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Faith, Fasting and Whole 30


HowToBeCrunchy

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Day 1

 

This year for Lent I decided to do a Whole 30 and to keep strict paleo for the full Lenten season (which is longer than 30 days). In past years I've given up Facebook, or soda but I've never really done much of a true food fast that is more traditional to this time of year. Probably because I'm not Catholic or Orthodox. 

 

In any case, I've joined with a few ladies from my church so we can help hold each other accountable. Since Lent is also longer than 30 days, we, as a group, aren't doing a Whole 30 the full time. Some are taking weekends off but keeping paleo, some just Sundays. I realize that this isn't the full perfect Whole 30 plan, but I still think it will be a useful time of fasting from non-food and a chance to refocus our energies on health both physical and spiritual.

 

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A Whole 30 is not about fasting, over-restriction, dieting, counting calories or points. 

 

Using fasting for spiritual motivation can help an individual focus on spiritual matters.  For those who have deep-rooted struggles with over-restriction, this could put someone deeper in the hole.   

 

Stress mounts up for those who are trying to break these old cycles of food addictions or over-restricting. Many come to the Whole 30 to get perspective with a food reset that can carry them through for the rest of their lives.    Adding fasting into that mix can be a slippery sucker that puts that perspective out of reach.

 

The point being that we're telling people to eat three excellent meals a day.  We tell some to eat, eat, and please eat more.  I think it's a little like speaking out of both sides of our mouth at the same time.     Eat and fast are not synonymous.

 

Some folks use alternate day fasting or intermittent fasting for sports performance/techniques.    

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Doing a fast that includes eating nothing but real food is more than likely a good thing, but if you're not dedicated to following Whole 30 and its principles for 30 consecutive days, please do not call it a Whole 30. That would do a disservice to you and to the program. 

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Since Lent is also longer than 30 days, we, as a group, aren't doing a Whole 30 the full time. Some are taking weekends off but keeping paleo, some just Sundays. I realize that this isn't the full perfect Whole 30 plan, but I still think it will be a useful time of fasting from non-food and a chance to refocus our energies on health both physical and spiritual.

Can I ask why instead of doing a partial/intermittent 'whole30' you guys don't commit to doing it full on for either the first 30 days of Lent, or even going for the full WholeLent?

I think you would see much more ability to focus on physical and spiritual health if you follow the program as it's meant to be, instead of taking days off.  Many people report that a Whole30 (45/100/Lent) quiets the 'noise' in their minds and hearts and allows for other thoughts and feelings to come through.

 

Maybe I'm misreading, but I didn't understand why you'd be taking days off.  When you gave up Soda/Facebook, did you take days off where you drank Soda/used Facebook?

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Doing a fast that includes eating nothing but real food is more than likely a good thing, but if you're not dedicated to following Whole 30 and its principles for 30 consecutive days, please do not call it a Whole 30. That would do a disservice to you and to the program. 

Fasting and eating, eating, eating for healing the body and mind.  

Both may result in a spiritual awakening but fasting and eating.....two different neural pathways.

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Many churches use the Daniel Fast for Lent.  It's been really popular for several years now.  Anyone can use the W30 for anything they want....including spiritual purposes.  That's noble.

 

I can see corporations using it for a retreat model or team building.  Motivated individuals may use it to lead their book or knitting club into a healthier lifestyle.    The sky is not the limit.

 

Whole 30 does set captives free from all of the negative repercussions of snackity and junkity foods if all of the rules are followed without adding to them or taking away from them.   It has to be authentic and not an imaginary Whole 30.

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Can I ask why instead of doing a partial/intermittent 'whole30' you guys don't commit to doing it full on for either the first 30 days of Lent, or even going for the full WholeLent?

I think you would see much more ability to focus on physical and spiritual health if you follow the program as it's meant to be, instead of taking days off. Many people report that a Whole30 (45/100/Lent) quiets the 'noise' in their minds and hearts and allows for other thoughts and feelings to come through.

Maybe I'm misreading, but I didn't understand why you'd be taking days off. When you gave up Soda/Facebook, did you take days off where you drank Soda/used Facebook?

Lent is a fast, but some of us treat every Sunday as a feast. NOT a pig out, just a joyful day where perhaps we have a little wine, mindfully and with thanksgiving. Or maybe we have a cup of coffee with cream while we read some scripture and thank God for this amazing blessing of creamy coffee.

If you count the days of Lent, there are more than 40...because Sundays traditionally do not count.

I understand that people may not get all the benefits of Whole30 if they have wine or chocolate or a little cream in their coffee on Sundays, but if Whole30 truly is based on healthy foods, then it has to be healthier than having no template at all during the week.

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Lent is a fast, but some of us treat every Sunday as a feast. NOT a pig out, just a joyful day where perhaps we have a little wine, mindfully and with thanksgiving. Or maybe we have a cup of coffee with cream while we read some scripture and thank God for this amazing blessing of creamy coffee.

If you count the days of Lent, there are more than 40...because Sundays traditionally do not count.

I understand that people may not get all the benefits of Whole30 if they have wine or chocolate or a little cream in their coffee on Sundays, but if Whole30 truly is based on healthy foods, then it has to be healthier than having no template at all during the week.

 

To be clear for other newbies reading this thread, if you're having wine and cream during the 30 days, you're no longer doing a Whole30.  

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If you count the days of Lent, there are more than 40...because Sundays traditionally do not count.

