Herbert M. Shelton - The Science and Fine Art of Fasting

The Science & Fine Art of Fasting

by

Herbert M. Shelton

C opyright 2019 Mockingbird Press

All rights reserved. The original works first published by Herbert Shelton are in the public domain. The publisher makes no claim to the original writings. However,

the compilation, construction, cover design, trademarks, derivations, foreword,

descriptions, added work, etc., of this edition are copyrighted and may not be

reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including

photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Cover, Shelton by Sharon Grey, Copyright 2019 Mockingbird Press

Front & Back Matter, Copyright 2019 Mockingbird Press

Publishers Cataloging-In-Publication Data

Shelton, Herbert M.

The Science and Fine Art of Fasting / Herbert M. Shelton.

Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1-946774-07-1 ISBN-10: 1-946774-07-3

Hardback ISBN-13: 978-1-946774-08-8 ISBN-10: 1-946774-08-1

Ebook ISBN-13: 978-1-946774-39-2 ISBN-10: 1-946774-39-1

1 . Medicine, 2. Other Systems of Medicine, 3. Miscellaneous Systems and Treatments

I. Herbert M. Shelton. II. The Science and Fine Art of Fasting.

RZ409.7-999 / MED003000 / MED004000 / MED021000

Type Set in Garamond / Century Gothic

Mockingbird Press, Augusta, GA

1. Definition of Fasting

N utrition may be conveniently divided into two phasespositive and negativecorresponding to periods of eating and periods of abstaining from food. Negative nutrition has received the terms fasting, inanition, starvation. Fasting and starving are separate phenomenai well demarked from each other. Inanition covers both these processes.

Fast is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word, faest, which means "firm" or "fixed." The practice of going without food at certain times was called fasting, from the Anglo-Saxon, faesten, to hold oneself from food. Like most English words, the word fasting has more than one meaning. Thus, the dictionary defines fasting as "abstinence from food, partial or total, or from proscribed kinds of foods." In most religious fasts abstinence from proscribed foods is all that is meant. We may define it thus: Fastingis abstention, entirely or in part, and for longer or shorter periods of time, from food and drink or from food alone.

A misuse of the term, fasting, is quite common. I refer to the use of the word fasting when a particular diet is referred to. We read and hear of fruit fasts, water fasts, milk fasts, etc., when talking of a fruit diet, a milk diet, etc.