Benefits and harms of fast food. Health benefits of fasting. What is the benefit of Orthodox fasting? The harm and benefits of Orthodox fasting

Publication date: 01/29/17

Since the time of the baptism of Russia, all Orthodox people have observed many days of fasting for centuries in order to purify the spiritual and physical. Over time, people began to notice the obvious benefits of fasting, since they occurred immediately after the festive feasts and contributed to unloading the body after plentiful treats and libations.

The topic of the benefits and harms of fasting for health is highly discussed and in demand among believers. We will try to consider it in a physiological context, avoiding, however, seeing it only from the point of view of a lean diet. What do believers expect from fasting, how does it affect health?

What they say and write about fasting.

The topic of Christian food fasting is quite open and actively discussed, clergymen, doctors, and ordinary journalists actively express their opinions. Often, at the same time, their concepts of fasting perception and the way they present information initially orientate the reader incorrectly, taking him out of the issues of soul salvation and switching him to nutritional issues. Unfortunately, this approach can be met quite often, especially when the so-called "Orthodox doctors" are involved in the discussion of the topic. As a rule, these people do not have any spiritual education, they do not deeply understand religious issues and try to present the issue from their own, purely medical point of view. In fact, in the writings of Orthodox authorities there are references to the fact that fasting food allows you to maintain good spirits, clarifies thoughts, and facilitates prayer. However, in these words there is nothing that fasting allegedly serves as a means of healing the body. Orthodox Christians resort to fasting for other reasons.

Spiritual benefits of fasting

When referring to the topic of fasting, you must always remember that its spiritual component is the main one. The main goal of an Orthodox fast is to regain control over one’s passions for a person relaxed by everyday fuss, in order to regain the awareness that life consists not only of satisfying various needs (physiological, spiritual, etc.). Often in everyday life, filled with events and impressions, people fall into the power of some kind of passion that hardens them, leads to a loss of self-control and a sober assessment of their spiritual state. Under these conditions, fasting has a sobering effect.

Basic human needs such as food, drink, clothing, shelter, etc. are not inherently sinful and quite natural. However, evil spirits find means to defile every action of a person and turn a natural need into a sinful infatuation. It is not uncommon to see people already burdened with weight, most of whose time of the day is devoted to endless chewing, filling the stomach with unhealthy foods, etc. And look at the miserable appearance of alcoholics, a significant part of the population of Russia suffers from this mental illness - no need go far for an example. Using the example of alcoholism, one can see how a person, created in the image of God, turns into a slave of shameful passion, which does not allow him to make any spiritual movement. Looking at such people, we should lament and thank God for not allowing us to fall into such a miserable state ourselves. Perhaps it is fasting that helps many Orthodox Christians avoid such enslavement.

While observing the food restrictions of fasting, we should not forget about the need to give up other habits that weaken a person’s attention and turn him away from the Orthodox spiritual life: marital relations, attending entertainment events, watching movies and TV programs, reading literature, browsing Internet sites of entertainment content.

Are There Health Benefits of Fasting Eating?

The possible beneficial effects of fasting on health cannot be completely ruled out. However, these facts are rather of particular importance, and one cannot speak of them as some kind of regularities. Consider some aspects of the impact of fasting on human health.

1. Lenten nutrition and weight.

Moderate (non-lean) foods (such as meat, lard, butter, cheese, etc.) are often high in calories. Therefore, purely theoretically, their exclusion from the diet can lead to a general decrease in energy intake into the body. Speaking about this, one must remember that fasting people usually replace these foods with others, often also high-calorie - bread, cereals, sweets, and so on. The end result of such a post may be different in each case. Some people, especially strict fasters, actually lose weight while fasting. However, in other cases, the opposite happens - and the fasters actually "get better." This is just an observation that does not claim to be strict statistical conclusions, however, it shows that fasting cannot be considered a universal remedy for losing weight.

2. Lenten nutrition and immunity.

There is evidence from doctors that alternating the diet during the year (fasting - no fasting) increases the body's resistance, improves the state of the immune system. They argue that the physiological stress that fasting causes mobilizes the body's defenses.

