The difference between fasting, abstinence, and total fasting, and what to eat for the recovery meal

This article is written by a food maker that dries domestically grown vegetables. We are not medical or nutritional professionals, so we do not advise on methods or number of days. What we can write about is clarifying what the terms mean, and recovery meals as food.

First, let's make clear the scope this article covers.

• What the terms 'fasting,' danjiki, and zesshoku each refer to
• How zesshoku (medical fasting) is managed in clinical settings (from academic society guidelines)
• Why we can't answer 'for how many days'
• What a recovery meal is, and what foods are used
• What the government says about the term 'koten hanno' (so-called healing reaction)

For designing an approach, deciding the number of days, and judging your condition, please consult a physician or registered dietitian. This is especially true for those with chronic illnesses, those taking medication, and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

What the word 'fasting' refers to

Let's start by sorting out the terms.

The English 'fasting' means 'abstaining from food'

'Fasting' is the noun form of the English 'fast' (to abstain from food), and means cutting off food. The same word is used for both religious fasting and medical fasting. When written in katakana as 'fasting' in Japanese, it most often refers to an effort to restrict meals for a set period for the sake of health or beauty.

In other words,'the meaning of fasting' and 'what the Japanese katakana fasting refers to' do not completely overlap. The English 'fasting' is broader—skipping food before a test in a medical setting is also fasting.

How to use danjiki, zesshoku, and fasting

Term	Main situations where it is used	Connotation
Danjiki	Religion, traditional practice, health methods	Cutting off food of one's own will
Zesshoku	Medical	Stopping food for a test or surgery
Abstaining from food and drink	Medical	Stopping intake, including drinks
Fasting	Health and beauty context	Duration and method vary by product
fasting	English in general	Includes all of the above

What to note is that the word 'fasting' has no fixed content. Half-day ones, three-day ones, ones where you drink enzyme beverages, and water-only ones are all called by the same word.

Zesshoku in medical settings is managed by time

For those looking up 'what is zesshoku,' this section can give the most reliable answer. The Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists has published guidelines on pre-surgical abstention from food and drink.

How many hours to allow before surgery

The 'Guidelines for Preoperative Fasting' of the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists (a public interest incorporated association) specify the time to allow before induction of anesthesia, by what was consumed.

What is consumed	Time to allow before anesthesia induction	Recommendation grade
Clear fluids	2 hours	A
Breast milk	4 hours	C
Infant formula / cow's milk	6 hours	C
Solid food	No specific time given	―

Listed as clear fluids are water, tea, fruit juice without pulp, coffee without milk, and the like. On the other hand, beverages containing fat, beverages containing dietary fiber, and alcohol cannot be recommended, it is stated.

Even the specialist society has not set a fasting time for solid food

This is the important part. The guidelines state the following about solid food.

These guidelines do not give a clear fasting time for the intake of solid food. The reasons are that the evidence on solid food is insufficient compared with liquids, that the definition of solid food is not clear, and that the nutrients it contains vary.

Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists (public interest incorporated association), 'Guidelines for Preoperative Fasting,' 8 Solid Food

A society of anesthesia specialists does not give a time because the evidence is insufficient, it clearly states. For reference, it notes that Western guidelines call for 6 hours or more for a light meal and 8 hours or more for fried foods, high-fat foods, or meat, but that too is presented as a citation.

Note that the light meal referred to here is'a meal of about the level of eating toast and drinking clear fluids', it is explained.

It also states that long fasting is not necessarily good

The beginning of the same guidelines says the following. Prolonged abstention from food and drink causes patients distress such as thirst and hunger, and may increase dehydration and perioperative complications. That is why shortening the abstention time has been recommended in the West.

In clinical settings, fasting time has, if anything, been moving toward shortening, as it has been reconsidered. This is the opposite of the notion that 'the longer you go without, the better.'

Why we can't answer 'how many days is safe'

In searches, questions like 'danjiki how many days' and 'zesshoku up to how many days' come up a lot. We'll address this head-on.

We are not in a position to answer

A food maker cannot write 'it is safe up to this many days.'Conditions differ completely depending on build, age, chronic illness, medication, and lifestyle. That is why. Only a physician can make this judgment.

As seen in the previous section, even the specialist anesthesiology society gives no specific time for pre-surgical solid-food fasting, calling the evidence 'insufficient.' If that's the case for a matter of hours, there's no way a food maker could assert anything about a matter of days.

For anything claiming 'results in X days,' check its basis

If you come across information that asserts a duration, check the following.

• Who wrote it—a person with medical qualifications, or a business selling a product
• What is shown as evidence—a paper, a personal account, or nothing at all
• Whether it notes cautions for those with chronic illness or taking medication
• Whether it states 'when you should stop'

Anything that doesn't state the last item is best read with caution. A guide that doesn't state the conditions for stopping has keeping you going as its purpose at times.

