Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Lent Begins


Let me start by explaining that I am not Catholic. However, I do enjoy the spiritual exercise and personal discipline of giving something up for Lent. This year, I've decided to face a demon I've conquered in the past, but which has recently crept back into my life: processed sugar.

Emmett (my nine-year-old son) is joining me in our Lenten vow to exercise all processed sugar from our lives. No white sugar, no brown sugar, no cane sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, no dextrose or maltodextrin or any of that processed stuff. Pure molasses, agave syrup, real maple syrup, and brown rice syrup are o.k.

We've already had quite a time finding Emmett something for lunch. Even the wholegrain bread I bought last week contains high fructose corn syrup. But he finally settled on some organic corn chips with melted cheese and apple slices with natural peanut butter. I rolled up leftover tempeh bacon in a whole wheat tortilla with hot sauce and spinach leaves, and helped finish the apple slices and pb. It won't be easy and we may occasionally eat something by accident that has a little sugar in it, but we are not going to eat any desserts or sweets and we will be reading labels. I hope this sets a good example for Emmett and makes him even more conscious of what he puts into his body--since he tends to be so fond of junk food.

For a snack, I enjoyed the luscious and delectable, 100% raw Organic White Chocolate Yoga Bar, by Everythingraw (http://www.everythingraw.com/yogabar.htm). Can I describe how delicious this is? Creamy, chocolaty, nutty, everything I could ever want in a candy bar--but with no sugar, so I am entirely virtuous so far, half way through Day One of Lent.

By the way, today was a snow day, school cancelled. I think we must have gotten at least 12 inches of beautiful snow. See Ben plow.



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