During fasting, many of us are not sure what food is really fasting and what is allowed to be eaten when fasting on water, and what when fasting on oil.
It is important to emphasize first that we should eat little during fasting because it is unreasonable to fast by indulging in enjoying food at a certain moment. That period should be spent in the renunciation of bodily desires and nurturing of spiritual virtues, and abstinence from food helps our body to be a reliable ally in achieving that goal.
So, lean food is all food that does not have animal ingredients in it. Lean is not milk and dairy products (except soy, rice, coconut, and other vegetable milks), eggs, alcohol, meat. It's greasy food. The church calendar indicates exactly what is eaten on a certain day. Every day is marked, so it says that "water", "oil", "fish" or "mrs" is allowed on that day.
Water: fasting food that is not prepared in oil and does not contain oil in it;
Oil: these are fasting meals that can be prepared on oil or can contain it;
Fish: fasting in oil, but fish and wine are allowed on that day;
White meat: all food is eaten except meat (therefore, cheese, milk, eggs, etc.);
Dry eating: when this is prescribed, eat only dry bread and water or fruit.
Nowadays, it is not difficult to fast since many products are lean, but you must also pay attention to the declaration because, although many foods are thought to be lean, they are not because they contain ingredients of animal origin.
Are vegetable cheese and vegetable cheese fasting?
Many vegetable cheeses can contain some ingredient of animal origin, and the most common is casein. Casein is the basic and most important milk protein and makes up about 80% of milk protein (75-85% of skim milk protein). Its name comes from the Latin word caseus which means cheese. It is its coagulation that enables the creation of cheese. If you buy vegetable cheese or cheese of plant origin, check the declaration to see if it contains casein.
However, you can prepare homemade lean milk and lean cheese.
Is the fish lean?
Yes, fish is considered a fasting food.
Fish do not have blood flow through "meat", which distinguishes them from other animals. The blood flow is in the abdominal cavity and next to the spine.
Fish are not warm-blooded animals like the others we eat.
The aquatic world does not "sin" like the terrestrial one. During the Flood, it was water that "cleansed" the sinful (land) world, while the water world survived.
Water is an element that has some peculiarity, so the quote from the Holy Scriptures is quoted "and the Spirit of God rose above the water", as a proof of special grace, so food from the water is allowed during fasting.
God gave people the commandment to fast while still in paradise, so that people could practice obedience, obeying their will to the will of God, and what St. The eyes saw as a prototype of Golgotha, ie. Hrsta. The crucifixion of one's will represents the cross. And this is about obedience. The church has established and prescribed that fish is allowed on certain days of fasting, just as it has prescribed that meat, dairy products, and eggs cannot be used during fasting. It could have been the other way around, that is, it could have been left to use some of this fat during fasting, but as the Fathers say, meat gives strength to a person. Of course, it is not fasting to shoot fish or our beans, even if it is on the water.
Fish and other aquatic animals are allowed to be used during fasting, because unlike animals on land and under the sky, they do not breathe in the lungs.
Is the honey heart fasting?
First of all, a distinction should be made between gingerbreads that are lean and honey hearts, which, depending on the manufacturer, can be lean, but also greasy. Honey hearts with filling and chocolate topping marked "Fasting", as it is written on their declaration, may contain traces of milk and eggs.
Are fasting products that say that there is a possibility of the existence of traces of milk and eggs?
We asked this question to a well-known domestic company that produces such products and we received the following answer:
"Respected,
Be sure that if the packaging of one of our products is marked "fasting", that product really is.
All our fasting products are made on the same line as our other products that contain milk, and accordingly, there is a very small, almost only theoretical possibility of contact with traces of milk, which is a source of allergens.
Although during the transition of production from one product to another, the entire cleaning of equipment is performed, according to European standards on allergens, we are obliged to emphasize on the packaging even the theoretical possibility, which we, as a responsible company, have done on all lean products.
With the desire to continue to be a fan of our products, we warmly welcome you. "
No matter how small the amount of these substances, if you were careful and avoided getting dirty, why not be principled to the end. We would advise you to avoid such products, but let the decision be up to you.
Is every bread fasting?
Many bread makers coat their products with a solution containing eggs, in order to get a shiny and crispy upper crust. Of course, this does not apply to all bread producers, but we advise you to pay attention.
Is honey fasting?
Yes, honey is a food that is allowed during fasting.
Is margarine fasting? And the butter?
Margarine is fasting because it is obtained from vegetable oils unless it is additionally enriched with dairy ingredients. Butter or butter is not lean products because they contain milk in their composition.
Are the candies lean?
In most cases, candies are not fasting because they can contain substances of animal origin. Although gummy candies were thought to be lean, they turned out not to be because gelatin was obtained by cooking animal skin, connective tissue, or animal bones, often pigs or cows. Of course, there are also fasting candies. The most important thing is to carefully read what is written on the declaration of each product when buying it.
Can I drink alcohol during Lent?
No, it is not allowed to consume alcohol during Lent, except for wine, and only on days that are specially marked (fish) in the church calendar.
Is Coca-Cola fasting?
Coca-Cola is made from a syrup whose main ingredient is a type of sweetener called high-fructose corn syrup 55, so named because it contains 55 percent fructose, or fruit sugar, and 42 percent glucose, or simple sugars. Honey contains the same ratio of fructose and glucose.
The syrup is made from cornstarch, which is obtained by grinding and which is mixed with three secret enzymes. This process produces glucose. One of the enzymes is used to convert part of glucose into fructose.
Another important ingredient is caramel color, which gives the drink a unique dark brown color. There are four types of this color, and Coca-Cola uses type E15, which is formed by heating sugar with sulfates and ammonia to create a bitter brown liquid. The syrup obtained in this way is phosphoric acid, which adds acidity and removes arsenic.
Flavors are added to a much lesser extent. This includes vanilla, cinnamon, coca leaf, from which its harmful part is removed, which is addictive and on which cocaine and cola nut are formed, this red fruit grows in African rainforests and is therefore assumed to be a sign of a recognizable red color.
The last ingredient is caffeine, which is obtained from walnuts, coffee beans and other sources.
All these ingredients are mixed and cooked until they become a concentrate, which mixes with water and carbon dioxide, as a result of which recognizable bubbles of this drink are created.
From all the above, we would conclude that Coca-Cola has become a product.
The author
@Andjela99
