I love Lent. This sounds odd with good reason. First, as I’ve mentioned before, with the exception of culinary traditions, I am areligious. Second, my birth religion was not Catholicism but even I know that Lent is a time of sacrifice. So why the love? I love Lent because I am a nutritionist and for a chunk of time each year my clients do not waiver in their commitments. They choose something to give up for some it’s sugar, for others alcohol or even taxis. Clients forego their area of sacrifice without need for a pep talk or modification or anything. Religion aside, I love this idea of giving up one thing. It’s not giving up all your favorite things, living on juices or canceling social plans. Its just one thing but one thing can make a difference.
Today is Ash Wednesday and I propose Lent For All. Your “church” is this blog (or your church if you’d prefer), the comment section is your written commitment and the criteria from my friend C (16 years of Catholic school backing her up) is that what you give up should be a challenge. For example, if you don’t eat cookies giving up cookies isn’t meaningful. Whatever you give up, you will skip for the duration of lent or 40 days until Easter, which is April 24th.
If you’re unsure what to give up, here are a few ideas:
Booze –if your alcohol intake is in double digits per week a vino vacation may be in order. Some clients go cold turkey (or sans wild turkey) and others skip alcohol during the week.
Eating After Dinner-we suggested a Dessert Detox in a recent post and have received terrific feedback.
Restaurant and Take Out Meals– no matter how you slice it restaurant meals are higher in salt and fat and cost more than home cooked meals. If you use your oven for storing clothes or have fewer than 5 ingredients in your refrigerator this would be a good one for you.
Meat- during lent Catholics skip meat of Fridays. I’ve received a few explanations for this tradition none of which made that much sense (as I said I’m not one for religion). While I’m so not a vegan, I do love cheese and eggs and fish, a month without beef and poultry would be doable.
Packaged food– even healthy eaters can consume their fair share of packaged food. From cold cereal to salad dressing there are many foods that aren’t horrible for you but aren’t healthy either. Skip all foods with more than a few ingredients. For example eggs in a package (or carton) are ok but pretzels are not.
Wheat- while may of us don’t suffer from celiac disease or even gluten intolerance, I hear from clients all the time that they feel better: fewer GI issues, improved skin and mood when wheat-less. In forty days you’ll have a sense whether wheat is an issue for you or not. Wheat includes bread, pasta, crackers, dumplings, breaded items, waffles, pancakes and flour tortillas.
Days off from Exercise-if your indulgence is the snooze button use the next 50 days as an excuse-free zone. Exercise daily for the duration of Lent. It doesn’t have to be an hour a day or super-intense but do something each day for 15 minutes or more.
Second Helpings– giving up sweets or bread is not for everyone. If you can’t bear the thought of parting with something for 40 days try changing how you eat. Whether it’s cookies or your dinner meal adopt the 1 plate rule. Denying yourself the second helping allows you to appreciate the first one.
Elevators– even if you workout regularly, there are many hours in the day most of us spend sedentary, tush to chair. Trade out elevators or escalators for stairs and you have the opportunity to seriously jack up your activity level. Automation isn’t an asset to the overweight.
Nuts or Cheese – these are two healthy foods that many people overeat. Whether you’re a nutaholic or a cheese lover call yourself on your habit, after all admitting you have a problem is the first step.
So, what’s it going to be? Pick your challenge of choice and we’ll do this together. One more thing C suggested during my Lent lesion. She said, “during Lent, I make more of an effort (this is where I sound like a born-again) to act more “Christian”, kinder, tolerant, giving, more forgiving.” Regardless of religion, that’s not a bad idea either.
What do you think of Lent for all? Catholic or not, do you see yourself giving anything up? Is it guilt, why do you think some people can do things in the name of religion we wouldn’t otherwise?
Lauren, you must have been reading my mind because I woke up thinking I still haven't picked what to give up for lent. I can't say I stick to Lent every year, but as a product of the Catholic school education system I feel guilted into it. One year I gave up diet soda and afterward I didn't really ever go back to it so I agree it can be a great time for anyone to change some habits. Although I don't eat a ton of packaged/processed foods, there are a few still lingering around in my diet that I have been wanting to get rid of. May as well start today.
Melissa would love for you to try no packaged foods and report back how its going. Imagine how great you'd feel. Tempted to do it with you.
