7 Days without Food - My Fasting Experience

My brother recently sent me a video that compared fasting with eating less - you can see the link at the bottom - which was very interesting. Turns out, it is much harder to eat less than to fast - as the body never stops seeking the carbs/foods it is used to getting for fuel. While this was very interesting, the idea set me on a different journey of watching several other videos on the topic. I had in the past done one-day fasts - for Easter - meaning not eating or drinking water for the whole day. I did enjoy this, though I had found it to be pretty hard and never imagined stretching it past the one day mark.

Then I found a Ted x Talk on the topic which was very intriguing. This guy mentioned that he does a 7 day fast and that it has become a common thing. Curiouser and Curiouser! I became puzzled at the idea as I regard myself a person that is very quick to become “Hangry” - which if you ask those that have spent some time with me, I am sure they will easily agree to. So I kept searching for more information and read a few articles. It turns out that the human body is amazing at cleaning itself, repairing cells, replenishing white blood cells - responsible for fighting diseases and illnesses etc. When I looked into it further, i found out that eating and the digestive system itself require a tremendous amounts of energy and effort - which could be going into repairing the body, should the body have the chance. Its like that Seinfeld episode where they do “NOTHING!”. I have found that the best thing to do at times is to do nothing at all. We are always trying to get healthy by consuming foods, putting supplements in our shakes/drinks, taking medicine or herbal pills etc. Why not just let your body figure it out by leaving it alone. Furthermore, so many religions and ancient wisdom promoted fasting, they cant all have been crazy.

After this I started to really think about this concept and came to a realisation. We as a human being have been eating every day of our lives - if you have been fortunate enough to do so - and as such when compared to natural patterns, we have become spoilt to believe we need breakfast, lunch, dinner and for most, the many snacks in between. Now when you compare this to nature, most animals eat when they can, and sometimes go days if not weeks without food. They do not wake up, start eating breakfast, then go for a few more hours, have lunch and snacks in between followed by an evening dinner! So I decided to just go for it. After all I do like challenging my comfort and pushing myself to see what the human body is capable of. As an added benefit if I was to get into a survival situation that meant no food, I would have already been prepared for it and it wouldn't be my first time - thus reducing shock, anxiety and stress - which could potentially save my life.

Things that you need/should have: given you are only consuming this and saving money on not eating anything else, I figured it's okay to spend some money and get the best possible items available to me. Cayenne Pepper powder (organic), Citroens (organically grown), Maple Syrup (Grade A or B, Organic), mineral water/Stream water (has more minerals than tap water and just much better for you), Sea Salt/Himalayan Salt (I actually really like the taste of Himalayan salt, though not the best due to the way it is sourced).

Things that you need/should have: given you are only consuming this and saving money on not eating anything else, I figured it's okay to spend some money and get the best possible items available to me. Cayenne Pepper powder (organic), Citron (organically grown), Maple Syrup (Grade A or B, Organic), mineral water/Stream water (has more minerals than tap water and just much better for you), Sea Salt/Himalayan Salt (I actually really like the taste of Himalayan salt, though not the best due to the way it is sourced.

Day 1: The fast started by making the lemonade. Half or a whole citron + 1 teaspoon of maple syrup + 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper - or how ever much you can handle, be brave. Mix it all in a glass of water - mineral water or stream water. You can drink this 6-8 times a day or more if needed - as much as you have time for. Try and not do it too much because you want to stop your body from needing carbs and instead switch over to burning fat (ketosis). The lemon suppresses your appetite, contains minerals, vitamin C etc. The Cayenne pepper dilates the blood vessels, increases circulation , is an Anti-Irritant, Anti-Fungal, Anti-Bacterial, Useful for Blood Clots, gets your heart going and is a blood thinner and purifier. The Maple Syrup contains minerals, vitamins and is an antioxidant.

Day 2: Like anything, the first 1-2 days are the hardest. My notes indicated that on this day I felt very calm, relaxed, more focused, my mind was at ease and that I really enjoyed the feeling.

Day 3: I woke up feeling terrible. Was very hard to get out of bed. I could feel all the toxins going through my body - things get worse before they get better, as the body finally has the chance to flush all the toxins out, causing them to travel through your body. For this reason, I decided to do the SWF - Salt water flush - because during the fast you do not have a bowel movement, so its very hard for your body to exert the toxins and clean your bowels. I mixed 1L of mineral water with 2 teaspoons of Himalayan salt, shook the bottle and drank it first thing in the morning - its like a reverse enema - in a space of 5-10 min. Then laying on my right side I remained still for around 30 minutes. NOTE: Do not fart if you have the sensation and try your best to hold it in for as long as possible to reach your 30 minute time-frame. You do not want to shit yourself (hopefully). After 30 minutes, you can go to the toilet and your body will finally be able to pass the salt water through and clear your system. The salt water itself is a cleanser.
My notes say: SWF really helped. It activated my bowel movement. I am thinking much less about food and less hungry overall. I feel more focused and clear.

Day 4 notes: I woke up feeling great. I have so much energy! I believe my body has started to expel all the toxins. I look much thinner, though mostly due to the loss of water retention. The Salt water flush is amazing, esp with the pink salt as it tastes nice. I was a bit irritated but that's normal. I can't believe how amazing the human body is. I will do this every 3-6 months. My mind so so clear and just silent. I love it!

