Good day, dear readers of our site! An interesting question in the title, isn't it? Hardly all of us know the exact answer to it. The atheist will answer that both tea and coffee are allowed during Lent. But an atheist does not fast! Even priests (professionals in this field) admit that the issue is controversial. Still, let’s try to figure it out - is it possible to have coffee during Lent?
Lent for believers is characterized by abstinence from entertainment and from eating food of animal origin. All these precautions exist so that a Christian can fully concentrate on prayer, think about his soul, repentance, without being distracted by something less serious. Including solving the problem - is it possible to have coffee during Lent? Carnal pleasures should fade into the background, so that they in no way interfere with the process of spiritual cleansing.
These are the treats you can eat during fasting. Lent for believers is characterized by abstinence from entertainment and from eating food of animal origin.
During this period, the body is naturally in “economy mode”, and, of course, weakened. Does it make sense to give him heavy doses of invigorating drinks, which entails increased stress on the heart? Let's imagine that you can drink coffee and tea during Lent. But when they are consumed, our “engine” is affected by a substance such as caffeine, and, by the way, there is more of it in black tea than in coffee!
We recommend drinking this drink from the Czech Leander porcelain set
The effect of coffee and caffeine on fasting people
Many religious leaders recommend giving up coffee during fasting, as it contains the psychostimulant substance caffeine.
This chemical component not only excites the nervous system and increases the tone of the body, but is also often addictive. Lent is considered a good period to begin the fight against addictions, including food addictions. Priests recommend avoiding the drink due to caffeine.
Lenten recipes
You can drink coffee with sugar during fasting. The following additives are recommended for it:
coconut milk - sold in the store;
soy extract - also available in dietary departments for vegetarians;
almond milk – prepared from nuts at home, as a coffee additive it gives a refined aroma and taste;
honey;
fructose;
sweeteners - solely to normalize sugar in the body.
Green coffee is prepared in two ways: in a coffee maker or in a French press brewer. You need to remember that it contains more caffeine, so you need less ground beans per serving.
Why you can’t drink instant coffee during fasting, or rather, it’s extremely undesirable. This is a freeze-dried product that has nothing to do with cleansing the body.
On the contrary, various chemicals from cheap varieties can cause problems with the liver and kidneys. To encourage people to buy the same product, manufacturers may add prohibited substances that have similar effects to drugs.
How to properly prepare and drink coffee during Lent
To ensure that drinking coffee on fasting days does not harm your health, it is recommended to follow several rules:
- Drink natural, freshly prepared coffee.
- Do not take it on an empty stomach.
- Maintain a daily caffeine intake of 300 mg. This figure is equivalent to 3 cups of strong coffee.
- Do not drink the drink later than 7 hours before bedtime.
It is recommended to prepare coffee without using additives that improve its taste: sugar, milk substitutes, etc.
The desire for pleasant sensations contrasts sharply with the main idea of fasting, which is to pacify one’s own desires.
Is it possible to add milk or cream
Since milk and cream are animal foods, they should not be added to coffee. However, the Church Charter does not prohibit the consumption of dairy products during Lent by pregnant and nursing mothers. If desired, they can be replaced with soy milk.
Cream should not be added to coffee; it can be replaced with soy milk.
Reversal of caffeine tolerance
Fortunately for all of us, there are ways to restore caffeine tolerance to its original levels or avoid this unpleasant effect altogether.
- Caffeine “reboot”. This option is intended for those who are already accustomed to daily doses of caffeine. Its essence is to completely abstain from caffeine-containing products for a period of 2 weeks to 2 months (these periods are purely individual and depend on how much caffeine a person usually consumed per day). During this time, the body will adjust to its original mode without caffeine.
- Drink caffeine only occasionally. It sounds logical that the best way to avoid caffeine resistance is to simply prevent it from developing. If you consume caffeine-containing products 1-2 times a week, the desired effects will occur with each dose, and resistance will not arise due to a sufficiently long break between doses. Arguably, occasional caffeine consumption (only when necessary) is the best and safest way to get an energy boost without sacrificing your long-term health.
It is also worth noting that drinking coffee or strong tea late in the evening is not recommended if your caffeine tolerance is zero. There is a very high risk of getting insomnia.
A caffeine reset, or preventing caffeine tolerance, will allow you to experience that wonderful feeling of euphoria with 100-200 mg of caffeine (a dose roughly equal to 1-2 espresso shots). The main thing to remember is to avoid regular (daily) caffeine consumption.
