Most of my friends will be fasting in January and again in June.

I am doing mine a little earlier this time.

A beloved mentor sent these questions (credits to Roch Villades, whose questions made it to her!) and told her they couldn't have come at a more opportune time!

Great questions to ponder as a new year dawns:

1. What are the spiritual disciplines you need to cultivate to keep yourself connected to God?

2. What are the practices of self-care you need to attend to in order to nurture your body and your soul?

3. What core relationships do you need to support you on your journey?

4. What are the gifts, passions and burdens within you that God wants you to express for the blessing of others?

(Please let me know if these questions helped you!)

One spiritual discipline is a fast.

How to Start Your Fast

Pray about which kind of fast you will be doing. Water-only? Or raw juice only?

I know pastors who do water-only fasts, but I will be doing a raw juice fast.

2 Kinds of Fasts

Water Fasting

I know many on the keto diet prefer this over raw juice fasting. Jesus likely did a water-only fast.

A person on it must drink water throughout the day and abstain from solid food.

Raw Juice Fasting

My fellow raw plant-based foodies and I prefer the raw juice fast. And for the rest of this journal entry, I will speak primarily regarding a raw juice fast.

Raw juice is juice freshly pressed from raw fruit, leafy greens, and veggies, and consumed immediately, or perhaps juiced all at one time (like maybe the night or early morning before your day begins) then placed in the fridge and portioned to correspond to the times of intake). The juice must not be from a carton, can, plastic or glass bottle whose source heats the juices to prevent spoilage.

Some places can make the raw juice for you, using their own juicers. They place these in glass bottles (ideal) or plastic (still OK if plastic use is not an issue for you), then send them to you by courier each day of the fast. If you have the resources (they can be pricey) and not enough time, these are very convenient! The raw juices are already portioned and some even include guides recommending how to spread out your raw juice intake throughout the day. Others also provide a bag that can keep the juices cool for you especially if your hybrid office setup doesn’t have a refrigerator.

A person on a raw juice fast also abstains from solid food.

Many who practice this spread out the juices throughout the day to prevent hunger.

In addition to the raw juice, water must also be consumed.

If you do not consume a lot of raw fruit and veggies already, it may be wise to start doing so before the fast.

This preps your body to be receiving fewer calories during the fast, and it will be easier on it psychologically.

This is easier on the digestive system and your body will thank you for it!

3. Have an accountability group

Fasting comes with its share of temptations!

Check-in with your raw juice fasting buddy, and help each other to be accountable. I have buddies who do raw juice fasting for physical health purposes only, and other buddies who do it for spiritual health purposes only. It’s great if you have one that does both, but don’t sweat it if you can’t find one that does both. Just have one.

You will likely miss eating solid food and start to think about them. Don't give in to the craving! Press on and see your fast through.

Detox symptoms may also make you want to quit (see below) but think about your raw juice fast's long-term effects instead of the temporary relief you will get from quitting.

4. Get enough sleep

Your body will either be asking for naps, an earlier sleep time, or both. Not everyone can nap especially during the work period, so make arrangements to sleep earlier.

5. Breaking your fast

It will be tempting to gorge yourself after the fast! Don’t do this! Instead, try to choose a fruit that is easily digestible, like a cantaloupe melon or watermelon. Cantaloupe melons especially are great to uplift your mood! Check out this recipe to help you enjoy melons, even their seeds! Help your body to acclimate to solid foods more gently. Then perhaps as a second meal after a few hours, make a green smoothie!

Benefits of a Fast

Anyone can benefit from a fast, even a skinny person.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline. Jesus expected believers to fast (Matthew 6:16 ESV).

Tremendous health benefits.

Raw juice fasting sets off a chain reaction of positive results, health-wise. Here are a few:

Improved Gut Health

Your gut, being part of the rest of you, is fearfully and wonderfully made. This is an incredible organ designed by an awesome, all-knowing, amazing God. Your marvellously-designed gut produces serotonin. What is it? Serotonin is a neurochemical that is mostly found in your gut (although a little bit of it is also produced elsewhere in the body), and this incredible neurochemical is responsible for a variety of body functions. Serotonin, for example, regulates brain function, such as mood, as well as sleep.

