Fasting and nutrition
Fasting is like human: bodily and spiritual. With two natures: for the body and for the soul. We grow from sinfulness and from greed.
Fasting is on water, except on Saturdays and Sundays, when oil and wine are allowed. Oil and wine are also allowed on the following feasts:
- Restoration of St. Cyril from Solun,
- Finding the head of St. John the Baptist,
- Saint Agatangel from Bitola,
- Infants of the Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Gabriel,
- Saint Lydia from Macedonia,
- Uprising of Saint Methodius of Solun
- and on church or home feasts.
Fish is only eaten on Blagovec and Cvetnici. Fish eggs are eaten on Lazarus Saturday.
The first three days - Trimeri (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) food is not allowed for those who voluntarily decide not to eat, and it is not an obligation for everyone. People who decide to not eat for 3 days, on Wednesday, after the Liturgy, first drink a spoon of holy water on Epiphany (Agyazma), and then take the Communion (Prichesna).
Easter fasting is the strictest form of fasting.
And fasting means restraining bodily and spiritual: restraint from greasy food and from greediness. In fasting, we give preference and support to the spiritual before the bodily. It is time for more prayers and for more good deeds. Time for giving up the sins and for repentance.
In Easter fasting, weddings are not allowed.
The body fast means restraint from meat, milk, eggs and products that contain them, that is, from everything that contains meat, milk and eggs, and on certain days, restraint from both oil and wine. Food is predominantly of plant origin.
Although, only on Saturday and Sunday is allowed food with oil and in the other days without oil, however, there is also a mitigation of fasting when it is needed. If a person is sick, weak and powerless, he can receive a blessing to fast with oil, milk and fish. This applies to young children up to 7 years old, but also to very old people as well as people in special conditions such as diseases, prisons, army, wars, pregnant women, nurses, passengers, etc.
In such cases, fasting can be mitigated. The blessing is earned by an Orthodox clergyman. Fasting is not released, it is relieved. Meat is still not allowed.
Priests call fasting the mother of health, and the modern way of eating increasingly gives more and more importance to fasting, that is, to the restraining of food of animal origin.
Fasting is a need for both physical and spiritual health. And most importantly, fasting is not just restraint and denial of food, but also a spiritual post-denial and refraining from every evil and sin. In those days we need to examine ourselves, to refrain from bad thoughts, words and deeds, to repent and confess. Let us be reconciled and purified. To strengthen and enrich ourselves spiritually. Let us do good deeds and show love to God and to people.
St. John Chrysostom says: "When you hear about fasting, do not be afraid. Fasting isn't terrible for us, but for bad spirits. "
Post and diet. Are you loosing weight with fasting?
Fasting is not a diet. Its goal and task is other. One isn't fasting to lose weight, but in order to strengthen the spirit and to preach the spiritual over the bodily. But, of course, this abstention during fasting can also contribute to the strengthening of our will and our determination to feed ourselves more moderately and healthier.
It is good to use a variety of foods during fasting. We are all different in our relation to food and the relation of food to us and to our organism. For some, the food is glued immediately, and for another it is not. It is also important to be aware on the amount of food we take. That habit will help us a lot. It is certain that fasting is healthy and useful.
Therefore, when you fast, do not envy, but rejoice; do not condemn, but forgive; do not do injustice, but help; do not reject, but support; do not be afraid, but humble; do not insult, but praise, etc. For what is the use of not eating meat, if you "eat" your brother?
Fasting is a time of spiritual alertness, purification, repentance, prayer, feats and good deeds. It is inextricably linked with prayer, by reading spiritual books, by acts of mercy and love for the close people, spiritual conversations, visiting church services, reading and studying the Holy Scriptures, visiting religious lessons and doing good.
