Day 4: A Reflection

As the days go by my body is communicating louder and louder its needs to me. I was talking to someone earlier about my fast and I told them how necessary it is to eat fresh foods constantly throughout the day in order to not be hungry. Often my life is busy and it is not always convenient to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and so I have gotten into the habit, like many Americans, of grabbing whatever is most conveniently available, which is often something unhealthy and unsatisfying to my body's needs. It occurred to me then that, in order to give our bodies what they need, we first have to listen to them, and we then have to create a schedule around those needs, not the other way around. Our bodies are the vessel by which we experience this Earth from beginning to end. We literally live and die by them. How much better could our lives be if we paid more attention to what it tells it, and nourished it the way it wants to be nourished? I imagine we would be sick less often; we would have fewer aches and pains; we would have more energy; and overall we would be happier people.

Earlier this evening I was facing one of those panicking moments where I was really hungry and I wanted so badly to take out the loaf of bread in my fridge and make some toast to spread my avocado on. But I took a moment to recenter myself and found something else that would satisfy my hunger and not betray the focus and hard work that has gone into this fast so far. I can feel my body changing- my digestive track, for one; I'll spare you the details- I am becoming more responsive to it, giving it what it needs when it needs it. I am also becoming more appreciative of the role food plays in my life, good and bad, and how that needs to change in the future in order for me to continue the pursuit of being the best possible version of myself. I am thankful for yet another opportunity in life to learn and grow, and I am glad to have people to share it with.

Goodnight everybody. On to day 5!