Of course, many people will find it extremely difficult to adhere to such advice. With similar success, you can ask a heavy smoker to smoke only 3 cigarettes at 3-day intervals. Caffeine can be extremely addictive, and some people find it easier to take an all-or-nothing approach: if you drink, then regularly, if you don’t drink, then never at all.
However, if you notice that you have developed a caffeine tolerance, it may be worth considering a reset.
Then everyone can decide for themselves whether caffeine will be their future companion in life. The key question in making this decision is: can you control the number and frequency of doses consumed?
Who holds the beer post and why?
Many beer lovers know that the Doppelbock beer style originated with ancient Christian monks, who used strong beer as liquid food during Lent, the 46 days of fasting and prayer in the run-up to Easter.
But for some, stories alone are not enough - it is important for them to reinforce their knowledge with experience. Vinepair talks about why people challenge themselves
“I did this because I was really interested in learning the history of the origin of the doppelbock,” explains J.
Wilson followed a beer diet during Lent in 2011, which attracted the attention of many publications. He later described the experiment in his book called Diary of a Part-Time Monk.
The research led Wilson to wonder whether the doppelbock story was real or more of a marketing ploy.
“I decided the only way to find out was to try it myself,” he says.
Chris Schreier tried many variations of Christian fasting before trying the beer diet in 2014.
“Part of the reason was my desire to use fasting as a way to convey to people who have a rather narrow view of Christianity who I am and what I believe,” said Schreier from Toronto. His experience even inspired a joke about America's northern neighbors in a monologue by American comedian Seth Meyers (“Or, as they call it in Canada, the juice diet”).
It was media madness.
“I answered dozens of calls a day, gave interviews for newspapers, participated in radio talk shows, and starred in news broadcasts,” says Schreyer. “On the one hand, it was an amazing time. On the other hand, just as I was beginning to embrace the joys of fasting and needed to enjoy peace and composure, I suddenly had a media schedule that required me to wake up at three o'clock and stay up until midnight almost every day.
While giving up solid food for a month and a half might seem grueling to some, Del Hall, another volunteer who tried out a diet that was once a sign of privacy but has now become an expression of publicity, said his 2022 experiment turned out to be surprisingly positive, at least after the difficult initial adaptation.
“The first four days were terrible, the first and second weeks were hard,” Hall says.
Although Hall's story was more of a secular challenge than a religious one, he received a personal call from a German cardinal and his experiences were written about in newspapers and magazines in more than 50 countries. According to him, after the experiment he became slimmer and felt more energetic. He claimed that the results were simply amazing.
Pat Bergen, owner of a couple of Chicago beer and bacon establishments, is fasting right now. He said that he heard a legend about monks who drank only beer during Lent 25 years ago, and decided that he would like to try such a fast. This year he firmly decided to endure 40 days, eating only beer. He discussed the issue with doctors and learned that during fasting he needs to take additional vitamins, primarily B1 and C, since beer does not contain enough of them. Pat admits that maintaining such a diet while working in a place that serves bacon is very difficult, but he holds on. The variety of beers available helps: he drinks not only doppelbocks, but also double IPAs, stouts, and brown ales. In the first two weeks of fasting, Pat has already lost more than eight kilos.
Although those who tried the diet were likely driven by curiosity or wanted to test their willpower, they often cited other benefits.
“After a while, I realized that the ancient monks probably had it more difficult than me,” Wilson added. — I drank a lot of clean water to cleanse my body. If they washed down their beer with water, it might not be very safe. Due to the bacteria in the water or due to dehydration, but it was more difficult for them.
Schreier explained that he gained a deeper understanding of faith and himself. Hall even considered extending his fast to 50 days and trying the diet again in 2020.
And yet, despite the claimed benefits, none of those who tried the diet recommended it to others.
“Consult your doctor,” Schreyer said. “He’ll say it’s a bad idea, and he’ll be right.”
What to do if you drank coffee before communion?
Tell Father about this in confession and repent. Usually they don’t scold for this, and nothing bad will happen. As a rule, priests forgive this sin and administer the sacrament. But you should not deceive and hope that it will be enough to talk about this sin of yours, and it will turn out that you have not denied yourself anything, and your sin is forgiven. A true Christian, having sinned, repents of his sin, and hopes to become better, making every effort so that the situation does not repeat itself. If you deceive the Church and God, there will be no special meaning in communion, unless for you, of course, this is not just a ritual that needs to be completed once. Although such a ritual does not make much sense.
Vegetable oil
It is possible, but with restrictions. Vegetable oil, also called oil, is allowed during Lent on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on holidays, on the Annunciation and on the fifth Thursday of Lent, on the Station of Mary of Egypt.
