I love this time of the year. In North Carolina the weather has definitely turned warmer. The birds are chirping, the trees are budding, and it feels like a new birth is about to begin. Although the weather was nowhere as challenging as elsewhere in this country, it was a cold, sometimes wet and snowy winter.
It is also the time of Lent. This is a time of fasting and abstinence that results in a closer relationship to God. Many people spend around 40 days in a contemplative spirit choosing to forego certain foods or other manners of imbibing to strengthen their spiritual ties with God.
We can learn a lot from these rituals. In days of old, people would attend celebrations and functions and enjoy feasts and drink. But these occasions were few and far between. Today, every day seems to be a cause for overeating and drinking. Gone are the days where the celebrations and feasts included long tables of foods and drinks. It seems that with our grocery stores bulging with delicacies and all sorts of temptations, we get the impression that it is ok to eat like a king every day.
The idea of consistently eating foods that are rich, calorie-filled and nutritionally empty every day is not a traditional manner. Rather, in the last 20 years, as our plates have constantly been filled, our health has slowly but certainly made a drastic decline.
If we want to grow stronger, not only in our relationship with God, but physically too, we must learn to curb our appetites for things that will harm us, and fill our bodies and souls with nourishing words, foods and drinks that can heal and make us whole again.
Have you considered “fasting” from calorie-rich, poor quality food for a time? What if you chose to eat nutritionally dense, high quality food for 40 days? How would that make you feel? Imagine waking up with great energy and no more stiffness and soreness? What would it look like to make it through the day without any stimulants in the morning and energy crashes in the afternoon? How about winding down the day in the same mood you began it with and finishing with a restful, restorative sleep.
A life filled with vibrancy, vitality and energy can be yours with a modification of your lifestyle and eating habits. It isn’t difficult and it doesn’t cost much. All you need is the desire to change your habits and know that the secret to good health doesn’t come in bottle. It really starts on your plate.
As the season turns towardSpring, consider not only cleaning your home and your car but remember, the inside of your body could use a little “spring cleaning” as well.
