RESET Me

Deb Wood, PhD, ND
Feb 6
3 min read

Why Fasting Still Matters

Why RESET?

People come to a fast for many reasons:

Protest (non-violent)
Spiritual reasons
Lose weight
Reverse aging
Reduce or reverse dis-ease
Recover from life stress and trauma
Rest deeply
Escape the noise
Stop medications
Catch up on sleep and reading
Release addictions
Improve eating habits
Let someone else take care of them for once
Etc ...
And sometimes, it's simpler than that.
If you don't like food. If nothing looks or tastes good…If eating feels like work instead of nourishment…It may be time to stop — and listen.

Why I Believe in Fasting

There's a book titled Can Fasting Save Your Life? I believe it can.

I've believed in fasting for decades — since I wrote my dissertation on Natural Hygiene: Putting Life in Your Days and Days in Your Life.

Fasting was the cornerstone then, and it still is for me now.

Most people who don't feel well or may receive a scary diagnonsis, will immediately run to the doctor, not trusting their body to heal.

I run to a fast first. Then — if a symptom persists — I consider medical intervention, later.

That's my order. I trust my body to know how to fix the problem, and will do it if I get out of the way.

I really enjoy the ideas and words of Andrew Wommack. He wrote a course called "God Wants You Well." God isn't "slamming" us with a test of sickness, to see if we love Him. I believe that too. https://www.awmi.net/audio/audio-teachings/?teaching=god-wants-you-well

A Necessary Clarification (This Matters)

If you know me, you know I follow Anthony William, the Medical Medium. He advises against long-term fasting — and in many cases, fasting at all. His concern (and one I share) is that modern humans are far too toxic. Removing fuel from the liver and brain without support can be dangerous. https://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/truth-about-fasting

Here's the paradox:

Fasting releases toxins rapidly
Too rapid a release can overwhelm the system
Any fast longer than 3–5 days must be supervised

This is not optional.

Fasting Is Not Just "Not Eating"

One of the most dangerous misconceptions about fasting is this:

"I'll just stop eating and keep living my normal life."

That's not fasting. That's stress with no fuel.

I hear people say they're fasting while:

working full-time
exercising
staying busy
pushing through fatigue

This is not only ineffective — it's dangerous.

When the body doesn't feel safe, it burns muscle, not fat. And when you're older (I'm 75), rebuilding muscle is no small task.

So, here are my non-negotiables:

The Rules of a Safe Fast

Eat no food
Drink about 60 ounces of water daily
REST completely
Monitor vital signs (blood pressure, GERD, symptoms)
Fast only with experienced supervision
For every 10-day fast, plan 5 days of refeeding
Refeeding must be structured:
- Day 1: juice/fruit
- Day 2: raw foods
- Day 3: gradual return to plant-based meals

NOTE that Refeeding is often harder than fasting, taking more discipline — especially if you are fasting alone.

My Experience (Why I'm Still Here)

My first 21-day water fast was in Costa Rica.

I had just lost my husband after seven years of battling cancer. The last two years were spent traveling to the "best" cancer clinics in the world — and eating hospital food. I gained weight, carried immense stress, and was deep in grief.

So, I fasted — but I did not rest enough.I burned muscle and paid for it later.

It took years to recover physically.

Still, that fast likely saved my life — and gave me a new purpose.

A True RESET

Two years ago, after another season of intense family stress, I went to TrueNorth Wellness Clinic in Santa Rosa, California, for a supervised 10-day water fast. https://www.healthpromoting.com/

At the time, I had: