At the beginning of every year, usually Jan 1, I start the year with refraining from social media, TV or anything that I find destructive or takes up most of my time. I normally deactivate my Facebook account for a specific period of time, between 14 & 21 days. This time I didn’t deactivate my Facebook account but I did the whole day of Jan 1 without FB, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter and it felt great not hearing the notifications on my phone every second.
I am doing 21 Days of prayer and fasting, turning off the phone for a specific period of time everyday and limiting myself to very few hours a day on social media. I do this to reflect on the year past, thank for the Lord for making it to another year, commit the year ahead to God, reflect on my spiritual life and rededicate it to God.
I use the method called THE DANIEL FAST, which is based on the Prophet, Daniel’s fasting, hence the name. It is a partial fast where you abstain from certain food for a specific period of time. The Daniel Fast can also be used for weight loss and a healthy lifestyle to take better care of your body which is also important. Check out these yummy recipes.
I love it because it’s not very intense, its doable and you do what works for you, you don’t have to strictly follow the plan on the website but you can use it as a guide. You are at liberty to either use the list provided or make one that you can commit to, especially if you are a beginner.
Foods I am eliminating on my Daniel Fast.
Ice cream
Pasta
Rice
Red meat
Pork
Chocolate
Sugar
Masala Tea
Bread
Sugar
Pastries
Cookies
Wine
Carbonated drinks
Sweets
Coffee
Foods I am including in my Daniel Fast:
Lots of fruits
Vegetables
Bulgur
Quinoa
Chicken
Sweet potatoes
Pumpkin
Fish
Yoghurt
Milk
Black tea
Herbal tea
Drinking lots of water
Crackers (with no salt or yeast)
Rice cakes
popcorn
Nuts
Oats
Peanut butter
Eggs
Smoothies
On the list of food I am including on my fast, I’ll be alternating some weekly, I am not eating all of them every week…. E.g, If I eat eggs this week, I won’t eat them next week etc.
My idea is to remove the food that I find hard not eat so that I can discipline myself. I am eating one proper meal at lunch then I either do fruit with yoghurt or smoothie at breakfast and dinner plus fruit and nuts for snacks.
Fasting is personal and I normally don’t tell people when I am doing it but I wanted to share just in case someone is interested in trying it out.
If you are a Christian and you haven’t tried the Daniel Fast before, I highly recommend it because at the end of it, you will feel rejuvenated, I promise you. It’s even better than the feeling you get after a workout or a run.
Caution: Make sure you consult your physician before starting any Fast if you have any health issues.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment.
Stay blessed!
Great post! Love your style of writing!
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Thank you Yuliana!
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This is great! I wish you the best of luck through this journey. Would love to see an update after the 21 days on how you managed and any temptations you may have felt.
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Thanks so much Rhonda! Will let you! Craving ice cream as we speak lol
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Will let you know*
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I love this! It’s kind of like what my church does a month before Easter. We fast during the day until sun down. With fasting from food, we also give up things that we find are distractions.
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Oh thank you Chantal! I also do this around Easter and once in a while when I feel I need it
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