Do's and don'ts before the sacrament. How to fast before confession and communion? Mark, Bishop of Yegoryevsk, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate: The Tradition of Three-Day Fasting

There are different measures of fasting before Communion; there is no single rule that would be established for everyone.
The practice of three to seven days of fasting before Communion arose in the 18-19th centuries, during the period of the Eucharistic cooling off, when people received Communion once or twice a year, and accordingly they fasted for about a week.

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Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk:
There is no rule for fasting three days before the sacrament.

- The tradition of fasting three days or a week before Communion is also a local Russian custom. If we turn to canons or definitions Ecumenical Councils, then we will not find such a requirement. The canons talk about fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, about four days of fasting throughout the year, in addition, in the liturgical books we find an indication of several more fasting days, for example, the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist or the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. But the canons do not say anything about the need to fast for three days or a whole week before the sacrament. It seems to me that the requirements to confess before each communion and fast for a week or three days arose when Communion became very rare: one or three or four times a year. I consider it a decline. V the ancient Church Christians used to receive communion every Sunday. I think that in those Churches where the sacrament has become rare, it would be wrong to abruptly change the tradition and demand to be sure to receive the sacrament every Sunday. But I am sure that taking Communion three or four times a year is not enough. In practice, it is very good to begin communion every Sunday. Therefore, I will say this: observe fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, abstain also on Saturday evenings, confess at least once a month, but receive Communion as often as possible. I recommend this practice to people whom I am preparing to join the Orthodox Church. If a person takes communion once a month or less often, I say that this is too rare. If we look at the practice of the ancient Church and the teachings of the holy fathers, we will see that they testify to frequent communion. Not only the early, but also the later fathers, such as the saint or the monk who lived in the 18th century, the compiler of the Philosophy, speak in favor of frequent communion. And I think the frequent communion movement in the Greek Church is a good thing. I welcome people to receive frequent communion. I think the rules regarding confession and fasting before communion can be changed. But these issues, it seems to me, are within the competence of local Churches.

I remember when I first converted to Orthodoxy, about fifty years ago, the priest at the liturgy came out with the Chalice and said: “With the fear of God, with faith and love, approach,” but no one approached. Nobody took communion. And even then I felt: this cannot be right. Now in the West in Orthodox churches almost all receive communion. And I'm glad of that. Of course, we partake not because we are confident in our own righteousness, but because we believe in God's mercy. We come to the Chalice because we are called We call the Sacrament Saints By gifts... The sacrament is not something that can be earned or deserved, it is always a free gift of God's love.

- Before communion, the priest proclaims "The Holy One is for the saints," in the sense of "the Holy Gifts are for those who are holy," but the choir immediately replies: "One is Holy, one is Lord Jesus Christ ...". However, we, not being saints in this sense, nevertheless dare to receive communion ... On the other hand, we know that in the New Testament and in liturgical texts all Christians are called saints who are not excommunicated from the Church for special grave sins... How, then, do holiness and personal moral perfection of a person compare?

- First of all, if we talk about the understanding of holiness, three words should be used: one, some, all. One is holy - Jesus Christ. Holiness belongs to God, only He is holy by His nature. We can be holy only through the communion of the holiness of God. Further, we say that they are called to holiness all... When the Apostle Paul addresses his epistles to all the saints in Rome, in Colossi, etc., he turns to Christian communities. Likewise, the Apostle Peter writes about Christians as a "holy people." In this sense, all Christians are holy. Finally, we are talking about those saints who are glorified by the Church and who are noted in church calendar... We can say the same about the priesthood. The High Priest alone is Jesus Christ, as the Book of Hebrews says. Then, through baptism, all Christians become priests, as the Apostle Peter writes, calling Christians not only a holy people, but also a "royal priesthood." Further, some become priests - whom she chose and assigned to this ministry through the laying on of hands. Thus, both holiness and priesthood have three levels.

We are all called to holiness. Therefore, if I approach Communion, I do it not because I am already holy, but because I am a sinner who requires God's help which is served to me in Holy Communion.

Of course, some people cannot partake of the Sacrament because of their sins. But basically, of course, the Communion is not a reward for the saints, but help for sinners. In some lives we read that there were saints who, after receiving communion long time did not approach the Cup again, as, for example, St. Mary of Egypt. She received communion in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and then went into the wilderness, where for many years she did not receive the Holy Gifts, then she received communion only just before her death.

