The Daniel Fast

THE DANIEL FAST- Prof Muzi Maseko

DANIEL FAST DAY 1

3 John 1:2 "Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually"

As Christians we tend to focus on spiritual health and completely ignore physical health. Consequently many spiritually healthy Christians are physically sick. The scripture above reminds us not to separate the two. To fulfill our God given assignment on earth we need both physical and spiritual health. Hence during this fast I would like us to focus on both. Today I want to focus your attention on a very important herb called parsley. This herb does not only make the food taste nice but it also has a lot of health benefits. Therefore, I would advise you to use it regularly when preparing your meals during this fast.

Parsley eliminates bad breath and it may help reduce the bad breath that comes with fasting. Parsley is a natural diuretic. It helps eliminate excess water from the body. This could have a beneficial effect of lowering high blood pressure. It was found to play an important role in balancing blood sugar. This may be very helpful to those who are diabetic. Parsley contains oil called eugenol which has anti-arthritic properties. Therefore consuming parsley may reduce the pain that is associated with arthritis.

Parsley has high levels of a compound called epigenin. This compound has anti-cancer properties. In a recent study published last month (December 2019), it was shown that parsley prevents arteriosclerosis (damage to blood vessels) by suppressing the expression of genes that regulate the arteriosclerotic processes. By preventing arteriosclerosis, parsley prevents serious cardiovascular diseases like strokes and heart attacks.

May God help us to grow spiritually and improve our health during this 21 day fasting period.

DANIEL FAST DAY 2

Genesis 5:21-24 “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah and after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more because God took him away.”

In this portion of scripture we are told of how long people lived. However, when it comes to Enoch, the focus is not only on how long he lived, but that he walked with God. Even today people live and die but there are those who walk with God. Life is a gift from God. It is very important that when he takes it back, you are counted amongst those who walked with Him. Our desire for 2020 should not just be to live but to walk with God in this land of the living. Walking with God is dedicating your whole life to Him so that He may use you according to His will and for His pleasure.

Though walking with God is a spiritual journey, it has a physical aspect. That is why God gave us physical bodies. Therefore we have a God given responsibility to learn how to take care of our bodies. Today I will tell you about another tool of taking care of your body, almonds. Almonds are classified as nuts even though they are seeds. They have a brown covering which is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants protect our cells from damage. Oxidative damage to our cells is the major cause of diseases and aging. Therefore if you take almonds as a snack, you don’t get sick often and you live longer. Studies have also shown that almonds are effective in reducing cholesterol. This means by snacking on almonds you reduce your chances of getting a stroke or a heart attack.

May God grant us more wisdom to take care of our body so that we live long enough to finish our mission.

DANIEL FAST DAY 3

Genesis 1:29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit in it. They shall be yours for food"

God's original diet for mankind was a strict fruit and vegetable diet because of their many nutritional benefits. A good example is spinach. It is an important source of vitamin K and folate. Vitamin K prevents excessive bleeding when we are injured and folate helps our bodies to produce red blood cells. Though spinach contains iron, the iron in spinach is not easily absorbed by our body. Spinach also has a number of phytochemicals that play an important role in the prevention of cancer.

One important role of spinach that is not usually highlighted is its role in the prevention of vision loss. Spinach is the richest plant source of lutein which prevents age related macular degeneration and cataracts. Both conditions can result in blindness. Therefore, regular consumption of spinach is good for eye health. In spite of all these benefits, spinach consumption is very low world-wide. To maintain good health, we have to consume green vegetables daily even after the fast.

DANIEL FAST DAY 4

Proverbs 23:2 “And put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite”

Most of us are controlled by our appetite. If you crave something, you just give in and eat it. This scripture associates over eating with suicide. This is very true. Diseases of lifestyle which result from overeating, are the number one killer in the world. Fasting teaches us the discipline of controlling our appetite.

Learning to control our appetites will help us a lot because recent research shows that eating within restricted time periods has a lot of health benefits. The habit of eating anytime, disrupts our metabolism leading to increased abdominal fat (umkhaba), increased cholesterol, high blood pressure and increased blood sugar levels. To overcome the effects of erratic eating we must restrict our eating to a ten hour period. This means every day you only eat within ten hours. Let's say you eat your breakfast at 07:00 in the morning. Then you must eat your supper at 17:00. After 17:00, you only drink water. So you must eat all your meals (breakfast, lunch and supper) within ten hours. This gives your body 14 hours of rest and during that period your body repairs itself. In a way you are cheating your body into thinking you are fasting everyday even though you are eating your 3 meals.

