How to Relieve a Common Cold With a 1-Day Fast
How I discovered this unconventional method and why it works.
When I tell people I’m fasting because I got a cold, I usually get perplexed looks and raised eyebrows.
“You’re trying to lose weight when you’re sick?” is the incredulous response.
I reply, “No, I am fasting to cure my cold.”
This usually drives the raised eyebrows even higher into the forehead.
I understand their confusion. We’ve grown up believing the adage ‘ Feed a cold, starve a fever.’ We’ve been taught to eat chicken soup, take cough syrups, pain relievers, or go to the doctor when we get a cold.
But even after doing all these things or worse, bombarding our bodies with over-the-counter pills or antibiotics, we still feel under the weather for at least a week. Sound familiar?
The truth is everything that we do to cure a cold, from home remedies such as drinking plenty of fluids, eating chicken soup, ginger and honey concoctions, gargling with warm water to over-the-counter hacks such as nasal sprays, decongestants, pain killers, only provide symptomatic relief.
So, where does fasting come into the picture? And how does it help relieve a cold? Let’s start at the beginning of my journey.
My Repeated Bouts of the Common Cold
Circa 2017, after suffering from two particularly nasty bouts of cold, I was at the end of my rope.
I’d been to two different doctors, taken a dozen pills, and after two weeks of medication, I still didn’t feel like I was at my best. The medicine made me so drowsy; I felt like I was in a stupor for several days.
I did not want to put my body through that gruesome process ever again. So, I started doing some research on common colds.
My research made for shocking revelations.
Common cold — or just cold — is a viral upper respiratory tract infection. Colds are highly contagious and infect adults 2 to 4 times and children 6 to 8 times in a year on an average.
According to The National Institute of Health, they contribute to 20 million doctor visits and 40 million lost school days. The economic impact of common colds in the US is $40 billion annually. And yet…
There is neither a vaccine nor a cure for common colds.
There are 200 different varieties of viruses that can cause a common cold. Naturally, it’s challenging to create a vaccine that will tackle them all. There is no vaccine for the common cold.
There is also no cure for common colds. Most remedies only relieve symptoms. We’re often told the adage “feed a cold, starve a fever,” which means eat when you suffer from a cold and fast when you get a fever.
But Eastern medicine and yogic sciences have a diametrically opposite view about this saying. They advocate starving a cold.
The Yogic Take on Common Colds
In my research, I stumbled across the book “Harmonizing Physical, Mental & Spiritual Methods of Healing.” The author, Paramahansa Yogananda* — the father of Yoga in the West — divulges an unusual method to tackle a cold.
If you do get a cold, it is best to stop it while it is only in the nose, before it goes down into the throat and chest. The best way to quickly bring the cold under control is to fast. It will arrest the condition. There is nothing that kills a cold as quickly as fasting. If you can fast twenty-four hours, the cold usually goes away.
It took me some time to digest what I’d read — pun intended. But the ardent self-experimenter that I am, I decided the next time I had a cold, I’d give this remedy a shot. God knows if I lost some weight in the bargain, I wouldn’t complain.
My Experiment — On Myself
Sure enough, in spring 2018, I had my next episode of cold. Time to test that theory!
Restricting food has never been my strong suit. I’m an emotional eater, and I’d failed in observing a complete fast frequently in the past.
Embarking on a fast required more mental preparation than physical. But remembering my previous experience of cold gave me the proverbial nudge in the right direction.
I observed a 1-day water fast and only drank room temperature water and herbal tea (recipe given in tips below) when thirsty. The loss of appetite accompanying the cold helped my resolve.
When I woke up the next day, I was pleasantly surprised to find my cold cured. It blew my mind!
Since then, I have applied this simple method every time I catch a common cold, and it has never failed. I observe a 1-day fast the moment I feel the onset of a cold.
I’ve also advocated this method to family and friends, who have realized the same benefits. Check out the messages I received from two of my friends with whom I’d shared my experiences.
Modern science explains how fasting may help fight colds.
Do you lose your appetite when you’re sick? This is our body’s naturally programmed response to combat infection because:
- Lack of hunger eliminates the need for food, saves energy, reduces heat loss, and allows the body to be laser-focused on fighting off the infection.
- Reduced food intake also limits the supply of nutrients, such as iron and zinc, that the virus needs to grow and spread.
- The lack of appetite encourages your body to remove infected cells through a process known as cell apoptosis.
Cell Apoptosis explained
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death in multi-cellular organisms. In adults, it eliminates unwanted cells that are damaged beyond repair.
Nutrient restriction encourages the apoptosis of infected cells. It simultaneously limits nutrients to both the host cells (human body) and the infectious organisms.
In simple terms, nutrient restriction, aka fasting, limits nutrients supply to the virus that causes the cold, also killing the infected cells in our body. That’s why fasting — when done correctly — is effective in killing a cold.
Tips From My Experiences
With every fast, I’ve learned some new things to keep in mind.
I once cheated on the 1-day fast and had snacks for dinner after fasting the entire day. The result was that my cold was reduced but did not subside completely. I had to repeat my 1-day fast the next day to get the desired results. So, here are some tips to ensure fasting provides the best results for you.
- The sooner you start the fast from the onset of symptoms, the more effective it is. As Yogananda stated in his book, it is wisest to arrest the condition while it is in the nose and not let it spread to the throat and chest.
- A complete fast for a day is necessary for cell apoptosis to occur successfully. It means absolutely no food intake for an entire day.
- Water is ok when thirsty. Do not over-drink as water activates the mucous membrane aggravating the symptoms. Use your best judgment, drink when thirsty, and only as much as required to quench your thirst.
- I sometimes have a simple herbal tea with honey instead of water. Recipe: Boil 1-liter water with 2 tbsp fennel seeds. Strain the water once it cools down. Add 1 tsp honey to 1 cup water and enjoy it 3–4 times a day. Avoid sugar or artificial sweeteners.
- If you suffer from any other medical conditions or chronic diseases, consult your doctor before embarking on a fast.
Final Thoughts
It is vital to equip ourselves with all the precautionary tools in our arsenal to prevent the common cold. Avoid close contact with infected people, wash your hands regularly, avoid touching your mouth and nose, etc. And despite all the precautions, if you do catch a cold, try fasting for a day to keep the doctor away.
I can stress this enough — if you have any medical conditions, please consult your doctor or primary physician before attempting a fast.
Happy fasting!
*Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian monk and yogi who authored the spiritual classic “Autobiography of a Yogi” — regarded as “One of the 100 Best Spiritual Books of the Twentieth Century.” He founded the Self-Realization Fellowship, a worldwide spiritual organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, in 1920, devoting his life to teaching yoga and meditation.
His life, struggles, and accomplishments have been depicted in the award-winning documentary film “AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda.” “Harmonizing Physical, Mental & Spiritual Methods of Healing” is one of his books from the “How-to-live” series.
Manasi is an Executive and Leadership coach who likes to laugh, inspire, and help.
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