5-day water fast (day 2)

8.00am:

I’m running on ketosis already, burning energy released directly from fat cells. I could feel the process beginning late afternoon yesterday, because there’s a special state of consciousness which goes along with this. You feel a little light-headed, but everything you look at feels alive and special. It’s a clearer, deeper state of being. I took our dog out for a walk last night, and all the lights were alive. Traffic lights, Christmas lights, traffic lights, the clouds in the sky, illuminated by all the light from the city…

The interesting thing is how quickly the change towards ketosis began to occur: while there was still glycogen (see yesterday’s post) left in the liver. I think that the moment I missed lunch yesterday, my body knew what was going on and it responded. Not like my first couple of water fasts! Then my body was completely clueless. It took at least 3 days to get ketosis running decently, and in the meantime my body had to devour muscle for energy. I felt pretty lousy most of the time, with muscle aches, headaches, and all the while a dull pain in my kidneys – at times it was even hard to sleep because of this. This time there are no physical symptoms at all. I feel great.

The process of detox also began yesterday afternoon, and is now running ahead at full steam. I know because there’s a special taste in my mouth. As digestion shuts down, the entire system goes into reverse. Instead of allowing nutrients through the intestinal wall and into the blood, the body allows the toxins circulating in the blood to pass through the intestinal wall, where they are stored in the intestine itself until digestion starts up again, and they can be safely released from the body. The tongue also follows a similar procedure, which is why it now has a funny taste. When I’m detoxifying strongly, it’s almost like frothing at the mouth!

Another thing: because my digestive system is already mostly shut down, I haven’t been hungry since missing lunch yesterday. I just need to keep drinking. Yesterday it was 3 litres. I expect about the same today too.

10.00am

Just had a long, hot bath. Baths feel really good during a water fast, because they increase circulation, which allows the toxins to find their way out of the blood stream more quickly: either into the kidneys, intestines, tongue or sweat glands. The detoxifying sweat from sitting in a hot bath means I really stink! The sweat coming out of me now smells completely different from usual. My breath must also really stink…

Besides this, for some reason the bath has really knocked me out this time. I feel heavy. No energy. Blood pressure too low. I think I’m going to lie down and take it easy: maybe read or snooze. Maybe I’m dehydrated?

12.30pm

Had a nap. Feeling fine again. Good energy levels. No hunger even though it’s lunchtime. During my first few water fasts, the hunger took 3-5 days to subside, and even then there would be moments in every day when my stomach would rumble long and hard.

The kids just arrived back from their last day at school. I’m up to their energy levels, which are on a massive sugar high from all the shit they ate during the Christmas celebrations at school!!! They also came back loaded with chocolates and gingerbread which everyone at school gave each other. They want to show me everything!!! Luckily, the sight of all this food doesn’t bother me (although it is a little tempting, I have to admit…). But it doesn’t make me hungry. Lia even forced me to have a nibble from the corner of a gingerbread someone made her. The taste was sweet and rich – almost too rich! I don’t want the taste of anything, let alone anything in my stomach to start up digestion again, along with feelings of hunger. So far, though, it hasn’t had any effect.

4.00pm

Just returned from giving a two-hour consultation in the yoga studio. Energy good. With ketosis my body is a little weaker than usual, but my mind is working more clearly than usual. Speaking Hungarian feels easier than usual. 🙂

Still no hunger. Still no signs of my kidneys aching, working overtime to flush out the toxins.

Time to go to the shops and buy some food to cook dinner (for everyone else!!!).

2 responses to “5-day water fast (day 2)”

Cynthia

February 21, 2018 at 5:36 pm

When you say you feel your kidneys what do you mean? I’m on day three and have had some pains in my lower abdomen. They subside quickly, but are very sharp.

1. Tallis Shivantar
  
  February 25, 2018 at 9:09 am
  
  Hi Cynthia,
  That’s a very good question. It’s so hard to quantify sensations from deep within the body!
  The kidneys are actually located a little higher up than many people believe, and a good part of their total area is protected by the lower ribs. However, I (as well as other people) actually tend to feel a dull ache lower down, in the soft area of the back between the lowest rib and the top of the pelvis. It’s hard to know if this is the feeling of the kidney itself working overtime, radiating downwards, or the feeling of fascia which connect to the kidneys (probably being stretched due to an empty gut). It’s also possible that the ache has nothing to do with the kidneys at all, and is caused by the main lymph ducts at the top of the pelvis, radiating an ache upwards. Certainly, there are times when I’ve felt the ache to be centred lower down, in the region of the back-top of the pelvis.
  Nowadays, I tend to feel this sensation only when I dry-fast, as opposed to water-fast. It’s also true, though, that many, many people feel aches and pains in this region of the body while water-fasting. It’s actually one of the most common symptoms. The ache can range from hardly noticeable to quite intense, so pretty much anything is possible!
  Hope this helps,
  Tallis

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