Modern world doesn't acknowledge, but in our time many yearn to break free of a prison of flat secular materialism.

Wait, wrong podcast.

But if you aren't already listening to Lord of Spirits, you definitely should be.

The modern health paradigm is just as beholden though to materialism.

We're constantly bombarded with Wellness trends, diet fads, and self optimization strategies, but very few consider health through the lens of Orthodox Christianity.

This podcast, Here to Change that, will dive into topics like fasting, prayer, stress, nutrition, and even physical training, and while staying rooted in the timeless wisdom of the Church.

Each episode will break down key health topics from an Orthodox perspective, bringing in guests, whether they're priests, health professionals, or experts in traditional wisdom, to help us navigate the practical and spiritual aspects of true well-being.

Welcome to Orthodox Health, the podcast.

We explore the intersection of Orthodox Christianity, physical health, mental well-being and spiritual growth.

I'm Doctor Michael Christian, joined by my Co host John, and we're excited to take this journey with you.

So grab a cup of coffee, lots of cream, coconut for fasting and let's get started.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Welcome back to the Orthodox Health Podcast.

I'm your host, Doctor Michael Christian, husband, dad, clinician, and yes, still the guy who thinks the kitchen is supposed to be more Chapel than chemistry set.

And I'm John, the designated say what the audience is thinking guy.

And tonight is the capstone episode of our Sacred Diet's arc, right?

Like.

Sure, it was supposed to be, but then we decided to do a little bit of a programming change.

We decided to bump this episode up by 1 in order to get it towards the beginning of the nativity fast.

So it's kind of an on ramp for nativity, but we'll be closing that out with one on the Blue Zones and tying that back into the Healing Springs.

We talked about in the very first episode because of the connections through 7th Day Adventists.

But if you've been with us these last few weeks, we've been tracing how food got weird and how modern diet slid from gift to grip.

We started with the Adventists, the Mormons, and died as purity.

Then we went through diet as control through the Jews and the Muslims, leading into the weird when we got into the Eastern religions, the New age, and eventually leading all the way into the occult kitchen and how today's Wellness often treats food like a switch charge.

This seal that manifest results a technique without.

Telos.

So we asked, OK, if it isn't magic, what is it?

And we walked through law and mysticism and thought there's insight here.

But we also warned about what happens when technique gets severed from the person of Christ.

The results?

Rhyme, control, anxiety and self focus.

We compare different traditions without dunking on people too much.

So the Ark kept asking what happens to a soul when food is law without love, mysticism without Christ, or biohacking without the cross?

Exactly.

And each step pushes toward the church's answer.

Time.

Not a tool, not a trick, but time as a teacher.

The calendar, Wednesdays and Fridays and the seasons, like the Nativity fast that we just entered, gives desire better than any stack.

It's slow, it's sane, and it puts you back in communion with God and neighbor.

And tonight we pull the threads together because the messages we often get are quite real.

How do I fast with kids without turning into the food police?

Or what if I'm on a therapeutic diet, Something like dealing with PCOSAIP gluten free?

Or what if Sunday blows up my macros and I lose the plot by Tuesday?

Absolutely.

And we're going to answer all of that.

But first, a quick orientation.

We've already done two big fasting episodes, Episode 2 on fasting as a spiritual and physical detox, and episode 4 on fasting and feasting as a Christian rhythm.

And if you're new, those are the foundations.

Tonight we build, not repeat.

And what are we building exactly, Doctor Mike?

I'm so glad you asked.

We have 4 main things we're looking at.

A crisp reset on the mind of the church.

As in what is fasting for?

Then we have a seven day rule of the kitchen that you can start tonight.

That's simple, humane, and not just Larping as a monk.

Then we have your real questions.

Kids therapeutic diets.

I want to lift bro Sundays.

Those will get walked line by line with the refrain of prayer before protocol.

And then finally we move into the practical Physiology of our unified 5R system.

How to eat time, salt, hydrate and move so that the body can become an ally to prayer.

And that line?

Prayer before protocol.

We've said it this whole arc, but it hits differently now because the more we looked at sacred diets across different traditions, the more it became obvious.

When prayer drops out, the technique itself becomes your God.

Right.

So if you remember one thing from this ark, remember that when prayer leaves, control rushes in, and when communion leaves, self curation takes over.

So the Orthodox answer isn't the ditch technique, it's to baptize that technique and more importantly, to baptize time.

We use the fast and the feasts to reteach the body who it's for, right?

And it's not just metaphysics, it's down to earth, family life, people wrote in saying things like my plan has isolated me from parish meals, or my rule makes me edgy and kind of proud.

The calendar gives us a way to stay human, to keep meals shared, and to keep the table kind.

So that's why tonight is going to be both practical, yet still firmly grounded in the wisdom of the Fathers.

We'll say theologically honest, but we're going to live at the table.

What you cook when you eat, how you recover when you blow it, because I guarantee you will.

And how to keep almsgiving epicenter so the fast doesn't collapse just in a self improvement?

Right, and that part is important to say out loud.

Almsgiving.

Absolutely, and keep an eye on that one because we have some ideas for an episode coming forward.

But to that point, fasting without alms giving tends to bend inward, so the weekly rhythm we'll share literally bakes in giving simpler plates and the save cost goes out the door.

Cash, groceries, soup for someone.

It's how the church keeps the fast from becoming a mirror.

And we're not doing the just be tough thing in this arc.

We also named nervous system realities.

If you're fast is wrecking your sleep, your thyroid or your mood, you're going to get harsh the minute the witness you're meant to give collapses on itself.

Absolutely, because how you live your life is the greatest witness we have.

That's why you to the NTH degree is the blood of the martyrs being the seeds of the Church.

That is the greatest witness you can possibly give.

But just living your life as a Christian is just as important.

The key is that white knuckling it isn't the fruit of the Spirit.

We were extolled that when you fast, when you fast, you are to do as hypocrites, that you're supposed to hide yourself and not cover yourself in ash and everything, right?

So that's the idea.

White knuckling and just like your arms grinding through discipline is key.

Yes, you should have to actually struggle through it, but we can make the best choice so we can.

So the fast itself is not becoming your master.

So when we get to the 5R, reorient, rebuild, resensitize, refine and return, we'll show you how a calm earlier meal plan, plus a little bit of salt and potassium, your electrolytes, and some gentle movement will help carry most families through the fast without turning the house into a compliance.

Lab That sounds great, Mike.

So could you give me the sort of elevator pitch for tonight as the Ark's capstone?

Absolutely.

Here it is.

The Sacred Diet arc has showed how food becomes law, magic or mysticism.

That meal is always going to be shared with your God.

The key is determining who that God is.

So the church answers with a calendar that trains for love.

Fasting forms desire for communion, so the table becomes that altar, and now a lap bench.

Because oil is usually limited during the fast, in this case we'll be cooking with gas.

And so before we jump into the discussion, maybe just a quick note for those that struggle a little bit with keeping the fast or the struggle that comes along with keeping it well.

Absolutely.

That's the key, is that fasting is aesthetical medicine inside the life of the church.

It is not the medicine in and of itself.

Now are there physiological benefits to it?

Yes.

Are the potential mental benefits to it?

Yes.

