Ep 031 5 Keys to Thrive Physically & Spiritually in Your Daniel Fast
I hope these five keys in episode 031 will encourage you during your Daniel fast. Remember, it's not just about the diet. It’s about inviting God into every part of the process, spirit, soul, and body. So if you're looking for guidance, be sure to listen to podcast 030 about starting your Daniel Fast.
Then, visit our Daniel fast journey blog for meal plans and recipes and devotional resources to feed yourself spiritually as you fast.
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Show Transcript
Note: Podcast transcripts are automatically generated and may contain some errors. The transcript below has been lightly edited for grammar and readability, so may not match the podcast audio verbatim.
[00:00:00] ATR2100x-USB Microphone-1: We all want to have good energy. We want to be able to conquer our day. But sometimes something like caffeine or something like sugar, it gives you just that extra edge where you feel a little bit extra amped up. And maybe that's sometimes because your schedule is overbooked and you have way too much on your plate. And rather than be able to pause and take a nap or rest more, or rather than say no to something and take priorities off your plate.
You just want to amp up with more and more caffeine or more and more sugar. To keep you going, but you're actually going at a very unhealthy pace. So that's one thing, but it may be something different for you. It may be the alcohol is the hardest thing for you to give up. It may be certain types of foods. as you go into this process of embracing discomfort, ask yourself the question.
Why is this so uncomfortable for me?
You've probably heard it before that fasting, without spiritual intent behind it is simply a diet. It's not getting to that deeper level of spiritual discipline that we want to pursue as Christians. So we're going to talk today about what it looks like to thrive during your Daniel fast, both physically and spiritually.
Welcome to the Wholly Well Journey podcast. I'm your host, Stephanie Hodges. Join us for weekly faith based conversations on holistic health to uncover practical tips for how to thrive and apply biblical wisdom to our busy modern lives. From fitness to food to fasting, we're here to discover what it means to have a healthy spirit, soul, and body.
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[00:01:30] ATR2100x-USB Microphone-1: In our last Wholly well journey podcast episode, that was episode 30. We talked about how to prepare yourself for a fast. And we're not talking about intermittent fasting as like a diet plan or health protocol. It's not just merely physical fasting that we're talking about, but these episodes are specifically about fasting as a Christian discipline.
this is something that has kind of ebbed and flowed over time. It's become sometimes more popular in certain church denominations or in certain church traditions and less talked about in others. So if you're brand new to this or newish, or maybe you had some fasting experiences in the past, that didn't go so well.
And then that dissuades you from really wanting to try fasting again. Then I really encourage you to go back and listen to that episode. So you can be well prepared before you fast. But just as much as we need to take those steps before going into fasting, we need to stay intentional as we walk through fasting because listen, fasting isn't easy. It's not supposed to be easy. There are no tricks to make it easy. And really the point of it is putting aside our personal desires and our personal satisfactions and those fleshly and worldly things that we use to fill us up. more often than not, we are using food as our source of celebration.
When we're really happy when we want to treat ourselves, it's like we got a good report card. And we want to go get ice cream to celebrate Maybe you're not in school anymore, but that's deeply embedded in you that whenever something good happens, you should reward yourself with some food. likewise, when you're feeling really bad or you're really stressed, then you might feel like it's time to reach for a glass of wine at the end of the day, or it might be mindless eating on the couch while you're zoning out on your phone or watching TV. But none of those things will truly fill us and they won't stop the cycles that we find ourselves in. even in our modern world, we need to look back to this ancient tradition of fasting and it looks different for us than it did from people that we even read in the Bible, just based on our environment and our lifestyles.
But at the same time, this remains a timeless practice. All cultures have some element of fasting in them and it's usually fasting for spiritual seeking. So there's some truth there. And science catches up with that. It shows us how fasting does impact our blood sugar, our brain, all of these different elements are gut health that will help us to live with more energy and be feeling better.
