Lent begins on February 27 and lasts until April 15. This is the strictest fast in nutrition, and not everyone can do it, despite the fact that the goal of fasting is primarily spiritual purification, not diet. And you should not use this time to lose pounds.
Food Considerations During Fasting
- Diversify the menu
If you get hung up on food restriction, you will quickly lose it. First, the list of permitted foods is quite large. Secondly, they can be easily assembled and prepared with many delicious recipes.
- Drink a lot
Avoiding the usual diet requires a lot of energy from the body. Water will help maintain balance and satisfy hunger. Add green tea to the water – it tones up well in the morning and relieves fatigue in the evening.
- Don’t forget about the squirrel
The restriction on animal products sharply hits the protein content of your body. It is undesirable to allow this. Replace animal protein with vegetable – legumes and soybeans.
- Monitor your bowel reactions
With restrictions on food and a change in diet, the intestines suffer in the first place. The microflora is disrupted, the body is trying to cleanse itself of toxins, and the lack of dairy products becomes a threat. You need to build your menu so that there is enough fiber and there is no excess of difficult-to-digest foods.
- Add calcium
Also, rejection of dairy products, eggs can lead to a lack of calcium, but without it a healthy heart and blood vessels, teeth, hair and bones are impossible. Add sesame seeds, seeds, nuts, cabbage and spinach to your diet, as well as multivitamins or calcium vitamins separately.
- Replenish fats
Fats are essential for the body, especially for women. When even vegetable oil is banned, we have a hard time – the menstrual cycle gets confused, the skin loses its elasticity, the body begins to “store” fat and the weight does not go away for a long time. Consume nuts, avocados, and a variety of seeds during the fast.
What you can eat during Lent
Fresh vegetables – white cabbage, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, celery, potatoes, green beans, carrots, pumpkin, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, all kinds of greens available.
Fish and seafood are allowed on Annunciation (April 7) and Palm Sunday (April 8).
Blanks – preservation of peas, corn, beans, lentils, legumes, vegetable mixtures, compotes, preserves.
Fruits – apples, citrus fruits, grapes, cranberries, pomegranates.
For sweet, dried apricots, prunes, raisins, dates, cherries, bananas, pineapples, apples, pears.
You can also marmalade, marshmallows, halva, kozinaki, oatmeal cookies, dark chocolate without milk, lollipops, honey, sugar, Turkish delight.