But if you are pregnant, nursing, elderly, recovering, working a heavy labor job or managing a complex illness, while there are times when fasting maybe to prescribe treatment in terms of keeping the fast for the spiritual purposes, you may need to get a blessing to modify.

God desires mercy and not harm.

And if you fall, just like any of your other sins, we do not begin to spiral.

We confess it, we go back and we begin again that metanoia metania.

We change our mind and reorient ourselves in the proper direction back towards God.

This is a clinic where we are all coming to heal and not a courtroom.

Amen.

And one more arc wide lesson we've discussed is that our best weeks weren't always the most quote, UN quote perfect.

They are, however, the ones that are the most shared.

Things like parish coffee hour, Sunday lunch with others, kids lighting a candle before dinner.

Those carried the fast farther than any app or macro tracker could.

Absolutely, because people are the point.

That's the second greatest commandment.

Love thy neighbor as thyself.

And as we talked about with Father Jonathan Ivanoff, those concentric circles are your community.

So it's your family.

And that builds out to the next level, to your church community, to your full neighborhood, to your nation, to the world.

Those people are your neighbor, every single one of them to a different degree.

So let's take the gloves off, knives and forks down, but our hearts open.

Let's set the frame, and then we'll put it into a week that you can actually live.

So we've said this before, but tonight let's really say it plainly and move forward.

That in the church, fasting is relational.

It's abstinence.

Join to prayer and almsgiving ordered toward the Eucharist.

Not a food theory, but as a school.

Of love.

So if I'm fasting but I turn into kind of a jerk, I'm doing it wrong.

Exactly.

Basil the Great puts it like a coach in the locker room.

What profit is it when we abstain from fish to fowl and get bite and devour our brothers fasting that that breeds that kind of harshness misses the point.

The point is availability to God and to people.

Right.

And so let's try to root it in Scripture for some of the folks who may be new.

Absolutely.

I know that's a lot of our listeners.

So two big pillars.

First, our Lord, it's not if you fast, it is when you fast, your Father who sees in secret will reward you from Matthew 616 through 18, like I continually beat that dead horse.

He is saying when, not if.

He ties fasting to the Father's gaze, that relationship.

Secondly, the prophet Isaiah on the kind of fast that God wants is not the fast that I choose.

Sorry Roman Catholic friends, it's not just I'm going to give up XYZ thing for the next 40 days, not 48 during that right 40 days.

Come on guys.

But to continue that line, it is to loose the bonds of wickedness, to share your bread with the hungry, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh.

Isaiah 58, six through 7.

So Simply put, prayer and mercy.

If my plate gets simpler and my hands get stingier, I'm off course.

Right.

And that tracks with what we're seeing through the wisdom of of the church, that when the calendar slows down the body, it tends to open the hands for giving.

Absolutely, and in the Church's wisdom, Wednesdays and Fridays a seasons like Great Lent or the current Nativity.

Fast helps you train desire better than any hack.

Time, not technique reorders love.

You don't win the fast by perfect compliance.

You are formed by steady obedience.

OK.

So could you give the fasts telos or purpose the where is this headed in one breath if you could?

Absolutely.

One word, Communion.

Fasting aims at the Eucharist.

We abstain to sharpen the hunger for Christ and to learn gratitude.

When will you receive Him?

And to that point any other meal as a gift.

OK, but.

Some folks are still probably hearing fasting and think diet challenge.

Can we try to talk them off that ledge a bit?

Absolutely.

Saint John Chrysostom helps with that a little bit where he says, do you fast?

Give me proof fit by your works.

Sorry, processing friends, but in this case, to put it plainly, if you're fast doesn't spill into mercy, it's cosmetic.

And the Fathers keep pairing fasting with almsgiving because otherwise the practice curls back on the cell.

Right, so the quote UN quote, when is gentleness and patience being more available to your family?

At 5:00 PM after work?

When you're tired with toddlers melting down, not a Gold Star on your My Fitness Pal.

Absolutely.

Is that even still an app?

Far as I know, it's still around.

All right.

That's fair.

I haven't been in that market for a while.

So I definitely did use it back in the day.

As did I.

Absolutely so.

The Fathers also warn about a common trap, anxiety or scrupulousity.

St.

Basil again says that fasting isn't just from foods, but more importantly from sins, from slander, anger, vanity.

The plate is a place to practice freedom, not a courtroom to prosecute yourself and to self flagellate.

Right.

So let's just again address some of the people's concerns of conscience regarding this theology, because people do worry about things like pregnancy.

Again, the heavy labor, brittle blood sugar.

The mind of the Church is merciful because Christ is merciful.

The fast is aesthetical medicine.

It must be adapted with a blessing when health or state of life requires it.

Fathers are clear that the rule serves salvation, not the other way around.

If you're pregnant, nursing, recovering, elderly, underweight, working a physically demanding job, talk to your priest.

God wants mercy, not harm.

Absolutely, and that's scripturally found in Hosea 66, but also in Saint Basil's longer rules.

In both cases it's crystal clear.

Right.

And So what do we say to someone if they make a mistake?

We begin again at the next meal.

That is the clinic, not courtroom line.

It's the idea of the medicinal framework of our theology.

We confess, we reset, but then we carry on.

We do not spiral deeper into it.

All right.

And so before we leave the theology discussion on this, give me the altar and not lab bench summary that you've been using with your clients.

Absolutely.

So we've talked about that before in previous episodes, but here it is distilled.

But don't be drinking distilled water if you're not cutting weight.

Remineralize.

Right.

Exactly.

Fasting forms desire for communion.

We bless what is given, we eat simply, we share it, and we prepare for Sunday.

That four beat rule keeps the person in front of you more important than the plate in front of you.

Because, as we see too all too often on Western Thanksgiving, how often is the TV and the plate the most important part of that and not the family gathering?

Lord have mercy.

That's great, Mike, but can we perhaps find room for one more patristic backup for this?

I think we got at least one more and if you pop into Orthodoxy in the medicine in the future, you'll find appendix of quite a few of them.

But one more from Saint John.

Christendom again is one that's wildly taught during Lent that the fastest beautiful when it's coupled almsgiving when it close the naked and it feeds the poor.

It's that same Isaiah 58 heartbeat echoed by the golden mouth himself.

The Saints are unanimous that fasting opens you to improved prayer and almsgiving.

All right, that's fantastic.

And so let's bring this back down to earth a little.

What should I feel if I'm doing this in accordance with the mind of the Church?

Absolutely.

So there are three things that you're going to feel most weeks, which are a quieter body, less fidgety and more present.

2 is the softer speech.

As St.

Basil tells us, let the mouth fast.

So we're going to find ourselves ideally with fewer sharp words.

And three is the looser grip, both with money and time flow outward.

We're going to be more charitable to our neighbor in our alms giving and in our hospitality.

So if you feel the opposite, edgier, harsher, stingier beyond what that's telling you spiritually from a physical perspective, you likely need to eat earlier and simpler.

Maybe add in some electrolytes, some salt, some potassium, but most importantly to pray before your protocol.

We'll show exactly how in that 5 hour section we talked about before.

And like Doctor Mike said, talk to your spiritual father if stuff like that's going on.

But from our perspective here, the map is pray, simplify, share and keep Sunday central always.

