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by Keiyia J. George (RKG Consulting)
In one of my many conversations with a good friend of mine, Addreine Young, I was introducing her to the phenom (it’s a phenom to me) called autophagy. Addreine has been on a progressive path, like me, to return to how God, the Creator, intended for us to be. I have found that fasting for no other reason except for all of the benefits it brings not only physically, mentally, and emotionally, but also spiritually.
One weekend I ate something cooked. Now, I eat mostly a raw vegan diet but find every now and then I stray for an attempt to relive a memory of a taste. Let’s just say this was a disaster. Without divulging too much information for the sensitive folks out there, I spent quite a bit of time in the bathroom closet. One morning, my sweet, loving, and caring husband asked why I wasn’t eating. I shared that I was fasting to heal my digestive system. His solution was to just stop eating what messed me up, but I knew something more was needed. My digestive system needed a break to just heal.
Back to my good friend Addreine. In that conversation, I shared with her my dilemma and my husband’s suggestion. I then asked how her husband felt about it and requested tips to help my husband understand what I had going on. Her suggestion: explain it as resting instead of fasting.
For this issue, I decided to interview her to get her take on this thing called resting.
Keiyia: In a conversation with you, you mentioned that you will be resting as you no longer fast. Why is it that you no longer fast? How is resting different than fasting?
Addreine: Let me start off by letting you know that I don’t fast because I live a fasted life. I refrain from any harmful foods every day, ergo, I am fasting. I am aware that this mindset is a concept which may be rejected by many due to the fasting fad going on. What I do is rest. Resting is different from fasting. It gives your body a break, just as sleeping does.
Keiyia: What benefits have you noticed that you didn’t see or didn’t realize with resting?
Addreine: Where do I begin with the benefits? The food bill in my home decreased immensely. Lol. But seriously, I have noticed absolutely no water retention. Since I have been resting, my shoe size has changed. Where I used to wear a 10 or 9 1/2 wide, I now wear a 9 1/2. I also now wear a size 14 medium in clothes. My skin is great. My pH levels are 7.0.-7.25 (I test frequently). I am able to work out without restraints. Not only do I attribute that to resting, but what I consume as well.
Keiyia: How long do you normally rest?
Addreine: My resting periods vary. I do make it a common practice to rest at least 23 hours a day, which allows a window for one hour to eat. The most I have done is about 61 hours.
Keiyia: What happens to your body when rest?
Addreine: When I rest, I notice that I am able to concentrate more. As for my body, my weight does not increase at all and will decrease anywhere between half a pound to at the most 2 lbs. When I am in rest past 30 hours, I get a burst of energy.
Keiyia: What is needed to rest?
Addreine: When you rest you need to have a plan. Without a plan, there is no direction. I have learned the first thing is to clean up your diet. It is difficult to rest without cleaning up your diet. This is where you will fast, but because I fast daily, there is no reason for me to clean up my diet.
Keiyia: What formula or methods do you follow to rest?
Addreine: When I rest, I consider my schedule. I do quite a bit of traveling. When I do, I have learned not to rest for long periods of time, so I do not rest longer than 21 to 23 hours every two days when I am traveling. At home, I rest the longer periods. I am constantly switching up my resting periods so that my body will not get accustomed to a particular regimen. Another thing I do after resting for 23 hours is I make my meal liquid instead of solid. This gives my body a nice transition back into food and I enjoy drinking my meal more than eating it.
Keiyia: I understand that you are a wellness mentor. Do you recommend resting to your clients as well? How do they respond to it?
Addreine: I suggest resting for all my clients. When I explain to them what it is and its importance, they are more apt to try it. I do have a specified way of getting them to the one meal a day. I do understand many are apprehensive to the thought of eating one meal a day. As I consult with them, I help them identify their true place of hunger. When this happens, it is easy for them to rest daily.
Keiyia: Why do you think doctors and mainstream fitness gurus are so against not eating?
Addreine: From research and personal opinion, doctors and fitness gurus don’t take the time to assess life before the convenience of having so much access to food. As a result, we have been groomed to feast at will. The doctors and fitness gurus identify with movement but there is not enough movement to fit the amount of food we eat. Food was designed to be like gas in a car- fuel to keep us going. Doctors who say eat six small