You need to look at the composition of the bread. If milk or eggs were used during baking, this is not lean bread and should not be eaten. Most often, bread, especially black bread, is a lean product. To prepare it, use water, flour, yeast, a little salt and sugar. Sometimes a little sunflower oil is added to bread, so you need to read the label carefully, especially if you are fasting according to all the rules, observing days of dry eating and hot food without oil.
If you ate something savory, the post will not be counted.
One patericon tells the following story. Two monks ate meat during Lent. Then they came to the abbot in tears and repented. The abbot assigned each of them a penance: to pray for three days. After this time, the first monk returned joyful: “Father, I prayed and realized that the Lord had forgiven me.” The second one was in tears: “All this time I have been mourning my sin.” Then the brethren asked the abbot which of the monks was right. The abbot replied: “Both are right.”
Lent is not a sports race or marathon, in which if you do not reach the finish line first, you lose. This is, first of all, spiritual work on oneself. If we see where we need to improve, then our fast is not in vain. Therefore, it is wrong to say that if I ate a fast, my subsequent fast is displeasing to God.
Varieties of coffee “3 in 1”
There are several types of “three in one”:
- Contains natural coffee beans. This drink has a real coffee taste.
- Instead of coffee beans, the composition includes chicory.
- Coffee beans and chicory replace chestnuts, acorns, and barley.
Drinks differ in their taste characteristics: hazelnut, caramel, amaretto, cinnamon, coconut, etc.
Popular brands
There are well-known coffee producers on the coffee market:
- Jacobs. The leader in 3-in-1 coffee products, which has gained popularity due to the fact that it produces products of the best quality;
- Nescafe. The drink benefits from the fact that Arabica coffee beans are used in its production. Thanks to this, the product is aromatic and tasty.
- MacCoffe. A company from Asia firmly took a leading position among companies back in the 90s of the last century. Unfortunately, the manufacturer's products cannot be called high quality. The composition contains cheap flavoring, and the drink itself has a bitter taste.
Bottom line
There are many different types of posts. Religious fasts can be quite strict and outright prohibit coffee, while intermittent fasting is more lenient and allows coffee. A strict fast does not allow coffee or may only allow black coffee without sweetener or milk.
As with anything, you should know the reasons why you are fasting and decide whether you can continue your daily coffee habits or not. Remember that if you are planning on doing a longer fast, it would be wise to consult with your doctor to make sure you are doing it safely.
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Features of strict fasting
It is very important to remember that fasting should be observed only by those people for whom abstinence in food does not cause harm. If you suffer from gastrointestinal disorders or have metabolic disorders, then you should not fast under any circumstances.
Today, even in monasteries, fasting does not always imply the principle of dry eating. If a person has never fasted in his life and ultimately decides to abstain from food, then before putting it into practice, he should talk about it with his spiritual mentor, who will give individual recommendations.
Of course, all Orthodox Christians limit themselves in food when the time of Lent comes.
However, it should be emphasized once again: if you have health problems, you do not have to strictly follow all the rules regarding dietary restrictions. It is much more important to rethink your behavior, remember the negative actions committed towards your friends and loved ones.
One way or another, we should not forget that there is a strict fast, when a person can only eat bread and drink water. Such abstinence, in particular, occurs during the first week of Lent. On Clean Monday, Orthodox Christians do not eat anything, praying for atonement for their own sins.
Strict fasting also occurs in the last week of Lent - this period is called Holy Week. On the first, second and third days of the last week, you can eat only raw vegetables and fruits. On Maundy Thursday, red wine is allowed in small quantities, and food can be flavored with vegetable oil. On Friday you cannot eat anything at all - this day is considered the peak of strict fasting. The period of time from Saturday until the appearance of the first star is also a period of absolute abstinence in food.
Religion's relationship to coffee
Not all people perceive religious fasting as spiritual cleansing. There are atheists who treat it as an opportunity to put the body in order - to cleanse it of toxins. If you can consume plant foods and herbal infusions, then coffee beans are a product of plant origin.
Here it is necessary to clearly understand that coffee is for a person
If he cannot live even a day without this drink, then for spiritual cleansing it is important to feel a state of humility. In this case, giving up caffeine will be a kind of sacrifice to God, giving up pleasant bodily sensations
Some religions, such as Buddhism and its offshoots, do not allow energy drinks at all. This includes tea and coffee. According to their interpretation, a person should receive energy from prayer and God.
Stimulation of the nervous system with the help of alkaloids, even of plant origin, is unacceptable. Alcohol is also made from plant materials, but in many religions it is prohibited, especially in the East. Mormons in England also abandoned tea and coffee, believing that the prohibition was described in the Bible.