3. Fasting and general condition of the body.

Foods high in animal fats and proteins create a great burden on the human digestive system. It is also necessary to take into account the decline in the quality of products in our country in recent years. In particular, meat animals today are increasingly grown with the use of hormones, heavy antibiotics. All these products that are unnecessary for a person enter the human body through the digestive system, interfering with the metabolism. When a person relieves himself of this "burden", it can be assumed that the body systems will suffer less.

However, fasting should be approached very carefully by people without relevant experience. There are cases when people who have just begun their Christian life throw themselves headlong into the "whirlpool" of fasting, not calculating their strength. I was told of a young man who recklessly imposed a strict fast on himself, consisting of eating only bread and water. A few weeks later, he was taken by ambulance to intensive care, as his body was not accustomed to fasting, and strict food restriction turned out to be too unbearable for him. If the young man had first consulted with a priest who knew his physical condition and spiritual experience, he would certainly have dissuaded him from such an unbearable “feat”. Children who have grown up in families of respectable Christians, who teach children to periods of abstinence in food from an early age, have a certain advantage in fulfilling the requirements of the Orthodox ost.

4. Negative consequences of fasting for the body.

When a person embarks on the path of correction, purification of the soul, no one promises him that the road will be easy. All this also applies to fasting, its consequences for the body. A change in diet is always stressful, especially for the digestive system (especially the stomach, intestines, gallbladder). Patients with gastrointestinal diseases may notice signs of dysbiosis and irritable bowel syndrome at the beginning of fasting. It may take time for the body to get used to lean foods. It is advisable for such people to prepare in advance for fasting, to enter it gradually. Perhaps it is precisely for this that the Orthodox Church provided for the Meat-Free Week (“Cheese Week”) before Great Lent, when believers already refuse meat products. In addition to gastrointestinal disorders, restriction in certain foods can affect other body systems. For example, some women stop menstruating during fasting. From the point of view of the body, this is a completely rational way out, because sexual life in fasting is also prohibited and therefore conception is not expected. However, from this it is obvious that the whole organism participates in fasting, and therefore during this period one must be more attentive to one's health. The weak state of the body, in which a person can hardly walk, is exactly what many Christian ascetics strived for (see, for example, the life of St. Cyril of Beloezersky). However, one must be prepared for such a feat and be sure to have the blessing of a confessor.

5. Fasting for medical reasons.

In some cases, fasting can be a medicine not only for the spirit, but also for the body in the most direct sense. This applies to people whose body systems do not tolerate protein foods well. First of all, this applies to patients with various renal diseases. A competent endocrinologist will be sincerely happy for a patient with kidney disease who decides to limit the intake of animal protein on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and on multi-day fasts. These periods of abstinence from heavy food become a time of rest and restoration of the weakened excretory system. Periods of restriction in food are also indicated in many cases for patients with allergic diseases. Most allergy sufferers are forced to refuse certain foods all the time, and this is also to some extent a form of fasting. However, short periods of therapeutic fasting serve as a good stimulant for the immunity of a sick person: this activates the activity of the adrenal glands, increases the production of glucocorticosteroid hormones that suppress allergic inflammatory processes.

Lent is a difficult period in the life of an Orthodox person, which allows him to understand his true spiritual state. For the health of some people, the regime of fasting may turn out to be too difficult a test, for them the Church makes indulgences. However, fasting should not be neglected, because this period is a good opportunity to clean up the soul, an occasion to take on the correction of at least one of your shortcomings.

The most important harm during fasting causes a complete exclusion from the diet of proteins and fats. In fact, to maintain life and obtain energy, only carbohydrates remain for a person. A fasting person has to sit on a strict carbohydrate-vegetable diet for a long time. Any woman who has ever tried to lose weight with the help of the so-called “buckwheat” diet knows perfectly well how it ends: hair begins to fall out, nails exfoliate, the digestive system comes into complete disorder.

Strict fasting has a similar effect on the body. The greatest load falls on the pancreas, which is forced to process only carbohydrates in immoderate amounts. The result of this diet is increased production of cholesterol. It leads to the formation of plaques in the blood vessels, which is fraught with problems with the cardiovascular system.

