How periodic fasting has led me to reflect about my choices

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with fasting. Not everyone will have the same response to it. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a fasting practice.

Challenging myself has often been a double-edged sword. If I push too far, I end up with crisis pain from my sickle cell disease. If I push myself just enough, though, I’ll have the opportunity for growth and development. Living this way can be scary because the outcome is unpredictable.

While tackling these challenges, I’ve been grounded by my faith. During my most difficult times in the hospital, I often questioned why I was made this way, having to live with sickle cell. A crisis wasn’t just a pain episode; it was a crisis of my identity and core beliefs. I now have a more positive outlook, with lots of guidance from counselors and spiritual advisers.

In delving deeper into my faith, I’ve been challenging myself to fast. Fasting is common in many cultures, circles of belief, and medical practices. When my church would mention fasting, I’d rule myself out because of my sickle cell. I felt the practice was out of bounds because of my health, and I didn’t want to risk a negative outcome.

Over the past year, however, I’ve been dabbling with fasting. I started doing it for six hours for a couple of days, and then I tried to extend it even further. Slowly and surely, I began to realize that fasting was something I could do if I put my mind to it. In July, I fasted every Monday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. I learned a lot about myself during this period.

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Excuses

I sometimes make excuses for myself because I have sickle cell, and that applied to fasting. My decision not to fast wasn’t based on hard evidence, though a 2023 study found that intermittent fasting didn’t appear to affect the likelihood of a crisis. I’d just made an assumption because of how my condition affects me. I’d never had a crisis from fasting, but the fear of one stopped me from trying.

I don’t particularly appreciate when people make excuses for me because of my condition. Yet all this time, I’d been using my condition as a barrier keeping me from making new choices. This realization made me evaluate the times I’d said no or held back on an action out of my fear of a crisis. In the future, I promise to try to investigate new choices.

Discipline

Fasting takes discipline. I like food, and the fridge is my most visited household item. Even when fasting, I visit the refrigerator often, but then catch myself and refocus on what’s important. I realized how much I was at the mercy of my body’s instructions. Hunger normally means eating, but fasting was an opportunity to break patterns.

Finding discipline in this area encouraged discipline in other areas of my life. I went to the gym regularly, took my supplements, and ate well and healthily when a fast was complete. From discipline came structure and stability, which in turn centered me. I’ll continue to stay disciplined in my fasting routine.

Focus

Many changes are happening in my life at the moment: a promotion at work, new travel plans, and new financial goals. I want to do so much with the time I have. The world is so fast and encourages doing everything quickly. It’s so easy to get swept away with all the noise, trying to keep up.

Fasting gave me time to focus on what’s dear to me, as well as an opportunity to reflect on my choices. A lot of what I want to achieve takes time, and with a chronic condition, probably more time, but that’s OK. My journey has been unique. I’ll focus on myself and not others.

Challenge

I’m experiencing a good stretch of health, and I’m grateful for this period. To maintain it, however, I must remember that fear doesn’t help me achieve it. A stretch like mine comes from constantly trying to improve my physical, mental, and spiritual health.

The challenge now is to keep pushing myself for more growth and development. I’m learning more about myself and my body’s limits every day. If I say no to something new too quickly, I must pause and ask myself why.

Note: Sickle Cell Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Sickle Cell Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sickle cell disease.