Fasting is strict. Great Lent Menu

There is a theory that the roots of the concept of Lent are at the root of the birth of the Christian faith. Her preachers proved to the Gentiles that only true belief in the Savior Jesus Christ can help overcome any trials, even such serious ones as fasting.

The spiritual meaning of Lent

Despite the fact that Lent is strict and uneasy, for a true believer it does not at all mean the burden of trials, but bears in itself the joy of the possibility of communion, and also the happiness of the liberation of the soul from all the bad, black and sinful accumulated by a person for the whole year.

There is such a thing in the Bible, as the church tithe is part of the income that a person receives, he must give to the church. If you count accurately, then Lent in its strict version without taking into account the weekend, when a slight deviation is allowed, lasts about 36.5 days. This is a tenth of 365 days of the year. Hence, according to biblical canons, a true Christian should give these 36.5 days to the church, to God, to remember the torment of the Savior and take part in them with abstinence and prayer.

What is the basis for a strict fast? What can you eat a Christian these days? Typically, Lent means taking vegetable food. You can not eat fasting meat, cottage cheese, yogurts. It is important to understand not what the person does, but why he does it, what is the point. Fasting is a purely individual affair of everyone, his personal secret. The duration of the Sacrament is 40 days, after which Easter comes - the feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

Unfortunately, people are subject to the influence of new trends, according to which it is very fashionable today to be a believer. The time of oblivion of Christianity has passed, although the true believers prayed and bowed before the Lord even during the years of Soviet power. During the Great Patriotic War, the soldiers prayed for the icon, hidden deep under the overcoat, and no one could shake their faith. This is true belief - this is what lives in man from the very beginning of its existence, and is not brought by the wind of public opinion.

Strict Orthodox post: rules and laws

A person who has consciously come to faith and regularly observes posts is unlikely to get out of this way, if this way is passed to them sincerely and consciously, without lying to himself.

If a person is still at the very beginning of his journey to faith, he should know the basic postulates, without observance of which the fast becomes meaningless.

First, Lent is not part of the slimming program for women, this is not a measure of anti-cellulite struggle, which even sounds somehow blasphemous. Priests believe that a pure soul of such a thought will never allow it.

Secondly, no one should and does not have to know that a person holds a fast. This is not an empty bravado, not an object of boasting, but a purely individual Sacrament of each person.

Thirdly, when it's decided to start a fast, do not have to give yourself some kind of food, say that from tomorrow I do not eat meat, and on Wednesdays and Fridays I will not eat at all. The beginning of any fasting is signified by reconciliation with relatives, relatives and with oneself, the elimination of all misunderstandings, misunderstandings and conflict situations. During the fasting, it is unacceptable to engage in "eating" your loved ones and yourself, and you should also remember about abstinence in food.

Fourthly, the most strict fast is not giving up matrimonial duties, but acts of adultery on the side are forbidden, because the church condemns any links other than those that occur between husband and wife. On the contrary, you can not bring yourself to such a degree of abstinence, then to literally rush to the first person you meet.

Fifth, alcohol can be consumed only on weekends, preferably wine diluted with water, and not more than one glass.

Sixth, repeating what has been said above, we must not forget that Lent is not a diet, and its meaning is not to throw off a couple of kilograms, but in spiritual purification, gaining control over oneself, restrain impulses of the body.

There are a lot of food additives, flavoring toppings, to help take out a strict fast. What can you eat, so that it does not seem so heavy, especially for a beginner?

How to turn restrictions into new opportunities?

It should be remembered throughout the time that Lent is strict, and at this time it is necessary to forget about any animal food. Meat products, milk, eggs and food containing animal fats should be excluded completely. But you can pamper yourself with all kinds of fruits and vegetables in raw, cooked, baked and dried form, as well as cereals, herbs, honey and jam. Vegetable oil can be added to food on weekends and on holidays. On strict days fasting is recommended to drink more clean water and switch from thoughts about eating to praying and visiting the church.

Strict post implies the restriction of watching TV and hiking on entertainment. The TV program sometimes carries so much negativity that one can not help regretting the included TV.

In Russia, during Lent, weddings were not played, but this did not mean that life was over. It is better to use the time that is assigned to the post, with the goal of spiritual development - you can pick up a book you wanted to read for a long time, go to church again, talk with your loved ones, and pay attention to them. The main thing is to think positively, to refrain from anger and bad deeds. Lent is strict not only to the physical body, but also to the moral image of man.

It should be remembered that strict fasting is not recommended for patients, pregnant women, children and those who work hard physically. In each case, consultation with a doctor and a spiritual mentor is needed . Individual offers for fasting are possible for these categories of citizens.

How to enter a strict post

The beginning of strict fasting is the most difficult stage, especially for those who fast for the first time. The first day and Friday of the last week should be completely lean, that is, one should refrain from eating at all. In strict weeks of fasting, namely the first and last week, fruits, vegetables, bread, water are allowed.

Throughout the whole time, fasting is allowed any porridge, nuts, fruits and vegetables, legumes. You can eat honey, marmalade, cocoa without milk, jelly. On the dates of the great holidays, such as the Annunciation, Palm Sunday and Lazarev Saturday, fish and seafood are allowed, and on weekends, the use of vegetable oil is permissible.

In order not to damage health, fasting, it is necessary to periodically refuse to eat meat and meat products in advance. Thus, you can accustom your body to the lack of animal protein. In such "preparatory" days it is recommended to drink more water, it will allow to normalize the metabolic processes of the body.

