Less Processed for Lent

The observance of Lent in the Christian faith is considered a time for prayer, reflection, preparation and to a large degree, self-denial. Denominations within the Christian community interpret all of these aspects differently, but the practice of self-denial of a personal luxury is fairly universal. For some people, that denial is a form of penance. For others, a way to take one's mind off of self & personal enjoyment and instead use that time to reflect on the impending remembrance of Christ's sacrifice.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time you know that I don't weave politics or religion into this blog. It's just not my style. For all the online communication I do every day, I'm actually a very private person.

No, really. I am.

I believe in your right to be who you are and live how you want. And I believe in my right to be who I am and live how I want... so long as we aren't doing harm to one another or others. I don't see my blog as a platform to convince you to do anything... well, other than eat healthy, great tasting food :)

"So why all the talk about Lent today, Regan?" 

Because this year I took a different approach to Lent. I gave up "processed grains" and learned a lot about my diet in the process (no pun intended).

A quick survey of my friends also "fasting" during the Lenten season appears to put me in the solo category on this one. In fact, when I told my husband (who grew up Southern Baptist and doesn't really "get" why I even give up anything for Lent anyway) what I was giving up this year, he said "so what are processed grains?" 

(Y'all, this is a smart man. And this week, we will have been married 14 years. After all this time, "what" is a processed grain is still elusive. Clearly, I'm not doing my job as his personal RD. But if the "what" is vague for any of you, too, it basically means I'm not eating any breads, cereals, crackers, etc., that are not 100% whole grain.) 

Anyway, the irony in my Lenten observance is that I didn't really think I would learn anything about my eating habits with this fast. I knew I could do a "little" better, but on the whole, I thought I was a pretty "unprocessed" eater. 

Boy. Was. I. Wrong. 

I have been amazed at how many handfuls of kid cereals & mommy-packing-the-lunchbox pretzels I've been eating. I've identified that my go to snacks weren't the fruits & veggies I love and actively promote... they were crackers. I've also realized I'm a single handly keeping the muffin & scone delivery truck at my Starbucks in business... with neary a second glance to a piece of fresh fruit on the plate.  

I've upped my fruit and veggie intake tremendously. I've lost 3 pounds (although, in the spirit of full disclosure, I've also been very committed to my cardio theater runs lately too). And at the risk of getting too personal (especially for the men in the audience), I should share that the monthly ill effects I experience thanks to the womanly "blessing" of being of my childbearing years (and having a genetic heritage of uterine fibroids) were amazingly less painful this month. Totally didn't see that coming. 

Am I giving up grains now? 

No way.

Am I going to be much more mindful of the amount I'm eating?

Absolutely.

I've said for years - at least to myself - that it's not about grains being "bad." It's that so many of us mistakenly displace beneficial fruits and vegetables by always grabbing a grain-based snack instead.

It's amazing what you can learn about yourself when you actually observe and reflect on your own reality.

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Whether you are observing Lent or not, Easter is on its way. What's on your menu? Visit Cooking Light's Healthy Easter Recipe collection for some holiday inspiration. 

I'd also like to invite you to submit your best brunch recipe to the recipe contest we're running on Healthy Aperture right now. The contest ends April 1st, so be sure to check it out soon. You could win a Vitamix blender or Kitchen Aid mixer!