I did a 7-day water fast + 3 days re-feeding at Abadin B&B in August. It was a great experience and I felt very well supported throughout my journey.
Everything was organized to address the particular needs of fasting guests, from the kind of water supplied to the availability of books and documentaries on the science of nutrition and fasting. Not to mention that my room was absolutely lovely! It provided all the creature comforts I could possibly wish for (since I rarely left my room, this was a big perk!).
Shirley and Ed are a wonderful couple who made me feel right at home. I received a lot of personnal attention from Shirley who is a wellspring of information about fasting and nutrition, and her own personal journey with fasting has been incredibly inspiring to me.
Shirley has the re-feeding process down to a science, and it greatly facilitated my reintroduction to food (not to mention how tasty her cooking was!). We often overlook the importance of the re-feeding days, but when it’s done well it makes all the difference!
Since the fast I have made many important changes to my diet and lifestyle habits. Coming out of the fast I felt so motivated and determined to make the changes, and I had a profound sense of what needed to be done. Those 7 days were not easy, but they changed my life! I was relatively healthy walking into Abadin, but even so, some things shifted deep within that I can’t easily pinpoint. I just sense that I’ve embarked on a new era of my life, and parts of me that seemed stuck are now slowly moving forward again.
….oh, and I’ve also permanently lost 10 pounds with no decrease of muscle mass (although weight loss was not one of my fasting goals), I’m much more emotionally stable (at times I feel like I have a new personality!), I sleep like the dead (I used to struggle with insomnia), and the skin on my face is much smoother (bye bye acne!). Nice side effects!
My husband and I were looking for a safe and comfortable place for a 5 day water fast. Although we are familiar with juice and broth fasts, we have never experienced a water fast which is why we wanted to be with experienced fasters.
In finding Abadin, we achieved all of our goals and more. Shirley and Ed provided a welcoming comfortable environment with plenty of encouragement and guidance to successfully fast. They provided resources in books and videos for the guests to learn as much as they would like to learn about fasting.
I enjoyed and appreciated having some time each day with Shirley to ask my many questions about fasting as well as understand what I was experiencing each day. A few weeks before our stay Shirley emailed me with helpful tips to prepare for the fast.
My husband and I very much appreciated how well Shirley and Ed handled everything concerning our needs as fasters and our enjoyment as guests in their B&B. We had decided to also include 2 re-feeding days after discussing options with Shirley to ease our transition to normal meals and we are really glad we did; this is the time many novice fasters struggle.
I availed myself of an Art Therapy session that Shirley, a trained and experienced art therapist, offered. This session enhanced my experience of the fast as it fit in well with having the time to focus on myself.
We plan to return next year as we had an A+ experience in every way possible. We enjoyed both a vacation and a fasting retreat, all in one.”
Shirley and Ed are a wonderful couple who provide a very warm and supportive environment in which to engage in a short or long fast. I did a 10 day fast with Shirley. She made a point of checking in every day with me – spending time to see how I was feeling. She even timed her own fast to correspond with my dates, so that I would have company doing it. I feel that I not only gained my health, but also some good friends. I recommend their fasting retreat highly!
My Experience with a 3 week water fast
I heard about water fasting through other people in the past. It always intrigued me and I felt positive about it but I had never done any water fasting before.
Suffering from a uterine fibroid cyst at the size of 17 x 12 and scheduled for surgery my goal was to water fast to hopefully achieve a reduction of this cyst and also of course to lose some weight.
When I met Shirley and Ed I knew this was the place to embark on my health and weight loss journey.
Both were such experienced and amazing people who made me feel comfortable and safe the moment we sat down and talked.
Shirley and Ed both had to go through their own health challenges.
When I met Shirley for the first time it felt very special. The conversation we had insured me of her knowledge and I knew that with her support I could do the water fasting challenge. I felt very confident the entire time, I even decided to extend my initial stay of 10 days to a full 3 weeks of water fasting.
With our daily meetings I could easily share my feelings with her throughout my entire fasting journey.
21 days went by fast, I left and I saw my doctor one week later. He found out that my cyst had dramatically shrunken in size from 17 x 12 to 12 x 7 which is fantastic. Even my doc was in disbelieve . I am super happy and my surgery was cancelled.
I knew that the water fasting would work but I have to say I did not expect such a stunning reduction in size.
My plan is to go back in November and hopefully do a 28 day water fast , at least that is the new goal for my health and well being.
