10 Day Fast - long enough to be a book!

I just completed a 10 day detox fast. Never before have I taken on such an endeavor. Many have asked, "Why would you do such a thing? Is is for health or spirit?" I will answer yes to both. Prior to starting the fast I had great hopes for the end results. I really had no idea what to expect from the very beginning. My sister coached me before I started and was "on call" throughout the remainder of the fast. The week before the fast I began a slight change in my diet. I stopped eating sugar and white flour and almost all dairy (which was limited in my diet to begin with). I also did a one day water fast, which by the way was really hard, in preparation for the 10 day fast. I also ate more veggies that I had around the house, which consisted of carrots, potatoes, canned green beans, and frozen peas and corn (nothing fantastic that is for sure).

Now, before I get into the day to day experiences I will attempt to explain why I did this in the first place. In 1997 I was single and living far from home all alone. I got very sick and didn't know what to do, so I saw a doctor and ingested my first antibiotics...ever! I didn't complete the whole prescription as counseled because, well, I was ignorant. A few months later I got sick again, worse than the last time. This sickness hung on me off and on for months there after. I happened to be living in an old apartment in North West New York at the time the 3 round hit. This particular apartment was, well, let's just say it was nasty. The bathroom was covered in black mold. Don't believe? When I moved in I thought the ceiling was painted black. I don't know what possessed me to not report the issue but none of the previous occupants seemed to mind so I ignored it as well. It was almost as if the mold was some sort of resident and no one wanted to kick it out. Long and painful story made short, I got even more sick. Hives morning, noon, and night plagued me. Nothing gave relief. I simply took the Benadryl to knock myself out, otherwise I was still covered in hives. These events in my life are not fond ones. I had never been so sick and uncomfortable in my life. Did I happen to mention I had an abscess tooth, food poisoning, and the recurring bronchitis at the same time? Ultimately my body was overloaded with toxins, and it has been that way ever since.

Just a couple weeks before I started the detox my husband turns to me with a book in hand and says with exaggerated enthusiastic sarcasm, "Listen to this! 'Retained debris in the colon leads to the absorption of toxins. Symptoms include mental confusion, depression, irritability, fatigue, gastrointestinal irregularities, and even allergic reaction such as hives" (Balch, 2000, p702). Doesn't that sound familiar?" I replied, "Ha ha ha, very funny, Yes it does". So, thanks to an ornery thoughtful husband, I began researching various ways to detox the body and came up with a colon cleanse kit by First Cleanse and the 10 day fast (which too can be found in Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Dr Balch).

Here are the list of physical conditions prior to the fast:

yellow eyes, poor complexion (have dealt with adult acne as long I am not pregnant!), constant bloating (our joke was to rub my belly like there was a baby in there), fatigue, hives controlled with a nightly dose of Zyrtec, stomach cramps after eating, excessive belching, indigestion, heartburn, extreme mood imbalances, and one stinky skunk armpit (no deodorant could mask it).

Following will be quick notes that I jotted on a daily basis during the fast. My memory is very poor because I was barely even mentally present during the whole thing.

This is what I ate: Organic fresh pressed fruit and veggie juices (store bought, who in their right mind would make their own while on this thing?), mixed 3 times a day with a hemp protein powder and organic coconut creme. Any time I was in need of nourishment I drank juice straight. I also started putting organic coconut oil on my face before bed. My complexion is beginning to take on a new look and feel.

Day 1 Rough start! I heard my husband come home, so I fell on the floor in a broke sprawled out sort of way with my tongue hanging out. He walked in, saw me, stepped over me, and laughed as he said, "rough day?"

Day 2 I was so hungry I thought I would puke. Everything I did, I did nice and slow!

Day 3 Much better today! I feel like I might make it. I had company around lunch time. I never realized how much energy it takes to talk! I became very weak, shaky, chilled and sweaty during visit and had to down some juice.

Day 4 Bloated belly diminishing. Had a very late night, so exhausted I wanted to puke (I didn't throw up once, although I felt like it several times throughout the entirety). I fell asleep crying and wondered if I should be doing this at all.

Day 5 Toxins begin to release (you don't want to know how I know). Did pretty good until 4pm, thought of giving up. I spent the day rather lazy like (watched 2 movies), barely completed my homework with the little brain power I had. This was the first day I began waking at 530 and couldn't go back to sleep, I stayed in bed and rested though because my eyes and body didn't want to be as awake as my brain (which doesn't make sense now that I think about it. I didn't even have much brain to even have awake!)

