3 Day Water Fasting Retreat

3 Days, 3 People, Water Only... and enemas!

Mayne Island, BC

The Set up

Three friends met on quiet, sunny, peaceful Mayne Island to explore the sensation of water fasting. 

What is water fasting?

Water fasting consists of drinking water only for an extended period of time so that the body can enter ketosis and heal.  In the absence of glucose and glycogen (the storage form of glucose) the body makes energy using ketones. Ketones are derived from fat tissue and created in the liver. 
Why is this such a good thing? Breaking down fats regenerates and heals the body. Fat is found as adipose tissue (what we think of as fat) and plaques in the arteries. Even scar tissue is broken down. That means injuries heal from the newest to oldest throughout a fast. 
There are other benefits of water fasting which include stimulation of new brain cell growth. This can be a prevention and treatment for neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's, dementia and Parkinson's diseases. 
Digestion is metabolically expensive, meaning it requires lots of energy. The body expends energy breaking the bonds between food molecules. Water fasting gives the gut a chance to heal.
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Preparation

Preparation for a water fast includes:

• Beginning to eat a vegetarian, raw food diet as far in advance as you can
• Eating a juice or smoothie diet the day before the fast
• Colon hydrotherapy the day before the fast to get all the waste out
• Buying an enema kit, dry skin brush + heating pad (helpful for body aches)
• Clearing your schedule of obligations & commitments

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Daily Routine

Sleeping and Waking Everyone wakes up at different times. During a water fast less sleep is often needed because the body is not burdened with breaking down food. But sleeping during the day is common. Waking up can feel great, it can also feel difficult - with nausea or body pains. After 3-4 days energy increases and the body feels great. 
Meditation allows each person to get in touch with their inner journey. When you are fasting the mind is quiet and there is a sense of calm. Messages are easier to download and interpret which means lots of journalling happens also. 
Nature is the source of all things. It is where we come from and what we are made of. Spending time in nature is essential during a water fast. We spent time at the ocean, park and garden, appreciating the endless beauty of the island and tranquility around us. 
Skin Brushing is a post I have written about before here. It is the act of physically brushing your lymph fluid from the extremities towards the heart for eventual elimination by the gut. The lymph system is the body's sewer. All the by products of cellular metabolism and toxins get pushed out into the lymph. Because there is no pump for lymph fluid, like there is for blood, it relies on muscle contraction to move. Often times it sits and accumulates in distal tissues like hands and feet. 
Infrared Saunas promote detoxification. Infrared is a light wavelength that we interpret as heat. It penetrates 6 cm into the body to force toxins out. Infrared saunas can help with heavy metal detox, tissue and injury repair and mental relaxation. Its an excellent space to meditate, especially if you add some crystals!  Essential oils can be diffused in a small dish of water to enhance detox. Make sure to skin brush just before.  My favourite essential oils for detox are: Fir balsam, lemon, eucalyptus and lavender. 
Morning enemas are a water, non-retention enema. They are used to continue to move waste out of the colon for comfort and to reduce the symptoms of detox. Enemas help with nausea by reducing the amount of bile that builds up in the digestive tract. Enemas can help with brain fog and headaches. As a morning ritual it is done until the water flows out clear. We buy our enema kits here. 

Lavender on Mayne Island, BC

​Mind, Body, Spirit

Water fasting has been used for centuries by most religions as a way of purging the body and getting closer to god. Today is no different. Water fasting opens a portal to the seventh chakra allowing for a more direct connection to Source. 
Water fasting is also a time of deep transformation. Ideas about yourself and old stories are especially susceptible for release. This water fast we did a gentle release of that which no longer serves us. The ceremony went like this:

Japanese Garden, Mayne Island

• Walk the path of the Japanese Garden
• Think about something you no longer want to carry forward into your new life
• Pick up a piece of nature that represents this idea, image or story 
• Together we each said what we were willing to be free from and created an affirmation. The gathered item was discarded into the pond, or gently placed as a symbol of leaving it behind. We each chose: A rock, a leaf, pieces of old bark.

What we all ended up leaving behind were old ideas of ourselves that were no longer in purpose. The shared affirmation:

I AM WORTHY!

