The Bragg fasting system: advantages and disadvantages. Paul Bragg and the miracle of fasting

Bragg Paul

The Miracle of Fasting

PAUL BRAGG AND HIS BOOK

Paul Bragg at the age of 85

In Soviet and foreign literature, the terms “naturopaths” and “naturists” are becoming increasingly popular. This is the name given to people who prefer natural, natural nutrition. Thus, they seem to express a protest against the modern food system with a predominance of canned and refined foods, with an abundance of carbohydrate, meat, fatty and sweet foods. Paul Bragg was one of the first to proclaim the need to abandon this style of eating. His voice sounded loud and was heard all over the world, including in our country.

The most famous of Bragg's books, The Miracle of Fasting, was published in the West in millions of copies.

And the best illustration of Bragg’s lectures, articles and books was himself, his own experience, his way of life. At 90 years of age, he was strong, agile, flexible and resilient, like a young man.

He jogged three to five kilometers every day, swam a lot, hiked in the mountains, played tennis, danced, went on long hikes, worked out dumbbells and weights, and was fond of surfing - riding a special board in the waves of the ocean surf. His working day lasted 12 hours, he did not know illness or fatigue, and was always full of optimism, cheerfulness and a desire to help people.

“Since the time of Adam and Eve,” he wrote, “the most important problem has been the extension of human life. Not a single person has managed to avoid death, but each of us, by observing certain hygienic and dietary rules, can prolong our lives. And everyone is obliged to do this - for themselves, for the sake of family and friends, and, finally, for the sake of their country. The care of every person about his health, about his body is extremely important for society, which urgently needs people to live to the natural limit of their lives in vigor and good health. I believe that every person has the right and obligation to live to 120 years or more. You cannot buy health, you can only earn it through your own constant efforts. Only hard and persistent work on oneself will allow everyone to become an energetic long-liver enjoying endless health. I earned my health with my life. I am healthy 365 days a year, I do not have any pain, fatigue, or frailty of my body. And you can achieve the same results!”

Throughout his life, Paul Bragg encouraged people to improve their physical capabilities and explained ways to improve their health.

Paul Bragg died in December 1976 at the age of 95. But he did not die of old age. This man's death is a tragic accident: he was hit by a giant wave while boarding off the coast of Florida. Bragg could not be saved. He was mourned by five children, 12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and thousands of followers. The pathologist stated that the heart, blood vessels and all internal organs of this person were in excellent condition. Bragg was right when he said about himself: “My body has no age.”

Bragg attached the main importance to rational nutrition in his health system. The essence of his views on nutrition can be summarized as follows. Approximately 60 percent of the daily diet should consist of vegetables and fruits, mostly raw. Otherwise, the choice is quite wide, but you should avoid products that have undergone industrial processing with all kinds of chemicals. Food should be as natural as possible, containing a minimum amount of table salt, refined sugar, and various synthetic components. Bragg was not orthodox and believed that if a person is accustomed to meat, then let him eat it, but no more than three to four times a week (and not three times a day, as many prefer). He did not recommend getting carried away with sausages, canned food, fried and fatty meats. Bragg didn't mind eggs either, but no more than two or three a week. He believed that adults should not overuse milk, sour cream, cheese, butter and other animal fats. (“You may not like what I eat at all. Each person is unique, so it is impossible to follow any absolute diet,” he wrote. “The main thing is to exclude all perverted foods, and there are not so many of them.”)

Bragg was stricter with himself than with those to whom he gave his recommendations. He almost did not eat meat, and very rarely ate fish. And this does not prevent Bragg from being called a vegetarian, meaning here by no means an ascetic who has an aversion to any food if it is not plant-based. Vegetarianism is a fairly common phenomenon and is not necessarily associated with absolute abstinence from a non-plant diet. The rationale for this seems quite physiological. Vegetarians argue that the structure of the entire digestive tract, from the teeth to the excretory system, indicates that meat is not a natural human food. Moreover, eating meat causes intestinal sluggishness, contributes to the clogging of the body with toxic substances, overstimulation of the feather system, and the emergence of a number of diseases. “The frequency of deaths from coronary diseases in any country is directly dependent on the consumption of meat products: the more, the more often,” wrote academician P. Anokhin. There has been a lot of debate and debate about vegetarianism. This topic is not simple and unambiguous. Let us limit ourselves to just one statistical comparison: it is believed that for every vegetarian there are 1000 “meat eaters”, and among those who have crossed the line of 80 years of age, there are already 100 vegetarians per 1000 people.