Not a lot of research supports the benefits of fasting in humans, but studies with animals record the biological benefits of fasting. The research shows that because the regular intake of fuel for the body is halted, the body’s cells adapt and are forced to doing things they do not usually do — such as feeding on the body’s natural reserves.

Our stored fat and toxins—although it is difficult to think of them as reserves (hehe), are the last resort for these hungry cells to work on during a crisis (such as deprivation of food). Raw juice fasting or water fasting, for that matter, will force your body to consume its remaining resources, and any accumulated toxins will be expelled. The fat is consumed, and toxins lodged in the gut are released. This occurrence may be responsible for that zit that manages to park itself on your face while you are doing a raw juice fast. Your skin, being a major organ of elimination, works with the gut to get rid of the toxin.

Improved Mood

The healthy bacteria remaining in your gut (if they haven’t already been wiped out by antibiotics) produce most of your body’s serotonin, which is responsible for establishing a balance of mood.

As mentioned earlier, gut bacteria manufacture most of your body’s supply of serotonin (about 95%, according to the American Psychological Association). Researchers discovered that brain chemistry can be altered by manipulating the balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria found in the gut.

I know that when I started eating fried food during the pandemic, I started feeling extra irritable/anxious about getting the virus, especially when I had to run errands and was exposed to folks who didn't respect others' personal space.

Improved Sleep

The same serotonin that ups your mood, helps you to improve your sleep pattern. Normally, the raw juice faster will experience wanting to sleep at earlier times. And the quality of sleep is much better.

Other Benefits

Ketosis also improves the way your body regulates glucose production, resistance to stress, and suppresses inflammation (for more about ketosis, read on).

Detox Symptoms

The raw juice fast is extremely cleansing. Remember the zit that finds its way on your face?

Bad breath, body odor are also possible symptoms during the fast.

Think of detox the way you think of cleaning your toilet. Of course it will stink in the process of cleaning. But the end result is a more sanitary, more hygienic, and more aesthetically-pleasing (hopefully, hehe!) bathroom.

Tips:

Prior to the fast:

If your church doesn’t provide a guide for you, pray for a resource you can use.
List specific prayer requests.
If abstaining from social media (especially if you follow a lot of foodies) will help for the time being, do it. Delete your apps (or perhaps mute them?) if you must, and re-install them when you break the fast.
Plan specific times to take the juices and spread the intake throughout the day.
Tell your health practitioner you are about to embark on a fast. If you have existing conditions, she may want to help you do appropriate monitoring techniques.

During the fast:

Smile on purpose! Be grateful you are able to fast.
Clean your juicer daily!
Floss and brush your teeth!
Do an oil pull to remove any juice from your mouth. Scrape your tongue with a tongue cleaner. Follow up with mouthwash. There’s a variety of mouthwashes that are non-toxic.
Sleep enough. Your body might ask for a little extra sleep during fasting time!
Journal! Have entries discussing bible-based guide questions and prayer points. (I also take note of anything my body goes through). The effects of a raw juice fast can vary from person to person, depending on the person’s health, age, the quality of water, produce, containers and the cleanliness of the equipment used in juicing.

Day 1 of the fast you may feel tired or get a headache. This is normal. Your body is panicking because of the restricted/absent food intake. Don’t be anxious and press forward.

Somewhere during Day 2 or Day 3, you will feel more energetic and you will think more clearly. Your body may be going through ketosis then. What is ketosis?

Ketosis - is a crucial process in the healing cycle where your body consumes stored fat (instead of the nutrients your body ingests). In a water fast especially, ketosis is arrived at faster because raw juice fasters still have a tiny bit of fructose from the fruit they are consuming. Not to worry though. Both water- and raw juice fasters can experience ketosis and its positive benefits.

Do not go on a fast if:

You are pregnant or nursing

If you are marathon training:

No runs during the week of your fast! Do simple stretches and take a short walk in the sun (shorter than your usual duration). Get your natural vitamin D daily and don’t overexert yourself. Don’t think of missed runs as missed opportunities. This is a time for rest and healing. Sleep more instead of exercising. Your body will thank you for it! (The same applies to anyone who likes to lift weights, competition dancing/sports.) Take a break. Allow your body to heal.

Resources:

-Jason Vale (highly recommended by my raw support group)

-Juice Feasting (Fully Raw Kristina)

-Cherie Calbom (She talks about detoxing in general).

-Check online for recipes and support groups!