Food, Faith, and Fasting Ancient Ingredients for Modern-Day Health

Start date: April 2011 961 minutes, 29 seconds in 48 episodes

This podcast is geared toward Orthodox and non-Orthodox Christians who want to care for their health in a spiritually minded manner. It focuses on ways to manage medical conditions such as weight loss, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gastric reflux, and more. Rita Madden’s theory of health management is based on the wisdom embodied in the Holy Orthodox Church.

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Episodes

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Date	Title & Description	Duration
May 08, 2013	The Eastern Orthodox Healthy Eating and Living Toolbox This will be the last podcast for quite some time as Rita takes a break to focus on conducting food and faith workshops. Here she reminds us of the importance of allowing the traditions of our church to be the basis for our health management. Click to play	17:02
Apr 10, 2013	The Buddy System Supporting each other with our health efforts can be an act of love. Rita discusses the importance of taking advantage of the buddy system. Click to play	16:45
Mar 14, 2013	Let’s Not Fake the Fast Rita encourages us to enter into the true spirit of the fast as we begin Great Lent. Click to play	22:36
Feb 15, 2013	Eating as a Way to Deepen our Communion with God In his book For the Life of the World, Father Alexander Schmemann writes, "In the Bible the food that man eats, the world of which he must partake in order to live, is given to him by God, and it is given as communion with God. Rita explains how we can work toward making eating a time of communion with God. Click to play	23:22
Jan 16, 2013	The Relationship Between Forgiveness and Mindful Eating Did you overdo it during the fast-free period of the Holy Nativity? Are you frustrated with how you ate and that lack of attention you paid to your body? Do you struggle with overindulgence on foods and beverage? Rita discusses how and why we must forgive ourselves and move forward. Click to play	24:06
Dec 19, 2012	Eating as a Way to Share the Faith Eastern Orthodox Christians eat in a very specific way. With all the discussions about the various diets out there, is this traditional way of eating a way to share the faith? Rita answers in the affirmative and explains why. Click to play	12:49
Dec 05, 2012	Managing Stressors of the Season Stress that is not managed affects our health and increases our appetite. Rita discusses ways to handle stressors during this time of year. Click to play	21:49
Nov 21, 2012	Fasting Alone What do you do when you are the only one in your home who is fasting? You have become Orthodox and your spouse has not, or you live with people who simply do not fast. What are some strategies for you to keep the fast? Rita offers some suggestions. Click to play	16:30
Nov 07, 2012	Nourishing the Sick Rita discusses ways to show brotherly love through feeding the sick. Click to play	13:45
Oct 17, 2012	Decreasing Food Waste Rita explores ways to care for health and lose weight and at the same time share alms through decreasing food waste.	19:52
Oct 03, 2012	Answering Listener Questions Rita answers two questions that she have received from listeners: (1) What do you do when someone prepares a meal for you that has not been made with quality ingredients? (2) What is the best way to participate in exercise while fasting?	18:08
Sep 19, 2012	Fasting with Company Many of us have family and friends who are not Orthodox. What do we do when company is in our home during a fasting day or period? Rita gives suggestions for showing the gift of hospitality and still keeping the fast.	16:42
Sep 05, 2012	Dining with Alcohol Rita explores ways in which to have a healthy relationship with alcohol.	26:16
Aug 22, 2012	Fasting With the Child Fasting should not be legalistic, and it involves way more than just food. Rita explains the various ways in which we can help our children understand and practice all the aspects of a fasting period.	21:09
Aug 08, 2012	Modeling Healthy Fasting We all must embrace fasting with a willing heart. In addition, we need to nourish our bodies during the fast. Rita provides information about the nutritional value of various fasting foods, whether for children or adults.	24:07
Jul 25, 2012	Children and Their Relationship with Food Rita discusses additional ways to help children develop a healthy relationship with food.	27:03
