The Orthodox Church teaches fasting. It also teaches discernment. These two teachings are not in tension — they are two sides of the same coin. Fasting without pastoral guidance can become spiritua...
Xerophagy. The word comes from the Greek xeros (dry) and phagein (to eat). Literally: dry eating. It is the most austere level of Orthodox fasting, and if you have never attempted it, you should kn...
Of all the world's cuisines, Thai food may be the single most naturally compatible with Orthodox fasting — and for reasons that go beyond the obvious abundance of vegetable dishes.
WHY THAI FOOD W...
If there is one ingredient that belongs in every Orthodox kitchen, it is the lentil. Cheap, shelf-stable, endlessly versatile, and packed with more protein per calorie than almost any other plant f...
Sometimes you need convenience food. You are tired, you did not meal prep, you are traveling, or you just do not feel like cooking. That is reality, and there is no shame in it. The question is not...
Some people want to keep the fast without consuming soy or seed oils. Maybe you react badly to soy. Maybe you have read enough about seed oils to decide you want no part of them. Maybe it is just a...
You are about to fast for the first time, or at least the first time seriously. Maybe you were received into the Church last year, or you have been attending for a while and have decided that this ...
The difference between a fast that feels like deprivation and a fast that feels like a well-fed discipline comes down to one thing: what is already in your kitchen when you open the cupboard at 6 P...
You train hard. You also fast. These two commitments are not in conflict, but they do require you to think about what you eat during Great Lent with more precision than someone who spends their eve...