Fasting is a very complex topic of stumbling between the religious and secular world. On the one hand, the priests convince the need for fasting as a test of abstinence, so as to atone for Christ with their little sufferings. On the other hand, there is another "party" of followers of fasting, they say that fasting should be used for recreational purposes. Well, and the third group considers such strict abstinence in food and life, in general, inappropriate and inconvenient, incompatible with the modern way of life.
We will not try to persuade you and incline to someone else's point of view. Just tell you how to fast properly, so as not to harm your body in a flash.
Prohibitions
The strictest are the first four days of fasting and the last (Holy) week. A complete ban on food is superimposed on Good Friday and Pure Monday.
Let's start with the prohibitions, which directly depends on how to fast correctly.
So, smoking , alcohol, sex are forbidden - from the first day of fasting until Easter.
Foul language, lies, aggression, perjury, slander are forbidden - for fasting, first of all, is the purification of the soul, and not the stomach, before Easter. This must be remembered, of course, otherwise, concentrating on food bans, you can not stand all 42 days. As for how to fast properly before Easter and what food should be forgotten for a while, we suggest that you read through the list:
- meat, dairy, fish products, eggs - in a word, everything that has an animal origin;
- alcohol (except red wine on Sundays and holidays);
- soya and soy substitutes for meat and dairy products;
- Coffee and tea, as exciting drinks;
- Spices, like products that improve the taste of food.
Substitutions
As you can see, there are not many bans, but they cover almost all food groups. You could be interested in the ban on soy, because many in the councils how to fast properly in Lent, they recommend simply replacing soy meat, bakery products containing milk and meat with so-called lean.
Moreover, for most people fasting is a transition to "lean" cookies with margarine (and not butter). This is a huge self-deception, which is very beneficial for food producers, since the well-known fact - during fasting people start more than ever at the time of the year, buying "lean" sweets, satisfying them with hunger for meat.
Fasting is abstinence and a test of willpower, and not the replacement of butter with margarine.
If you are engaged in the fact that for forty days you eat not the cookie, but the other, you make absolutely meaningless, in terms of religion, and very harmful, from the point of view of health, thing.
Nuances
If you are new to this question, you will be interested in the nuances of how to start fasting correctly. We recommend that you mark the days in the following order on the calendar, in order not to get confused.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - dry eating (you eat thermally unprocessed foods like dried fruits , bread, water, honey, nuts).
On Tuesdays and Thursdays - you eat hot food without adding oil.
These five days a week are allowed only one meal.
On Saturdays and Sundays, holidays, you can eat twice, add lean oil and eat a little wine. On Annunciation and Palm Sunday you can eat fish, and in Lazarev Saturday - caviar.
Who can not fast?
Pregnant, sick and children are not allowed to fast. Moreover, stubbornly following their annual habit can cost them their health.
Spirituals are allowed to soften and adhere to a sparing post for travelers who find it difficult to cook lean food for themselves, and for older people.