I think that instead of restricting yourself from something like meat for Lent, you should add something, whether it be part of your daily routine or diet. The “rules” of Lent include that everyone 14 years of age and older (up to the age of 60) must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, which is when Lent begins, on Good Friday, and all Fridays that take place during Lent.

I personally don’t eat any type of red meat, only chicken and fish, so this is not exactly a hard challenge to follow. Since I already partially follow the so-called rules of Lent, and many other people also abide by these rules, I think everyone should be able to add something.

Personally, I want to add no gluten to my diet because this is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. Other people should be able to choose something they have been wanting to try or something they want to do more. For example, if you don’t want to change your diet, then you could add working out for 30 minutes every day, or taking time for yourself by reading a book every night.

If you did want to change or add something to your diet, then you could make sure you drink an ample amount of water depending on your weight every day, or have no more than three full meals per day. Another example would be intermediate fasting, an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of binging food for an eight-hour period and fasting for 14 to 16 hours per day.

The late Fr. John Zahn encouraged such actions, as did Fr. Jeff Godecker during the school’s Ash Wednesday Mass on Feb. 26. Both of these men note doing something positive, such as going to 7:15 a.m. Mass.  There are many options of adding something you want to try and would be good for you rather than getting rid of something like meat you may not even eat much of anyway.