In addition, fasting helps the body get rid of accumulated toxins and extra pounds. Of course, not everyone can adhere to strict abstinence. It’s clear with protein products of animal origin - they can be replaced with legumes, mushrooms, beans, lentils, soy, etc. But what about sweets? Of course, you shouldn’t limit yourself to sweets, since our brain needs to receive glucose in order to function well, after all, we continue to go to work, study, and the gym...
During Lent you can enjoy dried fruits, honey, halva, nuts, marmalade, dark chocolate and Lenten cookies.
Dried fruits
Dried fruits can be included in your diet during fasting, and without exception, dates, dried apricots, figs, raisins, prunes, cherries, etc. Glucose, which is contained in dried fruits, improves brain function, increases concentration, and also relieves fatigue eye if your work involves documents, reporting and a computer. Eating dried fruits lifts your mood and helps fight depression, anemia and vitamin deficiency. Dried fruits also help prevent cancer. These products help to recover faster from illnesses by saturating the body with lost vitamins.
How to do without sugar
If you decide to fast and not consume sugar, then this can be done without harming your body. Glucose acts on the body as an energy source. Without using it, you can become depressed, feel lethargic and unable to enjoy life. The solution to this problem is simple - eat natural sugar. For example, dried figs are very sweet. Very healthy and tasty strawberries, apples and bananas. Low-calorie pumpkin would also come in handy. Carrots and pomegranates have a positive effect on the health of the body.
Giving up sugar is not that easy. But this refusal will bring enormous benefits to the health of the body. Sugar increases insulin levels, which leads to heart disease. Because of sugar, glucose increases and there is a risk of diabetes. Without using it, you will get stronger nerves, and your skin will look much younger. It will become easier to move.
You can make your withdrawal easier by watching what you consume. The largest amount of sugar enters the body from soda. It is better to eat fruit rather than juice. Alcohol is the main supplier of sugar.
It may not be possible to give up sugar completely, but replacing it with healthy foods will have a positive effect on the health of the entire body.
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Honey
Honey is not included in the list of prohibited foods during Lent. Moreover, he is especially revered by the church. This product is considered one of the important foods during the fasting period. Some monasteries even have their own apiaries.
Honey compensates for the lack of nutrients usually obtained from animal products. The glucose and fructose contained in this product nourishes the brain. Tea, with 1 tbsp. l. honey in the morning will charge the body with energy for the whole day, increase vitality, and also protect against infections and colds, which is important in winter. In addition, honey can be added to lean porridges, thereby improving their taste and benefits.
Lenten recipes for baking and desserts
It is absolutely not necessary to buy sweets and candies in the store during Lent, because the ingredients written on the package may not correspond to reality. It is much safer to prepare a sweet dessert during Lent yourself, ensuring that you use only approved products.
Lenten oatmeal cookies
Homemade oatmeal cookies, safe for Lent, are as easy as pie to make. You will need an extremely simple set of products:
- rolled oats (oatmeal) - 2 cups;
- ripe bananas - 2-3 pieces;
- nuts (peanuts, almonds, etc.) – 100-150 g;
- vegetable oil - 25-30 g;
- cinnamon - 2-3 g (pinch).
First you need to peel the bananas and chop them until smooth (mash with a fork or blender). Then all ingredients are added to the banana puree and mixed thoroughly. To thicken the mixture a little, place it in the refrigerator for half an hour. Then they take it out from there and, dividing the entire volume into several parts, make small flat cakes. Bake the sweets at a temperature of about + 180 °C for 25-30 minutes.
In Lenten cookies, instead of banana, you can add dried fruits or just sugar
Pear-honey Lenten pie
Particularly popular among housewives when planning menus during Lent is pear and honey pie, the dough for which is mixed from exclusively lean ingredients. For a large pie of 6 servings you will need:
- pears, ideally the Duchess variety, but any will do - 4 pieces;
- ground cinnamon - a pinch;
- white wheat flour - 2 cups;
- granulated sugar - 1 cup;
- boiled water - 1 glass (250 ml);
- finely chopped nuts (you can take peanuts, hazelnuts, etc.), preferably fried;
- vegetable oil - half a glass;
- baking soda - 1 tsp;
- liquid honey (not candied) - 2 tbsp. l.
Procedure:
- First, mix all the liquid ingredients (water and vegetable oil) in a bowl, then add sugar and honey. To make them dissolve better, heat the mixture a little.
- Add the remaining ingredients (nuts, baking soda, cinnamon and flour) and mix thoroughly. When finished, honey dough should resemble sour cream in consistency.
- Peel the pears, remove the center and cut into small cubes. Then put it in the dough.
- Mix everything again and pour it into the mold.
- Baking will take approximately half an hour at + 200 °C.
Important! When preparing this sweetness, you can use regular apples instead of pears.
Lenten pie turns out extremely tasty
Lenten honey muffins
Fragrant honey, sweet and airy, but at the same time completely safe Lenten muffins are prepared quickly and easily. Very often they are baked not only during Lent, but also at other times.
