How the Daniel Fast Can Reset Your Taste Buds

I never thought I could reset my taste buds. I figured that what I liked, I liked and what I didn't like, I didn't like. So, when I was invited by a friend to partake in the Daniel Fast, my first reaction was that I needed to keep eating eggs and cheese during the fast. I just couldn’t imagine not adding eggs and cheese to certain dishes. My friend convinced me that I needed to do it as designed. Namely, whole food, plant-based and vegan, and I am so glad she did!

Yet even though I decided to do the Daniel Fast the way it was intended, I struggled in the very beginning with things not tasting the way I was accustomed to. I was so used to salty, sugary, and oily flavors in my food. Great news: I stayed the course and I’m happy to say I turned the corner! I started to really enjoy a new way of eating. Not giving up and pushing through with the help of prayer is what allowed me to get to the other side of my taste buds.

To reset your taste buds, you have to endure some unpleasantness for a short time

Sometimes our taste buds can work against us when we try to eat healthy. This happens because our palates have been hijacked. The addictive nature of sugar, oil, and salt leaves foods in their natural state struggling to get our attention. This is where the Daniel Fast can help you take back control of your palate, and ultimately your health. Eliminating processed and toxic foods from your diet for 4 weeks will give you the detox you need by resetting your taste buds to enjoy the flavors of real fresh food.

In the beginning your palate will trick you into believing the food you are eating is tasteless and undesirable. However, the key is sticking through the process for the whole 4 weeks. Giving your palate time to detox and recalibrate to your new foods. This is where the prayer and the devotional aspect of the fast becomes pivotal. Prayer is the key to help you work through the temptation of giving in when you are beginning the transition.

Our lives are extremely busy, and diet filled with foods packed with sugar, salt, and fat. So, jumping into a 4-week fast can feel intimidating, even overwhelming. This uncomfortable feeling of releasing the grip these foods have on us and devoting quality time to God brings me to my bigger question.

Putting your taste buds into perspective

Why would you let the taste of something prevent you from giving God 4 weeks to improve your spiritual and physical health, especially when there are so many benefits? You can develop a closer walk with God and simultaneously decrease your risk of chronic disease—or any ailment that can cripple you physically, emotionally, financially. You see, I was able to lose weight and lower my blood pressure within 4 weeks. Had I given in to the trick of my taste buds, I’d have forfeited the health benefits that have now changed my life forever. Even today I am still reaping the benefits of walking past my fears and sticking to the uncomfortable process of resetting my palate.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “But I want to enjoy the taste of my food! It makes me happy.” The truth is that God never designed food to control us, but to nourish us. The Daniel Fast releases this control, and gives us freedom through health.

Is eating hyperpalatable engineered foods that are making you sick really a solid long-term plan for happiness? Is eating foods that harm our bodies a way to bring glory to God? Do those 10 to 15 minutes of ‘palate pleasure’ a few times per day add up to true happiness? Knowing that God wants you healthy helps us overcome our deceptions about food.

Challenging your subconscious belief system about food

I know I’m challenging a longstanding, often subconscious belief system that has guided us through life. We've always thought, “If I don’t like it, I don’t eat it” and “If I like it, I eat it.”

Let’s weigh that against other values and God’s best. Like your purpose, or what you know you love about your life: your family, friends, a rewarding career, a connection to the community.

In Genesis 1:29 the Bible states:

Then God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Long-lived healthy populations help bring this scripture to light. They eat 7 to 10 servings of vegetables, 3 to 5 servings of fruits, and a cup of legumes, plus whole grains, daily. Perhaps you have not been even close to that because your subconscious belief system guides your daily food decisions.

Making a conscious choice to reset your taste buds

Now ask yourself: What can get in the way of me living out God’s purpose for my life… a long, rich life with those I love and care about most? If your health makes the Top Three of that list, then pause and challenge your belief system. You know you could benefit from eating more kale, lentils, and maybe even less eggs and dairy. You know that you’d benefit from far less calorically dense, saturated fat-rich foods—designed and marketed to make you salivate at the look and smell of them. The Daniel Fast can help you make a conscious choice to reset your taste buds, and your belief system too.

Check out these articles to learn more about how the Daniel Fast can help you manage stress, lower your blood pressure, and boost your immune system.

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Daniel Fast: Why You Should Only Do It Once

This Daniel Fast book will empower you to refuse the king’s diet. You will become a Daniel in your own life and a stronger, healthier version of yourself. Having your health means you can serve more, give more, and live out your calling with excellence.

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