Among those who call themselves vegetarians, special mention should be made of people who eat only raw plant foods - raw vegetables and fruits, nuts, honey, oilseeds, leaves of wild plants. From this seemingly limited range of products, they manage to prepare many delicious and healthy dishes. “Raw foodists” believe, not without reason, that any heat treatment of food reduces the quality of food and lowers the content of vitamins and microelements. The Bulgarian scientist T. Todorov in the book “Sun food on our table” writes: “Raw plant food supplies the body with the highest potential of chemical energy necessary to maintain the processes that continuously occur in each cell. Therefore, when the body receives cooked food with reduced energy value, cell function is disrupted and inhibited.”

There are optimists among the “raw foodists” who claim that one day the entire earth will be covered with orchards, vegetable gardens and walnut groves, which will replace pastures and grain fields. This is still a long way off. But the fact that today raw vegetables and fruits can and should make up 40–50 percent of every person’s daily diet is confirmed not only by Bragg, but also by many other experts. It would be useful to make one meal (breakfast or dinner) completely raw vegetables and fruits. An interesting idea was made by E. Wiloch in her book “Vegetables are Always Healthy”, published in the GDR: “Children often do not get enough raw vegetables, although they instinctively strive for them. A child who eats a lot of raw carrots, cabbage, and fruits, upon becoming an adult, as a rule, does not strive for tonics - coffee, tobacco and alcohol, since the charge of energy received through good nutrition in childhood will not require artificial stimulants in adulthood " It has been noticed that adults who consume a lot of raw vegetables and fruits also need tonics much less often.

Bragg assigned a very important role in his system to health-improving fasting. He said that in order to cleanse the body of decay products and all kinds of poisons accumulating in it, it is necessary to carry out daily fasting every week and, in addition, seven to ten days of fasting once every three months. During fasting, you can only drink water.

The health benefits of complete fasting have been known for a long time. In the book “Fasting for Health,” Professor Yu. S. Nikolaev writes: “When there is no food, the body uses its internal reserves, internal (endogenous) nutrition begins. At the same time, the expenditure of reserves by various organs and tissues is uneven: the least losses are suffered by the tissue of the nerve centers and the heart, the largest by adipose tissue. The feeling of hunger appears only in the first days, and then completely disappears. It was also found that with complete fasting with weight loss of up to 20–25 percent, no pathological changes are observed in organs and tissues.”

Another quote: “During forced (not health-improving, but we emphasize forced) long-term fasting, the body of animals and humans dies, often without reaching a deep degree of exhaustion, as a result of self-poisoning with decay products. When, in the process of therapeutic fasting, these products are removed from the body through a number of procedures (cleansing enemas, baths, massage, increased ventilation, walks), then the body tolerates long-term fasting without any manifestations of self-poisoning. With complete fasting, when the body receives only water, no degenerative phenomena are observed. The body adapts for a certain period of time to nutrition with its reserves of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and mineral salts, which satisfies all the needs of the body and is complete.”

Therapeutic fasting according to Paul Bragg varies in duration to one, three, seven and three weeks. At the end of the fast, it is important to properly exit the fast, and in between, you need to eat right.

Proof of the effectiveness of P. Bragg's methods was the condition of his own body: Bragg lived to be 95 years old, while leading an active lifestyle. He could work 12 hours a day and not get tired, and only a tragic accident cut his life short. The pathologist who opened the body concluded that the condition of Bragg's internal organs was consistent with his young age.

According to P. Bragg, to cleanse the body of accumulated harmful substances, it is useful to regularly do daily wet fasting: drink only distilled water and eat nothing. To improve the taste of water, you can add lemon juice or a little honey. Distilled water does not contain any salt impurities, which will greatly facilitate the work of the kidneys in eliminating toxins.

Salt, according to Bragg, is not food; moreover, it is not digestible and does not bring benefits, does not contain vitamins and other nutrients. Salt dehydrates the body, harms the kidneys, heart, blood vessels, leaches calcium, and harms the nervous system. This is why you should get into the habit of eating without salt.

Almost all products contain natural salt. Some peoples, for example, the Eskimos, do without salt and do not suffer because of it. A person who is not accustomed to salty food experiences, when eating salty food, approximately the same as smoking a cigarette for the first time. And for poultry or pigs, salt becomes a deadly poison.

Paul Breg explains that the miracle of fasting is that it allows the digestive system to rest and remove all accumulated harmful things from the body. Wet fasting, i.e. Drinking large amounts of water has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, nervous system, joint condition, and relieves allergies. Bragg fasting for weight loss will also have a positive effect.

Daily therapeutic fasting according to Bragg can be carried out independently, without risk to health. Longer fasting requires preparation and consultation with a doctor, because for some people it is contraindicated.

Daily abstinence from food should last from one dinner to another dinner or from one breakfast to another. During daytime fasting, they drink only water, preferably distilled, but, according to reviews from practicing fasters, you can drink regular warm tea without sugar.

