WEEK #02 - INTERMITTENT FASTING

Having completed 7 full days of fasting, have to say it was really was not as hard as anticipated. Waking this morning my IBS is in full swing, this illness has always been a thorn in my side (so to speak). Having my body bloated is uncomfortable and makes me feel like I have gained weight with my clothes feeling tight. Checking in with my "natural health guru" she asked for a list of food I am ingesting, which is:

• Breakfast - 2 farm fresh eggs with cheese, 1/2 glass of orange juice and dates

• Snacks - only if hungry before 2nd meal, raw cashews with an apple or orange

• Supper - meat or fish with fried vegetables or a salad and dates

While I assumed the bloating was a healing side effect, she indicated that it should not be constant 24/7 as is currently happening. Her suggestion was to try to discover the cause of the bloating and suggested these changes:

1. replace store purchased orange juice with fresh squeezed (from fresh oranges)

2. remove the cashews and replace with pistachios or brazil nuts

3. lower the intake of dates

Beginning today (week 2 - day 1) the dates and cashews will be removed from my meals to see if it has any impact on the digestive system. I will finished the opened bottle of store bought orange juice so as not to waste. Living a distance away from populated towns/cities I will have to go on a shopping trip shortly for oranges and suggested nuts. Once all her suggestions have been implemented for a few days, I will introduce suggested nuts to determine the reaction (if any). Then if all is well, can reintroduce dates for that reaction (if any). It really is all about listening to your body and willing to do what is necessary to create your own personal optimal health. Food that works for me might not work for you, but you can follow similar strategies presented here for your own health if it resonates. It really is all about trial and error because we are all unique individuals.

Today I am moving from 16:8 fasting to 18:6 fasting and am positive this will even bring more healing than last week.

Here are the highlights of Week #02 fasting experience:

Note: The morning routine of ingesting an 8 ounce glass of filtered water with a supplement continues this week. All natural supplements are still taken anytime of the day or night as deemed necessary.

Day 1 - At least an hour after my early morning water intake, I drink my herbal tea. At 11am I cook my eggs with cheese, cut up an apple with an orange and drink more herbal tea while eating, followed by a bit of orange juice. This will be my breakfast for a few days to see if anything changes with the flaring IBS. My final meal consisted of 4 small chicken thighs (cooked previously) with orange juice because I was in hurry to get to a meeting. After the meeting I was feeling extremely tired, this could be the fasting or the fact that I have been on high gear for weeks now. Regardless, resting was a high priority this evening. The IBS has settled down during the day so hopefully the cashews or dates were the culprit there!

Day 2 - Absolutely no symptoms of IBS today indicating cutting out the cashews and dates definitely helped my body. Although feeling a bit hungry this morning I drink my herbal tea and head into work early today. Fortunately I have employment that is flexible enabling me to take a break at 11am to cook and eat breakfast. Stomach had a few minor pains in late afternoon which was cured by drinking a glass a water with Celtic Salt. Sailed through the day with minor hunger pangs and no IBS symptoms in the evening.

Day 3 - Had to work early today then travel a few hours to visit family members. Packed my breakfast and headed on the highway. Struggling with hunger by 10am (first day of feeling like this) so by 10:30am ate half of my food; it was just 1/2 hour earlier than scheduled. Ate the other half of my food at the park with my family. Managed to get home by 4:00pm to cook and eat my final meal. For some reason had major sugar cravings with the only sweet product in house being unpasteurized honey. Having purchased a loaf of wheat free bread from the health food store on my way home, I toasted some bread and spread it with the honey. That satisfied my sugar pangs. Super thirsty, drinking lots of water this evening.

Day 4 - Day 2 of feeling very hungry. This has been discussed with my "natural health guru" and she claims there can a myriad of reasons for the hunger. According to her, this should not be ignored, but rather an indication your body needs something so go ahead and eat (within reason). I am not defaulting to junk food, but rather eating an abundance of healthy food to satisfy my hunger while keeping the 18:6 fasting schedule.

Day 5 - Today required some flexibility due to employment demands. Ate breakfast after 16 hours of fasting (instead of 18 hours). Its a very busy day at work so it's a good think I have 8 hours before having to eat my final meal of the day. Not so much hungry today.

Day 6 - Successfully mastered 18:6 before eating breakfast this morning. Today has been another hungry day but I do adhere to the intake of food for only 6 hours and begin fasting. Researching a bit today because this is all new to me, it was discovered that drinking a full glass of water with a bit of Celtic Salt helps curb the hunger. It worked twice today so will continue with this suggestion because this type of salt water is good for your body, it naturally gives your body electrolytes.

Day 7 - This was a busy working day but managed to eat breakfast. Since forgetting to remove meat from the freezer for supper I chose a grill cheese for my final meal. The bread I purchased is causing slight issues with my digestive system but worth the treat! Watching a health video today it was suggested it advantageous to drink juice from fresh fruit. I chose to take some frozen strawberries (together with their leaves from last season) and pureed them into a sauce with a teaspoon of unpasteurized honey for a treat. In my research we should be keeping the pulp of fresh fruit, not juicing and throwing away the pulp. It really is a personal choice.

Summary of Health Improvements (this week):

• Requiring less sleep likely because I am sleeping better

• The itchy rash is about the same

• Issues with a tooth no longer aches which hopefully indicates it's healing

• Energy level is definitely increasing

This week was a mixture of 16:8 and 18:6 intermittent fasting. Heading into week 3 perhaps I will attempt a full 24 hours or more of fasting. Apparently this is where the true healing begins, the longer your body fasts, the more healing it can do without the need of processing food.

Stay tuned for Week #03 of my fasting journey!

Feel free to check out these past posts related to fasting:

INTRODUCTION to INTERMITTENT FASTING (inpursuitofhealing.org)

WEEK #01 - INTERMITTENT FASTING (inpursuitofhealing.org)

This blog details my personal healing journal over the past 2+ decades. I am not a medical professional and offer this information freely as personal research only.

Please click here to read my disclaimer.

Questions? 

Contact Ali … info.inpursuitofhealing@gmail.com