That's the quote UN quote mind that we're trying to I adhere to.

Absolutely.

So we're trying to keep it practical while keeping within the mind of the Church.

It's just that it is for the people.

But because you are probably not a monk on Athos listening to me right now, we're going to try and keep it human for the people who are out there living in the world.

And if you are a monk on Athos, thanks for listening.

I don't know why you have a Wi-Fi, but that's really cool.

Welcome, welcome.

Please pray for me, a Sinner.

But to that point, for the rest of us who aren't eating one meal of dry bread and maybe a little bit of water at 3:00 in the afternoon as they are, I think it's time to move into our seven day rule of the kitchen, which will help to be a fast season rhythm that you can actually live this week.

So let's move from the why we've been discussing over to the how.

Bring on the week's planning.

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Because coffee, while an important tool by itself, isn't a strategy.

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Absolutely.

So this is our seven day rule of the kitchen for the Nativity fast.

It's simple, it's humane and keeps the person in front of you.

As we said, more important than the plate in front of you, right?

And as we've said in the beginning and will continue to say that, refrain prayer before your protocol.

That's right.

So number one, Sunday we're going to start with worship.

We're going to let liturgy set the tone.

We're going to make the main meal at midday after liturgy with your Paris community.

You're going to keep it joyful.

It's not a cheat day.

That's right.

So the feast in this context means to be with others.

It's not solo door dashing when you get home from liturgy.

Absolutely, and as we said before as well, Sunday is the little pasta, so there is a degree to which it's always going to be a feast built in.

The fast is never meant to be as strict as it is throughout the rest of the longer fasting periods, but because you are likely to have your biggest meal there in that post communion period, a lighter supper that night will be a good idea.

Taking a short walk, getting the the lights out early.

That way you're setting up for a peaceful Monday.

For a quick plate idea, maybe some roasted potatoes, some lightly steamed or sauteed greens, some properly prepared legumes, Soaked, sprouted, fermented.

And because the nativity fast is a little bit more LAX on certain aspects than Great Lent, on the weekends you are generally allowed fish up until about the last week before nativity.

Would that in mind?

You can have a little bit of fish as well, but be mindful to keep the portions modest and to share with your family, your neighbors, your friends, whoever it is.

Then we go into Monday, our simple start to the generally work week or school week, depending on your current circumstances.

But as always, you want a short prayer before each meal.

On this day, an earlier main meal if possible, be a good idea.

Breakfast or midday lunch.

OK.

And So what would simple look like in that context?

Absolutely.

So on this, we're looking more towards a carb anchor with a legume or a shellfish protein.

But since we probably did fish last night, a legume would be a good idea with some cooked greens and some salt.

Some examples would be a lentil potato bowl with some lemon and dill and maybe a 15 to 20 minute walk after that main meal.

And a short tip for our listeners that have kids, if you have one family plate for that meal, you can always let your kids light a candle and then say a short prayer at the meal.

Beautiful.

So now moving to day three Tuesday, which would be prep and purpose.

We can batch cook some soup or some beans, and it'll be a good idea to invite someone who you know, eats alone on a regular basis, but you still want to keep dinner light.

OK, So what would be an example of that that wouldn't wreck someone's digestion?

Right.

And so we brought up a couple of Times Now about soaking, sprouting, fermenting.

And that's something where if that traditional preparation mode helps to break down some of the anti nutrients, some of the things that are going to either bind up minerals and impede their absorption or it will be things that are going to cause actual damage to your intestinal lining.

So by soaking them, by sprouting them, we are able to reduce that anti nutrient load those traditional methods.

And then pressure cooking those lentils, those beans, adding in little bit of Bay leaves or Mason ginger.

And I like keep saying salt, salt, salt.

It'll go a long way.

But another option be to make a carrot ginger sweet potato soup.

Lots of flavor, lots of great phytochemicals.

Those are both be good ideas #4 though moving into Wednesday are fast with alms.

On this Wednesday you have that earlier modest main meal.

Again, what you could do is look at your budget of what you normally might have spent for your meals and take that difference and give it away.

Whether it's cash, groceries themselves, or a container of soup to someone who needs it.

Find the people in your community who need that help and take that excess and help them with it.

You can then close the night with the comp line or Jesus prayer, keeping to your prayer rule.

But maybe I add a little bit extra.

Beautiful.

And so we could see that as the plates are getting simpler here, it's an opportunity for us to have our hands more open to giving.

Absolutely.

That's the Isaiah 58 idea lived out moving to day five.

We have our Thursday hospitality.

So do 1 manual task for someone whereas the day before you were giving them things, now actually do something for them because we're in the nativity fast in your area with snow shovel the driveway.

You can help them to fix something or you can go back and deliver them food.

Make sure to cook enough to share by default.

Absolutely.

And so this outward focus looking to help one another keeps the fast from becoming that mirror.

Return inward and just focus on ourselves.

Absolutely.

So Friday keeping even simpler, we can go back to that soup and sourdough bread idea.

But and this one you can incorporate everyday, but really focus on today.

No screens after at least 10 minutes of silence as a family.

And a good idea might be to write or at least say a Thanksgiving to everybody, things that you are grateful for.

Beautiful.

And so we're getting to the end of the week here.

We've had a whole week of fasting.

What do we do if someone in the family is just feeling a little edgy from it all?

So they probably need that simple meal a little bit earlier in the day, but mixing it in with some salt and potassium was electrolytes, things like your potatoes, your beans, cooked greens and some orange juice.

But we'll troubleshoot that in the 5R section so we don't have to white knuckle it.

And finally, that leads us to the Sabbath, right?

Saturday we were saying the table here, we're going to have our supper again.

We can probably have some fish that day.

But what you can do is prepare some extra food for the next day's liturgy.

And if your conscience is heavy, make sure you're going to confession.

You should be going to confession pretty regularly anyway, but this obviously is a good day.

But vespers and everything popped up, your priest probably already waiting for you.

You can also lay out your clothes and whatever preparations you're going to need to be able to roll into Sunday morning.

Less stress so that you can reduce the friction such that Sunday is with people and not in a rush.

Fantastic.

And so that's our whole week here.

Could you give me the rule we just discussed?

But in one quick breath, what would it be?

Absolutely.

Bless it, eat, simply share it and prepare for Sunday.

Beautiful.

And so before we roll on forward, could you give me a few micro guides for the usual snags people run into things like dealing with their kids, therapeutic diets we've discussed and again, the infamous Sunday blew up my macros.

Absolutely.

So keep it simple, joyful and shared.

One family plate.

Let kids light the candle and say the short prayer.

If grandma appears with cookies or steak on a fast day, bless and receive.

Resume the right rhythm the next meal.

No food shaming.

The key is the witness is to peace, not to perfect compliance.

According to your spiritual thought.

And that of course, comes with the caveat that we are not your spiritual father.

But secondly, if you need a therapeutic diet, you have hormonal issues such as PCOS or insulin resistance, which we've talked about before, or you have certain gastrointestinal issues which may require an autoimmune protocol or a low FODMAP or a gluten free diet, what you need to do is talk to your priest.

You don't start making these decisions all by yourself.

But more importantly, keep the spirit of the fast, the simplicity, the prayer, the almsgiving while adapting the form.