This time restricted eating results in dramatic health benefits that include reduced body weight, improved sleep, reduced blood pressure and reduced cholesterol.

May God grant us the wisdom to learn the techniques of taking care of our bodies.

DANIEL FAST DAY 5

Jeremiah 36:6 “So go to the house of the Lord on the day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns.”

This scripture indicates that even in Old Testament times God's children had a tradition of setting a day aside for fasting. Even today most Christans set one day aside for fasting in a week. This practice does not only have physical benefits but it also has a lot of health benefits.

Yesterday we discussed eating within a 10 hour restricted period. Today I will introduce another type of fasting called intermittent fasting. This involves fasting on two alternative days a week. You can either choose a Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday etc. During these days you only eat one meal then on the other 5 days you eat your normal 3 meals a day. This is called 2:5 intermittent fasting because in a week (7 days) you fast for 2 days and eat normally for 5 days. Research has shown that this fasting has a lot of health benefits because during this fasing your body switches from glucose to ketone metabolism for energy. Since your glucose stores are depleted, your body breaks down fats. The immediate benefit from this is weight loss. The blood sugar and blood pressure are also reduced. This fasting was also found to benefit brain health by improving memory. It is therefore protective against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers.

Besides these health benefits, we must always remember that fasting is a spiritual exercise. We must not just confine it to health benefits like scientists. We must always pray and read the word during fasting.

DANIEL FAST DAY 6

Genesis 1:30 “And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth, everything that has the breath of life in it, I give every green plant for food.”

Before the fall of mankind, everything ate greens. Even lions ate grass. Animals started to eat other animals when nature was corrupted by the fall. Therefore, in the beginning, only fruits and vegetables were meant to be food. So right from the beginning, God fortified fruits and vegetables with a lot of nutrients because they were meant to be the only source of food.

Today I will focus on one of these nutrient rich vegetables, the cabbage. For some strange reasons this vegetable is associated with poverty therefore it is often overlooked.

Cabbage belongs to the same family as broccoli and cauliflower. It has insoluble fiber which promotes regular bowel movements and prevents bowel cancer. It also has soluble fiber that promotes growth of gut friendly bacteria. These bacteria play an important role in boosting our immune system.

Cabbage also reduces blood cholesterol. It does it in two ways. The soluble fibre binds to cholesterol and prevents it from being absorbed into the blood. Secondly cabbage contains phytosterols which block cholesterol absorption in the gut. Therefore, cabbage plays an important role in the prevention of strokes and heart attacks.

BREAD OF LIFE

2 Samuel 6:4 “And David danced before the Lord with all his might.”

Now I would like to focus on the physical health aspect of the Gospel. So today I will deal with brain health. What does David's dancing have to do with brain health? Everything. David did not just make some moves but he was dancing with all his might. This means the man was sweating. Most importantly he did all this before the Lord. His dancing was not isolated from his relationship with God and his calling as a leader of God's people.

Some people can look at this with disdain like David's wife. This is exactly how we become as we reach our 40s and 50s. We forget how to be child-like. We take ourselves too seriously. We live predictable rigid structured lives. We have forgotten how to have fun before the Lord. Sadly this insipid lifestyle is slowly killing our brains and by the time we reach our 60s our brains give up on us. We suffer from dementia. Yet this is very preventable, if like David, we can arouse the child in us.

A five year study showed that simple activities like dancing, playing board games, playing a musical instrument etc., stimulate the brain and prevent age related memory loss. Therefore in 2020 I would like to challenge you to engage in 4 or more of these brain stimulating activities:

1. Dancing

Dancing improves your balance, memory and the speed at which your brain processes information.

2. Fellowship

As we grow we tend to stop making new friends and slowly isolate ourselves. Research has shown that people who engage in social activities and build social networks in their 40s and 50s have a reduced chance of developing dementia later in life. Let's meet on the 14 March and rekindle the fellowship we had when we were young.

