Vegalicious

Happy Daniel Fast 2016, you all! Now, can you say that with me? Happy Daniel Fast! (or should we say fasting?)  Either way, let’s start a trend of greeting each other this way this year: #happydanielfasting!

If you have not been initiated into the Daniel Fast know-how, you are probably thinking: “What in the world is the Daniel Fast?” Let me ‘splain it to you and tell you how you can have a successful Daniel Fast without panicking or giving up. 

First, WHO in the world is Daniel?

Daniel was a noble Jew exiled to Babylon around 605 BC, when he was about 15 years of age, after Nebuchadnezzar, a very scary dude king, invaded Jerusalem.  Daniel was very smart, and, apparently a looker too–the Bible, in Daniel 1:4, says that he was chosen among young men

without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.”

He, and the creme-of-the-crop young men that were picked for this purpose, were to be trained for three years by the Nebuchadnezzar’s court to be in the king’s service. (Dan. 1:5)

Smart, handsome, destined for greatness, Daniel also turned out to be a rebel…on more than one occasion. (He’s the same Daniel that was thrown to the lions as an appetizer and came out alive. (Dan. 6))

The Daniel Fast History

The fast, as many Christians around the world understand to practice it these days, was historically derived from two life changing events in Daniel’s life.

i. Eat Veggies…and Die

Daniel and the hand-picked young men were ordered to eat food and wine from the king’s table. (Dan. 1:5) Most of us in America would say: “Hallelujah! The heaven smiled upon me! I’ve been blessed! Bring on king’s food and wine–it’s party time!”  Astonishingly, four of the young men that were picked to be trained to be in the king’s service, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, uncommonly wise for their young age, at the leadership of Daniel, instead of indulging in king’s delicious chow, decided to risk their lives and refused king’s (KING’S!) generous offer (1:6), because they did not want to “defile” themselves with the royal food and wine.  (Think on that for a minute–it’s like trading a Rolls Royce for a Saturn, and risking to be killed in the process.)

So, these men, instead of dining at the Three Michelin Star restaurant of their time, without having to pick up the check, risked their heads to only eat vegetables and drink water (1:12).  When Daniel brought his request to the chief official, who was in charge of their diet, the man, while impressed by the kid, was got seriously scared of losing his head at the hand’s of His Imperial Majesty, King Nebuchadnezzar. (1:10)  The chief knew that if Nebuchadnezzar could destroy cities and invade countries without much concern for human life, then his head probably wasn’t even going to be an afterthought.  Yet, he granted Daniel’s request.

The nail biting moment… Did they make it? Did the chief get beheaded?  Did the boys starve eating only vegetables? (admit it, that’s what you are afraid of: “Where am I going to get my protein?!”)

But…as in any great Hollywood Biblical blockbuster…a miracle happens:

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. (1:15)

Time to break out the tambourines and shout, you all! Their gamble paid off and from that point on

…the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. (1:16)

We don’t know for how long these four musketeers kept eating this way, but let’s assume that it was for the remaining time of their training–3 years–until they were presented before the king and began their service.

The veggies (God) were good to them! The king

…found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. (1:19-20)

ii. No Pleasant Food, Flesh or Wine

Daniel continued to serve Babylonian kings.  In fact he lived to a ripe age of over 100, according to Biblical tradition. By these calculations, around his ripe age of about 101, Daniel received a revelation about a great war. (Dan. 10:1) To get the full understanding of the revelation, Daniel went on, what we would call, a partial fast.  

He still ate food, be he denied himself the finer things of life (that’s how we know he wasn’t crunching veggies all of his life)–he chose to abstain from delicacies (pleasant, rich foods and breads (based on various translations)), flesh foods (meat), and avoided drinking wine.  (He also didn’t use ointment (aka lotion, oil) for three weeks. If you are a Biblical scholar, drop a comment to explain the meaning of avoiding ointment, if you have an insight. I am going to stick to the food conversation.)

After three weeks of this partial fast, which involves self-denial and discipline, Daniel experiences a vision, which explains the meaning of his revelation.

Daniel Fast in the 21st Century

The Daniel Fast, as we are practicing it now, began to gain momentum in 2005 (thanks, Google Trends! I feel so educated!)

The practice is explosively growing, as many practicing Christian believers now choose to begin each year by making changes to their diet in order to:

• practice self-discipline (some call it quieting the flesh, i.e. our earthly mind, habits and desires, which are used to getting their way),
• improve self-control (since we are used to getting our way, especially in our fast-food, fast-life North America, often without considering the consequences of our choices), and
• to tune their spirits to the God-station (quieting ourselves, and refusing our capricious human nature, while spending time in prayer and meditating on the Bible and God, this leads to an improved spiritual hearing).

We take these steps to align our minds, bodies and spirits with the Divine Nature of God and His design for our lives. 

Some also take this time to seek clarity on various issues in their lives, including health, finances, relationships, etc., and to stand before God on behalf of others for similar reasons.

