Lent Tips To Keep You Healthy All Year

March is a month that we associate with streamlining. Some of us do this for religious reasons. I know more than a few lapsed Christians who still call on their tenuous relationship with God to help them give up Pop-Tarts until Easter. Others, of course, do it in the name of vanity--anyone with beach-body savvy knows that bathing suit season is only a few months away (those of us who are less savvy, and from the east coast, continue to flaunt our denial by eating burritos the size of infants and canceling our gym memberships). Regardless of the reasons that we give up gluten or put down the bottle for the month of March, most of us can agree on one thing: it's really, really hard.

The following tips will help you avoid pitfalls whether you're trying to be pious or angling to squeeze back into last year's bikini.

When you're trying to climb on the wagon, but you just can't find a toehold.

In my observation of people's Lenten abstemiousness, it seems that laying off the sauce is almost as popular as giving up sweets. In fact, every March, a certain someone (who may or may not be my mother) "gives up" alcohol for the month. Typically, she's dry at the beginning. But, after two weeks of my father's weirdly uncharacteristic enabling, she pours herself a glass of wine and claims that weekends don't count.

Readers-- heed my mom's cautionary tale: don't commit to an unrealistic plan. But, if you happen to be blessed with an iron resolution that the women of my family lack, there are lots of easy and socially acceptable ways to give up alcohol for four weeks.

We should address bars and restaurants, because they present the most challenging temptations. First, decline a drink list and wine menu when you go out to eat. I know that, personally, once my eyes lock onto a fairly priced bottle of Sancerre, my brain is powerless to stop my mouth from ordering. It's better to nip the problem in the bud.

One particularly good tip for avoiding alcohol at a bar came from a blog post by Behind the Burner CEO Divya Gugnani. Here, she suggests forgoing cocktails in favor of club soda with a splash of cranberry juice. Not only does this trick keep you on the wagon, it also looks like you're drinking a cocktail. This, I believe, is an essential component of abstaining without becoming a nightlife pariah. If at all possible, try not to let anyone know that you're a converted teetotaler. There's nothing that your happy hour habitué friends will find more suspect than a bar buddy that doesn't drink. Trust me.

That said, with the rise of mixology, many bars, including Vincenzo Marianella's awesomely extensive cocktail list at Copa D'Oro, have started carrying fresh squeezed juices and homemade sodas. These virgin concoctions are becoming so hip that you might be able to avoid faking it for the whole four weeks.

To take the edge off after a long day of work, tea can stand in as a soothing alternative to a glass of wine. If you're a vinogeek, let tea sommelier Chris Cason inspire you to start picking up trivia about everyone's favorite steeped beverage. Check out his Q&A in our expert section and then buy some of his Tavalon teas through our exclusive Behind the Burner deal.

When your sweet tooth needs a root canal.

I think that it might be useful to divide into two camps. First, there are those of you who are probably avoiding sugar for health or weight-loss reasons. Thankfully, it is possible to keep eating sweet foods without upgrading your dress size.

However, if you are giving up sugary treats for Lent (and you really mean it), you should probably forgo them altogether. Here's some good news for you as well: there are lots of decadent savory foods that will allow you to continue being an obscene glutton without consuming a single gram of sugar--haven't you ever read Ed Levine's paean to bacon, Serious Eats?

In recent years, natural sugar substitutes have risen in popularity. Today, it's not uncommon to find banana bread sweetened with agave nectar and oatmeal cookies made with white grape juice (you can find these treasures at the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan every Wednesday and Friday--my favorites are the oatmeal coconut). Agave is easier on the metabolic system than white sugar because it doesn't make your glucose level spike quite so rapidly. While other natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey have similar effects on your body to those of white sugar, they contain trace antioxidants and minerals that some sources believe are beneficial. You can also find Sweet Riot cacao nibs in our deal section. A favorite of trim Hollywood divas, they are as close as you can get to antioxidant-rich cacao anywhere this side of the Amazon.

If you're feeling a pastry-chef impulse, check out Heidi Swanson's delightful food blog, 101 Cookbooks. Not only does she provide an extensive list of natural sweeteners, but she makes cooking with them look like fun. A word to the wise, though: If we've learned anything from the Snackwell's Cookie debacle, it's that even when a dessert is less bad for you, it does not necessarily mean that it's good for you. When eating food prepared with natural sweeteners, proceed with caution.

If none of these tips seem tenable, you can always perform some subtle junk-food adjustments to put your mind at ease. For a prime example, check out our own Alexis Popov as she attempts, through some alchemical process involving low-fat bisquik and fat-free half and half, to turn chocolate-covered, bacon-stuffed pancakes into a dietetic dinner entrée.

When those scary PETA videos start to make an impression.

Perhaps it's not as conventional as the former two March sacrifices, but I know a handful of people who are attempting to give up meat. And, judging by the way the cultural winds are blowing these days, I suspect that this number will continue to grow. There are plenty of compelling reasons to go veggie; the system of factory farming that dominates the meat industry is not only ethically unsettling, but bad for the environment and for your health (remember the enormous meat contamination scandal that sickened hundreds of people around this time last year? We can't think of the words "downer cow" without a shudder).

Unfortunately, there are many compelling reasons to not go veggie as well--rare filet, charcuterie, Peking duck, chicken liver pate, oh heck, even Alexis' low-fat choco-bacon pancakes. A life without these animal parts can seem unlivable to a meat enthusiast, even if it is only for four weeks.

But don't despair. There are many appetizing ways to live without meat. My first suggestion: stay away from those grayish green, wiggly meat substitutes. Whether it's called seitan or textured soy protein, the good Lord put way too many plants, roots, legumes and nuts on this earth to futz with frankenfoods. If you're going to eat meat, eat meat. If you're a vegetarian, don't. Tofurkey, to me, seems like a flip-flopper's deli meat, the agnostic sandwich filling.

To find recipes that use these naturally occurring meat-free foods, I would look no further than Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and all of Deborah Madison's earth goddess cookbooks. These guides to meatless living allow you to eat without feeling a sense of deprivation.

When dining out, keep in mind that many ethnic foods provide a wealth of vegetarian alternatives. Indian restaurants, in particular, are a spectacular place to avoid meat. A heaping bowl of chana masala with rice will make you forget all about the tandoori chicken at the table next to you.

When something's fishy.

Finally, we should address the subject of fish. For some reason that is not entirely clear to me, you are supposed to avoid meat and eat fish on Fridays during Lent (Wikipedia can break it down). Even if you're not observing, it's still a good idea to eat fish at least once a week. Studies have linked the consumption of the omega 3 fatty acids in fish to everything from depression relief to increased skin elasticity.

Behind the Burner COO Caroline Alexa Mcbride recently caught up with Chef Kerry Heffernan to learn some valuable tips on choosing, cleaning and preparing fish. Our recipe section also contains delectable dishes ranging from sea-scallops to Divya's stellar glazed salmon recipe. Whether you ascribe to the rituals detailed in that Wikepedia link above or just want to look good, Behind the Burner is a great resource for all of your seafood questions. There's certainly nothing fishy about that (sorry, sometimes I can't help myself).

Hopefully, these guidelines will help you stay honest during March whether or not you observe Lent. I know that I'm going to practice what I preach, just as soon as I finish this cookie.

— Written by Cecilia Estreich

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