About the term 'koten hanno' (healing reaction)

When you feel unwell, you may be told 'it's a healing reaction, so keep going.' The government has issued a clear position on this term.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare states 'there is no scientific basis'

A document from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 'The Correct Way to Use Health Foods,' states the following.

When someone feels unwell after eating a health food, urging continued use by saying things like 'that's the period when your body's toxins are coming out' or 'a reaction appearing is proof it's working' refers to the so-called 'healing reaction,' but the expression itself constitutes a violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. There is no scientific basis for the 'healing reaction,' so take ample care with anything that touts a healing reaction in its product description, and if you should feel unwell after taking a health food, stop using it immediately.

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau, Department of Food Safety, 'The Correct Way to Use Health Foods'

'There is no scientific basis' and 'the expression itself constitutes a violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act'. That a government document goes this far is likely because there was that much harm. The Pharmaceutical Affairs Act in the quotation corresponds to the current Act on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices.

If you feel unwell, stop first

The same document says that if appropriate responses such as stopping use or seeing a medical institution are delayed, health damage could spread. It also says that continuing because 'it would be a waste of the money paid' and ending up with a worsened condition defeats the whole purpose.

An earlier version of this article had a heading titled 'healing reaction.' Because it was inappropriate in light of the government's position, we removed it and replaced it with this section.

What is a recovery meal

From here is the part we can write about as a food maker.

The meaning of the term

A recovery meal is something eaten on the way back to normal meals from a state of restricted eating—that is what the term means. It is not a medical term, but a label that has been used in the context of danjiki and fasting.

A similar idea exists in clinical settings: the way of advancing meals step by step after surgery or fasting, from a liquid diet through thin rice porridge (sanbugayu), medium rice porridge (gobugayu), and full rice porridge (zengayu) to a regular diet. not returning to normal all at once—they share this point.

Why proceed in stages

It is known that returning suddenly to normal meals from a state of not eating for a period puts a strain on the body. This is the domain of medicine, so for details please check with a physician or registered dietitian.

What can be said from the food side is returning in order, starting from things that are easier to digest—that is the only principle. The order closely resembles how meals are advanced in clinical settings.

Foods used in recovery meals

What specifically is used. This is about food, so we can go into detail.

Foods by stage

Stage	Foods	State
At the start	Omoyu (rice water), grated-vegetable soup, miso soup with no ingredients	Close to a liquid
次	Sanbugayu (thin rice porridge), vegetable potage, tofu	Soft enough to swallow
Next	Gobugayu (medium rice porridge), simmered dishes with their broth, miso soup with chopped ingredients	Little chewing needed
After that	Zengayu (full rice porridge), softly simmered vegetables, white-fleshed fish	Close to a normal meal
After returning	Normal meals	―

What is common'soft,' 'low in oil,' 'not strongly flavored'—these are the three points. Fried foods, fatty meat, heavily spiced foods, and alcohol are left for later at every stage.

The difference between omoyu and okayu

• Omoyu: rice cooked in plenty of water, taking only the clear upper liquid. No grains of rice
• Sanbugayu: about 20 parts water to 1 part rice. Mostly liquid
• Gobugayu: about 10 parts water to 1 part rice. Grains of rice are visible
• Zengayu: about 5 parts water to 1 part rice. What is commonly called okayu
• Nanhan: about 2-3 parts water to 1 part rice. Soft cooked rice

The name changes with the amount of water. the smaller the number, the more water and the softer it is—that is the relationship. When a recovery-meal guide says 'starting from sanbugayu,' it refers to a state quite close to liquid.

Why miso soup and soup are used

Miso soup and soup come up often in recovery-meal guides. you can take in water and salt together, it's warm, and there's no need to chew—because they meet these conditions.

If you add ingredients, start with ones that cook soft. Vegetables that fall apart when simmered—like daikon, carrot, kabocha squash, and onion—are well suited. Fibrous ones like burdock and lotus root come after the stages have progressed.

Why dried vegetables suit recovery meals

This is about the materials we handle. The conditions for recovery meals match the properties of dried vegetables well.

already cut small, and they rehydrate soft

Dried vegetables are cut and then dried. you can add just a small amount to the pot without using a knife—that is the advantage. When you are not in full health, taking out a cutting board to cut root vegetables is a burden.

Because the water has been removed, they soften faster than raw vegetables when simmered. Add them straight into soup and they cook as they rehydrate.

Usable a little at a time

The trouble with recovery meals is you can't gauge the amount. Even if you buy one carrot or a quarter of a daikon, you eat only a tiny amount. The rest spoils in the refrigerator.

With dried vegetables, you can take out just a pinch and use it. The rest keeps at room temperature, so you can save it for ordinary cooking once you feel better.