- But can this be a general rule?

Of course it is not general rule... This is a rule for saints who can live with one Communion for many years. But we must take communion often. Not because we are saints, but because we are weak and need help, grace.

- What place does moral perfection take in preparation for communion? Many people here in Kiev confess and receive communion every week, and it so happens that some of them, having confessed in the evening, in the morning again asks to accept confession, because in the evening or night they sinned with something - impious thoughts, movements hearts, etc. In addition, many Christians confess the same sins every time, week after week. How can I make a promise in confession not to repeat these so-called “everyday” sins if I know for sure that I will commit them?

- Going to confession too often can express a kind of superstition. It is worth remembering that the Sacrament is grace, and the devil does not want us to receive grace. And so he is looking for any ways to make us stop taking communion. When it happens that we are visited by a sinful thought, which can happen even during the Divine Liturgy, we must simply repent of this within ourselves and proceed to Communion, since this is a devilish temptation.

The grace that is given in the sacrament of repentance is very important for each of us. But we must take responsibility and "play our part." You cannot turn confession into a mechanical enumeration of the same sins. It must be rare enough to be event, really disclosing his internal state... Every day in evening prayers we ask for the forgiveness of sins. And if we sincerely pray for forgiveness, God forgives us at the same moment. This does not mean that you do not need to go to confession. Some of our transgressions prevent us from receiving communion until we confess them. But we must take seriously the prayers of repentance as part of our daily rule. Confession should not become too frequent. You should take a more responsible approach to this. Going to confession too often devalues it.

We must realize that we really need to confess the same sins over and over again. Confession should not be avoided because sins are repeated. Usually we don't become saints overnight. We need a struggle, a constant ascetic effort over ourselves. But God's grace brings about a change in us. We may not notice it, but it is happening. With the help of daily efforts, the grace of God, confession and, above all, communion, we can move forward - humbly and quietly.

- But it also happens that people are disappointed in their efforts, because they confess the same thing, take communion, and do not observe any change for the better. This is especially felt in big cities with their bustle, when a person has practically no time for spiritual life. Work, a long exhausting road in traffic jams, family worries ... Not everyone finds time even for morning or evening prayers.

- In fact, we, clergy, and especially monks, who do not need to take care of their families and children, understand the conditions in which family Christians live. People have to work hard, take a long time to get to work and home, and in the evening at home there is also a lot to do ... We must understand these difficult conditions in which many lay people live. Despite this, every Christian can find at least a little time in the morning and evening to pray in front of the icon. Even five minutes in the morning and evening make a huge difference. These minutes give "direction" to the whole day and give that depth that cannot be achieved otherwise. It should be said about short prayers ah that you can create during the day. We can pray when we shower, ride the subway, drive, or get stuck in traffic. We can use short prayers, for example, Jesus' prayers: “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,” or “Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee,” or “Most Holy Theotokos, save us,” or other short prayers. So we can pray even to the very busy time, or, for example, when we go from one place to another. It is very important to see that in addition to the special time allotted for prayer in front of the icon (which each of us needs), there is an opportunity to freely pray throughout the day, at any place. But if we want to pray during the day, then we must choose the shortest and simplest prayers for this, such as Jesus' prayer. You can always say the Jesus Prayer: when we are waiting for something, when we travel, walk, when we change tasks at work, etc. The apostle Paul writes, "Pray incessantly." He talks about how difficult it is, but it starts very simple: with frequent short prayers throughout the day. Through such prayers, we can fill our entire day with the presence of Christ - and this is the way to true prayer. Look for Christ everywhere. The Jesus Prayer can be performed not only by monks or clergy, but also by lay people with families and worldly responsibilities. Do the Jesus Prayer - not when heightened concentration is required, but at all in between. We can combine prayer times and work. Learning this way of the Jesus Prayer is very important in our Everyday life... And also the Jesus Prayer is good to teach children. They may repeat the Jesus Prayer from time to time from early age because it is very simple.