 

If one looks at the calendar, the season of Lent comes to 46 days.  You are correct in that Sundays traditionally do not count.  Lent also does not go until Easter, it finishes on Holy Thursday.  Traditionally, Lent was a 40 day fast.  Fasting is not completely abstaining from food.  It is an abstinence of meat.  Also, three meals are allowed, but the first two meals should be small and not equal in size the third meal.  Traditionally, every Friday throughout the year was a day of abstinence.  US Bishops changed that, allowing for regular meals on Fridays, which in turn changed Lent from being an obligatory 40 day fast, to fasting (or abstaining) on Ash Wednesday and Fridays  (These Fridays never ceased to be a day of penance and self-denial, and abstaining from meat, because it was on a Friday that our Lord died for our sins).  US Catholics are encouraged to voluntarily make the entire Lenten season a period of special penitential observance.

 

This all being said, Lent is not about food.  Pope Francis himself asked us to reconsideer the heart of this activity this Lenten season.  "Fasting must never become superficial".  He quoted John Chrysostom, saying, "No act of virture can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others.  So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great."

 

"But this isn't to downplay the role of sacrifice during the Lenten season.  Lent is a good time for penance and self-denial.  But once again, Francis reminds us that these activities must truly enrich others:  'I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt'." -Time Magazine

 

Please dont think that any of us that have responded do not want you to do this W30.  I think that we are all asking you to examine the reason for doing the w30 at this particular time.  

Are you doing it as a form of sacrifice?  That is not what the whole 30 is about.  It is not a sacrifice, a fast, a diet.  

Are you using this time frame to help you focus?  It may help you focus.

 

Sundays in Lent are not days of fasting, or abstaining.  However, if you are following the w30, Sundays can still be a day of "glorious rejoicing in the LORD".  Have your coffee with a little coconut cream (to make it compliant).  Have a big roast, or that burger (sans bread) if that is what you have been missing.  Make all three meals overflowing the plate if that is what you desire.  But stay compliant!  After all, Having wine "joyfully and with thanksgiving" can mean so much more if you wait an entire 40 days to have it!

 

A whole 30 does not have to be for just thirty days.  Many people on the forum do w28s, w40s, w90s - even w360s.  It is up to you to determine how long you are planning to do this journey.  However, if you throw in a "day that doesn't count" every week, you are not doing a whole thirty.  You are not using this program for what it is intended.  Which is fine, if that is what you want to do.  However, think about what Lent is all about.  Will "not counting Sundays" hurt someone else who is just finding this topic and who doesnt' understand what w30 is about?  

 

If you truly want to follow w30, with the exception of Sundays, PLEASE DO!  I would suggest, however, that you blog in the "post w30" section instead.  

 

Best of luck to you on your journey - and I hope you find what you are seeking this Lenten season.

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If one looks at the calendar, the season of Lent comes to 46 days.  You are correct in that Sundays traditionally do not count.  Lent also does not go until Easter, it finishes on Holy Thursday.  Traditionally, Lent was a 40 day fast.  Fasting is not completely abstaining from food.  It is an abstinence of meat.  Also, three meals are allowed, but the first two meals should be small and not equal in size the third meal.  Traditionally, every Friday throughout the year was a day of abstinence.  US Bishops changed that, allowing for regular meals on Fridays, which in turn changed Lent from being an obligatory 40 day fast, to fasting (or abstaining) on Ash Wednesday and Fridays  (These Fridays never ceased to be a day of penance and self-denial, and abstaining from meat, because it was on a Friday that our Lord died for our sins).  US Catholics are encouraged to voluntarily make the entire Lenten season a period of special penitential observance.

 

This all being said, Lent is not about food.  Pope Francis himself asked us to reconsideer the heart of this activity this Lenten season.  "Fasting must never become superficial".  He quoted John Chrysostom, saying, "No act of virture can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others.  So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great."

 

"But this isn't to downplay the role of sacrifice during the Lenten season.  Lent is a good time for penance and self-denial.  But once again, Francis reminds us that these activities must truly enrich others:  'I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt'." -Time Magazine

 

Please dont think that any of us that have responded do not want you to do this W30.  I think that we are all asking you to examine the reason for doing the w30 at this particular time.  

Are you doing it as a form of sacrifice?  That is not what the whole 30 is about.  It is not a sacrifice, a fast, a diet.  

Are you using this time frame to help you focus?  It may help you focus.

 

Sundays in Lent are not days of fasting, or abstaining.  However, if you are following the w30, Sundays can still be a day of "glorious rejoicing in the LORD".  Have your coffee with a little coconut cream (to make it compliant).  Have a big roast, or that burger (sans bread) if that is what you have been missing.  Make all three meals overflowing the plate if that is what you desire.  But stay compliant!  After all, Having wine "joyfully and with thanksgiving" can mean so much more if you wait an entire 40 days to have it!

 

A whole 30 does not have to be for just thirty days.  Many people on the forum do w28s, w40s, w90s - even w360s.  It is up to you to determine how long you are planning to do this journey.  However, if you throw in a "day that doesn't count" every week, you are not doing a whole thirty.  You are not using this program for what it is intended.  Which is fine, if that is what you want to do.  However, think about what Lent is all about.  Will "not counting Sundays" hurt someone else who is just finding this topic and who doesnt' understand what w30 is about?  

 

If you truly want to follow w30, with the exception of Sundays, PLEASE DO!  I would suggest, however, that you blog in the "post w30" section instead.  

 

Best of luck to you on your journey - and I hope you find what you are seeking this Lenten season.

Wise woman.  The price of wisdom is above rubies.

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