7-day Coconut/Juice Fast

(25 September - 2 October, 2020)

 

PRE-FAST:

I didn't take proper protocol easing into this fast, which I am quite curious to notice how this effects the fasting journey- a self-experiment. I was eating a lot, at weird hours, and snacking throughout the day for several weeks while I was working hard in the kitchen with ebook and recipe creation.

 

The day before the fast my consumption was:

1 mango; ~1/4 cup coconut yogurt; a small banana; spicy cashews; steamed veggies (pumpkin, morning glory, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, ginger...no oil or salt); 1/2 sushi bowl (quinoa, tempeh, carrot, avocado, cucumber, sesame seeds, organic soy sauce, lettuce); ceremonial cacao; 1/2 beet root burger with gluten free bun & side salad; 1/2 sushi bowl (steamed greens, pumpkin, nori sheets, brown rice, avocado, tempeh)... I had business meetings and we decided to split meals, hence the 1/2 portions. This was not 'ideal' because it only added more ingredients into the body to have to digest and simple, especially before a fast, is optimum. 

 

The week leading up to the fast was quite intense work wise and energetic wise. I could feel the inner and outer chaos. Anxiety and stress held a certain type of grip on my being as many transitions were at a tipping point and new and unknown phases were starting to emerge. I was aware of my body and mind states, and decided to learn into the uncertainty. My overall feeling was excitement for a body reset and the space to move at a slower pace. I was hopeful for the fast to bring mental clarity. 

 

PURPOSE/INTENTIONS:

Body reset - reduce belly bloat and inflammation in intestines and joints;

Energy diverted from food (planning, shopping, prepping, cooking, eating) to other projects and areas of my life;

Time to move at a slower pace in tune with nature, a focus on being rather than doing;

Moving beyond the swirling chatter of the mind into a space of clarity and observation;

Reconnection with self, nature, and others in an authentic and deep way.

​

Note: each day I consume at least 3L of water in addition to coconuts/juice. 

 

DAY 1:

I slept in for the first time in many weeks. It felt so relaxing, like a gift to myself - a much needed break from the "wake up and do, work, get done" mentality. I immediately felt an internal energy shift starting to take place just from committing to the journey. I felt a strong sense of self connection, self giving, and allowing space to function on my own time schedule.

10:30am Wake up; poop (Let's flush the taboo on poo! Yes, I will be including when I eliminate, because it's important to notice, always, and on a fast!); and 25 minute morning meditation.

11:00am Yoga. Today's practice felt good in the body and I kept my typical routine. Energy levels were 'normal'.

12:30pm Extra time to clean and do small chores around my space. Not rushed in showering and getting ready, actions more mindful.

1:30pm Fresh coconut!

2:00-3:00pm I did a 1 hour inner walk practice to look into the mind. This method of meditation is so beautiful to me and offers so much insight. As time went by, so did my involvement in the stories that were being played and repeated in my mind. This helped a lot with that noisy mind chatter that I was letting get too loud the past week. 

3:30pm Another fresh coconut = life.

4:15pm Ginger tea and online work at a cafe. I notice with the presence of food, that I start to feel hunger for the first time today. I desire, but don't actually want or really need. I observe my behaviors and habits around food.

6:30pm Fresh coconut

7:30pm Fresh coconut

9pm Winding down into bed for the evening. Taking time to be more mindful and reflective. 

 

DAY 2:

8:30am Wake up, poop & morning meditation

9:30am Yoga practice- moving mindfully. My body and mind feel just about 'normal' today, which in previous fasts has not been the case on day 2. (From previous fasts, day 2 has been the biggest struggle and super low energy). 

10:30am Morning chores and online work.

12pm Fresh coconut. Online work. Mental clarity and strong focus.

3:00-3:30pm Enjoyed 2 fresh coconuts. Feeling the life force they bring to my body. 

4pm-7pm Woman's circle- beautiful space for support and authentic connection that offers meaningful social interaction and reflections. Felt some waves of hunger between 6-8pm that would come and go, but nothing too overwhelming. 

8:00pm Coconut, yum!

9:00pm Poop

 

DAY 3:

8:30am Wake up & morning meditation

10am Yoga practice- feeling strong in my body and mind. I practice on my balcony and enjoy a sound journey of inspiring music and the rain outside. Gratitude is heightened with the connection to nature and self. A feeling of bliss fills my entire being.

11:30am Coconut. So much appreciation for this sweet natural water.

12pm Poop. Start working online for the afternoon.

2pm Coconut break.

3:30pm 2 coconuts...throughly enjoyed... online work continues. 

