My Experiments with my Body’s Truths

Selfie on Day 21 of the 21 Days Long Fast

Most of my life I’ve been told I do offbeat things. Over the last couple of years I’ve realized that it isn’t really me doing ‘offbeat’ things, it’s just that the people I’m around are not exposed to those things! But in the world out there?! Lots of people doing those ‘offbeat’ things — which then makes it not so ‘offbeat’, I guess! My 21-Days Long Fast was one such ‘offbeat’ thing!

If you google long fasts, you’ll see a bazillion posts, blogs, websites, etc talking about all kinds of fasting — intermittent, 3-day, 5-day, juice fast, fruit fast, water fast, etc, etc! So I’ll spare you that information. This article will focus on MY experiences of my experiment.

I first came across this concept of long fasts in Oct.,2019 during my stay at this beautiful space called Sehatvan, founded by a father-son duo, Dr. Vipin & Madhur. Never until then did I know it was possible to not just stay alive on water for 10 days, but be alive & kicking too! I also got to understand that while 10 days is great, it’s not really considered a ‘long’ fast! The shortest long fast is 21 days.

In those 10 days I had seen things shift in me, both physically & mentally. And post the 10 days too I could sense a difference in my being. This motivated me to do a ‘real’ long fast (the internet calls anything post 2–3 days a long fast — the internet is not always correct!) — a 21-days long, water only fast.

I first decided when & where I’d do it — February, 2020, post my birthday, starting Feb.15th, at home. Then I began researching long fasts, & re-realized that I’m not doing something ‘offbeat’ — there’s a lot of people out there who’ve done it before me, & thereby, enough support for me to do it.

Most veteran fast-ers will tell you to not undertake a long fast on your own without a supportive environment, & someone for medical guidance — listen to the veterans — they’re wise through experience. I got both boxes checked — spoke to my parents & my life partner about it — everyone was on board (some less grudgingly than others!), whether or not they were convinced of me not eating anything for 21 days (all the myths we live with!) Medical guidance — I feel blessed to have the kind of people I have in my circle — I had just the right person for what I wanted to do — this amazing human, Ganesh (contactganeshram@gmail.com & being.ganga on IG) who’s by default become my health guide for any & every thing! He’s a Naturalist (one who observes nature to find solutions to all problems.) He arrives at the principles of Nature cure based on his research on human-ecological co-evolution. Ganesh agreed to be there for me through the entire process — and can I just say, in retrospect, it was the wisest decision in the whole process — to find someone like him, who’d not just help me figure out the phases of this journey, but be there like a rock through it all.

To give context to my experience & learning, I’ll share some basics of a long fast — it has 5 stages. I’m sharing the stages here based on my experience, you can read more about the documented stages in detail here (or google it).

Stage 1: Days 1–2. Last time these 2 days were a cake walk, maybe coz I was physically very active. This time around I chose to go with what I read — rest as much as you can — and so these two days I did experience some feelings of hunger & usual no-food symptoms like headache & weakness.

Stage 2: Days 3–7. This is the stage when your body begins to move into autophagy — your cells begin to eat themselves — I know this may sound scary, but it’s a good thing, really! Your body is quite an intelligent being — it eats the dead/ dying cells which when left on their own manifest into all the diseases we get! As it moves into autophagy, the body shifts it’s energy consumption from carbs to fats — you start burning fats , & begin to feel energetic. In this stage some may even encounter something known as a healing crisis — it seems like you’re getting unwell, but that’s only your body working to get rid of all the collected toxins. I was nauseous, vomited a few times, etc.

Stage 3: Days 8–15. Here’s when your body begins to adjust to this new system of using stored fats as energy, & begins to not just get back to normal, but to better than normal, with toxins getting out of the system, & all that jazz that only this magical body can do when allowed to! This is also the stage most veteran fast-ers look forward to — there’s a sharp clarity of thought, some may even have spiritual experiences. I had both.

Stage 4: Day 16 & beyond. It’s said if you’ve reached Day 16 you’ve reached a state not many have been to! And by fasting post Day 16 you’re giving your body more opportunity to detox & heal itself. My body seemed to have reached a state of equilibrium — not just managing itself, but also full of energy!

Stage 5: Re-feeding: Stage 5 is the most important stage of a long fast. I’ll simply quote Ganesh’s mentor here, “Any idiot can pull off a fast, but only a good naturopath knows how to break it without stressing the body.” Needless to say it is extremely important to appreciate the criticality of this stage or else you may end up doing more harm to your body than all the benefits accrued! I would be lying if I said re-feeding was easy — it wasn’t — but it was good — it gave me the opportunity to begin understanding my body’s true needs, and begin distinguishing needs from wants &/ desires.

