The fasting of lent and its benefits

The fast of Lent is the longest fast of Orthodox Christians.
It is usually practiced for religious reasons but apart from the benefit it offers to the soul, we can benefit from it to improve our health or our physical condition.

For any of the above reasons and regardless of whether we apply it, the fasting of Lent certainly has many positives to give you.

Let's start from the beginning starting with its religious significance.

Among all the religious fasts of the year, the fast of Lent is the strictest and the oldest.
Its beginning dates back to the apostolic era and its starting point is the fasting before Easter which was established to commemorate the passion of the Lord and is the period that prepares the faithful for the peak celebration of Easter.

The purpose of this fast is to strengthen one's spiritual life and prepare for Easter, which is the most important religious holiday in the Christian calendar.

The name of Lent, as it is easy to understand, is due to the forty days of fasting that the period includes, which symbolize Christ's fasting in the desert.

Fasting begins on Clean Monday and lasts until Holy Week.

The foods we fast during it are meat, fish, poultry, dairy and eggs.

In terms of the benefits it now offers to our health and physical improvement, there are many.

Abstaining from animal foods results in a reduced intake of fats and calories resulting in a reduction in our weight, also due to the reduced intake of saturated lipids we have a reduction in cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

On the contrary, during its duration, the intake of antioxidant substances, valuable nutrients and plant fibers increases, which benefit our body due to the increased intake of fruits and vegetables and create a feeling of satiety.

Also due to the reduced consumption of animal fat and correspondingly the increased consumption of monounsaturated fat from nuts, olive oil, etc. we help to reduce blood pressure and the proper functioning of the heart.

However, we must pay particular attention to the quantities of fasting foods that we will consume, as well as to the consumption of bread and pasta that are rich in calories, if we wish to reduce our weight.

General principles that will help not to be hungry.

We always eat breakfast
We do a lot of small meals
We drink a lot of fluids
We use raw nuts and dried fruits as snacks
We do not forget the intake of proteins such as seafood, legumes with rice, nuts, mushrooms, etc.
We prefer to eat whole grain products
We drink green tea which is rich in antioxidants
For dessert, we can drink juices, dried fruits, but if we don't have enough we can eat halva or some spoon dessert, but always in moderation to avoid many calories.

Indicative meals during the day

Breakfast --whole cereal, or oats, or tahini with honey, or juice, or soy milk brunch -- fresh or dried fruit
lunch – regular meal
Afternoon -- fresh or dried fruit with nuts
Dinner – regular meal

Here are some fasting recipes that will help to have variety during fasting or to get ideas and make something with our own ingredients.

A recipe you might like is a salad with legumes and vegetables:

Materials:
1 cup cooked beans
1 cup boiled chickpeas
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Fresh chopped cilantro and parsley, or dried.

Implementation:
In a large bowl, combine the cooked beans, chickpeas and quinoa.
Add the chopped peppers and onion.
Add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix well.
Add salt and pepper and mix again.
Add the chopped cilantro and parsley and mix well.

Let the salad cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
Serve the salad on a large plate and enjoy!

This salad is rich in proteins and nutrients. It's a healthy and warming meal for Lent or any other time of year!

Another recipe you might like is traditional cabbage soup with chickpeas and carrots:

Materials:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 carrots, diced
1 large white onion, diced
1 cup chickpeas, soaked and boiled
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh lemon juice
Fresh chopped cilantro and parsley, or dried.

Implementation:
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft.
Add the carrots and saute for another 5 minutes.
Add the cooked chickpeas and mix well.
Add the stock or water and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots and chickpeas are tender.
Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
Turn off the heat and add some fresh lemon juice.
Add the chopped cilantro and parsley and mix well.
Let the soup rest for a while and serve it hot, garnished with a few sprigs of coriander and parsley.

This recipe is rich in protein from the chickpeas and nutrients from the vegetables. It's a healthy and warming meal for Lent or any other time of year!

A recipe for fasting pizza with vegetables:

Materials:
1 Ready-made sheet of pizza dough
1 pumpkin, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato paste
Salt and Pepper
Pizza mix or BBQ sauce

Implementation:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the Prepared Pizza Dough Sheet in a deep pizza pan as well.
On top of the roll, add the pumpkin, pepper and onion.
Add salt and pepper to the vegetables and mix well.
Add the ketchup, olive oil, and pizza mix or barbecue sauce and mix well again.
Place the mold in the preheated oven and bake the pizza for about 20-25 minutes, until golden.
Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing and serving.

This veggie pizza is fasting and great for those observing the Lenten Fast. You can also add other vegetables like tomatoes or mushrooms to add more flavor and nutritional value.

Fasting cookies Recipe

Ingredients:
½ kilo of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ of a cup of sugar
1 cup of oil
¼ cup baking soda (liquid)
1 tablespoon of cognac
¼ cup orange juice
some orange zest

Implementation:
Mix the flour together with the soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a large bowl, sifting them.
Put the sugar with the oil, soda, brandy, juice and orange zest in the blender and beat them for 1-2 minutes.
Pour these ingredients into the bowl with the flour. Mix at first with a spoon and then knead, adding as much flour as needed to make a fairly firm dough, so that it can be easily shaped into any shape you want.

Form round or oblong cookies and spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for approximately 15'-18'.

Allow to cool well before consuming.

Note: You can add other ingredients to the recipe to customize the cookies to your liking. For example, you can add raisins or nuts. Also, if you don't want to use sugar, you can replace it with honey or brown sugar, or molasses sugar or coconut sugar.