fasting 101

so i ended my fast yesterday. this would be my second 36 hour fast after i read this article on men's health from my office's junk pile. though i initially wanted to try it out for vanity reasons (and partly to add spunk to my mundane days), what got me really interested was when the author mentioned that by going on the fast, he enjoyed food more. ironic isn't it? fasting so that eating would be more pleasurable.

i have made it no secret that i am a gourmand. i LOVE food, not so much as to be filled by it, but i just enjoy eating. i love savoring my meals and having all these flavors i put into my mouth explode in a rainbow of tastes and textures. i love experiencing my food. i love the sensation food offers me, like a nurturing, comforting, even seductive caress. mastication. deglutation. technical terms never felt so good. however, through the years, i have noticed a decline in the ecstasy of eating for me. i never really understood why, that was, until i read this article. i was intrigued by it. maybe i really did overdo it? overindulged and needed to give my body a break. i hoped that by abstaining, i could regain my lost love and also, get a bit healthier in the process.

so here was the simple regimen. from breakfast to breakfast the next day, no FOOD. just water. simple enough right? honestly, it was. amazingly even, i did not get hungry at all. i felt a bit woozy come midday, then again, who wouldn't be especially with all this accounting work i do, but other than that, i felt ok. i had bouts of craving for something to eat, but never to the point that i felt famished or even weak. i conducted my day like any non-fasting day, even worked out and surprisingly again, found that i could still do my exercise routines with no significant loss in strength.

the next morning after the fast was probably the best feeling ever. i felt light, i felt energized, i felt, well, happy! quite unusual i must say considering i haven't eaten in more than 24 hours now. morning exercise even felt better! as lunch came and i finally broke my fast, i was eager to see if indeed i gave my taste buds the break they so needed. the verdict.... FOOD NEVER TASTED SO GOOD! sweet was sweet. salty was salty. sour was sour, and everything i put into my mouth was just HEAVENLY.

besides regaining my lost love, i have also noticed changes in my body. my torso was flatter and did not feel so firm. fasting is supposed to detox your liver and i had always felt my liver was unusually pronounced. i also noticed my skin allergies weren't flaring. i have stress allergies that can only be soothed with topical steroids. after 36 hours of fasting though, they didn't even itch at all. i had a cold the other day, a bad one. despite not taking any meds, after the fast, it went away. after i took my meal though, come that evening... the cold was back... AAAACHOO!

so, this i conclude. fasting is supposed to be a way to detox your body. it lets your body do an overhaul of some sorts, so that all that junk you've been ingesting and storing finally gets the boot. it's like GARBAGE DAY. all the sickness or symptoms i have been having are supposed to be signs that my body is no longer efficient in taking out the toxins, so by fasting and resting my body systems, my body now has more time and energy to do what it's supposed to do.

i have been reading articles on it now and am considering taking this seriously. i really think i have stumbled upon something good here. i'm aiming to progress to 3 days next week, after my marathon. hoping i can make it... and that there's no major eating out anytime soon.... hahahaha!