Time flies. It is already the middle of week 3 of the Daniel fast! My last update before it ends. It is oddly bittersweet to realize there is only two more days left. The energy that I felt during the fast kept me up and running was truly amazing, all due to God's provision!


This week is definitely the hardest!! I feel that the temptation to eat rich foods is strongest right now.  I find myself daydreaming during classes about what I will eat after the fast: burgers & fries, tonkotsu ramen, Hong Kong style cafe foods, fried chicken, cheesy cheesy pizza, etc. I am so close to the end, but not quite there yet. Must not give up or give in! Still a good reminder that I need Christ in me always. I honestly did not expect myself to get so far. In the past Daniel fasts that I have done, I may have fallen along the way. However, this time, having the support of my church has been really beneficial for my persistence! So definitely do the Daniel fast with a group. It is super encouraging.

Although my family is not participating the fast with me, they do support me and respect my decision. It is not easy for them because they do not quite understand why I am doing this fast. Anyways, I often cook lots of food for the fast to ensure I get adequate nutrition. So when my parents come home for dinner, they usually just eat what I made out of tiredness and hunger. So it is as if we are doing the fast together! Isn't that funny? My dad, who normally complains about people with food restrictions, was surprisingly supportive during this whole process. Woohoo~

During this time, I have been trying to decrease the amount of time I spend on Facebook. I wanted to stop relying on social media for news and updates on people. In addition, finding self worth on social media can truly be a downer on my mood and overall well being. I find that I often compare myself to others and see all the ways that I am lacking. However, this is not true. I have been given a background and experiences that are unique to me. God has created me as I am.
Also, my birthday occurred during the fast. Since I share the same date as my father, we normally celebrate it together with family with a nice dinner + cake. We went to a nice Chinese restaurant and order much of the coveted seafood. I went into the dinner sulkily because I felt so insignificant earlier that day. I felt kind of left out during the dinner because everyone was enjoying the food on the plates as I stabbed at my tofu chunks.  However, just the joy of being around family definitely lifted my hopes up. I was so grateful for having a family who cares about me. And honestly, even though I was not drowning myself in rich foods, I felt super super super joyful and loved.

 

Some more food ideas: 
- quinoa with corn, onions and beans
- bananas + peanut butter for an ultimate snack
- popcorn or Triscuits for crunchy salty cravings
- get some frozen brussel sprouts from Trader Joe's, bake & season them!
- sweet potatoes! bake 'em, steam 'em, whatever way you want to cook these delicious babies!

And as I said in my Daniel Fast Update #1, I will be sharing my berry banana smoothie with y'all. You ready for this simple smoothie?!


So all I did was add some strawberries, blueberries & blackberries into my Nutri-Bullet (an upgraded Magic Bullet haha). Then I added a banana. You should definitely add a really ripe banana so that smoothie will be sweeter naturally. Then I topped it off with some unsweetened soy milk into a blender. After a quick whirl, I poured it out into my largest mug! It was pretty filling, good for breakfast or a snack! (Honestly, you can throw in almost any fruit into a blender and it will be delicious!)

Hope you enjoy this update & smoothie share. See you after my fast!

--- J.