I’ve always had a good laugh when someone tells me that they are about to start a cleanse to remove toxins from their bodies. Sorry to be so heartless, but this is the conversation that goes on in my head…
[Every person to ever live in Boulder, CO] – “Hey! I’m about to start this new juice cleanse. It’s supposed to be really good for you. I’m going to drink only juice for three days so that my body gets rid of all of the toxins that we consume in our overly processed American diet.”
[Brad’s mental translation] – “Hey! I’m about to only drink liquids for the next three days because I’m feeling overweight and I actually believe that making a radical three day adjustment to my diet will be an effective way to change my eating habits.”
I know, heartless. But don’t tell me this is about the toxins, because I know that you have no problem pounding back a few beers in your spare time. The only juice fast that your going to find me on is the kind that contains fermented grape juice. As for cleansing, my advice is to check out Taco Bell. Talk about being effective, 30 minutes after consuming a pair of burritos I can guarantee you that you’ll be sufficiently cleansed.
So, when the idea was proposed to do the “Daniel’s Fast” this month I was a bit skeptical. However, after it was explained to me and I had the chance to think about it for a little while, I came around to the idea. These nutritional guidelines come from examining two passages about the prophet Daniel’s diet. This is the same Daniel who was thrown into the lions’ den, who interpreted the writing on the wall, and who was able to tell King Nebuchadnezzar what he dreamed and its meaning.
Daniel’s Diet – Reference 1 (Daniel Chapter 1)
Here is the summary: The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem and then orders his official, Aspenaz, to find several young Israelites from royal or noble families to be trained to serve in the king’s palace. Among the young men chosen were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (who were later thrown into the blazing furnace and then miraculously delivered – check out Daniel 3 for this awesome story). The young men were to undergo three years of training during which they would eat and drink food from the king’s own table. Daniel had his mind made up that he would not defile himself with the king’s food because Jewish law deemed certain foods to be unclean. This put the king’s official Aspenaz in a difficult situation because he would be held personally responsible for the health of these men. If they were not as strong as the others, he would be executed. So Daniel proposes this challenge:
“‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he [Aspenaz] agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.”
Daniel 1:12-16
When I read this it struck me that in a matter of only 10 days Aspenaz was able to see a remarkable difference in the health of Daniel and the others as compared to the Babylonia men. That’s an extremely quick turn around. Can you imagine what would happen in the course of 3 years? Well, the Bible tells us:
“At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah [Shadrach], Mishael [Meshach], and Azariah [Abednego]; 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 of the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”
Daniel 1:18-20
Daniel’s Diet – Reference 2 (Daniel Chapter 10)
At this point, we discover that Daniel has been fasting for 21 days because he is in mourning. After his fast, unexpectedly, God gives him a vision. It says that the people around him did not see the vision, but they felt the presence of God. They were so overwhelmed and terrified that they fled Daniel’s company. At this point, Daniel is given a prophecy about a war that is to come (which is later fulfilled by Antiochus). However, the vision also appears to be a prophetic message about the end times. It’s another very interesting chapter, but back to the diet:
“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.”
Daniel 10:3
Daniel’s Fast on the Race
Our team combined the two scriptures about Daniel’s eating habits and committed to a 21 day restricted diet. It’s kind of like a reduced vegan diet. In general, you can eat anything that grows out of the ground. You do not consume animal products and you do not add extra sweeteners to your food. These were our meals:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins and an orange or banana
Lunch: Frozen vegetables with a can of pineapple
Dinner:
(1) Kidney Beans, corn, and mixed beans with an avocado and tomato;
(2) Homemade vegetarian chili;
(3) Whole wheat spaghetti with tomato sauce
Insights after the fast
Mind and Body – Everyone has a different reason for participating in this fast. For some, it’s a way to reestablish discipline. For others, it’s purely for the health benefits. It can also be part of a regular spiritual discipline to remind ourselves of our dependence on God. I personally started the fast because of the health benefits. After reading how Daniel and the others became significantly stronger than their peers, I was interested in putting this Biblical diet to the test. Now that I’ve finished the 21 days, I’ve realized how inseparable our mind and body really are. As Christians we tend to divorce our bodies from our spirits, but that’s just not possible. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my physical health has often been an indicator of my spiritual health. I’ve been seeing that trend for years.
It’s ironic to me that we ignore this important connection. Why not drop to your knees to pray? Why not hold out your hands as you receive from God? Why not raise your arms during worship or dance when you feel like it? Guess what, the rest of the world does it. Does it make you a better Christian? No. Did you feel like you’ve earned more Jesus points for that day? No. It’s not about becoming something more. It’s just the way we were made. The fast has reminded of this incredible reality.
Gluttony – Somehow we just don’t take this sin seriously. This year I’ve heard over and over again from foreigners that visit the US that they were appalled at how rampant obesity is in our country. As my teammate Jasmine pointed out, as an American church we even have a culture that encourages us to eat out after our services and gorge ourselves on food. That’s pretty crazy when you think about it. Our eating habits have a tremendous affect on our health. Does it surprise you that the very first sin ever committed involved food (eating from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). During this fast you’re forced to be more disciplined about your eating habits.
Strength – Yes, I do feel stronger after this fast. I’m not hating on meat, eggs, yogurt, sugar, etc, but there is no doubt that my body has changed during the course of the fast. It has definitely been for the better. God freely provides us with the nutrition that we need. I’ve found this really cool website which explains why the Daniel’s fast is effective: Daniel’s Fast Nutrition
I guess I’m converted. I’m a believer in this biblically based diet. You may not find me raving about the newest cleanse, but I fully endorse this physical and spiritual exercise if you find yourself struggling to make healthy decisions about your diet. It has been very revealing for me, and I am convinced that it will do the same for you!
