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.

In January of 1999, I arrived at BYU. I was fresh off a church mission and needed to make the transition back to college life.

It was a cold and snowy day when I stepped out of missionary mode and into my new apartment to meet Mindy, Wendy and Jenna.

These ladies became fast friends and made it easy to transition from knocking on doors to hosting apartment complex potluck dinners.

It was a whirlwind few months filled with late night poetry reading and spring hiking, and before we knew it we were marrying off and moving out.

Nearly 25 years later, as my 21 days of fasting was coming to an end, these three ladies showed up to my sister’s house to cheer me on to the finish line and take a walk with me down memory lane.

We spent three days together reminiscing about old times and catching each other up on what’s been happening since those days at BYU.

It was completely delightful to sit out in the sunshine and talk about our dreams and plans for the future. I never get tired of listening to friends listing the possibilities that lay ahead of them. It’s just good fun!

Sunday morning came and as they got ready to go to church, I decided to join them.

This presented a slight problem. I hadn't brought any church clothes to my fasting expedition.

This left me one option. One that made me laugh out loud.

I needed to borrow clothes from my sister's closet.

I stood in my sister's room amazed that a closet could contain so many colorful and frilly and flary items. Not a single black item in sight.

SO...I took a deep breath and put on yellow and went to church with my friends...looking remarkably like my sister.

Hurray for old friends and time together and colorful clothes that so beautifully took my mind off of the clock ticking down to food!

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!

Day 16.

Five days to go.

And I'm counting!

Day eight arrived, and I woke up expecting a burst of energy like I’d read from other long-term fasters.

I got up, showered, took my morning supplements, and waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

There was no point in the day when I felt like I wanted to do jumping jacks or had any especially enlightened thoughts.

The day just passed.

And that’s okay.

For the next two days no big bursts of energy or enlightenment came, but I felt some kind of delighted satisfaction in knowing I made it to day ten.

I celebrated with a little rest on the lawn under the sunshine.

I’m halfway there.

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.

My sister Jocelyn is a nurse practitioner, so coming to her house for an extended fast seemed like SUCH a winning idea. Not only do I get to be with my sister, but if something goes wrong, she is there to help.

When I called and asked her how she felt about overseeing my self-developed-kicking-cancer protocol, she wanted to support me in every way she could AND she reminded me that she specializes in cardiology and isn’t fully versed in fasting for health and vitality.

I assured her that everything I’ve read leads me to believe it is safe if I keep myself well-hydrated with plenty of electrolytes.

She agreed.

It was just a few days later that she was attending a series of medical training workshops, when the instructor paused from his presentation and went off on a tangent:

“We do things differently here in America. For example, let’s take a look at colon cancer. Here in America, doctors only have one approved method of treating it, and that’s chemotherapy. But in other countries all over the world, extended water fasting has shown to be one of the most effective ways to treat it.”

For obvious reasons this made my sister sit up and take notes. She spoke with him during the break, and he reassured her that this was safe as long as I had some weight to lose, kept myself well-hydrated and made sure I had plenty of electrolytes.

It felt like a little gift to both of us to hear this information from another medical doctor.

So, Day 1.

I made the transition to fasting a little easier on myself by eating keto style for a few days before starting the fast.

Then, on the day before I was flying out, I had a million things to do in order to step away from life for a month.

This made the day fly by in a hurry.

It wasn’t until I was at the airport on the morning of Day 2 that I felt a little hungry and as I looked up from the waiting area, I had to do a double take because the trees in the airport looked remarkably like broccoli.

I boarded the plane and made my way to Vegas where my sisters, Jocelyn and Pauletta, picked me up at the airport with cheery hearts ready to take on my rather cheerless feat of fasting.

They assured me that they had gone to great lengths to prepare the house for me, letting me know that there was no point in sneaking out of my bedroom late at night to check the couch cushions for any stray popcorn . . . they were already two steps ahead of me and had averted any possible temptations by cleaning right down to the cushions.

Now, that’s a lot of sisterly love.