It is better to choose a day off to calmly endure possible ailments. It is not necessary to lie down; on the contrary, movement will help relieve hunger. The psychological attitude is important: cleansing through fasting must be meaningful and conscious, it is necessary to maintain a good mood and be distracted by other matters.

Bragg does not recommend taking laxatives or doing enemas before fasting: the miracle of fasting is that the body itself will remove toxins along with a large volume of fluid. However, some doctors believe that enemas should be given to those who suffer from chronic constipation. During fasting, the body uses reserve food sources, and when there are too many harmful accumulations, they can even poison the body. That's why you need to learn how to eat right before and between fasting.

The diet of a healthy person should consist mostly of raw plant foods, about 60 percent of food consumed. A fifth should be animal fats and proteins and the same amount should be vegetable proteins. First you need to get rid of bad habits (smoking, alcohol), tonic liquids (tea-coffee). Next, wean off sugar and salt, baked goods made from white flour, reduce the proportion of animal fat, some dairy products (pasteurized milk, processed cheese), and all canned foods.

At the end of a daily fast, you should go out with a salad of raw vegetables (with carrots and cabbage with lemon juice) or stewed tomatoes. You cannot break fast with bread or other foods.

After such eating has become a habit, you can begin therapeutic fasting. Fasting for health is recommended especially for those who are overweight. People who are losing weight are advised to move from a one-day fast to a longer one.

Preparing for a 3-4-day abstinence from food will take about 2 months of the Bragg diet, and for a week of abstinence you need to prepare for about 4 months. During these 4 months, it is necessary to carry out a one-day fast every week and several longer ones. After 6 months of cleansing, the body will normally tolerate 10 days of fasting.

How to properly prepare for long-term fasting:

consultation and observation of a doctor is required;
provide yourself with rest in case of slight illness - it is better if you have the opportunity to lie down;
solitude from people will help to avoid unnecessary emotions and provide maximum psychological comfort. But, even if you can’t find privacy, it’s better not to share with anyone during this period about the Breg system and his miracle fasting, but to focus on your feelings;
Do not waste energy; walks can only be done if you feel well.

It is better to start breaking a 7-day fast in the evening of the seventh day. In the evening, eat a few tomatoes scalded with boiling water. To do this, keep them in boiling water for a few seconds and peel them;

First day after fasting:

In the morning, eat a salad with cabbage and carrots with orange juice, a little later - a few pieces of wholemeal bread;
Then for the next meal, prepare boiled vegetables: green peas, cabbage, carrots or pumpkin.

Second day of breaking fast:

in the morning you can eat any fruit and sprouted wheat with honey;
for lunch - again carrot and cabbage salad with celery and orange juice, some bread and a hot vegetable dish;
In the evening, prepare a dish of any vegetables and a tomato and watercress salad.

On the third day, switch to your usual diet.

Despite its usefulness, Paul Bragg never recommended fasting as a cure for all diseases. All you need is to strengthen your vitality, and the body itself will cope with any ailments. The appearance of pain is a signal that the body needs help. Loss of strength is the consequences of the modern way of life, the result of constant stress and tension: the race for money deprives a person of vital energy, a person tries to find it in a bottle of wine or a cigarette, and does not find it.

A decrease in energy slows down all other processes - metabolism, weakening of the intestines, removal of toxins through the skin and kidneys. As a result, the poisons settle in all tissues, affecting the nervous system, and that very loss of strength appears. To break the vicious circle, it is enough to join a natural way of life and nutrition. P. Bragg spent his whole life achieving this state and achieved excellent personal results, but he put a lot of effort into this.

It has long been noted that during illness, appetite sharply decreases - this is how the body tries to direct its energy to fight the disease. But gradually people lost this natural instinct; meals began to take place not because an appetite appeared, but because “the time has come.”

Fasting not only cleanses from poisons, but also brings a feeling of lightness, an incredible surge of strength and energy appears. And at the same time - no drugs or miracle cures! Intoxication causes the blood to become acidic, although it should initially be alkaline.

Consuming distilled water and raw vegetables helps to return to an alkaline environment and get rid of many diseases. Sugar, coffee and tea, meat and fish, flour products, and fried foods give an acidic reaction. P. Bragg recommends eating meat, eggs and fish no more than twice a week. Paul himself, with the help of his diet and fasting courses, got rid of tuberculosis, living a long and active life.

In his book, P. Bragg gives the example of the disabled Evans, who had a severe limp. Evans ate what most people in the United States eat, throwing everything into himself 4-5 times. With age, he continued to eat as at a young age, without reducing portions, as a result of which his joints became unusable, causing unbearable pain.

P. Bragg prescribed Evans a course of three-day fasting and an alkaline diet, taking hot 10-minute baths. Walking was added here, the distance gradually increased. As a result, joint stiffness disappeared and Evans was able to ride a bicycle and lead an active life.

