Hello!
I haven’t written in awhile; it has always felt much better for me to write blogs as compared to compartmentalized social media posts. SO many thoughts to convey about our most recent dietary journey.
This blog post is dedicated to The Daniel Fast, which me and my fiancé nearly completed (it’s our last day of 21 days!). Here is an explanation to what it entails, and the spiritual & physical implications – from a Holistic Nutritionist & Believer!
The Daniel Fast is 21 days of abstaining from select foods as the prophet Daniel did. The foods of Kings were fine wines & meat. He embarked on this partial fast as he prayed for his people, eating only plain & simple foods.
We have translated Daniel’s diet to be:
no caffeine (any drinks with caffeine like coffee, tea, energy drinks)
no meat (no meat, broth, cooking tallow)
no refined sugar or naturally derived sugars (no honey, molasses, maple syrup, cane sugar)
no dairy (butter, cheese, yogurt, milk)
no refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice, crackers, pasta)
No processed foods (artificial flavor/color, preservatives, chemicals)
no alcohol (wine, beer, spirits)
no yeast (leavened bread)
no fried food (French fries, chips)
The plain foods in which we could eat were:
Whole grains (amaranth, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, purple/wild rice, sorghum)
Bean & legumes (black beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, potatoes)
Nuts & seeds (almonds, pecans, walnuts, pepitas, soy nuts, pistachios)
Vegetables (all are allowed in various forms like canned, juiced, dried, etc.)
Fruit (all are allowed in various forms (just check for added sugar))
Oils (coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil)
Liquids (spring water / filtered, sparkling, coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk)
Although we are applying suggestive dietary guidelines to an ancient book, the heart behind the decision to fast is similar. It’s about self-denial and going without the pleasures of the world. In this you draw closer to God for strength and grow in your prayer life.
John 6:35 | Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”.
Quite honestly, it would be easier for me to do a 3-day water fast than a 21 day Daniel fast. If you are a believer, you should know that biblically speaking, fasting & prayer belong hand-in-hand. That aspect of spirituality has been neglected in most churches, which is a shame because it holds believers back from witnessing the power of the Holy Spirit.
Here are the different types of fasting you can do:
1. Water Fast
Just drinking water.
2. Dry Fast
No food OR water. I have very faithful people in my life who have done this – but I haven’t yet. They describe the feeling (very miniscule, comparatively) that Christ may have felt being so thirsty as he suffered on the cross.
3. Partial Fast
This is a choose-your-own-journey intermittent fast. You could eat one meal a day, deny food from sun-up to sun-down, etc.
4. Selective Fast
This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. The Daniel Fast falls into this category.
5. Soul Fast
Many of us are distracted, and thus the presence of God is harder to feel. To bring yourself back to balance, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast.
Spiritual Review
I am so happy I did this fast. Dave & I are getting married in 2 weeks, and so it was quite a journey to embark on together. Not only did I feel our prayer life deepen, but I felt more present with him. We don’t watch TV or even movies, so most nights were spent having meaningful conversations and reading God’s word.
I loved the time we had to get creative over what we were planning for meals. You’d be surprised how making dietary boundaries for yourself enlightens you to think outside the box! Fun recipes came back to my mind from the cooking classes in my Master’s – popped sorghum, chickpea patties, raw brownies, and plenty of vegan soups!
The first half was especially difficult, I will admit. It did cause Dave & I to ruffle each other’s feathers – whether that be our human condition under deprivation, or the enemy tempting us to be quick to anger & impatience (probably both). Dave more so than I experienced such a lack of satiation – being constantly unsatisfied even after eating large quantities. This was very difficult for him, as eating enough seemed like an all-consuming task (and we as humans were not built to graze all day!). He has a history of hyperthyroid, which I’m sure made this 21 day feat even more challenging.
I felt more spiritually grounded during the later half of the fast; more clarity & connection. In the beginning, I was acutely aware of the flaws in my own soul and how selfish I can be with my ‘needs’ and ‘rituals’. Surrendering aspects of my day to God and relying on Him showed me how much more of that I need when I’m NOT fasting. In ancient days, they truly leaned on God for food, shelter, land, protection, etc. These days, we have so much agency which is a blessing.. however it strips us of letting God into all the rooms of our house, so to speak.
I had to ask Dave to pray for me because I really struggled at first – and I didn’t have faith I’d get over the lethargic and digestive obstacles. Thankfully, God saw me through although I had to put the effort in.
