Easter this year falls on Sunday, May 2, and the last seven days before the holiday for the Orthodox is the most difficult test, since this is the time of Passion Week, the most severe week of fasting on the eve of Easter.
On the days of Holy Week, you can eat bread, fresh, pickled and dried vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms. At the same time, it is forbidden to subject food to heat treatment: the basis of nutrition is raw vegetables and fruits, cooked without adding oil. The exception is two days – Thursday and Saturday. That is, a week of almost complete dry eating.
From a medical point of view, for a conditionally healthy person, fasting is a useful thing (even in everyday life, doctors recommend arranging fasting days every 10 days). However, even for healthy people who have been fasting, the return to normal diet should be gradual.
So, the main rule on Easter is to observe moderation.
1. Easter table
Although eggs are an easy-to-digest animal protein, you shouldn’t lean on them. On Easter, it is better to limit yourself to one eaten egg – this is quite enough to return animal food to the diet without overloading the stomach. Kulich, like the rest of the pastries, should be yesterday’s on the Easter table (you cannot eat fresh), and it is better for patients with cholecystitis to abandon baked goods altogether. Without fear, you can eat a small amount of Easter cottage cheese, it is better to completely exclude alcohol.
2. Meat and fish
The protein diet should be expanded gradually. Ideally, it is better to start eating meat 3-4 days after the end of the fast. Following the eggs, low-fat diet foods may appear on your table – boiled chicken or beef (avoid fried). Steam cutlets are also suitable. At first, fish lovers should stick to dishes made from cod or pike perch. Do not forget about spices and herbs (parsley, dill, onions), they will help the assimilation of heavy protein foods.
3. Vegetables and fruits
After the end of the fast, you should not give up the healthy habit of eating a large amount of fiber. Continue to intensively absorb vegetables and cereals, especially for those who have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.