Lauren, I'm not religious either, but I was considering giving up something for lent, too – and I think it's going to be dessert.
I think I already made it pretty public – dessert! I'll keep you updated on my progress.
I consider myself a cultural Catholic — raised in Catholic schools in a very Catholic family, but not a believer since about 8th grade. Lent has always been a big deal in my family, and my parents always wanted us to sacrifice something and do something affirmative. So my sacrifice this year will be no seconds and only two restaurant meals a week (one breakfast and one dinner). My affirmative action will be to volunteer at the North Texas Food Bank.
Here's the meat-free explanation I've always heard — in the 1600s fish mongers were losing money and business, so they asked the government (at the time, The Church) to help their businesses. The Church, not opposed to making rules willy-nilly, proclaimed that there would be no meat on Fridays year-round as a form of sacrifice. So, Catholics didn't eat meat on Fridays from the 1600's until the mid 1960s. After the Vatican II reforms in the 1960s, Catholics could eat meat on Fridays except for Lent and in my grandmother's house. I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong. My theology teachers in Catholic school weren't that great.
The more you know…
your funny looking forward to your vlog I have done a bunch now 🙂
Love it. I follow the same religion as you do. Whatever gets people motivated and down that path of wellness, so be it
For lent, I'm giving up excuses.
I have never given anything up for lent because I'm not catholic but I serously considered it this year for all the reasons you mentioned. While I do feel we need to call it something other than Lent (bc if you give it up for lent it should be for a religious purpose) but maybe like a spring cleaning of sort for 40 days. I really have to consider what I would be willing to give up. DEssert?
Lauren, I'm not religious either…but I like your idea of giving up one thing to welcome the coming Spring. ;-))
Healthy Apron, I checked with "C" before writing and she said ok to call it lent but I know what you mean.
i don't give up things for lent because i abstain from anything catholic after living it for 25ish years. if i were to give anything up it would be facebook or the bachelor, dusting, or doing laundry. 😉
(btw, did you see my FB status about homemade oreos? i only had one, though i've thought about dozens…)
You know what is horrible, I am Catholic and I haven't thought about what I want to give up for Lent. I didn't even go to church.
I am liking some of your suggestions…especially the packaged foods. I have been trying to eat and drink mostly whole foods. I generally don't do a lot of processed foods but will in a pinch.
i am a Christian but not Catholic, so Lent has never been something i've taken part in. (i don't even know too much about it.) but i do think "giving up" something for a greater reason (not just to fit into your jeans) makes you SO much more successful at it, ya know?
OK, so I'm not giving anything up, but if I were To give up something from your list, it would be either dessert after dinner (usually a square of chocolate or a couple spoonfuls of ice cream-just a little something sweet) OR cheese-2 things I don't eat a ton of, but thoroughly enjoy! I do know firsthand, having given up gluten 3 years ago, that it is possible to give something up if you really want to. The bread basket at restaurants doesn't even tempt me at all anymore. I suppose cheese and dessert would be the same things, but, no, I'm not giving them up 🙂
I've made you an honorary Catholic because you do Lent so well :-). Seriously, I eat no meat at all during Lent. For me that is a real sacrifice. I'm already counting the days to Easter Sunday. Have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Honestly I do not see myself giving anything up. Every time I put myself in a frame of mind where I CAN'T have something, I start making terrible choices in other areas, or I start to obsess about that thing I can't have. It's just not good for me. I am giving up, giving up things and working on balance and moderation.
This is great motivation! even though i am not religious, I gave up being negative at work and HFCS last year. Really helped me put things into perspective and helped me lose weight… This year I'm going to abstain from the wheat. See what happens with that. always wanted to do that for my personal life. Will be hard at work because i have to taste everything. blergh!
Carrie I wanted to respond to you as the reason I like the lent idea is not to push deprivation buttons. I have clients giving up plastic water bottles or their afternoon latte ($ and caffeine) or buying food they don't use (less waste). So maybe if you see it as a time to strive for something vrs being deprived the framing will help. Great ideas HFCS etc mentioned here.
On another note, I inadvertently gave up Splenda in my morning coffee and its working just fine! Maybe because its not like this HUGE change?
This Lent I am Vegan and Sugar Free.
Like you, I LOVE lent.
You are right! nothing like a non catholic lens! in the other hand what an hilarious food!