You feel much better when. You fast. that isn't the sole purpose and it's not even really our biggest goal. when we fast, we are posturing and humbling ourselves. We are laying down ourselves. Like I said before. And our desires. we want God to expose to us. What's really going on beneath the surface because in our normal routine, it's too easy to just brush past some of these issues that may be driving our eating habits and some of the emotions that may be attached to them. when we're able to clear the decks in fasting, we're able truly to purify our hearts and center our minds on God so that he can fill us with the food that we really need.
That's our spiritual food. And so today I'm coming fresh off of my own. 10 day fast. And it was the fast that I did with our group online. But during that time, I was really focusing and thinking again about some of the things that I have learned through my experiences of fasting that have helped me. Because I've said this before, but one of the main things I remember about my first Daniel fast I ever did was that I was spending so much time worried about what to eat.
And I was spending so much time in the kitchen every day, preparing my food. And that was interfering more so than what I had intended that fasting time to look like it. Wasn't supposed to be all about cooking. It. Wasn't supposed to be spending all day in the kitchen. It was supposed to be about seeking the Lord, but that food part kind of took over. And so that's where all of this Daniel fast content and information and resources on the blog.
And all of that came from it's like, I want to make it as easy as possible for other people to do this. Because they shouldn't be having to waste so much time with the logistics of fasting. The more you can get those things into place, the more you can focus on the Lord. So I encourage you to go to Daniel fast journey.com.
If you need meal plans, if you need ideas for recipes, that's all there. And I do want to say that some of the tips that I'm offering could also apply for water only fasting. But some of them are specific to the Daniel fast with water only fasting. That's something that I really believe in building up to gradually of starting with fasting a couple meals a day, then working yourself up to a 24 hour water fast, and then extending that to a 36 hour, a 48 hour.
And just to slowly build your way up to water only fasting have longer periods. Until your body is giving you clear signs that you need to stop. Or maybe the Lord gives you a clear sign that you have gone far enough and you need to stop. So when your water only fasting, there's not too much logistically that you can do other than the fact that you're not eating and you're trying to stay really well hydrated.
You're trying to also rest as much as possible during that time. It can be nice to distract yourself a little bit to not be so bored that that's kind of allowing you to overly ruminate on how you're feeling and how things are going with food. But at the same time, you don't want to be over straining yourself when you're doing your water only fast.
But let's go ahead and dive into it here.
And we're going to cover these five keys that will really help you to thrive during a Daniel fast.
And the first key is this. You must feed yourself spiritually. It's all about building up your spirit, man. It's about connecting with the father during this time of fasting. It's not just about having willpower to abstain from food and to get away from food, right?
Whatever we're emptying out, it needs to be replaced and filled with something else. And so the number one thing there, it's filling ourselves with God's word daily. And you may remember this passage in the gospel of John in chapter four. And this is right after Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well, and then his disciples come up. they say in verse 31, rabbi, eat something. But he said to them, I have food to eat that you know, nothing about.
Then his disciples said to each other, could someone have brought him food? And in verse 34, Jesus says my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. And so in the same way, we need to be having that food that comes directly to us from the father. Another verse is Matthew four, four, where Jesus says, man, shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And this fast. There is an opportunity to feast on this spiritual food and the spiritual word that sustains us. Another story you may remember is in Exodus. As the Israelites are led out of Egypt, they are wandering in the wilderness and God gives them daily manna, daily food to eat, but it's just enough food for each day. And we really have to live by that principle too, because it's true of our physical food, right?
It's like if you were to not eat. For an entire day. You would feel that you would be starving, you would have gnawing hunger pains. It's not like you would just not notice that you hadn't eaten for an entire day. Right? Unless it's like a really traumatic or unusual circumstance, but on just your average day, you're going to notice
if you don't eat all day. You're going to be hungry. You're going to be starving. But we don't always notice that when we don't take in that spiritual food every day. And when we don't set aside time for worship and for feasting on the word of God, But it is just as essential to our soul and it's especially important in times of fasting. And so what I found in my morning devotional time is extremely important because it sets my day on the right trajectory.
