Strict Eastern Lenten fast

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Spyridon

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Does anybody here follow the full, strict Eastern Christian fast? Meaning for almost all Lent with just a few exceptions: no meat, no fish, no dairy, no wine, no oil, no sex.

Most Eastern Orthodox monasteries don’t even follow the strict fast (regarding oil), but I’m just curious if anyone is heroic enough to follow that extreme fast.
 
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I would have to really really really like eggs. Because I cannot stand beans for so long. [ I am hypoglycemic.]
But kudos to those that can fast that much!!!
 
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I have no idea what I’d eat if I tried to do that. I struggle just not eating flesh meat.
 
Strangely enough, shrimp, crab, clams, etc are permitted. You could also eat locust and other insects if you wanted to. 😬 That’s not for me. I actually can’t do the strict fast because of my health. I do M-W-F no meat & try to avoid dairy (eggs & milk products). I eat meat the other days, and sometimes eat dairy in the evenings on M-W-F. That’s about as much as my health can handle.
 
Yeah eggs are forbidden as dairy.

What @Uliana988 said is true: shellfish and insects are permitted.

It’s basically a vegan fast.
 
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I don’t eat meat throughout the fast, but I do occasionally have fish. I try to avoid milk, cheese and eggs, with varying results. I’m cooking for a large family and sometimes I just find it hard to be creative. My husband follows the fast better than I do.
 
Kathleen18 said:
What about people who actually need those dietary items?
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One is never supposed to endanger one’s health by fasting, East or West.

The fast can be modified according to individual needs and abilities. Ideally, this is done in consultation with one’s confessor or spiritual father. In the case of health, that comes first.
 
What @babochka said.

In Eastern Christianity, fasting is directed by a spiritual father who can modify the fast for your situation.
 
Spyridon said:
Does anybody here follow the full, strict Eastern Christian fast? Meaning for almost all Lent with just a few exceptions: no meat, no fish, no dairy, no wine, no oil, no sex.

Most Eastern Orthodox monasteries don’t even follow the strict fast (regarding oil), but I’m just curious if anyone is heroic enough to follow that extreme fast.
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I’ve done that before.
 
If I tried the strict Orthodox fast, I’d get very, very irritable, even more than normal, and commit sins against charity towards my neighbor.

I’m content with slice of cheese pizza for now…which is hardly a fast but yea…
 
If it’s got shellfish and vegan food I could likely do just fine with it.
I won’t be doing it though, especially when the best fish fry in town is at the Romanian Orthodox cathedral every Friday, and they have desserts too.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Romanian Orthodox cathedral every Friday
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Yeah, the majority of Eastern Orthodox parishes abide by the fast as far as abstaining from meat and dairy.

Many do not however fast from fish, wine, and oil however - only the most committed and strict fast from these as well.

And sex is a somewhat contentious issue - the more strict and/or traditional say no sex for all Lent, but many just say no sex on Fridays or Saturdays or simply just don’t count abstaining from sex as part of the fast, but rather a pious traditional custom.
 
I think that the REASON for fasting is
more important than the TYPE of fast.
It is for disciplining the fleshly desires
and so focus on the Spiritual desires.
 
I totally agree and the spirit of the fast is what matters most.

I was just curious if there were any people here who went the whole 9 yards and did the extreme strict Eastern style fast.
 
I am close with an orthodox parish where I live and so I´m familiar with the lent practice. It´s strict, yes, and I try to follow in some ways (the oil and meat thing) but I am at the moment not good with skipping fish and milk as my health is not the best.
I experienced that fasting still is very personal in the eastern communities, and up to one´s priests counsel.
I am married to a non christian, for example. There is an advice for mixed religious couples by some eastern priests I know regarding the sex topic, which is, “don´t abstain under all circumstances if marital relations are also an act of charity and god wanted love for your spouse”.
I like this view and try my best to keep my mind “in lent mood”.
 
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