Orthodoxy food. Orthodox traditions or how to lose weight in two months. - And how they solve the fish issue

Church fasting, which includes a strict dietary restriction, is a voluntary, spiritual act. A religious person does not set himself therapeutic or materialistic goals. His diet is not associated with forced poverty or inevitable old age. The main principle of fasting is abstinence in everything. This applies to thoughts, sexuality and food.

We will understand all aspects of the church diet in order to determine its benefits, appropriateness of use and possible harm to health.

The tradition of eating certain foods in certain periods of time did not take shape in Christianity right away. It took centuries to do this. The spiritual essence of fasting is entirely taken from the Jewish understanding of restrictions, but supplemented and complicated in church prescriptions by numerous new introductions.

In Orthodoxy, a whole system of so-called small and large abstinence has developed:

ubiquitous (multi-day fasting);
one-day;
small (fast days on Wednesday and Friday).

In addition to the above fasts, the tradition of general church abstinence has also been established in private, by vow, in obedience, or in the name of a specific goal.

Fasting or fasting means a ban on fast food (meat and dairy products). On some days, fish is allowed, but the distribution principle is unclear.

Strict fasting is a ban on any meat, hot food and even vegetable oil. Bread, fruits, vegetables, compotes, water are allowed.

Small on Wednesdays and Fridays. An ideological base has been established under the food system these days - the tradition of the Lord and his crucifixion these days.

Church diet for severity:

fish products are allowed;
food cooked in vegetable oil is allowed;
hot food (ban on butter);
dry food;
a complete ban on food.

Three components of church fasting

We are talking about a strictly established time, quantity and quality of food consumed.

Time

The tradition is based on the Old Testament. Fasting begins at sunrise and ends at sunset. But your own version is also possible due to certain reasons, for example, for health reasons, or based on the work schedule.

Quantitative indicator

There are no specific quantitative parameters of the food you eat, but everything is subject to the rule - strict moderation. Food is a factor in maintaining strength, not pleasure and satiety. It is permissible to eat as much as is necessary to give strength during work.

Food quality

There are strict canons for zealous adherents of Orthodoxy. There is no consensus about the rest of the laity. Disagreements concern the choice of fish, milk consumption, dry eating. Many believers decide this issue with their confessors or according to the books of the authorities of the church.

Church diet. Spiritual aspect

It is necessary to understand that the church diet has its own specifics, and it does not fit into the usual framework of dietetics. A person of faith draws strength from spiritual practice, and bodily limitations are a secondary matter. The church itself is well aware of the danger of church fasting for unprepared neophytes. First, prayer, repentance should be cultivated, clear argumentation and motivation should be formulated, then limitation should be practiced.

If the usual diet is already an end in itself, then with the church fast the situation is much more complicated. In Orthodoxy, fasting is not seen as a diet, but as part of the implementation of some kind of spiritual plan for improvement.

Explains the rehabilitation therapist V.V. Lutskoy (Medical Center of Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor S.M.Bubnovsky)

Lent by church officials is seen as a period of transformation of mental and physical problems into a positive aspect. Medicine uses this vision for its own mercantile purposes, drawing our attention to the need to keep the body within a reasonable framework of energy expenditure and restore health.

In this regard, it is interesting to get acquainted with the opinion of Valentin Viktorovich Lutskiy, a rehabilitation therapist and specialist in therapeutic training devices, who works at the Kiev Center of Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor S. M. Bubnovsky.

As a person who has accumulated vast experience in improving the health of athletes in strength sports and practicing a healthy lifestyle, Christian by conviction Valentin Viktorovich has a clear idea of the connection between diet and spiritual cleansing.

He emphasizes that a person's well-being directly depends on the worldview and life. For those interested, he has developed a special nutrition program that can be adjusted on an individual basis. Lutskoi pays attention to excessive body satisfaction, overeating, drunkenness and long intervals between meals, advises to eat often and drink plenty of spring water (up to three liters per day)

In addition, it is necessary:

A feature of the therapeutic measures from Valentin Viktorovich is the practical implementation of centuries-old practices from church posts, which he widely promotes.

The grounds for such a power system:

rest of the digestive system from heavy foods;
restoration of strength;
cleansing the body.

The rehabilitation therapist claims that lean foods prolong life, help get rid of negative emotions that systematically destroy the human nervous system and his body. On our own behalf, we add - subject to strong motivation and one hundred percent commitment to the result.

To have physical strength for such a test, you first need to accumulate spiritual strength.

Before the revolution in Russia, church posts were observed very strictly, which, according to Lutsky, reflected on the health of the nation. Even foreigners envied the growth, strength and endurance of Russian men and women.

Nutrition should be consistent with the principles of rationality.

The body needs a building material - protein.

Take care of the presence of plant proteins in the house:

beans, lentils, peas, nuts, etc.
cedar, linseed, pumpkin oil;
cereals:
seafood;
sauerkraut, cucumbers;
honey products.

A vegetarian or raw food diet is a voluntary choice of few people. This is more of an uneasy spiritual path than a diet. It is foolish and harmful to reconfigure the body without a solid worldview base.

Decide not to eat after 18:00 - you will protect your digestive tract from putrefactive processes. Of the alcoholic drinks, only good red wines will turn out to be harmless to you. But no more than 50 grams. It is this dose that stimulates the functionality of the stomach.

Fasting for one to three days helps to get rid of taste addiction. But first, you should use a laxative to cleanse the intestinal system.

Correct completion of the post

Here the same moderation is the key. Fast food after fasting is a serious blow to the body. To "start" enzymes during the transition period, add to your table:

horseradish;
mustard;
pepper;
garlic and onions.

Add meat, milk, and other foods to your diet gradually and in small portions.

Modern Science of Orthodox Fasting

There was no consensus among nutritionists about church fasting. Some of them emphasize the positive aspects of its usefulness and safety, recommending fasting as a good alternative to modern diets. The basis is a practice proven over the centuries.

Temporary transitions from consumption of meat to purely plant components help the body get rid of cholesterol, toxic and carcinogenic substances.

In lean food, a number of antioxidants "tune" the cardiovascular system and the musculoskeletal system to "unload", at the same time bringing order to the psyche.

In this regard, the seasonal nature of diets also contributes. In the spring, the body tries to switch to the summer mode of the gastrointestinal tract, and in the fall - to the winter. It is important to provide him with all possible help at this time.

