Really I would not bother read this posting if I was not me. My Fast. Part 3. The day(s) after. Yawn...

Dear Reader,

No, no trick heading.  It is true this is not the wittiest or most exciting posting you will ever read on Irish Stew for the Soul.  So if you are not interesting in fasting if I was you, I would go back and look at Dale Chihuly´s beautiful glass sculptures one more time.

So why post the posting you might ask?  Well the fast was an interesting experience for moi, and this is my blog after all, so I can do what I like - in the parameters of P.G. 13 1/2.   I can write, but you don´t have to read!...

The After Fast Thoughts. 

My fast is well done by now, more than a month.  So looking back here is how it went.

Monday - three days after breaking fast.

Getting back to ´normal´still in progress: eating ´good for me stuff´ in small portions and slowly, Getting more back into action too with contacting people and more physical activity.  Mental alertness still there, but almost as soon as I broke fast, the red eyes came back!  The real work of fasting goes on inside physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.  So I understand.  So how was the fasting experience for moi physically, emotionally, and spiritually?

Physical Changes:

Fasting for me was not fun,  I  did it because for MOST people fasting is good for one´s body; fasting rests the digestive system and gives the body a chance to discard toxins etc. including cholesterol.  The latter being the most important issue for me.

Experts in the field advise that for people in good health in the average weight range, the body starts drawing on its own stored nutrients after 3 days.   Somehow I don´t think that happened for me.  I was weak through out the fast.  On the 6th day of the fast I cut myself, nothing serious, the usual cooking kind of cut.  Usually I hardly notice such cuts and the heal within 3 or 4 days or so.  ( A marvel of good health right there!)  But, when I cut myself during the fast I know it was a bit of an issue for my body.  I felt my body was trying to rally, without success.  It did not appear to have resources to call on.  When this happened I would have stopped fasting immediately even if I had not planned to.

Another thing during fasting is that after the first 3 days or so, one´s skin should begin to glow etc because of toxins being expelled.  I did not glow at all.  Not one little bit did I glow!

Immediately after breaking the fast I was not hungry at all, then after the first few days post fast my appetite became very strong; I was eating four meals a day at least.  All good fruity and salads etc that I felt my body wanted, and craved.  Fasting would certainly not be a good was to lose weight, it is lost and comes back within weeks, or even days.  I returned to my normal weight in about 3 weeks.

My strength  came back slowly, slower than I expected.  I was not back to ´normal´ strength for  a full two weeks - it being 2  weeks after I stopped fasting that I enjoyed my first long bike ride.

Emotional Changes.  Spiritual Awareness.

It was easy to made the decision to fast.  My circumstances were good; I cannot imagine doing a fast under stress of any kind be it health, problems with family members or in other relationships, or with work or money issues etc.  Fortunately I am in a place in time where there were no pressing stressful matters.

Logistical issues too would be a problem; I could not imagine fasting and working, or if I was rushing to a deadline or something.  Being around family or other people who were not in fasting mode etc. would not be easy either. As I said in an earlier posting, Romeo H. fasted with me for the first three days, that was a big psychological help.  Fasting when one´s nearest and dearest are scoffing down burgers and b.b.q ribs, followed by yummy fresh baked apple tart would not be easy.

With all those ducks being in a row, the main emotional issue for me was: the experience of hunger.  I never saw myself as a person who would, or could, or wanted to, fast.  I can get stressed if I feel even a slight hunger pang.  So frankly I surprised myself by going for more than a few hours with out food, never mind 7 WHOLE DAYS!

Many peoples´s experience with fasting is that it can bring up all sorts of emotional and or spiritual issues.  Not so for me, I don´t know if it was because there are no issues, or, that the issues are so deep down, it would take more than 7 days of hunger to bring them to the fore!  Either way no new wisdoms whatsoever.   Bambug.

That said, I did have some moments of awareness, whereby one balances what one likes, or not, in one´s  life.  The marvel of good health was strong too.  That said, such awareness come by me when I am ´in my zone´ cycling, and means to be at one with one´s self is MUCH more fun!

The Big Questions:

Was it worth it?   Will I fast again?
As far as I can surmise, fasting did not bring all the wonderful health benefits mental or physical that many others talked of having experienced during or after fasting.

I was weak throughout, and getting back to normal strength took longer than I had expected.   Mentally the fast was no particular stress, which I thought it would be.  But  physically I am not aware of the great expulsion of toxins after my digestive system had a good rest, one of the aims of fasting I understand.

The Pluses.

