The Fast That Healed Me

Fruit, Water, Juice, Rhythm, and the Return to the Womb

The Diagnosis, the Womb, and the “No” No One Heard But Me

I was in my early thirties when a vaginal ultrasound revealed something I hadn’t expected:

Large, cystic, fibroidic tumors covering my uterus.

I remember lying on the exam table, the paper crinkling beneath me, the room too quiet. The technician moved the wand with care. I stared at the ceiling, at the fluorescent light humming above me, and felt a hush inside—like my body already knew something sacred was stirring.

Later that day, the doctor came in.

His tone was soft but solemn.

“You’re infertile.”

“And… we may need to start talking about hysterectomy.”

Hysterectomy.

The word landed in my chest like a stone dropped in water.

Not a demand. Not an emergency. Just a possibility.

A polite suggestion that my womb might need to go.

But something in me said No.

Not yet. Not like this.

I wasn’t trying to conceive at the time. That wasn’t the point.

But my womb still mattered.

She wasn’t just an organ—she was a drum, a chalice, a keeper of sacred memory.

Maybe she wasn’t broken.

Maybe she was bloated with grief I hadn’t yet digested.

Maybe the tumors were unspoken words, suppressed rage, unmetabolized stories.

I didn’t want to remove her.

I wanted to listen to her.

And so began the journey that changed everything.

The Fruit Fast That Found Me

Back then, I was working at Dr. Valli’s office and spending my spare time researching holistic healing. I stumbled upon a site about fruit fasting. I had never fasted before, and I knew I wasn’t ready to jump into a long water fast. But the fruit called to me. It felt alive, gentle, do-able.

So I dove in.

Month One: Fruit Only

Fresh fruit—hydrating, colorful, sun-fed.

I ate what felt right. Watermelon, berries, citrus, mangoes.

My body felt like it was sighing in relief. I was tired, yes—but something inside me felt deeply grateful.

Month Two: Fruit + Nuts + Avocados

I added nuts, tomatoes, and avocados—all still part of the fruit family. My energy climbed. My skin glowed. My digestion began to sing.

Month Three: Beans, Stews, Gentle Veg

Still no meat, no dairy, no processed food. Just warmth. Herbs. Healing.

By the end of those 90 days, I felt like I could leap tall buildings. My inflammation was gone. My mind was sharp. My womb felt clean.

I returned to the doctor for a follow-up ultrasound.

The tumors were gone.

The same doctor who had once told me I was infertile now said,

“You are fertile.”

And when I told Dr. Lee, my longtime gynecologist, that I had healed myself through fruit fasting, he smiled and said just two words that still echo in my memory:

“Good girl.”

Juice Fasting: Liquid Light

After that first deep cleanse, I became a student of juice fasting. I started with a $99 juicer, then upgraded to a Breville, and now I use the Nama J2—my temple tool in the kitchen.

Sometimes I prepare my own juices. Other times, I order 7–10 day juice cleanses from Raw Juicery or Triple Moon Juicery to save time.

Juice fasting is easier than fruit fasting in some ways—it gives the digestion a break while still offering enzymes, light, color, vitality. I often do short juice fasts throughout the year. A day here. A weekend there. They bring me back into harmony.

When I drink juice in silence, I remember:

I am light. I am liquid. I am healing.

Water Fasting: The Future Ceremony

I’ve done a few three-day water fasts in my life. They are not easy. They are sacred. They are quiet confrontations.

When I fast on water only, I feel like I enter a temple within.

It’s less about hunger and more about what arises when there’s nothing left to run to.

One day—perhaps in the next two years—I will do a 10-day water fast. I feel it coming. I’m not rushing it. I’m listening for the right timing, the right intention.

Because I know it’s not a detox—it’s a rebirth.

Pancha Karma & the Wisdom of Ayurveda

When I became an Ayurvedic Health Counselor, I was formally trained in Pancha Karma, the five sacred cleansing acts of Ayurveda.

This isn’t a fast in the typical Western sense. It’s a slow unraveling.

A holy reset. It uses warm oil, gentle herbs, kitchari, ghee, and often enemas or nose oiling to clear the body and mind.

I’ve done Pancha Karma a few times. It works. But for me?

After a couple days of kitchari, my body starts rejecting it. The smell, the taste—I can’t tolerate it beyond a point.

So I honor it as a powerful tool, but not my everyday path.

My body prefers fruit, juice, and intermittent rhythm.

Intermittent Fasting: My Weekday Ritual

Of all the forms of fasting I’ve practiced, intermittent fasting has been the most sustainable—and the most energizing.

My Rhythm: Monday to Friday

• Morning: Warm lemon water or herbal teas (unsweetened)—ginger, tulsi, rooibos, dandelion.

• 11:00 a.m.: My largest meal of the day, full of color and nourishment.

• 2:00 p.m.: My sacred latte ritual—a moment of grounded pleasure.

• 3:00 p.m.: A small snack if needed—fruit or a few nuts.

• Evening: Nothing. Just rest. Integration. Lightness.

I eat within a 4–6 hour window. And my energy is vibrant when I’m in this flow.

The Weekend Flow

• Saturday is my freedom day—brunch with girlfriends, dinner with Chris, no guilt, just joy.

• Sunday is my reset—smoothies, a light dinner, and a gentle return to center.

Intermittent fasting has become a quiet devotional structure in my life—

Not about restriction, but about refinement.

Fasting as a Spiral Path

Each form of fasting—fruit, juice, water, rhythm, Ayurvedic cleanse—has held a season in my life.

Each one has met me where I was and brought me home to my body in a new way.

I don’t fast to punish.

I fast to listen.

To make space.

To release old stories stored in my tissues.

To remember that emptiness is not a void—it is a portal.

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A Note of Care

As an Ayurvedic Health Counselor, I offer this story from my own journey and training. Fasting is ancient, sacred, and powerful—but it is not for everyone at all times.

Please:

• Speak with your healthcare provider before beginning any extended fasting protocol—especially if you are pregnant, nursing, on medication, or navigating health conditions.

• Listen to your body.

• Know your own rhythms.

• And begin gently.

This path is not about proving your willpower.

It’s about remembering your inner wisdom.

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With Love, Always

Tina Chabot

Ayurvedic Health Counselor

Tina Chabot School of Yoga

E-RYT 500

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