Popular author to begin “Seek and Find” Fast for 2012

(Nashville, TN) --Author and nutrition expert Kristen Feola is launching a “Seek and Find” fast this month, inviting her over 30,000 monthly website visitors to participate with her in the Daniel Fast on which her book, The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast (Zondervan), is based. In addition to utilizing recipes from her book, Feola will be introducing new recipes along with multimedia tools such as cooking videos to assist others in the fasting process.

“We chose the theme ‘Seek and Find’ because the word Seek means ‘to go in search or quest of,’” says Feola. “We want to persuade people to go forward and commit to a Daniel Fast for the upcoming year so that they can know the Lord in a deeper way.”

The Daniel Fast, which is typically a 21-day fast, is based upon accounts of Daniel’s fasting experiences as recorded in the Bible. The book of Daniel records that after receiving a disturbing vision from God, Daniel entered into a state of mourning, or fasting. The Bible says that he ate no choice food and had no meat or wine for three weeks (chapter 10:2-3). Most commentaries agree that such desirable foods probably included bread and sweets. The English Standard Version of Daniel 10:3 says, “I ate no delicacies,” and another translation puts it this way: “I did not eat any tasty food (10:3 NASB).” It is believed that Daniel ate simple foods, taking in only what was necessary for physical sustenance.

“The goal on the Daniel Fast is not to duplicate Daniel’s menu, but to imitate the spirit in which he sought the Lord,” Feola says. “His passion for God caused him to long for spiritual food more than physical food, which should be the ultimate desire of anyone choosing to participate in a fast.”

Foods that are allowed on the Daniel Fast are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and oils. Foods to be avoided include dairy, meat, sugar, all forms of sweeteners, yeast, refined and processed foods, deep-fried foods, and solid fats. Since the Daniel Fast includes solid food, it is much less intimidating than a liquid-only fast, resulting in a greater success for people.  Additionally, Feola cites several health benefits of fasting. 
“Fasting gives your body much-needed rest as it cleanses your body of chemicals and harmful ingredients,” says Feola. “It also gives your body a chance to repair itself. Studies have shown that fasting decreases the risk of a variety of conditions including cancer and autoimmune diseases. And lastly, fasting enables a person to break destructive eating habits and retrain the body to resist certain destructive cravi ngs.”

Zondervan released the Spanish version of Feola’s book last month, coinciding with the recent commitment by the Spanish Evangelical Products Association to begin the New Year with fasting and prayer. When it was originally released, The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast became a top 50 best-seller on the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) list.  Today, it remains in the top 50 best-selling books on Amazon under "Christian Living" and a top 15 best-seller on their "Cooking, Food & Wine" list.

Feola has worked as a personal trainer, nutritional consultant, First Place 4 Health leader, Moms in Touch leader, and fitness instructor. Kristen lives in Springfield, Missouri with her husband, Justin, and her two daughters. Her website address is www.UltimateDanielFast.com.