The second dangerous enemy is the lack of fats and animal protein. Due to the deficiency of these important elements, essential for metabolism, the body begins to “eat itself”, borrowing protein from muscle tissue. Since such important elements as zinc, calcium, iron, sulfur, etc., do not come from outside, the skin and hair become dry and thin. The deficiency of these substances can be observed in hermits and associates of the church, who exhaust themselves with fasts for months. Their skin resembles the thinnest parchment, their hair is sparse and lifeless.

But fasting is not useful for ordinary laymen either. At the end of it, the hair becomes very dull, brittle, problems with the nails and stomach begin, the skin acquires an earthy color and often begins to peel off. In women, even with such a strict diet, the opposite effect begins: due to the lack of animal protein and trace elements contained in meat and fish, increased production of subcutaneous fat begins. The result is a set of extra pounds. And for a man, an imbalance of vitamins and metabolic disorders are not very good. The consequences of religious zeal can be obesity and diabetes.

Therefore, if you are going to fast, coordinate this with your confessor so as not to harm your body.

Great Lent begins at the end of February and continues until the beginning of April. It lasts exactly seven weeks, during which believers must observe significant dietary restrictions. Let's figure out whether fasting is useful or harmful not for the soul, but for your health.

Features of a lean diet

The strictness of the diet depends on the type of fasting. In addition, on different days of the same fasting period, the diet is also different. We will talk about the longest Christian fast, which is not so easy to endure:

• you will have to completely abandon meat, dairy products and eggs;
• fish is allowed to eat only two days;
• vegetable oil should also be limited - food with oil is allowed only on weekends;
• almost half of the fast is prescribed dry eating, that is, the use of uncooked food, in particular bread, vegetables and fruits.

You can only eat once a day, with the exception of weekends, on which food is taken twice. Also, before Easter one day fasting people go hungry completely. Let's see what the pros and cons can be in such a diet.

Health benefits of fasting

1) Lack of heavy protein foods

In a lean diet there are no heavy animal products, in particular red meat, but a lot of vegetables and fruits. This will be useful for those who overeat in everyday life, eat mainly meat food, including convenience foods and fast food. The fiber of raw vegetables and fruits normalizes the digestion process, helps with constipation, helps to remove toxins.

But the benefit will be only if you choose fresh and healthy products. It is worth replacing ordinary bread with sweet, even insipid pastries, and the beneficial effect of fasting will come to naught. Plant foods are relatively low in calories, but not all. Legumes and sweet fruits, fruit juices, potatoes, and corn are high in calories and sugar. Their excess in the diet can lead to obesity.

2) Limiting the amount of food

It must be remembered that fasting limits not only the choice of products, but also the total amount of food per day. Such restrictions can be beneficial for obesity, fatty degeneration of the liver, gallstones, allergic diseases, disorders of fat metabolism, and a sedentary lifestyle. Fasting can help you lose weight, restore bowel function, and lower blood cholesterol levels.

Harm of fasting for health

1) Protein deficiency

The menu completely lacks animal protein, which means that there are no essential amino acids. That is why fasting is strictly prohibited for children, pregnant and lactating mothers, people engaged in heavy physical labor.

To replace animal protein, legumes and mushrooms can be introduced into the diet, but if you adhere to the fast, then boiled food is available only two or three times a week. This means that most of the time, only raw plant foods, poor in protein, will be in the diet, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to avoid its deficiency.

Strict vegetarians carefully plan their menu and frequency of meals to minimize health effects. On raw food once a day, it is difficult to achieve a balanced diet.

2) Deficiency of trace elements and vitamins

Lack of proper nutrition inevitably leads to a lack of vitamins and microelements: iron, zinc, iodine, B vitamins and others. You may feel a deterioration in well-being, in some cases anemia develops. It should be taken into account that at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, the body lacks water-soluble vitamins even without fasting - they practically do not come from food, even in normal mode. Additional food restrictions can exacerbate the situation.

