The Dr. Josh Axe Show

Episode: These 3 Ancient Habits Are Secretly the Best Health Hacks
Date: September 8, 2025
Host: Dr. Josh Axe

Episode Overview

Dr. Josh Axe explores the transformative power of three ancient spiritual practices—fasting, communion, and prayer/meditation—not just as religious rituals but as profound health "hacks." He digs into both biblical and scientific perspectives, revealing how practices rooted in ancient traditions directly impact physical, mental, and emotional health today. The episode aims to inspire listeners to integrate these habits into their weekly rhythms for increased joy, purpose, and wellness.

Key Points & Insights

The Integral Role of Spiritual Health in Physical Well-being

• Spiritual growth and its impact: Dr. Axe emphasizes spiritual unwellness as "probably the single greatest area where people are lacking today" (03:53). He argues that over half of medical conditions may have roots in spiritual and emotional health, citing issues like shame, guilt, and moral failures (04:29).
• Meaningful growth: "If somebody is growing, getting better in life... it leads to a state of more fulfillment and joy versus if you are stagnant or go backwards... it tends to cause a level of depression and anxiety." (01:23, referencing Jordan Peterson)

Ancient Habit #1: Fasting

Biblical vs. Modern Fasting (08:46)

• Biblical practice: Fasting was a way to express repentance, clarity, spiritual connection, and to seek guidance for breakthrough. Major biblical figures (Moses, Jesus, Esther, Daniel) fasted ahead of pivotal life moments.
• Not just intermittent fasting: Most biblical fasting wasn’t daily intermittent fasting, but one or two days per week—usually Wednesdays and Fridays until 3 p.m.—following patterns found in the Didache, an early Christian text (12:01).
• Practical tip: Skip breakfast and lunch once a week, spending that time in prayer and meditation instead:

  "You're spending time with God in reading his Word, in praise, in prayer, in meditation, but you're... relying on God as your source and sacrificing those meals for God." (13:59)

Health Benefits of Fasting (21:02)

• Multiple studies confirm benefits:
  • Lowers blood pressure, blood sugar, and insulin resistance
  • Boosts autophagy, cellular renewal, and brain health (raises BDNF)
  • Promotes fat loss and increases human growth hormone (HGH)
  • Reduces inflammation (C-reactive protein)
  • "Fasting triggers the body's deep cleaning process called autophagy, which removes damaged cells and supports cell renewal..." (21:38)
• Customization is key: Fasting is beneficial but not ideal for everyone (eg. pregnant/nursing women, those with serious illness should abstain as early Christians did). Women should be cautious with daily intermittent fasting due to hormonal balance concerns (26:01).

Special Fasts: The Daniel Fast (18:16)

• Outline: 10 or 21 days, plant-based diet, abstaining from animal products, sweets, leavened breads, alcohol
• Proven effects: Significant reductions in oxidative stress, high in antioxidants and polyphenols if done correctly
• Dr. Axe’s advice:

  "I don't recommend abstaining from meat year round... however, for a 10 day or 21 day period, I think it can be fine for many people." (19:53)

Ancient Habit #2: Communion—The "Meal That Heals" (31:25)

• Meaning and origins: Communion is rooted in the Last Supper (Luke 22:19-20). Dr. Axe asserts that "things beyond our understanding, even supernatural, happen when we take communion" (33:27).
• Psychological and spiritual power:
  • Belief shapes outcomes ("If you believe a food is healthy for you, it will be healthier for you." 33:48)
  • Communion fosters spiritual nourishment, cleansing, renewal, and connection, both with Christ and a spiritual family
  • Obedience:

    "When you take communion, you reflect inwardly and connect outwardly with a larger spiritual family... This was all done for you specifically, and his brokenness leads to our healing and our wholeness." (35:45)

• Community and health:
  • Harvard's longevity studies highlighted social connection as the #1 factor for long, healthy lives (38:31)
  • Regular family/community meals are vital for resilience and well-being
• Communion as healing:

  "We would do this at home... as an act of healing for my spine or someone else for an injury or if we were praying for somebody." (42:38)