If we're talking PCOS or insulin resistance, your main meal, it will be earlier such that you can keep your blood sugar more stable.

You're going to anchor it with starchy tubers, roots and rice along with the legumes that you can tolerate once again though, salt and potassium.

And then you can have a little bit lighter for meal in the evening.

For those more on the autoimmune front, I would focus on pressure cooked low fiber legumes.

Or you can lean on the roots, the squash, the rice, and let's be clear, soups are your friend for those who are gluten free.

Potatoes, the bean bowls, some white rice, and if you are someone who tolerates it, some quality sour.

And if your position requires animal protein in a strict season, make sure you're getting a blessing talking to your priest.

But keep the portions modest and ask that last one, the sundaes.

Glue my macros.

Let's be clear, sundae is a feast.

Not a cheat, but put the feast at midday with others.

Take that 15 minute walk after and make supper light.

On Monday, return to the rule.

Technically, we're not breaking the rule on Sunday.

The feast is, according to the rule, the beauty of Orthodoxy.

A lot of the times in the secular world, we view the rule as the strict abstention or the dieting protocol.

But the feasting is part of the Orthodox rule just as much as the fasting.

So again, there is not the dialectical tension here at all.

When you have that feast day on Sunday, you're still participating in the church's rule of the fast.

It's not a break from it.

It's not a breach of it.

And on Monday you're not returning to it.

You always were in it, and it's just a continuation.

It's a natural fluctuation of the Church's fasting and feasting.

It's almost like you knew the title of this episode.

Was fasting towards the feast an Orthodox response to the Sacred?

Diets fantastic, Doctor Mike.

So let's talk a little bit about defaults that we can recycle without thinking too much.

Absolutely.

Some dietary muscle memory, that's right.

So we want that carb anchor and it's going to be fruits, some starchy carbs, hooked greens.

And then your protein, really important block is going to be either your shellfish, your legume based protein that's properly prepared.

Of course, come with a caveat that you don't have some kind of other dispensation, but your electrolytes make sure you're getting in your salt, your potassium, your magnesium, your calcium.

Those are all going to be essential during this period.

Some quick examples, like we said before, we have our potatoes with lentils, a green bowl.

We could do a rice and black bean with some Bay leaves, some ginger, some citrus, some avocado.

You have a salad with some chickpeas, some oranges, some olives, maybe some nuts.

You could do some simple shrimp fajitas.

Those are always one of my go TOS.

And then you have your soup night.

A carrot, ginger, sweet potato be a great idea with a little bit of sourdough bread.

In terms of timing, this is really depended on your current metabolic status.

16-8 is basically what the church prescribed and is the most documented intermittent fasting model.

But if you think about how long the fast maintains, if you were to stop eating before Vespers at

5:00 PM the night before on Saturday night and not eat until about noon after Liturgy, that's about A168 is my 16 hours of fasting followed by that 8 hours of feeding.

Now if you are someone who's a little bit more metabolically broken, then you can go a 12/12 A 1311 most days.

But making the main meal earlier, at least three times a week, for most people living out in the world, that'll help keep the edge off a little bit in terms of movement.

I want you doing more workouts.

But if nothing else, aim for at least 15 minutes of walking after your main meal.

You're looking for approximately 6 to 8000 steps in terms of your electrolytes.

Salt with every meal.

Daily potassium foods, things like potatoes, beet greens, bananas, beans, avocados, orange juice and hydration.

Have that morning water with a pinch of salt.

Make sure you're rehydrating and a splash of citrus.

So lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, and you want to be sipping on that, but two to three liters a day would be a good baseline.

Perfect.

And so let's talk a little bit about our work schedules and those of our listeners that are doing heavy labor, guys like our shift workers and folks that are on their feet all day.

Absolutely.

So if you have weird working hours or particularly arduous labor, you want to shift your calories to that work block.

Just like we tell our training athletes, we want to properly feed around that additional work.

Either way though, keep your meals simple and digestible.

Rice roots and properly prepared legumes.

If you're doing that heavy labor, speak to your priest about potential relaxations because the fast is a cynical medicine, not self harm.

But again, you are speaking to your priest about it.

Absolutely.

And so again, last time I'll ask this what if someone makes a mistake?

Someone hears all this, they do Wednesday.

Great.

But then they fall right on their faves come Thursday.

Right.

And that is the key.

While the Alcoholics Anonymous model comes from some silly evangelical revivalism, as we've dunked on before, the key is one day at a time, one meal at a time.

So you begin at that next meal, bless what's set before you eat it.

Simply give something away.

But always keep in mind that medicinal framework that we are not in a courtroom.

That's perfect, Mike.

And that really sounds like a week that people can actually live.

Absolutely.

So let's get in some guardrails regarding those topics we talked about before the kids therapeutic diets as go line by line and we'll fold it into the 5R system that we use over at Orthodox Health so the body can become an ally to prayer.

OK, perfect.

So we have the rhythm set now.

Let's add the live ammo.

We'll hit the usual ditches, the scrupulosity, isolation, under fueling, and then camp on the big one.

We didn't spell out quite yet protein because half the inbox for us and half of the issues that many people run into is how do I get enough protein without fish, meat, eggs or dairy?

Absolutely.

And that's why we kept adding that idea of if you really need it, talk to your spiritual father.

But the guardrails in one breath are the understanding that the anxiety that comes with it of holiness does not equal perfect compliance.

If you get harsh and anxious, you're off the mat.

The second one is that isolation.

If your rules push you out of the parish meals, your family tables, you slap the food out of Grandma's hand, then you change the rule, not the people.

Or if you are under fueling, if you are trying to be so heroic because you want to be like that monk on Athos and you're only eating bread at 3:00 in the afternoon, just a couple of bites, you end up getting super edgy.

And because you're a light on those calories, the carbohydrates, the salt and potassium, you become completely insufferable to live with.

Those are the things to fix first.

Perfect.

And so now specifically the protein, how much does a normal human being actually need during the fast?

Absolutely.

So here are some simple targets that you can help to remember.

While I like outside the fast about 1g per pound of body weight during the fast, we can look at around 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight per day.

Now of course, we are Americans and we don't like kilos.

We don't like that metric system, but it's 2.2 lbs per kilogram.

So if you are the average probably not in America anymore, but that's just the standard statement, 155 LB adult that equates out to 70 kilograms.

So we're looking at 70 to 85 grams of protein as a low end baseline for maintaining survival and some degree of health throughout the course of the past.

If, however, you are someone who is more active or you are engaging in strength work, ideally in a professional capacity and not just for your general physique, but you know, we're looking at 1.2 to 1.6g per kilogram.

Again, using that baseline of the 155 LB adult, we are looking at 85 to 110 grams per day.

If we're talking about older adults who need that muscle preservation, we want to aim towards the upper end of at least 110 grams per day.

Now, these are bull's eyes.

Good enough to keep you calm, strong and charitable without the wheels completely falling off.

Perfect, Mike.

But in strict fasting season specifically where things like your backbone, fish, meat, dairy and eggs are removed, where are we getting that protein from?

There are three main lanes that you'll be able to use and are blessed without having to ask for special combinations #1 shellfish, shellfish, shellfish.

They are allowed during the strict fasts.