In reviews on forums about P. Bragg's fasting system, people note a decrease in blood pressure on the first day of fasting. But the pressure does not decrease critically, remaining at the same level.

Lena from Moscow noted her weight loss, although she started fasting not for this, but to combat stress. As a result, after a temporary illness, I felt an extraordinary surge of energy. She prepared food for the family, and she herself calmly went without food without any suffering. The head became clear, the mood was cheerful. A month later she began to have kidney problems and swelling of her limbs from a small amount of water, but this soon went away.

Igor from Vologda lost 110 kg thanks to the Bragg diet and fasting. He has a thyroid disease, and only giving up salt and regular fasting helped him cope with the disease. Now he has stopped adding salt to his food and feels great.

Svetlana from Kazan noted that after fasting she stopped getting tired, is not afraid of heat or cold, and has not gone to the doctor for a long time.

Colombo's guest introduced an amendment to the Bragg system regarding the way out of fasting. He believes that the idea itself is good, but little attention has been paid to the process of overcoming hunger. There have been other developments in this matter. He also believes that without cleansing the soul it is impossible to cleanse the body; this problem needs to be given more attention.

Svetlana from Togliatti shared her joy: she was tormented by a terrible allergy and, thanks to P. Bragg, she managed to get rid of it, as well as pain in her stomach and legs. There was lightness in the body and excellent health. She fasts weekly on Fridays and for 7-10 days every 3 months.

Andrey from Chita, a former athlete, returned to an active lifestyle thanks to a 24-hour abstinence from food. This system, he is sure, in addition to the general benefit, cultivates willpower and spirit. Self-esteem increases and the nervous system comes into balance, interest in life returns.

Alexander has been fasting for 1 day for 2 months. During this time, I lost 9.5 kg, got rid of pain in my head and kidneys, easily stopped drinking tea and coffee and did not eat meat and eggs. Rarely eats fish and mushrooms. I have become 20 years younger, have more energy, and fasting can be tolerated easily and without discomfort. He is going to continue to starve.

Evgeniy from Taganrog has been fasting for 1-1.5 days every week for 2.5 years. He lost 17 kg of excess weight and feels 10 years younger. He believes that such information should be received from school years.

Natalya from Moscow suffered from severe pain during menstruation, gastrointestinal diseases, and flatulence provoked an increase in body temperature. After reading the book, Bragg P. went on a diet for 3 months and decided to test this miracle of fasting. She was no longer tormented by pain, her mood improved, and her body felt lighter.

Oleg from Severodvinsk, after testing short fasts, switched to long-term fasting. On the seventeenth day, nausea appeared and reddish spots appeared on the body. He stopped fasting, the next day dark-colored feces came out in large volumes, and his skin gradually began to clear of spots.

Alexey from Samara shared a bad result. After a long period of fasting, he developed rheumatoid arthritis, from which he suffered for many years. Whether this was caused precisely by fasting is unknown, but Alexey advises to approach this method with caution, and only under the supervision of doctors.

Food gives a person not only energy for life. Some products, on the contrary, take it away and leave by-products in the tissues that are formed as a result of metabolism. When they accumulate, we begin to get sick. This is how the body makes it clear that it needs to get rid of everything unnecessary in order to improve its functioning.

The easiest way to get rid of waste and toxins is to fast. Refusal of food even heals chronic diseases and stabilizes the condition. The body, deprived of food and placed in extreme conditions, begins to process everything unnecessary: not only toxins and decay products, but also adhesions, growths, warts and other formations.

Treatment with hunger has been called for since ancient times. Seeking spiritual cleansing and enlightenment, representatives of the clergy, healers and healers refused all food. Even learned minds bowed to this truth - Hippocrates, for example, first of all promoted cleansing the body by fasting, and Pythagoras, before initiating his students into the mystery of teaching, even demanded of them a forty-day fast.

Among the followers of this practice is Paul Bragg, an American figure who advocates alternative medicine and a healthy lifestyle. His nutritional system, principles of hygiene and physical exercise were very popular in their time, and famous politicians, movie stars, and athletes became his students and successors. Paul Bragg himself died at an old age, and until his death he remained in good physical shape, was vigorous and worked hard.

In his book “The Miracle of Fasting,” Paul Bragg examines the main human problems and talks not so much about fasting itself, but about a healthy lifestyle in general. From this book you will learn:

what poisons your body;
how to kill bad habits;
what causes lower back pain;
How does salt affect the body?
why raw vegetables and fruits are healthy;
what food is best to avoid;
how to deal with diseases;
the importance of air and water in human life;
about the benefits of relaxation and activity.