Rules for drinking wine
Many features need to be taken into account during this period. Believers who observe the restrictions of tradition are prohibited from consuming alcohol during fasting, as well as food of animal origin:
- eggs;
- milk and dairy products;
- oil;
- chocolate and fast food;
- energy;
- coffee;
- weak tea;
The restriction on the consumption of alcoholic beverages is established due to the very purpose of fasting - renunciation of most carnal pleasures in order to cleanse the thoughts (spirit) and body from evil. Drinking alcohol during Lent for recreational purposes is contrary to the original intent of this abstinence.
This renunciation is aimed at renouncing pleasures. Must be conscious and voluntary. The complete ban on drinking alcohol during this period does not apply to wine and Cahors.
History of the custom
As part of the missionary-apologeteric project “Toward the Truth,” Archimandrite Shevkunov provides historical information that the tradition of drinking wine during Lent came to us from Byzantium and Syria.
The communion procedure, carried out during the period of abstinence, involves the consumption of Cahors and bread. The Orthodox sacrament is built on the covenant of Christ: “Drink my blood!”, where the nutritious fluid of the body means wine or Cahors.
The resulting drink had no recreational qualities and served as a general tonic, and in ancient times it additionally disinfected water. Dry red wine has a healing effect and improves the condition of the human body when consumed in moderation.
Orthodox priests take into account the mentality of their parishioners and advise during Lent to refrain from drinking pure wine and not drinking alcohol, especially in cases where the believer is prone to drunkenness.
Wine for Lent
On the issue of the correct use of alcoholic beverages, which does not lead to sin, priests focus the attention of those fasting on the rule that the Apostle Paul uttered: “Everything is permissible for us, but not everything is beneficial.” This statement sets the meaning of the Lenten diet - a sense of proportion should be a constant and fundamental principle throughout the period, and the absence of a ban on certain types of alcohol is not a reason to drink
It must be remembered that alcoholism, like other types of addictions, is condemned by the Orthodox faith
This statement sets the meaning of the Lenten diet - a sense of proportion should be a constant and fundamental principle throughout the period, and the absence of a ban on certain types of alcohol is not a reason to drink. It must be remembered that alcoholism, like other types of addictions, is condemned by the Orthodox faith.
Strict restrictions on nutrition and the absorption of drinks are established on the first day - you must refrain from eating food, drink only water if you are very thirsty. During the rest of the period, it is recommended to prepare your diet according to the Fasting Calendar.
It helps to control the dates on which it is better to eat food raw, and on which dates it is better to stew without oil. The calendar is aimed at shaping the eating behavior of the believer, suggesting the spiritual evolution of the fasting person.
Any dietary restrictions apply more to adults. The children's menu should be compiled taking into account the development of the body and should not negatively affect the child's growth or brain activity.
Taking into account the rule of the golden mean during abstinence and the ban on drinking alcohol for people suffering from alcoholism, we can formulate a basic list of rules for drinking wine and Cahors during Lent:
- It is allowed to drink 1-2 glasses on weekends (Saturday, Sunday) during a modest meal.
- On weekdays during polyeleos (dates of veneration of saints) holidays.
- Drinking wine is included in Communion. Since it is part of a religious ritual, moderate drinking is not prohibited.
It is not prohibited to drink dry red wines for medicinal purposes, for example, for anemia, for problems with blood pressure. Since it is medicinal in nature, it is akin to taking pills. That is, a person does not drink alcohol and its derivatives during a period of exacerbation of alcoholism, and is not condemned by the church.
In such cases, a big role is played by the believer’s perception of the situation, whether he is comfortable taking such medicine.
Origin story
At the beginning of the twentieth century, instant coffee began to be produced, which immediately became widespread. The soluble option significantly saved time, because the powder did not need to be cooked using a special technology. This type began to be produced on a production scale and now a large assortment of instant products is presented on store shelves.
But carrying a jar of powder with you to work was not very convenient, and manufacturers decided to start producing portioned sachets. However, many people prefer the drink with sugar, so they decided to add sugar along with the powder. The next improvement was the addition of milk powder and cream.
Thus, from one bag you get a sweet coffee drink with cream. Manufacturers offer 3-in-1 options with various flavors to satisfy the desires of every customer. The dangers of coffee are three in one and its benefits are of little interest to many consumers. It’s enough for them that it’s very convenient - they can take the bags to work, on trips, out of town.
The meaning of the posts
Probably everyone has already heard that abstaining from food and drink without spiritual cleansing and overcoming oneself will not please God.