Fasting is an opportunity to minimize the load on the stomach and renew its mucous membrane.

Recently, Western scientists have identified a toxin in meat and milk, the accumulation of which provokes the appearance of oncological formations. Fasting or a strict diet is a way to get rid of this danger, available to everyone.

Reference. Research by scientists from the University of Milan (Italy)
Plant proteins reduce cholesterol levels. With regard to proteins of animal origin, scientists in recent years of research have been able to find a direct relationship between malignant neoplasms of the colon, uterus and mammary glands and increased consumption of meat and milk.
The reason for this is the appearance of toxins as a result of food digestion, since the human digestive system is not adapted to a large amount of animal protein. In humans, the intestines are long in size, because meat and dairy food, which is in the gastrointestinal tract for too long, forms toxins with prolonged presence. The human body is not able to efficiently remove the decay products of animal proteins.
Consequence: deposition of toxins in the body, the development of malignant pathologies, gout, arthritis, impaired renal function.

The Church's annual calendar has 200 days of restricted meals. This is a fairly long period without meat and dairy products, a serious opportunity to reduce the risk of developing serious diseases.

Features of the food pyramid

Refusing to eat a variety of food items during lengthy religious fasts looks intimidating only at first glance. The foods that a fasting believer refuses to eat are not basic and essential.

Foods essential for the body:

water;
most fruits and vegetables;
whole grains;
different types of nuts;
plant oil;
legumes.

The unusualness of everyday eating of such food is due to factors of tradition, culture and modern technology, but not to the peculiarities of physiology.

What Nutritional Science Says About Church Fasting

If the essence of spiritual strengthening during church fast does not raise any questions, then we should clarify the problems of physiology and the state of the body.

About Lent, nutritionist Kovalkov, for example, in his article "Diet and Fasting - Together or Apart?" speaks as a positive factor of rest from stress on the digestive tract. At the same time, he insists on consultations not only with confessors, but also with doctors in order to avoid irreversible changes in the body.

lactating and pregnant women;
children;
people with a large list of diseases, including mental illnesses.

But, in everything, a reasonable approach is required.

For example, many patients resolve fasting issues only with clergy, which is fundamentally wrong. For any diet, you must first consult a physician of the body. If it is difficult to get relief in limited nutrition from a confessor, then doctors will even insist on them.

An important factor is also taking into account the need to perform household and work duties during the fast.

Fasting before the Bright Resurrection of Christ

It is difficult to call preparation for this holiday easy. This is the central and most significant abstinence of the entire year. Add to this spring vitamin deficiency and draw conclusions.

Fasting lasts seven weeks in March and April. Of course, it can be very useful if you follow it correctly. But this is precisely what most believers have a problem with.

The exclusion of animal fats and meat from the diet allows the body to prepare well for the predominance of plant products in the summer-autumn time. He needs a certain attitude to digest and assimilate vitamins from natural plant foods.

Science points to an established fact -

reducing the calorie index up to 40% increases vital motivation and prolongs the functionality of all human organs and systems.

Church charter and culinary specialties

The limitations are pretty serious.

It is about a series of prescriptions and prohibitions:

One meal per day on weekdays.
Refusal from the so-called short-term products, on some days - from all types of vegetable oil, fish and wine products.
Saturday and Sunday - permission for two meals, with vegetable oil and a small amount of wine (during Holy Week, the permission is canceled).
Two fish days (on holidays - Annunciation and Palm Sunday) and a day of fish eggs on Lazarev Saturday.

The peak of the strictness of the church diet occurs at the beginning and end of the fast.

Fasting is prescribed on the first and second day of the first week and the last week. Holy Week is a dry eating time.

Fast. Strict rules aren't for everyone!

Not everyone is ready mentally, mentally and physically to master such a difficult post. The Church insists that these rules are written only for the most staunch believers who take on the heavy burden of testing for spiritual growth. In fact, this is a guideline, and not an obligatory line of comprehension of God. It is unreasonable and dangerous for the body to take everyone without lengthy preparation for the fulfillment of all the strictest dietary norms. Monks are accustomed to such abstinence, but not ordinary people accustomed to the benefits of civilization.

Doctors will confirm the facts of a huge influx of patients after the Easter holidays - people do not know how to correctly complete the diet.

For children and sick people, a lightened type of fast is prescribed, with an emphasis on prayer and ordering thoughts. The church fathers insist on determining their strengths and the degree of possible zeal, so that abstinence is not a burden, but brings joy and helps to look at the world with the surprised eyes of a child.

Menu and post. Learning to cook lean food

The main problem in compiling a menu on fast days is to avoid monotony, create an impression of abundance from a small list of products.

We remind you that all milk derivatives, meat, eggs, animal fats and fish (except for a few days) remain under the ban. But even from the permitted products, a skilled housewife can easily prepare a nutritious and delicious lunch.

The lean diet includes:

a variety of pickles;
stewed and boiled vegetables;
porridge;
salads;
fruits, berries, vegetables;
nuts, seeds, mushrooms, etc.

During this period, it makes sense to practice cooking a wide variety of soups and green borscht, with mushrooms, vegetables, but no meat.

For salads, which have become an important part of the table, dressing with corn, olive oil, linseed oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or just a pinch of salt is suitable.

Everyone knows the versatility of regular potatoes, which can be the basis for a whole list of lean dishes. Add your favorite fresh, stewed, pickled, salted, baked vegetables to boiled or stewed potatoes. Fry the mushrooms, garnish the salad with green leaves. Make fasting a holiday of harmony and universal joy.

Don't forget peas, beans, and lentils. Together with them, your body will receive in abundance a full-fledged type of vegetable protein, designed to temporarily replace a similar one from animal food.

Every other day, cook meals with flour, but no eggs. While fasting, you can learn how to make real Italian spaghetti or pasta.

Determine for yourself the usefulness of the post

Each person is the main character in his life. No one knows your needs and weaknesses better than you.

Nutrition systems can be confusing, but they still have not solved the problem of obesity in the world. Moreover, thousands of women and men in the world, in the race for harmony and beauty, are losing the remnants of their health.

Why does this happen?

In order to determine the usefulness of any dietary scheme or religious eating, it is enough to know the main signs indicating dangerous symptoms.

Beware of Feelings of Hunger

Feeling intense hunger?

This is a sure signal that you are not on the right track. But here, too, there are subtleties. It turns out there are different types of hunger. For example, a healthy feeling of hunger, the anticipation of a good meal. Or intolerable hunger, rolling down, accompanied by severe irritation and headache. The human body warns that it is highly undesirable to continue in this spirit. Stop dieting.

A symptom of a naturally harmless diet is a limited appetite. I want to eat, but not much.

How can this be achieved?

Only with frequent meals, which do not exclude the possibility of getting hungry quickly.

Be afraid of inhibitions

The technique is simple - take a list of prohibited foods and see the amount of forbidden foods. Nowadays, diets with a complete ban on fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates, and meat products are fashionable.

This means tremendous stress on your body. Not everyone is able to withstand such a diet. And is it necessary? Check with your doctor. The list of creative mono-diets on the one hand gives the end result, but at what cost?

Questions and time constraints raise. If you work until midnight, and you are offered abstinence after 6 pm, will it benefit you? Isn't it better to focus on two or three hours before bedtime.

All this speaks of the extreme importance of an individual approach and a reasonable choice when focusing on the body's needs and moderately reimbursing them.

Avoid radicalism in dietetics

Let's look at this from a scientific point of view. The body will undergo hunger, to which it is not accustomed. This is powerful stress for him and negative consequences that will have to be eliminated. After losing weight quickly, do not throw out oversized clothing. You will need it again very soon.

According to the famous nutritionist M. Ginzburg, fasting leads to gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, gallstone and urolithiasis, a significant decrease in immunity and an increased risk of infection.

Fashionable power systems. Collect all available information

Think about it, this is a real risk for you!

Find out - is there any basic data on the effect of your chosen diet on metabolism, organs and body systems, including the psychological aspect?

Fasting and dieting. Be sensible

The absurdity of some dietary patterns defies description. Beware of pretty names designed to turn on your emotionality and turn off your mental faculties. The infantilism of the followers of candy, chocolate, rum, flower diets cannot but cause a smile from a specialist.

Disease history. Practitioner tells ... The patient is a young woman. She practiced a raw food diet for seven years. Unfortunately, I have to admit that vitamin B12 deficiency has been confirmed as a result of a comprehensive study. At the same time, I draw your attention - for six years she felt great and advertised this way of eating to everyone. Six years later, the diagnosis was made - megoblastic anemia, a severe form. Condition - poor. Anemia in this form and with such indicators is a serious diagnosis.

The body experienced an acute shortage of:

gland;
vit. AT 12;
and B9 (folic acid).

reference... Folic acid cannot be fully absorbed by the body without the availability of the required amount of vitamin B12.

Patient's symptoms:

Destruction of mucous membranes with mouth ulcers, crimson red tongue (scalded).
Swollen lymph nodes.
Ulcers in the larynx and intestines.
Stomach ulcer.

Complaints: the whole body and all organs are in pain, every day a stool mixed with blood, severe weakness, head lobes, pressure surges, loss of consciousness.

Recovery is slow, the body desperately needs a normal level of iron and vitamins, but the appointment of large doses is dangerous, since a high dosage is toxic.

Why did it happen? Vegetarian and raw food diets are not suitable for everyone, in addition, it must be borne in mind that women lose blood every month during menstruation. Those who decide to be a vegetarian, firstly, need to undergo a serious comprehensive study, and secondly, even in the case of the health of the body as a whole, regularly take laboratory tests. In case of a lack of vitamins and trace elements, in the case of a continuation of a vegetarian diet or a raw food diet (if the doctor permits), start taking vitamin-mineral complexes (again, as prescribed by a specialist).

Reasons for stopping the diet

Let's name three main ones:

Feeling unwell - weakness, later dryness of the skin, violation of the structure of the nails, hair falling out. Symptoms indicate the onset of vitamin deficiency and a lack of certain minerals.
Impaired mental activity. Deterioration of mood, bouts of depression, irritability, aggressive reaction to people and the surrounding reality, sleep disturbance. Symptoms of starvation of the brain.
An unexpected desire for a certain product, which was not previously characteristic of you. Symptoms of a lack of certain vitamins and minerals.

The above cases are a serious reason for the immediate termination of the diet or fasting and a visit to the doctor to find out the cause of the manifestation of specific symptoms and determine measures to eliminate a direct threat to health.

Dear visitors of the Pharmamir website. This article is not medical advice and should not be used as a substitute for consulting a doctor.

Does an Orthodox woman need to lose weight?

A person's appearance always reflects his health. A fresh complexion and a healthy glow, a clear look and vigor of movements without words indicate that their owner is healthy and full of energy. But the completeness? Overweight, which is becoming a problem for more and more people? Is it always a sign of ill health and should you get rid of it? These questions are especially relevant for women. To get an objective answer, we asked them to specialists in various fields - spiritual and medical.

Archpriest Sergiy Filimonov, Professor, Doctor of Medicine, Chairman of the Society of Orthodox Doctors of St. Petersburg.

- Father Sergius, as a priest and as a doctor, please answer the question: does an Orthodox woman need to lose weight?

The Church has no specific answer regarding the weight loss of an Orthodox woman. This question has two sides: medical and spiritual. Medically a woman needs to lose weight if she has problems with metabolism, develops hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and other diseases. Being overweight can cause respiratory and circulatory problems. It is not uncommon for women to get better after taking medications, especially hormones. Sometimes this is due to dysfunction of the thyroid, pancreas, and gonads. From stress, nervous breakdowns, transferred infections, such endocrine diseases can develop, which lead to an increase in body weight. In these cases, a woman can turn to specialist doctors for advice and the appointment of special diets.

Problems for a woman due to being overweight can also arise in family life if the husband is not a church member. He sees that his wife is losing her former attractiveness due to being overweight. After giving birth, mom often gains weight. If family relationships were built on passion, and not on deep moral foundations, the husband may begin to look "to the side." Therefore, if a woman knows about such an attitude of her husband towards her, and is forced to follow a diet that promotes weight loss, she takes care of preserving her family. Although I will emphasize that her prayer and trust in God should always come first, and concern about losing weight should always come second.