When a person fasts for 24 or 36 hours, or 3-10 days, his body launches a renewal mechanism. Complete fasting, with the use of distilled water, cleanses, restores strength, and destroys harmful acid compounds.
If a person stops eating food, all the energy that was spent on digesting it is directed to removing toxins from the body.
Fasting itself does not cure disease! It helps the body destroy them on its own and provides energy for this.
Hunger is inherent in us at the level of instincts. During a period of illness, a person loses his appetite - this is the body, on a subconscious level, launching a recovery program. Food is not needed at this moment.
Fasting clears the mind and promotes spiritual development.
You need to start fasting from 24 hours, during which you can drink only distilled water. No vegetables or fruits on this day - otherwise it will be just a diet. Starving means not eating anything! You can only drink. During the first 24 hour fast there may be some discomfort in the stomach.

Why distilled water? Because it consists only of hydrogen and oxygen. There are no more impurities in it.
You cannot fast for a long time without preparation. The maximum is 10 days, and during this time you must be under the supervision of a doctor.
If you have never refused food in your life, then start with one day a week - this way your body will get used to doing without food.
During daily fasting, only water is allowed. The only relief may be honey on the tip of a teaspoon or a spoonful of lemon juice - dissolve them in the water you have prepared for the day. These products remove harmful substances from tissues.
A three-day or longer fast requires certain conditions. At this time there may be discomfort and malaise and therefore it is better to spend it in bed, in a relaxed state. Do not strain your eyes and ears, do not go out into the sun and stay in solitude - this will help preserve energy. The best results from fasting are observed in those people who observed bed rest and slept a lot.
During prolonged fasting, there is no need to do enemas or take laxatives. The intestines will naturally resume their work as soon as you start eating.

Breaking a seven-day and ten-day fast

After fasting, you can’t immediately eat everything you want. You need to get out of it gradually. If you abstained from food for a week, then on the seventh day, towards evening, scald 4-5 tomatoes with boiling water, remove the skin from them, cut them into pieces and throw them into boiling water for just a couple of seconds. Then take them out, and when they cool down, eat them.

The next morning, indulge yourself in a carrot and cabbage salad, sauté some greens, eat a couple of wheat toasts, juice half an orange. For lunch, dilute the same salad with celery, and after it you can eat boiled vegetables. Complement your lunch with toast - this will make it filling, but not heavy.

On the ninth day (in the morning), eat some fruit and a couple of spoons of sprouted wheat with a drop of honey, and for lunch - the same salad with celery, a vegetable dish (hot) and toast. In the evening - tomato salad with herbs and stewed vegetables.

From the tenth day you can eat normally.

The exit from a ten-day fast is the same as from a week-long fast. Only the beginning of the action occurs on the tenth day.

After such abstinence, do not abuse food - your body is accustomed to its absence and will not require much. Listen to him, eat when you feel hungry. This will help you adjust your diet.

According to Paul Bragg, periodic fasting is beneficial in any case, but if you eat right before and after it, the benefits for the body will be enormous.

Bragg considered plant foods to be the basis of a balanced diet.

Fruits

Fresh, frozen or dried fruits and berries can be not only a dessert or a tasty addition, but also an independent dish. In the Bragg system, they are considered the optimal food for humans.

Vegetables

Raw and boiled vegetables are cleansers and protectors of the human body. They provide a complete set of vitamins and minerals, and you need to eat them every day, or better yet, more than once a day. Moreover, it is good if the salad or stew contains vegetables of different colors.

Seeds, nuts and sprouts

These products are a source of proteins and high-quality fats. The amino acid composition of nuts or seeds is almost the same as in meat, but other indicators are much higher. However, these products are beneficial only in their raw form. They cannot be fried or salted. Sprouts can be added to vegetable salads.

Legumes

Peas and beans, including soybeans, are also a source of protein. Their nutritional value is very high, so they should be present in the diet. By the way, legumes can easily replace meat.

Healthy fasting

Why everyone needs to fast periodically is explained in this video

2013-06-05T00:00:00

Oils

Olive and sunflower, corn and peanut, mustard and sesame, soybean, cottonseed and coconut - all these oils are rich in unsaturated fatty acids. But only unrefined ones! Refined oils contain chemical impurities that were used to prevent rancidity.

Sweets

Sweets, cakes and pastries are all prohibited by Bragg. For sweets he offers:

only unrefined or date sugar;
maple syrup;
raw molasses;
dried fruits.

These products can only be consumed in small quantities - they are all carbohydrates.

Cereals and cereals

Barley, wheat, rice, buckwheat, oats and rye - these foods are allowed no more than three times a week if your lifestyle is passive.

The same goes for bread. It can be eaten in any quantity only by those engaged in physically exhausting labor. For the rest, it’s better to limit yourself to a couple of pieces a day, and bread can only be made from coarsely ground flour.

Meat products are a valuable source of protein. Paul Bragg does not deny their importance for humans, but warns against frequent use, as they contain a lot of cholesterol.

