Don’t you love that Sunday once a month when everyone’s stomachs sound like elephants snoring? Your whole apartment walks solemnly past the kitchen door trying to ignore their food calling to them with open arms. You try to focus on church, but all your attention is focused on the cold emptiness inside you.
Here’s a little incentive to make your fasting experience more positive. Fasting isn’t a recent commandment like the rest of the Word of Wisdom. It’s been around since Adam and Eve. They fasted to be closer to God spiritually. Modern technology shows fasting helps us physically and mentally. This validates that God knows everything, even when we can’t see the full benefits.
We all love giving our minds and bodies breaks from life, but do we ever think about giving our digestive system a vacation? It works 24/7. The digestive system needs time to repair itself. While we are fasting our bodies use the energy normally used to metabolize to heal our entire body.
Doctors used to tell patients to fast to flush toxins out of their bodies. Today, researchers are realizing this practice wasn’t witch doctor voodoo. They are finding that abstaining from food for intermitted periods of time reduces risks for diabetes, obesity, epilepsy, cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, stroke and coronary heart disease. It’s also healthy for our skin and boosts our immune system.
Students need to have a clear, strong mind. This can also be obtained through fasting. Going without food causes minor stress to the brain, much like when we cause stress to our muscles when we workout. What doesn’t kill the cells makes them stronger.
Next time fast Sunday rolls around, think positively. Not only are you strengthening your soul, but you are also improving your body and mind.
Rachel Stoddard
Heber
