F A S T I N G

Forty Hours

When my children were in high school, they participated in forty hours famine program.  They went without food to do fundraising for less fortunate people.  I did join them for a few occasions to support my children so they could do it properly, and it was also a good experience for me too.

The forty hours famine is one of Australian’s most significant community awareness and youth fundraising events.  It is a powerful and meaningful –way that Australian can experience what life is like for Children who have to go without. Every. Single. Day.

The forty hours famine is a chance to do something real by giving up food or something else that really matters to you for forty hours, you can raise fun for kids living in poverty overseas.  (World Vision 40hr Famine)

I am so pleased that young people have a lot of awareness about helping others by giving up food for forty hours, it is an experience that we all need to have to go without food, especially a country like Australia.

I do fasting for different reasons, but I use the format of the forty hours famine weekend: the last meal is 8 pm on Friday to 12 Am Sunday.  I have done it for a few times in the past years.

My reasons:  Giving the body a rest, from eating fatty food, good/bad food, healthy food, and a lot of it.   I have been abusing my body severely.   And also I like the experience of going without food that you love within the time frame.  It is important to me that I can learn to accept the feeling of hunger with a better spirit.   I have started the fasting from Monday night at 10Pm (I had a late supper) so the day and time for me to be able to take some food are today Wednesday at 2 o’clock this afternoon.

It has been great though because I allowed myself to have drinks (coffee or tea) and some barley sugars.  I have not been eating solid food on Monday night.  I do believe that fasting this way is suitable for everyone at any time.  Just give the body a break, let it relax a little.  It is not recommended for someone who is a diabetic, or someone who is not in good health, of course.

After fasting, usually, I am more energetic and less lethargic.  That is a great bonus.

I did the gardening today; I worked hard for my Cymbidium orchids.   I am so pleased now that my orchids are clean and also dressed very well (I put extra barks, snails pellets around them).   I did about a third of my collections.

At two o’clock, I stopped for a while; I felt triumph that I managed the forty hours fasting successfully.  I had a drink of water, and I must have my soup.  I ate my soup at half past three, and I am pleased about myself.  I am sharing the soup recipe, I do hope you will try to join the forty hours famine too.

Recipe to share

Soup After the Fasting:

Sayur Bening- Fresh Clear Vegetables Soup (Javanese Style)

Boil about  2 litres of water in a cooking pot
Add in 1tablespoon slice onion, 1 tablespoon sugar,  salt and sliced ginger
Bring to a boil, add in spinach or chopped cabbage, carrots and continue cooking until the veg is softened (any vegetables you like)
Add in some lemon, or lime juice at the last minutes.

Clear  Vegetable  Soup

The colour is pinkish because of the red cabbage

The Ingredients.

 40 Hours Famine Weekend for 2011

8 PM Friday 19 August to

12 PM Sunday 21 August

(World Vision)

 Happy Fasting, and enjoy to Cook the Soup too!.

Susy