“I’M FREE!! – I’m free.”
Pete Townsend rocked:
“And freedom tastes of reality
I’m free-I’m free
AN’ I’m waiting for you to follow me.”
I'm free for a set time.
What do these words, “I’m free,” have to do with “Intermittent fasting”? It all started when I lost my cell phone for two days. There was a beautiful freedom I haven’t experienced for a long time. If I wanted to reply I had to log in to SNS through my computer. This freedom gave my eyes and neck and whole body and soul the rest I needed. Now a week has past and I am longing for that rest again. The word intermittent just means “for some time”. People who practice intermittent fasting either fast for 16 hours of the day or they fast for a period of 24 hours once or twice a week or for two days a week lower the amount of calories dramatically to 500 or 600 calories per day and eat normal the other days. Research published by the NIH show benefits in metabolism getting the most out of the and increase in anti-oxidants that may reduce cancer and illness giving a boost to your immune system. (NIH source)
Effective Media Fasting:
Regardless of the effectiveness of intermittent fasting in eating habits I found intermittent media fasting to be very effective. This means to stop media for a certain amount of time each day or severely reduce for two days or cut completely for one day a week. For me the media was severely reduced for two days because I could not use my cell phone. This was not voluntary media fasting but forced by the situation. When I got the phone back I felt really good but about five days later I found myself desiring the fast again. From this experience I learned some of the do and do not’s of media fasting.
- Don’t expect it to happen naturally.
I was lucky in my first case because it just naturally happened but it never happened like that again. Media fasting has to be planed and followed out with discipline. Choose a portion of the day that the phone gets turned off or chose 24 hours in the week with no media or reduced media. It is even better if there is someone there to support you.
- Resist the temptation to use your cell phone as soon as you see the next person doing it.
This is the most difficult part. If a friend or family member is scrolling through their cell phone I start to drool from mouth thinking that I got to take out my phone.
- Remember this is temporary.
This is only intermittent. Fasting for a short period of time doesn’t mean you can you’re your friends. This is no excuse to neglect comments or keeping up with friends online. We just put it aside for a little later. This kind of fast is only for a short specific time. During this time we grow to know our friends even more through quiet meditation and spending quality time with our family and close friends off line. Then when we get back online we can give a more focused reply and support others on SNS when our head in the right place.
Love it More!!
I really love Steemit. I came here to find myself but sometimes I thought I was losing myself being sucked in. That's why short times off line are necessary for me. It may seem to be impossible to implement an intermittent media fast and keep Steeming on but if an exact time is set aside for fasting it can be possible. We will all rock together, “I’m free!” Can you remember the last time you were free from sitting at the computer and bending over the cell phone?
This poem sounds best with Keith Moon’s double bass drum:
I’M FREE – I’m free
Freedom from what been eating me
And I’m fee- I’m free
AN’ I’m waiting for you to follow me
I told you what it takes
to ditch that electron case.
You laugh and say, “What a disgrace.”
You’ve been told so many times before
Can’t put this off any more
No one has the guts to mute the cellphone.
I’M FREE – I’m free
Freedom from what's been eating me
And I’m fee- I’m free
AN’ I’m waiting for you to follow me