Day 6 It's all down hill from here! I tortured myself by baking some cookies for my family. My stomach has shrunk considerably and can tolerate the lack of food much better.

Day 7 My flat stomach is back! I feel thin again. Attended church with better results than I anticipated. About an hour before ending I began to feel nauseated, chilled, weak, and shaky.

Day 8 My eyes are clearing quite nicely.

Day 9 My body has adjusted tremendously! Much more clarity of mind...FINALLY! Really sick of juice (especially the fruit ones, all I want are the straight veggie ones). Read about dry brushing helps eliminate toxins. First dry brushing experience. Afterward I massaged coconut oil from head to toe. My skin was so incredibly soft, smooth and even firmer! I will incorporate this into my nightly routine from here on out!

Day 10 Hallelujah! Food was all I could think about. I planned a menu and grocery list for the days following the fast. My mind is so active and clear, I even submitted homework in an intellectual manner!

I have been off allergy meds for 3 weeks. I experienced a couple tiny tolerable hives the day I noticed toxins releasing, other than that I have been hive free!

This morning I went to the grocery store and bought a cart full of fresh fruits and veggies to make vegetarian meals for the rest of the week (I bought as much organic as possible). Just after checking out and walking back to my car, I realized I was smiling (I don't typically walk around smiling so this was a new feeling for me). As I approached my car I smiled even more as I reflected on what could possibly make me smile out of the blue. Within my grocery bag were things I had never eaten before, yet were the only thing I wanted, things that warmed my heart and soul! Is it possible that FOOD could have such an impact on a person? I am here to tell you it is. For ten days I lived on water and juice. Sometimes food was all I could think about. Other times I was too exhausted to move, let alone think. As I thought about the recipe I was going to make for my first solid lunch and the preparation required, I smiled even more. I reflected on starving individuals who have no food to eat. I thought of how I felt, for a measly ten days, and my heart went out to those who are starving their entire lives. As I drove home I cried, literally tears of joy, for food! Glorious food! Never in my entire life have I longed to eat. I thought of people who starve themselves not out of lack of food but because of their self image (or for whatever other reasons one might have an eating disorder). My heart was surprisingly more full than my stomach possibly ever could be. When I returned home I went straight to my husband and said, "Words cannot describe how I feel!" He said, "That bad huh?" I replied, "No, that good!" That peaked his interest enough to put aside the complicated mathematical equations (that appeared to me as a foreign language) he had been slaving over for 4 hours. I held him and told him, with a tear in my eye, how happy I was to have food to eat! He said I was the cutest thing on the whole darn planet.

For the next hour, with gratitude and tender feelings, prepared a lunch I would be sharing with a new friend. Never before have I prepared a meal with such feelings! Each slice and dice was in gratitude! In addition to these surprising feelings, I was preparing food I had never dreamed of eating, let alone preparing! I was never a huge eater of veggies, however, veggies are not the only thing I am aloud to eat (transitioning back to solid food) for the next two days, it is the only thing I WANT to eat!

My lunch recipe:

black beans (just made in my new pressure cooker)
corn
tomato
avocado
cilantro (used to hate it, now I love it!)
green onion (hated, really like now!)
basil (never had fresh before, YUM!)
oil (wished I had the olive oil it called for, used canola instead)
lime

My first bite was not as delicious as I had hoped. HOWEVER, every bite there after was D-LISH! I grew to love it so much I brought the whole big bowl with me to munch on while I type! When my youngest got home from school (she is my veggie lover) she saw the bowl and began devouring it!

To end this lengthy post I want to say this: I believe everyone should do a ten day fast at some point in their lives! The physical benefits are not even fully known to me at this time. I do know that I feel better (physically, emotionally/spiritually, and mentally), I look better, and boy do I have a new appreciation! I liken my body right now to a shiny clean house. You all know what hard work goes into cleaning a house. When the house is clean you require everyone to take their shoes off at the door, no spills are allowed, and absolutely no clutter to be left lying around. I never want to dirty up my body again with junk food, fast food, bleached food, canned food, frozen food, or boxed food; pretty much everything located in the center isles of a grocery store!

Well, there you have it! My ten day fast!