Water Fasting Journey: Reclaiming Health Amidst Demanding Careers

Have you ever struggled with managing my health while trying to excel in a demanding career? Absolutely. In this episode, I'll take you through my personal journey, sharing the highs and lows of my water fasting experience and the remarkable impact it had on my energy levels.

I'll also emphasize the importance of self-care and health optimization, highlighting the consequences of neglecting well-being for the sake of professional pursuits. Let's explore strategies together, such as reducing sugar intake and making healthier food choices.

So, join me in committing to reclaiming our health - our most precious asset.

Chapters

• 0:01 Water Fasting for Health Benefits
• 10:07 Water Fast
• 24:06 Optimize Health, Be Your Best

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

So it's four o'clock in the morning and I've been up since about three o'clock and I feel weird. I've been eating in 24 hours and my head feels very, very clear. Let's talk about this.

Speaker 2: 0:24

When they see me, they know that every day, when I'm breathing, it's for us to go farther. Every time I speak, I want the truth to come out. Every time I speak, I want to shiver. I don't want them to be like. They know what I'm going to say because it's polite. They know what I'm going to say and even if I get in trouble, that ain't what we're supposed to do. I'm not saying I'm going to rule the world or I'm going to change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world, and that's our job is to spark somebody else watching us. We might not be the ones, but let's not be selfish. And because we're not going to change the world, let's not talk about how we should change it. I don't know how to change it, but I know if I keep talking about how dirty it is out here, somebody going to clean it up, and now he's been promoted.

Speaker 1: 1:16

His job principle. That's it, good morning y'all. This is Uchain Joku's Nika principle, and let me adjust my mic here real quick.

Speaker 1: 1:26

Okay, it's four o'clock in the morning, so I don't want to be too loud, don't wake up the kids, so let's just get to it. I'm doing water fast. I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly, but I'm doing it water fast. I've been thinking about doing this for quite some time. I've done juice fast. I've done. I did do one dry fast 24 hours months ago and I think I was just like I was in a bad mood. So I was like you know, I'm not going to eat anything. You know how you use mad and you just like I'm not hungry and I found myself going to 24 hours. So it was unintentional. But right now what I'm doing is I am intentionally it's taken me a while, but I'm intentionally at a place where I'm just like you know what I need to let my body rest.

Speaker 1: 2:21

As you all know, being a school leader, being in any kind of position that requires a lot of mental focus and just physical exertion, you run yourself dry. And then not only do you run yourself dry, you seek fuel at the most unopportuned times. So what the options are for you are usually not the best things for you to consume and as a leader, as someone who is in the space of having to be in your tip top shape, especially mentally. The things that you put into your body will have an impact on everything else, especially if you get into a certain age where you know you have miles on you. Listen, I know I got miles on me. I'm 47. So for me, I have to be really, I have to try to be better.

Speaker 1: 3:21

Excuse me, that was nasty. I do apologize. I did not intend to burp on the mic and I wish I could cut that earlier, but I'm not going to edit it. It is what it is. This is real life. So if those of you who discussed it and unfollow me, I apologize. I love you all and until next time. But for those of you who still here, I'm sorry.

Speaker 1: 3:38

I literally have not eaten in 24 hours. I'm right now having some Jasmine tea. It's not food, it's just literally Jasmine leaves in hot water just to help with my, I think, kidney functions. I just thought I was told Jasmine was good for it and my doctor told me to like make sure to drink as much dash mt as possible. A year and a half ago, and I think I've had Jasmine tea maybe 10 times in that time, but I'm trying to do better. But yeah, so I've been trying to figure out how to best get control of my overall health.

Speaker 1: 4:21

I don't consume as many calories as I used to, but the problem is the purity of the calories that I consume are an issue. I think it's the same thing for a lot of us. Let's be honest to you. If you listen to this right now and you are a school leader and I'll be honest with you again I'm gonna say it again my podcast speaks primarily to those who are interested in what I'm having to say. What tends to be a lot of educators, a lot of school leaders or people of like mind, and I'm gonna say this those of us not profession are often some of the most unhealthiest people. We just are and we blame everything from my time and options around us and all the other things, but we're very unhealthy and by the time we try to fix it, sometimes it's too late or we find ourselves struggling.

