Recently, I've been trying to expand my diet and try new things. Although I am already a vegetarian, I would like to have a healthier, even cleaner diet. So, I did a bit of research on a fast that I'd been seeing around social media. Based on my research, the Daniel Fast is predominantly a spiritual fast that requires you to deny yourself of foods and beverages in order to bring yourself closer to the Lord. Although that wasn't the reason I chose to try the fast, I still kept those reasons in mind.
So, the most important part about the fast is, clearly, the diet. The diet required me to cut out a LOT of foods. First would be dairy. I love cheese and I love ice cream. If I could eat something everyday, it would be tacos or quesadillas. Next up is sweeteners. So, instead of using sugar to sweeten my foods, I would replace it with fruit toppings or just cut out that food completely. There were no deep fried foods, solid fats, or beverages that weren't water. And, of course, no meat (which I already abstain from).
Lets start with breakfast:
Each morning, I would usually skip breakfast which is a TERRIBLE thing to do. I'm aware that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it usually doesn't sit well with my stomach. During the fast I attempted to eat plain, unsweetened oatmeal with fruit toppings (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.). This wasn't the most exciting meal, but I didn't feel as sick like when I ate yogurt or waffles. I would follow this up with a banana or grapes a few hours late.
Next up, lunch:
When I'm not participating in the fast, I would usually eat pizza or pasta for lunch. Since I'm not allowed to eat dairy, I would eat large salads with toppings such as olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers. This would fill me up for a few hours, but I would eventually have to eat a snack such as fruit or peanuts.
Finally, dinner:
Most nights I would eat pasta or tacos for dinner (ofcourse). During the fast, I would eat brown rice, a vegetable and top it with something like tofu or black beans. I would eat at Chipotle and order a bowl with brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, lettuce and guacamole. I also tried Tin Drum, an Asian restaurant near campus. I tried the Tikka Masala with tofu (steamed instead of fried) and brown rice instead of white rice. It was great and I would definitely try it again.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience on the fast, but it was pretty hard to abstain from some of my favorite foods. I lasted about four days on the fast (kind of short in comparison to the 21 day fast that some do). I would try the Daniel Fast again when I have more discipline and I would definitely recommend it to some of my other health conscious readers.