Also, due to the rejection of animal and vegetable oils, the body does not absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K. As a rule, the body has a supply of them, and a healthy person can easily endure this for a short time. But - if already exists or D, then it will worsen, up to the development of beriberi.

Be sure to check with your doctor before starting a fast, and take vitamin supplements if necessary.

3) Digestive disorders

Fasting is one meal a day. Often, people who are fasting all day, overeat this allowed snack, which negatively affects digestion. In addition, it is impossible to eat once a day for gastritis, stomach ulcers, chronic pancreatitis, cholecystitis, bile stasis and some other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

An excess of raw vegetables and fruits is harmful for gastritis and ulcers, as well as for intestinal diseases: colitis and gastroenteritis. A large amount of carbohydrates overloads the pancreas, which is dangerous for people with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance due to malnutrition.

4) Exacerbation or appearance of diseases

Fasting affects more than just the digestive system. With anemia and type 1 diabetes, a carbohydrate diet is life-threatening. A lack of fat-soluble vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids can lead to impaired reproductive function in women. Deficiency of protein, trace elements and vitamins contributes to the exacerbation of many chronic diseases.

Also, the cells of the body are worse supplied with oxygen, the condition of the skin, hair, nails worsens, the overall tone decreases. Against the background of a strict diet, the course of a number of mental disorders, in particular depression, is aggravated.

Should you fast or not?

We figured out how safe fasting is, and made the following conclusions:

1. Fasting fit only for completely healthy people. It will be useful for them if they choose fresh and healthy foods, do not get carried away with potatoes and fruit juices, and give up sweets. Eat wholemeal bread, cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, nuts, vegetable oils, soy and other foods, try to diversify your diet as much as possible.
2. If you want to fast, but are afraid to harm the body - try light versions with the inclusion of fish, eggs and dairy products in the menu, as well as three meals a day during the day. So you can completely eliminate the harm of a lean diet.
3. People involved in hard physical labor, you can not fast according to the rules that are established for strict fasting. Refusal of meat will lead to anemia, vitamin deficiency, chronic fatigue syndrome and other problems.
4. Weakened people, patients with severe chronic diseases, pregnant and lactating women, children- Fasting is strictly prohibited. Even the church allows them to keep a normal diet. Posts are especially dangerous. with type 1 diabetes and anemia. With these diseases, a lean diet can be life threatening.
5. In any case, before starting the post it is worth consult a doctor and find out if such a diet will be good for you. Also, together with a specialist, it is worth choosing vitamin and mineral complexes that prevent the development of a deficiency of vitamins and microelements.

Now you know all about the benefits and harms of fasting - and you can make an informed decision.

If you still decide to fast, then we offer some simple and tasty recipes:

Ekaterina Kushnir, higher medical education

Illustrations: Anastasia Leman

Every year, with the onset of spring, discussions about the benefits of Lent are revived. An increasing number of people who have never believed in God and do not attend church, begin to observe the strictest restrictions on food. Lenten dishes appear on the menus of restaurants, cafes and eateries, and in the media there are numerous reports about the health benefits of fasting.

Is it really all that clear? Let's try to figure it out.

For those on duty

As arguments confirming the beneficial effect of fasting on the human body, the results of various medical studies are cited, proving that a temporary rejection of animal products makes a person calmer and less aggressive.

It is also claimed that during fasting, the body is cleansed of “toxins”, toxins, radioactive substances, heavy metals (lead), nitrates, medicines and salts are removed from the joints and spine. In fact, slags are only a figurative concept, the scientific concept of “overoxidation” of the body is closest to it. The shift of the acid-base balance to the acidic side develops, first of all, as a result of malnutrition. Meat, fish, eggs and other animal products are acid-forming. (By the way, carbohydrates in the form of sugar and white flour, as well as solid fats, have a similar effect.) Foods containing many minerals neutralize acids and protect the body from overoxidation. These are greens, vegetables, salads, potatoes, fruits. Fasting is a surefire way to avoid or contain over-oxidation. In this case, you need to drink plenty of water (at least two to three liters of fluid per day). It is water that removes all the “released toxins” from the body; without it, on the days of unloading, a person will feel lethargic and tired. It is best to drink herbal, flower and fruit teas without sugar or mineral water and unsalted vegetable juice. There is even not only cleansing, but also rejuvenation of the body.