Jul 11, 2012	Children and Their Personal Wellness Family dinnertime goes beyond a balanced meal. This is when we sit together and are nourished both spiritually and physically. Rita shares things to do in everyday life to increase physical activity and improve stress management throughout a child's day.	22:38
Jun 27, 2012	Eating Alone: Making the Best of Mealtime When Eating Alone For a variety of reasons, many of us have to eat alone. Rita presents strategies for eating alone in a healthful and satisfying manner. She also provides strategies for helping those who have to deal with the struggle of eating alone.	21:40
Jun 12, 2012	Fasting IS Medicine The Holy Apostle’s fast is upon us. Fasting is not legalistic; rather, it is a medicine we choose to take to deepen our communion with God. Rita focuses on approaching the fast from a willing heart. She also discusses how joyful fasting can lead to health benefits.	21:45
May 30, 2012	Eating on the Road Many of us have to eat away from home as a result of our work situation. Others are going to be eating away from home for extended periods of time due to vacationing. Whatever the scenario might be, how do we practice eating on the road with watchful attention? Rita offers several strategies.	26:28
May 09, 2012	Ditch Dieting How are we supposed to enjoy our bodies when advertising markets unrealistic ways of looking, living, and eating? Rita discusses ways to celebrate the Paschal season, and life in general, without succumbing to media-imposed standards of beauty.	24:07
Apr 25, 2012	Healthy Body Image Versus Vainglory Eating disorders are on the rise, and we see them in both men and women. Negative thinking and depression due to an unhealthy body image are also very common. Rita discusses ways to develop a healthy relationship with our bodies in keeping with the Holy Orthodox Faith.	26:28
Apr 11, 2012	Mindfully Eating During Bright Week This is the most celebratory time of the whole year! Rita shares ways to joyfully celebrate Pascha without forfeiting a healthy relationship with food.	22:00
Mar 28, 2012	Continuing Your Fasting Journey Rita explains that feeling hunger can benefit both our physical and spiritual wellbeing. She also discusses a few oil-free meal ideas.	21:41
Mar 14, 2012	More Commentary on the Great Fast Rita offers tips and encouragement to assist listeners in their fasting journey.	19:26
Feb 22, 2012	The Dos and Don’ts of Fasting When a fast is just around the corner, the fridge gets stocked with non-dairy creamer and margarine. Rita explains how these foods sabotage the very essence of fasting and are detrimental to health.	15:52
Feb 15, 2012	Quick Cooking St. Gregory the Theologian cooked! And he used the expression “the magic and wizardry of the cooks.” It is beneficial for our health to eat foods that are prepared in the home. In this episode, Rita discusses quick cooking strategies.	26:03
Feb 01, 2012	Let the Cooking Begin In this episode, Rita shares a story from a monk that explains what is needed to cook. Whether you currently do not cook and know you need to start or are an avid cook, the wisdom in this story will provide you with a way to look at cooking as a component of our spiritual life.	17:27
Jan 18, 2012	Cooking as a Way to Glorify God Rita reminds us that cooking can be a way to glorify God—to pray and to care for body and soul alike. In this episode, the listener will learn how to get back into the kitchen.	18:49
Jan 04, 2012	Stewardship Eating We are called to be stewards of the earth. Rita explains how we can try to eat in an uncorrupted manner to carry out this duty?	25:18
Dec 21, 2011	Eating According to the Church Calendar With the New Year around the corner, people are making decisions about which diet to try. In this episode, Rita shares what the research shows about eating the Holy Orthodox way.	18:06
Dec 07, 2011	Properly Feasting After a long seasonal fast, one will be tempted to overeat. What can we do to prevent overeating and properly enjoy the foods of the season? Rita has a few suggestions.	15:21
Nov 22, 2011	Seasonal Fasting Rita looks at proper seasonal fasting, as well as some strategies for practicing this discipline when we are in the world.	20:06
Nov 09, 2011	The Temptation to Misuse Food None are without temptation. Even Christ was tempted. What do we do when we are tempted to use food for the wrong reasons? Rita discusses strategies to handle the misuse of food.	24:16
Oct 26, 2011	Handling Relapse For it is written, "If a righteous man falls down seven times"—that is, repeatedly throughout his life—"seven times shall he rise again" (Prov. 24:16). We will fall. Relapse does occur. Setting realistic goals is a great way to handle not giving in to the passions of overeating and slothfulness. Realistic goal-setting is a way to make positive changes that last.	15:41