Speaker 1: 5:15

Those of you who know me personally know at one point in time I was over 350 pounds and I am on a very, very good day five nine, five nine and like three quarter inches. But, with that being said, it requires, not requires, but with that being said, being that weight and that height was not good for me. Allow that weight got packed on about 70 pounds. I was about 70 pounds roughly, give or take what packed on during the initial years of my career as an educator. I was a dean. I was running around and I would tell myself there is no time to eat, but I would be eating. I'd run down to the food truck, grab two or three burritos big burritos maybe there might be a pizza and teacher's lounge. I would go have a couple of slices, like it was always the most unhealthiest things. But a lot of it had to do with the fact that in my mind I was prioritizing the job over my health. And what ended up happening is one day I woke up and I had a 44, 45 waistline. I was wearing a 52, 50 foot jacket. I was doing everything that I did not want to be. But then also I'd wake up in the morning and my first steps out of bed would be like pinpricks or I would sit down, driving and a 45 minute drive, 30 minute drive, come out of the car, my waist, my knees, everything would ache. And what I found out later on? These were precursors to, I think, type two diabetes. Then there's not even talking about my blood pressure and hypertension and all these different things that were happening all at the same time. I was pushing through, I was building a career.

Speaker 1: 7:12

I was deemed my first year in public education. By my third or fourth year I was like I was administrator, intern, and then, by my sixth year, I was assistant principal. So from 2005 to 2011,. Six years, I was assistant principal by 2016. Now, by 2015, I was a year away from being a principal and that's when, like all the stuff hit the fan and I decided you know what, I gotta take action and do.

Speaker 1: 7:48

A lot of things that happen. And if those of you who've heard any of my stories or any of my previous episodes episodes ago I had, I got to the point where I have to have bariatric surgery. Doctors told me hey, listen, right now you don't have too many options and your body is not gonna be, it's not handling all this weight. And so I got cut open. My stomach is churning, turned to south of the banana and I lost a lot of weight really quickly. But you would think that would be it right, but it wasn't. It was what it happening was what ends up.

Speaker 1: 8:23

What ends up happening for a lot of people is in time you stretch your back out again. In time your body Can adjust if you do not stop or make a huge life lifestyle change. And I know people who have, who have gone down to like 160s, 170s, who balloon back up to pushing 300 again. I didn't want that. My doctor told me that my deal weight because of my body composition and I carry a lot of muscle Is that I'm 225. He was like I think that's gonna be good for you and I got down as low as 187 or 86, but with time and Kids and everything on life and stress, I pop back up to about 240.

Speaker 1: 9:14

But that 240 happened about three or four years later and I had to like in my mind also wait a minute, I do not want to go back there again. So now I'm kind of like back to to I'm 225, maybe a little bit like 225, which is what the doctor me should be ideal. But the one thing is in my mind my body doesn't feel like 225 side deal. I feel like I should be lighter, like my body is like telling me like this this is doable, but this is not ideal. So I've been thinking my mind. How do I bring my weight down? How do I do it in a way that not only it's not even by losing weight, that's about optimizing my health and, um, you know, I go, I'm always, I'm around educators all the time and I know we all deal with this health situation and and weight and things of that nature.

Speaker 1: 10:07

As a matter of fact, today I have a principles meeting I'm going to for my district and we're a day or so out from out from Thanksgiving. So I know there's gonna be a lot of food there today. It's gonna be great to celebrations and all that stuff, and I just wrapped up a full day of of fasting, which I'm not talking about in more detail. But today I know when I get there, there's going to be um, there's going to be Food and things like that. And people ask how can we not eating? You know that's a big sabotage. I said how can we not eating? No, this is good, you can try some of this, but um, I'm, I'm not, you, I'm not gonna be eating. I'm a little nervous because in my brain is wanting to say I'm doing a intermittent fast or I'm making healthy choices, and what? Nothing to say, I'm not eating anything at all After have not eaten anything in 24 hours. So I'm gonna deal with that today.

Speaker 1: 11:01

But, however, the thing them I'm reading, the emphasis I'm trying to make in this, this podcast episode, is the fact that we have to do better. Educators, those we listen to me, teachers, principals, assistant principal, superintendents, anyone who listens to me, like if you have a little bulge in that, in that belly or that, look those love handles, or you have those tie flat, those flaps, your arms, these are not, these are not good things. And it's also not a matter of oh, this is how I'm built on being bold and all other stuff. It's nonsense. The fact that matters. You're carrying body fat that infects body fat that eventually can Cost a lot of harm to your body, and a lot of that we carry is a byproduct of, of the Enormous amount of sugar that we consume, even if it's not sweet sugar, but sugar is put in all of our foods, all these things we consume. That just makes us just, you know, you know, makes us unhealthy and makes us sick, and that's been.

Speaker 1: 12:07

My concern is, like I'm 47. I'm 225 right now. Oh, like I said, I got way myself today, but I know that this I could be better. So I've been coming across this whole notion of of doing a water fast, and this is where you just don't eat anything but just drink water and the thing is, eventually, I want to do it dry fast. They're doing a dry fast that you drink nothing. Your body will Create the water it needs, you know, and allows you about optimizing and getting this fuel from your body fat, but I'm not there yet. Mentally I'm not there yet. So what I was, what I want to do, is just do my water fast and what those of you interested in my water fast, what this looks like. I'm drinking water throughout the day. However, I'm just a modification. I'm making this. I know me and I know that I'm in time. I will wane away from these things.

