I noticed a long time ago that during fasting, instead of people losing weight and improving their health, it happens too often to spoil their health and gain weight. What are the most common mistakes in a fasting diet?
Before writing about the choice of food, I want to present a couple of my dilemmas and observations:
I tried to imagine how fasting took place in Serbia before the 20th century, because Christmas fasting lasts 4 weeks, and Easter fasting 6. Animals carried eggs and gave milk in those weeks, and there was no refrigerator. I don't believe that food was thrown away because of fasting, just as I have no idea how they stored it. I was actually wondering how strict were our ancestors really at the time of those long posts?
Fasting originates from Mediterranean countries, which means that there were more fish available during Lent. There were certainly more varied vegetable choices, and the Mediterranean countries had olive oil at their disposal.
We are not a land of olive oil. We only used lard, tallow, and butter because until the fifties/sixties of the last century we didn't even have vegetable oils and margarine. What people in Serbia used during Lent then - I also have no idea. But I can't imagine hard physical work and strict fasting on the water for a few weeks.
I do not ask these questions in order to touch someone's intimate religious beliefs, more precisely, I do not want to deal with them at all. I do not deal with the spiritual aspects of fasting either, as I will write exclusively about food. However, these unanswered questions can give certain people a little more comfort in questioning the severity of fasting and addressing the impact of “levels of severity” on their own health. For some groups of people, a fasting diet is OK, and for some, it can still do more harm than good.
What is the fasting food that most people eat today?
Today's reality is that we are poorly informed about oils and fats, as well as cholesterol, and refrigerators are filled with unhealthy industrial products. Because of the bombing, often incorrectly by vegan propaganda, many think that they will eat healthier only because they give up food of animal origin, and at the same time make other "fasting" mistakes.
Here are the most common:
1.)Cooking exclusively on harmful vegetable oils and increased use of margarine, which are even more harmful. Fats that are not traditional for a human being are used, let alone "traditional fasting foods".
2.)Eating industrial products - because chips, figs, some biscuits with margarine are fasting foods. As well as the so-called "Fruit" and carbonated juices. As well as puff pastry and french fries.
3.)Soy is also a fasting food and many people are still unaware of soy-related controversies. This high-protein food first arrived in America around 1930 and became an alleged "healthy food" due to its cheap production. Many today consider it a dangerous food. The traditional use of soy in Asian countries was associated primarily with small amounts of fermented soy products (tofu, soy sauce).
4.)Canned sardines are a common choice, and they are stored in refined vegetable oils, most often sunflower and soybean. As we have already learned, refined vegetable oils can never be good. Especially when fasting people are already consuming them excessively.
5.)Poor preparation of fresh fish, because the choice usually falls on fried hake or grits fried in deep oil. You guessed it, again on refined vegetable oils.
6)As a substitute for dairy products, serve vegetable sour cream, vegetable cheeses, or whipped cream. Again, foods full of dangerous partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. The milk is replaced with purchased vegetable milk from a tetra pack, which, if it is "almond", has as many almonds as there are goldfish in the pool with piranhas.
7.)Refined carbohydrates are a significant source of calories, because it is easiest to buy bread and spread vegetable pate on it, enter the bakery for a fasting pizza, spread margarine on white or colored bread.
8.)Excessive sugar intake makes many happy because sugar is a 100% lean food. You meet those who fast on sugar more often than those who fast on the water.
How to get rid of fasting traps?
In Serbia, most people cannot afford more stable vegetable oils, as well as natural, stable vegetable fats due to the financial difference between them and harmful oils and margarines - and that is a serious problem. However, if you care about fasting and health, this is something to think about in time. Preparation, in financial and organizational terms, will distinguish between healthy and unhealthy fasting:
1.)The oils that we should use on fasting are olive oil, unrefined palm oil (as far as I know, it is not available in Serbia), coconut oil, cocoa butter - and in salads (not really for cooking), and sesame, pumpkin seed oil, and peanut oil. Yes, I know that many wallets are already sick 🙁 Save the budget: if you do not fast on water, cook food on steam or bake under foil - and then add these healthy oils directly to the plate of your food. It is a pity to water pots and pans with them.
2.)Get rid of industrial snacks and replace them with roasted peanuts, walnuts, almonds, fruit and vegetable chips, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, popcorn (not from a bag but homemade).
