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🙂 Greetings to regular readers and visitors of the site! Fasting is another way to cleanse your mind and body. How to fast
What is Orthodox fasting
In the Russian Orthodox Church, there are four long-term fasts: on Wednesday and Friday throughout the year (with the exception of a few weeks), three one-day fast.
- Big;
- Petrov;
- Uspensky;
- Christmas;
- Continuous weeks;
- Wednesday and Friday;
- One-day.
Temporary abstinence from certain types of food, coupled with spiritual and ascetic practices, known to us as fasting, is found in almost all world religions.
Often, our contemporaries perceive this period only as a temporary restriction on meat consumption. In fact, its meaning is much broader.
Many people think that this is abstinence from food, and that’s it! In fact, this is work on oneself, purification of the soul, curbing the evil principle, lust, enmity in oneself.
This is a time of struggle with our sinfulness, a time of purification and self-education, intense prayer and the eradication of such negative emotions as anger, envy, overcoming selfishness and pride.
That is, certain restrictions on food are only one of the components, and by no means the only thing that needs to be paid attention to on these bright days.
If you started to think about the meaning of your life and “for a start” decided to go to the temple and read the Bible – this is very commendable. It is possible that over time you will understand the great purifying meaning of fasts, and come to the idea of the need to observe them. And this is doubly commendable, but this most serious matter must be approached rationally.
For example, observance of fasts is one of the secrets of the longevity of the actor Vladimir Zeldin, who lived for almost 102 years and served in the theater until recent years.
How to fast properly
In the canon of the Orthodox Church, fasting is always strict, but these rules are mandatory only within the walls of the monastery.
For physically healthy people, abstinence in food is considered its basis. Here you can distinguish 5 degrees of physical fasting, exclusion from the diet:
- Meat.
- Dairy.
- A fish.
- Butter.
- Depriving yourself of food in general for some time.
Only healthy people can observe the last degrees of fasting. For the sick and elderly, the first degree is suitable.
The Holy Fathers teach: “Fast by an enjoyable fast” – what does this mean? There is no need to force yourself and do what goes against the dictates of your soul. If you have not worked on yourself and have not properly prepared for the fast, it can only become a conditional tribute to tradition, and nothing more.
In addition, there are categories of persons who cannot fast even at the proper time: these are small children, pregnant and lactating women and the infirm, sick and elderly people. In the latter case, if there is still a desire to observe the fast, you need to ask the priest for permission for some indulgence in food.
It justifies the Church and travelers in extreme situations: it happens that a person cannot find lean food, and complete deprivation of food is fraught with starvation.
If you are accustomed to eating fatty and plentifully, a sharp restriction in nutrition can become not only useful, but also harmful – what a “pleasantness” there is! Therefore, it is necessary to move on to fasting for many days gradually – first, fasting on the two days a week set by the Church – on Wednesday and Friday.
The Benefits of Fasting
The conditions in which we have to live are becoming more difficult. Every year water and air become more polluted, our food changes (and not for the better).
We have disaccustomed to choosing foods, saving time on preparing simple healthy food and eating convenience foods. There are many different systems that have been tested by time and followers. But they are not suitable for everyone, because they require rather strict restrictions.
Observance of fasts can become not only a fashionable but also a useful tradition. For this, the believer needs discipline and a refusal from pleasures and excesses.
In the modern view, this is psychotherapy, when unwanted too carnal perceptions are cut off. A person sees the goal, he feels enthusiasm and vigor, he is supported by conviction and will. Just like in meditation, a person internally feels that he is gaining strength and health.
In the Christian calendar, more than half a year is allotted to fasts: long and short. The believer should also fast during the week. There are different degrees: when only plant foods are allowed, or fish, oil are allowed in the diet. Alcohol and appetite-stimulating foods are prohibited.
Fasting is an alternative to diet
Fiber and pectins from plant foods bind and remove toxins from the body. Fasting is safer and more natural than dieting or complete fasting. Excessive food overloads the stomach and all internal organs, toxins are deposited, metabolism slows down.
During fasting food (mostly natural) has a beneficial effect on all body systems. Food should be undersalted, vegetables should be eaten raw and cooked. Animal fat is replaced by vegetable fat.
It removes cholesterol, has a good effect on the activity of the kidneys and the genitourinary system. Urea and uric acid are removed. A fasting person imperceptibly loses weight, since pastries and sweets are excluded from the diet, sugar consumption decreases, and extra pounds are lost.
Fasting seems difficult, but you can start gradually, summer time is good for this. You can eat enough greens and fresh vegetables. Vitamins and trace elements will make the food balanced. There are a lot of recipes for lean dishes on the Internet – choose what you like.
How to fast: the recommendations of Father Dmitry Smirnov (video)
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