They are kind of like a cheat code for the fast.

So we're talking here shrimp, mussels, clams, oysters, scallops, squid, octopus, all that fun stuff.

Lobster seems a little too bougie to me, but it is technically stalled allowable on the fast.

From there we have our properly prepared soaked sprouted fermented legumes and your grains and tubers by comparing those.

That's the big argument from the vegans, right?

You got to pair your proteins that you will be able to build a semi complete amino acid profile by using that method.

And the third one would be supplemental vegan proteins, things like pea hemp or a rice pea blend if needed.

And if you are someone who is super active, yeah, I would lean that.

Direction.

Awesome.

So could you give us the math and the sort of digestion fixes we might need for that?

Absolutely.

So if we are talking about cooked lentils, we are looking at about 18g per cup.

If we're talking about chickpeas or garbanzo beans, about 14 to 15g per cup.

Black beans, pintos and white beans, also about 14 to 15g per cup.

And then tofu or tempeh.

No, don't do it Now.

Traditional orthodoxy doesn't forbid soy per SE.

That's just me and John in particular.

We are really against the Frankenmeats.

We've made that point before, and I think we're going to talk about that again in upcoming weeks, so stay tuned for that.

But to the point of soy, the tofu is basically just coagulated soy milk, which milk is such a terrible use of that word, but whatever.

At the very least used to be traditionally A fermented product and so may have had some minor benefit.

But all of the deleterious effects of soy, phytoliogenic effect, the goytogenic effect, the phytic acid soy in and of itself is just not something that people should be doing.

So don't do it.

Having said all of that, in terms of your best protein pairings to establish a complete protein, be beans and rice or corn tortillas, chickpeas with buckwheat or some sourdough or some lentils with some potatoes.

And as we brought this up quite a few Times Now, in order to improve the digestibility of those legumes, soaking greens, literally keeping in the water for at least 12 but ideally 24 hours and then discarding the water whenever possible, try to pressure cook them.

And then by adding in some herbs and spices that promote digestion, Bay leaf, ginger, cumin, fennel, those will all help to minimize the digestive issues.

Other things, make sure to salt well.

That is a big thing that I see particularly in those who are avoiding carbs.

But even in those who are consuming adequate carbohydrates, they are still avoiding the salt and so are causing lots of downstream effects because they don't have a proper electrolyte balance.

But moving from there, in terms of portions, I'd look at about half a cup to 3/4 of a cup for most people and repeat as necessary instead of just one giant bowl.

OK.

That sounds really good.

Could you break that down specifically in terms of a protein forward fasting bowl that actually hits these numbers for people?

Yeah, absolutely.

So we talked before about that lentil potato and cooked greens bowl, right?

So if you took One Cup of lentils, we're looking at 18 grams of protein along with 250 grams of potatoes, we're getting another 4 grams of protein.

And a cup of cooked greens, we're looking at two more grams Altogether, with a little bit of lemon and salt, it's about 24 grams of protein per bowl.

You want to add an additional half cup of chickpeas, that's about 7 grams of protein.

That will bring us up to about 31g for that bowl.

Wow, that sounds fantastic.

If you do that twice in a day, you're already at roughly 60g plus whatever other incidental protein you might get in during the day.

Exactly.

So let's talk shellfish, because you mentioned that was really important.

Plenty of people don't realize that it is allowed during strict fasts because they have no backbone and it's an extremely dense nutrient torpedo.

Absolutely.

As before, it's a cheat code.

It's a torpedo.

I like it.

A lot of good words for it.

But they can solve 3 problems at once actually.

Protein, minerals and B12 because B12 is a big one when we're looking at plant based and vegan diets.

So a quick tour around the most popular shellfish mussels come in at 3 oz.

At 20 grams of protein.

They're rich in B12 as well as iron.

3 ounces of clams bring a nice 22 grams of protein.

What's B12 off the charts?

And some more iron shrimp with four oz, we're looking at around 2324 grams of protein.

They are a powerhouse.

You're also getting selenium and iodine, which are going to be important for your thyroid and for detoxification purposes.

If we got scallops, which are one of my favorites, 20 grams of protein and some more magnesium and oysters are a little bit lower.

If we had 6 medium sized oysters, we're only going to get about 9 to 10 grams of protein.

But they are an absolute powerhouse for zinc, boosting your immune health, your hormonal health.

Definitely a really good idea to be incorporating oysters maybe 2-3 times a week during the fast if possible.

Absolutely.

Mike and I know scallops and oysters are two of my favorites.

I'm very fortunate to have a place near my home that just has fantastic shellfish, so yay for that.

It joys of living on an island, yeah.

But just looking at what we discussed here, you have one shrimp bowl, for example.

You pair that off with a legume bowl and you've got your day set.

Exactly.

So as an example day, if we start with a bigger meal or early main meal with 4 ounces of shrimp, some rice, some greens with some lemon and salt.

And then we go back to that earlier Lenten potato greens bowl.

Or maybe this time we switched up with some apple cider vinegars and balsamic vinegar and combine there.

We're looking at 24g for the first one, then another 24 to 31g and the second one.

So between the two plates, we're looking at somewhere between 48 to 55 grams of protein.

And then if you had a quick shake with some pea protein, you get another 20 grams if you need to help top it off.

Now let's be clear, if you are histamine sensitive, make sure we're buying frozen and cooking from frozen.

We don't want to meal prep well, fish leftovers for days.

And while I didn't say before, it is important to note whenever possible choose wild caught for basically all of your fish because those that are farmed are raised in conditions where they have to increase antibiotic use and antiparicetals because they are breeding grounds for all kinds of nasty bugs.

Perfect.

Mike and I know we've talked about this as being a sort of cheat code that it's a fantastic nutrient bomb for you during the fast, but they're are people out there who may be allergic to shellfish.

So what would we say to people that experience these allergies?

Say, toughen up.

Just eat the shellfish.

No, I'm kidding, of course.

Obviously you're going to want to avoid it.

Talk to your priest about alternatives.

Or even simpler, don't bother him for that one.

Just eat the beans.

Now, to the degree that people are concerned about mercury, that's a big one.

We always hear there are a couple of key points to this.

One, mercury and the other metals generally bioaccumulate, as in, the higher up the food chain the animal is, the bigger it is, the more likely it's going to have higher levels of mercury.

So one gets eaten by the next, gets eaten by the next and gets eaten by the next.

And each level up the rung ends up with higher levels of mercury in their system.

That's why we don't want necessarily be eating shark or orca or something.

Oh, because of that, shellfish are generally going to be pretty low in mercury compared to the large fish.

Things of that rotating the types of shellfish you're getting in are going to be a good idea.

And if you are particularly concerned about mercury, the selenium found in a handful of Brazil nuts will basically neutralize any of the concerns you might have with mercury or poisoning.

Perfect.

And so going forward, we know some folks just can't get enough volume in their day.

So what is the no nonsense supplement plan for people that struggle with that?

Absolutely.

So we're going to be looking at P protein, hemp protein, AP rice blend, unsweetened if possible.

But if in order to choke it down need to add some, that's fine too.

Generally speaking, one scoop is around 2025 grams protein.

But if we add some fruit and water to that smoothie or if we started some oats or an acai bowl, we can really buff up the protein content on an otherwise carb heavy meal.