Overweight can also interfere with the woman herself - it is easier for a person of a more elegant physique to carry out his duties at home and at work. This is what concerns medical and everyday aspects, which can be the basis for a confessor to bless a woman to lose weight.

Consider the spiritual aspect. Motivation is important here. A girl who wants to get married must first of all take care of the beauty of her virtues. A Christian spouse should be attracted primarily by her modesty, patience, obedience, gentleness, tenderness, prayer, and the like. Of course, when dating, appearance also matters, and if a girl takes care of him for the sake of marriage, this also has its own justification. But if a married or divorced woman is engaged in this in order to attract the attention of men and enter into a sexual relationship with them, then through losing weight she cultivates the following passions: lust, fornication, vanity, exaltation, pride and others. In this case, the desire to lose weight is definitely sinful in nature.

Some women with the obsession of losing weight bring themselves to the brink of mental illness, literally counting how many grams a day they have gained. Here we are faced with a violation of the second commandment of God - “ Do not make yourself an idol". For people involved in bodybuilding, their own body often becomes an idol, which fosters self-esteem, vanity, exaltation, narcissism in them. A person begins to worship himself, makes him an idol, i.e. the object of worship is your body. So it is with losing weight. This can become a certain “religion” of a person, only it connects not with God, but with his ego, with his own “I”. In some cases, this psychological dependence leads women to serious deviations. I saw such unfortunate people whom the Lord deprived of their minds, they developed anorexia- progressive self-restraint in food while maintaining appetite, due to impaired perception of one's body. They could no longer eat food - there was vomiting, they came to the reception - in the literal sense - bones covered with skin. I had to put them on droppers, inject drugs into the body, special food for the body so that these women would not die.

Here we see the wrong motivation for losing weight, leading to spiritual delight, when a person does not want to come to terms with the Providence of God, but lives according to his own will. Such weight loss has a demonic basis and is destructive for a woman.

- A reader asked us this question: is it a sin to lose weight in order to wear smaller clothes and please your husband? Because clothes for overweight are less beautiful, the choice of its models is limited.

Is it a sin to adjust your body to your clothes? Health care should still come first. But if a person is very much recovered, it is really difficult for him to find clothes. In this case, you can lose weight. If losing weight does not pursue other goals, does not interfere with spiritual life, does not interfere with prayer, does not lead to prodigal thoughts, then this is a purely everyday question, it does not need to be translated into the spiritual realm.

- A woman from Ukraine also wrote to us that she loves to cook deliciously for her husband, children, guests. This kind of cordiality and hospitality leads her to fullness. She writes that it turns out to be a vicious circle - she repents of the sin of gluttony, but immediately comes home and again cooks deliciously and eats again with everyone. What to do?

First, she should consult with her confessor on this issue, since she repents of the sin of gluttony. And secondly, if a person loves to eat deliciously and cook deliciously, which, of course, develops the sin of gluttony, you need to cultivate the virtue of abstinence. For this, there are posts. Four fasts throughout the year, as well as on Wednesdays and Fridays, during which you need to fight this sin. By fasting, one should definitely restrain oneself, not break down, otherwise it will turn out not to fast, but to pharisaism: I will fast for a day, but we will eat for a day.

- Should an Orthodox woman do gymnastics?

Any woman needs to do gymnastics, because it helps not to gain excess weight, keep fit and improve health, and restore strength for work. With gymnastics, the body becomes more resilient, more able to work.

- Now in some organizations there is such a thing as a dress code, when women of a certain appearance are hired to work, and obesity here also plays a big role. Should an Orthodox woman adapt to such a dress code of secular organizations?

Standards have always existed - in the army, in sports, and in other professions, they just called it differently. And now any institution has its own rules, conditions for hiring. There are certain standards of appearance for the profession of flight attendants, secretaries in law firms, there is nothing wrong with that. If a woman likes working in this organization and brings income for food, then these conditions must be accepted, if, of course, they do not contradict moral norms. If the appearance of the employee is used for some vicious purposes, then the woman should not even get a job in this company. Adjusting to certain standards, a woman should consider how godly her stay in this organization will be, how it will affect her relationship with the Church.

I. V. Demidova, homeopath-psychotherapist.

- Irina Vitalievna, in what cases does a woman need to lose weight?

When excess weight prevents her from living: to move fully, work, rest. It means that the time has come to change something in your life. The solution to this issue must be approached individually. The doctor should find out how uncomfortable a woman is with her weight and why it is uncomfortable, how much it restricts her life activity. The doctor must understand that God heals, and the doctor only participates in this. And the main task of the doctor here is not to break those self-regulation systems that are in the human body.

- Is it possible to cope with the problem of excess weight with the help of homeopathic remedies?

With the help of homeopathic remedies, you can cope with any problem related to human health. The question is whether the patient is ready for the long and thoughtful work on himself that homeopathy offers, whether he is ready to be consistent and cooperate with the doctor. This includes and lifestyle change. Indeed, women often eat food not only to satisfy hunger, but "seize" some troubles or problems. Such food, of course, does not give any benefit, but leads to the appearance of extra fat cells in the body. Instead of eating candy or cake, a woman should find the strength to go for a walk or to the pool, ride a bike, but you never know interesting and useful activities!

- Can a woman be full and healthy at the same time?

- Of course. The concept of completeness has wide boundaries, and what is fullness for one woman is the norm for another. For physically healthy women who come to us about excess weight, we offer, first of all, solve a psychological problem, behind obesity. And then the weight is shed by itself. And without eliminating the psychological cause, no diet will bring the desired result, and it can seriously harm. Diets rock our body. For a while, a woman cuts her diet or completely changes it, but then most often she breaks down and returns to the previous menu. As a result, she is gaining even more kilograms.

- And what problem can hide behind excess weight?

Often this is depression, low self-esteem, a negative attitude towards oneself and the world, and, of course, a lack of trust, which hides disbelief or lack of faith. And this is not only and not so much a physical problem as a spiritual one. And with spiritual ailments they go to a spiritual hospital, that is, to a temple. We must take the first step with faith and hope, come and tell the priest about our worries and experiences, listen to his advice and try to change something in ourselves.

- Probably, it is difficult to treat this ailment if your patient is not a believer?