Dietary Practices of Modern Day Daniel Fast

There are as many dietary strokes, as there are folks when it comes to Daniel fasting. You might get a different story and varied guidelines based on which book you read or which website you visit.  Some insist that eating only fruits, vegetables and drinking water is the only way to go.  Some restrict their food intake in general or only eating at certain times of the day.  Some choose to be vegetarian or vegan for 21 days.  Some pick a partial fast, consuming only plant foods but in varied forms–raw, cooked, steamed, baked–while denying themselves the pleasures of bread, meats and refined drinks, including caffeine.

In the last decade I have seen and heard it all.  Enough to want to write about it to help keep things in a healthy, reasonable, common sense perspective, especially if we are to base our fasting practices on Daniel’s experiences which I just discussed.

In 2011 and 2012 I published a couple of exhaustive posts on the topic, Everything You Need to Know About the Daniel Fast, which (combined) have been shared all over the world wide web countless times (I believe around 30,000-40,000 by now).  I recently combined them into one post. It includes the basics of the Daniel Fast, fasting principles, the Daniel Fast Food list and links to the Daniel Fast recipes. If you want to learn about the food (what to eat, what not to eat), where to get your protein, what to do about supplements and medications, and what not to worry about–the article is there for your consumption.

Today I want to add a little bit to what I have already written, to address a few concerns that have been popping up among those who fast, including dietary and spiritual aspects of the fast.  

How to do the Daniel Fast Successfully

Whether this will be your first year fasting, or you are a fasting veteran, it’s helpful to consider sound Daniel Fast dietary and spiritual recommendations.  Based on my expert humble experience, and 9 years of being a practicing whole foods vegan, here is what I suggest you consider:

• Don’t become dogmatic about your fast–whether you choose to fast for 21 or 7 days, whether you choose to eat only vegetables and drink water, or eat a more varied fare–do it unto God, not because you feel pressured by the fact that your friends might be doing it that way or to show someone up.  Remember that you are fasting to be closer to the Lord, not to impress others.  (Matthew 6:16-18)
• Fasting is not self-centered–it’s other-people-centered. Often we think that we need to fast to get our needs met–we need health, we need an improvement in our financial situation, we need a spouse, we need a child, etc., etc., etc.  I am not saying that those needs are not valid. They are.  However, in both of Daniel’s situations and in further study of the Biblical text we find that the time of fasting is the time when you draw closer to the Lord and bring justice to others.  In Isaiah, God says that the fast that He chooses for us is this: to set oppressed and captives free (there are millions of slaves around the world that need our help); share food with the hungry; provide poor with shelter and clothing (think about the refugees and the orphans–there are millions of them); and not to forget your family and close ones in their hour of need (Isaiah 58). According to the Scripture, it is when we do these things, instead of panicking that we decided to give up meat, cheese, caffeine and our favorite junk food, that the breakthrough we need for our lives happens.

…if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (IS. 58:10-11)

• Fasting is the exact opposite of self-sacrifice–it’s an investment. I don’t know if it is just us, well-fed Americans, but I often hear the bemoaning of the masses when they face giving up their “pleasure” food. “I don’t know if I can do it!” “It’s too hard!” “I need just one more serving of my favorite food before bidding it farewell for 21 days!”  While I am not a critic of those who feel this way (after all it is your and God’s business), if this fits your profile, once you make your weeping public, I feel that you are giving me the permission to provide you with gentle feedback. Stop whining! Breathe! Remember that there is nothing that you will be giving up for 2-3 weeks that can faintly compare to the death on the cross.  And, if the Scripture (which I just quoted) is right, and let’s assume that it is, then whatever you give up, if you do it with right attitude (heart), it will come back with a reward.  Consider this:

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear, then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. (Is. 58: 8-9)

In financial world it is called a return on investment (ROI), and by my measures this is a pretty good one.  So, don’t think of what you are giving up as sacrifice, but rather an investment.

• Take it one day at a time. Whether it’s your fourth Daniel Fast or your first time and you think it will be super hard to eat nutrient rich, health promoting, fiber rich plant foods that did not only Daniel and his friends, but myself and millions of others a ton of good…perhaps for the first few days it will be.  But take heart! If you believe the Bible, then you can practice this scripture: “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”…one day at a time. (Phil. 4:13).  I can assure you that the longer you stick with it, and the less time you spend thinking about how hard fasting is, the easier it will get.  
• You will not go undernourished.  Not as long as you are consuming enough calories. My husband and I have been eating a whole foods vegan diet for the last nine years and we have not perished. (Should you choose to remain vegan after the fast, make sure to read 25 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming Vegan.)

I hope you still want to do the Daniel Fast.  And I certainly hope that I helped you to add a few more tools to your fasting belt, and now you will feel more equipped to do the fast.

There are a few more things that could be added to the list, and I am sure you have a few to share, so share your thoughts, comments or questions in a comment below.  And, if you loved what you’ve learned, share this article with everyone you care about.

#happydanielfasting!