3. Learn to play a new musical instrument.

We always relegate this to young people. You are not too old to play an instrument. Playing a musical instrument in your 40s and 50s stimulates your thinking skills.

4. Play games

When was the last time you played scrabble, chess or cards with your children. Cards, board games and puzzles are good mental stimuli that promote brain health. Research has shown that these activities improve both short-term and long-term memory.

5. Drawing or painting

You don't have to be artistic to engage in this activity. What matters is the activity not the final product. Drawing or painting improves memory, reduces anxiety, improves your concentration and makes you more resilient.

6. Learning a new language

Language learning develops strong cognitive skills, increases your attention span and develops problem solving skills.

7. Fasting

Fasting allows the brain to synthesize new neurons and this prevents age related memory loss.

Studies show that engaging in 4 or more of these activities reduces your chances of developing dementia by 56%.

May God help us to be more like David and learn to rejoice in His presence even as we grow older.

DANIEL FAST DAY 7

Joel 1:14 “Declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.”

Today we complete one week of fasting. Praise be to God who has sustained us so far. On this seventh day of our fast, I want us to cry out to the Lord and bind the spirit of sickness in the church. Too many people are sick in the church, both young and old. Some even die prematurely. It cannot be business as usual. Healing the sick was central to Christ's ministry. He told us that we will do even greater things than what He did. Today I want you to focus on any sickness or disease that your loved ones or you may have and pray for healing in Jesus's name. I declare that in 2020 God's children will experience divine health. Christ promised us that we shall have life and have it in abundance.

Let us go to our churches today and worship Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our healer.

BREAD OF LIFE

1 Timothy 4:8 “For physical exercise is of some value but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, promising benefits in this life and the life to come.”

It is good that as Christans we focus a lot on spiritual exercise because it has eternal rewards. What will it benefit you if you live this life with a strong healthy body but forfeit your soul. However, we must not forget the first part of this verse which says physical exercise is of some value. Though this value is insignificant compared to that of spiritual exercise, it is still essential. One of the most important roles of physical exercise is brain health. Dementia is one the conditions that result from deteriorating mental health. The initial signs of dementia are very mild and can be often ignored. You may start losing balance and falling often. This may be followed by memory problems where you forget where things are in the house and you forget words during your speech. Then you forget the routes you use daily. One lady says she was driving back home from work when she realised that she had forgotten where her home is. She was on a road that she used daily. She had to phone her husband and ask for directions. In its final stages you forget your friends and family, even your wife or husband. You get trapped alone in your brain.

Yesterday I suggested 7 things that can help you avoid this condition. Exercise is also very important in the prevention of dementia. Exercising briefly even for 30 minutes five times a week is effective. Research shows that you need 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week to prevent dementia.

Exercise increases growth factors in the brain allowing the brain to make new neuronal connections. Research has found that people who exercise have a larger prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex, brain areas that control thinking and memory.

Let us go to church this morning for spiritual exercises, but let us not disregard the importance of physical exercise.

DANIEL FAST DAY 8

Ezekiel 16:49 “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom; She and her daughter were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned, they did not help the poor and needy.”

One the sins of the people of Sodom is overeating. It's rare to hear this message preached over the pulpit. This is very understandable because it's not just the congregants but even pastors do not consider overeating a sin. Hence this sin continues unabated in the church. As the church we are eating ourselves to death. Yet the Bible is very clear about the sin of gluttony.

The serious consequences of overeating is cancer. Cancer is one of the major causes of mortality in the world. It can be caused by genetic and environmental factors. Being overweight or obese is a serious risk factor for cancer. Excess body fat increases the chances for breast, colon, esophageal, kidney and pancreatic cancer. A large number of epidemiological studies have shown that people consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables dramatically reduce their lifetime risk of developing cancer. Therefore, the Daniel Fast reduces your chances for cancer in two ways: Firstly weight loss due to the fast reduces your body fat, thus reducing your chances for cancer. Secondly, the fruits and vegetables consumed during the fast protect you against cancer.

May God help us to control our appetites so that food does not kill us but nourished our bodies.

DANIEL FAST DAY 9

1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

This scripture highlights that God cares about what you eat. This means we have to think carefully about what we eat. Before eating we need to look at our food and ask yourself this question, "Is God pleased with what I am about to eat. Will my eating glorify Him?" God cares for what we eat because He cares for our health. It is for this reason that He has provided us with many nutrients that have medicinal properties.

