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THE DANIEL FAST IS A PARTIAL FASTBASED FROM THE BOOK OF DANIELCHAPTERS 1 & 10Daniel was one of the young men of Judah's royal familychosen to serve in the royal palace under KingNebuchadnezzar. During their training, the King assignedthe young men a daily ration of food and wine from his ownkitchens but Daniel was determined not to defile himself byeating the food and wine from the King. Instead he askedthe chief priest for permission to eat a diet of vegetablesand water. The chief priest showed concern that Danielwould look malnourished so he allowed him to be testedon a diet of vegetables and water for 10 days. After the 10days, Daniel was stronger and healthier looking than theother young men so the chief priest allowed him tocontinue this diet.Daniel Chapter 10 is another source for Daniel Fastguidelines. "When this vision came to me, /, Daniel, hadbeen in mourning for three whole weeks. All that time I hadeaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and Iused no fragrant lotions until those three weeks hadpassed." (Daniel 10:2)WHY WE FASTFasting is giving up something for a specified time with aspecific purpose. It's an opportunity to grow closer to Godbecause when you deny your body, you feed your spiritwhich ultimately leads to deeper intimacy. Prayer andstudying God's Word go hand in hand with fasting. Fastingis only effective when you replace the things you depriveyourself of with things that will feed your spirit.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE DANIEL FAST1. BEFORE THE FAST STARTSStart cutting back on restricted foodsabout a week before the fast begins.Reduce your intake of caffeine, meat,dairy, sugar, and processed foods.Doing so will help your body adjust tothe Daniel Fast and also reduce theseverity of any unpleasant side effects.Also, it's a good idea to increase yourwater consumption before your fastbegins.2. PLAN YOUR MEALSStart making complete Daniel Fastmeals. This is a great way toexperiment with different flavors to findwhat you like and don't like. If youwait until the fast starts to begincooking, you may find yourself withmeals that are less than satisfactory,and increase your risk of breakingyour fast out of desperation andmisery. Create an itemized daily menufull of snacks, meals and drinks. Thekey to success with the food portionof the Daniel Fast is proper planning. Itwill save you time in the long run andhelp prevent the frustration of trying todecide at the last minute what to eat.Having a plan will also keep you fromindulging in foods that don't fall withinthe Daniel Fast guidelines.3. MAKE A GROCERY LISTAfter creating your meal plan,itemize every ingredient and thequantity you will need to createthose meals onto a grocery list.Putting a list together before yougo to the grocery store will makeyour shopping much moreefficient.
4. GET YOUR KITCHEN READYThe Daniel Fast is a very hands on endeavor. Unless you hire a private chefyou will need to make sure you have the proper appliances (ex. blender,cutting board, food processor, etc.) and utensils (ex. knives, spatula, garlicpress, etc.) before embarking on this three-week adventure. Having the toolsyou need will make cooking so much easier. Also, clear out any food fromthe refrigerator and/or pantry that falls on the "Foods to Avoid" list.5. PREPARE FOOD AHEAD OF TIMECarve out time to prepare. Prepare food with convenience in mind. Try tohave meals portioned out and in disposable containers in order to take withyou and eat whenever and wherever you need it. Also keep in mind whatresources you have available to you when you travel. For instance, if you donot have a microwave available, try preparing salads. Look at the first week'srecipes on your meal plan to find ways you can speed up food preparationand make it more efficient. Cook a few meals ahead of time and freeze them,that way you have food when you don't have time to cook or need a quick goto meal.Find a Prayer Partner.YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You have your;church family along for the ride during thisfast. Rely on a trusted friend or familymember to pray for and with you. They canhelp keep you accountable and helpproblem solve during discouraging times.Life Is Not Stopping For This FastYou will be around people who do notunderstand or support the idea of fasting.People you deeply love may try to temptyou to break your fast. Try, to prepare forsocial events by Praying and eating aheadof time to make sure you get throughinteractions without compromising your fast.TIP: Host a Daniel Fast PotluckHave a Daniel Fast feast with friends andfamily. You can even invite people whoaren't fasting. Get together and snare someof your experiences. We're on this journeytogether. Be encouraged!
FOODS TO INCLUDEON THE DANIEL FASTALL FRUITSThese can be fresh, frozen,dried, juiced or canned. Fruitsinclude but are not limited toapples, apricots, bananas,blackberries, blueberries,boysenberries, cantaloupe,cherries, cranberries, figs,grapefruit, grapes, guava,honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons,limes, mangoes, nectarines,oranges, papayas, peaches,pears, pineapples, plums,prunes, raisins, raspberries,strawberries, tangelos,tangerines, watermelon.ALL VEGETABLESThese can be fresh, frozen,dried, juiced or canned.Vegetables include but are notlimited to artichokes,asparagus, beets, broccoli,Brussels sprouts, cabbage,carrots, cauliflower, celery, chilipeppers, collard greens, corn,cucumbers, eggplant, garlic,ginger root, kale, leeks,lettuce, mushrooms, mustardgreens, okra, onions, parsley,potatoes, radishes, rutabagas,scallions, spinach, sprouts,squash, sweet potatoes,tomatoes, turnips, watercress,yams, zucchini, veggie burgersare an option if you are notallergic to soy.ALL WHOLE GRAINSIncluding but not limited towhole wheat, brown rice,millet, quinoa, oats, barley,grits, whole wheat pasta,whole wheat tortillas, ricecakes and popcorn.ALL NUTS AND SEEDSIncluding but not limited tosunflower seeds, cashews,peanuts, sesame. Also nutbutters including peanut butter.ALL LEGUMESThese can be canned or dried.Legumes include but are notlimited to dried beans, pintobeans, split peas, lentils, blackeyed peas, kidney beans, blackbeans, cannellini beans, whitebeans.ALL QUALITY OILSIncluding but not limited toolive, coconut, avocado,canola, grape seed, peanut,and sesame.BEVERAGESSpring water, distilled water orother pure waters.OTHERTofu, soy products, vinegar,seasonings, salt, herbs andspices.
FOODS TO AVOIDON THE DANIEL FASTALL MEAT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTSIncluding but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, andfish.ALL DAIRY PRODUCTSIncluding but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter,and eggs.ALL SWEETENERSIncluding but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey,syrups, and molasses.ALL LEAVENED BREADIncluding Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast and honey) andbaked goods.ALL REFINED AND PROCESSED FOODSProducts including but not limited to artificial flavorings,food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, andfoods that contain artificial preservatives.ALL DEEP FRIED FOODSIncluding but not limited to potato chips, French fries, cornchips.ALL SOLID FATSIncluding shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.BEVERAGESIncluding but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas,carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.
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on a diet of vegetables and water for 1 0 days. After the 1 0 days, Daniel was stronger and healthier looking than the other young men so the chief priest allowed him to continue this diet. Daniel Chapter 1 0 is another source for Daniel Fast guidelines. "When this vision came to me, /, Dan
