The Economic Case For Fasting

We all know fasting is an essential part of the Christian spiritual life. Our Lord noted that some demons are only driven out "with prayer and fasting" (Mt 17:21). Jesus himself fasted for forty days and nights in the desert without food (Mt 4:2) as spiritual preparation for his ministry. 

Catholics typically fast during the liturgical season of Lent to mirror this spiritual preparation of our Lord. The Church today prescribes a modest approach to fasting (2 half meals + 1 full meal, with no eating in between). For some this is a relatively pain-free endeavor, while others struggle with it more. We are typically used to eating whatever we want, when we want, and don't limit ourselves. Food is relatively cheap in the U.S. compared to a hundred years ago, when the food budget for the average American family was a higher percentage of take home pay (42% in 1900 vs 12% in 2003).

But with inflation running amuck, many families are starting to feel the pinch in their grocery budgets. It's hard not to get pissed off when you head to the grocery store and what cost you $150 a year ago is now topping $200. It's not imaginary, either. Food prices have risen over 11% from August 2021 to August 2022, according to the most recent Consumer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Additionally, credit card debt has surged to try to account for the increase in cost in just about everything, with balances increasing $46 billion in the second quarter of 2022--a 5.5% increase from the first quarter. The average Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for all accounts in the third quarter of 2022 was over 16%! And with interest rates rising (which, in turn, increases credit card APR), that means it's easier to fall prey to a cycle of debt which can feel impossible to get out of without drastic measures. 

While we're talking stats, though, consider this: in America, a whopping 42% of adults are obese. Forty-two percent. That's incredible. Whether this is because of the type of food consumed, or the amount, may be debated. But the fact is, we have more fat stored in our bodies than we really need or know to do with. 

As with many things, what's old is new. Could the ancient practice of fasting--limiting food intake and restricting it to certain times of day--be a potential solution to our flattened wallets and unhealthy weight problem? I think so.

I lost over ten pounds over a month and a half while I fasted regularly during Lent. Of course the spiritual benefits were there as well, but the weight lost was a bit of a bonus track too. The funny thing is that when you develop a more disciplined habit of when, how, and how much you eat, your stomach tends to shrink a little so that you don't require as much to be satiated. The types of food consumed can play into this as well. Foods high in fiber and protein tend to "stick" more than foods high in carbohydrates (especially sugars and other 'cheap' calories). 

We could take a tip from the developing world as well to help stretch our food dollars if we incorporated more rice, lentils, beans, whole grains, and fresh (or frozen) vegetables. If we cut out so-called "snack foods" that we take for granted in the U.S., and just focused on eating either three full meals (dialing it back to the point where we are still slightly hungry when we finish our meal), or even two half meals and one full meal or a variation of that, we could stem the difference between what we were spending a year ago on groceries and what it costs now.

It does take some discipline and a little planning and forethought, though. But don't say it's not possible. My breakfast most days consists of Paw-paws (a fruit native to our region that is like a mix of mango and banana) that I foraged and froze last year, mixed in with a quarter cup of rolled oats, a tablespoon of hemp seeds, and a pat of butter. Total cost is maybe a dime per serving. I will sometimes skip lunch, but when I do have it I will sometimes do chicken broth (saved from cooking a whole chicken in the instant pot). Recently I picked up eight, 5 lb packs of chicken drumsticks at Giant the other day for $1 each ($.20/pound) using an app called Flashfood ; this is just one example of somewhat out-of-the-box ways to save on groceries in the present challenging environment we live in. I froze seven of the eight packs, and made Filipino chicken adobo that evening with the remaining package. 

If you don't know how to cook, you can learn. Keep it simple, healthy, and cheap (those three qualities are not mutually exclusive either). Youtube is your friend. Channels like Clara's Kitchen (aka, Great Depression Cooking) as one example are easily accessible and a treat to watch. It's not rocket-science.

Skipping a meal here and there, or waiting til noon to eat (and not eating past, say, 6pm in the evening) teaches your body to burn fat and can shrink your stomach as well so that you don't require as much food to feel full. Most of us (myself included) eat out of boredom, from stress or habit, and often occurs when we don't really have to eat. 

Getting in the habit of fasting, beyond the spiritual benefits, trains your body to do without, so that it's not such a shock to the system when you are forced into a situation in which food is not available. With the war in Ukraine, inflation, and volatile supply chains, it might not be a bad idea to start learning to fast now since the future is unknown. I'm not fully there yet, but I'm working towards it being a regular thing as I'm probably carrying fifteen pounds at the moment that I don't really need. It's good discipline for body and soul, and fits, evolutionarily speaking, with how we were meant to eat (feast/famine cycle).

Worst comes to worst, you try it for a month and go back to your normal way of doing things after that; no harm no foul. But if it sticks, you may find the practice of fasting give you a spiritual, physical, mental, and economic advantage over others, and may just help stretch your budget in a way that gets you through this economic hump we seem to be going through lately.