Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day (24 hours), or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive, limiting particular foods or substance. Fasting practices may preclude sexual intercourse and other activities as well as food.
Many Christians believe that fasting can strengthen your faith and draw you closer to God, helping you to break down comfortable barriers that may cloud spiritual conquest. Catholics fast for Lent every year. Buddhist monks and nuns following the Vinaya rules commonly do not eat each day after the noon meal. They do not consider this a fast but rather a disciplined regimen aiding in meditation and good health. Fasting is the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam and involves fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, which is probably the most notable time for fasting among Muslims. Fasting is a very integral part of the Hindu religion. Individuals observe different kinds of fasts based on personal beliefs and local customs, limiting oneself to one meal during the day and/or abstaining from eating certain foods or eating only certain food types. Even if the fasting Hindu is non-vegetarian, they are not supposed to eat or even touch any animal products (i.e., meat, eggs) on a day of fasting.
Although fasting has long been used for religious and spiritual contemplation, and a show of faith and self control, fasting is being rediscovered in modern culture as a great way to maintain a healthy body. When we fast we rid our body and our mind of toxins, stress and strengthen our physical and mental resolve. Periodically ridding your body of toxins help bring balance back to our body, mind and soul. Even if you fast only something small like processed foods or going out to eat it could really change the way you feel and help you rediscover your strength.
This year we are undertaking a whole body cleanse. By removing all animal products, bi-products, and processed foods (anything with preservatives, and/or unnatural dyes and additives) we are hoping to attain a healthier body and bring us closer to our faith. last year I added in an herbal cleanse as well which you can purchase and any natural food market or vitamin shop.(Do make sure though that the product you buy is vegan.) Amazingly I was alleviated of a health problem that I have that involves an imbalance of hormones and problems with circulation for nearly six months without the aid of synthetic medications. I have known regular yearly or bi-yearly fasts to help or totally alleviate many health conditions. Of course it is always advised that you do these fasts under the supervision of your physician if you have any health condition that may be effected by serious changes in diet and activity.
We have done this fast for several years now and every year I feel that I have found a new strength in myself and drawn closer to what I hope and dream to accomplish in my life. I have been excited for months now that this fast was getting close and even though it is a very big challenge for me every year to stay on this fast for the whole 21 days I have never given up early. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR 21 DAYS! It may seem like a long time but it flies by so quick. I will say that the first few days are the hardest. I always end up getting really down on myself for a few days because I struggle so much with changing my diet, but after the change is done, which usually takes me 3 or 4 days, I don't even look back.
Although fasting alone is not particularly good way to help you lose weight, it can be a good way to jump start your new eating habits if you intend on moving into a more healthy lifestyle. Think, if you go on a vegan diet for 21 days and look at eating a normal healthy diet at the end of the fast, by the end you will be happy to replace those black beans with a 4-5 oz. piece of lean grilled chicken breast instead of what you would have eaten before you accomplished a 21 day fast. You look at food in a whole new way after rediscovering your relationship with it. When you take away all of the modern "replacements" for what we really should be eating and go back to the basics of the human diet before we stopped being hunter-gathering natural beings you start looking at that Mcy D's Double Quarter Pounder, fries and large soda like its poison not a treat. You get reminded of how important it is to feed ourselves real fresh fruits and veggies and how much better you feel when you don't eat much else for a few weeks.
I by no means would change to a vegan diet all of the time. I do not believe it is normal for humans who are born omnivores to never eat meat, even our hunter-gathering ancestors ate meat when they got the chance, but they ate smart and healthy. They ate what came to them by nature. There were skinny times where no one ate much, usually in the winter when meat was hard to catch and hunt and vegetation was gone. These were their times of fasting, then in the summer they had plenty and ate well. This time of year is a very traditional fasting time for us and I always use that as a note of inspiration.
We plan to blog as much as we can through this time of fasting and want all of you that are following our fast to post here on the blog your support and talk to us about how you feel about our day to day struggles. If you have been inspired by our fast and want to join we will be here for you to support you and answer any questions you have. We have a wealth of recipes and great ideas to help you challenge yourself in this time.
Be inspired and keep dreaming.
