When Hubby and I heard about the Daniel Fast a few years ago, we gave it a try and it has totally transformed our lives. Daniel Fast is based on the prophet Daniel in the Bible and he was among the best and the brightest of the Israelites of his time. In the book of Daniel in the Bible, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had seized Jerusalem and selected young Israelite men to serve in his Babylonian palace.The King wanted only the best so he made the selection young Israelite men from wealthy, influential families who were strong, handsome and intelligent with strong leadership qualities. So, Daniel and some of his friends were chosen in a three-year training time prior to entering the king’s service, and King Nebuchadnezzar appointed his chief official to be in charge of them.Daniel, being a man of faith, asks to eat only vegetables and to drink only water instead of what was on the king’s menu. Daniel said, “Please test your servants for ten days. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” (Daniel 1: 12-13)
The guard agreed and after ten days Daniel and his friends were brought before the King. Their health and appearance “appeared better than all the young men who consumed the ‘best’ food of the land from the very table of the king.” In fact, the king found that Daniel and his friends were “ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.”
The many benefits of the Daniel Fast include spiritual, physical and mental benefits. The Daniel Fast fosters a discipline to set aside time to draw closer to God as well as focus on is a partial fast that focuses very heavily on vegetables and other healthy whole foods, but leaves out any animal sources of protein. Many users of this bible-based fasting method follow it for 21 consecutive days.
Here is the Daniel Fast food list of what you are allowed to eat:
- Water only — it must be purified/filtered; spring or distilled water is best
- Homemade almond milk, coconut water and vegetable juice
Vegetables (should form the basis of the diet)
- Fresh or cooked
- May be frozen and cooked but not canned
Fruits (consume in moderation 1–3 servings daily)
- Fresh and cooked
- Ideally fruits like stone fruits, apples, berries, cherries and citrus fruits
- May be dried but should not contains sulfites, added oils or sweeteners
- May be frozen but not canned
Whole grains (consume in moderation and ideally sprouted)
- Brown rice, oats quinoa, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, barley cooked in water
Beans & Legumes (consume in moderation)
- Dried and cooked in water
- May be consumed from can as long as no salt or other additives are contained and the only ingredients are beans and water
Nuts & Seeds (sprouted are best)
- Raw, sprouted or dry roasted with no salt added
Here is a list of some common foods you can consume while following the Daniel Fast:
Vegetables (preferably organic and fresh or frozen)
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Collard greens
- Corn
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Green beans
- Kale
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Mustard greens
- Okra
- Onions
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Radishes
- Rutabagas
- Scallions
- Spinach
- Sprouts
- Squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Turnips
- Yams
- Zucchini
Fruits (preferably organic and fresh or frozen)
- Apples
- Apricots
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Coconuts
- Cranberries
- Dates
- Figs
- Grapefruit
- Grapes
- Guava
- Honeydew melons
- Kiwi
- Lemons
- Limes
- Mangoes
- Melons
- Nectarines
- Oranges
- Papayas
- Peaches
- Pears
- Pineapples
- Plums
- Prunes
- Raisins
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tangerines
- Watermelon
Legumes (preferably organic)
- Black beans
- Black-eyed peas
- Garbanzo beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Mung beans
- Pinto beans
- Split peas
Nuts & Seeds (preferably organic, raw, unsalted and soaked/sprouted)
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Chia seeds
- Flaxseeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Walnuts
Whole Grains (preferable organic)
- Amaranth
- Barley
- Brown rice
- Millet
- Quinoa
- Oats (groats soaked)
Beverages
- Water (spring, distilled, filtered)
- Vegetable juice (fresh pressed)
- Coconut milk
- Coconut kefir
- Almond milk
On the Daniel Fast, you should not consume any of the other foods or beverages listed below. And, I want to mention that on the Daniel Fast some allow sea salt and others do not. My recommendation is to only use a bit of sea salt when necessary in flavoring dishes. Here are foods you definitely want to refrain from eating:
- Iodized salt
- Sweeteners
- Meat
- Dairy products
- Breads, pasta, flour, crackers (unless made from sprouted ancient grains)
- Cookies and other baked goods
- Oils
- Juices
- Coffee
- Energy drinks
- Gum
- Mints
- Candy
It’s very important to plan your weekly menu in advance because it not only saves you time but your mind and body will thank you. Below is our Week 1 Meal Planner and we have already shopped for what’s needed for this week. Prepping in advance is one valuable tip I learned along the way and gladly pass it to you.
Remember, water will be your best friend during fasting. You should keep some with you at all times. Water serves to remove the toxins released in your body as you fast. The flushing of your body’s toxins will aid in the reduction of your headaches as well. You may want to try infused water with fresh fruits or vegetables. There are variations of infused water recipes and I absolutely love the fresh taste. It’s necessary to drink as much water as possible!
The WELLthy Mom NODte:”Our bodies are capable of anything. It’s our minds we have to convince.” – Unknown