Oct 12, 2011	Establishing Behaviors That Last St. Issac of Nineveh tells us that “a small but always persistent discipline is a great force; for a soft drop falling persistently hollows out hard rock.” In this episode, Rita discusses ways to set realistic goals for healthy behavior change.	14:41
Sep 28, 2011	Self Care What does it mean to truly love and care for ourselves? How is this related to our health and faith? In this episode, Rita takes a look at the Akathist of Thanksgiving service to gain insight on how to properly nurture ourselves to aid us in proper care of body and soul alike.	18:16
Sep 14, 2011	Exercise a Step Further In this episode, listeners will continue to learn ways to make exercise a regular part of their everyday routines.	19:53
Aug 31, 2011	Exercise as a Joyful Part of the Day Exercise does not have to be a laborious and taxing process. And you don’t have to run marathons to attain its benefits. Writings from the second century by Clement of Alexandria explain that when it comes to physical activity we must keep a balance—neither doing nothing nor killing ourselves with exhaustion. In this podcast, listeners will attain practical ways to make exercise a practical and lasting part of their lives.	18:42
Aug 18, 2011	Managing Stress Joyfully Proper prayer, helping others, hobbies, healthy laughter, simplifying our lives, and singing can all be ways for us to manage our stress and benefit our health and weight. This podcast will review these various concepts and give us strategies for how to implement them into our daily lives.	17:09
Aug 02, 2011	Silence as a Tool for Stress Management St. Gregory of Nyssa explains to us that the life of the body is one of flux and change. We have sleep to relax tension. But what should this look like, and how can we attain it in a healthy manner? This podcasts looks at the importance of silence and proper sleep as ways to manage our stress and care for our health.	16:22
Jul 20, 2011	Stress Management and Our Spiritual and Physical Health Elder Paisios constantly stressed the power of positive thinking. In this episode, the listener will learn the effects of poor stress management on the body and how positive thinking is important for our health and weight management.	17:32
Jul 06, 2011	Sacred Eating in the Restaurant Many meals are eaten in the restaurant setting. This podcast will provide strategies on how to eat in a spiritually minded manner at the restaurant and explains how these good food choices can benefit your health.	14:46
Jun 22, 2011	Sacred Eating in the Workplace Many times we eat outside the home—be it at work, at a friend’s home, or at a restaurant. This podcast will provide strategies on how to eat in a spiritually minded manner in the work environment.	16:36
Jun 08, 2011	Sacred Eating St. Maximus the Confessor explains to us that nothing that God has created is in itself bad. It's the gluttony that is bad, not the food. In this session, Rita looks at snacking and how it can have a negative impact on our health. She also provides some practical tips for moving away from mindless snacking.	16:05
May 25, 2011	Eating in a Chaste Manner St. John Chrysostom gives us a rule that can help with portion control in the era of Super Size and the Double Big Gulp. He states that we should “eat just to alleviate your hunger.” This sounds like a very good rule, but how do we apply it to our everyday eating practices? The listener will walk away from this episode with tips on portion control and being satisfied with less. The listener will also learn how this can help with longterm weight and chronic-disease management.	22:42
May 11, 2011	Nourishing the Body to Serve As an Aid to the Soul Around the tenth century, we hear the venerable St. Simeon the New Theologian explaining that many illnesses are caused by a disorderly and irregular diet. Does a saint speaking to us one thousand years ago have answers for our food choices today in the world of egg beaters, diet sodas, and fat-free foods?	26:27
Apr 26, 2011	Eating in a Spiritually Minded Manner St. Seraphim of Sarov states that “everyday we should partake of just enough food to allow the body, being fortified, to a be a friend and helper to the soul in performing the virtues. Otherwise with the body exhausted the soul may also weaken.” In this episode, Rita provides wisdom from the early Church Fathers regarding what foods we should be eating and how to consume them in a sensible and healthful manner.	17:05