Speaker 1: 13:02

In the morning, I do have my coffee. You know I'm driving into work, I get a small coffee. I got a large coffee yesterday. In the coffee I think I got too many To maybe half, maybe three quarters of it. I do the large cup, so damn is gonna get a regular size coffee, just black, nothing, no sugar, no milk, just coffee.

Speaker 1: 13:23

And when I get to work, I have a big canister where I just put some hydration, some um hydration, but um, some, um, what you call those things is gonna come to me. But you know, um, electrolytes is a little powder. Electrolytes that's like zero calories, zero everything. It's just my thing. Everything has to be zeroed out. There's no calories in there. Put it into the water and I just put it all day and honestly, it's crazy.

Speaker 1: 13:47

I thought I was gonna, I was gonna crash yesterday and everything else, but, um, I Made it to yesterday. I actually pretty well Like I was energized. You know, there were moments where my brain was the hey, food. I was in the cafeteria and there's pizza day and when the privileges have been the principal was like you got to try out the food, right, so I was like my, but my feet started working towards the to sort the cafeteria window to get some pizza. I know that way you're fasting, but getting yesterday's just there was my PPO, my principal performance observation. So I was so busy that I didn't think about it. But at the end of the day I didn't feel the typical crash that I would originally have and I think that has to do with the fact that my gut was resting, my stomach wasn't digesting, so all the blood flow wasn't going to my stomach to digest, those Going to my brain to function. So which was which is? Which was a good thing. I got home, I thought to myself.

Speaker 1: 14:43

No no, I left one, left work. My usual habit is go to the boat. They go across the street and get some, um, some vinegar, sea salt chips and Maybe a patellito Didn't happen because I told myself no, which I got this baby smack myself. What are you doing? You're not gonna go get that. Those chips got in a car, drove home.

Speaker 1: 15:05

I got home and, and, um, I walked in the house, those curly food, those cooked, and I smelled good. But I was like, nah, I'm good. So what did I do? I, I, I wanna lie. I'll be honest with you. I did have an eye cap. I had to because I was like my brain needs to slow down.

Speaker 1: 15:33

But I started thinking about food and everything else, and maybe there's sugar in the other sugar. I did have about that much whiskey and some ice in there, yes, and a dog beverage. But I went to bed. I had a little bit of heartburn maybe it was from the whiskey, and I had two tums and so I guess I did have some calories. Damn, but I'm not gonna stop. But I went to bed, woke, and then this morning I woke up at 2.30, and I had to lay in bed, made my sustained bed 2.30, and here I am right now and I'm right awake. That's why I'm making this podcast right now. Honestly, if I can, if I can get up like this every morning and make my podcast in the morning before I start my day, this y'all will get episodes every single day, but we'll see about that.

Speaker 1: 16:27

But yeah, so this is my early morning rant all over the place about my fast. And here I am right now and I'm about to book another day. I have a principles meeting at, I think, eight o'clock, maybe nine. There's probably gonna be food there which I am praying that I don't get tempted and don't touch. So I can just focus, not focus. But I wanna focus on the fast. I just wanna focus on what I have to do and the work I have to do. Tomorrow's supposed to be a potluck for our school and I'm not even sure if we're ready for it. So I'm gonna talk to my secretary, my parent coordinator and see and my parent coordinator see what's happening. I might have to supplement food with stuff from outside, but it's all good.

Speaker 1: 17:14

But this is what my brain is right now and I'll tell you this the best part so far of 24 hours of not eating any food is the fact that I feel clear-headed, like even right now. I'm looking at my eyes on the screen. I feel awake, like I feel awake, which is weird, because I've been coming off fog for days and weeks and 24 hours. And it's funny because when you're fasting anyone who's ever done a water fast, dry fast, even intermittent fasting in the beginning you have that first day you're all over the place, but you're just like your body's fighting you. And then day two usually sucks and that's what I'm worried about. Today is usually sucks.