So keep it as an insurance, keep it to help top off the tank, but not as a crutch.

And once again, cannot beat this into enough.

Avoid the Franken meats please.

Absolutely excellent.

And so now we've touched a little bit on the struggles with fasting with children.

So how do we do that without becoming the food police?

So with regards to children, how do we get them good meals with this protein also built in?

Absolutely.

What we do in our household is we have our one family base with the protein optional add-ons.

Our base might be rice, potatoes, you might have the beans or lentils and then the greens for the kids.

Generally if they're under 7, they're not fasting to the same degree.

And even that, again, between you and your priest, they might have slightly more allowances.

And what we'll do is we'll have a small side of meat or cheese after the plating.

So if we have those rice and beans there, maybe we'll do some tacos and may get some ground beef with it.

Maybe they get a little bacon with it, maybe get some cheese added to their pasta so ways of getting in the extra protein that they might need, but without overcoming and cooking 2-3 different meals for the whole family.

Right.

And so we just touched on children's fasting, but now what about the therapeutic diets aspect?

We promised solutions for this one as well, not just the ideal.

So what can we say for people that deal with things like PCOS, AIP, and gluten free?

Absolutely.

So we discussed those in particular before, those who are dealing with insulin resistance or the PCOS.

We want to prioritize the earlier meal.

And by pairing the starch with the protein and the salt, we should be able to normalize the blood sugar for longer throughout the day.

So same idea of using the lentils, the black beans, chickpeas, adding some quality fruits and some pea protein if needed.

And realistically, protein super important in those populations.

So if we're not getting a dispensation, making sure to get in that pea protein and definitely shellfish in their case at least two if not four times a week.

If they do have a blessing, I would lean into whey protein, some pasture raised eggs and some quality grass fed pasture raised dairy as the top three options for ones to ask for to be able to include if those are conditions that you're dealing with.

For those on the autoimmune spectrum, I would start in terms of their leggings with red lentils.

They're often gentler on the GI tract and by pressure cooking it, a lot of times that'll help deal with issues as well.

Start with small portions and see how you do.

You're also going to want to lean in the to the starchier stuff.

The rice, the squash, the potatoes, and of course the shellfish with protein.

Pureed soups would be a great idea as well.

Those are usually pretty gentle on the body, and there are lots of quality herbs, particularly ginger, that can help in those cases of people bloating.

And as to the gluten free, that one's a relatively straightforward one.

Everybody knows about that today.

But rice, potato balls, sourdough if you're someone who tolerates it, and then things like buckwheat or amaranth or quinoa are going to be your friend.

Right.

And so going forward, we touched a little bit already on guys or ladies that are working the shift jobs or doing labor work, but let's talk a little bit more specifically about that.

What about again our roofers, nurses or even our athletes?

What do we do for them?

Absolutely so.

Timing and shellfish, full stop.

That's been the running joke here, but it is.

It's super important here.

So pre work before you get to the job.

Rice, potatoes, make a cup of beans, lentils along with some fruit, made some orange juice and once again salt.

So that in the middle of your shift, a thermos of soup with some beans in it, a salted baked potato and a banana.

And then after work a shellfish plate, adding in the rice, the greens earlier when possible.

Run with that for a little bit and see how your body's recovering and if it is inhibited, your ability to perform your job.

Once again, talk to your priest, remembering that the fast is aesthetical, not self harm.

Perfect.

And so now discussing specifically women who are pregnant or nursing, as well as those who might be underweight or recovering from injury or even surgery, what can we say to them in the simplest terms?

Absolutely modify it with a blessing.

In most cases, your priest is not going to insist that you fast to the strictest layer of the law.

In fact, he probably will slap you if you do.

But technically?

Canonically, priests are not allowed to engage in violence, so he's probably not going to actually slap you, but it's more of a mental slap to that point.

The ethos of simplicity, prayer and I'm giving will still remain and be ramped up to a slightly higher degree in most cases, but the form can adapt.

So that'll often include modest amounts of animal protein.

Again, the ones I would ask for in particular would be whey protein, eggs, and quality dairy, in that order.

And then focusing on earlier meals, like the a shorter window between meals and a greater meal frequency, but zero anxiety or scrupulosity and absolutely more almsgiving.

And if you are someone in whom shellfish is tolerated, then it is absolutely the way to get your protein, your B12, your iodine, and your zinc.

Excellent.

And so now we discussed some of the solutions.

But now what if we run into some issues?

So protein troubleshooting, rapid fire, some quick fixes for some common problems people have.

Absolutely.

So with the beans, make sure it's fair in the properly soak and pressure cook.

Start low, but half a cup.

Add in herbs like the ginger, the cumin, the fennel as necessary.

Red lentils are going to be your first friend from there in terms of low energy or dizziness that comes on a lot.

Making sure that you're salting every meal.

You're adding a lots of potassium, the potatoes, the orange juice, the bananas, the green beans, the avocados.

If you're having cravings at night, you probably under a protein and salt earlier.

So take in a small warm carb like a baked apple or some rice with a pinch of salt and fix tomorrow's main meal by having a little earlier.

If you have a issue with histamines from the shellfish, buy frozen.

Cook from frozen, eat fresh and no multi day leftovers.

And if you are not able to hit protein with the volume of food that you're taking in, make sure that you're getting in some supplemental, that pea protein, that hemp protein with your fruit smoothie at least once a day.

So now we've mentioned it a couple of times, but here's a little micro script that if you need to talk to your priest about your heavy labor or your therapeutic need, what you might go to say is Father may have a blessing to use whey protein or eggs to meet my daily protein needs while keeping the rest of my meals simple.

And by increasing my alms, giving him my prayer to your kids at the table.

Can you say, well, we eat more simply so that we can pray and share.

Night is rice, beans and greens.

You can add some meat and cheese, but Mama and daddies are going to stay simple.

And when you mess up, Lord, have mercy.

Glory to God, move on with your day.

That's fantastic, Mike, and that's really the clarity that I think people really need to hear.

Simple targets, plates, the shellfish as a nutrient bomb, and again, keeping things simple and sane.

Like we say quite often this episode, it's a clinic, not a courtroom.

Amen.

So with the guardrails and protein dialed in, let's now move forward to the 5R fasting Physiology.

How do we reorient, rebuild, re sensitize, refine and and return?

So timing, salt, hydration, movement, and sleep all work within the fast without turning your kitchen to a lab?

What if the medicine in the future was ancient?

What if the practices that steady your nervous system, train appetite, and restore meaning weren't new hacks, but old paths we've forgotten fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and communion?

What if healing was less about novelty and more about returning to what heals the whole person?

I'm Doctor Michael Christian Kuhn, functional health clinician or, as I prefer, health detective and my new book, Orthodoxy and the Medicine of the Future, Rediscovering the healing power of Fasting, prayer and Holy Tradition is available now.

This book is a labor of love seven years in the making.

It began with my doctoral thesis and became a road map for true healing.

Fasting, prayer and holy tradition not simply a slogans, but as a way to heal the whole person, body, mind and soul.

Inside I lay out three big things.

Why modern health feels so fragmented and how we've plus the thread between body and worship and metabolism and meaning.

