There are spiritual advantages in keeping food choice limited. Most of the world’s people eat simple, humble fare. Food variety is both a blessing and a curse on the wealthy peoples of the world. The eating of basic foods can create a feeling of oneness with the majority of the people inhabiting our planet. Countless numbers of our brothers and sisters under God have eaten the same humble food day after day. Is it so difficult for us to do likewise? Simplicity of food is a time-honored part of the spiritual life.
The practice of abstaining from certain foods is often used as spiritual discipline. In modern times, people also abstain for ethical or health reasons. For example, one might abstain from meat out of moral convictions. Others abstain from foods they feel are not healthful, such as sugar, wheat, or milk. Some people respond well to the rigors of abstaining. Abstaining has a rather noble feel to it. The act of abstaining can also provide a sense of solidarity with people who are dealing with temptations like alcoholism and smoking, which calls for total abstinence.
I considered abstaining from certain of the most difficult-to-manage foods. But I quickly found that, for me, abstaining gives the identified food more power. I found it very hard to surrender to the finality of abstinence with regard to any food. Food is so much more benign than other substances of abuse; it doesn’t seem to warrant total abstinence. I didn’t like making any food a “forbidden fruit” because it only seemed to increase the conflict of temptation. Thus, I chose to reduce consumption of difficult food rather than abstain. I looked past the difficult food whenever possible. I preferred to focus on the simple, easy-to-manage foods while allowing difficult food simply to fade into the background.
Fasting, the act of abstaining from all food for a day or so, is another ancient spiritual discipline. Fasting can be an instructive experience. It makes you aware of how dependent you are, not only on food, but also on the daily rituals of food. I often toyed with the idea of fasting each day from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, ending with a true break-fast. There are some important benefits to this half-day fast, including being able to sleep better. But again, I found that it was better for me to take a less rigorous approach. Now I just tell myself that it’s good to have some consumption-free times and let it go at that. I try to remember to rely solely on water and breath at various times during the day.
