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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookIts so helpful to link with a community that is exploring the many ways to recapture and vitalize their health/ lives, especially when outside the front door is abash with untruths about what is good for us. Sifting through the mountains of myths to find our truth. Im thankful that we are here together a real family , connection , and all sharing this time and space. A wonderful experiment and exploration. Much more fun together x
So am already into Day 7 of a water fast. Its so helpful to read a blog from all of the other explorers who have gone before. As with others the first 3-4 days is the crucial point but as the time passes it becomes easier and your power grows. On day 7 , I am feeling the effects of the bodies amazing ability to clean and heal itself. Symptoms are various and of varying intensities but they all seem to pass and to keep reminding myself of this every time I think about gorgeous delicacies. To mention: Insomnia and feeling fluish are probably the things that are most uncomfortable, and a difficulty in being still, there is a unrest and fidgety part of me that is raising its head. Especially at nights – difficult to just be with, like being tickled on the inside. After a week I can see that this is possible and I intend to follow this fast through until my body has finished its work : 1. Till my tongue that has completely covered with white gunk has changed to a pinky healthy colour, this means that the colon and digestive track is clean. 2. And when a real hunger returns, from my research these are the signals that the body gives to show that its time to break the fast.
I know that to do an extended fast is a great challenge and that one needs to pay special attention to the body, that intense pain or really abnormal signals perhaps mean that you should break the fast and that it is always advisable to have supervision. But living in the UK I have been unable to find supervision – so am doing it under my own supervision. I have previously done the master cleanse for 40 days and so that helped me prepare for this water fast. However the first few days of this fast was a lot more difficult and the responses and changes are immediate. Which leads me to believe that the master cleanse was helpful but Im not sure how, didnt notice any real changes or benefits after, I think that it was because all that maple syrup was feeding the candida in my system. The water fast feels like it is getting to the core of imbalance in my body and is working to do all it can to rebalance and vitalize my life.
Im really trusting the body and its innate wisdom but as this is my first water fast there are still moments of fear that creep in. Thats why it is so wonderful to be connected to this site and all of you. Thank you! For your posts they are the helping hands through these times x
Comments
matt, wow! Very impressive that you have made it to day seven. I recently did a six day fast and by day four I felt like I could go on forever because my body was completely done detoxing. I had no bad breath, no BO, no pain anywhere and I was full of energy. It was amazing. I’ve never quite had an experience like it. Of course, day three and four were horrible. ha.
I was also helped alot by the supportive nature of these forums and I’m so grateful that they’re here for us to use.
Good luck with the rest of your fast!
You need to be extremely careful here. I can’t condone any type of water fast for over a few days. I’m sure I wont change anyone’s mind on this site, but though I’ve seen many blogs and answer-type sites say that water fasting is “shown to help” this or that, I haven’t seen any medical research conducted on the subject. How much water are you drinking? If you’re consuming more than you should, hyponatremia becomes an issue when (rolls eyes at the salt guy) your electrolytes are not replaced and your salt content drops to an unhealthy level. This is a very serious condition which is why you really should be monitored by someone who is an MD. Keytones have been shown to be present in people who have fasted, those are bad. Some studies have shown that your body undergoes some bad changes going from the fasting phase to the refeeding phase.
I’ll just post this short little quote from an article entitled “Macro- and micronutrient losses and nutritional status resulting from 44 days of total fasting in a non-obese man.”
changes in body mass and arm anthropometry and in the pattern of urinary excretion of creatinine, ammonia, sodium, and ketone bodies during the study were consistent with starvation. [/quote]Be careful.
Mattydean – Thank you for sharing with us! I am glad you are drawing strength from this community. I certainly have enjoyed every minute of goneraw and my raw journey. It’s lovely that you are doing a water fast, and i really admire the strength it takes to abstain from food for 7 days! I can’t even do 1/2 day fast yet. Good for you, cleansing the system!!
Thanks for thanking us for posting. So many sweet people have helped make this site a beautiful place.
I’ve known and heard of several people who do forty day water fasts that never had that problem. I only did a six day fast but I never experienced anything negative like that.
I understand that, Troubles. We’ve all known “people” to do things, but unfortunately, this argument doesn’t hold up well over scientific evidence and process.