21 Insights — The Learning

1. People will not understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. Your job isn’t to convince anyone of it! Just ensure you have a support system, who will not judge you or hinder your journey. Other than that, I chose to not engage with anyone who felt strongly against what I was doing. (Come to think of it — this point is true for life in general — not just for a 21-day fast.)
2. We really don’t need to eat as much as we do! Unless you’re doing hard physical labor, your body doesn’t deserve all those direct carbs you put into it! Our bodies were meant to store & use — you eat when food is available, store the excess (fats), & then use them in adverse conditions (unavailability of food for any reason). But in our modern world, we only eat & store, and store more & more! Just for your information, I’ve been a foodie my entire life — I still love food. And I’m telling you — you don’t need all that food on a daily basis. Your body will thank you if you feed it less.
3. Are we all full of shit, or are we all full of shit — literally?! When you think you’ve had a good dump, umm, no not really! All that shit that travels down your gut, is stuck to your gut, & remains stuck for decades! And then we wonder why we get diseases! Enemas must be a part of basic hygiene, like brushing your teeth. On Day 11 when I got up in the morning, after having done a few good rounds of enema the day before, I got up feeling as if I hadn’t not eaten for 10 days! There was this energy that took me by surprise! I did enema every day for the rest of my 21 days thereafter. And everyday, despite not having eaten anything in days, I would shit! There would be shit! Imagine ya’ll, what must be in your guts!?
4. All of these ‘facts’ out there about what to eat, how many times a day to eat, how many calories to consume, yada yada yada — they’re all eye wash — yes, it IS driven by the capitalist economy (you must already know that!).
5. There are different ways of satiating our sensory needs. I cooked almost everyday coz it satiated my sense of smell, & I felt satisfied with just having cooked the food! It also brought me a sense of grounded-ness. There are so many such things that we don’t explore coz we’re overwhelmed with obsessions — here, mainly, I’m referring to the obsession of overeating. We are ALL overeating ALL the time!
6. This realization — of how much more we eat than needed — made me think about all the food shortages around the globe, & human greed. And how greed is normalized in every aspect of life including food. In fact, overeating is not just normalized but also rewarded — “Why don’t you eat some more, beta!” If beta eats, everyone is so very happy as if beta just climbed the Everest.
7. Food is just one of the many elements — earth element — that nourishes our body. But our body is also nourished by water, sunlight, (uncontaminated) air, & nature — and nature is not ‘greenery’ — nature is wilderness.
8. The Sun! All you’ve heard about Vit. D is true! Everyday when I’d lie down in the sun, I’d literally be recharged! I would feel energetic after sleeping under sun for an hour! Oh, and don’t apply sunscreen for maximum benefits!
9. My first fast — 10 days — was only on water. I had lemon-salt water thrice across two days when my BP was low (I engaged in a lot of physical work during that fast). Other than that, it was only water. But now if I were to do it again, I’ll do it on lemon-honey water &/ coconut water . Lemon honey & Coconut water are great sources of detoxification — and the whole purpose of this fast is not to not eat, but to enable the body to heal itself. Lemon, honey, & coconut water greatly aid in that.
10. I would definitely recommend as much rest (both, physical & mental) as possible to anyone who’s doing a long fast — not coz your body is weak, but coz you want to let your body use all the energy in the process of healing. When you feel excess energy, like I did on various days, be wise on how to engage with it.
11. I lost about 7.5 kgs. That wasn’t my goal. In fact, I was a little stressed before the fast coz I didn’t want to lose too much weight & look ‘unhealthy’! But hey, you know what, this fast made me realize all the weight & body image issues I have that I hadn’t really thought about ever before — all of the ways that society & the capitalists have messed with our psyches! Also, the body doesn’t just keep losing weight non-stop — again, it’s an intelligent being, it knows when & where to stop. I lost about 6 kgs in the first 2 weeks, & over the 3rd week lost only 1.5 more.
12. It’s all a mind game — Dr. Vipin had told me this on Day 0 of my 10 day fast at Sehatvan — it’s true. It really is all in the mind. It’s not easy, but it’s pretty doable! And your body will be ever grateful to you!
13. Re-feeding IS the most important stage of a long fast. I cannot stress this point enough. And it’s a lovely phase coz your senses are suddenly so sharp & clear. I wouldn’t put salt in anything — and I relished the taste of veggies for their original flavors, unadulterated by salt &/ or any other spices. My first steamed veggies plate after the 21 days was heaven — I can still taste the steamed spinach & roasted sesame seeds in my mouth!
14. In fact, I think through the fast, post maybe day 4–5, your senses become sharp. My sense of smell got so sharp that I began to smell people’s odors that I’d never smelled before — and, well, it was mostly not very pleasant!
15. This one is for the ladies — my breasts somehow became firmer! I have no idea how &/ or why. It was neither a goal, nor mentioned anywhere on the net — but it happened! Also, my irregular periods started following my period calendar app to the dot!
16. The thrice a week massage was just so amazing! One, coz massages just are! Two, it felt like it helped with the process of my body’s healing. Massages, sun baths, mud baths — get them all when doing a long fast!
17. This body is truly a wonder! And such practices, like long fasts, have been there in many ancient traditions. It’s a pity we’ve been blinded by the glamour of what’s being shown to us. It’s a pity we accept what’s sold to us without any questions. It’s a pity we don’t invest in learning more about nature & its ways.
18. Your body is always talking to you. All you need to know is how to listen. A long fast slows you down enough to be able to listen to it. And oh, how satiating is the talk!
19. All research out there is based on averages. You are not an average! Your body is unique. What works for an average — whoever that is — may not work for you. Also, most of the research is US/ Europe (or some other white country) based. Trust & follow your body, once you gain the skill of listening to it.
20. Ape nature. That’s the solution. Nature, if left to itself, works in the most sustainable way, providing for all that needs to stay. And all that doesn’t need to stay, transforms.
21. Ganesh, and my research, had told me this — start thinking about how you want your life to be post the 21 days. I had heard the advise, but it didn’t really do much for me until it actually happened! The 21 days have indeed changed my lifestyle drastically.

