Hi guys!! As promised… today I am going to fill you in on the rest of my water fast. I last updated you on Day Four, when I was beginning to experience the most intense part of my detox. I wrote it on Day 3 though, since I usually schedule a post a day in advance… so a lot more has happened since then!
The Major Detox //
So my third night was the absolute most difficult of all. I started feeling an intense low back pain during the day while my parents were visiting me, as well as leg pain and a pretty bad migraine. At night it only got worse, and throughout the middle of the night it got worse and worse…
What it felt like was my liver detoxing very heavily, so I tuned into my body and asked myself what I was detoxing. (I also asked my pendulum!) The answers were pretty clear to me. I have been on a lot of medications for the last 9 months treating Lyme disease and mold illness.
For the last 7-ish weeks before I got here I had been on an IV antibiotic called Rocephin (that’s really helping with Lyme!!) and I could feel my body working hard to break down those medications and expel them. Not to mention the inflammation and toxicity in my body from Lyme and mold to begin with.
I was up the ENTIRE night that night!! Not one wink of sleep. I was tossing and turning and literally whimpering to myself… and then I started throwing up. The nausea and acid reflux was extremely intense.
Around 4:15am I emailed my doctor and told him the detox was so intense I felt we needed to slow it down with some juice. So that day I had four juices: watermelon celery, apple celery, carrot apple, and watermelon celery again. Giving you guys the juice deets because I got a lot of questions on Instagram about what juices I was on. 🙂
Then I went back into the fast for three more days, and I didn’t go back into as heavy of a detox as I did on night 3. Thankfully I feel that my body had been through the hardest part of it by then. I have so much compassion for my body for pressing through that and for my MENTAL willpower and mental health for being able to withstand such a strong detox.
When you’re sick, you never know what’s going to come up during a fast. Emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually. That’s why I think it’s really important to note that water fasts should not be done at home. It’s safe to do them in the care of medical professionals in a guided environment so your needs are tended to. Had I been at home at Night 3, I would have totally given up and not continued fasting. (Slash would have been horrified at how intense my symptoms were.)
But because I was here, I had my doctors, got my vital signs checked and my blood work taken and cleared, and after a day on juice was able to hop back in. Then I got three more great days of detox, what I came here to do, under my belt before my body told me it was done.
Days 5 – 7 //
Days 5 – 7 were pretty difficult. I was very low energy, as to be expected, and it had been POURING & hailing here in Santa Rosa to the point where nearby areas have totally flooded and been evacuated. Without the option to sit outside in the sun and read my book or enjoy a change of scenery, I was going pretty stir crazy. This is important to take note of because sooo much of fasting is mental — I did not feel inspired at all being in my room 24/7 and it felt like every passing hour amounted to a week.
On Day 6 my parents came to visit, and on Day 7 my best friends came to visit. Having their company definitely got me through those days, as well as drawing inward and remembering my WHY of being here. Also all of the pep talks from you guys on IG and on my email have been very helpful. 🙂
Breaking the Fast //
On Day 8, I was feeling very much like it was time to break the fast. I didn’t have as much of an energy reserve as I had before my last fast, because when I was here in May I lost a lot of inflammation & some weight from the health and hormone issues I had been experiencing… so with my weight being what it is now I felt like my body was asking me to stop.
What’s the first thing I did when I felt that way? Listened to my body!! SO important. If anyone out there is fasting for health or for other reasons, my MAIN WORD OF ADVICE is to listen to your body. You don’t want to get into a position where your fast is super extended because your mental willpower keeps you pushing day after day but your physical body is just done.
I’ve had some questions on social media about why my fast was shortened, and listening to my body is exactly why. To be honest, I came into this fast with few expectations. If my body has been up for it I was signed up to fast for 16 days, but the moment I started I knew it would be closer to 10 days. When I stopped at 8, I felt nothing but total pride and love for myself. I pushed through 8 ROUGH days to get to this point, doing something beautiful for my body that I deeply believe in.
After that for two days I went on juice, the same combo that I was on on my 4th day. Then raw food, and now… I am introducing grains. Here at True North they take the re-feeding just as seriously as the fast, so I will be here for a few more days until I am able to eat all the foods again (legumes are last for digestion reasons and I’ll be able to have those in 2 days).
My first lunch back on food! Allll of the delicious randomness, haha!
Food Again & HEALING!! //
Eating again has been an experience!! The taste of food is BLISSFUL after you’ve been fasting. A watermelon celery juice tastes like cotton candy. Fruit with cinnamon (bananas are my fave, you guys know this) is AMAAAAZING. I love the appreciation I have for food after a fast. Eating becomes a spiritual experience — chewing slowly, no distractions, no phone, just being with the food and nourishing myself.
And guess what the best part is?!?! I FEEL LIKE I AM HEALING!!! Not just because of the water fast, but because of all I have been doing for my health for the last 9 months.
My mom noticed when she was here yesterday, during my first day back on food, that my energy levels are FAR & BEYOND what they were the last time I was here. Last time I was here, it took me about a week to regain my energy after the fast and after food. Yesterday was my first day on food and I already had energy to go on a long walk with my parents and felt totally myself energy-wise.
Being able to bounce back quicker is one beautiful benefit I have received this time around and I know it’s thanks to my Lyme treatment over the last 9 months. My incredible doctor (Dr. Erica Lehman!!) has had me on a rigorous protocol of herbs, supplements, hormones, medications when necessary, ozone, vitamin IVs, and more… and it’s thrilling to see that it’s all paying off.
Another great thing is that it is finally sunny here again in Santa Rosa so I have spent the entire morning walking around the neighborhood with my newfound energy (yay!!) and tonight will be going to dinner with my best friends who don’t live too far from here. (Don’t be mistaken, I am eating at True North since I am still re-feeding… but at least I can leave the facility and hang out with them!).
Water Fasting & Lyme //
I do feel like water fasting has been a key part of my healing journey from Lyme. I wouldn’t tell someone to water fast at the beginning of their Lyme treatment or AS their Lyme treatment… but once you’re well on your way to healing it’s a great detoxifying boost you can give yourself and the inflammation it releases is incredible. Letting the body fast & rest is a huge, huge gift… something we do not often give to ourselves.
Although being in bed for the last 10 days has not been the most fun, it has been what I needed. I have heard bursts of inspiration and been able to give my body deep rest and relaxation. I have gotten massages, chiropractic treatments, and craniosacral work on my body. My bod needed this. I believe we always know what our bodies need.
My first breakfast back! SO delish!
SOS-Free! //
And the most exciting thing? Being back at True North where they teach the salt-oil-sugar-free way of life has inspired me in a big way… to create more recipes and hopefully create an SOS-free cookbook for you guys not too long from now! Tell me below if you’d like that. 🙂
I don’t want to be known as any one thing or have any major label when it comes to food — but if I can help other people experience the benefits that I have from this SOS-free lifestyle throughout my Lyme journey, I am going to do just that. It’s not about being 100% SOS-free, it’s about incorporating those meals + recipes into your life for an overall healthier, more abundant life.
I am sooo happy to be in this place of healing and I am so grateful for the support & love from all of you & my amazing family and friends throughout this journey. It has been wild and there are some great things to come.
If you have any questions, leave them below. I will be doing a solo podcast episode on this soon too! Who has listened to this week’s episode with Jeannette of Shut the Kale Up?!
XO!