#easter lent

[epestrefe]

Καθαρή Δευτέρα

[fregolicotard]

08.02.2024

Today marked Fat Thursday in Poland — essentially our national doughnut day. On my way back from therapy, I went by every spot without a colossal line, snagging 2-3 doughnuts at each. Curious about the final count of my doughnut haul? You'd need to sign an NDA for that info. Let's just say the number teeters between 'impressive' and 'should I be worried?' 😅

#39of366

[alatismeni-theitsa]

The Akathist Hymn is a devotional poem, which sings the praises of the Most Holy Panagia (Virgin Mary). It was composed in Constantinople, "the city of the Virgin," by St. Romanos the Melodist, who reposed in the year 556.

The word "akathistos" means "not sitting,". Normally all participants stand while it is being prayed.

The origin of the feast is assigned by the Synaxarion to the year 626, when Constantinople, in the reign of Heraclius, was attacked by the Persians and Avars but saved through the intervention of the Most Holy Theotokos. A sudden hurricane dispersed the fleet of the enemy, casting the vessels on the shore near the Great church of the Theotokos at Blachernae, a quarter of Constantinople inside the Golden Horn. The people spent the whole night, says the account, thanking her for the unexpected deliverance.

The hymn is comprised of 24 stanzas, arranged in an acrostic following the Greek alphabet. The stanzas alternate between long and short. Each short stanza is written in prose and ends with the singing of "Alleluia." Each longer stanza ends with the refrain: "Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded."

The Akathist Hymn and Small Compline are two services which are sung on the first five Fridays during Great Lent. The Small Compline, and the canon, is sung on each of the five Fridays.

The Akathist Hymn has proven so popular in the liturgical life of the Church that many other hymns have been written following its format.

"Rejoice (I greet you), unfading rose.

Rejoice (I greet you), the only one who budded forth the unfading apple.

Rejoice (I greet you), birth-giver of the aromatic balm of the King of all.

Rejoice (I greet you), O Bride unwedded, the world's salvation."

[...]

"O Champion General, we your faithful inscribe to you the prize of victory as gratitude for being rescued from calamity, O Theotokos (birth-giver of God). But since you have invincible power, free us from all kinds of perils so that we may cry out to you: Rejoice (I greet you), O Bride unwedded!"

(Translated by Father George Papadeas)

[angelkarafilli]

Thomas Kincade art

Pray for humanity (i feel like i`m living in another Indepedence day film)

[stoyfitness]

Getting EPA And DHA When Going Vegan

Some of you who are strict vegans or trying to abstain from all animal products during lent, will find it hard to obtain all the necessary nutrients in the foods you have to choose from.

I will not try to argue that you can get ALL of your nutrients from plant sources for too long. However, the body is quite capable in taking what it needs from the foods you DO provide it. Moreover, making sure that those foods are as nutrient dense as possible will help even more, especially if you are excluding powerhouse foods like salmon, wild meat, grass fed butter and grass-fed beef.

Two foods that I am including during this Easter Lent are chia seeds and hemp hearts.

I have used Hemp protein in the past, but this time around I wanted something that would provide me with a wide variety of nutrients (hemp hearts are high in vitamins, minerals and omega 3s), while still adding extra protein to support intense training. In addition, hemp hearts have a nice nutty taste and go well on top of all the green leafy veggies I am consuming: http://www.livestrong.com/article/154639-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-hemp-hearts/

Chia is another great superfood that I have added and anyone can benefit from. They beat out flax seeds in their fibre, calcium and phosphorus content. They also do not have to be ground like flax, so they stay fresh longer.

Flax is still great, and has the edge in protein content, fat content and cancer fighting lignans. I use it in my protein shakes to thicken them up a bit. Remember, variety is key! http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/07/09/flax-vs-chia_n_3567261.html

Now many experts will say that you can't get the EPA and DHA components (both are extremely important for heart health, immunity and inflammation), which you get from eating animal products such as salmon and wild meats, by consuming plant products. This is because the body must convert ALA (the omega 3 found in foods like chia seeds and hemp) into EPA and DHA. This conversion is very low (about 5-10%) unless you are a very healthy/lean athlete.

This is partly true. In fact, if you smoke, are obese, are older, and eat a bad diet in general, your ability to convert ALA into EPA/DHA is even further diminished.

However, if you are eating a plant based, vegetarian diet, for long enough, your body will adapt and the conversion of ALA to EPA/DHA will rise quite significantly (up to 20%): http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Omega-3-ALA-intakes-enough-for-EPA-DPA-levels-for-non-fish-eater

Here are a few more things that will decrease the conversion of ALA to EPA/DHA:

High carbohydrate diet

Low Protein diet (rice, hemp and yellow pea are your friend)

Low B3, B6, Vitamin C, zinc, magnesium (take a good multi)

Low estrogen levels (woman post menopause need to take notice, but men should not try to increase estrogen)

So in conclusion, its about balance. Yes, you can improve your EPA and DHA levels without consuming animal sources, but in the long run, intermittent use of clean animal products will help ensure health.

CAUTION: It's also VERY important to remember that pregnant women need enough DHA for their babies and the conversion of ALA to DHA is much lower. It is true that EPA can convert into DHA in women of reproductive age, but this might not be enough. So vegans please take notice. If you are trying to feed a growing fetus, clean animal products are extremely important to insure proper development:

http://www.udoerasmus.com/articles/udo/fish_oil.htm

Science + Determination = Results!