Lent is one of the key components, an important concept of the Orthodox branch of Christianity. Religious people strive to limit themselves in products according to the recommendations, trying to cleanse the body and spirit. And someone on the wave of a fashionable trend is striving to lose a couple of kilograms. And in fact, and in another case, fasting can lead to disastrous results. It is necessary to isolate oneself from mystical and religious moments, turn to a purely medical, anatomical and physiological aspect.
Is it worth observing the post, to whom it is allowed, and to whom it is contraindicated? Is there any opportunity to benefit from complying with strict nutritional guidelines during this period?
Post Benefits
Fasting lasts 40 days. All this time, a religious person observes a lot of restrictions on animal fats, proteins. There are days of complete refusal of food, when only drinking water is allowed. For obvious reasons, more than a month on such a strict diet is not a test for a weak body. However, there is also a plus to such a radial revision of the diet. Although there are not many:
- Minimizing food intake can seriously relieve the liver. She does not overexert. It is possible to restore the body after prolonged malnutrition. However, the above is true only for a healthy liver. In the presence of chronic and especially acute pathologies, the situation only gets worse.
- It is also possible to partially get rid of accumulated waste products. A fasting diet involves a large amount of coarse fiber. It helps to eliminate toxins, accelerate the excretion of feces.
- Great Lent has a psychological aspect. A religious person, confident that he needs it, begins to feel better. Psychological comfort, however, is not always possible.
Cons of the post
However, the post has much more minuses for human health. Extremely dangerous consequences are possible.
- A prolonged, forty-day rejection of the basic components of the diet will lead to exhaustion of the body. There will be a rapid loss of body weight due to muscle and fluid. This is a false effect. It does not look like weight loss. As soon as a person returns to a normal diet, fat reserves begin to accumulate at an enormous speed and surpass everything that was before.
- Refusal of food leads to an exacerbation of chronic diseases. Acute, like liver failure, gastric ulcers, renal failure pass into the decompensation phase. The risks of this are great. This is already the path to death or, at the very least, hospitalization in a hospital.
- Such a short-term change in diet does not affect the risks of cancer processes, oncology in general, as many sources say. Therefore, there is no sense in such a semi-prevention.
- A lack of sugar can lead to sudden jumps in glucose, coma, and other dangerous phenomena. Especially if a person is prone to developing diabetes mellitus or has a medical history, but he is not aware of it.
- The severe restriction of the diet on the cardiovascular, endocrine systems affects.
The risks from such a radical revision of the menu are extremely high. You also need to keep in mind that a sharp exit from the post is unacceptable. This is another stress for the body.
To whom the post is strictly contraindicated
Paradoxical as it sounds, to observe Lent you need to be a healthy person. Otherwise, there will be only harm from him. And even if there is a certain “margin of safety”, such a radical change in nutrition, and strict diet create an enormous load on the body. Perhaps the development of acute pathological processes on the part of the digestive tract, cardiovascular system, endocrine system.
Therefore, there are several categories of patients for whom fasting is not only contraindicated, but also extremely dangerous:
- Patients with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Ulcers, gastritis, hepatitis, inflammation of the pancreas. Possible provocation of exacerbation and a significant worsening of the state of health.
- Patients with infectious diseases. Also immunocompromised.
- Persons with pathologies of the endocrine profile. With diabetes, pathologies of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands. Also with impaired body weight. Obesity, excess cholesterol in the blood, metabolic disorders.
- People suffering from cardiovascular disorders. From hypertension to heart failure.
- Women who are pregnant and breastfeeding. In the first case, the likelihood of gestational complications is high. In the second - there will not be enough milk.
- To the children.
- Also for adolescents, since the body is in a state of intense hormonal storm. It is not known how the strict restriction of calorie content and the amount of nutrients will affect.
- Elderly patients.
Most of the population is suitable for these descriptions. Therefore, in the strictest form, almost no one is allowed to hold a post if there is a desire to preserve health.
In the end, is it possible to keep a post? From a medical point of view, this is a dangerous event. In the end, the post is not aimed at losing weight. This is one of the methods of humility of the flesh, the biological principle of man, the practice of austerities and spiritual cleansing through cleansing the body. Fasting should be considered as a rough guide. But deviations from it are quite possible. A softened diet will not lead to problems in spiritual life. Moreover, the religious postulates themselves establish restrictions on fasting, exceptions to the general rule.
But if a person is concerned about this issue, and he does not want to violate religious dogmas, doubts the correctness, it makes sense to discuss it with the confessor and, with his blessing, find a safe solution.
Lent is a great burden on the body. Therefore, if possible it is better to avoid such a radical practice of nutrition. This will maintain health and avoid dangerous complications.