That said there were some pluses.  My mental capacity was greatly improved during the fast.  Far greater than it had ever been in my whole life.   As a result I was able to teach myself the Microsoft Excel program.

This was weird, but in a good way; usually I can only sit and do mental work for 1 1/2 hours two at the most, after that my mind and my eyes feels the strain.  During the fast however, into the fifth and sixth days I was able to do brain work for well over eight and up to ten hours with only small pauses.  And, my eyes were never red.  Some people experienced with fasting, do talk of better mental alertness.  But up to 500% better, wow!

Also the awareness of and the gratitude for good health hit me strongly; the whole concept of food being a source of energy that enables body functions and mental and physical activity.  That did amaze me.   I noticed that especially after eating the first morsels of food after seven days.  I could feel my body reeving up and I was very grateful for my body´s capacity to do that.

And the cholesterol count, did my cholesterol numbers improve?  Well m docytor, who made no comment on my fasting one way or another, did test my cholesterol numbers.  My cholesterol count did improve significantly, but the numbers were still higher than the ´desirable´ range for cholesterol.

The good doctor dourly pointed out, if my cholesterol is too high when I was not even eating, then there is not a darn thing I can do about it - it´s in the genes.   So she agreed I should do all the right things re. eating and exercising well, but there would be no point in my taking medicine for the cholesterol when it is always going to be there anyway. Yipee!

Was it worth it?

Frankly for me, no it was not worth it.  I learned Excel, lowered my cholesterol count, and marveled at the wonder and gift of good health, the latter I can be aware of on a lovely bike ride with far less pain. So to go through all that fasting and recovery.  Nope for me it was not worth it.

Will I do it again, unlikely.  That said I won´t close out the option of a fast for a shorter period of time.   However with the first 12 hours to 60 hours are the hardest... so I don´t know.  

Art of Glass: The Spectacular World of Dale Chihuly

This posting is completely different from my last two postings.  Just for the fun and be-wonderment of it all:

It is likely glass artist Dale Chihuly´s spectacular pieces ablaze with color, light - and joy, will  leave you in awe.

And yes I do love my superlatives.  But Mr. Chihuly´ glass installations is one topic on which I can have free rein with the ´ol superlatives and still not be overboard. See if you don´t agree.

Thanks to my friend Anita, I visited Mr. Chihuly´s  exhibition in the Bronx Botanical Garden in N.Y.C. some years ago.  That´s where I took these photos.  The photos alas don´t do justice to the artist or his work, but I hope they will inform and pique your interest to look further.

I will start with my favorite installation...

Is n´t this a weird and wonderful fairy land or what!

To give you a sense of the size of these amazing installations, see moi sitting to the right of these green wiggly lights.

Don´t you just expect a character from the Beetlejuice film to pop out here any second.

Well, was I right or was I right about the ´ol superlatives!

Some more wow!

Consider for a moment the care you have to take washing your Waterford Glass. 

- Now consider the sheer logistics, of creating, transporting and installing these other-world sculptures.

To end, one more time my favorite installation.

Well folks not much I can say after these pictures.  Except - apart from the amazing hurling final between Tipperary and Kilkenny last Sunday, it would be hard to beat Dale Chihuly´s sculptures should one want to ponder the heights of human endeavors we mortals can achieve betimes.

If you want to find out more about this amazing and prolific artist... see links below. 

/http://www.chihuly.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Chihuly

And don´t you just love the name Dale Chihuly  What a great name for an artist.
Indeed with a name like that, one would have no option but to be an artist, or an actor at the very least!

My Fast. Part 2.

Day 0 Stopped eating on Friday Aug. 8th at 9:00 p.m.  

10:15 p.m. -  So far so good!

O.K. So this may not be the most scintillating of blog postings ... it was my life for the week that was in it... and this is my blog so there.  But if you dear reader have other things you would rather be doing than reading about my hungry week, just skim the headlines and move along.  Have a good week yourself!

Day 1   Saturday   O.K. till about midday, then it was not fun.

In the morning, I was a bit peckish but nothing too awful, did the laundry and a some other bits n´bobs.  From midday to about 9.00 p.m. not fun; I was  aware my stomach was growling, and I had a bad headache.  But I could contain the headache by simply massaging my forehead.  Also did not want to watch T.V. Just snooze and take things easy.  In the early evening I went for a short walk, which I was happily surprised went O.K. as my stomach was growling... and I felt a bit weak, nothing serious at all, but I can make ´serious´out of such physical discomforts!  Chatted with in-laws and then bed.

Drank about 1.5 litres of water in 24 hours, I thought I would drink more, but it did not appeal to me. Slept well.

