For 21 days, ending this past Saturday, I was fasting. I didn’t mention it on the blog because I wanted to make sure that my focus stayed inward, and also because I’ve been hesitant to post about my faith for fear of alienating any of you wonderful people. But after much thought I’ve decided that this is something I can’t keep from you! It’s too good not to share.

So right now most of you are probably wondering a couple things: 1)when did you go bonkers? and 2) what the heck is the Daniel Fast and why would you do it? Well fasting is a practice used in many faiths, but for me as a Christian it’s defined as the restriction of food for a spiritual purpose. That purpose is to put the spirit above the desires of the flesh and to focus yourself squarely on God. The Daniel Fast is based on the Old Testament story of Daniel, which I’m sure most of you are familiar with. When Daniel arrived  in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar (that guy with anger management problems who threw Daniel into a fiery furnace), he and his companions were offered many indulgent foods that violated their Jewish dietary customs. I imagine lots of cronuts and bottles of Cristal. So instead of eating the feasts offered to them, Daniel asked that he and the men with him be given only plants to eat and only water to drink. And THIS is the amazing part.

” ‘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 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.” -Daniel 1:12-15

Wow. Those verses are so powerful to me. From this and other biblical passages, many Christians choose to follow Daniel’s example and participate in what is now called the Daniel Fast. I’m one of those people! The Daniel Fast, which is traditionally a 3-week practice, involves following these guidelines:

• no animal products of any kind
• no sugars of any kind (unless they naturally occur IN a food, like fruit)
• no beverage other than water
• no leavened bread

Many of you know that I am already a fairly clean-eating vegetarian, so I added some extra restrictions to my own fast so that I could personally benefit from this practice in self-control. Essentially I tried my best to eat mostly raw fruits and vegetables for all my meals.

(Vegan Cobb Salad that I loved while on the fast)

Everyone has their own personal reasons for fasting, and sometimes people fast as a community or as a church which can be really powerful. But for me I was fasting for guidance and inner peace. Many of you know that I graduated law school a year ago, and that I have yet to get a legal job. I have taken the bar exam twice over this past year, and spent a lot of time questioning whether I had made the right decision and what I should be doing toward my future. I felt like I was floating around in limbo, and I desperately needed God’s love and security to anchor me down. Even though I knew it would be a challenge, I knew a time of fasting and prayer was what I needed.

Words are really inadequate to explain this, but I learned so much and grew so much during the fast. Not only was my spirit thriving, but my flesh was thriving too! My skin completely cleared, my digestion was like a dream, I was able to go off some of my medications, and I felt so energized. More importantly, I spent more time in meditation and prayer than I had in years (probably since I was a child) and experienced a closeness with God that I have never felt before. He truly gave me a peace that passes all understanding, and I’m so grateful that He did. Now instead of being worried about my future, I’m so excited and thankful for what God has planned for my life.

I feel like I’m also obligated to say that this experience was not without it’s rough patches. Eating out with friends and visiting my in-laws in Jersey was very challenging, as I was trying to walk the balance between “I’m joyfully fasting!” and “I’m so sorry I’m making this so weird and inconvenient for the people around me!”. But I’m so glad that I stuck with it and am so happy to share about the positive impact it had on my life. The Daniel Fast: Feed Your Soul, Strengthen Your Spirit, and Renew Your Body (<–affiliate link) was a huge help to me and I highly recommend it for anyone interested.

Thank you so much for letting me open up about these very personal topics! I’m never one to try and tell people what they should believe or how they should live their life, so please don’t think that’s what I’m doing. I’m all about accepting people for who they are, sharing unconditional love, and inviting people with open arms to join me if they will.

-Lauren

P.S.- This has changed the way I will eat FOREVER! More on that another day.