts initiated by sick organisms themselves pose no threat or risk to the sufferer.