I am sure that unbelieving people practically do not exist: they believe, but they do not even admit it to themselves, or they are stubborn. It is so obvious that man is a creature not made by hands, created by the Lord, that health is given to us in advance and all reserves in the body are laid down by the Creator. The main thing is not to lose this good and to understand why we live. But you do not believe in the Providence of God, you rely only on your own “I,” which means that you must prepare to bear numerous sorrows, and, perhaps, at some stage of your life you will believe. Through sorrow, illness - to the Lord.

- Another reason for the obesity of a modern person is physical inactivity. How to deal with this problem?

If a woman has a sedentary job, she needs to find an opportunity to increase physical activity. You need to use your individual resources, the abilities that are given by God: for one it is exercising at home, for another - fitness in the gym or classes in the pool, and for the third - just a walk in the fresh air. In short, an individual approach is also needed in the choice of load. Determine for yourself what you can do and do it. Relying on God's help, work on yourself, exercise willpower. There is no other way.

E. B. Mishenko, allergist-immunologist.

- Elena Borisovna, and what women shouldn't lose weight at all?

You can not lose weight for pregnant women and nursing mothers. It is very important to monitor your diet during pregnancy and lactation. If mom is gaining a lot of weight, eating chips, chocolate, cakes and rolls, then this, of course, is an alarming signal. And if the mother eats in a balanced way, that is, she eats lean meat, fish, eggs, cereals, vegetables and fruits, and the weight gain is 15-20 kg - you don't have to worry. For nursing mothers, diets are fraught with milk loss. Therefore, you need to eat fully - you eat for two.

Even with normal weight, great health and excellent appetite, a pregnant woman needs to move more. Walking, exercising, swimming in the pool or performing special gymnastics (each to its own) are necessary to maintain the health of mother and child.

- How do you feel about diets?

Very careful. The diet needs to be selected purely individually, taking into account the characteristics of a woman's health. I am absolutely against starvation - when a woman sits only on water, or even worse - without water. This is the strongest stress for the body, after which a woman can gain even more kilograms. I am for reasonable nutrition: try to eliminate a lot of fats from the menu, and your weight will begin to change.

The golden rule of normal weight is moderation in diet. Don't starve - just don't overeat. As a practicing doctor, I can say that most people in Russia eat twice as much as they need, in addition, they sit down at the table without feeling hungry, but only because the time has come. And they leave the table with a feeling of utmost satiety.

In addition, in our Orthodox culture there are multi-day posts, as well as Wednesdays and Fridays - fast days, which unload our body, give time and strength to take spiritual food.

- Some people also hold Orthodox posts in order to lose weight. Is there any benefit to such abstinence?

Of course, this is no longer a fast, but a kind of diet. Such "fasting" does not bring spiritual benefits, only physiological ones. If a person does not eat at least meat for forty days, then he significantly cleanses the intestines. By the way, it reduces the risk of colon and small intestine cancer.

- Does age affect the ability to get rid of extra pounds?

Yes, it does. Before thirty, it is quite easy to adjust your weight, but after thirty or forty, when a woman's hormonal background changes, various diseases appear, it becomes more difficult to fight overweight.

- And at what age should you start to monitor your weight?

Parents need to be brought up in a child from childhood food culture and physical education. This will save him from problems in the future. And in our families, unfortunately, it is not customary to do exercises in the morning, walk in the fresh air, let alone a pool or a gym. The habit of overeating has already been mentioned.

Weight problems can also be related to heredity. If mom, dad and other relatives are fat, then the daughter or son should take care of themselves from their youth.

- How do you feel about pharmaceuticals promoting weight loss?

I have a negative attitude to such drugs, because this is a gross interference in the human body. Even if people lose weight as a result of taking these drugs, they will soon gain more weight than before. Because they remove the effect, not the cause.

- It is known that excessive concern for the body harms the soul, and, on the other hand, the body is the house of the Holy Spirit and must be "kept" in order. How to find the middle ground?

You need to moderately monitor your health: eat when you want, choose optimal set of products from those offered by modern shops and markets, read what is written on the labels, and also:

Mayonnaise should be replaced with vegetable oils or not very fatty sour cream;

Reduce the amount of potatoes consumed, especially in the autumn-winter period;

Eliminate carbonated drinks;

It is advisable to completely remove white bread from your diet;

Replace pork with turkey or chicken.

Fruits also need to be eaten selectively, for example, bananas, grapes and persimmons are not useful for an overweight woman, but eat apples or pineapples for health.

If a person is very fond of sweets, then you can eat a piece of cake or candy, but in the morning and not every day.

Try not to overeat at night, and if you do eat late, then dinner should be low in calories. It is advisable to have dinner two hours before bedtime.

And, of course, move. Choose the kind of physical activity that you pleasant: for some it is swimming, for others it is jogging, roller-skating or skiing, for some it is just walking.

Human health is a gift from God and not support his sin. Review and change your lifestyle and stay lean and healthy.

Prepared by A. Sabitova and I. Sendetskaya.
« Slav", Orthodox women's magazine, 2011, July-August.

Lean foods and a healing diet

At present, many newfangled diets have appeared, but what kind of diet to choose for an Orthodox person is the question. We cannot choose cottage cheese and kefir for weight loss, because you cannot eat dairy products during fasting. We cannot form a diet of avocado, asparagus, spinach, artichokes, mango, because we do not have all of this. Television offers new and new delusional ideas, for example, "losing weight from eating only chocolate", from which there will be either acne due to sweets, or kidney stones due to the high content of oxalic acid and other troubles. The diet of a Russian Orthodox person must necessarily be formed from the affordable inexpensive foods that grow around us. This is a real diet.

There are differences between lean food and a health-promoting diet. Lean food should be as simple as possible, for example, bread and water, or porridge and compote, or soup and fish. A therapeutic diet should be as rich as possible in a variety of useful substances: antihypoxants, antioxidants, angioprotectors, vitamins, mineral salts, enzymes, etc. Thus, the thinking of the parish physician is always directed towards how to find a compromise between maximum simplicity and affordability and between the richness of the quality composition of the products. It is in this search for a compromise that the selection of a diet for the sick person consists.

