"So often we subscribe to the misguided notion that change requires deprivation - that transformation somehow requires avoiding certain things. We easily focus on what we can't have instead of the abundance of things we can enjoy." Pastor Rick Warren, Dr Danien Amen and Dr Mark Hyman, co-authors of The Daniel Plan.

If you are in midlife, you may already sense that stewardship matters more now than it once did. Stewardship of time. Of relationships. Of health. Lent is traditionally a season of spiritual renewal - a time to examine what shapes us and where our habits are leading us.

In practice, many people choose to give up something.

Chocolate. Alcohol. Sugar. Social media.

There is wisdom in that restraint. But there is also another way to approach Lent - one that still honours reflection and discipline while actively strengthening the body and brain you rely on every day.

Instead of simply removing something, you can replace a less-than-helpful habit with something more nourishing.

Not as self-improvement for its own sake - but as stewardship.

Caring for your health is not separate from your faith. It supports it.

Below are five practical substitutions you could consider for the 40 days of Lent - each one creating space for reflection while strengthening your long-term health.

1. Take A Daily Daylight Walk

Instead of remaining sedentary all day

Modern life makes stillness easy - but not the restorative kind. Many of us sit for long periods, moving from desk to car to sofa with little natural light or circulation.

Yet the brain - which weighs only about 2% of body weight - uses roughly 20% of the body’s oxygen and blood flow. Circulation matters.

It can also become a daily moment of prayer or reflection. Instead of scrolling during a break, you walk.

Ten to twenty minutes is enough.

You are not adding pressure. You are replacing stagnation with movement - and creating mental space to think and pray clearly.

2. Eat Protein For Breakfast

Instead of starting the day with an energy-draining meal

Many typical breakfasts are high in refined carbohydrates - toast, jam, fruit juice, cereal - which can cause rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar. They might be quick, but they come at a cost.

Because the brain is highly energy-dependent - and unstable glucose levels therefore directly affect focus, mood and clarity.

A protein-rich breakfast, on the other hand, slows glucose absorption, reduces mid-morning crashes, improves sustained attention, supports neurotransmitter production and helps regulate appetite later in the day.

Practical options include:

• Avocado on sourdough bread, topped with an egg

• Greek yoghurt with fruit and nuts

• Porridge with berries, nuts and seeds

• Baked beans with mushrooms

This small shift supports steadier thinking - which makes prayer, reading and decision-making more focused.

Lent is about intentional choices. Beginning the day with nourishment rather than a spike-and-crash cycle is one such choice.

3. Show Some Love

Instead of being absorbed in responsibilities

Lent traditionally includes generosity toward others. That generosity doesn’t always have to be financial. It can be relational.

In midlife, it’s easy to become absorbed in responsibility. Work. Family. Admin. Deadlines. Days pass quickly, and meaningful connection quietly slips down the priority list.

Yet we're social beings and reaching out is not only good for our wellbeing - it is good for theirs too.

A short message of encouragement can lift someone’s mood on a difficult day, ease a sense of isolation they may not have spoken about, and remind them that they are valued.

In midlife especially, many people are carrying unseen pressures - caring for ageing parents, managing health concerns, navigating career transitions. A simple “I was thinking of you” can have more impact than you realise.

And it doesn't need to be time-consuming. A five-minute call. A short text. A voice message.

One small daily act of relational generosity strengthens two brains at once.

Over 40 days, that is forty moments of encouragement - for someone else, and for yourself.

4. Take Time to Rest

Instead of remaining locked into work and endless tasks

Many people in midlife operate in constant productivity mode. Emails. Deadlines. Responsibilities. A to-do list that never ends.

Even moments that look like rest often involve scrolling, background noise, or mental multitasking. The brain rarely gets true stillness.

Yet rest is not laziness. It is essential for our mental wellbeing.

Spiritually, it also creates space.

When the mind is constantly stimulated, it becomes harder to listen - to God, to your own thoughts, or to what truly matters. Rest slows the internal noise. It allows reflection. It sharpens discernment.

In a culture that rewards busyness, choosing rest can be a disciplined act.

During Lent, taking intentional time to be still - even for a few minutes each day - can be a spiritual and neurological reset.

5. Drink Green Tea

Instead of overstimulating your system

Many fizzy drinks promise energy, focus, or refreshment - but often deliver the opposite.

High sugar content can spike blood glucose rapidly, triggering a short-lived surge followed by a crash. Artificial stimulants can push the nervous system into a wired state that feels productive in the moment but leaves you depleted later.

Green tea offers a different pattern.

It contains polyphenols such as EGCG, which have antioxidant properties and are associated with cellular protection. It provides a modest amount of caffeine, balanced by L-theanine - an amino acid that promotes calmer alertness rather than jittery stimulation. The result is steadier focus, not a surge-and-collapse cycle.

But beyond biochemistry, there is something else.

Preparing a cup of tea slows you down. It creates a pause. You boil the kettle. You wait. You pour. You sit.

That small ritual interrupts automatic behaviour. It replaces impulsive consumption with deliberate choice. Instead of reaching for something that overstimulates your system, you choose something that supports it.

During Lent, this swap can become symbolic.

Rather than dulling fatigue with quick sugar or chemical lift, you choose nourishment. Rather than reacting automatically, you act intentionally. Rather than draining your reserves, you protect them.

Make This Lent Different

This Lent, instead of simply giving something up, consider replacing one draining habit with one that strengthens you.

Forty days of small, deliberate choices can reset more than a routine. They can sharpen focus, steady energy, and create space to reflect on what truly matters.

Let this Lent be more than restraint.

Let it be renewal - in body, mind and faith.