Looking back, I prayed for some of my health issues to be alleviated – especially before I married Dave. Although I’m generally very healthy, God has a way of making you WORK & SACRIFICE for what you’ve asked for. So when my mom commented, ‘You should do the Daniel Fast’… and Dave brought it back to my attention to set a start date… I had a feeling it had to be done. The source of my dysregulated nervous system (I speculate) was my excessive caffeine intake, as well as my lack of will power depending on the environment I’m in. While in Pittsburgh, I really had a good flow of independence with my dietary choices, & I’ve had setbacks trying to adjust to my new life here in NY.
Some of the selfish aspects I struggled with had to do with my personality / social interactions. I like to be someone who is bubbly & energetic, so it was really hard for me to accept myself at a slow & leveled pace. I’ve done plenty of social settings without alcohol, but I will say it IS fun to have wine and feel a little looser in some settings. Personalities are VERY much impacted on your diet – for better or for worse! If you’re a client of mine, you know this first hand.
Physical Review
Many people asked me if I’m doing this for health reasons / cleansing / goals for the upcoming wedding.
NOPE!
In one sense, I knew I had to re-evaluate my relationship with caffeine. I also know that I feel best without dairy, gluten, & refined sugar. But no honey?! Maple syrup?! Meat?!
The Daniel Fast will be experienced by everyone differently. We all have differing levels of toxin load, addictions/habits, energy expenditure, inflammatory thresholds, etc. I thankfully didn’t have to detox from toxins (artificial / processed foods), but boy did I still have some strongholds!
CAFFEINE:
I WAS surprised that by day 4, I had more consistent energy without coffee. I’m sure my adrenals have been taxed for a long time, and my cortisol / hormones in a dysregulated state. My nervous system & circulation has also been off due to over-working myself (and drinking caffeine to accomplish that).
The body is so amazing when you choose to remove the perpetrators of homeostasis. I allowed myself to take 1 hour naps each afternoon, and of course every night I slept for 8-10 hours. One night I had a sleep score of 97, and other nights I averaged over 2 hours of REM sleep. Over time, I am proud to say I am divorced from the energy highs and crashes throughout the day, which contributed to poor sleep, irritability, etc.
Digestively, I really suffered. I had to do 2 enemas earlier on this fast because my digestive system relied on caffeine for so long.
Coffee triggers the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that tells your GI tract to move & contract. Unfortunately, your body adjusts to this co-dependency, causing your nervous system to be unresponsive to its own mechanisms.
We all know that caffeine stimulates cortisol & adrenaline (especially before food – hello anxious energy!). This hormone release overrides the vagus nerve which has a calmer approach with acetylcholine. If you’ve relied on coffee for too long, your rest & digest response could be impaired when your body is waiting for the quick delivery of acetylcholine.
Overall, I tried to see the morning sun (circadian rhythm setter), do lymphatic massage sequences every night / stretched, went on 4 mi walks, did castor oil packs, & reached out to my naturopath for some homeopathic drops. It took A LOT of energy on my part to make sure my GI was moving!
Learning what was causing me to suffer on this fast is a huge motivational factor for me to avoid dependency. God created my body to function with a high vagal tone, proper nutrition, & a balanced circadian rhythm.
I am pleasantly surprised I am waking up on the earlier side for work NOT groggy – I feel well-rested & ready for the day. It can take 24 hours for caffeine to fully leave your system – so I encourage you to choose 1-2 days to catch up on sound sleep.
I would also like to note that I did drink decaffeinated coffee! It does have some caffeine, however I chose this level of abstinence from caffeine because that is what I was personally convicted about. As someone who has always worked odd hours, coffee was a way to manipulate my body’s energy to be sharp, stay up late, wake up early, have a great workout, see clients at unfavorable hours, etc. Going from 2-3 coffee/espresso/matcha’s per day, to decaf, was a huge feat for me.
SWEETENERS:
So, from a glucose standpoint, even natural sugars have an effect on your blood glucose levels. It is SO important that you avoid a blood sugar roller coaster – the last thing you want is insulin resistance & excess inflammation in your body.
Refined sugar will always be one of the top contributors to disease in this country. It is a devitalized product, stripped of all nutrients. This empty calorie causes addiction, dental issues, western diseases (CVD, diabetes type 2, cancer, exacerbates autoimmune, etc.). It’s ALWAYS a good idea to enjoy it seldomly & avoid it on a weekly basis.
Maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, monk fruit, etc. will always be better, as they contain minerals & some have medicinal properties. We were thankfully allowed to eat medjool dates, which are definitely sweet, but are full of fiber & minerals, too.
