Food All Over

We are a few days into Lent, and I figured I better blog about it. :)

For Lent this year, I am participating in the Daniel Fast. It is based on Daniel chapter 1. Although one can choose the strictness of diet, I am going pretty hard core. I can only consume vegetables, fruit, beans and lentils, brown rice, whole wheat flour, and water. I have to read all labels to make sure there are no hidden sugars or chemicals which I can or cannot pronounce. I am allowing soy milk into the diet- not for drinking but as an additive to cooking certain meals. (I do want to stay healthy.) I am also going to drink coffee during my overnight shifts. I tried once without it, and that didn't work to well. Otherwise, I'm sticking to my fast/diet.

The first day was rough. I was hungry all day. However, I didn't have much time to cook meals, so I kind of scrounged for quick things to eat. That didn't really work. The second and third day were much better. I took the time to prepare a meal and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also bought whole wheat flour, so I can have some sort of bread like addition to my meals. (I was kind of surprised at how much bread I ate and used as a quick meal or addition to a meal. Boy, did I miss it quick.) :)

So now at the beginning of day 4, I feel I may have already realized an important lesson in this time of Lent. Before Lent, I would scrounge through the fridge and pantry to find the quickest thing to quench my hunger or craving whether or not it was particularly healthy was a second factor. After inhaling whatever I whipped up, I'd return to my project, my movie, or whatever else took my attention (if I had ever left it seeing as the tv is on wheels and I can turn it to face the kitchen/dining room). Now while I am preparing my meal, I have purposely left the tv off, so I am left alone with my thoughts and the food. And it has been so relaxing and freeing (even in washing the dishes afterwards). I have tried to think about God, myself with God, and an upcoming sermon because it is Lent, but even in the fact that I have allowed myself time to think has kind of opened my "eyes" to the rush that I put myself through every other day.

I am sure Lent will bring some struggles as I start really craving something quick or cheesy (no dairy til Easter), and I already have experienced some other bodily reactions. Yet as of day 4, I am grateful for this opportunity... which is kind of going hand in hand with a book that I am reading in a book club that I have recently begun/joined. The book is called Food and Faith: a theology of eating by Norman Wirzba. I am only on chapter 2, but I already recommend it. And my thoughts on that will be in another post. :)