Secondly, how the aesthetic life restores desire and Physiology and why the Church's wisdom calms the nervous system, trains appetite and builds real peace.

In it you'll find a practical 40 day path with simple, actionable steps to begin prayer, anchors, fasting, guidance, sleep and light, hygiene, movement, breath and a short daily examine.

No fluff, clear actions.

So if the Orthodox Health Podcast has helped you put peace back under grace, this here is the whole map, big picture and the daily steps.

It's for the busy Orthodox parent, the exhausted professional, and the person who's tried everything under the sun but wants true healing without losing the soul.

If you've been waiting, today is the day.

Head on over to Amazon and look for Orthodoxy and the medicine in the future.

Or if you want a signed copy along with all the digital bonuses, head on over to orthodoxhealth.com/book and I'll incorporate you in with the existing pre-orders and send you out a signed copy.

Thank you for trusting me with your health journey.

So let's start with our first R Reorient.

Put prayer before protocol, we said, and set the clock first the day.

We want to start with prayer and time because the calendar forms you faster than any hack.

So in the morning, before your coffee, before the phone, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me for one minute with slow breathing, some salted water, 12 to 16 ounces of water, and a pinch of sea salt and a squeezed citrus.

Make sure you're getting outside or at the very least standing by a bright window for 5 minutes.

This helps to anchor the circadian rhythm and then from there, your meal timing.

If you are someone who is more metabolically adapted, 16 eighths are great.

Otherwise, 1212 or 1311.

In terms of your fasting in your feeding window, terms of hours that you're eating versus hours that you're not, we are not trying for heroic starvation.

Then we're going to make our main meal earlier most days, at least three days out of the week with late morning up till late afternoon.

Earlier meal helps to bleed into a calmer evening.

Right.

And so this reorientation is literally and figuratively facing God.

When you say to go by the window, we face the sun.

We know in liturgy that Walter is always facing east.

So we sip that salt, then arrange the clock before the plate.

Exactly.

Those all help Orient your clock such that Christ can carry you when your willpower won't.

That then will bring us into our second are rebuild the fuel and the minerals so that you aren't a complete jerk by 5:00 PM.

Right.

And for a lot of people, we know that this was a sort of fast breaking point.

Everyone gets kind of edgy around that time.

So what fixes it?

Absolutely.

Two levers to win the fast season Physiology are protein and electrolytes.

As we said before, for the general adult, we're looking at 1 to 1.2g per kilogram, so about 70 to 85 adjust to your weight.

And then for active heavy laborers, 1.2 to 1.6g per kilogram is about 80 to 110 and adjust to your weight using those legumes plus the starch and then the shellfish to help get you there.

We already mapped that out before, but if volume is tough, make me sure to get in that supplemental.

That's what it's for.

It's supplemental, it's adding to it.

The electrolytes are non negotiable, the salt is non negotiable.

Taste your food, don't be shy.

It is a flavor enhancer so at least enjoy that aspect of the fast.

But that also comes with upping your potassium as well.

Those those potatoes, the bananas, the avocados, the greens and the orange juice.

Perfect.

So up to now we've talked protein and minerals.

Can we try to connect this a little bit to thyroid and other hormones that might affect your mood and deliver that to our listeners in plain English?

Absolutely.

So there's three big moves.

One, help support thyroid conversion, so you're T4 to T3I know that gets a little bit into the weeds, but just focus on this for now.

But practically speaking, that means carbs and salt earlier in the day when your carbs are too low, which I know seems like it'd be hard to do on the fast, but it is when they're too low, especially early in the day, the body then leans on adrenaline, cortisol, and slows down that thyroid conversion.

That's when people start to say I have cold hands and feet or I'm have wired tired nights where I can't get to sleep, but I'm so done.

I'm just so beat down.

Or we might also see it in Constipation.

The fix to that is getting in those carbs and salt earlier in the day and making sure to have the adequate protein across the week.

Not skimping on the protein is so key.

It'll help you feel warmer,

steadier, and kinder by 5:00 PM.

Another one is to reframe serotonin and favor dopamine.

So people like to think of serotonin as the happy neurotransmitter when in reality is more stress adaptive.

It helps you cope short term when energy is low but when it's in your system chronically is catabolic meaning it breaks things down.

People are familiar with the term anabolic right?

You take anabolic steroids to build yourself up.

Catabolic is the opposite and serotonin is catabolic went in your system in too high levels for too long.

It's better to keep a stable dopaminergic or styroid state.

So how do we do that?

Morning light, like we said before that 5 minutes to help set the circadian rhythm, making sure that our protein is adequate throughout the course of the week.

And we also want to avoid nighttime hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

So a simple evening plate, not a sugar crash.

And if sleep is becoming the problem, that small warm carb and a pinch of salt helps.

That's where that old oh, my house with warm milk, with bed.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

Only we're in the fast.

So maybe slice up an apple and saute and some coconut oil and cinnamon.

That'd be a great idea.

And then the last one there.

We've talked about these electrolytes quite a few times, but it really is the fastest way to beat fatigue.

A lot of the fast and fatigue is simply a mismatch in your sodium and potassium levels.

So beating that horse into the ground salt and potassium at every meal and making sure you're slipping out of fluid throughout the day.

Don't just chug it at night.

That's awesome, Mike, but at the risk of being slightly annoying, could you give me the circadian eating line just one more time, please?

Absolutely.

So that early to midday main meal, a simple evening meal later on that'll lead to better sleep, fewer cravings, better metabolic rate and less resilience on stress chemistry.

So you're not just corazol, corazol, Corazol and adrenaline all day.

In short, early carbs and salt, adequate protein and you'll be able to pray more peacefully.

So that then brings it into the third R re sensitize, making sure that we're really adequately dealing with that stress and not necessarily wasting our life away on screens.

Right, because this is where people tend to turn the fast into a productivity Sprint and they end up frying themselves.

Absolutely, and we are doing the opposite.

These will be 3 small breaks on that stress panel.

One, coffee and caffeine as a fed tool and not a fasted whip.

So you're going to have coffee with or mealy after food, not on an empty stomach and in the fast.

This means orange juice with a pinch of salt along with a small bite of rice or potatoes and beans as we said before.

And I actually dropped a reel on this on Instagram regarding the game changer which is the coffee and orange juice hack.

So definitely take a look at that one.

As we talked about in our episode with Brandon, by pairing caffeine with sugar and salt, tell Blunt the adrenaline cortisol response.

But if you're not quite ready for that orange juice and coffee, what you could do is coconut latte with coffee with some coconut milk, cream, two or three teaspoons of sugar or honey, and then a pinch of salt.

Or you can go with the Honey Salt Americano.

This is your regular cup of coffee, 2 teaspoons of honey.

Again, pinch of salt, but you're drinking it after you ate something.

Number 2, after your meal screens down, at least 10 minutes of quiet or ideally a comp line or more of some other prayers.

Instead, you'll feel the nervous system start to drop and then a third brake pedal.

And that stress response would be some breath work, but in the form of the Jesus Prayer.

Inhale on A4, hold it for 2 seconds, exhale on a 6 to 8 count.

Pray the Jesus Prayer on the exhale at the very least two rounds that before meals or when you're starting to feel edgy, you're in that traffic and you're ready to yell at that person.

