What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

[MoMo.]

:salams

Anybody know the answer?

[~Princesse]

A morsel? Per day?

[|Sister|]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

To maintain your current weight you need to consume at least the same amount of calories your body uses to operate your organs (basal metabolic rate multiplied by 1.2). If you burn more calories by walking, running, and doing daily tasks, then you need to eat more. It also needs to be balanced with the correct amount of trace minerals and vitamins your organs need to operate, otherwise you will slowly die from malnutrition even if you eat "enough" food.

EX: The body of a 180cm, 80kg Male uses 1868 calories per day to operate it's organs. If you multiply this by 1.2, you will get the calories he needs to maintain his current mass (2241.6).

*Edit (It also matters how much body fat he/she has. someone with enough food stores could survive months without food. Someone who is already very thin could die within a week or two either from starvation or from nutrient imbalance).

[MoMo.]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

To maintain your current weight you need to consume at least the same amount of calories your body uses to operate your organs (basal metabolic rate multiplied by 1.2). If you burn more calories by walking, running, and doing daily tasks, then you need to eat more. It also needs to be balanced with the correct amount of trace minerals and vitamins your organs need to operate, otherwise you will slowly die from malnutrition even if you eat "enough" food.

EX: The body of a 180cm, 80kg Male uses 1868 calories per day to operate it's organs. If you multiply this by 1.2, you will get the calories he needs to maintain his current mass (2241.6).

I am not talking about calories to maintain current body weight. I am talk about the lest amount to survive on.

Edit: Alright.

[|Sister|]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

I am not talking about calories to maintain current body weight. I am talk about the lest amount to survive on.

Edit: Alright.

There is a whole subculture of (westerners mostly) people who water fast as an alternative medicine/healthy lifestyle, constantly on that line "least amount needed to survive". You could read their forums here. They have a few articles written by medical doctors who explain the chemical process involved (I mean if you're really curious about exactly how much). http://www.fastingconnection.com/art...osis-explained

[MoMo.]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

There is a whole subculture of (westerners mostly) people who water fast as an alternative medicine/healthy lifestyle, constantly on that line "least amount needed to survive". You could read their forums here. They have a few articles written by medical doctors who explain the chemical process involved (I mean if you're really curious about exactly how much). http://www.fastingconnection.com/art...osis-explained

Interesting. Thank you.

[Muslimah7186]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

Salam, okay i am just going to start off by saying this may not be answering your question but please read lol.
There is a girl in one of my classes that is on a cleansing body.... diet? Basically she doesnt eat for an entire week she only drinks water :O
i asked her why she does this and she replied, its a strategy that helps your body rid itself of toxins.

you asked the least amount to survive on..... my friends goes a week without eating.

[MoMo.]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

Salam, okay i am just going to start off by saying this may not be answering your question but please read lol.
There is a girl in one of my classes that is on a cleansing body.... diet? Basically she doesnt eat for an entire week she only drinks water :O
i asked her why she does this and she replied, its a strategy that helps your body rid itself of toxins.

you asked the least amount to survive on..... my friends goes a week without eating.

:wswrwb:

Yea you can actually go a long time without eating, as long as you are drinking water. There was a story recently of a women who survived on a bag of skittles and water for around 45 days in the desert after her car broke down and she got lost.

[|Sister|]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

:wswrwb:

Yea you can actually go a long time without eating, as long as you are drinking water. There was a story recently of a women who survived on a bag of skittles and water for around 45 days in the desert after her car broke down and she got lost.

SubhanAllah.. that poor lady. That must have been really scary... I can't really imagine being lost in a desert with predatory animals and criminals.. not to mention the blistering sun. How did she get a 45 day supply of water?

I do the month water fast once per year (not as fanatical as some, lol) and it really is rejuvenating. (I've done it since before I was Muslim and discovered the virtues of Ramadan, alhamdulillah). The first time you taste food after a long fast is amazing, it's like you've never tasted it before in your life. :D kind of makes you appreciate people who never have food.

[|Sister|]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

Salam, okay i am just going to start off by saying this may not be answering your question but please read lol.
There is a girl in one of my classes that is on a cleansing body.... diet? Basically she doesnt eat for an entire week she only drinks water :O
i asked her why she does this and she replied, its a strategy that helps your body rid itself of toxins.

you asked the least amount to survive on..... my friends goes a week without eating.

She's not wrong. :)
A Doctor talking about modern diseases and how fasting can help cure or relieve them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXf-dlhw7ow

It's funny, he also names alcohol reduction as one of the ways you can help yourself live longer.. lol

[MoMo.]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

SubhanAllah.. that poor lady. That must have been really scary... I can't really imagine being lost in a desert with predatory animals and criminals.. not to mention the blistering sun. How did she get a 45 day supply of water?

I do the month water fast once per year (not as fanatical as some, lol) and it really is rejuvenating. (I've done it since before I was Muslim and discovered the virtues of Ramadan, alhamdulillah). The first time you taste food after a long fast is amazing, it's like you've never tasted it before in your life. :D kind of makes you appreciate people who never have food.

She found a stream nearby.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10..._n_994697.html

Woah. You go a whole month on just water?

Yep, eating after a fast is awesome. Reminds me of this. The Prophet :saw: said: "Whosoever fasts experiences two joys. He is joyful when he breaks his fast, and is joyful because of his fasting when he meets his Lord." [Sahih Muslim]

[|Sister|]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

She found a stream nearby.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10..._n_994697.html

I remember this, her poor husband.:( People in the US get lost quite often in the woods and desert. I really don't think anyone should travel unless they are in large groups.

Woah. You go a whole month on just water?

Yes, you can also do it on fruit juice if just water is too harsh on your liver/kidneys....course if you drink too much it kind of defeats the purpose and might make you fat.. lol.

Yep, eating after a fast is awesome. Reminds me of this. The Prophet :saw: said: "Whosoever fasts experiences two joys. He is joyful when he breaks his fast, and is joyful because of his fasting when he meets his Lord." [Sahih Muslim]

May Allah make us of those who meet Him in a happy state

[cooldog]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

I remember this, her poor husband.:( People in the US get lost quite often in the woods and desert. I really don't think anyone should travel unless they are in large groups.


Yes, you can also do it on fruit juice if just water is too harsh on your liver/kidneys....course if you drink too much it kind of defeats the purpose and might make you fat.. lol.


May Allah make us of those who meet Him in a happy state

One month on just water :shock:

I recently tried going three days without food and succeeded alhamduliallah.

I dont think u can continue with your daily routine on just water for a month.

[علي]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

From wikipedia:

Humans can actually survive healthily on a diet of potatoes supplemented only with milk or butter, which contain the two vitamins not provided by potatoes (vitamins A and D).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato

I think dates and milk are amazing too, but not sure if you can survive healthily on just the two, you may need the occasional bit of meat and a good vitamin C source as well.

[Leafwind]

Re: What is the least amount of food a person can survive on?

I just had an argument about the crappy food I was serves by my mom, she said children your age serve themselves so why can't you, so I figured to hell with food. I'm going on this 1 month diet of water and milk, if I die I die, but I'm more worried about how this will affect my metabolism at the end of the month, will I rapidly gain weight from food that before the "fasting" didn't have much of an impact on? and is there anything to do so it (metabolism) can be as efficient as before? jzk