Today I will focus on cayenne pepper, a hot spice with many health benefits. Cayenne pepper belongs to the same family as chili pepper. It is rich in vitamin A and contains an active ingredient called capsaicin.

Vitamin A is well known for its role in the prevention of night blindness. It also plays an important role in reducing age related decline in eyesight. Some studies have shown that it can prevent cervical cancer.

The other ingredient of cayenne pepper, capsaicin, has been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells. It can even kill many types of cancer cells including pancreatic and prostate cancer by inducing apoptosis in these cells. The good news is that cayenne pepper can be part of your daily diet because it can be added as a spice to many foods.

Let us glorify God with our eating and enjoy the benefits of a healthy life style

DANIEL FAST DAY 10

Deuteronomy 30:19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness your choice. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”

This principle applies to food as well. Food can nourish your body and make you healthy or it can be detrimental to your health leading to death. The difference between the two is what you eat and the quantity of food you take. This choice affects you at a cellular level.

The cells of your body die in two ways; apoptosis and necrosis. Necrosis is premature cell death that causes inflammation which ultimately lead to sickness and premature death. On the other hand, apoptosis is programmed cell death that causes your cells to regenerate leading to a prolonged life span. What you eat may determine which of the two ways your cells die. Unhealthy eating habits compromise your immune system leading to necrosis while eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables promotes apoptosis. Yesterday we discussed cayenne pepper in detail. Studies have found that the capsaicin in cayenne pepper promotes apoptosis.

As stated earlier, we are eating ourselves to death. In 2020, may we change this habit and make a choice of eating to live.

DANIEL FAST DAY 11

Jeremiah 33:6 “Nevertheless, I will bring healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security”

I want us to enter into a prayer of agreement and declare 2020 the year of health. I want us to put our faith into action by taking practical steps of living a healthy lifestyle. God wants to heal all our infirmities, but we have to do our part.

Today I want to focus on a very humble fruit, an apple. This fruit may be cheap but it is rich in vitamins, phenols and fiber. It is the combination of these three types of nutrients that gives apples their potent health properties. Most of these nutrients are in the skins therefore it is very important that you do not remove the peels of your apples.

Cancer

The fiber in apples protects you against colon cancer.

Weight loss

Eating an apple before a meal makes you eat less.

Cardiovascular health

The soluble fiber in apples reduces your blood cholesterol level. The peels of apples are rich in phenols that are powerful antioxidants. These phenols play an important role in protecting your blood vessels against damage. Thus reducing your chances of getting a stroke or a heart attack.

Diabetes

Apples lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that people who eat one apple a day have a 28% lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes. The phenols in apples prevent damage to your beta cells that produce insulin.

Brain health

Research has shown that apples may prevent age related memory loss. Apples prevent Alzheimers by preserving acetylcholine choline which is usually low in Alzheimer's patients.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is a reality. Eat your apples.

DANIEL FAST DAY 12

Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her and she ate it.”

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they knew very well that they were eating what they were not supposed to eat. This was the original sin that led to the fall of mankind. The act of eating may seem very minor but the consequences were very disastrous.

This happens each time we eat what we are not supposed to eat, the impact on our bodies is catastrophic.

A study I conducted indicates that 65% of South Africans are overweight or obese, 37% are hypertensive and 8% are diabetic. This is not just a South African problem but a trend throughout the world. More people are getting overweight and sick.

Sadly, the situation in the church is worse. A study conducted in 2012 showed that the incidence of obesity is higher amongst Christians compared to the general public. To add salt to the wound, the situation is even worse amongst pastors. A study published in the Journal of Health Care showed that 93% of pastors are overweight, 68% are hypertensive, 35% have high cholesterol and 20% are diabetic. Now you understand why the message of healthy living is not popular in our pulpits as pastors. What testimony are we giving to the world?

Christans are very ignorant of the sin of gluttony and the devil is the devil is using this ignorance as a weapon to kill Christians prematurely. You have to be conscious of the fact that when you overeat you are sinning against God. And like any sin, it leads to death.

