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Fasting And Addiction
by Ron Lagerquist
Fasting cuts away superficiality, getting down to the bone of living. Effective, due to its ability to strip away the props we have become so dependent on to get us through the day. The large coffee double-double, cinnamon Danish, ball game, Budweiser, nacho’s, cigarettes, sitcoms, hours upon squandered hours, and for some, drugs, pornography, overeating and alcoholism. When these props are removed, what remain are the spiritual resources within. If they are bankrupt then during fasting you will come face to face with a profound emptiness only God can fill. It is this very emptiness so many run from or try to offset with material things. Yet this is doomed to failure for we are created spiritual beings, with spiritual longing.
Fasting accomplishes two purposes. First, it will reveal how much the flesh has taken control of emotions, and secondly, it will serve in breaking the flesh’s hold upon the will.
Oh no my dear, I am not like those others, I’m not addicted to anything—until you attempt a fast.
Those who think you live autonomously in this world, fasting is a perfect immunity test, often a rude awakening of how toxic your daily requirements have become. What makes your world go around? Addiction is anything that controls you, and whether it’s food, pornography, coffee, TV or heroin, it taints independence and freedom.
The food industry has perfected the addictiveness of foods adding salt, fat and processed sugar, and millions crave their offerings daily. It is hard to tackle food addiction; after all we must eat, right? A quiet food-fix during a hectic day is only a drive-through away. Availability for the junk food addict is a real problem. Fasting is a great and needed break from eating, allowing the body to balance homeostasis, untangling emotions from the up-and-down roller-coaster ride addiction produces.
If I spend enough quality time with a certain food I start becoming emotionally attached. It’s just the way I am put together. Problem is, in the past I have made bad food-relationship decisions. Years ago I met an All Dressed Hostess Potato Chip in the seedy part of my grocery Store. Had no business being there in the first place. Let’s just say I was needy. Months later, and a painful break-up, we parted company, but the relationship left deep scares. About four inches deep around my waist. Oh, there was that seductive little Peanut Butter Cup. Never was interested until they came out with the three-pack for the price of two, remember that? Thought I was getting a deal, but ended up paying a bigger price later on. Took three years to end that co-dependent relationship. I learned my lesson and went food-celibate for 30 days, getting my emotions settled. Funny, after all these years every time I see Peanut Butter Cup it still feels like I am going to break out in acne.
The good news is for the last few years I have been seeing someone and it’s looking good. We spend our mornings together. Cravings that usually accompany co-dependency is not there, just old fashioned hunger. Real colorful personality too, sweet in the most natural way. I think it’s a healthy relationship, my fruit salad and me. When I wake up, I’m not thinking bacon and eggs, no. An orange, grapefruit, two bananas, half a cantaloupe, grapes, two pears; add a little natural yogurt to taste, and wow!
I have learned something about life. Spent time with the wrong people and you become just a little bit like them. Chose your friends wisely. But greater still this applies to what you cram into every cell, tub and membrane of your body. You will develop emotional and physiological attachments to what you eat daily, especially the foods you turn to when lonely and depressed. They will have the strongest attachment. The great news is if you are willing to go through a period of separation-blues, you can form healthy attachments just like my beloved fruit salad.
Jesus awaits our willingness to surrender our addiction gods. Remember the young Rich Man. Wealth choked his very soul. He truly hungered for the Kingdom; all people do whether they know it or not. And Jesus loved him—gave him the way out of his meaningless existence. Yet it was an impossibility at that moment. The ruler was young and in love with the luxuries money secured. The emptiness within had to ferment longer until it would eat away his pride and independence. Then he would be ready.
Fasting invariably brings to the surface deep-seated fears that affect thinking and decision-making. It does this by challenging that complex human instinct called self-preservation. This instinct has been created in every living thing on earth, including man. But you are a New Creation in Christ, recreated not to be controlled by instincts. Because of a rebirth, you have been recreated into a creature of a higher and grander design than that of your former life.
Recently I was reading about the negative effects of coffee shaking my head at myself and all humanity. “Coffee promotes aging and can cause impotence.” How much would we pay if they discovered a drink you could consume every morning that would slow down aging and increase libido? I would hazard a lot! Yet here I was, eating an almost raw diet, working out in the gym, applying special moisturizing creams to my face after the shower, coloring the gray out of my goatee, the last vestige of hair I own, and paying for and drinking an extract of bean that is known to increase aging and hobnobs with impotency. For what? A meager hour of energy borrowed from the rest of the day so for hours afterward I feel tired. That’s nuts! There is only one thing that causes us to act so irrationally and self-destructive. Addiction.
The problem is addictions take no work on our part, you just drink something, pop a pill, sit back and let it happen. We put so much faith in our addictions, that’s what gives them power. And we are surprised when we discover, Hey, I can live without this, in fact I can live better.
Would you like total control over what your eat? You do not have to live with compulsive, addictive behavior.
