That fasting has health benefits is not widely known. No, not only can it help in weight loss; it can help in the improvement of the total function of the entire body system. It may sound unbelievable but fasting could even cure diseases such as colds, fever, cough and other stomach disorders. Some religious sects regard fasting as holy, a sacrifice, voluntary abstinence for religious reasons. But there is more to fasting than the religious aspect. It was discovered years ago that it could help improve a person's health.



For colds, people normally resort to medicine. "Take something for it", is the usual attitude at the first sign of such ailments (as with fever and coughs). However, there is an alternate to cure those illnesses and that is through fasting - at the advisable duration of three days.

As treatment for colds and coughs, try not eating anything for three days. But take all the water you can take until your pulse and body temperature returns to normal. Take a good long rest in bed and after three days, you will feel like you've never been sick.

To others, it may sound suicidal to go on a fasting when you are already sick. Some may argue that you need to gain more nourishment when you're sick to recover easily. But the real deal there is that a sick person is not really able to digest food well. So there is no worry that the sick person would become malnourished in the duration of the fasting. In fact it is an advisable process to prevent more stomach indigestions. Since a sick person could not digest food very well, there is a big chance of acquiring stomach disorders.

The digestive system, just like any overworked motor, needs to rest to prevent overheating. Oftentimes, stomach disorders are mainly caused by overworked digestive system - basically due to improper eating habits such as eating too fast and not chewing your food sufficiently. Remember that your stomach doesn't have teeth so if you feed it with half-chewed food the digestive system becomes overstressed as it has to work harder to digest the food.

Fasting is also a good cleansing process for your digestive system. It can prevent dyspepsia and would also help the liver function very well. The beneficial effect of fasting is that it gives the stomach needed rest from any digestive disorders. Just do not forget to eat lightly after the three-day fast; don't splurge on food immediately. This will prepare your stomach to a full meal without distressing the digestive system. Eat soft foods in moderation.