Although I thought about giving up carbs, sugar, snacks, and even wine, I’ve decided that this year instead of giving something up, I’m vowing to do more.

For the next 40 days I’m going to try like hell to eat the 5 recommended fruits and vegetables and drink 5 glasses of water.

Although I love vegetables, I don’t always eat the recommended amount. I like cooked vegetables more than raw, especially when it’s cold out. Add to that how cooling fruit is in general to the body and you can understand why this time of year I don’t eat much fruit at all.

That doesn’t mean I can’t warm up applesauce or eat more room temperature bananas. I also find that pairing an apple with a healthy fat (almond butter or cheese) helps make it more palatable.

Since I tend to eat more hot soups than cold salads during the lenten season, I plan on throwing sautéed onions, warm whole grains or more healthy fats (salmon, chicken, etc.) onto greens so as to eat more salads on these colder, winter days.

I’m terrible at getting enough fluids in me and one of the problems with MS is having a sudden urgency to use the bathroom. Drinking more water when you can’t dash to a toilet as needed, seems like a bad idea. Here’s hoping that my next failure isn’t me describing how I had to tie my coat around my waist and shamefully, waddle out of a restaurant before Easter.

Wish me luck and feel free to join me if you’ve been looking for a healthy-but-not-too-crazy Ash Wednesday idea this year.