Doctor of Medical Sciences Yu. S. Nikolaev proved that fasting is a process that promotes health and rejuvenation. Through research and practical applications, the scientist identified and described the healing effects of food breaks. Therapeutic fasting according to Nikolaev has been tried by thousands of people who want to improve their health, cleanse the body of toxins, lose excess weight, and clear their minds.
Let's dive into the background, who is this healer?
Yuri Nikolaev (1905-1998) - author of works on fasting-dietary therapy (RDT). He is a Doctor of Science in Psychiatry. The doctor believed that the correct approach to the fasting process could cure a number of serious diseases. These include:
- mental illness
- overweight
- gastrointestinal problems
At the Moscow Research Institute, a specialist practiced dosed therapeutic abstinence from food. His clinic was famous for its successful cures, ranging from obesity to complex mental illnesses.
Among Nikolaev’s notable works, I would like to mention his book “Fasting for Health. Forgotten achievements of Soviet medicine.” After reading this creation, you will learn how, back in Soviet times, people defeated incurable diseases through starvation. The book provides a detailed description of all processes, as well as guidance for action.
Competent restoration
The recovery period is equal in time to the duration of the RTD. The general scheme looks like this.
| Product | Amount by day in grams | Notes | ||||||
| 1 | 2,3 | 4,5 | 6,7 | 8-10 | 11-15 | 16-21 | ||
| Fruit and vegetable juices | 500 | 1000 | 500 | 600 | — | — | — | 1 day – diluted with water, 2 – undiluted |
| Grated fruit | — | — | 500 | 600 | 450 | 375 | 500 | Can use fresh or dried fruits |
| Grated carrots | — | — | 250 | 600 | 300 | 200 | — | |
| Rice and vegetable soup | — | — | 200 | 400 | 700 | 700 | 700 | |
| The vinaigrette | — | — | — | 300 | 400 | 400 | 500 | Allowed to add lemon juice |
| Milk porridge | — | — | — | 150 | 200 | 200 | 200 | |
| Yogurt, kefir | — | — | — | — | 300 | 400 | 600 | You can use other fermented milk products |
| Honey | — | — | — | 40 | 60 | 60 | 75 | |
| Bread | — | — | — | — | 100 | 300 | 400 | Coarse gray |
| A fresh vegetable salad | — | — | — | — | 400 | 400 | 400 | You can add greens |
| Vegetable oil | — | — | — | — | 15 | 15 | 30 | |
| Nuts | — | — | — | — | 100 | 300 | 400 | |
| Butter | — | — | — | — | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
Table salt is completely excluded. In the future, its use is reduced to a minimum. Food needed:
- dose;
- chew thoroughly;
- eat, noticing the taste of every bite.
The essence of fasting according to Nikolaev
The specialist believed that abstaining from all kinds of food helps our body remove the accumulation of waste and toxins. The entire RTD technique is based on this principle. Slagging is primarily the result of poor nutrition.
Toxins settle in literally every nook and cranny of the body: intestines, subcutaneous fatty tissue, bronchi, maxillary sinuses, cardiovascular system, liver. In fact, this list can be continued for a very long time if desired.
Slagging leads to the appearance of mucus. It envelops the organs and prevents them from functioning properly. Because of this, people develop fat deposits.
Yuri Sergeevich said:
“By stopping eating food, we allow our body to fully concentrate on internal resources. The body begins to feed on internal reserves of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. This reduces the load on all excretion systems. They, in turn, trigger the processes of removing deposits of waste and toxins.”
Modern scientists argue that the process of abstaining from food provokes the process of autolysis. The body is rebuilt to break down all kinds of neoplasms, tumors, plaques. Also, old unhealthy cells are eliminated.
You can learn more about fasting from the article “Is it good to fast every other day?”
Principles of fasting-dietary therapy
- Absolute fasting (0 calories)
- Voluntary, as a medical technique
- Dosed
- On the water (classical fasting)
At the moment, there are several methods approved by the Ministry of Health for conducting water fasting. But there are no methods approved by the Ministry of Health for dry fasting. Research has been conducted, but apparently there is not enough of it yet for dry fasting to become part of official medicine.
In fact, therapeutic water fasting has been very well studied. Much more is unknown about dry fasting.
A person is well prepared for hunger; this ability was inherent in him from the very beginning. Moreover, the ability to fast is also trained, like other skills (running, jumping, etc.).
In the wild, marmots are the best adapted to fasting. They are able to live on their fat reserves for up to 9 months, while a bear can live up to 4 months.
A healthy adult carries about 100 thousand calories on himself (in his fat mass). This adipose tissue is very energy-dense and is the main tissue we use during fasting.
Fasting according to Nikolaev - what, how, why
The timing of abstinence from food is individual for each person. However, during his practice, the professor derived an average value that will suit most people. The basic course lasts for 25-30 days, which is quite a lot, wouldn’t you agree?
During this period, people lost about 10-16% of their total body weight. This indicator is considered safe.
Fasting process
The doctor of science distinguished three periods of abstinence from food:
- food excitement
- increasing acidosis
- adaptation
What is their fundamental difference and how are they characterized?
- First stage
The 1st period lasts from one to three days. The body experiences some kind of shock and tries to adapt to a long period without eating food. This stress involves specific areas of the brain. The person does not perceive any talk about food. All this causes abundant salivation and typical rumbling in the stomach.
- Second stage
Acidosis is a process of oxidation. The stage lasts around 2-5 days. At this time, the body begins to absorb its own reserves, breaking down toxins and obsolete tissues. Thus, oxidation of the internal environment occurs.