How to leave the post

When the Lent ends, the strict regime to which a person is accustomed can not immediately be violated. The body will not digest meat in large quantities after long days of abstinence. The use of a large amount of food of animal origin will only lead to a disruption of the stomach, and possibly to poisoning. It is necessary to start with food that is easily digested, and it is desirable that a smooth exit from the fasting regime last as long as the fasting lasted.

The menu is lean, salty and sharp

Recipes of strict fasting may differ in the presence of a large number of spices, additives, spices. You can use parsley, dill, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and then no one can say that salads and snacks, the first and second dishes, which are made from vegetables and cereals, can not be eaten because of their pungent taste. And some recipes can become a favorite dish for all occasions. It should be ensured that spices and condiments do not contain traces of animal origin.

The owner of the fasting table, especially the one who works and comes home only in the evening, knows firsthand what to puzzle about the upcoming dinner is much easier than to prepare this dinner. We must contrive to do something lean, non-caloric, but that everyone should be full. At the same time, the number of ingredients is very limited.

The most real wand-zashchalochkoy for a practical hostess during the post will serve as a vegetable broth. It can become the basis of any dish - both the first and second. The broth is beautiful and aromatic in its fresh form, and if stored in a freezer portionwise, it will definitely have to come in handy for the urgent preparation of a delicious soup, a stew of vegetables or aintopfa. Vegetables for its cooking are taken any that are available, and which are loved by the household.

For a special taste in the broth of vegetables, you can add mushrooms, thyme, rosemary and other favorite spices and herbs. In the beginning, the cut vegetables and mushrooms are dipped in oil, then poured into water, brought to a boil, pawned with herbs and pepper and cooked for about an hour over low heat.

For lean dishes, as for any other, the appearance is important. Bright colors cause appetite and distract from the composition of the dish, which often frantically want to find meat. Sensation of satiety usually causes heat, so lean dishes are best served warmed, and chili or ginger will help create the effect of hot food.

Multicolored vegetables and fruits in the post-eggplant, Bulgarian pepper, apples, plums are simply irreplaceable when making a lean menu, as bright colors very cheer up.

Finally, do not forget about the different ways of pickling, pouring, souring and pickling vegetables and fruits! Sauerkraut with boiled potatoes - tastier not to think!

Great post. Strict diet as an excuse for flying fantasy

Fasting people should not feel deprived of delicious and beautiful food. There are so many wonderful, fragrant and satisfying lean dishes that any post will become a gastronomic joy for everyone!

If there is lentil available, the landlady can prepare a very useful, tasty and beautiful soup with olives, lemon and greens.

The crown dish of the fast-food menu - fried potatoes with mushrooms, you can add any vegetables to it, and to create a variety of color pictures, the best option will be the Bulgarian pepper.

Another spicy recipe - baked potatoes in foil with garlic sauce. Eggplants can be generously seasoned with garlic, if no meetings and personal contacts are planned. And if you really want meat, imitation meatballs can serve as lean balls from chick peas, called falafel.

Many complain about it in a strict fast, that you can not treat yourself to cottage cheese. That's not true! If you mix semolina with sugar and bake it in an apple, then the taste of the resulting filling will be very reminiscent of cottage cheese. A useful property of the manga is that it absorbs fruit juices, swells and becomes like a cream. It is necessary to know the mistresses and use this property of cereals in a lean kitchen.

An excellent dish for dinner - couscous with greens. It's a pleasure to cook it. Two tablespoons of cereals should be mixed with olive oil, salt. Make a groove in the couscous, pour boiling water, mix, add chopped greens, whip. Fifteen minutes on fire enough to enjoy a simple and hearty dish.

If there are vegetables left over from yesterday's dinner, rice noodles with vegetables can be cooked for 10 minutes. To do this, vermicelli should be poured with boiling water and give a little brew. Vegetables cut into strips should be fried for 7 minutes in oil, in which a slice of garlic was previously spread, then add the rice paste to the vegetables and season with soy sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Pasta from beans has the form of liver pate. Putting it on the table, you can play in contrast with the brown color of the beans, if you put corn or any greens on top. To make the paste, the canned beans are crushed with a fork and add to it a mixture of 30 g walnuts, 2 dessert spoons of olive oil, several peas of black pepper, as well as coriander seeds and mustard. Salt the resulting pate to taste, and then smear for bread, tomato or eat as an independent dish.

Fried tofu is perfect for any vegetables. It should be cut into thick slices and fried in garlic oil. Crushed garlic pre-passer. Soy sauce should be mixed with starch and chili and cook until thick. Then you should pour roasted tofu with this sauce, sprinkle with sesame and greens.

For dessert, you can treat yourself to smoothies from greens and bananas. It looks like an alien fantasy on the topic of a healthy lifestyle. And cook it simply - three handfuls of spinach, a few twigs of tarragon, the leaves of any green salad and one banana just mix in a blender.

You can also bake an apple with nuts. To do this, two green apples must be stuffed with a "stuffing" of five walnuts, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar or honey and raisins. Fruits will be ready in 20 minutes, the temperature of their baking in the oven should be at least 200 degrees.

Finally, connoisseurs of oriental sweets will easily cook kozinaki from sunflower seeds, and butter, which is present in the recipe, should simply be replaced by vegetable.