As part of this fast I would like us to humble ourselves before God and confess our sin of overeating. Even those who have overcome this sin should carry us spiritually and pray with us. As we humble ourselves before our Father, He will heal us and indeed 2020 will be the year of health to God's children.

DANIEL FAST DAY 13

Roman's 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is a spiritual worship.”

Although this verse refers mainly to keeping your bodies holy, it does have an element of health because even in the Old Testament times, God did not want diseased animals to be sacrificed to Him. He was not pleased when the Israelites brought Him unhealthy animals. He calls them cheats (Malachi 1: 8 -14). A similar principle applies when you worship God with your bodies. If your body is diseased because of your unhealthy eating habits, do you think God considers you as an acceptable sacrifice?

Today I want to focus on turmeric, a spice that will keep many diseases at bay. Turmeric contains the compound curcumin, which is a powerful antioxidant. Oxidative damage to your cells is one mechanism that is responsible for aging and many diseases. Curcumin can neutralize radicals that are responsible for oxidative damage thus preventing many diseases and slowing down the aging process. A study published in Oncogen shows that curcumin is more effective than ibuprofen and aspirin in the treatment of inflammation.

Blood vessels

Curcumin improves the health of blood vessels thus reducing the risk of heart disease. One study showed curcumin to be as effective as exercise in preventing heart diseases.

Cancer

Inflammation is linked to growth of cancer cells. By reducing inflammation, curcumin has been shown to be effective in the prevention of colon, prostate and breast cancer.

Dementia

Turmeric protects your brain against Alzheimers by increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which plays an essential role in learning and memory. Since Alzheimers is associated with low levels of BDNF, turmeric can prevent or reverse Alzheimers.

Add a spice of turmeric to your food, it won't only make your food taste good, it will also keep your health. The down side is that turmeric is not easily absorbed into your blood. But this can be solved by adding black pepper which facilitates the absorption of turmeric in your gut.

DANIEL FAST DAY 14

Deuteronomy 28:1 “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all the commands I give you today, then the Lord your God will set you above all nations on earth.”

This was the promise made by God to the Israelites before they entered the promised land. They listened carefully but they never obeyed and they never experienced God's blessings.

This month we are entering into a new decade, which marks the beginning of new things. The blessings of God are relevant to you now as they were to the Israelites. You can choose to enter 2020 with these blessings by obeying God's word.

During this fasting period we have prayed and read God's word, now the biggest challenge is whether you are going to obey God's word or go back to your old habits of eating unhealthy foods.

Today I am going to focus on one of God's most potent medicines, the tomato. Tomatoes are fruits but they are often mistaken for vegetables because of the way they are prepared. This fruit is rich in a number of vitamins especially vitamin C. The skins contain a carotenoid called lycopene which is responsible for the tomato's health benefits. The more red the tomato, the higher the content of lycopene in the skin. Tomato products like tomato paste and tomato sauce, contain more lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Cooked tomatoes also have a higher content of lycopene than raw tomatoes. Lycopene is fat soluble so adding healthy fat to your tomatoes increases the absorption of lycopene in your gut.

Epidemiological studies have shown that eating tomatoes is associated with a reduced risk of prostate, breast and stomach cancer. Lycopene has also been shown to reduce benign prostate hyperplasia (the age related non-cancerous swelling of the prostate gland). However, to get these benefits you have to eat tomatoes 2 times or more a week.

Besides cancer, consumption of tomatoes is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. This is due to the lycopene's potent antioxidant properties and its ability to reduce blood cholesterol. These actions reduce your risk of getting a stroke or heart attack.

May God help us not just to be hearers of the word, but doers as well.

DANIEL FAST DAY 15

2 Timothy 1:17 “For God has not given us the spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self control.”

We are in the last week of our fasting, one of the important things we have to focus on is self-control. As you have realised, one of the most important things you have to learn to control, is your appetite. Inability to control your appetite can cost you many things, including your life. The power of the stomach is demonstrated in the life of Esau, whose hunger caused him to lose his birthright, just for a bowl of beans.

Why is hunger so powerful? The stomach has its own brain called the enteric nervous system. This is also called the second brain because it is capable of acting independent of the brain and spinal cord. Many of the peptides that regulate food intake are found in the enteric nervous system. This explains why hunger is so powerful and so many people are overweight or obese. We thank God who has not given us the spirit of timidity but the spirit self control. Therefore, no matter how powerful the brain stomach can be, it is subject to our authority because we have self control that does not only depend on our will power but it comes from above.