At the end of the stage (3-5 days), chronic diseases appear. The brightness of their manifestation indicates how well non-eating affects the general condition. If the disease shows itself mildly, this means that the body is busy solving more important problems. And vice versa, if the manifestation is vivid, then most likely the body will completely get rid of the disease.
- Third stage
During the period of adaptation or compensation, the body is completely rebuilt to its own reserves. All symptoms and discomfort go away. The feeling of hunger no longer occurs, only periodic thirst is characteristic. Strength and vitality accumulate.
However, this feeling ends approximately on day 8-12. This time is characterized as the second acytodic crisis. The deterioration of the condition is maximally manifested, loss of strength is observed, and the temperature rises. You just need to endure this time. After 1-2 days, the energy returns in full. General well-being and mood improves.
| The book “Fasting for health. Forgotten achievements of Soviet medicine" by Yu. S. Nikolaev, E. I. Nilov, V. G. Cherkasov - buy a book on OZON.ru with fast delivery by mail |
Basic rules for every day
- Before you start, Nikolaev recommends doing a cleansing enema. It must also be carried out every day throughout the entire process.
- Drink 1.5-2 liters of water.
- Walk in the fresh air for 2 hours.
- Mental and physical labor required
- Massage and complete relaxation
- Sunbathing
Competent restoration
Breaking out of fasting is a whole science and should never be neglected. Yuri Sergeevich believed that the recovery process should be exactly the same in duration as the period of not eating. You should go out gradually, adding new products little by little.
- On day 1 you just need to reduce physical activity and spend the whole day in bed.
- At 2-3, it is allowed to drink juices diluted with water, 50 to 50.
- On the 3-4th day you can start drinking real live juices (orange, apple).
- 5-6 days, add grated fruits and carrots
- On days 7-8 you are allowed to eat fresh vegetable salads and honey.
- Starting from day 9-10, Nikolaev recommended including protein and plant foods in the diet. As your health improves, you can introduce traditional cereals like oatmeal.
Raw food diet
When they filmed a program about independent fasting in our sanatorium, it turned out that the heroine was a raw foodist. A young, beautiful girl. When examined on bioimpedance, it turned out that her fat level was at the upper limit of normal, and her muscle level was at the lower limit. Talks about an excess of carbohydrates and a lack of proteins in the diet. We measured hemoglobin - moderate anemia (90-98), lack of iron. The same girl with a hemoglobin of 120 would be faster, feel better, and think better. I don’t believe that a person who eats like this never gets sick.
And the girl’s PR agent, who was present, immediately demanded that the publication of this data be prohibited. The girl herself is involved in the production of vegan and raw food. This is what you should know about the raw food diet. There is a lot of sectarian overtones there. So be more skeptical.
But in the summer months, 2-3 weeks on such a diet will not hurt at all.
Raw food diet and vegetarianism: pros and cons of food types
Specialist recommendations and contraindications
Therapeutic fasting has a number of restrictions and is prohibited for people with the following ailments:
- underweight
- active tuberculosis
- heart rhythm failure
- liver cirrhosis and severe hepatitis
- chronic renal failure
There are still a number of restrictions. Before using any type of fasting, consult your doctor! Improper use of one or another technique can lead to irreparable consequences. We do not take any responsibility for your actions. In other cases, experts do not set clear restrictions. Still, first of all, start from your own condition.
You may be interested in the article “Cascade fasting without water - weighing the pros and cons”
Rules for every day
They must be performed throughout the fast. A cleansing enema is done once daily. Rosehip decoction - at least 200 grams per day. Every day you need to do breathing exercises and walks in the forest or park. It is important to keep time busy to the fullest, no matter what kind of work, mental or physical, is present in life. It is useful to do massage and self-massage to relax and maintain muscle tone.
At first, many noticed that therapeutic fasting caused poor sleep. It is prohibited to take sleeping pills. A well-ventilated room, a warm, cozy blanket, and pleasant thoughts will help you fall asleep. Punctually following the daily routine, after 2-3 days a person notices the absence of hunger. The body turned on internal nutrition.
Other manifestations are possible. I feel dizzy, nauseous, and want to lie down. They go away on their own by the middle of the fasting phase. Sometimes chronic diseases worsen. But it won't last long. We can conclude that the powers of self-healing have awakened in the body.
What to remember
Fasting according to Nikolaev is considered one of the ways to get rid of excess weight and overcome a number of diseases. When limiting yourself in nutrition, you should take into account many factors, including basic rules. Before attempting a fast, check the contraindications and consult your doctor.
Have you, dear reader, had any experience with fasting? If yes, then share your observations in the comments, I would be very grateful. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter and stay healthy.
See you in the next article!
Vegetarianism
We must first decide why. If you want to give up meat in order to live longer and not get cancer, then this is bullshit. Maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat meat in the amount specified in the nutrition pyramid. Then you have every chance to live as long as is genetically determined for you. If humanity is important to you, that's a different matter.
Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid - A Scientifically Proven Diet
But the more dietary restrictions we have, the higher the risk of falling into the category of relatively hungry people. These are people who regularly lack some useful substances.
A moderate amount of meat in your diet should not harm your health.
Vegetarianism provokes spending more money on food in our latitudes and requires more time. You also need to have more knowledge.
The importance of preliminary examinations
Examination before fasting
Nikolaev said and wrote in his books that dosed fasting is one of the most effective therapeutic techniques known at the moment. But the patient must understand what awaits him, and be sure to check his health before moving on to serious cleaning.
Be sure to read: How to effectively and quickly lose weight by summer?
Tests of stool, urine, blood are done, the condition of the heart, blood vessels, brain, blood pressure is checked, height, pulse and other parameters are measured. Fasting periods are also calculated individually. Loss in body weight can reach 18%, but we remind you that losing weight is not the goal of fasting, but rather a side effect.
