Faith Week & Fasting
These photos are from Kiki’s trip to Kalabaka, Greece where METEORA, a world heritage sight, is located.
Fasting is a buzz word in our trendy, pop culture world of influencers. But I don't really rely on the trends, I go back to the basics and the original form of any important concept.
For example, the discipline of fasting has ancient roots with evidence reporting its conception around 1500 B.C. As early as 1500 BCE, fasting was therapeutically used by the Greek physician Hippocrates to cure certain illnesses.
FAST FORWARD TO MODERN DAY LIFE:
Many of us recognize that Fasting is a health regimen which positively boosts well span and life span. If we are to consider the modern approach, let us get to know the work of one future podcast guest Glucose Goddess - Jesse Inchauspe.
Here is a sneak peek at her work:
Fasting and Lifespan: What does the science say?
The idea that fasting extends lifespan began with a 1982 study in rats, which showed an 80% increase in lifespan with alternate-day feeding. However, later studies on rats, mice, and monkeys produced mixed results. For example, monkeys on a high-sugar diet lived longer when fasting, while monkeys eating healthy whole foods showed little to no lifespan increase with fasting. In humans, there hasn't been a good study on the impact of caloric restriction or fasting on lifespan to date.
This suggests that if you’re eating a diet full of starch and sugar, cutting back on how much you eat and how often can make a big difference. But if you’re already eating healthy, fasting doesn’t seem to do much—and you might not even need it.
While we lack clear evidence that fasting extends human lifespan, exercise consistently shows stronger, proven benefits—adding up to 7–10 years to life.
“Despite the fact and including the notion that fasting is a method to detox your body, help you shed pounds and live longer, it’s also a divine way to provide clarity, improve your thoughts and correct your behavior.” Kiki Vale
With many important holidays, some of which just passed and others which are happening these days, I’d like to take a look at spiritual fasting.
SPIRITUAL FASTING:
Did you know that there are many types of spiritual fasting? It’s not just about abstaining from certain foods. Before we discover why the “spiritual fasting” discipline helps one to be well, let’s discover what it is.
Spiritual fasting is a practice where you give up activities, food, behaviors, activities to cultivate a deeper relationship with God or to address a spiritual need.
While each religion has their own fasting guideline, a person can modify the fasting routine to meet one’s own abilities. Just start small and grow from that point.
FASTING OPTIONS:
Gossiping
Negative thinking
Long periods of social media
The use of dark, negative and hurtful words
Meat
Alcohol
Jealousy
Anger
Judging others unduly
WHY DO A SPIRITUAL FAST?
Chiefly, fasting of all forms causes us to be mindful of our behaviors; the good, the bad and the ugly ones.
Each fasting cycle someone engages in, allows him or her to gain clarity with things to cut or add to their life.
Additionally, fasting promotes self-control. Self-control will train someone to make better decisions through delayed gratification, leading to greater success and improved wellbeing.
Fasting is mind over matter. The matter of a better “YOU.”
As the faithful embark on holy days, we can use the “fasting tool,” to elevate our spiritual power and transcend our mind, body and spirit to the next level, yet another time.
Maybe we will begin to look at life from a different point of view.
Wishing you Ola Kala,
Sending you filakia –kisses
Kiki
