No straws left! It's bittersweet. I'm happy to have made it to the end and nervous to be back in the real world. I feel like a drug addict. I just finished my stay in rehab where there are no choices to be made, no temptations, no thinking . . .and now I have to face reality and see if the skills I learned and the strength of character I developed will carry through to my everyday life. Chuck insisted on taking a picture of me drinking my last juice of the fast:
Fast Negatives:
First few days: dry mouth/white coating on tongue (typical detox symptom)
I increased my fluid intake and this went away by the end of the week.
First week: flu/vertigo/extreme weakness/vomiting (I think I actually had the flu, but flu-like symptoms are also a detox symptom)
The night I was throwing up, I drank a cup of soy milk to combat the feeling of weakness. After the flu passed, I didn't have symptoms like this again.
Second week: acid reflux
I took one tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar and it worked!
Day 30: constipation
I did an enema because I didn't want to take a pill or a laxative. I bought the kit from Target for less than $2 and it had two enemas in it. It was an immediate relief.
Day 50: constipation
I did the second enema.
Throughout: periods of irritability/cravings/passing hunger/symptoms of a urinary tract infection
Usually when I was cranky, hungry, or feeling a craving - immediately after drinking a juice I felt much better. I don't know what's up with the UTI. I don't know if it was fast-related or not. It was never so bad that I was concerned, but it was in the back of my mind a lot. I went to the doctor tonight and she confirmed from a urine sample that I probably had a urinary tract infection and prescribed an antibiotic. Edit:Found a different resource this morning which makes me think I had a yeast infection because of the high amount of fruit juice I was drinking. The symptoms align so I tried an over-the-counter medication instead of the antibiotics to clear up the problem and next time I'll cut down on the fruit.
Fast Positives:
I had more energy in general.
Drinking a fresh juice could lift my mood/energy immediately.
For the first time in my life, I ate for my body and not for my mind.
For the first time in my life, I considered my health.
I had a strong feeling of connection with my body, my mind, and the people in my life.
I realized what a strong network of support I have around me.
I exercised more.
I feel like I control food rather than using food to regulate me.
I'm excited about healthy eating.
I lost weight - about 40 pounds.
I am a happier human being.
I think doing this fast changed my life. It's premature to say that - but I feel like a new person.
I will be posting a post-fast reflection with before and after weight with pictures tomorrow! And I'll also be posting a list of resources for easy access to anyone who is considering doing a fast like this. I'm also thinking of continuing to blog possibly once a week to keep myself accountable. I can't wait to taste a fresh green grape!
Thank you so, so much to everyone who followed my blog and liked my posts and gave me constant feedback and encouragement! I really appreciate all of you. I'm lucky to know such amazing people. And thank you to my UTR family for making me feel so loved:
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