Yesterday this little group of cakes arrived in our house. There is actually one missing, we had the Victoria Sponge (with cream and fresh strawberries, yum) as a dessert yesterday.

This is just to give you some idea of what I’m up against. I have decided to give up sugar for lent. My reasons for this are complex: As I get older I find anything with sugar gives me indigestion. But somehow I still want to eat sweet things. Also, I my list of things I would like to pack into my life is getting longer but I’m often tired. Both the scientific evidence and the evidence of my own experience convinces me that sweet things are part of the issue.

But the main reason is curiosity. Can I do this? What am I going to feel like? And writing the blog feels like a good way to keep track of this little experiment and to make it more difficult to stop.

Lent is supposed to be a time for spiritual reflection as we prepare for Easter. Our own Archbishop accused Christians of ‘Just giving up biscuits’ during lent. But that ignores the fact that we are real physical beings and what we do and don’t do to our bodies makes a difference to who we are.

So, I’m going to enjoy the last few days of sweet treats and make the most of pancake day. Wish me luck, I’m going to need it.