P.S. The funniest thing people would ask me when I would say it’s a water only fast: “So what else do you have during the fast?” Umm, did I not just say ‘water only’?!

Life post the 21 Days

This picture talks for itself, doesn’t it!?

I have been living my life in a self-driven, conscious way ever since the fast. Before the fast I aspired to live a conscious life, but it wasn’t easy to follow through. Post the 21 days, something within me shifted. It’s almost 5 months to the fast now, and my life has integrated nutrition, exercise, sleep, & meditation!

I had been on Mopaday Forte 1000 mg, 1/2 a tab twice a day. I was detected with diabetes in 2008, & I began medication in 2010. And I left the medication in 2018 — with the resolve to work on my diet & lifestyle, & get medicinal toxins out of my system. Even before the fast my blood sugar reading would be within range, but my HbA1C — a reading that shows blood sugar average for the past 3 months — would be in good diabetic control range. Now it’s non-diabetic range.

I’ve never been an alcoholic or a regular drinker, but I did crave for my drinks. Ever since the fast, I don’t even feel like looking at them — there’s just no need.

Over these last few months I’ve consolidated all I’ve learnt in the last decade into Depth Seekers — A Space for Women Seeking Deep. Do check out the space :)

I’m not saying it’s all perfect now, & I never slip. Of course, I do. But now it’s neither ridden by guilt, nor does a slip result into a spiral. The most beautiful, almost effortless process has been getting food, workout, sleep, meditation, & work in symphony. The tougher journey has been my realizations around my binge eating disorder. I’ve talked more about the role of market, society, & all well-meaning friends & family in nurturing this & other eating disorders, in a separate piece called Why ‘Wow, you’ve lost so much weight!’ is not a compliment!.

I continue experimenting with what works for my body, what doesn’t — different kinds of diet theories. And I’m still in the process of figuring it out. I can tell you it’s quite fun! And I can also tell you it’s not about curbing your desires. It’s about understanding the root cause of these false desires to really be able to meet your body’s true needs.

If you’re in a phase of life where you want to live a conscious life in all aspects, I would say go for a long fast! It reboots your entire being. If I can, so can you :)

If you want to read a raw, unedited, day-to-day account of my 21-days, read my 21-Days-Fast Journal. Reading it may help you understand how:

1. Everyday can be different through the 21 days.

2. Energy will be up and down, maybe a few times everyday.

3. It’s not ‘easy’ — I want you to know it’s not — so that you’re prepared for it to be ‘not easy’ when you hit those boulders.

4. It is more than doable!

5. It shifts the way you look at bodily systems, & life as a whole.

If you’re considering a long fast, & have any questions, queries, doubts, feel free to email me @ shobhali.thapa@gmail.com, or you can also drop a comment below :)