It reminds me of what I'm doing. It gets me started with the right intention. And so it's really important to me to have that morning time to set the tone for my day. But I don't only want to have the morning time, especially when fasting. I want to have reminders throughout the day to stop and pause throughout the day and reconnect with God. And that may mean that I can sit down and read my Bible for 15 minutes, but sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes it means during the morning I pick a verse. That I'm going to focus on for the rest of the day. when I have that opportunity, I'm, meditating on that verse. I might be taking. Lunchbreak to take some time out to journal. It may mean that I'm listening to a worship song, but truly pausing to focus on what I'm doing. So there's all these little ways that you can continue to top off your fuel tank, right? You want to fill it up in the morning? And then you want to top it off throughout the day.
So this is key number. One is that just as much as you're making your meal plan and you're thinking about all of these foods that you're going to give up as you're fasting and maybe some other practices like social media. You need to think about how you're going to feed yourself spiritually.
The second key is to plan and continue planning. The continue planning is really the key part because we talked in that last episode about planning for your Daniel fast. you want to be sure that you have decided what you're going to eat on your fast. You don't to kind of get into. Into this gray area. Where. You've started. And then all of a sudden. You're really starting to crave certain things.
And so then you want to make an exception, like, well, maybe actually could eat that after all. Maybe that doesn't count. You want to decide ahead of time what your convictions are on your fast. Because some people will be really strict in terms of eating only completely whole foods out of the ground. And others will say, well, I'm going to include almond milk, even though it's processed or I'm going to include tofu or some other items that certain people might say, no, that's not going to be included on my fast.
My fast is going to be very minimal items that I'm allowing myself to eat. So either what you want to decide, what that is, and then have a plan for meals. And maybe you don't like to plan. Maybe you like to go. You know, fly by the wind and just see where things take you. You can't do that very well on a Daniel fast. It's really going to catch up with you because you might find yourself. getting too overly hungry at a certain point in the day. And that's when it is really hard. To stick to your convictions about what you're trying to do with your fast. So making sure that you have planned what you're going to eat and when you're going to eat. Making sure that when you go out, you have your snack that you were going to take. And also making sure that you continue planning, because if you're doing a longer, fast, if it's 10 days, 21 days, you're probably going in with the first week, pretty set. But then when the second week rolls around, that's where it's tempting to start to try to wing it again and start to try to just go with the flow or do it as you go. But that's where things will really catch up with you.
And you might find yourself at the end of the day, having nothing to eat and going to the pantry and pulling out some oatmeal. I've heard that quite a few times where people in the past. I'm just eating oatmeal for dinner because I don't know what else to eat and I don't have anything else lined up.
You may not be one of those people that loves to do seven days out in advance. You know, you probably seen that on social media when people do their meal prep, and then they have all those clear containers stacked up and they have. Every meal. Is actually the same, but it's all set out for the week.
That's awesome. It doesn't work for everybody, but at the very least have your plan on paper, have your groceries available. And then try to be prepping a couple days in advance for what you're going to eat. So you don't get caught. So key number two was plan and keep planning. We're gonna kind of switch gears a little bit with Q3 and that's to embrace discomfort. Okay. Nobody enjoys discomfort. Nobody likes to feel hungry. Nobody likes to be craving something and not be able to. To satisfy it. But whether it's physical cravings that you're experiencing or it's emotional ups and downs, or it's even spiritual attack. Fasting reminds us that we're surrendering something temporary for something eternal. And so embracing discomfort is part of the process.
I'm not a fan of Daniel, fast desserts. I know they're out there. But, and that might be that you eat some dates or you eat some fruit or something sweet, but I'm not into making desserts and making that part of my fast to me, a dessert is contrary to the heart and intention of fasting.
So it's just okay.
To know going into it, that this fasting isn't always going to be enjoyable, that there are going to be those hard parts. And so. I'm going to need to rely on the Lord more than I ever have before. I'm really going to have to depend on him in this time. And they're scriptures like Romans five, three and four that tells us we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character.
Hope so fasting. Isn't just about abstaining from food. It's shaping our character through the struggle that we're going through. And especially through the, our decision that we're not just going to depend on ourselves to fulfill ourselves, but we are going to depend on the Lord. So I would be really curious to know from you to what has been most challenging for you about fasting?
What has been the most uncomfortable? And it can be different things for different people and you might be thinking, well, it's giving up this particular food or that particular food for me. The thing. I most dislike. Dislike giving up his caffeine and its coffee in particular. Like I can have tea, but I don't enjoy tea at all the same way I enjoy coffee. I already don't drink any soft drinks. So there's something about that coffee ritual that I have in the morning that really wakes me up and mentally, it just helps me feel awake for the day. And then my body just had gotten so accustomed to caffeine over time.
Cause I was having minimum one to two cups every single day that when I take it away, I really don't feel the same. But I have decided more and more that that's a problem. That that's not something that I should be so bound to. And so chain to that, I can't give it up. So there's that surface level of, well, yes, I enjoy it. And no having one cup of coffee a day
isn't bad for you from a nutritional standpoint, it's not hurting anything, but at the same time, I think there's a deeper root to it. There's a deeper root of. What is it that makes me feel like I have to be always so charged up so full of energy and I'm not talking about, you know, having good energy, right.
We all want to have good energy. We want to be able to conquer our day. But sometimes something like caffeine or something like sugar, it gives you just that extra edge where you feel a little bit extra amped up. And maybe that's sometimes because your schedule is overbooked and you have way too much on your plate. And rather than be able to pause and take a nap or rest more, or rather than say no to something and take priorities off your plate.
You just want to amp up with more and more caffeine or more and more sugar. To keep you going, but you're actually going at a very unhealthy pace. So that's one thing, but it may be something different for you. It may be the alcohol is the hardest thing for you to give up. It may be certain types of foods. as you go into this process of embracing discomfort, ask yourself the question.
Why is this so uncomfortable for me? What is it that this. Temporary physical source of food or drink is giving me. And What do I really need deep Down. That's the thing that only God. God can can fill an only God can give me. And I'll tell you what, if you will surrender that to him, surrender that thing, whatever it is that makes you so uncomfortable. He's going to give you back something so much better in return.
So key number four for the Daniel fast in particular is having well-rounded nutrition and protein. Now the caveat here is sometimes people feel like they have been led to eat something just very specific for their period of fasting and often it is for maybe a shorter time of fasting, but maybe they felt. That they're supposed to eat. exactly beans and rice, or exactly a certain kind of stew
and that, that that's what they're going to do on their fast. But for people who are doing general Daniel fast, which is the whole plant-based foods. It's very helpful to understand a little bit about the macronutrients of those foods and how we can eat in a more well-rounded way that's going to sustain our energy level and give us the nutrients we need. Macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. When we're eating these plant-based foods, we're definitely going to get a lot of carbohydrates.
We don't need to try harder to get more carbohydrates because that's what fruit, vegetables, and whole grains primarily are. The thing about carbohydrates that you may be aware of is they tend to break down the most quickly. And if they're too much sugar based. And don't have the fiber and other things in them.
It can spike your blood sugar and then crashed down. And so then you have that terrible, like energy slump and craving. So, this is honestly what, I'm not a huge fan of juice fast. I think they mess with your blood sugar quite a bit. And some people do them. Some people love them. I'm not knocking it.
I'm just saying that for me, it's not been the best thing to do. It kind of needs to be, you know, water only and maybe water with some bone broth that gives you a little bit of protein helps sustain your blood sugar levels so they don't get too low. But to either do that or to either go into more of an abstaining fast partial fast, Daniel fast, because when you're eating the fruit and vegetables in their whole form with the fiber, it absorbs into your body at a better pace.
It's better for you than just. Sugar. And if you are just going to the store and drinking bottled juices, even if they're really fresh juices and look really healthy, they still typically have a super high sugar content. So you really need to be careful about the amount of sugar that you're eating. The same thing would be true of any dried fruits or trail mixes.