Much like abstaining from caffeine, I struggled not having maple or honey. Not being able to have small energy spikes to at least help me through the first lethargic days was brutal. Once again, it was a huge eye-opener for me that I was natural-sugar dependent, and consumed WAY too much on a daily basis. Although we still ate carbohydrates, I’m sure my blood sugar levels evened out significantly. You’d be surprised if you ever wore a glucose monitor to see just how much impact even half a granola bar can have. I encourage you to book a health coaching session with me so I can guide you in how to maintain a balance while still enjoying your favorite foods.
ANIMAL PRODUCTS:
Overall, many of us do well with minimal dairy. When I consume dairy, it’s derived from grass-fed cows or ruminants in their raw form. This preserves the beneficial enzymes & probiotics, as well as delivers many essential amino acids!
That being said, for many people consuming homogenized & pasteurized products, you may see inflammation in the body (GI upset, achy joints, brain fog, dairy sensitivity/intolerances, etc.). It also is very mucus-forming, which we don’t want! In this we see an overall benefit to giving your body a break, so I really didn’t feel like dairy was a difficult thing for my body to abstain from. I usually feel more mental clarity & lose weight, as dairy can be fattening!
Oh, meat. How I’ve missed you. We really take for granted how accessible meat is. How fundamental it is to muscular nourishment, hormone regulation, satiation, etc. It’s a multivitamin – just 5 bites of grass-fed steak or 2oz of liver can check a lot of nutritional boxes for B vitamins, iron, micronutrients, etc.
Dave’s digestion did speed up without having meat (and gluten especially), as most of the things we’re eating are like kindling on a fire. Meat is like a nice log that keeps you warm, grounded, & sustains you for hours. Because we had a lack of bioavailable protein, I know our migrating motor complexes were hindered from the excessive snacking. MEAT, on the other hand, allows you to have appropriate meal times – no snacking necessary. Just 25g of protein to accompany your leafy greens is enough (whereas, peanut butter, for instance, you’d have to consume 9 Tbsp to actually meet the protein quota). Not healthy!
Well, what about legumes? We certainly did try to make beans and lentils a priority. They do have an amino acid profile which adds to the daily essential pool. However, they are more in the STARCH category. Not to mention, they do contain anti-nutrients which contribute to leaky gut… so eating in excess has consequences (if you’re not soaking & sprouting appropriately).
This is what really affected my digestion – the amount of starches and plant compounds I was consuming! It took time for my body to adjust, but overall it was very taxing on my body to be so carb-loaded. I was so bloated & constipated – AH!
That’s the glory of meat; you have your isolated protein source, and you can mindfully choose the amount of unrefined carbohydrates you include / the time in which you consume them.
HORMONAL CYCLE:
As a woman, I wanted to make a quick note about the hormonal cycle. Most of us who are into hormonal cycling know that our follicular phase is kinder to us on more of a lighter-meal, plant-based regime. When I was approaching my menstrual phase, however, I was so dog-tired. Of course I usually have coffee to be my perky self, but in the absence of protein and nourishment, it was an exhausting day. I feel so much more in tune with my needs throughout my cycle after this 21 day journey!
Thanks for reading! If you ever wanted to embark on a similar fast or diet, I would love to be your guide! Check under my services tab for more information.
Bee Westwood, MScN
If you’re thinking about doing this, here are just a few pointers!
- Sometimes you don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to make a decision, grocery shop accordingly, and get your journal out for anything you feel like recording.
- Drink plenty of quality water. There’s no way around it – you NEED to stay hydrated which means drinking structured & clean water. I am a healthy person who still experienced fatigue, brain fog, etc. You have no idea what your body will try to purge itself of! Water is essential to flushing those toxins out & supporting your organ functions.
- Take an enzyme if you need to. There’s no harm in taking a digestive enzyme to support your gut, especially in the beginning. For me, I did not feel personally convicted for taking them – like I was ‘cheating’.
- Having a loved one do it with you makes the experience more profound spiritually. Dave was opened up in certain ways to give me insights from God, and we leaned on each other (when I was weak, he cooked and helped clean and took care of Tegan. When he was busy and working a lot, I helped him similarly).
- Move your body. You don’t have to do full blown workouts with weights. Just make sure you’re at least WALKING and pumping those arms. Stretching goes a long way, too. Supporting your circulation & lymphatic system will keep your immune system strong & help with energy.
- Don’t make a decision to quit until Day 4. I promise you – it gets better. Prayer is powerful even when we don’t feel strong – God is our strength! He is strong in YOU!
- Unless God tells you otherwise, I think this diet would be better to do in the spring/summer – when your mitochondria are fueled from the sun & your body doesn’t have to try hard to stay warm! This has been a brutal winter – and eating a lack of protein made it more of a struggle.
