5 rules of Lent: how to prepare, eat, who can not fast

Lent - is not only abstinence in food, it is, first of all, cleaning and taking care of your soul, so in addition to certain food, you need to pray, not to cause harm to anyone, nor swear, nor keep in mind bad thoughts and, of course, not sin.

Who should not fast?

It is important to understand that post - it's not just a strict diet and if you treat it as a sacrament only to certain restrictions in food, it is better not to start. The decision to hold the post should be a conscious and balanced, you have to be really prepared for it.
But there is a category of people who should not fast, among them:

• pregnant women;
• women who are breastfeeding;
• children;
• People with severe or chronic illness;
• people with weakened immune systems, after undergoing the disease.

If you and your husband decide to fast, then in any case, do not force children growing organism such stress will not benefit. You can tell the child about the traditions of Lent and offer him a kind of support you, for example, abandon this period from the noisy entertainment from harmful sweets, replacing them with useful dried fruits, honey and pastilles.

How to prepare for Lent?

Begin preparations for the post in advance for four weeks before the start of Lent, Orthodox Christians are preparing for this event. The preparatory period began back on February 11 and will last until March 10. At this time there is no severe post, but those who plan to fast eliminate from the diet of meat on certain days - Monday, Wednesday and Friday, limit yourself to food, to make it easier to enter the post.

By decision of fasting should be approached very responsibly and be really ready. Set a goal, think about what you want to do that during the post to have a certain motivation. Then go to church and get a priest's blessing.
It is also important to think in advance the menu at least a week, to buy the right products. Look for meatless recipes to diversify their diet and pass this test until the end.

What can I eat?

From its menu at the time of the post should be deleted:

• all grades meat (pork, beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, etc.);
• salami, sausages and other semi-finished products;
• dairy products (milk, cheese, kefir, yogurt, cheese, cream, butter, etc.);
• eggs;
• alcoholic beverages.

It is forbidden to use not only the products, but also any others which contain a part of forbidden components, for example, ice cream, mayonnaise, and others.

Allowed to use:

• vegetarian food: vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs;
• various cereals: buckwheat, rice, pearl barley, barley, wheat porridge, bulgur, and others;
• fish and seafood (on certain days);
• nuts and dried fruit.

The diet should prevail lean vegetarian food, small breaks are allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and weekends:

• Monday Wednesday Friday - xerophagy;
• Tuesday Thursday - cooked food;
• Saturday Sunday - cooked food with vegetable oil, a little wine.

Lent falls on the feast of the Annunciation - April 7, so on this day the fish is allowed, as well as on Palm Sunday.
The most severe restrictions in the diet falls on Holy Week - the last 7 days before Easter. In this week, only one time write is allowed from Monday to Thursday and on Good Friday from the food have to be abandoned altogether.

The output of the post

Lent ends with a happy Easter, which Orthodox Christians can "break the fast" - to eat meat, cheese, eggs and any other food. But it is important to understand that after such a long abstinence in food, out of the post should be gradual. If the first day of Passover to pounce on the meat, mayonnaise salads and other goodies, health problems can not be avoided. The Church recommends to introduce foods into your diet gradually, and on the first day of Easter confine Blessing Easter cakes and eggs, eat a piece of meat and hard cheese, drink a little wine.

Also you will be interested to know that how to diversify their menus during Lent