Due to the large amount of fiber, which is rich in plant foods, intestinal function improves during fasting, and constipation ceases to torment. Refusal of meat food helps to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood, which is of great importance for patients with atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.

Fasting also has a beneficial effect on a number of other diseases: migraine, allergic and skin diseases.

However, when doctors talk about the benefits of fasting, they often mean periods that are not as long as Great Lent. Moreover, for medicinal purposes, fasting for more than 10 days is recommended only in a hospital under the supervision of medical workers. Even healthy people are advised to undergo a comprehensive medical examination before the start of the fast, and take a vacation from work during the fast. As for those who are the owners of certain diseases, they definitely need to consult a doctor about the advisability of fasting, especially such a long one. But even without consulting a doctor, one can say that fasting is contraindicated for a number of diseases. These are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, colitis, peptic ulcer), requiring a special diet, diabetes, cancer and a number of others. In addition, fasting is not recommended for pregnant women, children and those who are engaged in heavy physical labor.

but on the other hand

Often people (especially those who do not adhere to a strict diet during the year, but try to fast) in the first days of fasting say that they feel unprecedented lightness, a surge of energy, etc. However, after some time, without further ado, it becomes noticeable that the person's condition has changed: he looks exhausted, begins to complain of a breakdown and fatigue, his mood deteriorates sharply, sometimes up to depression. What is the reason for such changes?

Meat is incredibly rich in nutrients and it is not easy to find a worthy replacement for it. If you are used to regularly eating meat and dairy products, you will need them all the time in order to feel strong and cope with your daily work. Some substances necessary for our body, for example, vitamin B 12, are found only in products of animal origin. Therefore, long-term vegetarianism is fraught with anemia - a decrease in hemoglobin levels. We need animal proteins and fats for other reasons as well.

In recent years, doctors have been constantly talking about the need to lower blood cholesterol levels. However, everything is good in moderation. An excessive decrease in the content of cholesterol in the blood is fraught with no less trouble than its elevated level.

In particular, scientists from Boston University in the course of a large-scale ten-year study, which involved almost two thousand people, came to the conclusion that low cholesterol threatens to reduce the intellectual abilities of a person. An analysis of the data obtained showed that in people with the lowest cholesterol content, intellectual functions are reduced by 49% compared to people with a high cholesterol content. First of all, this concerned the ability of people to solve problems of finding correspondences, memorizing large sequences of words and concentrating.

Cholesterol performs many other functions in the body. It is part of cellular structures, is the starting material for the synthesis of certain hormones, and regulates the state of cell membranes. Thus, it turns out that both excess and lack of cholesterol are equally harmful to health. And it is the lack of cholesterol that threatens us with fasting.

Fasting people also lack the fats we need to feel good. Fats are digested in the body much longer than proteins and carbohydrates, giving a longer feeling of pleasant satiety. And this, in turn, normalizes the psychological state and improves mood. Fat intake is extremely important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin D, which is responsible for bone strength, vitamin E, which is vital for heart function, and carotene. Fats are used by our body not only as a source of energy, but also as a plastic material. They are one of the most important components of cell membranes and, in fact, the cells themselves, from which our entire body is built. And fats also provide us with polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are indispensable because the human body cannot function without them. In the body itself, they are not synthesized.

A low-fat diet also threatens a lack of estrogen, the female sex hormone, and, as a result, menstrual disorders and flaky skin.

It is easy to say that it is quite possible to provide a full diet during fasting. It is much more difficult to put it into practice. After all, the beginning of spring does not provide a variety of vegetables and fruits. It's great if you can ensure that you have cabbage soup with mushrooms, stewed pumpkin with prunes and raisins, seaweed salad, spinach, peanut butter, etc. on your table. on tropical islands, far away. In our country, fasting people have to be content mainly with potatoes and beans, which cannot replace animal proteins in any way and adequately replenish energy reserves.