It is best to eat lean meat, but it is better to forget about sausages, sausages, carbonate, ham and canned food.

Fish

Fish, like meat, contains a lot of protein, but there is much less cholesterol, and fat contains unsaturated amino acids. Dishes made from it can be eaten two to three times a week, but they must be stewed or boiled. There should be no salted or smoked fish in your diet.

Not everyone is able to accept the philosophy and principles of nutrition of Paul Bragg, and there is no need to follow them blindly, because each of us has our own body characteristics and needs. And yet, in some ways, Bragg was right - you can’t mindlessly throw everything you want into yourself. And it won’t hurt to fast once a week. Especially if your diet is dominated by flour products and animal products. Your body will thank you.

American doctor who created his own system of health improvement, disease prevention, and life extension. His books “How to Keep Your Heart Healthy” and “The Miracle of Fasting” gained worldwide fame. Paul Bragg died at the age of 95 not from illness, but as a result of an accident. Being keen on surfing - riding a special board in the surf, he was overtaken by a huge wave.

In his old age, Paul Bragg remained active and resilient, had a high ability to work, and loved long walking trips. He believed that, first of all, one’s own health depends on the person himself, which, as popular wisdom rightly says, cannot be bought with money.
Paul Bragg, a wise doctor and philosopher, promoter of a healthy lifestyle, said:

“Not a single person has escaped death, but each of us, by observing certain hygienic and dietary rules, can prolong our lives.”

He spoke as a lesson to his patients:

“Money can buy a bed, but not sleep; food, but no appetite; medicines, but not health; home, but not home; books, but not the mind; decoration, but not beauty; luxury, but not culture; entertainment, but not happiness; religion, but not salvation."

Using the example of his own life, Paul Bragg proved the effectiveness of his nutrition system and health-improving physical exercises. He was born a weakened child and suffered from heart disease and tuberculosis. He recovered thanks to exercise in the fresh air and a balanced diet.
In his health system, Bragg attached the main importance to rational nutrition. However, Paul Bragg’s views on nutrition were quite unique and did not coincide in everything with generally accepted ones.
Thus, Bragg considered a vegetarian diet, consisting of 3/5 fruits and vegetables, mostly raw, to be ideal for human health. He believed that the diet should be varied, did not exclude meat for those people who were accustomed to consuming it, but limited meat dishes (3 - 4 days a week) and eggs (2 - 3 per week). He excluded fatty fried meats, limited sour cream and high-fat cheeses, and did not recommend including sausages and canned food in the diet. Bragg opposed the consumption of refined sugar, preferring natural products containing easily digestible carbohydrates, such as honey and dried fruits, natural juices... In a word, Paul Bragg is a naturopath. Naturopaths are those who prefer natural, natural, unprocessed foods without additives.

He is a supporter of limiting table salt in the diet, which is in line with the recommendations of our modern domestic nutritionists for elderly people and those suffering from hypertension and other ailments of the cardiovascular system.
Many domestic clinicians and nutritionists use vegetarian-oriented diets in their practice for hypertension and atherosclerosis, and for overweight, because most vegetables and fruits are low-calorie. We can agree with Bragg’s opinion that atherosclerosis comes not with age, but with nutrition.

Paul Bragg fasting system

In his works, Paul Bragg devoted significant attention to therapeutic fasting. He believed that in order to cleanse the body of decay products accumulating in it and all kinds of synthetic chemical substances that come with modern food products, it is useful to carry out daily fasting once a week, and in addition, once every 3 months - fasting for a week.

Let us immediately note that prolonged fasting in an outpatient setting is fraught with complications and is unacceptable; it can be carried out for certain indications in specialized hospitals only under the supervision of doctors who know the appropriate technique. We will only talk about one-day fasting . In this case, the term “fasting-dietary therapy” is usually used, which is almost identical to therapeutic fasting.
The most significant work on therapeutic fasting in our country belongs to Professor Yuri Sergeevich Nikolaev, who points out that the method he uses is not just therapeutic fasting, but fasting-dietary therapy, primarily because it includes a number of procedures that help remove toxic products from the body , cleansing enemas, showers, massage, long walks in the fresh air, breathing exercises.
Fasting-dietary therapy has found application in the treatment of many diseases - cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, joint diseases, respiratory diseases, allergic diseases, obesity, and a number of mental illnesses. Yu. S. Nikolaev has repeatedly emphasized that therapeutic fasting is not a panacea for all diseases. Yu. S. Nikolaev, like Paul Bragg, believes that therapeutic fasting should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, and in some cases it is contraindicated .