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Mark, Bishop of Yegoryevsk, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate:
The tradition of three days of fasting

The tradition of the three-day fast comes from the tradition of the synodal period, when one or two communions were received once a year. In this situation, it is normal and very good for a person to fast for 3 days before the sacrament. Today, as a rule, confessors and priests recommend receiving communion much more often. It turns out a kind of contradiction: people who want to receive Holy Communion often doom themselves to an almost constant fast on Thursdays and Saturdays, which becomes an unbearable feat for many. If in the future we do not treat this issue with reasoning, then this will have a negative impact on the spiritual life of our Church.

interviewed by priest Andrey Dudchenko, Constantinople-Kiev

There is no obligatory law for how many days to fast before Holy Communion

Abbot of the Vatopedi Monastery Archimandrite Ephraim

- Tell me, father, how to properly prepare for Holy Communion? In our tradition, the laity must fast for three days, and the priests do not fast before Communion. What explains this difference?

- I know that in Russia some priests say that before Communion you have to fast for three days, and some - for five days. In fact, there is no obligatory law for how many days to fast before Holy Communion. This is proved by the fact that the priests do not fast without compulsory, and then not only receive Communion the next day, but also serve the Liturgy. After all, we observe certain fasts - four fasts a year and fasts on Wednesday and Friday, I think that these fasts are enough. If someone wants to fast before Communion even for a whole week for the sake of asceticism, for the sake of reverence, please, but for the confessors to legalize this - we have never heard of this anywhere. If this were a prerequisite for Communion, first, priests would have to fast always. It is sometimes said that Christians only need to receive communion once every two or three months - there is no such law either. When a Christian does not have deadly sins, he has the right to receive Holy Communion much more often.

fragment of a meeting with laity in the Spiritual and Educational Center of the Yekaterinburg Metropolitanate

The sacrament of Communion (Eucharist) is impossible before the preliminary fast, home prayer and confession. Fasting allows us to humble our bodily passions, to renounce earthly pleasures, to look deep into ourselves and come closer to the realization of sins. Prayer serves as a "bridge" between the physical and spiritual nature of man; it is an additional strengthening for the preparation for sincere repentance performed in confession. But it all starts with fasting.

In Orthodoxy, there are four multi-day fasts per calendar year (Veliky, Petrov, Uspensky and Rozhdestvensky) and a large number of one-day (Wednesday, Friday, Epiphany Eve, Beheading of John the Baptist, Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord). With strict observance of the fast for many days, there is no need to specially fast before the sacrament. The only exception is fish - it must be discarded three days before the sacrament.

Believers who do not observe the fasts established by the Church should first talk to the priest to whom they plan to confess. Admission to the sacrament is carried out after confession - accordingly, this conversation cannot be avoided. Usually priests establish strict (it is allowed to eat plant foods, fresh and boiled, seasoned vegetable oil) a three-day fast, but depending on the capabilities of the person and other factors that are only known to him, this period can be increased to seven days.

Believers who strictly observe both multi-day and one-day fasts, in turn, can count on some indulgences, but they, too, must first agree on them with the priest. The same applies to people suffering from certain diseases and pregnant women: if for health reasons they cannot refuse to take specific food and medicine, then at the beginning they must notify the priest about this and only then proceed to fasting.

Medicines should not be taken before the sacrament, since the sacrament itself is a medicine not only for the soul, but also for the body. Herbal teas, vitamin supplements and ointments during fasting are allowed. Prohibited drugs include only drugs taken by mouth.

The minimum fasting before the sacrament lasts three days. It implies the rejection of food of animal origin - meat and dairy products, eggs, butter, alcohol. People who smoke should give up cigarettes, or at least try to do so. During fasting, it is advisable to refrain not only from "forbidden" food, but also from everything that gives a person pleasure in earthly life - sex, entertainment (discos, theaters, concerts, watching TV, etc.) and all kinds of excesses, in including in lean food (fasting and gluttony are incompatible things!).

On the eve of the sacrament, starting from twelve o'clock in the morning, the use of any food and water is prohibited. You also can't brush your teeth after midnight. If the sacrament falls on the night (Christmas, Easter), then strict fasting begins - at least eight hours before the sacrament (around five in the evening).

Many Orthodox Christians attend communion on Sundays. In this case, fasting before the sacrament lasts actually not three, but four days: fast Wednesday, Friday and Saturday is almost always joined to fast Wednesday, with the only difference that fish is allowed during it. On continuous weeks (weeks when fasting Wednesdays and Fridays are canceled), the Wednesday is not fast, but you still need to observe fasting before communion.

