The Daniel Fast: Week One

Week one of my Daniel fast is officially in the books! I must say, the hunger hasn’t been as much of a problem as I anticipated. For those that don’t know, the Daniel Fast is a biblical partial fast derived from the book of Daniel.

Daniel 10:1-2 NIV “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war.The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.”

I’m sure everyone that fasts does it for their own personal reasons. After Daniel fasted, he was able to receive the word of God more clearly. I fast when when I feel like things are getting out of hand in my life, and I need order and discipline so that I too can hear God more clearly. But if your motivation to do a fast isn’t quite that spiritual, I think it’s also a great way to jump start a diet!

During my fast, I’m only allowed to eat food that was grown from a seed. In other words, only fruits and veggies for three weeks. Homemade fruit bowls and steamed veggies have pretty much been my life for the past seven days. I graze on fruit throughout the day, and chug water in order to prevent feeling hungry. I’m obsessed with grapes and apriums (part apricot, part plum) right now. Those are my go to fruits when ever I feel like snacking.

For lunch and dinner I have some sort of vegetable combination. Last week I switched between baked potatoes and fresh green beans, and a brown rice stir fry with carrots, corn English peas, and green beans thrown in.

What I’ve found is that you have to be in complete control of your thoughts in order to be successful while doing a fast. It’s more of a mind thing than it is a hunger thing. You do get to eat, so your body shouldn’t be hungry. It’s just that you’re not necessarily eating what you would like to eat, so you’re brain tells you that you aren’t satisfied. Since I’ve been able to overcome my thoughts, it’s pretty much been smooth sailing.

This week Iplan to step out of the box a bit more with my meals. Maybe try making some things from scratch ?! Stay tuned to see how it all turns out! One week down, two more to go!!!

BTW!!! Here’s a food list that I found on ultimatedanielfast.com. This helps to remind me of what I can and can’t eat while on the fast.

The Daniel Fast Food List

• All fruit – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned.
• All vegetables – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned.
• All whole grains – amaranth, barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, millet, and whole wheat.
• All nuts & seeds – almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds; unsweetened almond milk. Nut butters are also included.
• All legumes – canned or dried; black beans, black eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, and split peas.
• All quality oils – avocado, coconut, grapeseed, olive, peanut, sesame, and walnut.
• Beverages– distilled water, filtered water, and spring water.
• Other – unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or soy milk; herbs, spices, salt, pepper, unsweetened coconut flakes, seasonings, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, soy products, and tofu.

Foods to Avoid on the Daniel Fast

• All meat & animal products – bacon, beef, buffalo, eggs, fish, lamb, poultry, and pork.
• All dairy products – butter, cheese, cream, milk, and yogurt.
• All sweeteners – agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, brown rice syrup, cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, syrups, stevia, and sugar.
• All leavened bread & yeast – baked goods and Ezekiel bread (if it contains yeast and honey).
• All refined & processed food products – artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives, preservatives, white flour, and white rice.
• All deep-fried foods – corn chips, French fries, and potato chips.
• All solid fats – lard, margarine, and shortening.
• Beverages – alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, energy drinks, herbal tea, and tea.