Yeah, I see your point. However,(this is totally a personal thing and I’m cool with any disagreement you have with it) my fast and most forty day fasts are for spiritual reason. I’m a Christian and the point of water fasts for us is to rely on God to give us strength to handle any physical trial.
So, that’s what I believe. I do know that after I detoxed I felt really good. It’d be cool if they did some more scientific experiments with it so we could really see what happens to the body of a normal person on a medium length fast.
MATTY DEAN I know exactly how you feel. I too want to do an extended water fast but want to be medically monitored due to some health concerns I have. I live in the South East US and can’t find that supervision. I did find a reputable place that is app. 20 hours away but that won’t work. I have read a good bit on it and believe it is a viable and beneficial practice, but I don’t want to take the chance without medical supervision, and I don’t think I can get that from a conventional doctor.
MamaMilk is a member and her hubby has successfully completed at least one 40-day fast. I am unsure if he had medical monitoring or not. I understand he has been threatening to become a GR member. If he does, we can both query his experience.
what do your mean successfuly completed
anyone can go for 40 days without eatin the thing is do you call that success when your starvin yourself like trying to drive with no gas it might save moeny but its not that good for the engine lol
sounds pretty uncool to me guy
Even if MamaMilk’s husband doesn’t get on here she’s extremely helpful and knowledgeable on the subject so you can always ask her too. I’m sure she’d be happy to oblige:)
Hi Guys,
Thank you all for your support x
Am on day 12 and am really starting to pick up energy. I respect my body totally and anyone else that chooses to fast. It is not an easy task, a challenge on many levels, but the rewards are starting to appear. There is a huge difference between starving and fasting. And the body is wonderfully created to repair and rejuvenate itself during a fast as I have heard but am now discovering. There are so many theories and thoughts about what is healthy and not healthy for us and no one perfect answer. Its about what works for you.
I looked at supervision but it was hugely expensive for telephone monitoring and I think as 1000’s of people have fasted listening to their own bodies before, that if I pay attention and am doing the fast with love that, my body will take over and show me quite clearly if it is in trouble. It is at peace and my inner being is getting a chance to be listened to, maybe for the first time.
Fear is the biggest hurdle to overcome. I dont know anyone that has done an extended water fast. So going it alone is a real journey. A journey that I have found that has led me to trust and be with my body like never before , a real coming home. But it doesnt feel lonely , with the connection of this group/site, after all we are never alone. There is always more than our thoughts.
One of the breakthrough I have had today is that it is okay for me to fail. Fail on the fast by not doing a longer time etc, I planned to go to completion, or fail to eat good raw foods after or feel like a failure for wanting junk food or meat etc . And now that I have given myself the permission to fail, accept that I am only human and not perfect then that criticism and all the wasteful energy that goes with it can be used to heal. Focused on the love rather than the fear. Like attracts like!
I am drinking about 2-3 litres of water a day and resting as necessary. I feel like my body is working really quickly and only the boredom of not eating makes me hope that completion wont be weeks away. I enjoy food and eating, as we all do , I am now working with letting go of my addiction/bind to it so that its not such a consuming part of my life but just is.
I chose to do this fast as a real turning point in my life and I realise why fasting is so powerful.
It is a real joy to be part of you all, to feel part of this group of explorers x
Matty Dean
Successful completion:
The body naturally uses the energy for digestion about 60% of its energy to process food. During a fast this energy is used to clean the body instead. Generally there are signs that the body is doing a spring clean, bad breath, coated tongue and various other signs which indicate the digestive tract is toxic. Your appetite generally disappears as well.
When your tongue returns to a healthy pink colour, your maladies are gone and your appetite returns then it is a sign that your fast is over. This is what is understood by a successful completion.
Although a break for your digestion of any length maybe considered as successful, once your body has started a deep cleanse of the system it is suggested that you allow it to complete its work before breaking the fast – this is as important as the fast itself there are strict protocols to ending a fast and re-feeding.
During the fast the body is specifically designed to use the fuel contained within the body i.e fat reserves etc. The body is in no way starving and it has been reported that there have been fasts of over 300 days. Extreme I know but proves that the body does not starve.
Starvation and fasting are completely different.
Kind regards x
Matty
I am no fasting expert but I did some semi-fasts for up to a week in the past, I totally understand your reasoning and the experience you are going through, I can only wish you good luck, keep us up-to-date from time to time.