I am a weekly intermittent faster. I have a fasting window typically anywhere between 14 and 18 hours, followed by a feasting window of 6 to 10 hours. Recently, I stepped it up and dived into a 3-day water fast. Despite my research – listening to podcasts and reading blogs – I was very unprepared.
The first 36-hours were a breeze. I felt light, boosted with energy, and so I exercised. Surprisingly, no hunger pangs, but then I was chugging down water and electrolytes and as a result urinating constantly, especially at night-time. I really thought I would sail through, but then it hit me, a debilitating wave of immobility that crushed my energy. As the hours ticked by, I felt like I had been nailed down. My body was weak, my muscles appeared to be shrinking as was my body, and I felt frail and old.
I pushed on; walking the dog and carrying out chores even though every move was like wading through thick molasses. I was torn between abandoning this ridiculous idea or holding out for the 3-days. My husband said I looked terrible and to eat something. I refused, head strong and stubborn I was determined to see it through to the bitter end.
I hasten to add for 2-nights my sleep was erratic. I was constipated on day 2. I had brain fog. My eyes were sunken deep into my skull. I looked and walked like an extra straight off the set of The Walking Dead.
The first day I had energy to dry-brush my body and meditate using breathing exercises to help with detoxification. I never managed to do either the second or last day. It was all too much. By the end of the second day the want for energy was strong. I was biohacking and adding ghee to my green tea and savouring a teaspoon of almond butter as if it was manna from heaven. I’m not sure it made any difference.
Emotionally I was very low, whispering affirmations to myself that I could get through it - I started so I will finish. Plus, I wanted enhanced health:
increased autophagy;
reset gut microbiome;
reduce inflammation;
regenerate immune cells;
stem cell production;
balance hormones
resets DNA.
Looking back, I was deprived. Starved of food, of common sense, of sleep, and even mental clarity. It took 2-days to get my energy back up. I broke my fast after 72-hours on a Wednesday evening with a mug of bone broth. Recommended to line the gut. Followed a couple of hours later with a small bowl of sauerkraut. Recommended to replenish the microbiome. After eating lightly on Thursday – steamed vegetables, protein and avocado – and eating normal on Friday, my energy was restored on Saturday. I gained full health 2-weeks after.
Downside of the Water Fast
If you are not familiar with fasting and are not prepared, be forewarned that brain fog is clouding your judgement long before you realise. Not consuming food can result in constipation and therefore toxins are circulating and are not being eliminated. Although it is believed that a daily water intake will help with regular bowel movements, it is not always the case. There is a risk of depression. A loss of energy. Women have reported their menstrual cycle becoming irregular and even experiencing hair loss.
I was not prepared for the weighted down immobility. I follow Dave Asprey – the father of biohacking – and Dr Mindy Pelz who wrote “Fast like a Girl” and I don’t recall either of them saying energy levels plummet to less than zero. For them fasting sounds like a stroll along the beach. I wish they had voiced the downsides, I would have been prepared and undoubtedly kinder to myself.
How you break a water fast is as important as the fast itself. Even though I followed the tips I developed digestive issues, mainly bloating and gas, which were uncomfortable and embarrassing.
I dug around and learned during a water fast you clean out your gut microbiome. When you begin eating you rebuild a community of bugs. My initial food of sauerkraut – a fermented food – kick-started a community of gas loving microbes who constantly let off gas resulting in my digestive complaints. This continued for 2-weeks until the microbes were able to find a balance and live in harmony.
Upside of the Water Fast
The first thing I noticed was my heightened taste buds. Food tasted delicious! I was aware of the feel and texture of everything I touched. Once my energy was restored, I felt light and cleansed. The brain fog had vanished, replaced with mental clarity and a calm mind. I did not notice if my eyes were shining or if my skin looked clear and less lined, until my friend said I looked amazing, and my skin was glowing. I was thinner and my stomach did not bloat when I ate. I gained all these benefits but i was left with the burning question: would I do it again?
Lessons in Life
We are all unique individuals and fasting is a personal journey. You have all heard the maxim, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”. Well, the same is true for fasting. No one-size-fits-all.
Fasting is not something to take lightly, it needs preparation. As a suggestion, start with a slow build say 24-hours and then next try 36-hours. It is uncomfortable and some individuals find it a lot easier than others.
As a woman it is important to listen and pay attention to your body, not to other women and certainly not men. Your body is the best and wisest doctor in the house. If you cannot go on, then do not go on.
Fasting is an ancient remedy; our ancestors fasted long before it became trendy. Hunters and gatherers had very different lifestyles with access to different foods. I would imagine the impact of fasting for days, would be less stressful and very different to how it is experienced in our society. Personally, fasting feels a little too much like starvation and deprivation.
I feel I denied my body of nutrients and rest by ignoring its needs and as a result I was depleted and deficient for 2-weeks after - I was suffering with mouth ulcers and anal fissures, which I am prone to when rundown.
During the fast, I felt good at 24-hours and will probably push my intermittent fast window to this stretch. An annual 36-hour fast is possibly on the agenda. But for now, I will stay with my usual fast and feast window. It feels kinder to my body and well-being.
Cath is co-founder of Dream Awake with her sister Fin Walker. They run workshops, guiding individuals on a journey to reconnect and remember who they are. By stepping into their true essence, they dream their world into being.
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