Children under seven years of age receive communion without fasting and confession, but the sooner parents teach them to abstain and realize their sins, the better. You can introduce your child to fasting by giving up your favorite sweets and cartoons.

Fasting is not easy days when you cannot eat, for believers it is a process of cleansing the soul and body for reunification with God. It is very important to prepare in advance for the fast, to tune in to it. It is necessary to understand how to fast correctly so that abstinence does not harm the body, but benefit. Before this special time begins, it is better to find out in more detail when and what not to eat during fasting.

Allowed Products

Today, fasting is still important for a large number of believers. But new foods appeared in the diet, semi-finished products... Which ones are you allowed to eat?

Do not eat any foods while fasting animal origin, but they eat lean ones, the list of which is given below.

Allowed:

fruits;
vegetables;
nuts;
cereals.

Some people think that during this time one should starve, but this conclusion is incorrect. Of course, overeating is also not recommended, but all permitted foods can be eaten in moderate quantity during the day. On lax days, fish and bread, mushrooms and legumes are allowed. Sweets may also be allowed. For example, you can eat honey and halva.

Prohibited Products

All foods containing protein are strictly prohibited. animal origin... Thus, on strict days, it is forbidden to eat fish, eggs and any dairy products. However, on lax days, it is allowed to eat these products in a lean form.

During Lent, one should not eat baked goods, fried foods. Mostly eaten raw vegetables and fruits, as well as a variety of pickles.

It is prohibited:

chocolate;
bakery;
meat;
eggs;
cottage cheese;
milk;
candies;
White bread.

You can not eat pasta, tea with sugar or coffee on strict days. Products with vegetable oil.

One-day fasts

Many people, in addition to the Great 40-day fast, abstain in one-day fasts. They take place every week on Wednesday and Friday. It is on these days that it is believed that it is necessary to cleanse the body and soul in order to find peace. And also such prevention is very useful for the body, since in fact these are fasting days recommended by all nutritionists for the prevention and treatment of excess weight and diseases of the digestive tract.

All fruits and vegetables are allowed, as well as fish. Berries and mushrooms, any pickles are allowed. You can replace meat with soy semi-finished products. All dishes must be boiled or stewed, fried foods are prohibited. And also you can not drink alcohol and sugary carbonated drinks.

Participle

As you know, before the sacrament, you must fast for three days. He will prepare the body and soul, cleanse and allow you to touch the mystery of confession and communion. Children under seven years of age are allowed to commune without fasting and confession. But you should explain to the child the meaning of this rite, instill a love for Faith and church rituals. It is important to know what adults can eat before the sacrament for 3 days in order to be ready for the sacrament. This event is especially important for any believer. You cleanse yourself not only with your body, but also with your soul during fasting before the sacrament.

What you can eat, a list of foods:

Any nuts and dried fruits.
Bitter chocolate and kozinaki.
Porridge made from various cereals.
Fish and vegetables.

It is very important to try at least for this time to refrain from consuming alcohol, fatty and meat products, high-calorie foods. And also for smokers it will be useful to quit smoking. The main thing is that you should not allow black thoughts to rule you and succumb to temptations. This applies not only to food, but also to pastime. It is recommended to spend your leisure time with loved ones and reading books. Enrich yourself spiritually, refraining from noisy celebrations, celebrations and festivities.

Sample menu

To make food during the fast not only healthy, but also tasty, it is best to draw up an approximate menu for the entire duration of the fast. So, it is much easier to navigate when buying food, and cooking will open up for you with unexpected side when even the most simple products with skillful use, they will become a very tasty dish.

A balanced menu, which contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals, will help you not only cleanse your body and soul during Lent, but also benefit your body.

Breakfast

Fruit or dried fruit with nuts

Dinner

Vegetable soup and potato pancakes, rice garnish with mushrooms.

Dinner

Black bread and vegetable stew

From drinks it is preferable to drink fruit drink or compote. You can have tea without sugar.

Benefit or harm

Why is it so important at this time to follow the instructions for the use of certain products? Firstly, in this way you refrain from various temptations, training the fortitude of the spirit. Secondly, the benefits of fasting have been proven by nutritionists. But you need to take into account that immediately go to Lenten menu It can be difficult, which is why you should gradually eliminate foods from your diet, trying to abstain for several days. You should not starve yourself at this time, since this will not bring any benefit to either physical or spiritual development.