Fasting is not a diet. Giving up food is not the main task of a Christian. The question of whether you can drink beer during fasting is certainly important, but this is not the first thing you should think about. Abstinence from food is useless without spiritual abstinence, without mercy and attempts to correct one’s sins. Of course, all of the above must be done constantly, every day. Fasting helps because it allows the spirit to restore dominance over the body, because in everyday life the opposite happens. And you can't argue with that.
Jesus Christ himself, having spent a forty-day fast in the desert and defeated the Devil, “returned in the strength of the spirit” and thereby showed everyone the weapon that helps to overthrow the enemy of the human race. His strength is crushed by the memory of defeat in the desert, which is why he retreats from fasting according to all the rules.
Is it possible to drink alcohol during Lent?
During Lent, which in 2022 lasts from March 2 to April 18, believers give up animal products: meat, fish, eggs and milk. Is it possible to drink alcohol during Lent?
During this period, it is recommended not to drink strong alcoholic drinks. However, the liturgical charter, which regulates church fasts, allows drinking a little wine on certain days.
According to the regulations, you can drink wine during Lent on weekends - Saturday and Sunday. Also, the use of this alcoholic drink is permitted on Thursday during Holy Week (April 16, 2020) and on church holidays: the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) on April 12, 2022 and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on April 7.
However, when the Annunciation falls on Friday or Saturday of Holy Week, indulgences in honor of this holiday are not allowed, and wine is prohibited by the rules of Lent.
It is believed that only red grape wines (preferably Cahors) can be consumed in small quantities. (Remember that pure grape wine is not only often used in various church ceremonies, but is also considered a symbol of the blood of Christ).
And yet, most priests believe that in our time the rule mentioned above is outdated. It was adopted in medieval times, when wine was often drunk in monasteries because the water quality was poor. Wine was added to raw water and only then consumed. Now there is no need for this.
So is it legal to drink alcohol on the Saturday before Easter?
The strictest restrictions are imposed in the first and last week of Lent (before Easter). These days, believers completely refuse food and drink only water. Some clergy advise completely eliminating other drinks from the diet these days.
From the second to the sixth week inclusive, herbal teas, fruit juices, fruit drinks, kvass and compotes are recommended. You can diversify your diet with herbal teas.
Fragrant and tasty drinks are prepared from linden, fireweed, chamomile and other herbs. Aromatic healing teas are also brewed from the berries, leaves and twigs of rowan, raspberry, and lingonberry.
Lent is the longest and most strict of all multi-day fasts in Christianity. Its main goal is to cleanse the soul and body and prepare believers for Easter. The consumption of strong alcoholic beverages during Lent is equated by the church with sin; accordingly, believers should abandon them.
By sacrificing our weaknesses, we will gain true faith. And the fight against one’s passions and weaknesses is one of the goals of fasting. So these days you can take on additional obligations and completely avoid drinking alcoholic beverages.
The Church Charter prescribes the following rules:
- Particularly strict fasting must be observed in the first and last weeks. On the first Monday of Lent, which believers call clean, one is ordered to go without food for the whole day. It is only permissible to drink water.
- On other days of the first Lenten week (through Friday inclusive) it is allowed to eat raw and dried fruits and vegetables, frozen berries, nuts, bread, and honey. That is, products that have not been boiled in water are “dry”. You are supposed to eat once a day after sunset. It is allowed to eat pickled vegetables, mushrooms, and cooled vegetables baked in the oven without the use of vegetable oil. This kind of nutrition is called dry eating.
- On days of dry eating, you should not drink hot drinks - tea, coffee, as well as compotes, herbal decoctions, wine. Allowed drinks are water and juices.
- On Friday of the first week of Lent, according to church regulations, it is customary to eat boiled wheat with “kolivo” honey, blessed in the church. However, at present this rule is observed most often only in monasteries.
- During the rest of Lent, you should eat according to the following schedule: on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday you should stick to dry eating. On Tuesdays and Thursdays you can eat hot food without oil. On Saturdays and Sundays, food with vegetable oil is allowed, as well as meals twice a day. And so on until Holy Week.
- On Good Friday during Holy Week you are not supposed to eat food at all. Many believers also do not eat anything on Holy Saturday until Easter.
- Fish during Lent is allowed to be eaten only on the Feast of the Annunciation (seventh of April) and Palm Sunday (eighth of April). On Lazarus Saturday you can eat fish caviar.
- On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday it is also allowed to eat hot food flavored with vegetable oil if these days fall in memory of the most revered saints.
“Fasting” is necessary not only with the body, but also with the soul. Photo: AiF/Irina Yakunina
