Fasting and diet therapy is one of the most important therapies in Naturopathy to treat various medical conditions. The subject includes scientific and systematic study of the procedure, mechanisms and effects of fasting and diet therapy and brings the knowledge of basic nutrition.

According to Naturopathy, the root cause of most of the disease is the accumulation of toxic matter. It is essential to cleanse it by diverting the energies of the body by fasting. During fasting the body eliminates a large amount of stored waste. The abstention may be complete or partial, lengthy, or of short duration, or intermittent.

Fasting is the voluntary abstinence from solid food and stimulants (caffeine, nicotine) for a prescribed period of time. The abstinence from food or drink or both can be for health, ritualistic, religious, or ethical purposes. When fasting is done properly, one would experience a good level of vitality and absence of hunger. When one fasts the body is given an opportunity to heal on its own.