Nina's 10-Day Water Fast - Part 2
Hello friends,
Hopefully, you read my (Nina's) last post and I got you hooked on the idea that a water fast could be something to try. In today's post, I’ll give you my best tips and the things I did that made a big difference to go for 10 days (and the surprising fact that I was not ready to call it quits on day 11!)
Before my fast began, I did about 4 days of intermittent fasting. For me, I shortened my eating window to a 10 am-5 pm window. When the family was eating dinner, I was done eating for the day. Honestly, this was harder than water fasting. Weird I know.
Isn’t water fasting just water? Well, no. Here are the things I allowed myself to have in addition to water:
FLUIDS:
Days 1-4: I only consumed filtered, structured water, Baja Gold Liquid Ocean Minerals (see photos below), and unsweetened tea. I allowed myself ½ cup of black coffee in the mornings.
An important part of fasting is making sure you get enough electrolytes (read "minerals"). Minerals facilitate the body's electrical system and allow water to pass through the cell walls so nutrition can get in and waste can be removed. Without enough minerals, your body will pull them from your bones. Getting adequate electrolytes during a fast is critical. At a minimum make sure you add a pinch of salt to your water. What I like about Baja Gold, Liquid Ocean Minerals is that it contains over 90 minerals (i.e. all the minerals our bodies need) in their naturally occurring ratios, so this is an easy base to cover. If you want to order Baja Gold you can CLICK HERE. Use the code HEALINGUNITED10 for 10% off your order. I also recommend getting their find grind salt and dissolving that in a glass of water, along with the juice of 1 lemon for a wonderful electrolyte drink.
As for the coffee I mentioned, my favorite is Purity Coffee.
Purity Coffee is mold-free (you'd be surprised how hard that is to find) and uses only organic beans, roasted to maximize antioxidants. Order HERE and use code HEALINGUNITED20 for 20% off your first order!
Day 5: I made beef broth from roasted bones, carrots, onions, garlic, and star anise. It was a lovely addition—two cups per day for the rest of my cleanse.
Day 6: I added my VMG+ (Vitamins, Minerals, and Greens supplement from doTerra) that morning. I was worried the slight sweetness might trigger hunger, but it didn’t, and it gave me a nice energy boost.
VMG+ is a daily, powdered vitamin and mineral supplement featuring over 90, high-quality ingredients including whole-food vitamins and minerals, fruits, vegetables, digestive enzymes, and probiotics. CLICK HERE to order VMG+.
Also from DoTerra are these incredible “beadlets.”
I am embarrassed to admit a weird side effect of cleansing is how it can affect your breath (which my husband lovingly pointed out). Chewing gum was out of the question as it can initiate hunger by exciting digestive juices, but popping in an essential oil beadlet freshened my breath and my spirit!
My two favorites are Supermint and the MetaPWR which has grapefruit, lemon, peppermint, ginger, and cinnamon which curbs appetite and tastes incredible.
Day 7: A friend gave me Kangen Water (which I had no prior experience with) to stimulate my bowels, and though it didn’t have the promised “black tar” result, it did give me a great bowel movement.
Day 9: I had a surge of energy—so much so that I felt euphoric and could’ve gone for a long run!
Day 10: Though I didn’t want to stop, but I had a dinner invitation I couldn’t miss. I needed to ease back into food for a few days before attending.
That Hunger ‘hack” I promised I’d tell you about:
I know I mentioned that I didn’t struggle with hunger very much in the beginning. This made things super easy to get past the dreaded day 2 or 3 hump. During days 1-5 I wore one of the SP6 Photo Light Therapy patches from Lifewave. These non-transdermal patches reflect your body's own light back into your body at a specific wavelength.
The SP6 is an appetite-suppressant patch from LifeWave. They are easy to use...and non-toxic. Here is the link to the patches. I wish I had two experiences to compare against each other so that I could know if it was the SP6 that made my first five days so easy. It may have been a game changer. I’ll report back next time.
Post-fast Tip: After a cleanse, it’s easy to overdo it. I had a bulletproof coffee with too much coconut oil on Day 11 and was forced to stay close to the bathroom. The rest of the day I allowed myself more easily digestible foods like bone broth and vegetables, and I saved meat and eggs for day 12.
IN SUMMARY
I’d rather fast for a short time than diet for a long time.
Fasting filled me with peace and clarity, once I got past the initial hunger. My stomach felt light, my sleep was deep, and I had more energy than before. My skin felt tight, my knee joints stopped aching during a deep squat and the weight loss was a welcome win.
Why aren’t more people water fasting?
The simple answer is that most people don’t realize how powerful it can be, and there’s no big profit to be made from a water fast.
What’s allowed during a water fast?
Water (filtered, structured, preferably with electrolytes)
Herbal tea (unsweetened), unflavored carbonated water, black coffee (with no more than 1 tbsp of cream), lemon water with sea salt, and bone broth if needed
What’s not allowed?
Artificial sweeteners, honey, maple syrup, stevia, “natural flavors,” bullion cubes, or anything with MSG
Chewing gum is also discouraged, as it can trigger hunger signals
Fasting is a natural way to give your body a break from digestion and support deep healing.
For me, it felt like a reset, a chance to restore balance in my body. And when I finally returned to eating, I did so with a renewed appreciation and gratitude for food.
Are you ready to try it for yourself?
Have I given you more courage to try your own fast? Let me know in the comments.
I hope you found this helpful,
Nina Elliot
PS. Not wanting to do a fast (or detox) alone? We offer water fasting instruction and supervision in our 8-week Accelerated Detox -- a comprehensive cleanse designed to purge your body of parasites, heavy metals, industrial chemicals, molds, and more!