3.)Completely eliminate soy (except fermented and organic) and products that contain it from use. What is OK is sometimes to take tofu cheese and sometimes natural tamari/soy sauce. Everything else, especially soy protein, is only good to avoid.
4)Canned fish, if canned by steaming, is OK. Stored in water or olive oil is also OK. Of course, these are also more expensive options. Save your budget: buy frozen weights and store them (in the oven). You force small fish and eat larger fish occasionally. Drain the sardines well from the refined oil.
5.)The priority, however, should be the use of fresh fish, so remember the friends of the river, alas, but also that mackerel is very healthy. Prepare fresh fish as much as possible, and if grits are your choice, prepare them in the oven, fry in olive oil, or steam with the addition of vegetable sauces. Once again: fried hake and grits from deep oil do not count as fresh fish, but as food spoiled by poor preparation.
6.)Forget about the bakery and pastries. Learn more about the sources of quality carbohydrates from the text about gluten. Do not hit only on white flour, or even on integral flours and oatmeal. Cook whole grains but prepare them properly, use more potatoes and pumpkins, as well as root vegetables instead of dough, pasta, and flour. Consult a macrobiotic chef for ideas on preparing cereals and legumes. Prepare fermented bread - which is proper preparation.
7.)Force fresh vegetables to the maximum. A fasting diet already brings in too much sugar and starch, so when I say vegetables, I mean those that grow above ground. Depreciate mostly starchy menu with salads, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, peppers, zucchini, blue tomatoes…
8.)Don't believe the misconception that healthy food is bought in health food stores. There are good products out there, just as there are harmful ones.
9.)Since vegetable milk from the store and vegetable sour cream is not edible - make your own dishes with homemade coconut milk (or other homemade vegetable milk made by the same method). Today you can buy quality milk, but choose carefully and read the composition!
10.)If someone asked me, I would completely ban sweets due to the excessive intake of starch in the fasting diet. But if you really have to, find something in vegan chefs because they don't use margarine and industrial food. However, this does not mean that the cakes will be less sugary, so if you care about the waist circumference, still choose fruit, possibly a little dried fruit.
11.)This is the right time to introduce stevia into your life and start making iced teas with it instead of drinking juices. Also, do not squeeze the fruit because it is also dissolved sugar - or at least be moderate with the juices. You can have a good smoothie without too much sugar or even a quality breakfast from a blender. Opt for homemade compote without added sugar with nuts.
Who should not (strictly) fast?
On fasting, you are quite doomed to starchy foods, High Carb, so it is difficult to design and maintain a diet with a reduced amount of carbohydrates, or to be on a Low Carb Diet. Low Carb is only possible if you are fasting with fat and I have been able to fit a fast and LCHF menu. I will admit that designing the menu was challenging and not too easy. But yes, it is possible.
In case you decide to fast on the water - you have absolutely no chance of being on a Low Carb Diet. Therefore, if you are a person who has insulin resistance or you are extremely obese, you should not opt for this option. It would be better to talk to a doctor before fasting on water. Doctors in Sweden would probably be appalled by the decision to fast on water if you are also diabetic, especially type 2. The same precautionary story would apply to pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as to young children and children in the developmental stage who should not be deprived of fat. . If you belong to such a group of people, you simply need to inform yourself and consult more.
As far as I understand, believers can perform these consultations with their spiritual father, not only with a health worker, so there is an option to adjust the fast to the health condition, age, and needs. If someone needs to have both opinions, let them at least better prepare for those conversations with this text.
Finally, let me cover two more items:
1.)The first issue is the intake of enough protein without meat, eggs, dairy products - so who decides without fish. As you know, plant foods also contain proteins and the chances that even those on a low-fat plant-based diet can get enough of them. A person who uses root vegetables, cereals, and nuts will get enough protein (learn more about them). So, you do not need soy for adequate protein intake.
2.)The second item is vitamins and minerals. If fasting worries you in this regard, take a look at the tables that show you plant and animal champions. Force foods rich in "plant champions". If you already suffer from a deficiency, consult a doctor about dietary supplements during fasting.
I don't know if it's wrong to say: "Happy fasting to everyone who decided to do that." In any case, I hope that the text helped in a better choice of foods and that you will more easily reach the goals for which you decided to fast.
The author
@Andjela99
