So, a little background. I chose, back in October, to try a plant based diet. No philosophical or environmental reasons - I just wanted to see if it made me feel better and if it improved my athletic performance.

And lo and behold - it did.

So - as Lent approaches, I see days of fasting and days of abstinence. I abstain from all animal meat all the time, so days of abstinence don't mean anything. I periodically practice 18 and 24 hour fasts as well - do doing one on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday is a piece of cake.

So - I plan to ask my priest about this - but what are your thoughts on how to approach Lent this year regarding fasting and abstinence? If I follow the church's teachings, I'll just be doing what I normally do anyway.

you could go to to xero****y or only uncooked foods. Or simply cut back on the amount of food, moving to two or one meals a day. The idea is self denial as well as adopting a penitent posture - breaking the normal rhythm of our life - so I think the details are less important than the intent and the effort. St John Cassian said there's no clear rule from the desert fathers other than don't eat until full and eat simply.

The traditional fasting discipline is a black fast (ie no food) on the first three days of lent, which for the orthodox begins on a Monday. This fast is broken with holy communion at the presanctified liturgy on Wednesday. May God bless your efforts.

Edit: that is xerop-hagy

Also, fasting is more than food but also fasting from evil, along with other self denial. You could reduce your sleep with vigils or devote more time to spiritual reading, or almsgiving, or other ascetic practices.

Thanks. I like the raw food idea.

wbt5845 said:

---

Thanks. I like the raw food idea.

---

Or become a Baptist/Pentecostal. Lent poses no theological problems whatsoever. Seriously, we had a friend who graduated from an Eastern Orthodox series in Boston and he gave a Lenten series study at our church. We made vegetarian lentil soup and flatbread for the communal meal but he would not even partake of that. Hummus and baba ganoush would seem decent non meat options. Our local Lebanese restaurant has a variety of tasty vegetarian options so if you are in a large metro area you might get some ideas from their appetizer menus on line or pay them a visit.

For me it would be to add no seasoning. No ranch dip for celery, hot sauce on beans, no salt on steamed vegetables. It has to to be bland enough to move your affections.

Quote:

---

Edit: that is xerop-hagy

---

Oh that TA filter.

Maybe flip the script and go on a paleo all-meat diet. Sacrifice your plant-ism.

Instead of fasting, you might try adding something like reading (Bible or other inspirational), exercise, or beneficent works like driving for meals on wheels, etc.

I'm in the same boat. Due to various consequences of a lack of moderation and good sense, I've had to give up cigarettes, carbs, and sugar.. There's not a lot left for a 78 year-old Anglican to give up.