I am two hours into my new practice of intermittent fasting, and it is already evoking emotion in me. I am pairing with a fasting app to help monitor my progress, and there is a feature where I can report my mood. What I find interesting about these health apps, is they help me align with the status quo, which I like. I don't need to overthink my mood. While I can customize it, I can also just keep it simple, and note that I am struggling.
Fasting has always pulled emotions buried deep within me. From reading in the Bible that only certain ailments can be cured through fasting (and prayer), to feeling pressure to partake during the lenten season, I always feared being hungry, despite having periods of purposeful starvation due to vanity in my unrecovered past.
But I did last minute decide to practice fasting for Lent this year, and it was so unbelievably powerful and emotional, that I not only chronicled every single day, but for the first time now have an outline for what might very well be my first book. What really struck me back in March during my fast, was when the pandemic hit North America and the shelves went bare across the city, and we didn't know what stores would stay open, I didn't fear hunger. It also helped strengthen me spiritually, and I got to sincerely experience some raw healing.
I now, pretty much on a whim once again, decide for the second time this year embark on a radical healing journey, through intermittent fasting. And while I am a little uncomfortable, I am so grateful to close 2020 in a way that is aligned with my values and strengthens my intentions.
Intermittent fasting can look different for whatever a person's goal might be. The length of the fast can vary to accommodate whatever a person's struggles are, whether obesity, diabetes or other diseases, etc. For my personal goal, I want to reduce inflammation and aid digestion, so I will do the minimum amount of hours, which is 16, going from 5 pm until my morning coffee at 9 am.
As I discovered lifestyle medicine this year, which catapulted me into my new direction of studying to become a Wellness Coach, I knew I had some significant obstacles to achieving the diet I envisioned. Intermittent fasting I believe is an effective and safe way to work around these roadblocks, until my longterm goal of a plant-based, whole food, and organic diet can be fully realized.
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