I don’t know if you are like me, but I find the busier life is the unhealthier I eat. Those days when I have time, I like to cook. For me, I enjoy choosing and preparing fresh ingredients, experimenting with flavours – trying something new and enjoying my food around a table with family or friends. The
food tends to be wholesome and tasty although possibly a little too much for the waistline. Then there are the days when I am so busy food involves dropping crumbs (chocolate, cake, or crisps) into my computer keyboard or grabbing a ‘pot noodle’ between meetings (other tasteless, plastic pot-based snacks are available). We won’t mention the days where the diet is worse.
As life is busier it seems that food choices get less healthy. I suspect this is what drives the constant list of new diets that are touted as being the secret to healthy living and a better you. One current trending diet is the intermittent fast. This is where you limit your food consumption to certain hours of the day. This promises benefits beyond weight loss, like improved brain function, heart health and even make you live longer. There is nothing new in fasting, I have Muslim and Hindu friends and colleagues that fast at specific festivals and Christian friends that fast as part of prayer, including during Lent.
For those that don’t know we are currently in the season of Lent (pancake day through to Easter). This period for Christians has been a time of fasting, with some giving up all food for the period others will give up something: cake, chocolate, meat, alcohol, social media, TV– something that for them, is difficult to do without. Fasting at lent is about more than being healthy, it has benefits beyond weight loss, it should have an impact beyond ourselves. Lent is a time to benefit others, through action and giving to those that need more than you. Looking at the news showing poverty and the aftermath of an earthquake there seems to be plenty of scope for helping during the 46 days of Lent.
Of course, help is needed beyond those days, and that is the final aspect of Lent, time given to contemplate how we live, what is important to us and how we fit into the big picture of humanity, relating to each other and to God. Considering how we act with empathy and compassion even when life is so busy we don’t have time to eat well!
Got Questions – try Alpha! It’s hard finding the right place and time to discuss the big questions of life. Alpha is a place where you can do this. It’s a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith, run over 10 weeks. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Why not give it a go? 7:30 pm on a Wednesday at the Vine Centre. Call 01522 872011 or visit our website or social media for more information. Can’t make Wednesdays? Alpha courses run all over the country all the time, some even online. Visit https://alpha.org.uk/try to find one.