Reduces weight.
The metabolism improves.
Toxins and toxins are removed from the body.
Lowers cholesterol levels.
Decreases in blood sugar.

Fasting is contraindicated for pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic diseases. digestive system... And also it is impossible to observe abstinence after operations and patients diabetes mellitus, children under the age of seven.

Confession and communion for many people is a way to restore spiritual balance, to be cleansed, to become closer to God.

There is no exact rule about the need for the sacrament or confession, so true believers try to have the sacrament every Sunday.

In this regard, the question arises: what actions should a person perform on the eve of this event.

Is it obligatory to fast before confession and communion?

There are no precise instructions for preparing for the sacrament or confession. Certain customs that people follow before church actions are highlighted.

The customs originated in the Eucharistic period and are considered relevant to the modern church.

In this regard, the following canons arose:

Confession is required before communion.
The sacrament is performed on an empty stomach; you cannot eat from midnight.
Observe marital abstinence during the day.

How to fast before confession and communion?

Fasting before the sacrament causes a lot of controversy among believers. Before communion, one should not only eat for a certain time, but also smoke, drink, slander, argue, use the Internet, watch TV and read the press.

On the eve of confession and communion, it is imperative to read prayers.

And eat certain foods, as well as in moderation - no frills:

Eat five times a day and stay hydrated.
Eat boiled, raw vegetables with a minimum of salt.
The best side dishes are porridge without oil.
Fruit and fruit teas should be the main dessert.

It is imperative to improve spiritually and emotionally on the days of fasting. When you eat, enrich yourself positive emotions and thoughts.

How many days should you fast?

In addition to the fact that not everything can be eaten on the eve of confession and communion, such retention must continue for a certain time.

Each canon defines a different period of time, so it is better to consult a spiritual mentor who will carry out the procedure.

Possible time frames:

Strict unconditional fasting is observed during the day before confession and communion.
Perfectly it is worth observing a three-day fast before church procedures of this direction.
The best an option would be to fulfill the generally accepted fasts, which are indicated in the canons of the Orthodox Church.

Note! In the process of fasting, you should not resort to extremes - an exhausted body and mind are not welcome.

People who rarely receive Communion should observe the obligatory weekly fast with the reading of the main prayers along the way. In addition, it is worth sticking to the fast in terms of entertainment, thoughts and statements.

What should not be eaten in fasting before the sacrament?

Fasting should be done wisely. It is worth taking into account the generally accepted fast that believers should adhere to.

Attention! Fish should not be eaten only on those days of abstinence in food, when they coincide with the main Orthodox fasting- in the rest of the period, this product can be eaten.

Moderation should be observed not only in limiting food, but also in portions. You need to eat as much as you need to meet the needs of the body - it is absolutely impossible to overeat.

What you can eat:

Products	What should be the food	Specific recommendations
Vegetables	Vegetables can be boiled or fresh. It's best not to eat canned or pickled vegetables	Boiled vegetables are added to side dishes. Salads from fresh vegetables can be a completely independent dish
Fruits	Canned fruits are excluded. Only fresh food is consumed	Fruit can serve as a snack, replace desserts for a sweet tooth. Walnuts will become more nutritious
A fish	Low-fat types of fish will do. It is worth considering the spawning seasons. Do not eat fish with caviar	The fish should be boiled or baked in the oven. Do not use large amounts of spices and salt.
Beverages	Do not use smoked dried fruits. Tea, coffee, cocoa are not included in the list of permitted drinks. The most the best option there will be water	Compotes and decoctions should not be sweet, the natural taste of the components should be preserved
Bakery products	The ideal option would be bread with the addition of oats and other cereals.	Croutons from any bread can be used as a dessert and for a snack. Borodino bread croutons are added to the salad

Fasting for pregnant women and children

Not everyone can fast before confession and the sacrament, and not in all situations.

For pregnant women compliance with food restrictions is completely excluded by the church.
Expectant mothers are better off thinking about spiritual and emotional enrichment, which should be continued during the entire pregnancy.
For children before the age of five, it is also better not to resort to food restrictions. It is worth having conversations with the baby, telling about the sacrament of confession and communion, acquainting with the traditions and rules of the ceremony.
People who adhere to therapeutic diets or suffering from certain diseases, adhering to dietary restrictions is not necessary, and sometimes completely categorical.

If in the process of "fasting" there are signs of malaise or poor health, then you should return to your usual diet and spend the sacrament on an empty stomach.

Useful video

What should a lean menu look like?

To observe "fasting" days or not is the right of every person. By the same principle, the degree of restrictions on food is observed, which directly depends on the person himself and the advice of his spiritual mentor.

For all Orthodox people there is a reference point, so to speak, which is represented by the monastery charter. It contains clear instructions for the whole year, where every month and day is scheduled: what you can eat while observing Ramadan, Great and Peter Lent, how the menu should look like on Friday and Wednesday ( church days). And even more, you can learn from the statutes what to do before the sacrament.

But despite the unity of this document, the strictness of the posts in all Orthodox churches- different. When in some monasteries the Great and Petrov Lent is the use of only bread, noodles and potatoes, while in others, real dishes are served (of course, from lean food).

For all people who have complex chronic diseases, some relief can be made. This also applies to pregnant women, since this way of life can adversely affect the full formation of the unborn baby. Also, Great and Petrov Fast, Ramadan, fast Wednesday and Friday are allowed not to be observed by military personnel who are not able to independently organize their own diet.

What should you give up while fasting?

It is believed that the most stringent are the first four days of fasting and its last week (it doesn't matter if it's Ramadan or Great Lent). According to the charter, it is also important to follow a certain diet on any Wednesday of the year, and on Good Friday, it is also worth giving up any food.

What to start fasting with is the knowledge of prohibitions, on which how to fast correctly depends.

So, on Great, Peter's Fast, on Ramadan and other "fast" days (Wednesday, Friday and Monday) it is forbidden to drink alcohol, smoke and make love.

Also, spiritual mentors categorically forbid using bad words in speech, showing aggression, slandering and committing perjury. It is important to remember that each fast is, first of all, the cleansing of the soul, not the body, as is commonly believed. And you should not forget about it, because you can stand on lean food a month - everyone can, but not everyone can comply with spiritual prohibitions.

As for foodstuffs that cannot be eaten on Wednesday, Good Friday, Great and Peter's Fast and Ramadan, then it is prohibited fall:

food products of animal origin - meat, fish, dairy products, eggs and others;
alcoholic beverages, with the exception of red wine (on holidays and Sundays);
meat and dairy products made from soy and its substitutes;
coffee, tea and other drinks that have an invigorating effect;
all kinds of sauces, seasonings, spices that improve taste qualities food.

At first glance, it may seem that the list of forbidden foods is not so big, but all these foods make up the lion's share in the diet of each of us.

The Orthodox Church is not a community of highly qualified doctors. Clergymen cannot know everything, especially for newfangled food products that have just "come" into our diet. For example, most seafood (mussels, shrimp, squid, etc.) are not considered fish products, while it is known for certain that all of them are natural aphrodisiacs that increase libido.

Therefore, a person is faced with a choice that he must overcome himself, based on his own prejudices. You can independently decide whether to use this or that product on "fast" days. Whether or not to keep to the "hungry" Good Friday and diet on Wednesday is also entirely your decision.

For people who are fasting for the first time, spiritual mentors advise against fasting for a whole month. At first, you can limit yourself only to the sacrament, then give up your favorite dishes, meat, and so on. Then you can try to "organize the spiritual environment" by adjusting your own menu. And more than one month will pass before a person can fully observe Ramadan, Great and Peter Lent.

As a rule, a person who truly leads an Orthodox lifestyle is already waiting for this period of time to receive God's blessing and to cleanse his body and soul.

Basic principles of diet on fast days

It goes without saying that the food that is permitted by the monastic charter during the observance of any fast is less nutritious and high-calorie compared to ordinary food, which should not be in the diet.

And in order not to knowingly harm your own body and to replenish supplies of vital energy in a timely manner, it is worth increasing the volume of food consumption. However, this must be done with extreme caution, since one of the most important rules of fasting: “Do not leave dinner table with a feeling of full satiety and heaviness in the stomach ”- should not be violated.

