My Story…
It was March 2018. I was sick with yet another sinus infection right after having the flu a few weeks before. I was over it. Tired of being sick all the time.
It was normal for me to make several trips to the urgent care every couple of months. Combined with paralyzing migraines that I’ve had since I was 7 and I hardly ever felt good. It never failed that every time I traveled would get sick when I returned home or even while on the trip.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I knew I had to get myself healthy to improve my quality of life. I started serious research on how to boost your immune system (aka I picked up my phone and went to Google). I was shocked to find out how much your diet contributed to the health of your immune system.
In school we learn the benefits of diet on physical fitness. I worked out 5 - 6 days a week so I thought I was healthy. I didn’t make the connection until that moment that what you eat can positively or negatively impact everything from how often you get sick, your energy level and how well you sleep. It made me think back to January of 2006.
That’s when I did my first Daniel fast.
The Daniel fast is a spiritual fast based on Daniel’s experience in the bible (Daniel 10:2 - 3). He chose not to eat the royal food that was being served by the king and instead only ate vegetables and drank water.
The fast consists of removal of meat, dairy, sugar and processed food. What separates it from a diet is the focus on spiritual connection through prayers, devotionals and time spent dedicated to reading the Bible.
Each year after completing the Daniel fast I felt amazing. Increased energy, better sleep. Skin was #flawless. Lethargy, migraines, stomach issues, joint pain, nasty sinus issues – gone.
My mood was better, my spirit was brighter, anxiety wasn’t an issue (no doubt the impact of that extra time spent in prayer and meditation along with reading scripture in addition to the healthy eating). Not to mention I was always a few pounds lighter which was always much needed after the overindulgent holiday season. I just felt so dope year after year, for 12 years.
Yet when the fast was complete, I would gorge myself on all the food I couldn’t have during the fast. No lie, one year I was in the McDonalds drive-thru for those fries at 12:01am the day the fast ended.
Every year, days after the fast ended I was back to my old eating habits and the cycle of feeling sluggish and getting sick.
This year I had just completed the fast in January, by April I had been sick three times including a nasty stomach bug while on a super rare, kid-free trip. A few months before that trip, I had begun practicing yoga and was learning how important it was to truly listen to my body.
While on that vacation I had a chance to really slow down and have a lot of amazing yoga practices and meditation. I decided that I would hit the reset button. I was going to complete the Daniel fast for the second time this year and maintain a plant based lifestyle. Just to test it out.
I was in “let’s see if this really works” mode, doubting if I could really do it since I’ve had some real struggles with consistency, especially with food. Ask what happened 7 years ago when I decided to only eat chicken and fish for six months (spoiler alert: I was sneaking beef like my name was the Hamburglar). I wasn’t quite sure it was really going to work. I mean yup I felt incredible for 21 days but would the feeling last once I made it a lifestyle?
But I was desperate. It was worth a shot because if it kept me from getting sick every month and left my body feeling any semblance of that Daniel fast “I’m a superhero” euphoria, it’s worth it right? It worked ya’ll. I haven’t been sick since. Not once. So bye bacon. Adios fried chicken. We were once so close but you’re no good for me.
I’m feeling better than I ever felt.
You read that right ever. Better than college, better than high school. I’ve. Never. Felt. This. Good. So good that I had to share. I want you to feel this good too. I believe it’s my ministry, calling and purpose to share this plant-based lifestyle to help as many people regain their health. Not just physical health – holistic health (cue yoga & Jesus).
So c’mon, the healing starts here. Let’s eat plants and prosper together.
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