Fasting is such a misunderstood idea. It really is just now being “discovered” even though it is thousands of years old. It is something that the first humans ever to walk on this planet experienced. Hunger and not satiating this need for living is crucial to living. Sometimes, our ancestors did not have food available unlike most people on Earth today. This is a form of fasting … just involuntary. The fasting I am talking about is a voluntary one for reasons of healing.
Fasting is a wonderful tool I use for health and happiness. Yes, even happiness oddly. I notice that when I have a lapse with my diet for a consistent period of time, my mood is affected. I have more energy when I am on an anti-inflammatory diet that I have curated for myself. By listening to my unique needs and reactions both good and bad, I know what foods my body is best with. I will gain weight when my diet is off for a long period of time, but I heal after a good fast and reset. I will lose weight when I am back on my diet that I love. Funny that losing weight is important to most of us. The nice thing is it is a visual opportunity for me to know my health is not optimal. I feel less comfortable with my clothes tighter. My face is just a bit thicker from inflammation and weight gain. So many reasons that my happiness is affected. I know with the holistic connection of the body that our mood and demeanor is connected to body functioning. I know that I feel like me when I am not taking care of myself.
Fasting is the biggest tool I use for a reset. There are many videos out there that cover fasting so I don’t need to go into a lot of that. I recommend the documentary “Fasting” (2017). Fasting allows me to stop my habits. I will tend to start eating things I like to limit or stay away from like sugar or alcohol. These are very damaging to the human body. Fried foods and processed foods are also contributors to my bloat and inflammation. When I start eating these things, I start craving these things. The more I eat the more I crave. It is a tough cycle for me. Fasting stops this. It stops my habits of eating, as well as stopping the food itself.
When was the last time you went hungry? There are some that do go without food voluntarily. Most of us always have food. I am amazed at how unhealthy food sold today is. Today, everything is carb laden, processed or fried it seems. Not a lot of food sold in restaurants is different than this. People gain weight. The average weight of a man has changed dramatically. In the 70s, the average man weighed 172 lbs. The last data I saw was a consistent increase to the year 2014 where the average man weighed 195 lbs. People live in an inflamed state that creates so many other legit health problems. Anyway, I tend to get inflamed when I have consistently eaten poorly for a few weeks. That can even last a few months. Fasting is hard. Like any rebirth, there has to be death. Fasting is a death of old habits, old addictions and old ways of thinking. It is a reset. My taste buds have reset. My bodily need for sugar is gone. If I start eating refined sugar in a Western way like candy or health bars or sweet drinks, then I will gain my taste for it back to a point that I NEED it.
In the Bible, fasting is mentioned 50 times. From very short fasts to long, extended fasts. Jesus fasted 40 days in the desert before he began his ministry. Spiritual fasting has a deep history in many religions. It is used as a powerful way to connect with God. It can be used to open our hearts and spiritual ears to understand the divine mysteries and hear the voice of our Creator. Certainly, there is an awareness and clarity in vision when I fast. I can focus very easily. When our tribal ancestors were not finding food and involuntarily had to fast, their hunting skills were enhanced to see and hear better for a food kill for the tribe. This can be also translated to our spiritual hearing and seeing.
I use fasting to reboot my life when I have slipped. When I have developed habits that are unsavory to me that teeter on the edge of addiction, fasting breaks the cycle. I will fast from one to five days with no food to break the cycle of habit whether that be a mental or physical. It is a method of self-love based on the breaking of addiction cycles or physically destroying the cellular damage that we encounter from our lifestyles.
There are so many views and resources about fasting available to us today. Take a look online and watch some videos and develop your own opinion on this method of cleansing. It may not be for everyone, but worth a look and listen to see if this can help you on your Path. Make sure you research the process and start slow. It isn’t an easy route, but I find it effective and necessary to my refinement to be more like our Creator.
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