The No-Breakfast Plan And The Fasting-Cure

by Edward Hooker Dewey

Edward H. Dewey's The No-Breakfast Plan and the Fasting-Cure (originally published in 1900) was very successful with the public. By 1921 it had gone through three editions and was translated into French and German. Dewey argued for people to completely abstain from breakfast, and only consume two meals per day. He attributed all disease and physiological problems to excessive eating. He advocated long fasts and believed that abstinence from food could cure insanity and mental disorders.

Genres: Health, Diets, Nonfiction

88 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

Edward Hooker Dewey, M.D., was a pioneer of therapeutic fasting cure and the advocate of the "No Breakfast Plan".

He was graduated from the College of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Michigan in 1864 with a medical degree, and became an assistant surgeon in the army of the United States. From 1866 he started to work in Meadville, Pennsylvania. As his experience enlarged so did his faith in Nature. Dr. Dewey suggested his patients to abstain from food, have no-breakfast; and other alternative medicines, such as fresh air, pure water, sunshine.

Reviews

[Martha Templeton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

This is an interesting look at the benefits and social stigmas of fasting at an earlier time in history. Some stories are fantastic, but I do believe them. Interesting to see how long the idea of intermittent fasting has been in play.

[Edward J Evitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing's new under the sun!

You would think from the title that this written today. Suddenly fasting has been re-discovered and is being presented to us as something new!

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really an innovative book for its time, which is written over 100 years ago. The author, a physician, was way ahead of his time with the no breakfast plan, which is commonly known as a form of intermittent fasting now. During that time, different doctors had different unscientific approaches to health and cure, often barbaric. His observation was that patients fared no better whether they were treated by a doctor or not as the recovery and death rate were similar among those who were treated versus those who were not. And those who were treated often had to go through a lot of suffering before they died. And one of the common cures was forced feeding eg using milk and alcohol. He was also against the use of milk, as he opined that it was meant for calves and was not very helpful to humans. (We only realise this in recent years.)


He's against overeating which he feels is a source of many illnesses. From observation of his patients, and the chance discovery in reading a medical journal estimating how much fat, muscle, and brain loss there might be before someone is starved to death, he realized that the body had reserves and that the brain did not need to be fed all the time.


It is also very progressive for him to realize that positive emotions affects the digestive system and overall health. And that cheerfulness should be the higher goal in every home.


This book is similar to anone called "Fasting Cure" by Upton Sinclair, written around the same time. Only that this was written by a practicing physician, who documented many of the cases closely from the perspective of a physician.


*I just love the slightly old fashioned, arcade language used by the author.

[Karan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the most interesting books on the natural therapy of healing. The author is well read and the book was written during 1900's. The author is quite critical to his own critics who censures the fasting cure. He invites them to join forces and find a better way of healing than normal medicine and diagnosis. The author has illustrated many compelling stories of his patients who were healed by this method. However, few of his patients did die but the postmortem revealed different cause of death than starvation. The part which enjoyed the most while reading this book was visiting the old dictionary since it was written 100 years ago, most of the words are rarely used nowadays. In the end, I believe this book is not for all if there is even little skepticism on fasting methods because there is a possibility that person will try to look for inconsistencies which will just reinforce the skepticism. The book also gives narration of alcoholics, smokers, chronically sick people on they were before fasting and how they felt after fasting. The favorite quote from the book "Science settles important questions by investigation, not by epithet."

[Ruby Spinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, no medical evidence

The statement that all overweight can be cured by fasting until the desired weight is obtained at no damage to the kitchen is so very true! Yet, caution must prevail. Nobody that weighs three hundred pounds will be starved to death by a week’s fasting. Still, when you are 300 hundred pounds, you likely subsist on a diet of junk food and park at the entrance of the store… so you don’t use your muscles. Fasting without exercise is stupid because then a lot of muscle is lost.

But I also like the part about treating mental illness with fasting. This is now becoming a trend, but it was known back in 1911. Epilepsy is often treated with a ketogenic diet, which is fasting. Very decent, if convoluted book.

[SW! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly like the book, very informative and interesting. I guess is falls down due is a lot of reading, like seriously reading none stop, the chapters are very long and sometimes you kinda get lost with so much info. But the book is great. Give it a try and just try to read it at least by sections.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit hard to read late at night trying to discipher the older language and get the facts straight. Interesting medical history of a pioneering time. Basically, this is fasting and it shows we have come a long way.

[Tim Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information about eating.

Eating is very overrated in our culture. Only eat when hunger hits you. I really enjoyed this book very much.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful for understanding what fasting is for health.

[Bako Sylvester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good in changing my eating habits

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn't what I thought. It was written a very long time ago. I hate to quit reading a book when I have invested time reading it. I got to page 11 and while the book wasn't finished, I was.

[Rodolfo González · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's fascinating how all this knowledge is not new at all. I've been doing intermittent fasting for a few months now and I'm amazed by the results, I feel energized and healthy.

[Andrew Hicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars may seem a little harsh, as I did consistently return to the book with interest and attention.

However, as many others have said, the writing is incredibly rambling and scattered. At times it was difficult for me to follow the author's thought process from one paragraph to the next, or even from one sentence to another.

I'm also not really too sure about the validity of many of the scientific claims. I genuinely respect Dr. Dewey for being a critical thinker and rabble rouser of his time, but my own scientific knowledge is not extensive enough to know if many of his thoughts on brain energy stood the test of time.

The author is amusingly bitter towards his critics and passionately verbose in shooting down his detractors. This was my favorite aspect of the book, actually, as I could imagine all the heated, coy ignorance Dr. Dewey endured from his contemporaries at the time. I respect the man for sticking by his guns.

I just find the flow and focus of the book boring and annoying for the most part. I'll likely never read this again, but I am glad I got through it once.

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intermittent fasting is gaining a lot of popularity recently. And I found it interesting to come across this author who was also a practising doctor. I say was, because he wrote this book in 1900. He found that by skipping breakfast and only eating two meals a day, one could vastly reduce a person's health issues. His method of writing to me, was autobiographical. He discussed patients that he had who were sick and went on to explain how he introduced them to this idea of fasting. Instead of taking medication, simply eat less often, and giving your body a break from constantly digesting food. He also tried this theory out on himself and noticed a big difference in how he felt.

[Dionna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published in the year 1900, this is the oldest book I've ever seen on the health benefits of Intermittent Fasting and Water Fasting. As the title suggests, it is actually two books in one, both very much worth reading. Highly recommended to everyone concerned about their health in this age of junk food, fake food and GMO food-like substances. I found the book at archive.org and was able to download (and highlight) a free PDF.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some interesting stories and discussions of fasting during the late 1880s & early 1900s. These were interesting but a lot of conjecture. I agree there are some benefits to fasting, but this book is not for anyone looking for science or a plan. This book's plan is no breakfast, two meals a day and if you get sick don't eat at all until hunger returns. That about sums everything up.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Free Kindle book. I find I can't be hard on a book written in at the end of the 19th century. The writing is an excellent window into the thinking of the time. It is interesting to see what has stayed the same and make comparisons with current thinking.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Precursor to many of the IF books you see today. Gives a look at what many have known for years: eat less, be healthier.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Information in this book is good. Samples are interesting. However, it is verbose.

[Janet B. Boxrud · Rating 2 out of 5]

Old school

This was good advice a hundred years ago and still good today. But the book was to long and rambled on.

[Evamarie62 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

I found it very interesting although the older English made it slow going sometimes. Helpful to know some of the newer research...

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book written in late 19th century, very good ideas but a bit rambling and dated.