Why No Herbal Tea on Daniel Fast?
The Daniel Fast is a popular Bible-based diet and spiritual fasting plan, and it involves abstaining from certain foods such as processed sugars and fats, any form of animal protein, and caffeine. But the Daniel Fast diet also excludes herbal tea. This might surprise many people, since tea is considered by some to be a healthy, natural drink. But why don’t herbs and tea feature in a health-focused Christian diet?
What Is the Daniel Fast?
The Daniel Fast is based off the biblical story of Daniel of the Old Testament. He is said to have focused on eating vegetables, fruit, whole grains and drank only water during a period of fasting and prayer. The modern-day interpretation of the Daniel Fast is a diet composed primarily of unprocessed, natural foods and ingredients, such as:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Legumes, nuts and seeds
- Healthy fats
The Daniel Fast also eliminates all animal-based proteins, sweeteners, artificial ingredients, and processed foods. In addition, the diet only allows beverages like water, juice and broth.
No Herbal Tea Allowed on Daniel Fast
While it may seem as if herbal tea would be an ideal choice for an all-natural diet, it is excluded from the Daniel Fast due to its caffeine content. Even though herbal teas are classified as a beverage, most herbal tea products contain some amount of caffeine. While the amount is generally less than coffee, it is still high enough to be excluded from the Daniel Fast.
Conclusion
Although the purpose of the Daniel Fast is to look inward and stay focused on prayer and meditation, the diet itself serves to help remove foods with ingredients that could potentially be harmful to the body. Herbal tea, while often considered to be a beneficial and natural drink, is high in caffeine and thus excluded from the all-natural Daniel Fast. Caffeine is an ingredient that can prevent spiritual growth and lead to physical issues like insomnia – counter to what the Daniel Fast is meant to achieve.
