I learned a lot today, more than I had expected.
Coming Out of My Papaya Fast
I woke up without an alarm, my phone had gone missing for the whole day, I had no idea where it was. Upon waking up I walked to the community room and got to work on my fruitarian blog, I didn’t felt like doing any yoga.
Around 9 a.m. I got up to have some papayas, today was the seventh day of my fast. I wish I could say that I only had papayas for the whole week, but that is not the case. On day three I had some oranges and jack-fruit on the day five I had oranges again. Today again I had some jack-fruit and tomatoes as well. I wanted to begin easing out of my fast so I can have a salad tomorrow evening.
Towards the end of the day I decided to try an avocado. I figured it would be a good experiment. The results were nothing short of fascinating. I had the smallest avocado I could find and I only had half of it, then I waited for an hour before having the second half. Neither time I felt bloated nor discomfort in my belly, which was what I was expecting.
How Fat Seems to Affect My Health
Instead, I noticed a slight feeling of dehydration and a subtle buildup of mucus on my sinuses, I also farted twice, which were the first farts I had since I began my papaya fast. I can also tell you that I haven’t pooped since I ate the avocado. This is similar to the experience I had after eating all that coconut fat a couple of weeks ago.
During my papaya fast I noticed my digestion got much cleaner. Over the past few days I was pooping up to four times per day and there was practically no residue on the toilet paper I used to wipe my butt. This is clearly different than when I eat cooked food or lots of raw vegan fat, when I do, I go to the bathroom a maximum of two times and use much more TP.
You may think this is too much information, but in fact, it is not, I dare to tell you what others do not, because I trust this information will serve you have better health. The avocado literally slowed down my digestion. I can’t tell you I am happy about it, but I am certainly happy of finding this out.
I told Jake I was surprised that fat could have such a negative effect on my digestion, especially in such a small amount. However, he brought a great point: I didn’t need that fat. I didn’t take the avocado because my body was asking for it. I took it because my mind was curious. It is possible that my body would have preferred to continue the papaya fast, especially because I was doing so well on it. If my body had had an actual need for fat, it is likely the reaction to it wouldn’t have been as bad.
Lessons from My Papaya Fast
There are several points I can conclude from this experiment:
#1) Fasting on papayas is great. It cleared my digestion in less than a week, I felt strong and light, my mood was great (after the second day) and it was quite easy to do.
#2) Fats should only be eaten when the body TRULY NEEDS THEM. Not when we have the munchies, not when we are tempted and not when we are curious. Otherwise we risk clogging up our digestion.
#3) Oranges are fair substitutes for papayas when it comes to fasting, jack-fruit is not. Tomatoes are also a fair substitute since all these three fruits are high on water content. That being said, it is better to commit to a full fast instead of breaking the rules here and there.
Lessons from My Speech Fast
As you may remember from yesterday’s blog, I also decided to do a speech fast from yesterday until today. It was quite successful and I am open to doing it again. Perhaps I didn’t set it up as strictly as I could, I just wanted to get on with it. Next time I will be better prepared but for now I am happy to tell you the five things I learned:
#1) Speech fasting is easier than I though. All I got to do is not talk. I noticed the thoughts in my mind and a desire to do so from time to time but resisting was quite easy at first.
#2) Being able to remain quiet when others talk to you is a blessing and feels good. The gift of silence is a gift to yourself and others.
#3) Speaking is a gift too. When others approach me desiring my word, it is a kind gesture from me to share my voice with them and get involved in the conversation.
#4) If I will speak, I want it to be for good. This is easier to do after not talking for a while. My first words right after my speech fast were kind and generous. As I got more used to talking again I began to “waste” my words and talk about things that were, perhaps, not as important, gentle, or useful.
#5) Speaking is very convenient, especially when you need something. During my speech fast I realized I was missing my phone and didn’t feel like asking people for help with a note. I ended up coming out of my fast to ask Vicky for help and a few hours later she found it for me.
Wrapping Up the Day
I spent most of my day catching up with my fruitarian blog. I am on day 38 today but I have only posted up to day 36 and the last post I made on Facebook goes back to day 22. This is not ideal but I have other things in the meantime as well.
Now that I am practically caught up I can return to focusing on my fruitarian book. I have to review what I have written so far and continue to add more content. I am a little scared of running out of things to say but the truth is that I only need to ask questions and let my brain do the rest.
I closed my night watching Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix. I wanted to take a mind break before writing this blog. I love watching the Harry Potter movies, in a way, they make me feel at home, perhaps because they remind me of my childhood in Argentina, or perhaps because they remind me of my mom. Perhaps it is because they remind me how much I love reading and how much I love writing. Perhaps because it reminds me of the hero, and the child, within us all.
It is POURING rain outside, time to get back to the Rainbow Hut. Goodnight =D