I did my first 7 day water fasting at shirley and ed’s. They were amazing host. Kept me going with encouragement and shared their wisdom during my journey. Their place is a very good place to do a water fast. The location is perfect to keep you from temptations and distractions. The only regret is that i shouldve havr came in the summer
Beautiful place to do your water fast. Shirley and Ed were very helpful in helping me complete my fast. Rooms are very nice and clean. I would be coming back here. Anyone that is interested in getting their health back on track. This is highly recommended
Arrived at the inn not knowing what to expect. I was pleasantly greeted by Ed and SHIRLEY who sat with me for an hour and we had a deep in-depth conversation as to why I was there and what I could expect. As this was my first voluntary water fasting I didn’t know if I would be able to handle it or not. The first two days were very easy. By the third day I had reached 72 hours of fasting and my first taste of bone broth was amazing. I will not say it is easy but it is certainly doable.
Ed and Shirley greeted me every morning and we had a nice long conversation. They are extremely knowledgeable as to everything involved in fasting and in a ketogenic diet. I just returned home and I’m a bit weak But I know I will feel much better soon.
As far as the Inn is concerned it is a wonderful relaxing cozy atmosphere. I could not have asked for a better experience with wonderful people that I connected with.
I have to say that my experience was extremely enlightening and showed me several things that I needed to change for my body. I am very happy that I was able to reach my goal With such amazing people. Thank you Ed and Shirley for your hospitality
My second week of water fasting.
I was not sure what to expect as photos can be misleading but when I entered the Abadin B&B it is exactly as the website presents it. Stylish, comfortable, super clean. Ed and Shirley are very welcoming and friendly hosts.
This was my second fasting week but a first at the Abadin Fasting B&B and I was very happy to have chosen this place. The Abadin is in a very quiet residential cul-de-sac with view at the Ottawa river.
The property has a good size back yard that is designed into several private seating arrangements. I found it too hot outside as I was staying there inAugust but in fall or spring it will be perfect.
It always turn to a fasting cleanse whenever I feel like my body and lifestyle needs a reboot. And at the Abadin the peace and quite is the perfect background to achieve that.
Shirley is very knowledgable about all issues related to fasting, since she had gone through her own very serious health issues.
The room is well decorated and put together and the bed is super comfy .
Shirley and Ed offer a great variety of books related to fasting and health as well as videos , so no need to get bored. But it still makes sense to follow their suggestion to bring some stuff so that the growling stomach will not take over ones attention.
I have to say there is much truth to the stories that ones body can be trained to live of ones body fat. This time my fast was much easier then my first longer fast. But I still was looking forward to my first meal after the week of water only .
I am glad I found this little gem and I will certainly do my next fast at this retreat too. Thanks to Shirley and Ed and sorry it took me so long to post my review.
So, I have just completed a 6-day water fast with Shirley & Ed at Abadin B&B. Having never attempted a water fast before, I was initially very nervous about doing such a long fast with only water. Could I do it? Would I feel ill? As it turned out, with Shirley & Ed’s help, the process was so much easier than I had imagined and almost never felt hungry.
Although, the process was relatively painless, I know I could not have done this on my own at home. Only in the comfortable surroundings of Abadin B&B that offered the expert guidance from Shirley was it possible for me to achieve the health benefits of completing a full 6-day water fast. Autophagy (look it up), lowered insulin levels and fat burning are all great benefits of such a fast. I lost well over 10 pounds while there and 1/2 of that would be fat (about 1 pound a day is burned).
Shirley’s support was invaluable and at the end of the week, I thought I could have gone longer. Very importantly, I also left with the knowledge, experience and tools to realistically embark on an extended fast on my own at home!
Ed & Shirley’s hospitality was exceptional. I thoroughly enjoyed the talks we had and I learned so much about Shirley’s dietary approach and fasting methods. Her story is inspiring! Time absolutely flew by when we were chatting over a glass of sparkling water.
The location is in the small village of L’Orignal near the Ontario/Quebec border. During my stay, I toured Ontario’s oldest jail in L’Orignal and bought some beer at a nearby brewery (no tastings for me!). I did a couple of long walks in the area while I was there, but there aren’t any walking trails in the immediate area.
I stayed in the Brown King Room, which was roomy and comfortable and you can see the Ottawa river from the room. The river is just a couple of hundred meters walk from the hotel. The shower had great water pressure and the room was well equipped with a writing desk, dvd player and flat screen tv with cable channels.
In summary, my stay at Abadin was restful & relaxing, while I made new friends in Ed & Shirley and achieved great results for my health by completing a 6-day water fast. I would highly recommend a visit to this B&B, most especially if you are considering water fasting. In this environment, you can do it!