There are supposedly many benefits from fasting… such as for health and spirit. (lots of good sources on the web to search from)
I periodically have done a one day fast but this one time I wanted to test and speak from personal experience regarding the 5 day water fast.
I figured there would be something special if I did my fast in March, and use that opportunity to reflect on my Winter and welcome my Spring.
I went into the experience looking for ‘clarity of mind’… and now I’ll share with you what I got out of it.
Did I do any preparation? No. This was a cold turkey out of the blue at 9pm after having an evening snack of a bowl of dry Frosted Flakes… HEY! I want to try this.
For the record my 5 day Fast started Sunday, February 28 at 8pm (that was the last solid meal- the idea for the fast came to me an hour later) and ended Sunday, March 6 at 8am. (one thing 2016 is a leap year so we had February 29, one extra day)
Weighing in: Again, I did not go for the experience to lose weight. I went in it for the ‘mental clarity’. Before my 5 day Fast I weighed 123 lbs. after my 5th day I weighed in at 116 lbs.
Consumption: No solids, no juice for five days. I did have 1 cup of black coffee every morning and drank water when I was thirsty. (approximately 6 cups per day – of 8 ounces each)
Challenges: As a mother and housewife… many of you know what that means – cooking for the family. On those days I prepared breakfast, squeezed oranges for juice, afternoon milkshakes, dinner and baked bread for the family.
Other side notes: Making the breakfast meal was fine, only because I chose not to cook bacon. Otherwise I think I would have caved in.
On day one I remember squeezing oranges… and the smell had me salivating the whole time. That was hard.
On day two I made bread… and the smell was making me swoon, but I got through it. … I think what helped me get through that was watching how much my husband enjoyed the bread – it may have been a bad thing, but I almost pretended it was me eating it.
Day 3 was rough, emotionally and physically. I spent most of the day outdoors and the sky and the grass almost took on a different dimension. The sky appeared more profound and rich as if it were being drawn down to me, and the earth as well as the grass smelt so beautiful. I recall one incident that my husband was in the house calling out to me, and he looked like an angel… as I was running towards him I stepped on a nail. The nail went through my sneakers and into my foot. It hurt bad!!! and I looked at my husband still calling out to me with the most tender and beautiful smile. I did not want that to go away… so I waved at him and smiled back – suppressing the pain in my foot feeling as if it had tapped my bone. I pulled the nail out and still it felt as if it were in my foot. I focused on what was good in my life and a sense of healing and calmness came over me. I didn’t tell my husband of the incident until after the fast was over, he was upset… and that was the reason why, I wanted to remember him the way I saw him at that moment.
Day 4 progressed on, I kept busy with light duty and put my head in the garden or in books to focus my attention elsewhere that was not food. I got through the day.
Day 5 was also hard, because I prepared one of my sons, (and mine) favorite dinners – the nine yards! The smell in the kitchen was to die for. What helped me was knowing that the next day I would break my fast so I saved myself a little dish to eat the next day. What was interesting that by day 5… I was no longer hungry, I had an unusual renewed energy!
Did I change my activity/routine? Not physically, I continued doing my routine of light stretches in the morning, domestic chores, scheduled my business accordingly, and every day gardening. I must say that on day 3, I did feel light headed after being in the Sun for 3 hours. One thing I did extra was lengthened my meditations.
To add an extra dimension to my 5 day fast, I chose not tell my husband or son that I was fasting and interestingly enough they didn’t even notice until the last night. Now looking back, I wonder if I should be concerned about that.
What I learned about myself on my first 5 day Water Fast?
I learned that I am seldom hungry.
I learned that I enjoy preparing food for my family more than I enjoy eating.
I learned that I like to eat because I love food and I enjoy eating with my family.
I learned to suppress my rhetorical responses in regards to my husbands sporadic outbursts.
I learned that I have a much stronger will than I had imagined.
How did I break the 5 day Fast? I thought I would be very excited to eat… I was almost hesitant because I was asking myself… “am I hungry?” – odd, I really was not. When I woke up I drank a cup of water and had my coffee… and cut a slice of my home made bread with a dab of butter. I sat by myself welcoming the morning … when I took my first bite of the bread I realized how “MINDFUL” I was while eating. I was experiencing eating, the smell of the bread as it came up to my nose, feeling every little nook and cranny of the bread in my mouth, its texture how it felt in my hand and in my mouth, also the beautiful art on the bread of how the butter felt draped and melted on the bread. I was chewing it very slowly until it was smooth… I could feel my body interacting with the food. It brought me to tears. (yes real tears – I embraced that moment and was very grateful for things I had and had not yet received)
Would I recommend a 5 day Fast to anyone? I would say it is worth experiencing, it is definitely a personal journey. I would not recommend a fast for the sole purpose of loosing weight, I believe that seeking a diet that you can live with and make your body and soul sing would be a better solution. (and of course I would recommend you consult with your doctor first)
Even though I did not experience the so called ‘clarity of mind’, I most importantly learned that there is a FORCE out here that comes from within that cares and loves me deeply.