That'd be a great time to include that.

Perfect.

And so moving forward to our 4th R refine, we're going to iterate the plan with some tiny tweaks and not heroics.

So sometimes during a long week, it's hard for people to keep up that plan by, say, Thursday, and so maybe we could show them how to tweak their plan and not torpedo it.

Absolutely.

So in terms of refinement, we're going to look at what are the smallest changes that we can make that can solve big problems.

Are you sleeping poorly?

Hold the main meal two hours earlier.

Tomorrow you can add in a small warm carb at night, like we said before, either a baked apple or that sauteed apple, fries with cinnamon, or even something as simple as a small rice bowl.

But adding that salt, if you're convinced the caffeine is involved, you can move it back to earlier in the day.

Or I would say just add a little bit more sugar, add some more carbs to it and you're probably not going to run to that same issue.

If you're having an afternoon crash or impatience, you increase the protein earlier on the day and add in that 15 minute walk after you eat.

Experiencing the bloat with the beans?

We told you what you got to do, prepare them right.

It really is amazing how often just one hour earlier that one pinch of salt and getting that feed of the coffee really just fixes things for you.

Absolutely, because your body not just intentions.

So that brings us to our fifth and final, our return, and towards communion, not towards control.

Right.

And so let's close this loop.

What is return look like within the context of this normal week?

Absolutely 2 main parts Saturday sat down South.

Confession is a big idea.

It helps to relieve the conscience and then less spiritually.

We have preparing for Sunday so that you can feast with people and not scramble.

Layout your clothes, get your meal prepared for coffee hour.

Remove the friction so that Sunday belongs to God and neighbor like it's meant to be.

But most importantly, give thanks out loud at the table for turn your week to communion.

That is the purpose.

That is the telos.

Absolutely, Mike.

And so to return is the weekly reminder.

This isn't about my perfect logging or programming.

It's about receiving Christ and loving the actual people here in my life.

OK, so I know we talked about the bio hacks and we don't typically like hacking here, but in the event your day goes sideways, let's talk about a couple of quick 62nd saves that'll put you back on track.

Absolutely.

So breath and prayer, That 426 plan, breathing out on a four count, holding it for two count, and then breathing out on a six count.

Doing that twice with the Jesus prayer, that salty sip with 8 ounces of water and a pinch of salt.

Your nervous system starts to calm down when that salt shows up to the party.

Getting outside, even if it's just three minutes out on your porch.

Walking the room for even 5 minutes after eating.

Ideally you can get outside and get a nice walk in, but if nothing else, just walk around.

But most importantly, if you mess up, you reset the script with the Lord.

Have mercy and a glory to God and I'm right back on track on the next meal.

Perfect.

And again, as we've said, these simple little fixes and things to remember really make the fast, and particularly some of the more strict fasts feel doable and doable in a way that helps us to be kind to those around us.

Yes, absolutely.

And that's the point.

We're not chasing heroics.

We are building availability.

So we're going to reorient, rebuild, resensitize, refine and return and repeat that next week.

All right, perfect.

So let's try and land this plane.

Let's give folks a quick examination that they can run at week's end without slipping into that scrupulosity we talked about.

Absolutely.

So that clinic not courtroom idea.

5 questions, one per hour for reorienting.

Did I begin days with prayer and light and salted water before the scroll?

If no, plan tomorrow's one minute Jesus prayer and circadian reset in the sun #2 rebuild.

Did I hit an adequate protein target this week?

1 to 1.2g per kilogram, more if I'm labor intensive and dye salt at every meal.

If no, then make sure you're preparing ahead of time for your lentils, your beans, your rice and potatoes, your shellfish and your potassium rich food, your bananas, your avocados, your orange juice.

Next, resensitize.

Did coffee serve my piece?

Was it taken with food with sugar and a pinch of salt?

If no, the next week feed the cup or half the dose and then we're fine.

When I got edgy, did I tweak one small thing within my main meal earlier in the day?

Did I add salt or protein?

Did I even take my 15 minute walk instead of just nuking the entire plan?

And then finally the fifth are return?

Did I keep a Sunday feast with people and keep the evening simpler?

Fantastic, Mike.

That sounds like a merciful and concrete way to go about it.

And so before we actually touch the play down, let's leave our listeners with a couple more solid anchors from the wisdom of the Church.

Absolutely so that Matthew 6/17/18 line we said before of when you fast and not your head and wash your face.

No theatrics go despair.

Do not be like hypocrites.

And the prayer of Saint Ephraim.

That is the fast in a sentence.

It is one of the cornerstones of the Lenten period, but it bears repeating here too.

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency, and love of power, and I'll talk.

But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant Gay.

O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages.

Amen.

Amen, beautiful.

And so if today helped, please share this with one person at your parish or more you.

If you know more than one to share it, feel free to share it around to everybody.

Absolutely.

But as a quick programming note, we flip the order to get this fasting episode out in time for the beginning of the Nativity fast.

That's right, in the next episode we're going to circle back to the Sacred Diets arc for one more time at least.

Maybe we'll have more in the future, but we're going to do a deep dive on the Blue Zones and we're going to test that against the Orthodox health framework.

Mostly because there is a large carryover with the Eastern religions, with the 7th Day Adventists and other health modalities that get folded in.

And it's just pitched as, no, this is just the longevity thing.

These are all the people that were centurions and they did such a good job.

And there's more to it than that.

So we'll see you next week on that one.

But in terms of other housekeeping, my book, Orthodoxy and the Mess of the Future is out now.

This episode pairs with it, so make sure if you're interested in seeing it spelled out a little more to head on over and pick up your copy either on Amazon or over an Orthodox health.com/book.

And on the website, I also have my Orthodox Person Fasting Guide that is a smaller PDF that helps support the St.

John's Chicago Building Fund.

We have, like many parishes around the country, greatly exceeded the space that we have.

And so if you get that fasting guide, half the proceeds are going to be donated to the building fund.

So that'll be awesome.

And of course, if you are someone who is dealing with specific health conditions and are looking to work with the clinician who is willing to work with your spiritual father to help optimize your help during the fast, you can head on over to orthodoxhealth.com and click on Work with me to type of discovery call and see if we're right fit to work together.

Fantastic.

Mike and I know we've been looking forward to the release of Orthodoxy in the medicine of the future.

So very excited to now know that it is out and available for our listeners.

Just another quick little word as we send you guys off as we have entered the nativity fast to struggle well our friends and remember that again, this is a clinic, a hospital, not a courtroom.

Amen.

So we'll see you next time everybody.

God Bless is available on Spotify, Apple Music and all of your other favorite listening locations.

And you can also find us available on YouTube at Doctor Michael Christian Rumble at Orthodox Health and Sub SAC at Orthodox Health podcast.

You can also follow us on social media for more insights, discussions and behind the scenes content.

Connect with us on Instagram at Orthodox Health or in our Telegram group at Orthodox Health Podcasts and join the conversation.

We'd love to hear your thoughts, answer your questions, and continue building this community together.

And finally, if you're enjoying the show, leave me a quick review on your favorite podcast platform goes a long way in helping others discover Orthodox help.

Until then, stay strong in faith, take care of your temple, and keep Christ the center of your health journey.

God bless.

The.