History of the use of fasting for healing

Thus, the ancient Egyptians, according to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, believed that systematic (3 days a month) fasting and cleansing of the stomach with the help of emetics and cleansing enemas were necessary to maintain health.
Ancient historians report that Pythagoras, the ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, systematically used fasting, believing that it increased mental perception and creativity.
Plutarch, a famous historian and biographer of antiquity, believed that “instead of using medicine, it is better to fast for one day.”

How to do one-day fasting and who is it useful for?

One-day fasting is better from dinner to dinner or from breakfast before breakfast. At the same time, abstaining from any solid food, as well as fruit and vegetable juices.
During the day, use only water or weak warm tea. Paul Bragg recommends distilled water rather than regular boiled water. Our experience shows that warm tea (without sugar), consumed every 2-3 hours in an amount of about 1/3-1/2 cup, is quite acceptable. It is recommended to drink slowly, in small sips.
You can add a little honey (1/3 teaspoon) or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the glass. This makes the water taste better.
Paul Bragg recommends maintaining your morale at a fairly high level during a one-day fast. In order to mobilize the will to engage in self-hypnosis - auto-training:

On this day I handed my body into the hands of nature. I turned to higher powers for internal cleansing and renewal.

Every minute of fasting I expel dangerous poisons from my body. Every hour I fast, I become happier and happier.

Hour after hour, my body cleanses itself.

When fasting, I use the same method of physical, spiritual and mental cleansing that the greats have used for centuries.

teachers of humanity.

During fasting, I am in complete control of my condition. No false feeling of hunger will make me stop fasting. I

I will successfully complete my fast, because I believe in the forces of nature.

After completing a one-day fast, Paul Bragg recommends first eating a fresh vegetable salad based on pureed carrots and chopped cabbage, using lemon or orange juice as a dressing. This salad will prostitute the motility of the gastrointestinal tract, will promote its peristalsis and regular bowel function. Only stewed tomatoes are healthy.
It is not recommended to interrupt fasting with heavy foods such as meat, milk, cheese, butter, fish, and nuts. The first meal after a daily fast should consist of salad and boiled or stewed vegetables. The second can be meat or any other.
Paul Bragg does not believe that it is necessary to take laxatives or do cleansing enemas. Bragg believes that the use of enemas is unnatural. The opinion of Professor Yu. S. Nikolaev on the issue under consideration is the opposite: for constipation, a cleansing enema is indicated.

Your doctor may recommend a complete one-day fast for the following diseases:

with an inflammatory process in the stomach and intestines (acute gastritis, acute enterocolitis);
with acute inflammation of the gallbladder and pancreas (acute cholecystitis, acute pancreatitis);
for bleeding from a stomach and duodenal ulcer (under the supervision of a surgeon);
for cardiac asthma (under the supervision of a cardiologist, simultaneously with the prescription of appropriate cardiac medications);
for rheumatoid arthritis;
for gout during an acute attack;
with excess body weight.

Provided that it is well tolerated, one-day fasting can be recommended weekly, preferably on weekends. Sometimes we call such fasting a “tea” fasting day. We remind you that tea is consumed without sugar.
The listed list is much broader, for which the attending physician may recommend daily fasting. Professor Yu. S. Nikolaev, author of the book “Fasting for Health,” based on his many years of experience, believes that, contrary to Bragg’s requirement, there is no need to lie down constantly during fasting. With immobility, fasting is tolerated worse than with significant physical activity. Nikolaev recommends his patients to walk more, and even ski in winter. On the eve of fasting, he recommends taking a laxative, for example, magnesium sulfate (Epsom bitter salt) in the amount of 1.5-2 tablespoons per glass of water, and on the day of daily fasting or the next day, use a cleansing enema.

Before using any diet, including one-day fasting, consult your doctor - there may be contraindications!

People who adhere to the principle of eating natural products in their diet are called naturopaths or naturists. One of the founders of the movement advocating the use of only natural products in food was Paul Bragg. Paul Bragg's book "The Miracle of Fasting" was a real bestseller of its time, and Paul Bragg himself lived to be 95 years old, leading an active lifestyle and having no chronic diseases. Every day he jogged, took long walks, played tennis, danced and could even surf. He believed that a person was able to lengthen his life by leading a reasonable lifestyle and, in particular, by eating in a certain way. His nutritional system was based on miracle fasting.

While a person is not fasting according to Paul Bragg, he must still adhere to certain rules in food. At least 60% of the total food should be fruits and vegetables, mostly raw. Chemically processed foods should be avoided whenever possible. All food is preferable in its natural form and should contain a minimum of salt and sugar, as well as any synthetic components.

However, Bragg did not insist on the complete exclusion of such products. It’s just that their volume should be minimal.

