Lent is over, but lifesytle changes made during Lent can last a lifetime.

Yesterday was the last day of the Lenten Season. Lent is a Christian observance consisting of prayer, fasting and relection upon the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. I set lofty goals for myself at the beginning of Lent and although I have made a few mistakes along the way, overall, it has been good.

If you read my post at the beginning of Lent, you know that I gave up certain things for Lent. I gave up simple carbohydrates, nightshade vegetables (tomato, potato, eggplant, pepper) sugar, caffeine, some TV time and some internet time.

One of my mistakes was that I ate crackers at the hospital while visiting my husband. It was absolutely the only thing I would eat out of the vending machine because the choices were so poor. I did not think about the crackers being simple carbohydrates until I had already eaten three of them. I suppose I was just too hungry at that moment. As soon as I realized what I was doing, I threw the rest of the package away.

Each year, I realize how important my observation of Lent is to my well being. Each year as I accomplish my goals, I realize, if I can do this, then, I can accomplish other things as well. It makes you stronger and it causes your commitment to God to grow stronger. You come to the understanding that with God's help, you can accomplish things that seemed hard to do.

When you make a commitment to your Heavenly Father, there is power in that. When you make choices, you remember your promise and it helps you make the right choice. If I had entered into this fast only for myself. my commitment to it would not have been as strong. A forty day fast will strengthen you in ways you never dreamed possible.

I have been asked why we Christians choose to fast for forty days in preparation for Easter. The reason is because Jesus fasted and prayed for forty days when preparing for his ministry here on this earth. Therefore, we fast and pray for forty days to have a more meaningful experience at Easter.

The start of any fast is the hardest part, then, it really does get easier as your body and your mind gets used to the lifestyle change. I had headaches the first two days from switching to decaf tea, but that went away and I have enjoyed the decaf tea as much as the regular tea, so that was not really a challenge.

The first morning that my husband cooked sausage, tomato gravy and biscuits for breakfast was hard. I could not have any of those. I know, I know, outside of the South, most people probably wonder why anyone would eat tomato gravy and especially for breakfast, but down here it is a treat. We love our tomato gravy. I have to admit it was hard to eat cereal while others were eating those fluffy biscuits, sausage and tomato gravy. Now, after finding out about my husband's heart condition, we now know he can no longer eat sausage. And, the biscuits will be reserved as an occasional treat from this time forward.

I chose to give up eating nightshade vegetables because the current thinking is that they are detrimental for people who have fibromyalgia. The hardest thing about giving up nightshade vegetables was giving up the pepper sauce, and giving up cooking with bell pepper. On the Gulf Coast, we start many, many dishes with the “trinity”, onions, bell pepper and celery sauteed together. Anyone who has watched Emeril knows that. It is true, so many of the things I normally cook start that way. Another way I use pepper in everyday life is in pepper sauce and Tabasco. I have missed those.

I have to say, this fast has made me be more creative in my cooking. I have had to develop new ways to cook things and I have had some delicious meals because I had to move out of my comfort zone. I will be posting some interesting recipes on the recipe section of Lumigrate.com in the future.

Giving up sugar has not been hard to do. I use stevia as a sweetener because it tastes good and it is a natural sweetener made from the leaf of a stevia plant. With stevia I don't have to worry about the side effects associated with the artificial sweeteners. I have also used concentrated frozen apple juice in my cooking instead of using sugar. This is an old trick I learned many years ago that works very well.

Giving up some TV time was nice. I like the quietness of the house without the TV blaring. This has been a good thing. It was harder to walk away from the computer, but I have enjoyed other things, like visiting with friends and family, starting seeds, reading, talking to people I love by phone, going places with my hubby, and many other things.

During this fast I have listened online to an audio bible, I've read scriptures and other good books, I have spent time in meditation and reflection, I have made an effort to use praise in my prayers more than I did before. I have tried to be encouraging to others, and to remember to tell people I love them.

Now that the fast is over, what will I do differently? I am not quite sure. Some changes will stay with me. I don't feel like I have been deprived. I have changed some eating habits for the better so I will not change that. I will occasionally have some pepper sauce with greens and other vegetables. I feel better than I did before I was so careful about my food choices, so there is no reason to revert back. I always feel like I am more in control after Lent because I have had to make some choices that were not easy but I learned that I can do it. What was once difficult is no longer a challenge.

The experts say it takes 35 to 40 days to change a habit. Lent lasts 40 days, and I know I have dropped some bad habits and made some better habits. Because this has worked for me in years past, I think the experts are correct about the length of time needed to change a habit. Hopefully, this year, my new and better habits will become part of my life.

Will I observe Lent next year? Yes, I will, it is good for me and anything that is good for me is good for those I know and love. Maybe next year you will come up with a plan of your own and join me in the fast we know as Lent. It will be good for you too. Life is good.