It also cannot be unconditionally argued that a plant-based diet is more “healthy” and environmentally friendly than a mixed one. After all, it is impossible to completely eliminate the danger of a high content of pesticides and other harmful substances in vegetables.

I would also like to draw attention to one more fact. Believers fast regularly. The number of fast days in a year is approaching 200 and includes, in addition to Great, three other multi-day fasts, plus several one-day fasts, as well as all Wednesdays and Fridays. Therefore, the body of believers who observe all these restrictions is prepared to a certain extent for Great Lent, which cannot be said about people who do not believe. In addition, Lent is preceded by three preparatory weeks, during which there is a gradual rejection of animal products.

At last I will tell you…

In recent years, various ancient healing techniques have become increasingly popular: yoga, qigong, Ayurveda. In the morning, having quarreled with family members, we do morning exercises according to the qigong system; shouting at subordinates, “we bring the doshas into balance” according to Ayurveda; harboring a grudge against the boss, we place trinkets on the desktop according to the recommendations of feng shui; and finally, slamming the door of the minibus, we return home, where we begin meditation according to the yoga system. It seems that we have collected for ourselves a certain quintessence of all the best that humanity has created and accumulated throughout its history. In fact, instead of a “cocktail of eternal youth, beauty and health”, a rather useless vinaigrette is obtained. Because each of the mentioned systems includes not only physical exercises, meditation, dietary recommendations, but also, most importantly, an attitude towards life and ways to achieve harmony with the outside world. Any of these teachings is, first of all, a worldview. They must be taken as a whole, and not pulled out in separate pieces.

Roughly the same thing happens with Lent. Every year we hear from friends: “I’ll try to keep fasting, see if I have enough willpower.” Or: “I will fast, maybe by the summer I will lose weight.” Therefore, there are many more adherents of fasting among us than those who attend church services. Most people know that meat should not be eaten at this time. A much smaller number of people know that it is still forbidden to drink, smoke, have sex. This is a period of abstinence from various entertainments, amusements and negative emotions. Deeply believing people do not even talk to anyone at this time idle.

Fasting is not a diet, but a means of self-discipline, a way to organize your personality, directing your strength towards spiritual purification, this is a time of repentance and forgiveness. And maybe, instead of torturing yourself with unreasonable food restrictions, you need to think about your soul, become more tolerant, attentive and kinder to your loved ones? And at the same time, taking advantage of the right moment, you can give up alcohol and smoking and become a supporter of a healthy lifestyle.

Some statistics

According to one poll, 71% of those surveyed intended to observe Lent;

16.8% of the respondents answered that they would definitely fast (among them, about one third are men and two thirds are women);

36.5% said they would try to keep the fast (the ratio of men and women in this category is the same);

10.2% did not decide whether they would adhere to the requirements of the post (indecisive women turned out to be twice as many as indecisive men);

and, finally, 4.9% said they did not know what Lent was at all. (among the strangers, two-thirds were men and one-third were women).

Nutrition during fasting is a subject of discussion not only in religious circles. A lot of girls switch to lean meals in the spring, just to bring their figure back to normal for the summer.

The Orthodox Church does not approve of such motives, but our article is devoted not to the spiritual, but to the dietary side of fasting. Modern dietology literally “frightens” us with excess carbohydrates, and a fasting table is usually saturated with precisely these substances. However, many people fast and lose weight. Is it worth repeating their experience?

