Religious Approaches to Dieting
Moderation
What is the puritanical approach to food?
The puritanical approach to food emphasizes the idea that certain foods are good and others are bad, with natural foods being seen as good and unhealthy foods being seen as sinful. This approach has been used for centuries to sell diets and promote religious ideas about purity through food. From The Atlantic, this approach has been popularized in recent years by the rise of clean eating and other diet trends. This approach is often used to stigmatize certain groups of people who do not have access to healthy foods.
What is the importance of eating like a Catholic?
Living a Catholic life is a way to experience fullness and closeness to God, according to Aleteia (2016). Eating like a Catholic can help to manifest this experience in daily life, as it emphasizes the importance of shared meals and the enjoyment of food. Studies have shown that regular family meals are associated with lower risk of substance abuse and improved academic performance in children.
What is religious moderation?
Religious moderation is an approach to reduce religious radicalism in Indonesia and to promote respect among its pluralistic society, as stated in Religious Moderation: an Approach Of Religious Life In Indonesia published by University of Kebangsaan Indonesia in 2021. This approach requires religious followers to practice their beliefs correctly while respecting others. This approach can also help bring stability to a state's security.
Purity
What does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe about end-of-life issues?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that life is a sacred gift, and that only God should determine when life ends ("Religious Groups Views on End-of-Life Issues", pewresearch.org, 2013). While they do not believe in ending life, they accept that life need not be prolonged if it is a source of suffering. Many religious groups such as the Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church and American Baptist Churches have issued statements regarding end-of-life care, emphasizing the need for compassionate care for those facing terminal illness.
What role did purity play in forming religious traditions in antiquity?
This volume examines concepts, practices and images related to purity in the main cultures of antiquity, and discusses their parallel developments and transformations in a comparative perspective, demonstrating that purity had a central role in forming and shaping religious traditions in the ancient Mediterranean. Published by the Oxford University Press in 2012, Purity and the Forming of Religious Traditions in the Ancient explores how purity has been understood, practiced, and represented in various religious contexts over time. The book highlights how purity is often used as a tool for social control and for defining power dynamics.
Do Douglas' theories regarding ritual purity and pollution still influence scholarly approaches to ancient texts?
Douglas' theories regarding ritual purity and pollution still dominate the field of purity studies, despite the fact that her approach has largely fallen out of favour with anthropologists. Sourced from a study published in the journal American Anthropologist in 1987, Douglas' theories continue to shape the way scholars approach ancient texts. Recent research has suggested that beliefs surrounding ritual purity and pollution can have far-reaching social functions.
Abstinence
What foods are considered Haram in Islamic dietary restrictions?
As mentioned in Islamic dietary restrictions, certain foods are considered Haram, or forbidden, including pork and all its byproducts, animals that were not slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, and blood and its by-products. This information is provided by Livestrong.com in their article, Muslim Diet Restrictions (2022). Halal foods are allowed, which includes most vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, eggs, and fish.
How can Christians achieve weight loss?
Christian weight loss is possible by learning how to manage slips, such as eating something you think you shouldnt. According to Grace Filled Plate, the key is to not indulge after a slip and focus on healthy eating habits. Studies have shown that those who practice mindful eating have better weight-loss results.
Do Catholics have to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent?
Latin Rite Catholics aged 14 and older are required to abstain from eating flesh meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent, unless the solemnity falls on a Friday. As mentioned in Catholic Online (catholic.org) in 2011, if a solemnity does happen to fall on a Friday, abstinence is not required. The Church encourages all believers to practice fasting during Lent.
Cleanliness
Can a balanced diet help with Christian weight loss?
Christian weight loss is achievable by eating a balanced diet, such as beans and lentils, eggs, fish, skinless chicken or turkey breast, lean ground beef, lean cuts of pork, nuts and seeds, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic in 2021. Regular physical activity can help improve overall health and aid in successful weight loss.
Do Hindus follow a lactovegetarian diet?
Many Hindus follow a lactovegetarian diet, which prohibits the consumption of meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, while encouraging the consumption of milk products. This is due to the fact that cows are seen as sacred in Hinduism (Brahmins may even have restrictions on who prepares their food and how it is prepared). Studies have shown that a plant-based diet is associated with lower risks of developing chronic diseases.
What is the Hindu view of health?
The Hindu tradition views health as the maintenance of the best possible working of the human body under normal and sometimes abnormal conditions, with spiritual objectives in mind. According to an article published by PubMed in 1989, healthy living and ethical considerations are emphasized in Hindu religious teachings. Research has shown that healthy lifestyle practices have mental and physical benefits.
Sanctification
What is sanctification?
Sanctification is God's work of setting believers apart from non-believers, as explained by the Bible. As stated by Equip.sbts.edu, there are 6 essential things every Christian should know about this doctrine. Believers should be aware that sanctification is a process and requires effort on their part to align their lives with God's will.
What is the purpose of Christian fasting?
Christian fasting is an important spiritual practice which requires a purpose and plan to be effective. Via Desiring God (2015), it is important to not think of white elephants when fasting, as this will divert from its intended purpose. Fasting can also help to improve overall health when done correctly, as it can produce a range of positive effects on the body.
Can God help with weight loss?
Losing weight with the help of God is a great way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Attributed to beans & lentils. Eggs. fish (salmon, tuna, cod, etc) skinless chicken or turkey breast. Lean (90% or higher) ground beef. Lean cuts of pork (pork tenderloin, loin chops, or sirloin roasts) nuts and seeds on veryblessed.com, incorporating exercise and prayer into your weight-loss journey can be a powerful combination for success. Studies have shown that a combination of diet and exercise can result in greater weight-loss than either diet or exercise alone.