Some patients say: I asked the priest during the fast to allow me to drink milk, and he blessed me. Well, the priest's blessing is an important rule for the layman. But, analyzing such indulgences in fasting, I came to the conclusion that most of them are harmful to the health of the fasting person. For example, drinking milk increases colds in the cold season, gives gas and excruciating pain in the intestines, often diarrhea, at any time of the year, so why break the fast? - In order to suffer and suffer from the intensification of the disease? There is no relief or sense in a number of indulgences. Experience with real-life diets suggests that a lean diet is much better for the health and well-being of the patient than a fast diet. Of course, there is an exception to this rule, but most of the cases are. I would not at all want to be a reformer and interfere with the position of priests about fasting. However, as a specialist, I must point out errors of a purely medical nature in the official doctrine of rational nutrition, because the opinions of most people, including clergymen, are formed from erroneous scientific opinions. - Even contrary to the ancient tradition, by the way, which is being destroyed everywhere. The opinion of the official science of nutrition, which is that fast foods are needed urgently and in large quantities, as soon as a person is sick, is wrong. In fact, the processes taking place during fasting are healing, and most fasting people feel better during fasting than outside of fasting. And it has even been repeatedly noted that if a fasting person begins to break the fast and there is fast food, he gets sick more often.

In our methods, food products are presented by groups. Moreover, a complete list of fruits, berries, herbs is almost impossible to find and unnecessary. It is necessary to choose from our list what is available, if possible - in the garden, in the forest, in the market, in the store. Likewise drinking household herbal teas. Teas are not prepared from the entire list at once, but from those herbs that are available, whenever possible.

Grouping products among themselves is a trendy topic now, but unfortunately it is often perverted. Some frivolous authors even dare to make loud statements and inventions, for example: "A melon after eating is life-threatening! It should only be eaten on an empty stomach." That's right, it's better to eat on an empty stomach, but you can't write that it is life-threatening. Nothing dangerous: it just "blows through", and that's all. It is not dangerous, but also not useful. The harm should not be exaggerated.

In general, in our methods, we often use the principles of the American physician Herbert Shelton on separate nutrition. Now these principles are fashionable, but for many authors their presentation is incorrect and impractical. In fact, the algorithm is different: raw foodist Shelton recommends eating any piece of cooked food on a rich raw vegetable salad. That is, I wanted a piece of fish, - I ate it on a raw vegetable salad, I wanted a baked potato, - I ate it on a raw salad, I wanted cottage cheese - I ate it with apricots, currants and herbs, etc. From a health point of view, the healing properties of raw vegetables, herbs, fruits, berries enrich other foods. But here, too, the physician must keep his ears open: a number of foods that are not combined according to Herbert Shelton really give symptoms of the disease. Conversely, if these combinations are eliminated, the symptoms will disappear sooner or later. Thus, neither ignorance of separate nutrition, nor exaggeration of its problems should take place in a reasonable physician. And you need to use primary sources - not the fantasies of graphomaniacs, but the books of the scientists themselves: Shelton, Walker, Rogers, Pevsner and everything that is valuable in natural therapy literature with scientific and practicality in the field of diet.

Usually there are only a few manipulations used in our therapeutic diet.

1. In case of inflammation, allergies and elevated temperature, hyperergic foods that can increase the temperature are excluded: carbohydrates and their containing products (milk, etc.), fats, broths.

2. With mucus formation (colds, boils, leucorrhoea, etc.) mucus-forming products are excluded - sweet, flour, dairy, excess cereals, rice, potatoes.

3. In case of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, the patient is fed with mucus-containing foods and raw emollient juices or pureed foods. Eliminates irritating, pungent substances. However, after the inflammation calms down, they look at the level of secretory activity: with increased secretion, sokogonny radishes, radishes, onions, garlic, peppers, horseradish are excluded or limited, and with reduced secretion, on the contrary, they are added.

4. In case of inflammation and stone processes, remove all acute irritating foods. Subsequently, they begin to gradually be introduced, softening by soaking or adding emollients - carrots, oil, mixing with cereals, etc.

5. With vitamin deficiencies, anemia, tumor processes and obesity, give a lot of raw vitamin food and limit boiled, dead food. They even try to reduce cooking in order to ensure the preservation of vitamins, if possible: for example, buckwheat is brought to a boil and immediately removed, poured into a thermos or wrapped in a saucepan for several hours. Heat treatment in all cases is minimized. However, there may be restrictions, because the same patient, as a rule, does not have one disease, but several. For example, with colitis, you have to boil cabbage for a long time if it puffs up.

6. In case of excessively gassing processes in the stomach and intestines, pains, cramps, fermentation, remove gassing food products: legumes (peas, beans, lentils, soybeans), sweets, milk, raw cabbage, sometimes sauerkraut; onions, garlic, radishes, radishes in excess - raw.

7. With skin rashes of non-infectious origin, work out a diet carefully according to Shelton, that is, the exclusion of the joint intake of acidic foods (berries, fruits, tomatoes, sorrel, rhubarb) with proteins (meat, fish, eggs) and starches (potatoes, flour); chocolate with carbohydrates (it contains a lot of oxalic acid). Or they analyze the acidic properties of other nutrients and the feasibility of their exclusion (mayonnaise, vinegar, ketchup, etc.). They recommend eating melons and tomatoes on an empty stomach and avoiding desserts.

8. In case of stone processes in the gallbladder and hyperkinesias, powerful choleretic products are excluded in exacerbation and are limited in remission: meat broths, fatty, fried, canned food, smoked meats, tomatoes and pastes, tomatoes and ketchups, peppers and horseradish, rare repo, lemon, onion garlic. In kidney stone processes, the same foods that irritate the kidney tissue are excluded and limited, and in accordance with the nature of the salts, a number of nutrients that tend to accumulate are limited.

9. Observe the seasonality of the composition of food. In the heat, hot and strong drinks are excluded - hot tea and coffee, strong alcohol, hot soups, fatty foods, fried. There is no point in eating fat borscht with lard in the thirty-degree heat, drinking vodka, sweating and suffering from your own folly. And I have repeatedly noticed cases of sudden death during the holidays at a feast in the summer, in the heat, while taking strong alcoholic drinks and overeating. Increasing internal energy in hot air and in the sun is a very high risk of "fading" and getting a stroke or heart attack. It is better to eat raw vegetables, fruits, juicy and unsweetened berries, yogurt, cottage cheese, which have cooling properties. In winter, on the contrary, you cannot last long on low-calorie food - all types of high-calorie foods are required to increase the energy of the flesh: fats, honey, hot and strong drinks (alcohol). But then again in the summer, unloading, detoxification and vitaminization - and so the seasonal periods in nutrition are harmoniously replaced.

