Daniel Fast - wikipedia Daniel Fast The Daniel Fast is a spiritually motivated diet based on the Biblical Book of Daniel, and commonly refers to a 10 - or 21 - day abstinence from foods declared unclean by God in the Laws of Moses. The passage in Chapter 10 : 2 - 3 may refer to a classical three week fast during a period of mourning ; therefore, the modern Daniel Fast is most often followed for 21 days. Contents 1 Description 2 Scriptural basis 3 Modern practice 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Description According to those who encourage this form of fasting, the aim is to refrain from eating what are described in Daniel as `` royal foods '' including meats, leavened and sweet bread, and wine. Instead, the diet consists only of `` pulses '' and water. `` Pulses '' in this context is often taken as `` food grown from seed '', including fruit, vegetables or lentils. `` Vegetables '' is used instead of `` pulses '' in some translations. However, it is not explicitly stated that the refraining from these foods by Daniel was a fast. Scriptural basis The Biblical narrative is set in Babylon, where Daniel, three friends, and fellow captives have been brought for education and military training. King Nebuchadnezzar II honors them by offering luxurious royal food, hoping to encourage their development. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king 's delicacies, which used meat ritually sacrificed to Babylonian gods. Daniel refuses to eat foods forbidden by God, and instead asks for pulses and water. The guard charged with their care expresses concern for their health, so Daniel requests a short test of the diet. For 10 days, they are permitted to eat just vegetables, and at the end, the guard is surprised at their good personal appearance and physical and mental health, compared to those who had indulged in the royal foods. Therefore, Daniel and his friends are permitted to eat whole plant foods for the duration of their training. After continuing with the diet during three years of training, they are judged by the king to be mentally superior. `` And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. '' Although, the issue of fast is debatable. Daniel remained a vegetarian in Persia and Babylon as the meat were not slaughtered according to Mosaic Law and that royal officials were not familiar with Jewish dietary law. Modern practice In modern versions of the Daniel Fast, food choices may be limited to whole grains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts, seeds and oil. The Daniel Fast prescribes the vegan diet in that it excludes the consumption of animal products. The diet also excludes processed foods, additives, preservatives, flavorings, sweeteners, caffeine, alcohol, and products made with white flours. Ellen G. White states that the example of Daniel demonstrates that `` a strict compliance with the requirements of God is beneficial to the health of body and mind. '' See also Bible Diet Christian dietary laws Christian vegetarianism Kashrut Veganism Vegetarianism and religion References ^ Jump up to : Bloomer, Richard J ; Mohammad M Kabir ; Robert E Canale ; John F Trepanowski ; Kate E Marshall ; Tyler M Farney ; Kelley G Hammond ( 2010 ). `` Effect of a 21 day Daniel Fast on metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk factors in men and women '' ( PDF ). Lipids in Health and Disease. 9 : 94. doi : 10.1186 / 1476 - 511X - 9 - 94. PMC 2941756. PMID 20815907. ^ Jump up to : Hobbs, Caitlin S ( Dec 12, 2012 ). `` Three Dimensional Nutrition : Exploring nourishment of spirit, mind, and body during a 28 - day Daniel Fast at Southern Adventist University ''. Senior Research Papers. Paper 163. ^ Jump up to : White, Ellen G ( 1938 ). Counsels on Diet and Foods ( PDF ). ePub for The Ellen G. White Estate. Jump up ^ Bloomer, Richard J ; Mohammad M Kabir ; John F Trepanowski ; Robert E Canale ; Tyler M Farney ( 2011 ). `` A 21 day Daniel Fast improves selected biomarkers of antioxidant status and oxidative stress in men and women '' ( PDF ). Nutrition & Metabolism. 8 : 17. doi : 10.1186 / 1743 - 7075 - 8 - 17. External links Ultimate Daniel Fast Website The Daniel Fast website The Daniel Fast blog Veganism and vegetarianism Perspectives Veganism Animal - free agriculture Fruitarianism History Juice fasting Low - carbon diet Raw veganism Nutrition Vegan organic gardening Vegetarianism Economic vegetarianism Environmental vegetarianism History Lacto vegetarianism Ovo vegetarianism Ovo - lacto vegetarianism Cuisine Vegetarian Diet Pyramid Ecofeminism Nutrition By country Semi-vegetarianism Macrobiotic diet Pescetarianism Lists Vegans Vegetarians Vegetarian festivals Vegetarian organizations Vegetarian restaurants Ethics Secular Animal rights Animal welfare Carnism Deep ecology Environmental vegetarianism Ethics of eating meat Meat paradox Nonviolence Speciesism Tirukkural Religious Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Sattvic Ahimsa Jainism Judaism Pythagorean diet Rastafari Sikhism Food, drink Agar Agave nectar Meat analogue List of meat substitutes Miso Mochi Mock duck Nutritional yeast Plant cream Plant milk Quinoa Quorn Seitan Soy yogurt Tempeh Tofu Tofurkey Cheese Hot dog Vegetarian mark Sausage Beer Wine Veggie burger Groups, events, companies Vegan American Vegan Society Beauty Without Cruelty Food Empowerment Project Go Vegan Movement for Compassionate Living Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Plamil Foods Vegan Awareness Foundation Vegan flag Vegan Ireland Vegan Outreach Vegan Prisoners Support Group The Vegan Society Veganz World Vegan Day Vegetarian American Vegetarian Party Boston Vegetarian Society Christian Vegetarian Association European Vegetarian Union Hare Krishna Food for Life International Vegetarian Union Jewish Veg Linda McCartney Foods Meat - free days Meatless Monday Swissveg Toronto Vegetarian Association Vegetarian Society Vegetarian Society ( Singapore ) Veggie Pride Viva ! Health World Esperantist Vegetarian Association World Vegetarian Day Books, reports Thirty - nine Reasons Why I Am a Vegetarian ( 1903 ) The Benefits of Vegetarianism ( 1927 ) Diet for a Small Planet ( 1971 ) Moosewood Cookbook ( 1977 ) Fit for Life ( 1985 ) Diet for a New America ( 1987 ) The China Study ( 2004 ) Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People ( 2005 ) Skinny Bitch ( 2005 ) Livestock 's Long Shadow ( 2006 ) Eating Animals ( 2009 ) The Kind Diet ( 2009 ) Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows ( 2009 ) Eat & Run ( 2012 ) Meat Atlas ( annual ) Films Meet Your Meat ( 2002 ) Peaceable Kingdom ( 2004 ) Earthlings ( 2005 ) A Sacred Duty ( 2007 ) Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead ( 2010 ) Planeat ( 2010 ) Forks Over Knives ( 2011 ) Vegucated ( 2011 ) Live and Let Live ( 2013 ) Cowspiracy ( 2014 ) What the Health ( 2017 ) Carnage ( 2017 ) Magazines Naked Food Vegetarian Times VegNews Physicians, academics Neal D. Barnard Rynn Berry T. Colin Campbell Caldwell Esselstyn Gary L. Francione Joel Fuhrman Michael Greger Melanie Joy Michael Klaper John A. McDougall Reed Mangels Dean Ornish Richard H. Schwartz Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Fast&oldid=811302167 '' Categories : Hebrew Bible in popular culture Diets Fasting Hidden categories : All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from May 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 20 November 2017, at 19 : 39. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: why do they call it the daniel fast
Answer: based on the Biblical Book of Daniel