Today is Day #6 of my Daniel Fast – eating nothing but fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.  I’ll soon be incorporating other WHOLE foods (or foods in their natural state, avoiding foods that are processed to the point that they lack much real nutritional value at all).  But surprisingly, I don’t feel as if I’m in any mad rush to do so.

I honestly can’t believe how great I’m feeling… how good I’m sleeping… how much energy I have… how I’ve had NO headaches, NO hunger pains, and NO cravings.   I’m finally beginning to realize that when you give your body all the nutrients that it needs (such as through massive amounts of plant-based foods), it doesn’t need to send S.O.S. signals such as hunger pains and cravings.  It’s content.  It’s nourished.  It’s satisfied.  And it feels amazing!

I can see why Daniel and his friends chose this diet as opposed to the king’s “rich foods.”

At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.     So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.  God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the     special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

(Daniel 1:15-17)

 

In addition to Daniel experiencing amazingly clear thinking after such a fast, I was recently watching another documentary on the health benefits of all natural foods and a plant-based diet called “Food Matters.”  In one section of the film, Bill W., founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, was mentioned as having abided by such a diet.  As a result, Bill W. noticed that he was better able to control his addictions through clearer thinking, and recommended such a diet to the support group members.  They also were surprised at how much easier their “demons” were to manage (alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, inappropriate sexual relationships, etc.) when they ate the healthiest of foods containing the highest concentration of nutrients.

So now I’m wondering …

• Could there REALLY be a connection between addiction management and healthy nutrition?
• Could our brain chemistry be a large part of the reason why many of us are drawn like a moth to a flame toward unhealthy behaviors?
• If we alter our brain chemistry through the fuel we put in our bodies, can we alter our addictive personalities?
• Could inappropriate emotional entanglements be easier to avoid simply by avoiding unhealthy food?
• Are our hearts and spirits so “hungry” for love, attention, and affection simply because our brains and bodies are so “hungry” for the right kind of fuel?
• Could processed and refined foods (white sugar, white flour, etc.) be one of the biggest culprits in the sex & love addict’s life?
• Could the emotional roller coaster rides we often find ourselves on (including anger & depression) be better controlled through proper nutrition?
• Could our marriages or romantic relationships be drastically improved simply by improving our diet?

If you’re as curious as I am, why don’t you JOIN ME in a 10-day fruit & vegetable fast to test the theory for yourself?

I noticed a huge difference in my thinking within the first 3-4 days, so I’m going to continue on for a while, hoping to see an even BIGGER improvement in my mental focus and emotional sobriety!

What are your thoughts?  Do YOU think there could be a connection between addiction & nutrition?

Please chime in on the discussion, as I’m thinking this concept could easily turn into a future book, and I’m looking for rich fodder!  Thanks!