Giving it up for Lent

It’s Pancake Tuesday here in Canada and my wife is off to church cooking hundreds of pancakes for our son’s school today.

Pancake Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras depending on where you live is the day before Ash Wednesday which signals the start of Lent. Traditionally many Christians either fast or give something up during the (roughly) 40 days before Easter. Head over to Wikipedia to read more if you are unfamiliar with Lent.

So, for the first time in my life, I am giving something up for Lent and it’s not going to be easy. What could that possibly be?

Soft drinks!

Yes, soft drinks. Go ahead and short the stocks of Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) because starting tomorrow I will not be having a single drink of pop.

It is going to be difficult, but that’s the point.

I also know that I want to limit my intake of chemicals, particularly artificial sweeteners. I consider them the methadone of the sugar world. They helped me kick my addiction to sweets, but now it’s time to wean me off the replacements too.

Paleo Lifestyle

Yes, I have been listening to, and reading a lot of information about the Paleo Diet, and even though I am not 100% sold on the entire movement they have many valid points.

Our bodies are simply not equipped to deal with many of the substances we have been consuming. Although the FDA and other agencies have given them the stamp of approval the long term effects at best aren’t certain.

The study that I found alarming was one that linked diet soda to a 44% increase in heart-attack and stroke. And even though I have not looked at the study methodology and we all know that correlation does not imply causation, these results gave me the extra push to give it up for Lent (and possibly longer).

My wife said she would like to give up headaches for Lent (wouldn’t that be nice). If you are giving something up for Lent, I would like to hear about it. Maybe it could also be the start of a positive change in your life.