10. Finally, the addition of food products containing the actual medicinal elements is used. For example: in case of tumors, the introduction into the diet of greens of the antitumor stellate medium (wood lice) and drinking of the antitumor creeper; with anemia, viburnum and mountain ash berries and drinking herbs with hematopoietic properties (nettles, strawberries, etc.); for constipation, the addition of laxatives beets, pumpkins and drinking compotes with prunes or cherries, as well as household herbal teas with oregano, flaxseed; with a decrease in immunity, adding silicon-containing plants to food (nettle in soup, turnip in salad or knotweed in tea), etc. It is very valuable to introduce spices with a healing effect in case of diseases. For example: for peptic ulcer disease, for diarrhea gravilat, for dysbiosis savory, basil, tarragon, for colds, coriander, for worms fennel, etc.

When recommending a diet, it goes without saying that the patient himself controls the ecological properties of the products, because the doctor will rarely be able to help in this matter. Conventional medicine deals little with environmental control, because even if an unsellable principled employee comes across in the state sanitary and epidemiological supervision, he is either blackmailed or killed (there have been such cases according to the media). Especially large profits are made from environmentally dirty and low-quality products. And we cannot condemn those employees of the sanitary and epidemiological supervision who did not dare to stand up to the end. It is for this reason that we advise you to eat domestic products, and even better from your own garden or garden. In addition, Oleg Platonov, in his book "The Crown of Thorns of Russia", reports that in the United States, up to 15 thousand names of products are slandered by sorcerers-Kabbalists.

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. In Christianity, there are two sacred books, the Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament. If these two sacred books differ in the interpretation of some events and things, then the undoubted preference is given to the New Testament. The believers themselves consider Christianity to be a healthy way of life.

There are very strong discrepancies in these books in relation to nutrition. Christians believe that with the coming of Christ, many laws and prohibitions ceased to operate. Laws existed to achieve spirituality, Christ showed that any person is spiritual, by his death he atoned for all the sins of mankind.

In relation to nutrition, the following words are remarkable: "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial; everything is permissible for me, but nothing should possess me. Food is for the womb, and the womb is for food." (1 Cor. 6, 12-13)

That is, a person can eat absolutely everything, but not everything is useful. And since we must take care of our body as a vessel for the soul, then our duty is to think about health and how to be healthy. Healthy eating is a guarantee of health, therefore it is not recommended to eat everything in a row, although it is permissible.

It is these principles that are laid down in Christianity, where there are no complete bans on any products, but there are rules of restrictions.
Let's take a closer look at the nutrition of Christians.

The first people were vegetarians, they ate grass, fruits of trees. This was the same food for everyone, "in whom there is a living soul." This food was favorable for human development, the first people, according to the Bible, lived for a very long time. But conditions have changed, people have multiplied. Noah was allowed to eat "everything that moves that lives." There was a strict prohibition on flesh with blood (soul), any other food could be consumed.

This way of eating existed until the moment when the Jews received special instructions on the use of food through Moses (Leviticus and Deuteronomy). Jews were a strong, healthy and intelligent nation. This can be judged by the fact that there were no sick people when crossing the desert. The intelligence of Jewish children can be judged by the story of Daniel, who lived in the palace of the king of Egypt. Daniel tried to adhere to the laws of kashrut whenever possible (which was difficult among the Gentiles). The prophet Daniel's diet consisted of vegetables, fruits, and grains. Daniel before the king showed himself smarter than the Egyptian sages.

Jesus Christ, as a Jew, adhered to the laws of the nutrition of his people. But after his death and resurrection, only one prohibition remained: not to eat what was sacrificed to idols, although even in this case, if a person could not know exactly what kind of meat it was, it was better not to think about its origin. However, the diet includes foods that are good for the body. Let's see why.

A Christian should be a living testimony to the correctness of Christ's teaching; a healthy body largely depends on nutrition. The New Testament contains a lot of information about the Christian attitude to food. The main thing is not to impose any burden other than what is necessary: to abstain from those sacrificed to idols, blood, meat of a dead animal. And that's all. In Christianity, there are no prohibitions on the type of food. But its consumption is strictly regulated.

First, the commandment: Thou shalt not kill, which applies not only to man, but also to any animal "with a soul" is relevant. Therefore, killing an animal is allowed only when necessary, when there is no other food. In the modern world, there is enough other food, so the rejection of animal meat can only be welcomed. In addition, "a virtuous person honors the life of an animal."

Secondly, although there is no explicit prohibition on eating pork, nevertheless Jesus sent demons into a herd of pigs, that is, a Christian should avoid including pig meat in his diet. Fatty meat can cause diseases of the heart and psyche (a herd of pigs in a rage threw themselves off a cliff and died of a heart attack).

Third, what did Jesus and his companions eat? As a rule, these were the fruits of trees, in the shade of which they rested, bread that they could take with them on the road, and honey.

When various people who had to eat something came to hear Christ's sermons, Christ fed everyone with bread and fish. He did not feed people more satisfying meat, because it takes more time to digest meat food, meat does not contribute to spiritual development, in addition, a person needs to rest, which is impermissible during the tight deadlines that were allotted for sermons and teachings.

Vegetable oil was used not only for food, but also in some rituals, we can say that it is "blessed", the harlot who brought a vessel of oil to Jesus Christ was admitted to the meal. Remember that all Christ's companions are Jews, who are forbidden to sit at the table with a non-Jew, but to eat food that was not touched by a Jew is a sin.

How did Jesus Christ feel about wine? Wine in the diet is permissible, but it must be of high quality (the episode of the transformation of water into wine at a wedding, when the water became quality wine, much better than it was served at the beginning of the wedding ceremony). In no case should you get drunk, this is a sin.

Jesus Christ observed long fasts during which he practically did not eat anything. For meditation, he went to the desert so that no one would distract him, and there would be no all kinds of temptations. He himself did not say that all people should follow such a spiritual practice, this is impossible, but many Christian saints, monks and church fathers adhere to the rule of fasting and refuse food of animal origin, eating plant foods. Moderation in food is necessary so that not the flesh guides our actions, but the mind. You cannot bring meat for consecration. You can consecrate fruits, bread, vegetable oil, cahors, cereal dishes. On special days, blessing of baked goods (pancakes, Easter cakes) and eggs is allowed. Ritual food is distributed to the hungry and the poor, or eaten by the ministers of the church. Consecrated food should not be thrown away or given to animals. Jesus Christ taught, and later repeated by the apostles, that for the sake of food it is not necessary to destroy God's creation, if there is an opportunity to eat something else.