Day 2 Sunday   - Better than yesterday, but still not good.  I hope things change tomorrow....

Woke up at 9:00 a.m. ish.  Glad to have slept so well.  Felt stomach pangs but manageable.  Slowly got up and drank ... water!   Although the stomach discomfort was not as bad as yesterday p.m., it still was not fun.  Not bad enough for me to stop fasting knowing people generally find the first two to three days the worst.   Found that I did not like to sit out in the sun although it was not at all too hot, it bothered me.  Pottered on the computer.  Felt stiff did movement exercises, was surprised how stiff I was.  A good deep nap in the afternoon. In general did not do too much.  Enjoyed a walk though in the early evening, felt it drained me at first, it got easier when I got to the top of the hill.  Still no interest in T.V.; the images too busy, and bright and too much action. Stomach pangs on and off until bed time.

Drank about 1. 5 liters like yesterday, I just did not feel like more.

Went to bed slept well, woke up at 1:00 a.m. for about 1.5 hours, then slept well again.

Day 3 Monday -  Still a bit of a stomach growl when I got up, but  things good by bed time.  

Woke up around 5.30 a.m. Sat up, read, computer pottered, then slept again for about 2 hours.  Sipping water here and there.  Feeling better as was advised I would by the third day; some stomach growling but I forgot about it for periods of times.  More energy and interest to ´do´ light admin stuff etc.  Interestingly, I  found connecting with others via phone or e-mail too much for me. Gave me a headache, I just did not have the ´omp´ to ´be at one with the world´.  But I did feel very ´at one with myself` all good, no deep dark holes there .... so far anyway!

A bit of pottering about, and more stretching; was glad to notice I was more flexible than yesterday. It is interesting not having eaten for over 60 hours, my body seemed ´the same as usual`  when I was doing my stretching, no weak links or limbs etc.

By late afternoon was feeling good, barely noticed hunger pangs, in fact almost forgot about fast, and nearly made a cuppa as I was busy and felt peckish. Enjoyed a comedy on T.V., with not too much action, which is just what I wanted.

As I go to bed a sense of all round physical well being, lightness or some thing in a good way, even though as I write stomach pangs ´lite´continue, it is not the main theme

Drank almost 2 litres of water, but more because I should, I did not feel the need for it nor did I want to drink.

Day 4  - More energy, less hunger pangs.  My mind getting more alert, but got a bit bored when I had no energy to follow up with anything.

Went to sleep easily, woke up around 3:30 a.m.  Stayed awake, read.  Noticing I am more alert when reading German, could remember easily new words etc.  Went to sleep at about 7.00 a.m. for a good 1 1/2 hours.  Hunger pangs but very much a minor theme.  Felt more energetic, I even hoovered the floor!  After that I went on my Mofa to visit a friend. To not over extend Romeo H started the Mofa for me.  In addition it took a lot of energy, climbing her 3 flights of stairs and getting my Mofa started going home, I was too tried afterwards even for stretching.  So no exercise today.

But on the other side, it was good to see my friend, and the sun in my hair riding through the country roads and all that nice tra la tra stuff was such a delight.  (Note to those concerned for traffic safety. I rode my Mofa very slowly and on the bike path, so slow bicyclists were passing me out!  One guy was laughing giving me a sign to rev up the bike!)

Afterwards, a good deep two hour nap then read in the sun. I found it very comfortable reading in the sun today unlike Sunday last.

´Lite´ hunger pangs continued.  Brain alert, wanted to do a bit more stuff, but my body did not have enough energy to follow my brain, so a bit board.  Did admin stuff, that I usually find boring, but it was not boring today.  Went to sleep fine.

Day 5 - Wednesday  Feel good, hunger pangs disappeared, mentally alert, form good, body weak.

Woke up a few times during the night, and simply read.  Then went to sleep at 7:00 a.m., very well, for about 2 hours. 

Although no hunger pangs at all, I did feel weak so stayed in bed. (When not moving I prefer lying to sitting during the fast, don´t know why.)

Romeo H. who supported me by fasting too, broke fast yesterday.  He had breakfast this morning. He wanted to eat clandestinely but  I was very surprised to find however, that I enjoyed watching him eat!  Yes, the actions, his enjoyment of the meal and even the faint smell of the toast were all a pleasure to me; I salivated, but still felt O.K. not eating myself.

A bit weak all morning so stayed in bed; went for a short walk more because it is wise for me to keep some movement, than my wanting to.  Back to bed then for a few hours, fine to do that today because the weather very wet.  Late afternoon went for a walk about when weather got better, and then started light stretching exercises, the exercise got easier the more I did, it very easy and slow of course. 

