A Ramble about What We Ingest

My family and I are on a fairly strict diet. It's Gluten Free, lactose free, and more or less vegetarian. It pretty much consists of rice, beans, fruit, vegetables, and any combination of the first four. It's not as bad as it sounds. We're able to make rice-flour pastas, cakes, and muffins, and it's easier to find gluten free and lactose free foods in a grocery store these days than you might think.

The thing about this kind of a diet is that it supplies what the body needs, and also tends to purge all the other junk from the body. This means that you will probably feel sick for the first month or two (or more) as your system begins to clean itself out of various toxins, and bad things which, if you're like me, you've probably put in your system for the larger portion of your life eating fast food, t.v. dinners, and delivery pizzas. Part of this is also going through withdrawals from these kinds of foods and toxins.

But when you've survived and somehow made it out the other side, you tend to actually feel better, you heal faster, and you can have more energy. We went on it out of necessity because my wife is gluten intolerant, and my kids (and admittedly I myself) are lactose intolerant (my wife doesn't do well with milk either). The downside, in some ways, though about going through it is that you lose most or all of your tolerances for the foods that you have given up. Even though I could drink milk or eat cheese before, I can't now because of the effects it has on my stomach and digestive system. And if I break the diet, I tend to feel a little spacey, ill, and like something's just not quite right.

In the writings of the ancient Church, and the Christian mystics, one of the things which they instruct in terms of prayer is to remove all distractions and attachments. The instructions they give at times seem absolutely draconian such as fasting by eating only once a day, and sleeping only half the night. Withdrawing yourself from most conversation, giving away most or all (preferably all) your possessions, and drawing all of your attention on your unworthiness, and the love of God and for God (there's a great deal more which they go into, which for sake of space I can't otherwise you'ld be reading for hours).

In the course of my reading and meditating I have attempted at least some of what they have prescribed, and during those times of renunciation, and removal of myself from distractions such as movies, games, books, etc. Things have seemed more "right" spiritually. I was able to let go of self more, and spiritual things flowed far more easily. Tears of repentance came far more easily, and His presence was easier to be aware of.

But after some time, I allowed myself to watch a movie, or read a book, or play a video game. Nothing truly bad, a little Sci-Fi, some SimCity. I've been reading through the Percy Jackson series. All fairly benign.

I didn't notice it at first, but the more I did those things, the harder it became to spend time in prayer and meditation. The more scattered I felt, and the more scattered thoughts intruded into my mind when they weren't wanted. It began with the thought "This couldn't hurt, I did this all the time." But the results were consistent. The more time I spent in prayer, saying Mass, and confining my reading to Scripture and spiritual writings of the Church Fathers and mystics, things began to clear up and flow easier again. The more I watched a movie, read some other book, played a video game, the harder it was and the more I tended to forget as to how to meditate and pray at times.

Having a candy bar or some yogurt every once in a while probably won't kill me, but it will throw me off. And if I continue to eat things outside of my diet, it will make me sick and will eventually lead to health problems which may kill me. In the same way, reading a book every once in a while, or watching a movie won't completely destroy my relationship with the Lord, niether will He condemn me for it. But the more I ingest that kind of "junk food" the more spiritual health problems I will encounter.

The diet is a pain at times, and it is a bit draconian, but it's there to keep us from getting sick and to heal us from all the other stuff we put into our systems. It's our choice whether or not to follow it or how strictly, but there will always be consequences for the choice we make.