Ancient Habit #3: Prayer & Biblical Meditation (47:52)

The Science and Power of Prayer

• Measured benefits:
  • Activates parasympathetic ("rest & digest") system; calms stress and anxiety; improves mood and resilience (50:10)
  • Enhances compassion, self-discipline, and coping skills; 85% of hospitalized patients found healing prayers helpful (51:29)
• Relationship over ritual:

  "The reason why I lean towards the spirit of Protestantism is that relationship is put before ritual... Relationships should feed ritual, not ritual relationship." (54:33)

• Personal anecdote: Dr. Axe reveals formative experiences praying with his Protestant and Catholic grandparents, emphasizing love, presence, and relationship with God.

How to Pray: Practical Frameworks (58:45)

• Imagining God’s presence:
  • "Imagine Jesus sitting in a chair right next to you or on the bed... and he's got his hand on me." (59:56)
• Acronyms to guide prayer:
  • A.C.T.S. — Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (1:00:31)
  • P.R.A.Y. — Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield (1:01:47)
• Pray without ceasing:
  • "I have a practice where every morning... I pray. When I'm in my bed putting my 5 year old daughter now down to bed, I will pray for her and with her... also just throughout the day." (1:02:50)
  • Reference to Brother Lawrence’s Practicing the Presence—the art of continual, conversational prayer

Meditation: The Biblical Distinction (1:05:11)

• Contrast with secular/Eastern mindfulness:
  • "Eastern religions... tend to believe meditation is clearing your mind of everything... sometimes inviting whatever spiritual thing is in, which can actually be dangerous..." (1:06:27)
  • Biblical meditation: Focuses not on emptiness but on “meditating on God’s word,” internalizing and applying scripture, e.g., Psalm 1:2, 1 Corinthians 13 (1:08:12)
  • Results: Fosters love, joy, peace, resilience, and healing

  • "Biblical meditation, you are reading something in the Bible and you are meditating on those words and allowing it to fill you and transform who you are." (1:09:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On fasting for breakthrough:

  “If you’re looking for a life breakthrough somewhere, fasting biblically is probably the single greatest thing...” (12:40)

• On spirituality and physical health:

  “I believe over 50% of medical conditions... are [rooted in] spiritual unwellness...” (04:29)

• On the importance of family/community meals:

  "The number one factor in someone being healthy long term, having longevity was having a really strong sense of family and friend support." (38:31)

• On prayer vs. ritual:

  "It's a relationship. It's a relationship. It's a relationship. You are building a true relationship, like you and I have a relationship, like you have... with your mom." (56:14)

• On biblical meditation:

  "Modern mindfulness... is aimed at detachment or emptiness. But biblical meditation is about intentional connection with the divine." (1:09:40)

• On practical faith:

  "Try incorporating these rhythms into your week and notice how your health and your faith begins to flourish and change." (1:14:09)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:30 — Episode intro, purpose, impact of spiritual health
• 08:46 — Biblical fasting: origins, methods, Didache
• 18:16 — The Daniel Fast and its health benefits
• 21:02 — Scientific studies on fasting’s health impacts
• 26:01 — Fasting adjustments for women and health exceptions
• 31:25 — Communion: meaning, origins, and effects
• 38:31 — Community, social connection, and health data
• 47:52 — Attending religious services and long-term health outcomes
• 50:10 — Science of prayer: stress, healing, resilience
• 54:33 — Relationship over ritual in spiritual practice
• 58:45 — Practical prayer: ACTS & PRAY frameworks, personal anecdotes
• 1:05:11 — Meditation: biblical vs. secular; memorization and application
• 1:09:40 — Prayer, meditation, and healing; final encouragement

Conclusion

Dr. Josh Axe offers a compelling, holistic case for integrating ancient spiritual practices—fasting, communion, and prayer/meditation—into modern life, backed by both scripture and science. He reminds listeners that the roots of true wellbeing intertwine spiritual growth, relationship, and community. His advice is both practical and inspiring: incorporate just one of these habits each week and watch as your health—in every dimension—begins to flourish.