THE 5 DAY WATER FAST: A Transformative Journey of Fasting
A Personal and Historical Perspective
Let me start off by saying, I AM NOT A DOCTOR AND THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. THIS IS SIMPLY MY EXPERIENCE. ALWAYS SEEK GUIDANCE FROM MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS BEFORE UNDERGOING EXPERIMENTS WITH YOUR BODY.
Now that we got that out of the way… My dude, fasting is a practice deeply ingrained in human history, that transcends time, culture, and religion, it offers a multifaceted lens through which to view humanity’s journey. My recent undertaking of a 5-day water fast was an immersive dive into this ancient tradition, providing insights that were both deeply personal and historically resonant.
Personal Experience:
This fast involved a strict regimen of consuming only water and black coffee for five days, complemented by over 10 miles of daily walking and running for the initial four days, and a restful fifth day. My hydration choices were deliberate, opting for Pellegrino, Purely Sedona, and Mountain Valley spring waters, due to their natural filtration and mineral content offering superior hydration and health benefits compared to regular tap water. Which you should never consume, they are also bottled in glass. The minerals in these waters, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, are essential for bodily functions, especially during a fast when nutrient intake is limited. The black coffee was a selection from local shops in Corona Del Mar, CA, as I happened to be in SoCal for the week. My fast went beyond the contemporary "water fasts" trending online, which allow for supplementation or bone broth.
My commitment to this strict routine was aimed at inducing autophagy, the body's intricate process of self-cleaning at a cellular level. This process is a cornerstone of cellular health and longevity, playing a crucial role in disease prevention, metabolic regulation, and response to cellular stress. It is attainable through restricting calories, and I wanted to go deep into this state.
The Critical Role of Autophagy:
Cellular Cleanup and Recycling: Autophagy acts as the body's internal cleaning system, breaking down and recycling damaged proteins and organelles. This is essential for maintaining cellular efficiency and health.
Response to Stress: In response to stressors like nutrient deprivation or hypoxia, autophagy ramps up, providing vital nutrients and energy during challenging conditions and keeping cells functional.
Cellular Quality Control: By removing potentially harmful components, autophagy is crucial in preventing the buildup of toxic substances within cells, thus averting disease.
Role in Disease: Imbalances in autophagy are linked to various diseases. Insufficient autophagy leads to the accumulation of cellular waste, contributing to neurodegenerative diseases, while excessive autophagy can result in cell death, relevant in cancer studies.
Research and Therapeutic Implications: Autophagy is a promising area for new therapeutic strategies, offering potential in treating neurodegenerative diseases and infections, as well as in cancer therapy.
Development and Aging: Autophagy plays a role in development and aging, involved in cell differentiation and affecting the aging process and related diseases.
Metabolic Effects and Longevity: Emerging research shows autophagy's significant effects on metabolism and longevity, enhancing lifespan and healthspan by promoting cellular repair and turnover.
The heightened awareness and clarity of thought I experienced were revelations, shedding light on my body’s capabilities and resilience. The fasting state was not only meditative and euphoric but also heightened my senses, making experiences like sunsets and bird songs extraordinarily vivid.
Physically, the changes were dramatic. My body, especially my face and stomach, leaned out noticeably. Chad like jawline is back. While not the primary goal, the fast likely led to a considerable weight loss, I would put this at least around 10lbs, but I chose not to focus on this as a metric, so I did not weigh myself directly after the fast. Maybe next time I partake I will get a DEXA scan done, so we can really see the loss of fat to muscle ratio. I experienced improved skin complexion, stronger hair, and overall rejuvenation. My girlfriend says I look like an entirely different person, AKA the man she originally started dating.
My favorite part of it all was my renewed approach to gratification. Unlike diets that reward physical activity, my reward during the fast was better health, not an immediate dopamine hit from food. It heightened my gratitude for simple pleasures like a steak or lemon in my water.
My cravings have completely subsided. In fact, I feel an aversion to prior cravings like sweets (ice cream, pie, and candy for me) The thought of getting eating these is off-putting to me. Instead of sweets and processed foods, I now have been craving natural foods like fruits again. This response is extremely fascinating when assuming I basically put my body through a hard reset, and will thus be able to diet much easier. (A diet plan, I have done in the past and will be available to all Sanctuary members, DM me if you want to join there are limited spots)
The clarity of thought, improved focus, and spiritual introspection were profound. The fasting state felt meditative, euphoric, and heightened my senses, making everyday experiences like sunsets and bird songs more vivid.
Historical Perspective:
Historically, fasting has been more than a voluntary health choice. In the early days of human civilization, hunter-gatherer societies often faced involuntary fasting periods while foraging for food. This 'feast and famine' lifestyle inadvertently shaped human metabolism and resilience, laying a foundation that informs our understanding of fasting today. I believe we should be feeling moments of inadvertent fasting periods as the early man did.
In religious and spiritual contexts, fasting has been a symbol of devotion and purification across major world religions like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. It is seen as a means to attain spiritual enlightenment, demonstrate penance, or express faith.
Breaking the Fast:
Breaking the fast, or when you begin to consumer calories again… I have read a ton on the importance of breaking a fast through easement stages that will allow the body to wake up to having calories reintroduced. Starting with liquid calories, then softer foods, and finally normal eating habits. Basically broths or soups, moving on to eggs and fruit, and finally bread, pasta, or meat. I have always just gone full out and eaten a huge meal that disregards this. I believe this is how hunters in ancient times would have eaten, when they were finally able to achieve a kill. To break my fast, I went to one of my favorite restaurants, Gulfstream, which is apart of Hillstone restaurant group. Consumed jumbo shrimp cocktail, trout dip, a honey biscuit, butter pan fried dover sole, a steak and potatoes, and half a cheeseburger. I did not have any upset stomach after this large meal.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this experience has cemented my commitment to extended fasts. It's a deeply personal exploration of health and spirituality, as well as a journey through history and biology. Reflecting on the roots of fasting in human civilization, from involuntary acts in our ancestral past to intentional practices today, I've tapped into a powerful tool for personal transformation and wellbeing, aligning my modern lifestyle with a biological process refined over millennia. I would strongly suggest anyone try this, assuming they are healthy individuals and have done their research.
PS: The Sanctuary is reopening, if you want to join up just DM me ASCEND, and you will get information like this regularly that will take your life to the next level.
Have a great night, my dude 🤙🏻