Do you know how many lean days recommended by the church are days of the year? According to some data, depending on the variations and more or less strict compliance, there are from 180 to 280, that is, most. The figure is truly impressive! A diet in fasting, moreover, must be observed along with other possible abstinence. But this does not mean that during strict or non-strict fasting a tasty and satisfying lunch or dinner is impossible. In the world there are many lean dishes worthy of culinary attention, and a diet during fasting may not be a burden, but a joy!
Strict and non-strict
As you know, according to popular wisdom, "fasting is not in the belly, but in the spirit." In the Russian Orthodox tradition, there are as many as four multi-day, extensive fasts (Veliky, Petrov, Uspensky, Rozhdestvensky), as well as an almost weekly fast on Friday and Wednesday (with the exception of a few weeks), three one-day fasts. As a rule, “worship” is divided into strict and non-strict, as well as raw food practices and temporary abstinence from food (mainly for hermit monks and ascetics). But you must still remember that a fasting diet is not a panacea for all ills. In addition, the confessors themselves allow non-observance of fasting for pregnant women, the elderly, patients with various ailments, and children.
What can and cannot be eaten?
During strict fasting, it is forbidden to eat any products of animal origin (including eggs and caviar), as well as bread products. Vegetable products, teas, jelly, cereals are allowed (but only on water, not milk and without the participation of butter). In non-strict - you can eat fish and seafood, vegetable oil. So such a diet in fasting is very suitable for weight loss.
Vegetables fruits
This is certainly permitted as a fundamental meal. For the most part, the fasting diet consists of these products that are important for the proper nutrition of our body. In addition, they contain trace elements and vitamins that are useful to humans and necessary - especially in the context of insufficient receipt of habitual animal proteins during fasting.
- Of the fruits most available in the middle lane: apples of many varieties, sweet and sour, sweet, apricots, pears. Of the exotic ones - oranges, tangerines, lemons, bananas, which are also many recently in stores, and they are quite “reasonable” in price. If there are no fresh, fresh from the garden products (for example, in winter), use conservation. Jams, pickles, salads, fruit drinks and juices, especially home-made ones are a worthy food option during fasting.
- A fasting diet can also consist of vegetables and root crops: carrots, potatoes, beets, onions, cabbage. Already from these alone of the above products, you can cook hundreds of permitted foods.
Mushrooms, nuts
They are traditionally sources of protein during fasting. Mushrooms of all kinds and various degrees of processing are allowed: dried, salted, fresh. And nuts are just a huge variety. However, do not forget about the reasonable norm: a glass of peeled walnuts at a time is a serious challenge for the stomach and liver! The maximum norms for eating nuts, due to their nutritional value and energy value, are 50-100 grams per day.
Porridge
Diet in a post for weight loss is not complete without cereals from various types of cereals and cereals. In principle, any porridge is useful . However, in recent years, articles about the dangers of a grain have been slipping into the press. But, rather, the point here is the quantity of consumption and the compatibility of products. Particularly useful: oatmeal, buckwheat, millet, wheat groats (preferably crushed), rice. Do not forget to cook porridge on water in the post, and not as many are used to - in milk or with the addition of cow's butter. They are forbidden during the period of worship!
Diet in Lent
The tradition of observing this post determines the expression of love and devotion to the Savior and precedes the celebration of His Resurrection. All forty-eight days of humility, bodily and spiritual, Christians fast fast. Indeed, without purification of the spirit, the entire ceremony of honor becomes an ordinary diet. So, remembering this, during this period, you especially need to take care of the purity of your own thoughts, to eliminate anger and bad emotions.
The diet itself in fasting before Easter should also look more strictly than, for example, at Christmas. On many days, it is recommended to eat food that has not undergone heat treatment (raw food diet). So, for example, you need to eat in the first four days of a seven-week fast. And in the first - it is advisable to completely refrain from eating. On the first Friday, on the contrary, food sweetened with sugar or honey is welcome. On Palm Sunday, you can enjoy fish and seafood. On Lazarev Saturday - caviar.
Note: open the church calendar for this year and see what date a particular holiday falls during Lent (because many of them are “floating”, that is, on different dates of the month). And in connection with this information, adjust your menu.
Diet in fasting before Easter. Some recipes
Well, in general, the principles of nutrition are most likely clear to you. Now let's talk about the dishes that can be prepared. They have a great variety. Truly, looking at the existing abundance, you understand that a person, with a certain dexterity, can completely do without animal-based food. Since there are many recipes, and the article is small, we give only a couple of the most common.
The vinaigrette
Ordinary, familiar to everyone, probably, from childhood, vinaigrette is a very popular dish during the worship. It contains a lot of vegetables in which vitamins and minerals, some amino acids are present. In addition, this is a fairly light calorie food that is quickly absorbed by the body.
We will need: large beets, three salted cucumbers, three large potatoes, carrots. Boil all vegetables separately, peel, cut into cubes. Stir thoroughly and add a little vegetable oil (but if the post is strict, you can use cucumber pickle instead of oil - a few spoons).
Rice porridge with dried apricots and nuts
Boil a cup of rice until crumbly. Dried apricots (dried apricot without bone) are poured with boiling water and finely chopped. Walnuts crush in a mortar. We mix and eat everything with pleasure. When allowed, you can add a tablespoon of honey to the porridge and stir. You can add raisins to this.