Today we live in a convenience age. You can
save time by eating fast food and you can get better by taking a quick acting
pill. But chronic diseases are on the upsurge and there appears to be a
veritable epidemic of cancer. It seems in this age of McDonald’s health is
degenerating. Could there be a connection I wonder? If we were to take a minute
to look back at history we would see that something altogether not convenient
has been around for several thousand years, and that is fasting. Fasting, or
forgoing food is the world’s most ancient and natural healing procedure. When
animals feel unwell they stop eating and rest. They know something that humans
appear to have forgotten; they know that, by ceasing eating, the body triggers
a very powerful cleansing process. This ‘cleanse’ reaches down into every cell
and produces truly remarkable therapeutic results.
What happens when you fast? After 24 hours of
zero food intake the digestive system no longer has anything to do. Digestive
enzymes that usually drain a lot of the body’s energy to accomplish their task ,travel
not to the stomach but to the intestines and into the bloodstream, where they
gobble up waste matter which comprises decaying and moribund cells, metabolic
refuse and other pollutants. At the same time as this cleanse is taking place
organs and glands get an unaccustomed holiday; this break gives them an
opportunity to purify and rejuvenate. Altogether this operation results in
enhanced immune system function which at the end of the day means that health
is restored and illness killed off. Benjamin Franklin said long ago “the best form
of all medicines is rest and fasting.”
Main stream opinion today tends to dismiss
this health-promoting trend as a “faddy and New Age” movement which has scant
health benefit. As we have already said there is nothing new age about it at
all as it has been around for a very long time. Hippocrates according to some,
claims to be the father of modern medicine. His sensible motto provides the
backbone to the ‘The Hippocratic Oath’ to which all doctors swear. This is “do
no harm”. He prescribed abstinence from food while a disease was on the
increase and particularly so as it approached the healing crisis. Moreover,
another piece of wisdom from the same source was ‘eat sparsely at all times”.
Unlike some pharmaceuticals, none of these practices do harm. Essentially it is
a good idea to leave the table with room for a little more, and follow the very
sound advice recommended by our grandmothers “feed a cold and starve a fever.”
More recently both Dr. Kelly and Dr. Roderigo
suggested that all diseases begin in the intestinal tract. By cleaning the
intestines you get rid of the toxins which are the main components of this form
of unwellness. Fasting and cleansing with the help of enemas and colonics have
become increasingly more popular with those truly anxious to bring their health
up to speed. Such treatments have been heartily embraced by people like the
Swedes and more and more clinics are popping up in both Europe and the United States.
Back in the early 1990s, centres specialising
in this form of cleansing took root on Koh Samui which was at the time, a much
favoured destination of back-packers. The first Resort to appear was “Spa Samui” in
Lamai. The brainchild of American Guy Hopkins and his Thai wife, Toy. It
offered a de-tox programme at a reasonable price and immediately became popular
with the young people who were coming to the island. It still is popular and d
has been featured in major newspaper articles as well as television documentaries.
Others under the influence of the model of Spa Samui, followed. For instance
Health Oasis Resort situated in picturesque Bang Por arrived on the scene in
1997. As time unfolded it seems the original backpackers joined the corporate workforce,
becoming more affluent themselves; they were able to spread their health message
to wealthier friends and colleagues who thirsted after a more comfortable
detoxing experience. Thus the luxurious Kamalaya came into being, whilst others
were to follow a similar model. Not to be
outdone the brand name resorts that began to spring up in more recent times,
all offered spa facilities and some even embarked on the detox route. Some are located
in very beautiful and peaceful settings. It goes without saying that some are a lot
better than others. Health Ambit Consultancy has great experience in this
industry and would be more than happy to recommend a resort that suits your own
particular needs.
Alister Bredee
