We are on our way out of Buchinger Wilhelmi.
Days 3 and 4, as well as Departure Day were a breeze as our food intake increased! We got to enjoy our last activities here. And, we got our final blood lab results back!
Menus
Refeeding Day 3
Day 3 menu (target 1,200 calories, but I got more at lunch!)
- Breakfast – muesli 😋, crisp bread with vegetarian spread 😋
- Lunch – huge rice salad 😋, huge yogurt 😋, apple 😋, nuts 😋 (I was out on a 5 hour biking and hiking tour, and the tour guide tells the kitchen not to worry about lunchtime calories on tours!)
- Dinner – celery & apple salad 😋, pumpkin soufflé with vegetables 😋
Refeeding Day 4
Day 4 menu (target 1,500 calories):
- Breakfast – muesli 😋, crisp bread with vegetarian spread 😋
- Lunch – beetroot and leaf salad 😋, “spicy budwig” quark and oil cream 😋, pasta with pumpkin and vegetables 😋
- Dinner – leaf salad 😋, sauerkraut 😋, vegetarian spreads with vegetables and breads 😋
My main comment here on the menus here for Days 3 and 4 is that the breakfast feels really small and simply whets the appetite for more. After fasting, it seems like it’d be more comfortable to simply eat the food for breakfast and lunch at the same time, extending the period of not eating.
Departure Day
On departure day, we were also served the light breakfast (same as Refeeding Day 4) and were given a box lunch to go (same as my Refeeding Day 3 lunch box, but smaller!) My wife and I just ate the yogurt immediately after breakfast because it wouldn’t make it through airport security…
Activities
Hiking and Biking Tour
Clearly, the highlight of Refeeding Day 3 (and really of the time here!) was the 5 hour biking and hiking tour. The route started by bicycle from the clinic, through the town, and to the edge of a forest. We then hiked to a chapel called Maria Im Stein (“Maria in the Stone”) where we also drank the medicinal water from the well! On the way out, we hiked barefoot in the river, stopped to have lunch, and hiked barefoot on the way back through the forest. Then, we met our bicycles, put our shoes back on, and cycled back to the clinic! My tour guide (Tobi) was super cool, and I had a great time!
My wife and I also our final set of blood tests, which we reviewed with our doctor here on Refeeding Day 4.
Our Last Walk
It’s so pretty here that we just had to get outside again on our last full day here! My wife and I went for our final walk in Überlingen today! Even though it looked like it was going to rain, the weather cooperated!
Final Labs
On day 4, we also reviewed our blood test results with our doctor comparing the values from our digestive rest day (23-Aug) to refeeding day 3 (17-Sep)! The good news is that my blood tests now show normal values for triglycerides and LDL / HDL ratio!. All other values got better! Some highlights for “before and after” — again all without any drugs!
| Normal | 23-Aug | 17-Sep | Comments | |
| Glucose in serum | 60-100 | 133 | 106 | Better! |
| HbA1C | < 5.7 | 7.5 | 7.0 | Better! |
| Cholesterol Total | < 200 | 296 | 262 | Better! |
| HDL Cholesterol | > 40 | 52 | 62 | Good! |
| LDL / HDL Ratio | < 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.9 | Normal! |
| LDL Cholesterol | < 155 | 296 | 181 | Better! |
| Triglyceride | < 150 | 215 | 136 | Normal! |
I’ve got to keep on working at this through repeated fasting, but I remain cautiously optimistic!
Results from morning nurse visits on Refeeding Days 3-4 & Departure Day
- Blood pressure: 111/74, 106/66, 119/81 (Overall good!)
- Blood sugar: 111, 109, 120 (So far, steady at “prediabetic” levels)
- Weight: 64.4 kg (141.7 lbs), 64.6 kg (142.1 lbs), 64.8 kg (142.6 lbs) (gained 1.2 kg since ending the fast!)
Leave a Reply