Breaking the Fast

Short water fasts can be broken easily with the broth of 5 Element Soup. It is a delicious vegetable recipe broth created by Dr. Tateishi Kazu, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor.  From the Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Website:

"(5 Element Soup) was created by Dr. Tateishi Kazu who based the soup on the principles of the five elements theory in Chinese medicine. The harmonizing balance of the forces of yin and yang, acid and alkaline, that generates health; in contrast to the imbalance, which leads to disease."

"He researched, studied and tested over 1,500 types of herbs and plants to come up with the unique healing vegetable soup. Each essence possesses its own color: green, red, yellow, white and black. These relate to the corresponding internal organs: heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidneys. Dr. Kazu used the concept of the five different colors as matched to specific vegetables:

• Daikon Radish Leaves (Green element)
• Daikon Radish (White element)
• Carrots (Red color element)
• Burdock Root (Yellow element)
• Shittake Mushroom (Black element)
  

Water fasts can be broken with other foods such as fresh & juicy in-season fruits, steamed soft vegetables like zucchini or carrots and other broths, like Hippocrates Soup. 

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Re-posted from Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Centre

After The Water Fast

After the water fast the digestive system is delicate. Water enemas can be done each day until there is a bowel movement. 
Small portions are very important to not overwhelm a digestive system just beginning to secrete acids and enzymes.
It is necessary to avoid meat, oils and fatty food for a few days after a short fast, and much longer if the fast is over a week. 
Garlic, onion and spices are too corrosive for the gut and should be added in gradually. 
Salt becomes less necessary after a fast as the taste sensation is heightened. 
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you feel tired during a water fast?

Water fasting forces the body to change over from glycolysis to ketosis. This process is that hardest. It is day 2-3 of a water fast and it is when you feel the least energetic. Following this transition, energy steadily picks up. 
The heavy  detoxification of a water fast can feel uncomfortable involving nausea or vomiting for some people. This doesn't last long and wellness returns. Everyone's experience is different depending on their medical history. 
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How long do you have to fast for?

The length of your fast depends on your health goals. The length usually can be determined by the severity of the illness being healed. A 3 day fast is a good break for the digestive system and an opportunity for the body to learn to regulate glucose metabolism. 
Most medical water fasts should be at least 7 days and probably more like 10-14. This length is where deep healing happens from: osteoarthritis, fibroids, autoimmune disease, chronic pain, migraines and more. 
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How often should somebody fast?

Short fasting periods can be done frequently. There is one form of intermittent fasting where one day each week is dedicated to just water. A short 3 day fast can happen many times in a year. 
Week long fasts or more shouldn't happen more than 1x per year. The body needs time to recover and the season for water fasting is important too. Spring or summer is the best time to water fast because it is the time of renewal and rebirth. It is also warm enough in most regions to fast at this time. During a water fast, your body temperature drops making even warm climates like Hawaii feel chilly! 
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Can I fast at home by myself?

Water fasting is done all over the world at home without medical supervision or a guide. The benefits of having a guide are tremendous. Someone with experience water fasting can help ease the process where necessary and catalyze deep emotional shifts. 
Medical supervision is necessary for anyone on prescription medication, fasts longer than a week, history of chemotherapy or other toxic drugs and serious medical conditions. 
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Will I be able to work while I am fasting or look after my kids?

Water fasting is an intensive detox. If it is your first water fast, the chances are you are going to detox heavily. Symptoms can range from: headaches to migraines, and nausea or vomiting. Low blood pressure is common so moving quickly is not an option. 
Experienced fasters can sometimes maintain a job while fasting. 
Taking care of your family may be hard in the first few days of a water fast but will become much easier as the days go on. 
Its my recommendation to take time off during a water fast. There are many more benefits to a water fast, than just relieving the body of food, which come from solitude and stillness, time with nature and relaxation.
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Will you be holding another fast?

Our water fasts are scheduled throughout the year in various location around the world. If you would like more information about our next fast in November in Hawaii, please send me an email to: [email protected]
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Opening as every moment is the practice of true bliss

- David Deida