It’s Ash Wednesday today, (a good day to take an inventory of what has power over you) and I’ve noticed that I’ve got a problem.
You shall have no other gods beside me.
I’ve noticed lately that when I eat sugary foods, I feel something in my brain. I get a weird hit of euphoria that makes me want more, and more. It feels good, but it doesn’t make me feel good. It feels like it’s trying to manipulate me, overpower me, and I don’t like it.
It feels good, but it doesn’t make me feel good.
No more false idols
The first commandment seems like the simplest one to follow, but is probably the most often broken commandment. The truth is if we look close enough, we all have false gods that we worship. Be honest with yourself and take an inventory of the vices in your life. Hell, they don’t even need to be vices, just things that have power over you and that you worship with your time and attention.
Some popular idols include:
- Money
- Anxiety
- Alcohol
- Food
- Gambling
- Your phone
- Social media
- Doom-scrolling
For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not keep doing what I want. Instead, I do what I hate.
– Paul
For me, these idols are of sugar and carbohydrate. They aren’t good for me, they don’t make me feel good, and they are standing between me and my goals, so why the hell am I still eating them? Why do I allow them to have power over me?
40 days in the desert without dessert
So, for this Lenten season, I’m done with sugar and snacks. For those that also want to try this out, the rules are:
- No sugary desserts (cake, pie, cookies)
- No sugary foods (cereal, granola bars)
- No sugary drinks (pop, juice)
- No adding sugar to food (coffee)
- No snack foods (chips, pretzels, popcorn, cheap carbohydrates)
- No more snacking (between meals)
- Limit foods with added sugar (but don’t obsess about it)
- Limit foods with fake sugar (sugar free sweeteners)
- And remember, always fail gracefully (like a cat)
I’ll keep you posted on how it goes and how I feel through the journey. Once the 40 days are up, we’ll see if I let them back into my life, but at least I’ll be sure of one thing: I will have reminded them (or at least myself) that they have no power over me.