Mark Epstein |
In preparation,
around the beginning of February, I started taking processed foods
out of my diet, and I tried to get more sleep. On Feb 9th, I moved
to an all raw foods diet and diminished the quantity of food at my
meals. I arrived at the Center late in the afternoon on Feb 12th,
checked in, and had my last supper - whole salad with lemon juice
and some fruit. It was a lovely meal.
My room was
just off the kitchen (big trouble!) and overlooked the backyard.
I settled in, listened to instructional audiotapes on fasting, and
started drinking distilled water (my only "food" for the
next two weeks). I setup my laptop computer on the desk, wrote a
few emails and went to sleep. In the morning, I received a physical
examination from Peter Sultana, MD, and began to settle into my
daily routine. Wake up in the morning by the physician doing morning
rounds, vital signs are taken, weigh myself, blood tests and/or
urine tests as indicated, spend the day thinking about food, drink
some water, go to educational lectures, watch videos on health topics,
take a nap, think about food, take a walk in the garden, get a little
late afternoon sun, notice the food being served for dinner to those
that are eating, drink more water, get an checkup by the physician
doing evening rounds, watch a movie, do some emails and writing,
and go to sleep.
There were about
20 patients at the Center while I was there, each one at a different
point in their fast. When I arrived, I was the new kid on the block,
and I learned a lot from the wonderful friends I met who shared
with me their wisdom and experiences from their fast. We talked
about food, a lot. As time passed, I would become the seasoned veteran,
providing encouragement and guidance to the new arrivals. I found
the friendships and social interactions to be a wonderful part of
the experience. As patients, we were all sharing in the journey
being guided by the physicians, staff, and each other. With the
daily educational lectures, there was an excellent support system
assisting everyone in their health recovery. Some people were there
with challenging health conditions, and others were there to tune
themselves up. Some were on their first fast, and others were fasting
veterans. For me, I was venturing headlong into a new experience,
confident of the benefits I would receive, and excited at the unknown.
So, I put on my nightshirt and bathrobe and started on my journey.
Here are some notes I took along the way:
Tue Feb 12.
Arrived and had dinner, yum. Weighed in at 161 pounds, blood pressure
around 110/70. I was probably nearly 170 pounds at the beginning
of Feb.
Wed Feb 13.
I'm feeling hungry already, but planning on fasting 12 days. Looking
forward to complete rest, trying to do less email. Working on drinking
eight glasses of distilled water each day.
Thu Feb 14.
Down to 157 pounds. The smell of food from the kitchen is tantalizing
me. Many naps today.
Fri Feb 15:
Still hungry, feeling a bit weak and nauseous, and moving slowly.
Distilled water tastes disgusting. Found out my blood type is A+,
which sounds like a good grade. Cholesterol is up at 188, higher
than I expected, but nothing to worry about. Blood pressure down
to around 90/60. All ok.
Sat Feb 16.
My fast is continuing fine, sleep a total of 16 hours today. Still
hungry.
Sun Feb 17.
Take lots of naps to avoid thinking about food. Most people aren't
hungry after the first few days, but I'm still hungry. In good spirits,
enjoy visiting with the other patients.
Mon Feb 18:
I'm hungry, I'm weak, I'm tired, and I'm bored. Low motivation and
energy, and I get dizzy if I move too fast. I'm down to 149 pounds,
lowest weight since college. I can't believe I'm forcing myself
to fast, when I'm completely healthy. Am I insane? I remind myself
that this feeling will pass, and I can do this. But, I couldn't
drink eight glasses of distilled water today. Yuck.
Tue Feb 19:
Seems my constant focus on hunger is subsiding. Kitchen still smells
delicious, though. Six days till I break my fast. Yeah!
Wed Feb 20.
Decided to take a shower today. Exhausting, but refreshing. Starting
to count down the number of hours till I will break my fast. Watching
movies.
Thu Feb 21.
Just found out that ice is legal during fasting! Now, this adds
an entire new dimension to my distilled water ritual. I find this
very satisfying. Feeling energetic and alert, although I fatigue
if I do too much. Down to 146 pounds.
Fri Feb 22.
I'm feeling really hungry, and have light naps today, restless.
Looking forward to watermelon juice next Monday.
Sat Feb 23.
Low energy, and sleep most of the day. Not too social.
Sun Feb 24.
Excited to be in my last day of fasting. This is an enormous understatement.
Mon Feb 25.
Down to a low point of 143 pounds, and I have a small glass of watermelon
juice at breakfast. Amazing!! A glass of carrot/celery/apple juice
for lunch, then a glass of celery/apple for a snack, and finally
carrot/celery/parsley for dinner. The flavors are beyond words,
and I'm very satisfied. Went to bed early.
Tue Feb 26.
More juices, then I had a small whole salad with fresh fruit. Wow!!
My energy level seems back to normal, and my taste buds are awake
as never before. Work on my spring garden planting schedule and
order organic seeds on the Internet.
Wed Feb 27.
Noticing how thin I appear down at 145 pounds, looking forward to
building up from here. Raw fruits and vegetables today. Shaved today,
and put on real clothes which were very baggy.
Thu Feb 28.
I had steamed vegetables for dinner. Carrots, broccoli, peas, zucchini,
red chard, corn, and more. Each flavor was more exciting than I
could have imagined.
Fri Mar 1.
Back up to 150 pounds with full energy. Eating delicious food,
taking walks, and preparing to return to the real world tomorrow
morning.
Upon returning
to Chicago, I had plenty of energy to attend to my regular life.
Over the next month, my weight slowly increased to about 155, where
it has stayed pretty steady. Reflecting on my fasting experience
from a distance, I consider it one of the most significant events
of my life. I now have a firsthand understanding of the innate ability
of my body to rebalance itself and express vibrant health when given
the opportunity.
I'd like to
thank all the new friends I met at the Center during my fast. My
fellow patients were supportive (and entertaining), the physicians
and staff motivating, professional, and attentive. The environment
is well suited for health-recovery, and watching everyone going
through the process of regaining his or her health is wonderfully
inspiring.
Mark Esptein
lives in Chicago, is a gentleman famer in North Carolina, and is
the President of the Board of Directors of the National
Health Association.
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