THE BENEFITS OF FASTING Fasting can be useful as a bridge from normal life to a healthier diet. You will learn how to control the amount of oil in your meals, and avoid sources of cholesterol such as fatty fried meats, butter, and high-fat dairy products. In addition, the proportion of sweets will be significantly reduced. Unless, of course, you set yourself the goal of looking for and buying lean pastries and chocolate, the amount of “ballast food” in the diet will decrease. Fasting people claim that fasting is much easier than any diet. The psychological effect of fasting is quite understandable - you concentrate on cleansing and the spiritual side of fasting, without putting diet at the forefront. Next to you are people who eat the same way, and in cafes and restaurants it is much easier to explain that you need a lean dish than to tell you what diet you are following now. Health Benefits of Fasting Switching to a vegan diet with plenty of cereals made from natural cereals, vegetables, as well as fruits and nuts helps to normalize digestion. Problems such as constipation, "sluggish bowel syndrome", high blood pressure due to too fatty and "salty" diet will be a thing of the past.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO LOSE WEIGHT IN FASTING Experts say that you can lose weight in fasting, and at any time, if only you eat a balanced diet and consume fewer calories than you spend during the day. It makes sense to switch to a vegetarian (in non-strict fasts) and vegan (in Lent) diet, and there is no point in continuing to overeat. If your first step is stockpiling meatless sweets and meatless mayonnaise, downloading recipes for meatless pies, and not particularly following the religious canon, you might want to start with a less restrictive diet that will instill good eating habits in you. Very often, fasting people overeat completely "harmless" seeds and nuts, and even eat dried fruits in almost kilograms. From the point of view of physiology, this effect can be explained. A person is deprived of milk and meat, the general glycemic index of meals is growing, appetite is increasing, so we gnaw on all the most satisfying and tasty. So, in order to lose weight, you need to adhere to a balance in the diet, and follow the recommendations of nutritionists.

DIET IN FASTING: OPINION OF NUTRITIONALISTS The general "idea" of a diet during fasting is best taken from the famous nutritionist Anatoly Volkov. It is simple - a fasting table should not be monotonous, on average a person should “repeat” dishes 3-4 times a month. Although this approach contradicts the Orthodox canon. The Church prescribes on weekdays to eat once a day, and on Saturday and Sunday - 2 times, and choose the simplest dishes, not "indulge the womb." In addition, on Lazarus Saturday you can caviar, and on the Annunciation, on Palm Sunday - river fish. For unknown reasons, the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences ignores the tradition of fasting and does not publish dietary recommendations. Under these conditions, we can use the "vegan pyramid" of the American Dietetic Association. The basis of the diet is 6-11 (100 g each in boiled form) servings of cereals on the water, legumes, lean bread and bread. Three servings of this amount should be "supplied" by tofu, soybeans, soy yogurt, and other protein foods. Additionally, you can eat 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-3 fruits, as well as 4 teaspoons of linseed oil or 30 g of nuts.

HOW TO CORRECTLY LEAVE THE LAST According to A. Volkov, the number of ambulance calls increases just in the Easter week, when people “come off” after 40 days of abstinence. You don't need to do this. If you are losing weight, eat low-fat cottage cheese after fasting, and not the classic Easter with butter and eggs. Refrain from Easter cake (no more than one 30-gram slice at the festive table), it is better to include sour-milk products in the diet and no more than 1 serving of oily fish per day. Try to go without fatty meat for a week, simply by changing legumes in your “vegetarian” pyramid for sour-milk, fish and cottage cheese. And only after 7 days you can actively include animal protein in the diet without the risk of getting better. Alcohol is rather poorly absorbed after fasting. Therefore, refrain from any "libations" except for a glass of dry red wine at the festive table. To help digestion, you can take any remedy with bifidobacteria, but only if you feel heaviness in the gastrointestinal tract.

THE DAMAGES OF FASTING Don Jackson-Blanter, an American Dietetic Association expert, MD, states that a vegetarian fasting diet is in any case poor in iodine, zinc, iron, complete proteins, and B vitamins. To overcome the lack of nutrients in fasting, you will have to not only to consume vitamins and minerals in a synthetic form, but also to calculate combinations of vegetables, cereals and soy that are beneficial for the body in advance. A thoughtless transition to a lean diet can lead to a slowdown in the recovery of muscle tissue, a decrease in immunity and an exacerbation of chronic diseases. The chief nutritionist of the Emerald clinic, Marianna Trifonova, believes that fasting is useful only if a person does not have eating disorders, otherwise it can be harmful. The habit of overeating in combination with a diet that is inadequate in protein can play a cruel joke on a person. M. Trifonova describes a case when a girl, eating only vegetables and fruits, managed not only to stretch her stomach, but also completely lose her femininity. Nutritionists attribute this effect to a lack of omega-three fatty acids and complete protein. So try to fast wisely, and you can stay healthy and lose weight.