Fasting until Ash Wednesday – reinvent yourself

Wild partying, joyful feasting, and often plenty of alcohol – that’s what carnival season means for many. When the season ends on Ash Wednesday, we’ve put a lot...

Wild partying, joyful feasting, and often plenty of alcohol – that’s what carnival season means for many. When the season ends on Ash Wednesday, we’ve put a lot of strain on our bodies, and many wish for a way to do something good for themselves in return. Have you ever thought about a fresh start from Ash Wednesday? Consciously giving up certain foods can give us a pleasant feeling and lead to a more mindful approach to our diet.

Hildegards Tipp:

A Set of 7 Popular Products for Fasting
A recipe based on 800 years of monastic knowledge
Used by 4,000 alternative practitioners
The Best in Natural Medicine: Organic & Vegan

Mindful eating: Fasting after Ash Wednesday

Fasting is a long-standing tradition that has a place in every world religion. Exactly 46 days before Easter Sunday, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in the Christian church. Since Sundays are exempt from fasting, we end up with a total of 40 fasting days. In the past, it was strictly defined what was to be given up during Lent – today, we are much more flexible. Some fast from their smartphones, others from sweets or alcohol.

Others choose to ride a bike instead of driving, avoid plastic, or give up meat. Fasting for the environment, so to speak. Meanwhile, cycling also has undeniable positive effects on the body.

Hildegard of Bingen strongly advocated for alkaline fasting in her time. This type of fasting is based on avoiding acid-forming foods and is meant to bring the physical and the spiritual back into harmony. When the carnival season ends on the night before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent is signaled, it’s the perfect time to begin alkaline fasting.

Attack the fat – on the hips

However, fasting should not be understood as a diet. It is rather a time of reflection in which we try new things and get to know ourselves and our bodies better. At the same time, we practice willpower. The fact that a few grams might drop due to reduced calorie intake and switching to more digestible foods will probably please some.

The goal of alkaline fasting is to eat more consciously. So – away with junk food and its unhealthy additives, away with excessive sugar as well as alcohol and cigarettes. All of this is too much of a burden. True to the motto "you are what you eat," avoiding these things combined with switching to healthier foods is essential.

“A new me” starting Ash Wednesday – and what am I allowed to eat then?

The question cannot be answered generally because the answer depends on your individual situation and your fasting goals. You might want to avoid certain foods for the entire 40 days, or you might want to eat very low-calorie.

Basically, alkaline fasting is about avoiding foods and indulgences that stimulate acid formation in the body.

Additionally, some choose to completely avoid carbohydrates during alkaline fasting, starting Ash Wednesday. This means side dishes like potatoes, rice, and pasta are excluded, as well as good whole grain bread and spelt flakes.

In addition, you mainly avoid:

Nicotine
Wheat products
Sweets, potato chips, and
Processed foods
Meat, milk, and dairy products
Alcohol and coffee

That doesn't sound very varied at first? We promise you that you can create a lot, especially from vegetables! There are numerous soup, vegetable pan, and vegetable casserole recipes – just get inspired by the internet and our Hildegard von Bingen books. You can make fine fruit salads and smoothies from fruit. And even the classic salad is so diverse thanks to a wide variety of types that everyone can find something to their taste.

On the other hand, you can enjoy many other treats without guilt, especially:

Fruit
Vegetables
Salad
Nuts, kernels, and seeds
Herbs

The most important thing in alkaline fasting is one thing: drink! Switch to water and unsweetened herbal tea. We offer various spices and teas that are suitable for alkaline fasting according to the nutritional teachings of Hildegard von Bingen. You should consume at least two to three liters of fluids per day. Soups also help to maintain fluid balance.

How long should you do alkaline fasting?

That is up to you! You can give up certain foods for one day, a whole week, or the entire fasting period until Easter Sunday. Your willpower is especially required here! Alkaline fasting according to Hildegard von Bingen lasts seven to ten days. This is a pleasant period that we recommend.

But remember that a one-sided diet is unhealthy for the body in the long run, as it can lead to deficiencies. If you want to drastically change your diet or significantly reduce calorie intake for more than three days, Be sure to discuss this plan with your doctor or naturopath. You should never go below 1200 kcal per day without medical supervision.

Why do we fast? Christian fasting

The reasons for fasting vary from person to person and from religion to religion. Mainly, it is about giving up certain things that we use or consume daily, which do not necessarily have to be food.

In Christianity, after Jesus as a role model fasted. He withdrew for 40 days in the desert went back and prayed while abstaining from food and drink. His goal was to Getting closer to God. Translated to today's time, it means: switch off, live more consciously, rethink habitual patterns.

Use the time from Ash Wednesday to draw conclusions about your eating habits. Among all the fruits and vegetables you consume during Lent, there are surely some varieties you would like to bring to your table more often from now on. And is it really that hard to give up sweets and excessive amounts of meat?

After Ash Wednesday, try to limit your consumption of these two types of food in the future. Of course, you don't have to give them up completely, but even a conscious and occasional enjoyment relieves your body – and even the environment.

Buddhism always seeks a middle way and rejects extremes like starvation and gluttony. Therefore, it views fasting less strictly than other religions. Buddhist monks sometimes fast from noon to better meditate.

In Islam, fasting is one of the five pillars, a divine commandment, and is observed during the fasting month of Ramadan. It is the ninth month according to the Islamic lunar calendar. Between sunrise and sunset, no eating, drinking, or smoking takes place. In the evening, family and friends gather to break the fast – a beautiful bond for the community.

Jews fast on significant and often tragic days for Judaism. The most well-known is probably Yom Kippur, the great day of atonement and fasting. They also abstain from eating, drinking, and smoking. On Yom Kippur, washing is additionally avoided and work is stopped. Fasting is not strictly prescribed on new moon evenings, one’s own wedding day, or the death anniversary of parents.

Want to try new experiences starting Ash Wednesday?

Fasting has long lost its purely religious character and can especially in a hectic, modern everyday life lead to calm and reflection. With alkaline fasting, you may find a whole new perspective on your diet, do something good for your mind, and maybe even shed a few pounds.

We wish you much success!

Looking for more support based on the teachings of Hildegard of Bingen? Then take a look at Bitterkraft and our precious stones!

About the author Dr. Markus Numberger

Our author Dr. Markus Numberger earned his PhD in molecular neurobiology in 1992 and conducted research with Nobel laureate Bert Sakmann. He has worked in publishing, at the Charité hospital, and for Dr. Willmar Schwabe. Since 2014, he has been a freelance medical writer for online and print media.

Learn more about this author here .