The No Breakfast Plan and the Fasting-Cure

The Story

This book unfolds as a detailed exploration and advocacy of fasting, particularly the practice of skipping breakfast, as a powerful means to restore and maintain health. Edward Hooker Dewey, a physician with extensive experience in medicine and surgery, begins by recounting his early medical career and the prevailing practices of his time, which heavily relied on aggressive drug treatments and constant feeding of patients regardless of their natural appetite or digestive capacity. He contrasts this with his growing conviction that nature itself, through the body's innate powers, holds the true key to healing.

Dewey’s journey begins in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he starts his general medical practice after serving in the army. He observes that many diseases are self-limiting and that the body’s natural recuperative powers often triumph despite medical intervention. This insight leads him to question the widespread medical dogma of continuous feeding and heavy medication, especially in cases of acute and chronic illness.

A turning point in the narrative is Dewey’s discovery of the brain’s remarkable ability to sustain itself without food during illness, drawing on the body’s reserves. He explains that death from starvation is a slow process, occurring only after the body is reduced to a skeleton, and that the brain does not require food in the same way as other organs during sickness. This revelation underpins his argument that enforced feeding, especially when the patient lacks appetite, can be harmful rather than helpful.

The book then presents a series of case studies illustrating the benefits of fasting. Dewey describes patients suffering from severe conditions such as inflammatory rheumatism, chronic bronchitis, and consumption (tuberculosis), who recover or improve significantly when allowed to fast or reduce their food intake. One striking example is a young man with advanced consumption who, despite being fed six times daily, deteriorates until fasting is introduced, leading to a marked reduction in symptoms and improved comfort.

Dewey also recounts his own struggles with indigestion and dyspepsia, which shaped his skepticism toward conventional drug treatments and reinforced his belief in the healing power of rest and fasting. He emphasizes that many chronic diseases, including nasal catarrh and mental illnesses, stem from inherited structural weaknesses exacerbated by brain fatigue and poor digestion, which can be alleviated by allowing the body to rest through fasting.

The narrative advances to the practical application of what Dewey calls the “No Breakfast Plan,” a regimen where breakfast is omitted to conserve the brain’s energy and improve overall health. He shares stories of farmers and laborers who adopt this plan and experience increased strength and vitality, challenging the common belief that multiple meals a day are necessary for physical labor.

Further, Dewey discusses the physiological and psychological benefits of fasting, including improved mental clarity, better sleep, and a more cheerful disposition. He warns against the dangers of overfeeding, which can lead to indigestion, fatigue, and even accidents caused by impaired brain function. He highlights the example of railroad workers who, by reducing their food intake before shifts, enhance their alertness and safety.

The book also addresses the social and moral implications of fasting, particularly for women and children. Dewey argues that the No Breakfast Plan offers women relief from many ailments and promotes equality by freeing them from excessive toil. For children, he suggests that proper fasting habits can preserve higher instincts and powers, potentially preventing future social ills.

Toward the end, Dewey shares remarkable accounts of prolonged fasts, including one of a man who fasted for 44 days while maintaining daily activities, and another who fasted for 50 days, recovering from near death. These stories serve as powerful testimonials to the efficacy and safety of fasting when properly managed.

In his concluding remarks, Dewey calls for a new understanding of health based on obedience to natural laws manifest in the body. He stresses that enforced feeding without hunger is dangerous and that true health comes from respecting the body’s signals and allowing it to rest and heal. He envisions a future where fasting is widely accepted as a simple, automatic, and effective method to prevent and cure disease, transforming human life into a “Paradise regained.”

The People

• Dr. Edward Hooker Dewey: The author and physician whose medical experience and personal struggles with indigestion lead him to challenge conventional medicine. He seeks to prove that fasting, especially skipping breakfast, can restore health by allowing the body and brain to rest. His convictions grow from observation and case studies, culminating in the advocacy of the No Breakfast Plan as a practical health regimen.

• The worn-out mother with inflammatory rheumatism: A patient debilitated by severe joint pain and treated with harsh remedies, including hypodermic needles. Despite initial suffering, she improves significantly when allowed to fast, regaining mobility and strength. Her case exemplifies the book’s argument that rest and fasting can heal chronic conditions better than aggressive medication.

• The young man with consumption: Near death despite frequent feeding, his condition worsens until fasting is introduced. His recovery, marked by reduced coughing and improved comfort, illustrates the dangers of overfeeding in illness and the healing potential of fasting.

• Leonard Thress: A man who fasted for 50 days, recovering from dropsy and bronchial ailments after conventional medicine had failed. His story is a testament to the transformative power of fasting and serves as inspiration for others to adopt the practice.

