So if you were to tell me 2 months ago that one day I would actually do an intermittent fast AND eliminate sugars I would have laughed-hysterically!
Okay so first of all, why did I do this? Well, for one, my church community decided it would be a good idea to do a church wide fast-for a renewal.
I loved the idea because I think most people like the word renewal, especially in a new year-am I right?
I was all in! After praying about it and doing research, I decided that for my specific situation (and health reasons) an intermittent fast was something I could handle. Since I tend to get low blood sugar (and my body badly feels it-runs in my family), then this was doable and also sacrificial enough for a spiritual fast.
I also wanted to abstain from something I love during this fast-which is-you guessed it-sugar!
So I decided that I would fast from 8:15pm until 12:15pm the next day (skipping my beloved evening snacks and breakfast and only having unsweetened and plain herbals teas and coffee).
I also decided I would only have natural sugars-like from fruit and that’s about it. I also had more whole grains than starches-starches were kept at a minimum (since they easily turn to sugar).
Now-this WAS for spiritual reasons-but you know what? It had amazing health benefits-and I felt the difference!
My anxiety levels were at an all time LOW! I felt more energy than I had in a long time. I also realized that intermittent fasting is totally doable and has great health benefits. It was a win!
Of course for anyone reading this, I would check in with a health professional first to make sure this can work for you, but for me it was very beneficial.
And spiritually?
Well, it had me focused on praying more, connecting with God on a deeper level, and I made some decisions that involved focusing more on others than myself.
I’m grateful to my church community for initiating this and I’ll be happy to do it again in the future!
The Intentional Christian Woman 