Product set:
- honey (any) - 2-3 tbsp. l.;
- granulated sugar - half a glass;
- refined vegetable oil (odorless) - half a glass;
- boiled, slightly warmed water - a glass (0.25 l);
- sifted wheat flour - a couple of glasses;
- salt - 1/6 tsp;
- baking soda (no need to extinguish it) - 1 tsp.
Recipe:
- Sugar, honey, and salt are dissolved in warm water poured into a bowl. Oil is poured there.
- Separately mix soda with flour, then pour into a bowl and mix vigorously until an even, homogeneous composition is obtained.
- If desired, candied fruits, zest, nuts, raisins, etc. can be added to the ready-made but raw dough.
- Pour the dough into the existing molds, not reaching the edge by about a third in height.
- After baking for 15-20 minutes (180-200 °C), the cupcakes are allowed to cool thoroughly.
Cupcakes are released from the mold only after they have cooled completely.
Marmalade
This delicacy contains gelling components. It can be gelatin, or agar-agar or pectin. Each of these substances benefits the body. Marmalade contains many microelements such as iron, magnesium, sodium, calcium and potassium, as well as vitamin PP.
Eating marmalade improves gastric motility, normalizes liver function, and also promotes proper functioning of the thyroid gland.
What types of posts are there?
Advance Lent - the third week before Great Lent, from Monday to Friday, Transfiguration Fast - the week before the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, from Monday to Friday, Dormition Fast - the week before the Assumption, from Monday to Friday.
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Halva
Halva is most often made from sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts or almonds. Antioxidants found in nuts and seeds help prevent colon and breast cancer. Halva helps get rid of irritability, insomnia and strengthens the nervous system. In addition, the beneficial substances contained in this product prolong the youth of the skin, eliminate fine wrinkles, and make the hair thick and silky.
Apples in a feather bed
Craving something sweet during Lent? Prepare apple charlotte without eggs. Combine 200 g of applesauce, 150 ml of orange juice, ¼ tsp. cinnamon, a pinch of vanilla and salt. Pour in 200 g of flour and semolina, 100 g of sugar and beat the dough with a mixer. Place half in a baking dish, generously sprinkle with apple slices and cover with the other half of the dough. Bake the charlotte for 30 minutes at 180°C. This golden brown cake will bring immense joy to everyone.
Black chocolate
Dark chocolate improves brain function, satisfies hunger, lifts your mood and fights stress. Real dark chocolate contains no animal fats or dairy products. Therefore, when choosing sweets, do not deny yourself the pleasure of enjoying this dessert. Be guided by the fact that this sweetness will lift your spirits, because despondency is a sin.
Photo: shutterstock
Marshmallow - an alternative replacement for protein marshmallows
The modern relative of marshmallows and marshmallows appeared on Russian markets relatively recently. Its components are somewhat different from the domestic product, since instead of proteins, water, corn starch and boiled grape juice are used. Such components give the same effect as the use of proteins, but make the sweetness accessible to the fasting person. It is not difficult to understand whether it is possible to eat marshmallows during Lent; you just need to read the composition of the product. You can eat marshmallows during Lent without fear of sinning if they are prepared using marshmallow technology.
Is it possible to eat chocolate during Lent - how the Christian religion treated chocolate at different times
In recent years, it has become fashionable among young people to fast. But the majority of those who want to join God do not know how to act during this period, what they can eat during Lent, and what they should refuse. The Church has always condemned everything that could give pleasure. Moreover, during Lent the attitude towards this issue became even stricter. Regarding chocolate, there has been a debate for quite a long time: whether it is a pleasure or not, whether it is possible to eat chocolate during fasting or not.
Discussions continued for a long time, but no definite answer was forthcoming. Chocolate is both a high-calorie and life-giving drink that quenches thirst and pacifies hunger. At the same time, chocolate was held in high esteem by wealthy people, which means that you can get a certain amount of pleasure from it. Which is absolutely unacceptable during Lent. The aristocracy could afford to drink chocolate even during worship services, if they were delayed. The Temple of God did not want to lose rich contributions, so it treated “troublemakers” favorably.
Despite the fact that Catholic priests, showing cunning, obtained permission from the Pope to drink this drink during Lent, the church’s attitude towards chocolate remained negative. Since time immemorial, humanity has known that chocolate, a product made from cocoa beans, is a natural aphrodisiac, which is why it was banned. And yet, after disputes that lasted for centuries, the Christian religion came to a common denominator that even during Lent you can eat dark chocolate .
Coconut candy
Very delicate candies with an amazing taste of coconut and almonds. If you are a fan of the well-known “Raffaello”, then you will really like our coconut sweets.
For preparation you will need: coconut flakes, almonds, condensed milk. Preparing the dessert is as simple as the ingredients - just one or two and you're done! You can see how to make coconut candies here. And here is a small modification of this recipe - also interesting, and look how beautiful it is.