I have been taking the fasting time day by day.  Frankly I did not think I, MOI - Hausfrau Róisín,  could do without food for so long; normally and all my life I have felt stressed if I got hungry.  I always had something on hand in case I hit a hunger pang.

 But today I decided if I don´t break my fast earlier, I shall break fast on Friday night, that would be a full seven days after I started the water fast.

Drank 3 liters.  I felt like drinking water more than previous days.

Day 6 - Thursday Hunger pangs disappeared, mentally alert, body weak..oh hum boring for much of the time not having the energy to do much physically.  But very alert mentally, so I thought myself  Excel!

Slept great, woke up around 7.00 a.m. No hunger pangs at all, would never believe I could feel so ´normal´ after not eating for six days. YIKES 6 days, or say it another way 144 hours.  But I am not feeling strong, I would not have gone off on my Mofa today for sure. But mentally alert, so working on admin stuff - for hours.  Nothing else to do.  And all the being at one with oneself and one´s navel and soul etc over and done the first few days. -  Unless of course there are huge deep dark holes I have not even touched on!! ... Oh hum....

Not being hungry, not feeling like I wanted to connect with people, feeling physically weak, but mentally very alert... I ´took on Excel`!  I had some experience with an Excel spreadsheet, but not how it was set up.  But I stuck with it for least 9 hours today/ tonight, and I got it.  I create a spread sheet etc etc.   Although a source of great satisfaction to me, I am sure not to the reader (all 100,000 of you give or take 999,997) so I won´t expound on the thrills of my Excel discovery....

Except to say that I am now very proud that I understand the formulae:

 = IF (B1 < 0, B1, ´´´´)

and
= IF (B1 > 0, B1, ´´´´)

What is interesting is the physical changes due to fasting:

- Before I had never before being able to do mental work for more than 2 hours on the trot, and then with effort, now I was working away no stress for well over 8 hours in one day/night.
- No headaches, no eye strain, no stress, nothing.
- Before going to sleep at about 4.00 a.m. noticed whites of my eyes were very clear too, no redness in or around my eyes.
- And my teeth too for that matter.  But understandably with no tea staining them for almost a week.

I would say what one hear´s as the best manifestations of the fasting experience I am having today, i.e. all that alertness etc.

Drank a little over 2 litres of water all day.

Friday day 7.  Weak but mentally very alert.  Broke fast with water melon at 9.00 p.m.

Awoke after about 3 hours sleep, not at all tired after learning Excel last night.  Lay about reading and taking things easy all day.  Noticing I was not feeling at all hungry, so I sorted my recipe file to see if I could work up an appetite for breaking fast in the evening.  It was very productive, and I enjoyed reading the recipes..... 

....So 9.00 p.m. came and 9p.m. went.  Frankly, it was an anti-climax.  I only ate because I needed, not because I was hungry; as suggested I ate just a small portion, to acclimatize my digestive system which has never had it so easy in almost 60 years. 

So here I am with my first taste of food after water - plain, for seven days...

What a let down!  Every one said my first piece of food would be heavenly, it was not.  It tasted just fine, but certainly not fabulous. .... Bah humbug.
I was aware however that with just two ounces of melon, my digestive system was rumbling into action inside of 10 minutes.  What I will say with certainty: Thank God for a great digestive system; a body is wonderful when it can work the way it should!

Had another piece of melon before bed.  Tasted it, barely.  I was so disappointed, I was expecting heaven on earth with the first piece of food after 7 days of water.

Went to bed still feeling weak, but had a sense that my body knew things were changing direction.

Drank 2.25 or so litres of water today.

Saturday The day after. Stuck rigorously to breaking fast instructions of small portions of water melon the first day. 

Slept great.  Up on Saturday a.m. and I could amazingly note that my body was different; already a bit stronger with just those 6ozs odd of melon last night.  - Still not  ready to scrub the floor, (I am rarely ready to scrub the floor!) but certainly felt more energy.  Though as soon as I got into action a bit, felt weak again.  

Romeo H. recommended veggie brew, a no no at this stage of coming off a water fast.  Should just eat melon or apple or what ever for more than 48 hours. But I did feel that my body needed more nutrients, - maybe the people who fast for 21/40/or even up to 70 days have a lot more nutrients stocked up than I, but I was agreeing with Herbie that I needed soup.  I had it and I felt much better.

.... Afterthoughts after the fast... Did my body, mind and soul regenerate? did I become a bionic all knowing member of the universe ?  Will follow up in a few weeks to see whats and wherefores after the fast.