Day 5 notes: I feel great. Almost like I could do this forever. More energy, control, confidence, will power, productive, focus and almost no body odour.

Day 6 notes: oh how gracious and beautiful everything is. This is heaven, this planet contains everything we need. Perhaps eating the apple - with Adam and Eve - is to say it wasn't good enough and that we diverged, pretending we know better. Power corrupts, possessions corrupt. This earth contains the most amazing and beautiful things. Why was it not enough? There is a sense of calm within me. I feel so at peace with everything. I can smell and feel every part of it. Specially in nature. What an amazing experience. The human body is remarkable. I can see why so many religions preach fasting.

Day 7 notes: I made it through. What an amazing journey. Seven days, on the 7 of the 7 of 2017. I really love that our body can do this. That we can survive and live in the most extraordinary places. Today was rough, especially needing to ride my bike with a huge backpack, then walking up 4 flights of stairs which required me to stop 3 times. It didn't help that I went for a 2 hour walk the day before - through the forest - as well as the fact that I forgot to have my lemon drink in the morning before getting on the bike. I feel honoured to have experienced this.

Day 8: only drank OJ (orange juice) - as per guide instructed - to get the digestive system started. This was followed by some vegetable broth at night.

Day 9: Orange Juice and vegetable salad.

Day 10: Vegetable Stew, Greek salad - minus the feta.

Conclusion: The human body can do extraordinary things. It has the ability to repair itself beyond our understanding. My skin, energy, focus and many other things improved dramatically. The bags under my eyes disappeared and I felt so much better.

Tips: you have to make sure you time it right with your drink. If you are about to go out, have your drink and if you are going to be out for a while, take a bottle of water and always drink plenty throughout the entire time. If possible even make the lemon drink and take it with you and drink it when you feel low on energy or hungry. It works like a charm! Flushing the body with the salt water helps a lot and I did it in the morning and waited for the body to settle before going out. Apart from that, do not give in, and stay strong and surrounded yourself with a positive environment. You pretty much become super alert and pure, so anything that is not positive, whether it's people, tv shows, really irritate you - or at least it did for me. I also couldn't tolerate high energy or negative people and really had become super tuned to people's vibes, my environment, toxic things - food or otherwise.

This is my experience, do not try this without looking into more details and perhaps consulting with a dietitian. Do not do this to loose weight - as you will loose track of the purpose and cause more harm than good. I am not responsible for any negative outcomes. Also, you cannot do this and go to bars, drinks beers, have ciggies etc. Understand the purpose and why you are doing this. Remove all toxins from your life during the process. For me, that included chemical shampoos, soaps etc. If you want to know more, write to me or comment and I will share more details. I could only fit so much. I do know that after this, I have changed my diet completely and removed all dairy, refined and processed foods as well as wheat/starch and gluten intake. I notice how different foods affect me - whereas before I was oblivious. Like with anything in life, you have to remove it to know what it caused. Like when you are in a bad relationship and only after your leave, you come to realise how toxic it was -especially after meeting a nice partner. On a different note, apparently you are also meant to have a bowel movement after each meal throughout your normal days. Though due to our unhealthy lives, we tend to have one, if that. After this and keeping healthy, I can say that has become true. Anyways enough talking shit - pun intended, I have actually swapped to Dr Sebi’s Mucusless diet after this - which another beautiful friend of mine shared with me (Aïsha Latina) - but that's a whole other story for another day ;)

I highly recommend watching these videos
Fasting vs eating less:

Why fasting bolsters brain power: Mark Mattson at TEDxJohnsHopkinsUniversity - Mark Mattson is the current Chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging. He is also a professor of Neuroscience at The Johns Hopkins University. Mattson is one of the foremost researchers in the area of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Dr Sebi: Eat to Live (Full Length)

Fasting: A Path To Mental And Physical Transcendence | Phil Sanderson | TEDxBeaconStreet

Guides:
http://themastercleanse.org/category/my-experience/roadmap/
http://themastercleanse.org/salt-water-flush/
It is good to note that some guides say they had pizza or egg for breakfast after the 7th day. This is a terrible thing to do to your body after fasting. The best guides are the ones that tell you to drink orange juice for the first 2 days.

Benefits Of 7 Day Water Fasting:

http://www.stylecraze.com/art…/benefits-of-7-day-water-fast/

• Having no calories burns approximately 1 pound of fat per day, making it the fastest weight loss method.
• Increases insulin sensitivity as there is less fluctuation in blood sugar levels.
• Improves body repair, recovery and healing from decreased inflammation.
• Lowers stress levels, decreases blood pressure and rejuvenates the body.
• Increases immunity due to better cell resistance.
• Enables reduction in cancer cell proliferation.
• Slows down aging and cognitive decline.
• Lowers the risk of heart disease (2).
• Solves digestive problems such as gastritis, irritable bowels, constipation, diarrhea, gas, dyspepsia, and loss of appetite.
• Water fasting is also an opportunity for emotional and spiritual introspection. People find they have better control over their thoughts and diet, after they are done with this fast.