In most cases, the nutrition he advocates corresponds to the recommendations of any nutritionist. But it was Bragg’s fasting that was the basis of his healing method. According to Paul Breguet, only during such fasting is the body cleansed of all decay products and poisons that are formed in it every day. And that is why miracle fasting must be done weekly, and once every 3 months it is worth fasting for 7-10 days. During such fasting, the body completely changes its energy supply mode, using internal energy reserves instead of those obtained from food. However, the restructuring of the body does not go the same way for everyone. In many cases, it is very difficult to adjust to such a regime (in the form of a crisis), people are frightened by their condition, and they are simply forced to stop the miracle of fasting.

Preparing for miracle fasting according to Paul Bragg

Bragg himself said that when a person is internally disposed to fasting positively and views it as a method of cleansing from toxins, then success is guaranteed. In his opinion, such an attitude will lead to the fact that every cell of the body will “meet” fasting with joy and accept it.

When starting a Bragg fast, you should not inform many people about it, and you should not ask for unnecessary advice. You just need to tune in correctly, listen to your body and sensations. And the main thing is to firmly believe in the success of the miracle of fasting.

Fasting according to Paul Bragg

Those who are fasting for the first time should not refuse food for more than 10 days at once.

Miracle fasting should begin with a complete 24-hour fast, during which you can only drink distilled water. The first time during fasting you need to see a doctor.

According to Breg, one must prepare carefully for more than ten days of fasting. Fasting for 21 or 35 days can be fatal even for a practically healthy person. Therefore, during such fasting according to Paul Bragg, not only medical supervision is necessary, but also a number of specialized studies. Mainly, it is necessary to control the functioning of the kidneys, because they are responsible for removing toxins and poisons from the body. If the doctor notes during the study that the load is extremely high, then the fast must be interrupted. During miracle fasting, you also need to monitor your feelings. Naturally, it is impossible to fast and feel 100%, but there should not be a sharp deterioration in your general condition.

According to Paul Bragg's book The Miracle of Fasting, you need to gradually approach a long period of fasting. First, you can practice a 24-hour fast, then a 3-4 day fast once a month. And only after completing 5-6 such courses, you can easily reach a week-long fast, and after a year or two move on to lengthening this period.

Bragg's 24-hour miracle fast

You can fast at any time: from dinner to dinner, or from breakfast to breakfast. You can only drink distilled water. If it is absolutely impossible to stay without food all this time, then a small indulgence is allowed: 1/3 teaspoon of honey or 1 spoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, dissolved in water. Bragg believed that the greater the thirst and water consumption, the better the body rids itself of toxins.

Also, during the miracle of fasting according to Bragg, it is important to constantly be in high spirits. He advised repeating certain words several times and tuning in for the good. These phrases can be found in Paul Bragg's book The Miracle of Fasting:

On this day I handed my body into the hands of nature. I turned to higher powers for internal cleansing and renewal.

Every minute of fasting I expel dangerous poisons from my body. Every hour I fast, I become happier and happier.

Hour after hour, my body cleanses itself.

How to get out of fasting

After the end of fasting, a correct transition to normal nutrition is important. The first food eaten is a salad of fresh vegetables: cabbage, carrots with lemon or orange juice. Salad will stimulate the functioning of the stomach and intestines.

After this, you can prepare boiled vegetables (for example, tomatoes).

And only later can you eat some meat, milk, cheese or butter. But it’s worth remembering Bragg’s attitude towards these products in general.

Long-term fasting according to Bragg

Any long-term fasting must be carried out in a state of complete psychological comfort and calm. It is necessary to stop watching TV, unnecessary conversations and actions, i.e. from everything that prevents you from concentrating on the miracle of fasting. If possible, privacy in comfortable conditions is desirable. Physical activity and even walking, as well as sunbathing, should be completely excluded. This can only be done if you are in stable good health.

You should listen to yourself, but try to drive away fear and self-doubt.

A thoughtful way out of any prolonged fast is necessary. Bragg suggested the following option: on day 7 of fasting, eat 4-5 medium-sized tomatoes, scalded with boiling water or thrown into boiling water. Tomatoes should be peeled and eaten cold.

On the eighth day, for breakfast you can prepare a salad of fresh vegetables: carrots and cabbage with the juice of 1/2 orange. After that - some stewed greens with wheat bread.

For lunch, the same salad and 2 vegetable dishes: you can boil cabbage, pumpkin, carrots, green peas.

On the ninth day, any fruit with 2 tablespoons of sprouted wheat with honey (up to 1 tablespoon) is suitable for breakfast. Lunch may consist of a salad with boiled vegetables. Dinner is similar to lunch on the seventh day.

From the tenth day you should switch to regular vegetarian cuisine.

It should be remembered that after a long miracle of fasting there may be no appetite. There is no need to be afraid of this. After some time, everything will fall into place.

Also, after fasting, it is important to properly “start” the bowels. According to Breg, laxatives or enemas should not be used. With a balanced and proper diet, the body itself will cope with this task.