Fasting - Food For Thought

Ideally when we do fasting/cleansing work we would go away on retreat for a few days or a couple of weeks to rest our bodies and focus our energy. However, most of us want to clean and carry on as normal with out busy lives. This is the message I've been getting. So, while we are using this time to start cleansing our bodies (and our minds) after the Winter period, we want to do it quickly and efficiently.

What's the answer?

What's the answer? Well, let's start with what's not the answer since most of us find it easiest.

1. Fast food - When we think of fast food we immediately think of burgers and fries and fast food restaurants. Have you read the book “Fast food nation” by Eric Schlosser? It certainly makes you think about having a quick bite...
However, “fast food” doesn't necessarily have to be unhealthy. One of the keys to fasting, good health and a high level of vitality is preparation and planning. This point is especially important when we're doing cleansing work while on the go.

2. Restaurant food - Nowadays, we know that we can't rely on restaurant or cafeteria food to sustain our vitality, no matter how reasonably priced it may seem. I'm not suggesting we should never eat out. I follow the Ayurvedic system of nutrition, in which moderation is a key principle. I believe that if we're preparing your own meals about 80% of the time then it's fine to eat out about 20% of the time. The problem is that most of us are doing the opposite. While this system may work well for our professional life, it does not work in quite the same way when we're nourishing ourselves, especially if we're looking to do cleansing work!

Why bother?

When we prepare the majority of our meals,
- we take charge of what goes in our mouth
- we save money (and can use it to celebrate your achievement!)
- we shed pounds (we all have material to let go of)
- we boost and/or maintain our health and vitality

Some of use may feel we don't have time or want to prepare our own food even for a few weeks, the remaining period of Lent. Let's consider this question.

Are we choosing to “pay” now in time and energy by getting into the kitchen or later by suffering because we didn't take a few weeks to experience what it's like preparing our own food from fresh ingredients?

Making this choice is one of the first steps to taking responsibility for our own health and vitality. It prepares us to cleanse consciously and, as a result, efficiently. And if you've already taken this step, keep going and remember to celebrate your progress.

Copyright © 2008 Janet Gomez. All rights reserved.