• Miss Kuenzel: A woman who undertakes a prolonged fast of 44 days while maintaining daily activities without fatigue. Her experience demonstrates the feasibility and benefits of extended fasting under proper care.

• Trainmen and laborers: Representing the working class, these individuals adopt the No Breakfast Plan and report increased strength, alertness, and safety on the job. Their experiences challenge societal norms about eating and physical labor, showing practical applications of Dewey’s ideas.

In Its Own Voice

Dewey’s observations and arguments come alive in his own words, revealing his conviction and the practical nature of his approach:

"I could now go into the rooms of the sick with a formula that explained all the mysteries of the maintenance and support of vital power and cure of disease, and that was of practical avail."

This line captures Dewey’s breakthrough understanding that the brain’s self-sustaining power during fasting is central to healing.

"There could be no death from starvation until the body was reduced to the skeleton condition; that therefore for structural integrity, for functional clearness, the brain has no need of food when disease has abolished the desire for it."

Here, Dewey challenges the conventional fear of fasting by emphasizing the body’s reserves and the brain’s unique needs.

"The No-breakfast Plan means for your children the best possibilities for the conservation of all the higher instincts and powers that will tend to save them from the saloon, the prison, the electric chair."

This statement reveals Dewey’s broader social vision, linking fasting to moral and societal improvement.

"Had he remained at his home in bed or taken perfect rest, his achievement would have been less remarkable... Rathbun pursued a course diametrically opposite to this. He worked, and worked hard."

This recounting of a prolonged fast underlines the surprising vitality fasting can sustain, even under demanding conditions.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is a radical rethinking of health, disease, and the role of food in human life. Dewey’s central thesis is that many illnesses, especially chronic and degenerative ones, stem from the violation of natural laws governing digestion and brain function. He argues that enforced feeding, particularly when appetite is absent, disrupts the body’s innate healing processes and burdens the brain, which is the true dynamo of life.

The book explores the physiological basis of fasting, emphasizing the brain’s ability to maintain function without food by drawing on the body’s reserves. This challenges the prevailing medical orthodoxy that equates constant nourishment with health. Dewey presents fasting not as a mere abstention from food but as a therapeutic rest for the digestive system and the brain, allowing the body to repair structural weaknesses and restore tone to dilated blood vessels and damaged tissues.

Another key theme is the distinction between hunger and mere appetite or relish. Dewey critiques the cultural habit of eating for pleasure rather than necessity, linking overeating to indigestion, fatigue, and chronic disease. He highlights the importance of eating only when truly hungry and suggests that habitual breakfast consumption is unnecessary and even harmful for many.

The book also delves into the social and moral dimensions of health. Dewey connects physical well-being with mental clarity, cheerfulness, and moral strength, suggesting that fasting can elevate the individual’s entire being. He envisions fasting as a means to prevent social ills by preserving the higher instincts and powers in children and adults alike.

Throughout, Dewey challenges the medical establishment’s reliance on drugs and forced feeding, advocating instead for a natural, physiological approach grounded in observation and respect for the body’s signals. His argument is both scientific and moral, urging obedience to the laws of nature as a path to a healthier, more vibrant life.

Why Read It Today

This book offers a perspective on health and fasting that remains provocative and thought-provoking more than a century after its publication. Readers interested in nutrition, alternative medicine, or the history of health reform will find in Dewey’s work a detailed, earnest case for reconsidering the role of food and fasting in healing.

The writing is warm and precise, though it reflects the medical knowledge and social attitudes of the late 19th century. Some readers may find the language and style dated, and the medical claims require careful consideration in light of modern science. The book’s length and occasional repetition demand patience, but the wealth of case studies and practical insights reward close reading.

Dewey’s emphasis on the brain’s central role in health and his critique of overfeeding resonate with contemporary discussions about metabolism, intermittent fasting, and holistic health. The book’s moral and social reflections add depth, inviting readers to consider how physical health intertwines with mental and societal well-being.

Those who appreciate a thoughtful, historically grounded argument about fasting will find this book rich and challenging. It does not offer quick fixes or sensational claims but presents a sustained, reasoned exploration of a controversial health practice. The stories of patients who recover through fasting provide compelling human interest, while Dewey’s reflections encourage readers to question assumptions about diet and medicine.

In sum, this book is for readers willing to engage seriously with a pioneering, if imperfect, vision of health that places nature and the body’s own powers at the center of healing. It leaves a lasting impression about the potential of fasting not just as a medical treatment but as a way of life.