And although those might seem like, okay, those are good on the Daniel fast when that fruit shrinks down and it's so compact, it's a lot of sugar in there. So kind of under this umbrella of eating well-rounded nutrition and eating plant-based protein and watching your sugar intake would be one thing to look at check and make sure that you're not just subsisting on sugar and that's putting you on this roller coaster of energy spikes and crashes. So the way to do that too, is to not eat too much fruit or eating fruit alone, but to really focus on vegetables. Vegetables have less sugar in them and they're going to have good fiber and they're going to sustain you longer.
And actually, although we don't think of them as a high high protein food, vegetables do have some protein in them. But additional sources of protein when you're on the Daniel fast would be nuts and seeds and beans and legumes.
For example, lentils are actually a very high source of protein. So you want to introduce beans and legumes gradually into your diet. If you do. It all at once, it's going to be too much fiber. It's going to be hard to digest. You're going to have the bloating and gas and all kinds of yucky symptoms.
And so that's why we talked about that on the other episode, too, is that you need to increase slowly, these higher fiber foods into your diet. Hopefully doing it before you go right into your Daniel fast. But so just make sure that you're eating regularly throughout the day and you're choosing different types of foods.
So that would include the vegetables, but then also some beans and legumes, and also some nuts and seeds, which are also a good source of fat. All. Of those things will help to make you feel fuller and to feel more satisfied from a nutritional standpoint.
The other thing is to eat regularly throughout the day.
Because if you're eating foods that have no preservatives in them, they're all plant-based foods are actually going to digest pretty quickly. So that means where you may be accustomed to just eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You might find yourself a lot more hungry.
And again, if you go to Daniel fast journey.com, we do have a foods and recipe page, and we'll link it in the show notes. That you can find some ideas for all your different meals and for snacks as well.
The final key, the fifth key. Is to set your mind and. And as something we've alluded to a little bit, but it's so easy to focus on the physical side of fasting. But in our mind is where the real transformation is going to take place. It's what we think about. It's what we meditate on and what we dwell on during the fast that's, crucial to experiencing the full transformation that God has for us. And so it starts with key number one. Of filling ourselves spiritually, every day. It also brings to mind Romans 12 two, which says, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind because what we fill our minds with will directly. Impact the success of our fast. And this is where it's important too, that you're surrounding yourself with prayer partners and people who are going to remind you. You got to set your mind and then you got to remind yourself, you got to remind your mind of what you're doing and why you're doing it. So think about your thoughts, think about what you're thinking. About when those emotions come up, look at them.
What are they trying to tell you? You know, you want to observe yourself and you want to notice your thoughts and your feelings. But then you're also reminding yourself of what you have set your mind on.
And Colossians three verse two says set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you will also will appear with him in glory. That's crucial for your fast, because you are doing it for heavenly reasons. Yes, it's going to make you feel physically better. Yes, you might make some new habits out of it, but from beginning to end, the way you're sustaining yourself during your fast is not by having a temporary mindset of what you can gain. Out of it, but it's sowing into eternity
and it's building yourself up in the spirit. So I hope these five keys have encouraged you on your Daniel fast today. And remember, it's not just about the diet. It's about inviting God into every part of the process, spirit, soul, and body. So if you're looking for guidance, be sure to visit our Daniel fast journey blog for meal plans for recipes.
Also, we have many devotional resources on there, so that can help you in that spiritual food and direction so you are guided throughout the process and plus there's just a lot more encouragement there to help you thrive as you fast.
Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Holy Well Journey podcast. Please be sure to subscribe and you can also head over to holywelljourney. com to check out the show notes and the whole podcast library. That's also where you'll find information about our health and wellness coaching, which you can participate in online from wherever you are in the world.
Just a reminder and disclaimer that this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice or professional counseling. Please be sure to consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet or exercise plan or starting to fast. If you're interested in more information about fasting and spiritual disciplines, check out danielfastjourney.
com. Thanks for joining us on this journey to becoming wholly well.
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