5pm Poop

6pm Coconut with a friend, grateful for authentic connection. 

10pm Mindful wind down. This includes lighting candles on my alter, cultivating gratitude, checking into how my body is feeling and what's on my mind. 

 

DAY 4:

9am Wake up & morning meditation (less involvement in the mental noise, more space for observation). 

9:30am Poop

10 Yoga- feeling good in my stretches, moving intuitively. Channeling a more yin style practice. 

11am Coconut water for a morning boost! 

11:30am Ginger tea and begin the days online work.

3pm Coconut

4pm Coconut

4:30pm Coconut (thirsty much...haha...)

8pm Coconut with friends. Connection around a fire with song, dance, and laughs. Feeling into the elements of the earth around me! 

12am Sleep (and much needed!).

 

DAY 5:

7:30am Wake up & sit for morning meditation.

8:30am Course work for my online health coach training.

10:30-11:30am Yoga practice- feeling a bit slower today. Listened to my  body and took a more yin/restorative approach to stretches.

12pm Green juice added in to the fast! Met up with lovely beings to share with. 

1pm Poop. Began the days online work content.

3pm Coconut water break to refresh and refocus. Then continued the working day.

5pm Coconut break, then continued work. 

6:30pm Beautiful sunset and nature connection. 

8:30pm Poop. I find it funny to poop on a fast, because nothing is really going in but things are still coming out. It is important to also remember that typically, one should be popping once per meal per day, that's 3 times a day! If you aren't eliminating, toxicity is being stored within the body! 

9pm Coconut

11pm Night time wind down. 

 

DAY 6:

6am Wake up because I need to poop haha! Then go back to sleep. 

7:30am Actual morning wake up & meditation. 

9:30am Coconut water, from the source of course. 

10am-1:00pm Attending a Dharma Workshop. This offered amazing insight to the workings of the mind. The perspective is based on buddhist philosophy and personal experience from the facilitator. The wisdom shared linked to topics I am currently processing and reflecting, helping to make sense of my own monkey mind. It brought great clarity and perspective on a mental level, allowing new space (in conjunction with the fast) for transformation and growth. 

1:15pm Coconut and begin the days online work.

3:00pm Made my own green juice! Continued the online content creation. 

5:00pm Yoga on the beach for nature connection and deep inner processing. 

8:00pm Coconut water. 

11pm Wind down.

 

DAY 7:

7:00am Wake up & extended morning meditation. Today, after yesterday's insights and perspective shift, I am feeling like a new beginning has started! 

10:00am Colon Hydrotherapy appointment. A final flush to complete the detoxification week. This is a way to eliminate toxins that have been stored in the body for your entire life. It's a deep cleansing practice that to many is taboo, but possibly only because it's unknown..? It's painless, and the health benefits from the cleanse is priceless. 

12:00pm Coconut water. Begin online work for the day. Taking it gentle physically and mentally  for the afternoon. 

4pm Homemade veggie juice break! 

6pm Yoga- light stretches on the beach and cultivating gratitude for this life. 

8pm Veggie juice from the batch I made previously this afternoon. 

11pm Wind down and week reflection. 

 

REFEEDING:

Breaking the fast is such a beautiful experience. The body has been reset, and you can decide what to add back in. You have the chance to build a new relation with food, behaviors around food, and a strong state to transform old habits. When you eat, you are so aware of the smell, taste, and texture of the food. There is a heightened sense of awareness to the physical body and you can notice how certain foods effect your functioning and digestion. 

​

I broke-fast with mango! Oh how sweet and delicious! A true gift from Mother Nature!...but so sweet I ended up getting an ulcer on my tongue haha! 

​

I still enjoyed fresh coconuts and proper hydration! 

​

In the evening I prepared a fresh salad with leafy  greens, herbs, and mango slices. Traditionally with fasts, I tend to do 1-3 days full fruitarian before adding in vegetables and other food groups.

 

REFLECTING BACK, I feel this fast's role in my life ended up serving as a large self experiment in my own body. I am developing my fasting practice, so am gathering more and more data about my body and mind. I did not go in with proper protocol on the fast and the re-feeding felt a bit more pressured or limited due to work commitments (final recipe creations for the ebook!). No doubt though, that inflammation and bloat was eliminated. Outsiders made comments about my hair looking thicker and healthier, my eyes looking more alive, and my aura glowing brighter. I felt better physically and mentally than before. I was given the space to process deep personal shifts moving to the surface. More data about my self was collected, and more mindfulness about my food consumption and behaviors was created. Connection to nature feels heightened and colors more vibrant. There is sensitivity to energy frequencies and awareness to how it affects the body. 

​

​