God’s Fasting Plan

BEYOND THE LECTIONARY

Ah, it’s Lent, when a sinner’s fancy turns to fasting. Yet, many people today fast throughout the year, not just during Lent. They do so, however, only intermittently. Good idea?

With the beginning of Lent comes an annual focus on fasting. It’s something we Christians know we should do, but it’s also arguably the most neglected spiritual discipline. While we might talk about what we’re “giving up for Lent,” we’re a lot more reticent to engage in fasting as a regular discipline alongside prayer and reading Scripture. But recent studies have shown that while fasting is demanding, it’s also a pretty good thing to do on a regular basis — not only for your spiritual life but for your body as well.

The practice of intermittent fasting is one of the latest health trends practiced by people looking to lose weight and increase well-being. In fact, short-term fasting on a regular basis (a couple of times a week) seems to actually change your body in a lot of positive ways. It increases human growth hormone, for example, which contributes to both weight loss and muscle gain. It improves insulin levels, repairs cells and...