Next time you have a strong uncontrollable urge to eat what you are not supposed to eat or when you are not supposed to eat, just say NO! and your stomach will obey, in Jesus name.

DANIEL FAST DAY 16

Exodus 23:25 “Worship the Lord your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take sickness from among you.”

We often limit worship to Sundays during the church service. However worship is much broader than that. It goes beyond the Sunday service. It is a daily lifestyle of doing everything for God's glory. It includes eating. Do you think the way you eat brings glory to God? In 2020 let's take back our power from food. Let us worship Him even in the way we eat. Let's turn food from a killer to a healer. And He will take away sickness from amongst us.

God has enriched fruits and vegetables with healing ingredients. One of these vegetables with known healing properties is an anion. Onions belong to the same family as garlic. It is low on calories but rich in nutrients especially vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant.

Onions also contain quercetin which reduces blood cholesterol and blood pressure, thus onions protect against strokes and heart attacks. The red onion has even more health benefits because it contains anthocyanins which have anti-cancer properties. A study published in 2017 shows that anthocyanins may prevent breast cancer because of their ability to inhibit proliferation of cancer cells. They also trigger apoptosis of cancer cells resulting in the death of cancer cells.

Let us take worship beyond the Sunday service. Let us worship our Father by taking care of the temple of the Holy Spirit, daily.

DANIEL FAST DAY 17

Joshua 14:11-12 “I am as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I am just as vigorous to go out to war as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.”

This was an 85 year old man talking. Still full of vigour and ready to face challenges. This is unusual because by age 50 many people give up on their hill countries (life dreams). They are settled in life. They also don't engage anymore on the exciting part of life. They no longer listen to music, dance, play games, go out. Watching soapies, news, and soccer on TV is the best form of entertainment. The disease of aging has caught up with them. It is slowing them down preparing them for the grave.

Why was Caleb so different? Firstly it was his faith in God and secondly it was his diet. God kept them on a strict manna diet to make sure that they remain healthy to enjoy the benefits of the promised land.

God has fortified fruits and vegetables with nutrients to prolong our lives. Research has shown that oxidative damage to our cells plays a key role in the aging process. Thank God there are fruits like blueberries. Blueberries have the highest concentration of antioxidants than all fruits and vegetables. That's why they are referred to as kings of antioxidants. They are the perfect fountain of your. They are able to slow down the aging process including improving your brain function. Research has shown that regular blueberry consumption prevents age related diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimers.

If you keep your faith and eat well, like Caleb you will achieve your childhood dreams. Therefore, reach out for that dream, register that degree, start that company, join that dance club, play chess and scrabble with your kids. Indeed life begins at 40. All you have to do is eat health and hold on to your faith.

DANIEL FAST DAY 18

Proverbs 3:7-8 “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Pro 9:10). This wisdom includes understanding the importance of taking care of the temple of the Holy Spirit. In 2020 let us demonstrate this fear by eating healthy.

Today we focus on an easily available, cheap but very nutritious vegetable, the carrot. Carrots are rich in beta carotene, an antioxidant that is converted by the body to vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for good vision and it prevents age related macular degeneration. Carrots also have a high fiber content hence their low glycemic index. Which means though they have sugar, this sugar is released very slowly to the blood.

They have both soluble and insoluble fiber. Pectin is the soluble fiber in carrots. This fiber promotes growth of friendly bacteria which boost your immune system. Thus regularly consumption of carrots makes you resistant to infectious diseases. Pectin is also important for cardiovascular health as it lowers your blood cholesterol levels. The insoluble fiber, mainly cellulose, reduces the risk of bowel cancer. The beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant that plays an important role in the prevention of prostate, colon and stomach cancer. Beta carotene has been shown to prevent breast cancer in women who consume carrots regularly.

Now comes the big question; is it better to eat your carrots cooked or raw? You can get a lot of nutrients from raw carrots but cooked carrots are more nutritious. Cooking releases the beta carotene from the cell wall matrix.

Let's fear the Lord, and get the benefits of health.