Speaker 1: 18:03

But you're the hunger kicks in and your instincts, your habits kick in and all of a sudden you're like ugh, I gotta eat something. What are you doing? Like? This is not necessary and that's my concern and maybe I'll be honest with you, this is why I'm making this video right now. This is why I'm making this video and so I'm posting it because I want people to ask me how did day two go? Because I'll be honest with you, I'm not confident. I'm gonna make it past day two, but it's all good. It's all good, I'm gonna drive through and I'm gonna do for y'all. Just ask, check upon me please, because I don't wanna come on him. But yeah, I fell and I was sitting in the corner eating 12 dozen duck and donuts because I couldn't hack it. But, all jokes aside, I'm doing this again for my overall health. I'm 47 years old, I have two kids and, um, I want to do everything I can to put to give myself an advantage of just being healthy. I can't control what happens day to day, we can't control that, but we can make choices. That helps, you know, to benefit us in the long run. I pulled up this, this little thing that though it's pretty interesting. It says the and I'm gonna end this video with this. It says the benefits of water fasting May treat hypertension. My reserve, my may reverse type 2 diabetes. May improve heart health. May reduce your risk of several diseases.

Speaker 1: 19:35

One of the things I think I've come across is about cancer that when you're not eating and your body has to resort to, to Creatance or energy or it does, it happen to your fat storage and it's useless. As for fuel, the other thing it does to your body starts to Consume dead cells or abnormal cells. So there's been this has been it's been said that especially dry fast Push your body into a place where it will literally attack the bad cells in your body, especially the cells that may lead to cancer, and it could reduce your chances of getting cancer up to by 70 percent, which I think is it's incredible. You know my body was made not to sit around and consume food and you know it wasn't. Our bodies were made made To be out in the world hunter-gatherer. You know, running away from tigers and hiding and and walking in search of food and eating for the intention of of Eating fuel to be able to work.

Speaker 1: 20:43

One of the best examples I've ever heard about about food is think about a lion. Think about how big a lion is. If you saw a lion walking through you right now, you'd run but you'd be like, damn, that's, that's not gonna kill me, but that's. It's a huge, majestic lion. Whether it's a male or female, they're big beasts. But, they said, the most dangerous, the easiest time to take a lion After it's, after it's eaten. So when a blinds, belly full laying there and lazy, that's the easiest time to take it out. Now, the most dangerous time of the lion is when it's hungry, it's focused, it's fast it. You know it would chase you down, it would exert every energy it can to get that next meal. So that's why I'm blinds tend to look the way they look their muscular. They're strong, the pipe in tigers, you know.

Speaker 1: 21:32

But down, human beings, what do we do? We have access, so much food that we don't have to hunt for anything. We just consume, consume, consume, and we're always full. We have breakfast, lunch and dinner and we will do three thousand five thousand eight thousand calories in one day and we just get big and big and big. And guess what? We're vulnerable. Let that like that line who's full? You know the things in this world that would take us out.

Speaker 1: 21:55

We've made it easy for them to take us out, that's what's very important to really assess your health and make the right decisions and also develop the VM tolerance that not tolerance, but the discipline you know, to not let yourself go overboard, to not engorge yourself, to really slow down. And unless I'm sitting here talking to you guys, I'm newly looking in the camera, tongue to myself, reminding myself, and I'm gonna say I'm proud of myself. I, from two, three, fifty, yes, I had surgery and all that, but still to still be able to maintain where I'm at right now, that's a huge blessing. But now it's time for me to really, you know, get to. I do wait.

Speaker 1: 22:37

My goal has always been 176. I know people look at me like 176. That's crazy, baram. I got to 187, 186. I was 10 pounds away and I'll tell you this, it was the healthiest ever being. I felt light, I felt strong, I just felt great and I was like what the heck is this? Because, also, it was an ideal space for me. I was hella muscular, hella ripped, but it was just. I just felt, mentally, felt good, and that's what I want, what I want to get back to. If I get back to it, great, that'll be amazing. If I don't, it's okay. The thing is this I just want to be an optimized weight to maintain the best health possible. All right, y'all, I just wanted to make this video. Please call me accountable.

Speaker 1: 23:24

I know this is diverges from my usual videos lately, but take care of yourself. Your health is utmost priority. New leaders, don't get caught up. Prioritize your health. Do not let yourself get stuck with this whole notion of like it comes to the territory by not taking care of yourself. Get to the gym, workout, put them sneakers on. If I mean, some of you are like so anti-sneakers, but listen, if putting sneakers on means you walk more in your building and you're able to run around and up and down the stairs, then do that, whatever it takes to stay healthy, because, again, this life is short. No matter what happens.

Speaker 1: 24:06

If you drop today, something happens to you. You know, in order to be able to function, you will be replaced. You will be replaced quickly, trust me, and in time, people would. You would just be in memory and in time you'd be forgotten. I mean, it's a simple fact. So why not take care of yourself and maximize your health right now? That's I mean, that's just. I think it's just smart, smart. Optimize your health, take care of yourself and be your best self, I think. All right, y'all. This is Uche N' Jo, who's Nika Principal. Until next time, be well.