Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of my favourite time of the liturgical year. In the past I have experienced this ability to achieve my Lenten goals which for some reason I am unable to stick to during the year.
So there are three pillars of lenten grace - prayer, fasting and alms giving. I like to use the Lenten period of fasting to fast from habits that I would like to get rid off permanently and take up a better or newer habit in its place. In the past, I have given up the habit of being unpunctual and instead worked on being more mindful of how I use my time. I gave up checking Facebook when at work and managed to complete writing a major portion of my thesis.
This year I am going to use this period of Lent to acquire a lifestyle change of going vegan - following this plant based lifestyle that incorporates more plants in the diet. I need to reduce my weight and different combinations of exercise and diet do not seem to do the trick and hence I feel like I need to stick to a more rigorous plan. I have been reading books by Dr. Furhman and Forks over Knives for a while now but thought it was insane to actually follow the guidelines suggested in the books. Growing up eating meat and fish and all the other sugar based treats and desserts it seems so difficult to follow something that cuts out added sugar and oil and meat completely. Not to mention does not allow processed foods, including flour and breads and milk.
I have rated the foods that I could live without but just can't find the courage to say "no" forever to some of the foods that I grew up eating - Goan pork sausages, rechad bangda (mackeral), prawn curry, desserts like bebinca and dosh and not to mention my cup of chai with milk and sugar boiled with tea leaves. Well one of the motivations for this lifestyle intervention is because my dad and his mother before that had diabetes. My last annual visit to the doctor showed heightened levels of blood glucose and the doctor suggested intervention in terms of insulin if I don't do something about this.
This was in June 2016. I have not been to the doctor since then and have not committed full time to changing my diet either! I would go on for a week and revert to eating meat and processed foods over the weekend. I really need this period of grace to take control over my life. Not caring for the body given to me by God is also a sin - and I choose to feed my body healthy and non-fattening food.
I need to keep reminding myself that this is not a diet but a lifestyle change. There are people eating like this all year round. I what they plan to do for lent?
I know of people who do not buy food that is sold in plastic wrappings what cannot be recycled - this would mean that they forgo foods that are always sold in plastic.
Lifestyle changes can result in making choices that are akin to practicing some form of ascetic or religious lifestyle.
So here I am on day one of my transformation journey - I have downloaded the diabetes reversal book by Dr. Furhman for 20 days which I plan to follow for the 40 days of Lent. Dear Lord, please help me experience your grace and presence during this time of my transformation.
So there are three pillars of lenten grace - prayer, fasting and alms giving. I like to use the Lenten period of fasting to fast from habits that I would like to get rid off permanently and take up a better or newer habit in its place. In the past, I have given up the habit of being unpunctual and instead worked on being more mindful of how I use my time. I gave up checking Facebook when at work and managed to complete writing a major portion of my thesis.
This year I am going to use this period of Lent to acquire a lifestyle change of going vegan - following this plant based lifestyle that incorporates more plants in the diet. I need to reduce my weight and different combinations of exercise and diet do not seem to do the trick and hence I feel like I need to stick to a more rigorous plan. I have been reading books by Dr. Furhman and Forks over Knives for a while now but thought it was insane to actually follow the guidelines suggested in the books. Growing up eating meat and fish and all the other sugar based treats and desserts it seems so difficult to follow something that cuts out added sugar and oil and meat completely. Not to mention does not allow processed foods, including flour and breads and milk.
I have rated the foods that I could live without but just can't find the courage to say "no" forever to some of the foods that I grew up eating - Goan pork sausages, rechad bangda (mackeral), prawn curry, desserts like bebinca and dosh and not to mention my cup of chai with milk and sugar boiled with tea leaves. Well one of the motivations for this lifestyle intervention is because my dad and his mother before that had diabetes. My last annual visit to the doctor showed heightened levels of blood glucose and the doctor suggested intervention in terms of insulin if I don't do something about this.
This was in June 2016. I have not been to the doctor since then and have not committed full time to changing my diet either! I would go on for a week and revert to eating meat and processed foods over the weekend. I really need this period of grace to take control over my life. Not caring for the body given to me by God is also a sin - and I choose to feed my body healthy and non-fattening food.
I need to keep reminding myself that this is not a diet but a lifestyle change. There are people eating like this all year round. I what they plan to do for lent?
I know of people who do not buy food that is sold in plastic wrappings what cannot be recycled - this would mean that they forgo foods that are always sold in plastic.
Lifestyle changes can result in making choices that are akin to practicing some form of ascetic or religious lifestyle.
So here I am on day one of my transformation journey - I have downloaded the diabetes reversal book by Dr. Furhman for 20 days which I plan to follow for the 40 days of Lent. Dear Lord, please help me experience your grace and presence during this time of my transformation.
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