DANIEL FAST DAY 19

1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

Imagine preaching about self control when you are overweight. How do you teach the church youth about self discipline when you are overweight? We have to practice what we preach. Over the past days we have practiced the most difficult form of self discipline. We defied the strong urges of the second brain. Let us continue this discipline even after the fast.

To maintain this discipline, I am going to suggest a very healthy snack, peanuts. These are natural slimming pills because they are strong appetite suppressants. Though we call them nuts, they are not related to nuts but they are legumes. So they are related to beans and lentils. They low in carbs but high in proteins and healthy fats. Therefore a lot of calories are used up during the digestion of peanuts. Besides being effective in weight loss they contain many nutrients which makes them excellent for cardiovascular health. They also contain a strong antioxidant, p-coumaric acid, which protects your body against many cancers.

A word of caution. In spite of their health benefits, peanuts are strong allergens. They can result in life threatening allergic reactions in people who are allergic to peanuts.

DANIEL FAST DAY 20

Luke 11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithes mint and every herb, but you neglected justice and love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”

Though the focus of this scripture is not on herbs and spices, it gives us an indication of their importance in the Israelites' lives. They were so important that they were used for tithing. Natural spices and herbs don't only give our food a good taste but they heal our bodies.

A good example is ginger. This spice, like turmeric its relative, has many medicinal properties. I am currently doing research to see if it can reverse the swelling of the heart caused by hypertension. I am sure I will get positive results.

Consumption of ginger powder has been shown to reduce nausea and it is very effective in reducing pain caused by arthritis. It also has powerful anti-diabetic properties. A 2015 study showed that people who take ginger powder daily lower their blood sugar levels. It is also well known for its ability to treat cold and flu symptoms.

A compound in ginger called 6-gingerol has powerful anti-cancer properties. This compound is only found in fresh ginger not in ginger powder. Evidence from studies show that gingerol may be effective against pancreatic, ovarian, and breast cancer. Let us spice up our food with ginger and enjoy its healing properties.

DANIEL FAST DAY 21

Numbers 11:4 “The rabble who were among them had strong cravings. And the people of Israel wept again and said, "If only we had meat to eat"

The people of Israel were fed a meat-free diet of manna throughout their journey in the desert. This kept them healthy and strong. However they took their health for granted and started complaining to Moses, demanding meat. God was angry with them and he struck them with a plague. Many of them died.

Today we complete the Daniel Fast and God is going to bless us in many ways. However as we return back to eating meat we must not lose the health benefits of the fast. We cannot stop eating red meat completely because it has a number of health benefits. It is a good source of protein, iron and vitamins B12. However too much red meat can lead to cancer, heart disease and kidney failure. Hence people who consume red meat regularly have a reduced life span.

Red meat consumption increases your blood cholesterol leading to many cardiovascular health problems. Moreover meat has been shown to increase unhealthy bacteria in your gut. These bacteria produce trimethyl N-oxide (TMAO) during digestion of meat. This compound damages your blood vessels leading to strokes and heart attacks.

A study conducted in 2015 shows that red meat is carcinogenic (it causes cancer). Cancers associated with red meat consumption include colon, pancreatic, prostate and stomach cancer. Meat consumption has also been associated with breast cancer in women. Processed meat like bacon, burgers, polony, biltong, smoke meat, etc. is even more carcinogenic than unprocessed meat. Braai meat is also very carcinogenic.

This does not mean we have to stop consuming red meat altogether but we have to reduce intake and be careful how we prepare food. So the following are my recommendations:

1. You can eat boiled meat a maximum of 3 times a week.

Preparing red meat by boiling it is the safest method of cooking. Boiled meat is less carcinogenic.

2. Limit fried or roasted meat to once a week. Frying or roasting meat produces more carcinogens than boiling it.

3. Eat processed meat at least once a month. Processed meat has been classified as a class 1 carcinogen putting it at the same level as smoking.

4. Limit braai meat to once in three months. Preparing meat in an open flame produces the most carcinogens. This is the unhealthiest method of preparing meat.

My final suggestion is that when you prepare meat, always use herbs, spices and spices, especially turmeric and garlic. Then eat it with vegetables instead of papa.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord makes His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lifts up His face upon you, and gives you peace. AMEN.