If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I will regularly do cleanses, detoxes, and fasts. I believe this has greatly improved my health over the years. as I have many physical complexities in my body. If I hadn't started these practices 20 years ago, I think my body would have built up a great deal of struggles to overcome.
Many in the medical world would say that we don't need to detox. They hold the opinion that our bodies were designed to naturally detox, and that we should simply allow them to do their job. I agree on some level. If we lived in a world where the air, water, soil, and food were clean - our bodies were designed to keep up with THAT amount of natural toxicity to flush out. However, we are under constant assault, and our filtration systems look a lot like an overflowing inbox on our work desks!
I've heard that a detox is like taking your car to get the fluids and filters checked at the 10,000 mile mark. I like this analogy, because it's something so many can relate to! Yes the filters are meant to keep cleaning the machine, and the fluids are serving their purposes too - but at some point, it's time to clean THOSE too so that our car works at its best!
Recently, I was talking to a friend and explaining about my current fast. I have done water fasts before, and they are incredibly empowering, but I have never gone past 3 days for a strict water fast. This is just as the name implies - only water allowed.
I have also done 20 days of fruit/veggie juice as a juice fast. Again, as the name implies - for 20 days straight (no breaks), you literally only have clear liquids from fruit and vegetables.
I've explained that in my opinion, short fasts are like "spring cleaning" in your house. As winter progresses, we tend to get a little lax on the maintenance of our homes; spring arrives with a fresh clarity and sense of rebirth and boom! We're ready to give a good scrubbing to our home. That's what short fasts feel like to me. I'd personally clarify 1-6 days as a short-term fast that will freshen up your "home".
However, again - in my opinion, a fast that extends 7+ days becomes something different. To me, it's like packing up everything in your house and moving to a brand new home! You can't BELIEVE the amount of worker bee cells that are running around in your body, cleaning, repairing and rejuvenating! My eyesight clears, my joints feel younger, I have LOTS more energy, I sleep more fully, and I just simply feel like I've moved into a brand new modern house, just the way I like it!
Today is my day 7 - and I'm feeling pretty amazing! The first 3-4 days of any detox/cleanse/fast can be miserable. It really depends on how toxic your body is BEFORE going into the fast. The more toxicity you have, the stronger your reaction to the fast. Your body has been holding onto that toxicity for a while, since you've been keeping it in digestive mode for so long. Removing that, it gets VERY excited to start flushing those toxins into the bloodstream so that it can move right on out of your body. However, until it does "move out", you can feel sluggish, achy, irritable, and in pain. The temptation to pull out of that stage is always the hardest for me. Simply eating something will flip that switch from detox/repair mode right back into the lovely, lazy, snuggly, cozy digestion mode! hahaha However, every time I push past that stage, I enter the "I FEEL GOOD" era!!!
For the first time ever, I'm going to attempt to break my record and go further into my fast. I can tell this time is going to be different, because my mind has shifted from "I have X many days until I'm done" to "Yay!!! I've completed another day!!" It might seem like a subtle shift, but believe me - when you're doing a fast, every thought matters. Your success can easily be determined on your perspective! I have gone into 20 day fasts that I've ended on day 2 - even day 1! Simply because I wasn't prepared mentally for the journey. It takes more than discipline, and more than commitment - in my experience. It takes a peace that emanates from inside, reassuring you that you can accomplish this, and you will.
Surprisingly, I'm not hungry. The body has a way of finding balance. But, I will share this... I am so looking forward to the day when I get to have a delicious taco again. I might have three...or more, more, more! hehehe And my yummy friend pizza will be a happy companion of mine, once that future day arrives! The only question that truly matters is : Which is first? The taco or the pizza? hehehe
Images created with Midjourney, edited with photopea. Video from Youtube.