Lent Day 5 - March 9th

Food brings with it many things that are considered addictions.  I could probably talk about these for the entire period of Lent.  Since I want to cover areas outside of food during this Lenten journey I am going to focus on a couple of ingredients of our food that are especially addictive - namely caffeine and sugar.  It's no wonder some of the most profitable corporations in the world make sure these ingredients are in their food - it creates incredibly addicte...errr...loyal customers.

From time to time, I get questions about what I give up for lent in terms of sugar.  Since today's focus is around food based addictions I'd like to address these questions.  Here's a list to give you an idea of what I abstain from related to sugar: any kind of sweet (candy, chocolate, baked goods, etc), all beverages other than water, dairy, and any packaged food with sugar in the first three ingredients.  Actually, because these things include so many individual items, this is the most efficient I've ever been able to do this.

Today's Positive Action:  As long as the weather is not stormy where you live, go for a walk, ideally with a friend or family member.  The length of time and distance doesn't matter - whatever is comfortable.  Try to talk about things going on in your lives instead of what's going on in the News or on TV.  This is a great way to unwind and de-stress and enjoy the life God has blessed us with.

Today's Focus:  More and more research shows the addictive properties of sugar.  In fact, Dr. Nicola Lavena, one these researchers has written an entire book on this called Why Diets Fail (because you're addicted to sugar).  The impact of this addiction is more profound than any other addiction.  The rate of obesity is higher now than any time in our history.  The CDC estimates that 1/3 of US adults are obese and now considers it an epidemic in the US.  Heart disease is more prevalent than any other time in our history.  The onset of type II diabetes is also higher now than any other time in our history.  All these changes have been linked to our increased consumption of sugar, and sugar-like sweeteners.

This is normally where I pray for people who are afflicted with addiction, and those people in their lives.  However, starting today, every Sunday of Lent I am going to pray my favorite prayer, the Prayer of St. Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, let me sow pardon;
Where there is error, let me sow truth;
Where there is doubt, let me sow faith;
Where there is despair, let me sow hope;
Where these is darkness, let me sow light;
And where these is sadness, let me sow joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.