And in order to solve the current situation, you just need to increase the number of meals, that is, if you ate 3 times a day before, now you should have five meals a day. But you obviously shouldn't do this. If you do not need to increase the volume of food (you feel good, there is no feeling of hunger, etc.), then you do not need to do this.

It is very important to organize your diet: meals should be strictly at the appointed time. It is believed that demons are trying to desecrate the human soul, inciting in him an imaginary feeling of hunger.

It is for this reason that food should be eaten strictly on schedule. And besides, it will help to accustom your body to the regime, which is very important in organizing a correct and healthy lifestyle.

To make it easier to give up the usual speedy food, you can do some self-training: tell yourself that these food products are very harmful, they not only defile your soul, but also "clog" the body, interfering with full-fledged life and activity.

Many qualified specialists resort to this method when it is necessary to exclude certain food products from the patient's diet for medical reasons.

Remember why vegetarians don't eat animal products. Refusal of such food is based on the fact that animals are subjected to violence and even murder. And all this so that a person can just sit down and eat.

If desired, a person can find a lot of reasons to refuse forbidden food during fasting. If you forcibly force yourself to fast for a whole month, then there will be no point in it: the body will not be cleansed, and there is no question of the soul.

The benefits of fasting and what you can eat during it

Now let's talk about food items that can be included in your menu during any fast, as well as before communion.

The abundance of dishes and products is simply amazing and inspires respect. All kinds of home preservation (pickled vegetables, fruits, berries, pickles and pickles), fresh and frozen vegetables, fruits, berries and mushrooms, preserves, jams, all kinds of nuts, legumes, dried fruits, natural spices, herbs, lean sweets and confectionery, which can be purchased at any store.

The list of permitted food products can also be supplemented with cereals, pasta and bakery (non-nutritious) products. During fasting, you can also add granulated sugar to drinks, but on Wednesday, Friday and before the sacrament, it is better to replace it with honey.

So, regardless of the amount of food consumed, your diet will always be balanced and correct. Many nutritionists argue that a sharp rejection of meat and fish products for a month or more can provoke a decrease in the level of vitamins and microelements, therefore, before the "fast" days, it is necessary to choose plant foods that can compensate for the deficiency of these substances.

Sources of protein

You can replace the protein substances that enter our body along with meat and fish by adding beans, peas, sunflower seeds, all types of nuts, dried fruits, and of course, mushrooms, which contain a lot of protein, to the diet.

Having prepared dishes from all of the above products, you can easily replenish daily rate squirrel. And besides, plant foods do not contain "bad" cholesterol and fats, which are so abundant in meat.

There are some "fast" days that allow the consumption of fish. However, only low-fat fish, the meat of which has White color... On the same days, you can eat seafood. As for seaweed, it can be eaten on any day of fasting, as well as before communion.

On top of that, if you eat seaweed for a whole month, you can replenish not only the supply of protein substances, but also saturate the body with vital iodine and other equally important microelements.

Sources of fats

You can provide a complete replacement for fats using vegetable oils:

olive;
sunflower;
linseed;
peanut;
rapeseed;
cedar;
corn.

These oils can easily replace animal fats during fasting. It is extremely important to introduce unrefined oils into your diet, since they contain all the useful substances, while everyone's familiar “odorless oil” will only clog the body.

Sources of carbohydrates

Thanks to wide range vegetables, cereals, fruits and noodles, during fasting the body is saturated with exclusively "slow" carbohydrates, which are not converted into fat cells, but provide our body with all the necessary substances for full life and.

As for the "fast" carbohydrates, which are also needed by our body, but only in smaller quantities, they can be "obtained" from honey, jam and other lean sweets. The main thing is a sense of proportion.

If you exclude meat from your menu for a whole month, then this can lead to a deficiency of iron in the body, which is very detrimental to health. Receive this substance can be made from nuts, berries, pumpkin, rose hips, celery, bell pepper and herbs (parsley, cilantro and dill).

Thanks to beets, carrots, nuts, apples, honey, spinach, pomegranate and raisins, you can replenish not only the deficiency of iron, but also other nutrients that our body needs so much.

And in conclusion, I would like to add - do not perceive "fast" days as a rigid diet. They are given to us to strengthen the spirit and body. Take any fasting as a panacea that will help you cleanse not only your soul, but also your body from all kinds of bad accumulations.

We sincerely wish you a strong spirit and health!

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