Discussion Board

Fasting causes different things some are mental delusions. Many can cause the body to "feel" a high. I went 30 days without food felt great until I passed out. No spiritual insight but decided I needed to eat some thing.

A little over a year ago, I went on the "Lemonade Fast" for 10 days. Never cheated once. After day 3, all is supposed to be good, no more hunger pangs, and maybe a spiritual insight or two. It was a good exercise in self discipline, which I needed. I was very hungry the entire time, and to top it off, lost only 6 pounds in the 10 days which of course I put back on in the couple of months or less. Was it spiritual? Perhaps the unusual (for me) act of self discipline was. However, it took several days for the body and digestion to return to normal. I think MWL is a fast of sorts, abstaining from harmful food, much more pleasant than fasting, much easier on the physical body, and much more effective in the long run. I would probably not go that route again.

Fasting for the Soul

Fasting is one of the best ways of getting closer to God. Spiritual fasting is a great method of purifying the soul, and coming closer to God. Critiques of fasting argue why one needs to fast for God? Wouldn’t God love you or hear your prayers if you do not fast? However, one needs to understand that you not fast for God, but for yourself. When one fasts by starving the flesh, the spirit becomes stronger and purer. Fasting gives one both spiritual and emotional healing and is one of the best methods of coming nearer to God. It is also a sound way of exploring your own psyche and coming to know about your own strengths and weaknesses.

To get away from the rigors of modern life, a number of people are turning towards prayer and fasting in order to make their lives more meaningful. Fasting, combined with prayer is significant in your search for God. Fasting does not only refer to abstinence from food. The main aim of fasting is to control the pleasures of the flesh. Fasting refers to starving the flesh, so that the soul can be fed. So you can abstain from any of the various things that your flesh is dependent on.

You can give up food, drinking, alcohol, smoking, television, music—anything that you think is hard to live without. You will find that while you will crave what you give up for the first few days, the need will no longer be there after some days. Christian fasting does not only refer to giving up pleasures of the flesh, but when you are on a religious fast, you are also supposed to pray so that your spirit may come closer to that of God. The aim of religious fasting is not to deprive the body of food and drink, but to purify one’s soul and to find God.

While fasting is not something that is supposed to be obligatory in Christianity, it is more or less expected from the believers. The Bible has references to Jesus saying "when you fast', rather than if you fast in Matthew 6:17-18. So while it is not compulsory to fast, it is definitely expected.

You can opt for any of the various types of fast. You can choose a fasting regime that suits your health and your lifestyle. You have various options ranging from an absolute fast where one does not eat or drink anything at all, to a television and entertainment fast, where you go on feeding the stomach but abstain from sources of entertainment like television, magazines and novels in order to spend time in seeking the Lord.

Other common types of fasts are the normal fast, where one only has water, the partial fast, where you may choose to have certain kinds of food and abstain from some, and the partial fast where you fast one meal. Juice fasts, fruit fasts and liquid fasts are other types of fasting that are quite popular.

Source: http://www.spiritualfasting.net/Fasting ... _Soul.html

I have been thinking about this since you posted it, Letha.

Some years ago I belonged to a religious group that advocated fasting on a regular basis for normal healthy adults who had no medical reason not to fast. The idea was to miss a few meals and donate what one would have spent on the food to a church fund. I understand that some other religions have similar fast days when one donates the amount saved from food to the poor.

In addition, one was supposed to spend the fasting time in prayer. The idea was that the faster was supposed to be so focused on the prayer that he or she "forgot" to eat (and drink as well).

While I don't think it would hurt me a bit to miss a meal, particularly when I get upset and turn to food as a comfort, I'm still not sure what I think of a spritual fast as it relates to or would integrate into my efforts to remain compliant on the McDougall plan.

Perhaps I'll just try it for a day and see how it feels. Perhaps tomorrow would be a good day to start.