Why a 10-day Water Fast Will Make You Question Everything
I concluded a 10-day water fast last week. Although not my first, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Water fasting is consuming nothing but water. It is giving the body a break, so that internal healing can occur. If this sounds nuts, consider this: no other wellness regimen or diet has persisted over the millennia and across cultures. People resort to water fasting for various reasons: spiritual, wellness, fighting disease or simply invoking the pause. Many traditions use this method to clear the mind.
Water fasting is a rigorous discipline best practiced under the guidance of a medical practitioner. I had both medical counsel and kept a meticulous log of various vital body readings, with the support of OTC supplies I picked from the pharmacy. I also performed a baseline laboratory test of my blood chemistry and will repeat a post screen shortly.
First, what I would lose? I lost 12 pounds and experienced some difficult mornings of acid reflux, a common sign of detoxing. I also could not practice yoga for the best part of the 10-day fast.
So what did I gain? Some valuable insights and a new relationship to food.
- Fasting builds discipline and reinforces one’s inner strength. Food is a social glue and walking up and down the streets of New York, there are reminders of food EVERYWHERE. I continued to cook food almost every day that I gave away, so that this could actually benefit others.
2. Increased Mental Clarity. Once I made it past the first weekend, I felt more lucid than ever before. I suggest starting a fast on a weekend to know what your body can handle.
3. Slowing Down. I foolishly practiced hot yoga on Day 1. I thought I could do it. But fasting is not about proving anything, it’s about taking time off and slowing down. The result? I had a very difficult time on the first weekend, felt lethargic and came very close to ordering food on Seamless on Day 3.
4. Deep cleaning. I gave my digestive tract a rest and opportunity to perform some very essential deep cleaning. The first few days are spent burning through muscle reserves. The real detox begins when your body switches to burning fats as the primary source that the real work of detox and healing can begin.
5. Fasting is all around us. It is one of the ways most animals heal themselves. Literally, you live longer when you eat less. This is no longer fringe science, but well supported by peer reviewed scientific papers.
When one abstains from food, you connect with your body in a new way and become intimately familiar with just how little food your body actually needs. Your relationship with food changes.
A story about Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras relates how he was refused entry into a school of mysticism in Egypt unless he undertook a 40-day fast with deep breathing exercises. He protested saying he wanted knowledge, not dieting. But the school did not budge. Finally, Pythagoras submitted and recounted being a changed person and that his 40-day exercise had moved his center from head to heart.
Do you need a reset? Still not convinced? Try a 2 day juice fast instead with lemon, ginger, honey and cayenne pepper. Give it a try, your body will be grateful.
