As a vegan, I try to eat a plant-based, Whole Foods diet. The way nutrition is set up in the US is incredibly backward. Natural foods that should be cheap and abundant - organic fruits and vegetables - are expensive. Unnatural food-like substances - any fast food meal, highly processed ‘foods’ - are on every dollar menu you can find.
I’m blessed to have grown up eating mangos and oranges and papaya from trees that grew around our house, and a mother who delighted in preparing homemade plant-based, nutritious meals. My taste buds have been accustomed to greatness to say the least. The transition from pescatarian to vegetarian and ultimately to vegan was honestly a natural one, especially when I began doing yoga and watching more documentaries on the food-preparatory process in this country - see Fed Up, Food Inc, Cowspiracy, What The Health.
A few months ago, I stumbled across a video on YouTube describing the benefits of intermittent fasting (IF). I eventually read the book by Dr Jason Fung called The Complete Guide to Fasting and watched several videos about intermittent and extended fasting (EF).
Since then, I have practiced an 18-20 hour daily fasting regimen, and experimented with various EF regimens ranging from 24-72 hour fasts. Naturally, my weight dropped by about 10 lbs and my stomach which had always had a slightly bloated appearance, became as flat as flat-earthers believe the earth to be flat - jk.
However, an unexpected benefit occurred. I began to save money on food due to the fact that I only eat 1-2 meals a day (some days, just water); my food budget has shrunken and I’m HERE FOR IT! The discipline that fasting instills causes a recognition of true hunger and teaches abstinence from snacking. I only eat when I’m truly hungry and eat till I’m satisfied within my eating window which ranges from 4-6 hours on days when I’m not doing an extended fast. When you fast, your stomach shrinks, so when you resume eating, you simply don’t eat as much as you did previously. Stuffing yourself actually becomes very uncomfortable.
Long story short (I can write more about my experiences with fasting if anyone is interested), during this month of February, I’ve decided to do a 5 day minimum water fast. I say minimum because I actually plan to keep fasting until the sensation of hunger returns. Since the longest fast I’ve ever successfully completed has been 72 hours, I’m very curious to see what changes my body and mind will undergo. I know the sensation of hunger passes after the 72 hour mark once the body enters ketosis so I’m excited for that. I’m hoping to go for at least 10 days but being a woman, my uterus may have other plans because...period cravings.
I’m most excited about the fact that I’m going to be saving quite a bit of money by not eating, and I plan to take advantage of the added mental clarity that comes with fasting and complete a few unfinished projects.
So, this is one of the ways I’m progressing towards becoming student-loan debt free (see earlier posts) while continuing to live a sustainable lifestyle. I will write an update once my fast is complete, detailing the ultimate duration of my first very extended fast. Today is Day 2 of my fast.
PS...Who’s excited about Black Panther? MEEEEEE!!!
Going to check out that movie for sure. Nice post!
Thank you!