A New way of eating- 2 weeks in
A series of blogs on the process of eating the CDED diet – a medically prescribed diet to treat Crohn’s disease that involves a very limited range of foods, designed to reduce inflammation in the body – and also offering it as a spiritual fast.
It’s been 2 weeks of this diet, and mostly it hasn’t been as bad as I feared. In some ways an absolute prohibition on most foods is easier than trying to moderate what I eat – there are almost no decisions to make, having made the decision to go on the diet. I have six foods I have to eat every day – eggs, potatoes, chicken, bananas and an apple, together with four serves of a meal replacement, and so I just eat them.
Spiritually, it has been good. I have been very conscious of leaning on God and offering up my desires to Him. When I yearn for bread or coffee or a biscuit, I give that desire to Him and ask Him to increase my desire for Him. I have also been very intentional in practicing gratitude, particularly for the food that I can eat. Fortunately, I like all the foods that I have to eat, and there are a variety of ways that you can prepare them, so that is a blessing. I’ve been trying to eat mindfully, and really taste what I put in my mouth and savour it. This has spilled over to an increased awareness of beauty everywhere around me.
Of course, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. I’ve felt frustrated and left out. I went to an event serving finger food and preparing myself a plate of ‘snacks’ to eat there was challenging. It is very frustrating not being able to grab any takeaway or café food when I am out and about. I love to cook for people, so I tried cooking my son a meal that I was allowed to eat, which wasn’t very successful, so next time I had the family over I made what I normally would have made and couldn’t eat a bite. It wasn’t as bad as I expected, eating my scrambled eggs while they had a two-course meal, but it was very frustrating cooking without being able to taste the food to check for flavours. I had to ask my husband to taste it and tell me what I needed to add, which was annoying!
I said before I started that I was worried about losing the way that my husband Rob and I serve each other by making each other breakfast in bed and cups of tea. However, that has been fine. I’m allowed herbal teas, so that has taken the place (sort of) of my favourite cups of tea, and serving each other breakfast has just become a bit more sacrificial, as we’ve made each other things that we don’t want to or can’t eat ourselves.
I’m trying not to see myself as being deprived. I’m not. I am choosing to follow this diet because I want to choose good health. I’m choosing to offer it to God because I want to be closer to Him. I’m fortunate to have doctors and dietitians and the means to access them. Most people in most times and places didn’t have access to the incredible range of foods that we have, and didn’t have the food security that we enjoy. Eating more simply reminds me of how very fortunate I am to never have to go hungry.
As I said in my last blog, I’ve never really done well with fasting. I have found that it just made me grumpy and distracted. However, this form of fasting seems to be just what I need. I am so much more aware of my weakness and my need for God, and how easy it is for me to desire physical satisfaction rather than God.
So, so far, so good.
Hi, I'm Chris!
I'm an Australian Christian author, blogger and speaker who has published one book - Diamonds from the King - which is a book of stories from my life of ways that God has worked to bring precious diamonds from suffering, disappointment and confusion.
I'm a mum, granny and wife and I love spending time with my grown kids and my four and counting grandkids, but my greatest passion is to get to know God better, and to share his wonder with the world.
This is great Chris. I too went thru a stage where I was limited it what I could eat. It too made me appreciate that at least I could still eat n was grateful to God. Not easy though when you do an lot of entertaining. God bless you.