Your Online Resource for:
fasting, juice fasting, juicing, nutrition, weight loss, vegetarian recipes, compulsive eating, food addiction, and spiritual renewal.
http://www.freedomyou.com
by Ron Lagerquist
Fasting cuts away superficiality, getting down to the bone of living. Effective, due to its ability to strip away the props we have become so dependent on to get us through the day. The large coffee double-double, cinnamon Danish, ball game, Budweiser, nacho’s, cigarettes, sitcoms, hours upon squandered hours, and for some, drugs, pornography, overeating and alcoholism. When these props are removed, what remain are the spiritual resources within. If they are bankrupt then during fasting you will come face to face with a profound emptiness only God can fill. It is this very emptiness so many run from or try to offset with material things. Yet this is doomed to failure for we are created spiritual beings, with spiritual longing.
Fasting accomplishes two purposes. First, it will reveal how much the flesh has taken control of emotions, and secondly, it will serve in breaking the flesh’s hold upon the will.
Oh no my dear, I am not like those others, I’m not addicted to anything—until you attempt a fast.
Those who think you live autonomously in this world, fasting is a perfect immunity test, often a rude awakening of how toxic your daily requirements have become. What makes your world go around? Addiction is anything that controls you, and whether it’s food, pornography, coffee, TV or heroin, it taints independence and freedom.
The food industry has perfected the addictiveness of foods adding salt, fat and processed sugar, and millions crave their offerings daily. It is hard to tackle food addiction; after all we must eat, right? A quiet food-fix during a hectic day is only a drive-through away. Availability for the junk food addict is a real problem. Fasting is a great and needed break from eating, allowing the body to balance homeostasis, untangling emotions from the up-and-down roller-coaster ride addiction produces.
If I spend enough quality time with a certain food I start becoming emotionally attached. It’s just the way I am put together. Problem is, in the past I have made bad food-relationship decisions. Years ago I met an All Dressed Hostess Potato Chip in the seedy part of my grocery Store. Had no business being there in the first place. Let’s just say I was needy. Months later, and a painful break-up, we parted company, but the relationship left deep scares. About four inches deep around my waist. Oh, there was that seductive little Peanut Butter Cup. Never was interested until they came out with the three-pack for the price of two, remember that? Thought I was getting a deal, but ended up paying a bigger price later on. Took three years to end that co-dependent relationship. I learned my lesson and went food-celibate for 30 days, getting my emotions settled. Funny, after all these years every time I see Peanut Butter Cup it still feels like I am going to break out in acne.
The good news is for the last few years I have been seeing someone and it’s looking good. We spend our mornings together. Cravings that usually accompany co-dependency is not there, just old fashioned hunger. Real colorful personality too, sweet in the most natural way. I think it’s a healthy relationship, my fruit salad and me. When I wake up, I’m not thinking bacon and eggs, no. An orange, grapefruit, two bananas, half a cantaloupe, grapes, two pears; add a little natural yogurt to taste, and wow!
I have learned something about life. Spent time with the wrong people and you become just a little bit like them. Chose your friends wisely. But greater still this applies to what you cram into every cell, tub and membrane of your body. You will develop emotional and physiological attachments to what you eat daily, especially the foods you turn to when lonely and depressed. They will have the strongest attachment. The great news is if you are willing to go through a period of separation-blues, you can form healthy attachments just like my beloved fruit salad.
Jesus awaits our willingness to surrender our addiction gods. Remember the young Rich Man. Wealth choked his very soul. He truly hungered for the Kingdom; all people do whether they know it or not. And Jesus loved him—gave him the way out of his meaningless existence. Yet it was an impossibility at that moment. The ruler was young and in love with the luxuries money secured. The emptiness within had to ferment longer until it would eat away his pride and independence. Then he would be ready.
Fasting invariably brings to the surface deep-seated fears that affect thinking and decision-making. It does this by challenging that complex human instinct called self-preservation. This instinct has been created in every living thing on earth, including man. But you are a New Creation in Christ, recreated not to be controlled by instincts. Because of a rebirth, you have been recreated into a creature of a higher and grander design than that of your former life.
Recently I was reading about the negative effects of coffee shaking my head at myself and all humanity. “Coffee promotes aging and can cause impotence.” How much would we pay if they discovered a drink you could consume every morning that would slow down aging and increase libido? I would hazard a lot! Yet here I was, eating an almost raw diet, working out in the gym, applying special moisturizing creams to my face after the shower, coloring the gray out of my goatee, the last vestige of hair I own, and paying for and drinking an extract of bean that is known to increase aging and hobnobs with impotency. For what? A meager hour of energy borrowed from the rest of the day so for hours afterward I feel tired. That’s nuts! There is only one thing that causes us to act so irrationally and self-destructive. Addiction.
The problem is addictions take no work on our part, you just drink something, pop a pill, sit back and let it happen. We put so much faith in our addictions, that’s what gives them power. And we are surprised when we discover, Hey, I can live without this, in fact I can live better.
Would you like total control over what your eat? You do not have to live with compulsive, addictive behavior.
Your Online Resource for:
fasting, juice fasting, juicing, nutrition, weight loss, vegetarian recipes, compulsive eating, food addiction, and spiritual renewal.
http://www.freedomyou.com