Let's briefly summarize nutrition in Christianity. There are no prohibitions on the use of food, except for food with blood and dead flesh. But eating meat is not encouraged, there are many restrictive fasts and fasting days (there are more than 200 of them a year). Almost the same number of prohibitive days for dairy products and eggs (there are fewer of them by a week, on Shrovetide it is allowed to use dairy products, but meat is no longer allowed). Fasting days - twice a week (outside of fasting). On some fasting days, fish is acceptable. There are no restrictions on cooking methods. Here we can already say about the traditional Russian cuisine, there are many soups in it, the second courses are stewed, baked (the food was cooked in a Russian oven, it was very difficult to fry in it). Plant foods are used seasonally, fresh or cooked. It can be sanctified, which means that it is fruits and vegetables that are blessed. Honey is not considered food of animal origin, it is allowed in fasting, it is preferable to sugar, especially on those days when it is not recommended to eat cooked by hand. Fasting involves some days of eating foods that do not need to be cooked, that is, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables.

In general, such a diet can be called healthy. For Orthodox Christians who are thinking about how to be healthy for all family members, eating in accordance with the canons of religion will be beneficial. Reasonable alternation of the use of animal and plant foods, a rational ratio of the use of saturated and unsaturated fats. Flour buns and sweets (candies, chocolates) on holidays are also smart. Disadvantages: although rarely, fatty foods of animal origin (fatty meat, lard) are allowed, restrictions only on fasting for the use of fatty dairy products (cream, sour cream, butter). If you strictly adhere to fasts, then there is little fish in the diet. Most Christians believe that fish is not an animal food, and they always eat it. But the relationship to fish is ambiguous, for example, during the strict Great Lent, the use of fish is allowed only twice (the Annunciation and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem) and once caviar (Lazarev Saturday). The permits for pork and lard can be attributed to climatic conditions. It has always been cold in Russia, so meat food is essential. And lard is stored better than meat. Therefore, in order to prolong the possibility of eating meat, lard was preserved and eaten.

Each person who adheres to certain religious beliefs can emphasize the merits of their diet and explain the shortcomings (from the point of view of a non-adherent of religion). For example, a Muslim will say that fasting food in the evening can be explained by hot climatic conditions, during the day all kinds of bacteria are more likely to multiply in food, cooking in the evening is more reasonable from this point of view. The meat cooked by a Jew is soft, less nutritious, its broth is transparent and tasty. The Christian, by the abundance of many fasts and fasting days, will justify the daily use of pancakes on Shrovetide and Easter cakes on Easter. The correct nutrition of their people can be defended, and reasonably, by doctors. I would like to note that the main thing with any diet is moderation. If you are thinking about how to be healthy, healthy food products can be found in the national cuisines of any nation.

In early childhood, in my hospital card, there was a diagnosis in big red letters: dystrophy 1 degree... Looking at my photographs at such a young age, I would never have thought that by the age of 23 this tiny creature would turn into an 85-kilogram carcass. In fact, I gained weight in just some 2-2.5 years, but almost 20 kg. What I just didn’t do, so as not to succumb to a further change in size from 44 to 52! From time to time I went on a diet (although I must give it credit - it was not for long), went in for sports until stupefied, began to go to the bathhouse every week ... The last two sessions saved me from depression and terrible mental disorders associated with the constant movement of the arrow on the scales upward. I did 25 body-sculpting massage sessions, with body wraps and salt baths. I drank a bunch of food additives. The result is one - plus or minus 1.5-2 kg.

I can talk for a long time about how awful it is: not to fit into my favorite autumn skirt, to give the housekeeper a luxurious German jacket, which became hopelessly small already a year ago, just to make room for new clothes, which would soon, most likely, I had to buy at the Three Fat Men store. And here's what happened next. I accidentally spoke to my husband (who was also no less worried about my endless fatness) that my colleague was going to fast during Lent this year. He said: "Well, that's a thought. I also really want to fast. Are you with me?" How could I refuse? And now two months of refusal from food of animal origin gave their magical effect: during fasting I am 12 kg. As soon as the first effect began to be seen, I began to study the literature on healthy eating. She radically changed the traditions of nutrition in our family in the direction of reducing the calorie content of the diet and increasing its usefulness for a young, losing weight. Now my weight is 65 kg, absolutely normal for my height 166 cm. I will not say that now I severely limit myself in something. I eat almost everything, but little by little. And I try to at least roughly calculate the calorie intake. The only thing that darkens my happiness is that at the Christmas sales in Paris, I bought myself a mountain of the most fashionable items 52 sizes, and now I have 44-46. But we will survive this trouble somehow!

I didn’t tell my weight loss story for a prize, but so that women could benefit from my experience.

Personal experience

Comment on the article "Orthodox traditions or how to lose weight in two months"

I just came across the site pravoslavnayadieta.ru there are recipes that help to lose weight, tested on myself in 1.5 years, I lost 7 kilograms, although fasting is not always possible, but I think that fasting is a special diet, of course, first of all for the soul and then for body.

21.11.2012 21:37:59,

When I lost a lot of weight, when asked what helped me, I answered that it was Great Lent. But I was not fasting for the sake of losing weight, and even more so I would not have posted it in the title of the article. On the other hand, who knows, maybe this is the path to God for you.

08.12.2008 21:56:14,

I don’t think this is an “experience”, because I don’t imagine what and in what quantity should be eaten in order to lose almost 15% of “live weight” in 2 months with the exception of food of animal origin. I suppose that you still have problems with exchange, possibly stemming from that very childhood dystrophy, and such problems still need to be solved with a doctor, and not experimenting on your own.
Well, about the fact that Orthodox fasting and diet are slightly different things, you have already written above: ((((((

08.12.2008 17:42:22,

Total 11 posts .

Orthodoxy food. Orthodox traditions or how to lose weight in two months. - And how they solve the fish issue - in practice