Holiness
What is the role of diet in holiness according to Reform Judaism?
The consumption of certain foods is prescribed in Leviticus 11 as a way to consecrate the people, imbuing them with holiness like that of Aaron and his sons. According to Reform Judaism, this connection is further reinforced by the priestly offering of the sh'lamim (the "whole offering"), which emphasizes the importance of diet in holiness. Consuming only kosher foods is a reminder to Jews that spirituality should permeate all aspects of life.
How can we cultivate holiness in our ministry?
Holiness is achieved by having a strong connection to God and understanding the larger picture of our roles in the parish or school. According to Sadlier's Religion blog (2018), this grounding helps us to navigate the challenges of ministerial leadership. Having an understanding of how we can use the 5 spiritual attitudes of humility, obedience, poverty, prayer, and detachment to further our holiness can further strengthen our relationship with God and our roles in the parish or school.
What did Phoebe Palmer promote?
Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874) was an influential leader in the Second Great Awakening and promoted Holiness theology, which she wrote and published in her book "The Way of Holiness" (1843). Along with her sister, she helped found the religious magazine "The Guide to Holiness" (1839). Her works have sold over 20,000 copies in its first six years and remain popular today. She has been credited with helping shape the theological foundations of the Pentecostal movement.
Fasting
Do Buddhist monks and nuns fast?
Fasting is an important practice among Hindus and Buddhist monks and nuns, and has also been adopted by secular dieters in the 5:2 diet. Via BBC News, some Buddhist monks and nuns forsake evening meals in order to fast. The 5:2 diet recommends a daily calorie intake of 500 for women, and 600 for men.
What is fasting?
Fasting is the abstention from food or drink for health, ritualistic, religious, or ethical purposes, which can be complete or partial, lengthy, of short duration, or intermittent. As reported by Britannica, fasting has been practiced from antiquity worldwide for various reasons. It can have both physical and psychological benefits when done correctly.
What are the benefits of Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting has been proven to be beneficial for metabolic health, as evidenced by Alternate-Day Fasting (ADF), which involves consuming 100% of daily energy allowance on feeding days and 0% on fast days, with 3-4 weekly fast days and an open feeding window. This is according to research conducted by Kristin K. Hoddy, Kara L. Marlatt, and Hatice Çetinkaya at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2020. Recent studies have also shown that intermittent fasting is associated with a decrease in body fat percentage.
Obedience
What is Remnant Fellowship?
The Way Down, a docuseries detailing the shocking story of Gwen Shamblin and her religious weight-loss movement Remnant Fellowship, reveals how her teachings are a form of cult-like control. From The Guardian, the series reveals how Shamblin's teachings blend 90s and early 2000s diet culture with spirituality, creating an environment where members are to give up their autonomy and conform to her ideals. Research has found that restrictive diets can cause both physical and psychological harm.
What is kosher food?
Jewish religious practices include laws about food, such as kosher food laws, which dictate what is and isn't permissible to eat. Mentioned in BBC Bitesize GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas, these laws are based on the Torah, or the five books of Moses, and they have an important role in Judaism. In addition, Jewish people often observe rituals associated with food such as blessings before or after meals.
What is Sufism?
Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism focused on obedience to the religious law and love-mysticism, drawing largely from the vocabulary found in the Qur??n. Attributed to Britannica (2020), Sufi mystics often communicate their experiences through musical performances, such as the Sufi Whirling ceremony.
Sacrifice
What is sacrifice in religious practice?
Sacrifice is a complex religious ritual of offering an object to a divinity to establish, maintain, or restore a right relationship between humans and the sacred order. Sourced from Britannica (on britannica.com, 2020), it is found in the earliest known forms of worship and in all parts of the world. The practice of sacrifice continues to be found in various religions today.
Attempts to discover the origins of sacrifice have been inconclusive, as noted by Sir Edward Burnett Tylor in his 1871 work in comparative religion. Since then, various theories have been proposed to explain the purpose and origin of sacrifice, but none have been conclusive. One theory suggests that sacrifice is a form of exchange between humans and deities, while another suggests that it is a way to pay homage to the gods. Religious scholars have argued that sacrifice is a way of building social cohesion and expressing gratitude.
What are the arguments for religious animal sacrifice?
Animal sacrifice is not inferior to modern slaughter practices, as argued by many animal rights advocates, according to Grumett and Muers in Theology on the Menu: Asceticism, Meat and Christian Diet (Routledge, 2010). This form of religious slaughter is a legitimate and respected practice that can be seen in many cultures around the world.
Self-control
What benefits can a Buddhist diet offer?
The Buddhist diet is a primarily plant-based approach, which includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and beans; some animal products may also be included. As indicated by Healthline (2020), this type of diet is an effective way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Studies have shown that following a plant-based diet can reduce the risk of numerous health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
How can eliminating guilt and practicing grace help with Christian weight loss?
Eliminating guilt and practicing grace are essential for successful Christian weight loss, as shown by the case study of a person who lost 100 pounds. As reported on WebJan, the key to this journey was understanding that compassion is the answer to overeating patterns. Studies have shown that having a healthy diet and regular exercise are important components of sustainable weight loss.
What is dieting?
Dieting is the practice of regulating one's food intake for the purpose of improving physical condition, specifically for weight loss, according to Britannica. Dieting plans typically involve reducing any of the macronutrients that make up the majority of a person's food intake.
Source:
- Theatlantic : Food, Religious Ideas, Diets.
- Pewresearch : Religious Groups Views, Life.
- Livestrong : Muslim Dietary Restrictions, What, Halal, Haram.
- Soveryblessed : Christian Weight Loss, Weight, Leaning.
- Sbts : 6 things, every Christian.
