Have you ever fasted? We all have heard about people who do, but why do they fast? Why on earth would they fast? Self deprivation and delayed gratification have no place in the American way of life. Growing up Catholic we always tried to give something up for Lent. Usually it was something that we didn’t much care for to begin with, like black-eyed peas. But to truly take oneself out of a state of constant satiation seems unnecessary, if not downright crazy.
I’ll tell you something unbelievable. Fasting is fantastic. It is healthy. It is powerful. Physically, the process of digestion consumes more energy than nearly anything we human beings do. It is nonstop and tiring to the body. The garbage we put into ourselves on a daily basis overwhelms our systems…thanks in part to gluttony but with big kudos to the food industry who has meddled with the food supply to the point of absurdity.
The absolute best way to fast requires copious amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, an expensive juicer, lots of time. A simpler fast that I’ve discovered has been around for 50 years or so. 3 ounces of fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice, 3 ounces of Grade B maple syrup (this is not the syrup you buy at the local supermarket….look at a health food store or buy it via the internet). 2 or 3 capsules of cayenne pepper. 24 ounces of distilled water. Drink this all day long.
Day one is the most difficult. The body begins to release toxins. You may feel sluggish. You’ll certainly feel your addictions to various foods. Day two is a bit easier. By day three or four you’ll begin to feel powerful…akin to runners’ euphoria. Your body is free, your mind is unencumbered, you are living life on a higher plane.
Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days. Do you think that this was a sacrificial act? If so, it certainly pales in comparison to death on a cross. No, I believe Jesus fasted to release himself from the bonds of human frailty….to put himself in contact with the divine. That’s why yogis fast, why Muslims and Christians fast. Why I fast. Try it. It will certainly change your body. Perhaps it will change your life.
BRING….ME….A BURGER…..PLEEEEEAAAASSSSEEEEEEE
It’s OK, when the cows start telling you to eat them, you will be able to realize that it’s a hallucination…
…I hope….
Is this yet another excuse to avoid a company picnic, Marie?!
Granted every picnic basket of Yogi’s comes with a ranger who never read Robin Hood. But there’s more to picnic than just the basket – there’s Boo-Boo’s whining – and friendship needs its optimisms. A lesson in farming would have easily stopped the chase antics – but why spoil a cartoon formula?
Delayed gratification (anticipation) is indeed something to be learned – but I must admit that as I get older – some carrots that led me down the road never appeared. I can make lemonade from lemons, but it never satiates the appetite for travelling carrots. So, I’ll hold onto Yogi for now because due to copyright laws I can’t introduce Boo-Boo to Winnie the Pooh to explain what a Heffalump is.
As for hamburgers, yes – continue to think about McLard – that’s a great way to loose your appetite for sure!
Currently our country is fasting, but whether this is by will or force remains debatable. Some search for nutrition, others for additives. If spice is a distraction, then remove the flavor until the water is found.
Yes, Dylan’s Thin Man i indeed Mr. Jones. (Do fries go with that shake? No, but ketchup does.) Color this Sisyphus but sometimes the waste holds the rock steady.
Too many tangents to explore on the topic of input/output -must be the coffee.
“Logic is to Imagination like Steel Cables are to a Rainbow.” – The 13th
Just some food for thought. Nothing solid, simply a few mental doughnuts for providence. Let the birds eat the crumbs, this isn’t a homecoming yet, Gretal. I suspect we are only half-baked.
Or to paraphrase Jonah (from a prior post) so as to exit from my gluttony of words today, “Please excuse my need for optimism, but the rest of the day will be spent paying bills.”
Filter to water:
keep up the faith.