Intermittent fasting is a common practice today. Even though intermittent fasting has religious roots, many people remain unaware of the connection. More importantly, people do not know how to incorporate their faith into their intermittent fasting routine.
What Is Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern involving alternating between when a person consumes food and when they fast. Intermittent fasting is not like traditional diets.
Traditional diets concentrate on the foods you eat. In contrast, intermittent fasting is all about timing. It focuses on when you eat.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work
There are several intermittent fasting schedules. However, all of these approaches are based on setting times when you eat and times when you fast.
For example, you can use the 16:8 method. With this method, you would fast for 16 hours and eat during an 8-hour window.
You can also eat during a 12-hour window and fast for 12 hours. You can eat 3-4 meals on 3 days and eat less food on the remaining 2 days.
Lastly, you can alternate every day between eating and fasting. You would eat one day and fast the next day.
Religion And Fasting
Intermittent fasting is practiced for religious and spiritual reasons. It draws persons closer to God. Many faiths practice intermittent fasting, including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
Buddhism And Intermittent Fasting
Buddhist principles teach intermittent fasting as a form of self-control. Buddhists do not consume food or drink from noon until dawn the following day. This eating pattern has been dubbed the Buddha diet.
More specifically, the Buddha diet instructs people to fast for 13 hours a day during the first 2 weeks. Once the 2 weeks are up, they fast for 12 hours every day for another 2 weeks. After this, people eat during a 9-hour window.
Christianity And Intermittent Fasting
Christians did not create intermittent fasting. Yes, fasting can be found in the old testament. However, other religions have been practicing fasting much longer.
Fasting is a way to form a deeper connection with God. Matthew 8:16-17 says that we should anoint ourselves with oil, then wash our face so God is the only one who knows we are fasting. It is a way of earnestly going before God with a clear mind.
In Christianity, fasting is not about telling the entire world you are fasting. Fasting is a secret between you and God.
Instead of focusing on your physical hunger, you are looking to God to fill your spiritual hunger. In other words, when Christians fast, they are telling God in the same way they cannot live without food; they cannot live without God.
Islam And Intermittent Fasting
Fasting is one of the primary pillars of the Islamic faith. Allah instructs Muslims to fast. The Quran states that Muslims ought to fast to become righteous.
Although Muslims do fast and have time restraints, their pattern of fasting is a little different from intermittent fasting. For example, during Ramadan, Muslims do not eat food between sunrise and sunset. Additionally, they do not drink any liquids, and fasting periods can last from 13-18 hours.
In contrast, intermittent fasting involves refraining from food for a given length of time. However, the difference is people are allowed to drink liquids like water, coffee, or tea with few calories.
Tips For Incorporating Religion Into Your Intermittent Fasting Schedule
Everyone’s intermittent fasting journey is different. The truth is it’s easy to break a fast. That’s where religion comes into play. Religion is what will help you stick to your intermittent fasting schedules.
Find Your Why
Why are you practicing intermittent fasting? Are you looking to develop a closer relationship with God, or are you fasting for health reasons?
Knowing why you are fasting is important. Your why is the motivation that will keep you going when you are about to break your fast.
Don’t Jump In
Do not start with a 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule. This would be setting yourself up for failure, especially if this is your first time practicing intermittent fasting.
Start with a 10:12 or 5:2 intermittent fasting schedule. Once you’ve mastered these intermittent fasting schedules, you can gradually increase your fasting window until you are fasting for 16 hours a day.
Make Time For Reading And Prayer Every Day
As I mentioned above, you can fast intermittently for spiritual reasons. Therefore, you need to make time for reading the Word and praying every day. This will reinforce your faith and deepen your connection to God which will, in turn, help you be more successful on your intermittent fasting journey.
Always Stay Hydrated
When you are fasting, your body needs extra hydration. Because you are not eating food, your insulin levels will be lower, which may cause you to feel dehydrated.
Drink extra liquids like water and tea to ensure you stay hydrated. Additionally, drinking extra water can trick your body into thinking it’s full, which will help curb food cravings.
Meal Plan
If you are fasting for health reasons such as losing weight, plan your meals before you prepare them. Meal planning decreases the chances that you will eat foods that may hinder your weight loss goals.
Make sure you utilize foods like whole grains and vegetables, which are loaded with nutrients, when planning meals.
Connecting your religion to intermittent fasting will only make your life better. Intermittent fasting will help you develop a stronger relationship with God, achieve your health goals, and more.
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