My first ever water fast!

I'm already on hour 65...

And doing okay. I didn’t “ease” into it as per recommendations. I was too busy cooking plenty of food to stick in the freezer for Jack and Nick and getting my Azure order put away and preserved and there was just food everywhere! Well, there’s still food everywhere. My kitchen and pantry and fridges are overflowing and there’s oranges and pecans and curtido and eggs and droooool….yeah.

I’ve allowed myself two black cups of coffee per day. It’s disgusting! HA! I’m a coffee lover, but only with milk and (coconut) sugar, thank you very much. I’d never drank a cup of black coffee in my life and now I know why! I’m also drinking some excellent herbal teas, San Pellegrino mineral water, and some very weak fruit flavored waters, in addition to my three plus quarts of plain, old water. The first two days was half a lemon in a half gallon of water with some salt. Today is a half an orange with cinnamon and cloves. I don’t squeeze the fruit very much, just get it going the night before and let it set in the fridge for “flavor”.

I’m monitoring my blood pressure, blood glucose, and ketones…and my weight. I had about 10 pounds to loose, but it’s not really why I decided to fast. I was finally ready to completely STOP my 20 year addiction to pain pills….opioids. Since last Spring, I’d cut down to two a day (sometimes less) and fired my doctor and yet, I couldn’t seem to do less than two, despite trying pretty hard. Opiate withdrawal is no joke. Why did I decided to try and stop while fasting? Who knows, but it seemed like a good idea and my liver agreed. I was sick to death of the tylenol they put in hydrocodone tabs and while I was on the 10/325’s, I know how toxic acetaminophen is to your system. After being on it for so long, I could FEEL it. At this point in my life, I’m just done with pharmaceuticals. Period.

Knowing how bad withdrawals usually are, I did do one thing to prepare…
Coffee enemas! And while those are even grosser than black coffee in the face hole, I’m ever so glad I did! Oh, I’m doing plenty of running to the bathroom, but it’s just to pee, which is amazing! I had one enema yesterday and will likely do another tomorrow, because nothing is coming out! In the past, diarrhea was one of the first symptoms that would hit me hard when I’d cut down or skip a pill. That it hasn’t struck yet makes me very glad I’m going about thing’s this way.

The reason I was on pain pills was an accident, a bad one in 2003. No white coat EVER told me I could fix my chronic issues by nourishing my body! Not one.
Once I changed my lifestyle and diet, the pain started going away. The muscle spasms became more tolerable, my joints are no longer red and swollen, and I fixed my “stirrer” aka right shoulder. It would hurt and pop so bad that I couldn’t mix up a batch of cornbread or scramble eggs without pain. Now…it’s like I have a new KitchenAid! I couldn’t set cross-legged for more than a few minutes at a time, but I’m doing so right now…with NO knee Pain. My neck issues and TMJ will still nag me when I fall behind on my supplements, but it’s nothing some extra water, shilajit, and magnesium oil can’t handle.

Though I quit smoking cigarettes (for the second time in my life) as well as marijuana back in June, I am still vaping a low nicotine, tobacco flavored juice. I just really like my nic and in my experience, vaping a high quality juice out of a high quality device just feels like the healthiest and safest way to get it. My taste and smell are sharp, there’s no nasty coughing, and the only issue I find is a dry throat…if I over do it. I really would like to stop it, too. One day. Let’s tackle the hardest thing’s first.

I stopped drinking alcohol in 2009. Being on pain pills, it was probably the smartest thing I could have done. I can’t imagine how trashed my poor liver would be if I’d have continued. I’ve stopped smoking twice since then. The first time lasted six years, so I’m not too worried about picking up a yucky cig ever again. I ended a horrible green Monster habit a few years ago, thank God. That stuff is truly poison! I’ve recently stopped cane sugar, though I do still use it to cook with as coconut sugar and honey are just so darn expensive! We certainly pick up habits during our lives, and it’s a sad state of affairs that so many of them are extremely bad for us. The only way I’ve ever successfully ended a habit is to 1. Make up my mind to do so and 2. Do it Cold Turkey. I’m not good at gradual, I guess. It’s always been all or nothing for me!

I think this fast is going to be a “reset” of one of my worst habits. It feels that way already and I’m not even done! I’m giving myself some grace and saying five to seven days. On day five, I may add in bone broth, some weak fruit juices and kombucha…as well as milk and “sugar” in my coffee! I can’t tell you how exciting that sounds, setting here, almost at the end of day three. Excuse me while I wipe my face…

I’m not going to say these first three days have been easy. They haven’t. The hunger has been worse than the withdrawals, though and that’s just amazing to me. I also know that I’ll have to deal with the “cravings” long after the fast ends, and I’m prepared for that. This isn’t the first time I’ve tried to stop these damn pills, but this time, will be the last. Habits can also be good for us, and I’m working on beginning new ones that make me feel good…no, that make me feel good about MYSELF.

There’s a big difference!
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Substack soon, but right now…I need a nap!