Deb Evans

Unsure of how long it would take me to recover from a 21 day fast, I gave myself an extra ten days for refeeding when I originally booked my airplane ticket.

It should technically take about ten days for proper reintroduction of food.

I didn't do it all that properly, and by the time the fast was over, I was ready to eat real food.

It just took about three days for muscle memory to kick in and though I ate small amounts, everything was up and running again within a few days.

As a side note, this was faster than I should have reintroduced foods, so if you are thinking of doing this DO NOT FOLLOW MY POOR EXAMPLE.

Disclaimer complete. :)

With the extra time on my hands, I decided to take a little road trip up north to stay with my friend Amy for a few days and meet up with some people I hadn’t seen in quite some time.

As a giant snowstorm was moving into the Salt Lake valley, I spent several hours slicing cheeses, chopping vegetables, and making an inviting table for my guests.

Then, as night was closing in, I had a small but meaningful gathering of women over for a Mediterranean dinner.

Sitting around the table, I had Rosey to my left.

I hadn’t seen Rosey in nearly twenty years and was so grateful she made the trip to be with us that night.

I only knew Rosey for a short season of life when we were both stuck in unhappy marriages and had little children to love and look after.

We would go rollerblading and push our little babies in strollers and just enjoy the reprieve from our otherwise dreary situations.

I remember so clearly the day she stopped over at our apartment in the middle of December and noticed we didn’t yet have a Christmas tree. She showed up a few hours later with a cute little tree and a bag of odds and ends to make it festive. This was so meaningful to me because I knew she didn’t have much Christmas cheer at her house either.

Within a year, we were both single parents and life became busy and demanding. We both moved and lost touch and went different directions in life, but when she walked in that night with her bright blue hair and happy smile, it felt like we’d just been strolling through Liberty Park in downtown Salt Lake City with our little ones a few weeks earlier.

To the left of Rosey, I was delighted to have my right-hand gal Devrey join us. Devrey worked at my shop in Idaho for a few years when she was in high school. She painted boards, weeded vinyl, washed dishes, folded clothes and made being a shopkeeper joyful.

She went on to college and got married, and when I started my online business and needed help, she worked remotely for another few years.

She was detailed and capable and her steady and reliable help for so many years made it possible for me to be a present and attentive single parent of two young boys. I owe her a debt of gratitude I can never fully repay.

Sitting next to Devrey was Amy, my college roommate. We’ve spent lots of time together over the years, and I felt thankful that she opened her home and welcomed people she didn’t know to her table. It just felt right to have her sitting across from me laughing and enjoying the night.

Next to Amy was Sharla.

Sharla was friends with me way back before the internet was even invented. It’s been that long. We played in the band together in high school and can probably still both play The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart on the saxophone and clarinet, though she would sound a lot better because she has actually practiced in the last 30 years.

Sharla has a heart oozing with kindness and has recently made the leap to teach elementary school. I’m so proud of her and know that the kids she teaches will remember her forever for the love she offers them. She’s that kind of human.

Then, next to me on my right was Rachel. Rachel and I were mission companions, and though we only served together for 3 months, we have shared a lifetime of friendship.

Life has presented her with so many challenges in the years since our carefree days as missionaries, but it’s guaranteed that when we call each other, we will laugh. Gosh, I love to laugh with her, and she has a way of making my day brighter every single time we chat. I am lucky to be her friend. She is a truly bright spot in my world.

We spent the evening eating delicious food and talking about the brave things we want to do in the coming years, and I felt warmed in the very best of ways on a cold winter night to share the evening with such memorable people from my past.

21 days.

I’ve done it.

Last night when the sun went down and the world was dark and quiet, I sat in my sister’s kitchen thinking.

In my life I’ve memorized about a thousand scriptures, and even though I’m not currently a church goer, scriptures still saunter through my mind sometimes.

“She hath done what she could.”

This new testament scripture had nothing to do with cancer or fasting, but the words ring true for me right now.

I’ve turned the page on cancer.

I’ve had the surgery.

I’ve done the chemo.

I’ve been iron infused.

I’ve taken supplements.

