Lent presents a time of change in our diet--we don't get to each as much or as often. This in itself is a shock to our system. The body thinks we don't have enough to eat and self-adjusts our metabolism to keep the vital organs running: brain, heart, kidneys... This is one form of trauma to the body, trauma equalling added stress to the body.
A lot of what we eat has fluids--fruit, gelatin desserts, soups, puddings, pies, etc. If you give up any items such as these, you need to be sure to drink more water to keep your body fluid level stable. If you feel thirst, you've gone too long without water. Water is essential for proper body functions, circulation, maintenance of vital organs, especially the brain which has a high concentration of water.
When you start to eliminate foods from your diet on top of reducing the amount of food you eat daily, that's a second form of trauma to the body. Extra strain on your system. Depending on what you give up, it can matter a little or a lot.
Drastic changes in diet are never good. Your body gets used to a certain amount of the things you eat regularly and when deprived of those things all sorts of unpleasant to dangerous things can happen. If you've ever tried to eliminate caffeine you know how bad that headache can be while you go through withdrawal. Well, that's one clear sign your body is telling you it isn't getting what it is used to. Other signs are not so evident. This is where it gets tricky.
Your body needs vitamins and minerals to function properly whether fasting or not. Eliminating an entire food group such as fruit or meat or green leafy veggies will stress your body too much and you will suffer the consequences. These can range from cravings for the eliminated food to trouble sleeping, confusion, problems digesting your food, leg cramps, irritability, just not feeling well.... the list goes on.
A healthy way to do penance is to change what you eat, not eliminate it. For instance, if you like yogurt pick a flavor you do not like and eat that. Don't give up yogurt. If you drink a lot of caffeine, don't give up sodas. Just buy one that you don't like the taste of. However you like your coffee, change it. Go black to cream and sugar or vice versa. Like mustard or ketchup with a sandwich? Eliminate it or use the one you less like. Need sugar? Eat a candybar you don't like. Don't give up sugar completely. Like a particular kind of fish? Eat another kind. If you think "X tastes awful!" eat it, drink it. Even a little bit of it is a form of penance. You don't have to eat or drink the whole thing.
There are other things to do for penance that don't involve food. Lower the temperature in your home for an hour or more a day and offer up being cold. Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator (if you have no heart problems). Try to sleep without a pillow. You can think of lots of things if you watch what your habits are.
Lent is a time to make sacrifices. I'm not saying don't make sacrifices when it comes to food. I'm just saying use reason and keep yourself healthy, no extremes. It's a shock to your body to go off foods and then it's another shock when you resume those foods after Easter. This is not good or wise. Just change the taste of things but don't eliminate anything suddenly. If you want to give up junk food, make sure you get enough sugar by means of fruit and carbs. Don't deprive your system of sugar all of a sudden. So it goes with everything else. Don't make your body try to play catch-up on Sundays either. It won't work.
All changes in diets should be done slowly when it comes to eliminating foods to prevent stress on your body's systems and you need to fill the void made by the elimination with something else to maintain proper vitamin and mineral balance. Please be careful, especially if you are an older person, pregnant, or breastfeeding, but people of EVERY age need to choose wisely.
You can have a very sacrificial Lent eating and drinking things you don't like and stay perfectly healthy at the same time. And for those on medications, this advice is especially important! Please check with your doctor before any major changes in diet! It can be very serious.
Topic: Proper Eating during Lent (Read 588 times)