Just add it to miso soup and it becomes an ingredient

The easiest way to use it is to put it in miso soup.

1. Put water in a pot and heat it
2. Add a pinch of dried vegetables
3. Simmer until the vegetables soften
4. Turn off the heat and dissolve in the miso

You save the trouble of making stock and of cutting ingredients. Items that work well as miso soup ingredients are List of dried products listed at.

Make it into soup or potage

In the early stages, it can be easier to eat when no solid pieces remain. You can simmer dried vegetables and then mash them, or Vegetable powder you can also dissolve it to make a potage.

With powder, you don't even need to simmer. Just dissolve it in hot water and add a little salt, and it comes together.

Another path: improving your meals at work

Many people look into fasting out of a desire to review their eating habits. But improving everyday meals can be the more realistic option.

If you tend to skip lunch on weekdays

What throws off eating habits is more often the environment than willpower. Skipping lunch, getting by with convenience-store food, eating a lot late at night. These habits are in part driven by a lack of options at the workplace.

We also help with initiatives to place vegetables in the office so they can be eaten easily. For details, see Food initiatives in the office.

Related terms

We have organized food-related terms in a glossary. Plant-based and Wellness.

Frequently asked questions

What is ファスティング (fasting)?

It is the katakana rendering of the English word "fasting," and in Japanese it is often used to refer to abstaining from food for a set period for health or beauty purposes. However, there is no fixed definition, and everything from half-day to several-day versions goes by the same word.

What does "fasting" mean?

In English it means "to abstain from food." The same word is used for religious fasting and for stopping food before medical tests or surgery. It covers a broader range than the Japanese katakana word "ファスティング."

What is 絶食 (zesshoku, medical fasting)?

It means stopping food intake. In medical settings it refers to stopping food before tests or surgery, and it is managed by the hour. The Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists' preoperative fasting guidelines indicate the following intervals to leave before anesthesia induction: 2 hours for clear fluids, 4 hours for breast milk, and 6 hours for formula and cow's milk. When drinks are stopped as well, it is called "zetsuinshoku" (fasting from food and drink).

What is the difference between 断食 (danjiki), 絶食 (zesshoku), and ファスティング (fasting)?

断食 (danjiki) refers to voluntarily abstaining from food in the context of religion, traditional practice, or health regimens. 絶食 (zesshoku) refers to stopping food for tests or surgery in a medical context. ファスティング is a katakana word used in health and beauty contexts, and what it actually involves varies depending on who is offering it.

How many days of 絶食 (medical fasting) is safe?

We are a food manufacturer, not a medical expert, so we are not in a position to answer. Please consult a doctor. For reference, the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists' guidelines state that they "do not specify a clear fasting time" for solid foods before surgery, explaining that the reason is insufficient evidence. This is an area where even a specialist society does not specify a time, even on the order of a few hours.

What is 回復食 (kaifukushoku, a recovery diet)?

It is a term for the food eaten while transitioning from a period of restricted eating back to normal meals. It is not a medical term, but medical settings also have a stepwise approach that moves from liquid diets to sanbun-gayu (thin rice porridge), gobun-gayu (medium rice porridge), zen-gayu (full rice porridge), and then regular food, and the underlying idea is the same.

What do you eat on day 1 of a recovery diet?

What is generally recommended are near-liquid foods such as omoyu (thin rice gruel), miso soup without solids, and soup made from grated vegetables. However, what you eat on which day depends on your condition, so follow the instructions of a doctor or registered dietitian. The only thing that can be said from the food side is the principle of starting with foods that are soft, low in oil, and not strongly flavored.

When I started feeling unwell, I was told it was a "healing reaction" (kouten hannou)

Materials from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare clearly state that "there is no scientific basis for the 'healing reaction'" and that "the expression itself constitutes a violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act." If you start to feel unwell, stop use immediately and consult a doctor promptly.

Summary

• "fasting" is English for abstaining from food — a broad word used in both religious and medical contexts
• The katakana word "ファスティング" has no fixed meaning
• Medical "絶食" (fasting) is managed by the hour. There are guidelines from the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists
• Clear fluids up to 2 hours before anesthesia induction, breast milk up to 4 hours before, and formula and cow's milk up to 6 hours before
• For solid foods, even the specialist society does not specify a clear fasting time
• Longer fasting is not better; in medicine it has been reviewed in the direction of shortening it
• "How many days" is not a question a food manufacturer can answer. Consult a doctor
• The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare clearly states that there is no scientific basis for the "healing reaction"
• Start a recovery diet with foods that are soft, low in oil, and not strongly flavored
• Omoyu, sanbun-gayu, gobun-gayu, and zen-gayu are named by the amount of water

What this article could cover is the meanings of the terms and the recovery diet as food. Always leave decisions about method and number of days to a medical professional。