I’ve fasted and detoxed my body.

I’ve given myself generous amounts of rest for the last month.

I have done what I can do to beat cancer.

And now, it’s time for a new chapter.

It’s time to get strong and build back the muscle I’ve lost over the last six months of lying in bed.

It’s time to lift weights and do pushups and eat the very best foods. I’ll go in for checkups and scans over the next couple of years, but the doctors can’t really tell if the cancer is all gone in the lymph nodes. They’ll only be able to tell if it gets worse and spreads to the liver or lungs. I will need to learn to live comfortably in the presence of the unknown.

For now, it’s time to get back to living. I have a business to work on and dreams to bring to fruition. I have books to write and foreign countries calling my name. Life has been on hold, and I’m ready to hit the resume button. You can be assured that I will do it with a deepened level of appreciation for every single day I am gifted from this day forward.

Here’s to the next chapter!

I don’t want to lose my credibility in my claim of water fasting, but my version of fasting actually has about a hundred calories per day of supplements.

Each of the supplements have been selected with reasoning behind it.

First, as my body is detoxifying, I wanted to give my liver and kidneys a little extra love by drinking freshly squeezed lemon, ginger, celery and cucumber juice every morning. I stir in a scoop of freeze-dried greens powder, because juicing kale is highly unsatisfactory with the two drops it produces.

This is a great combination of juices for cleansing and alkalizing the body. It comes in at less than 50 calories and delivers a great nutrition boost to help repair damaged cells.

Secondly, broccoli is one of the best cancer-fighting vegetables. It contains a phytochemical called sulforaphane, which has been shown to be effective in killing off cancer cells.

Broccoli florets are a good source of this phytochemical, but the broccoli stems are ten times more potent AND if I really want to take it to the next level, and I do, broccoli sprouts have a hundred times more potency than the actual vegetable.

So, I’ve been learning how to sprout broccoli seeds, and I enjoy about a cup of them every day. I add a little salt and eat them with a solemn kind of reverence.

Days 5-7 were a little low energy. I got up, showered and got dressed, but there were no outings. I was content to hang around the house, take naps and rest.

I am greatly looking forward to day 8 which is supposed to be a turning point in extended fasting. Days 8-16 are supposed to be the most clear-minded and energetic days on a 21 day fast.

Ever onward.

Day seven, and I’m getting the job done!

Chess is not my favorite game.

I’ve known how to play it for 40 years, but I haven’t ever really figured out the whole strategy part. I can see one or MAYBE two moves ahead.

My sons, on the other hand, can plan out multiple moves and execute them accordingly.

I usually opt to play Yahtzee, because strategic planning doesn’t rank high on my best qualities.

That’s why currently I’m feeling rather proud of myself, because I’ve just planned and executed a seamless transition into my 21 days of fasting.

See, I made a good choice.

I was sitting on my bed planning out my 21 days of health and healing and decided to start fasting before arriving in Nevada.

My plan was that if I started before I left, then I had a day of traveling, then my parents were visiting for the weekend, that by the time the house cleared out, I would be well into my fast instead of just starting when the party left.

This has worked out beautifully.

Days 3 and 4 were full of distractions. While my body was adapting to the idea of not eating, we were off to see the local hot air balloon fest at night and the launching of the balloons the next morning.

My sisters and I went on a mountain biking excursion on electric bikes. I’ve been on electric bikes before, but these took it to a whole new level. This bike was a half step away from being a moped. I didn’t have to do much other than keep my balance and hang on for the ride. I loved it!

I had to convince my sisters that they didn’t need to sneak out to eat in the garage just because their piping hot spaghetti noodles draped in dreamy Italian sausage sauce served with toasted bread soaked in garlic butter instantly transported me to a little cafe in Florence with twinkly lights and handsome Italian men and violins playing in the background made me commit to growing a luscious garden full of sweet tomatoes and basil and taking a class in making fresh mozzarella as soon as possible.

I simply asked that they had some for and on my behalf. So they did. They’re giving like that!

By the end of day 4 I was well and truly into ketosis and autophagy and on my way to being revitalized.