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.

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. 

Rita explores ways to care for health and lose weight and at the same time share alms through decreasing food waste.

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.

Stress that is not managed affects our health and increases our appetite. Rita discusses ways to handle stressors during this time of year.

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.

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.

Rita encourages us to enter into the true spirit of the fast as we begin Great Lent.

Rita discusses the fourth chapter of her new book, which focuses on fasting.

Rita introduces her new book Food, Faith, and Fasting: A Sacred Journey to Better Health, published by Ancient Faith Publishing.

Rita discusses the fifth chapter of her new book, which focuses on exercise.

Rita discusses dedicating a fast to someone to aid us in deepening our prayer for them.

This PSA provides information about where to access ideas and guidelines for the FFF Group Setting.

Many people feel they are experiencing some intolerance to foods (and for sure some people do) but some may be experiencing stress and when their body is in stressed mode it can create physical symptoms that do not feel the best. We will look at the teachings of the Desert Fathers for some wisdom to help with stress. In addition we will explore the program My Beautiful Lent (http://www.mybeautifullent.com) which is an online program being released this Great Lent (2016) to help decrease the stress that somehow appears during this time. The program aids to simplify Great Lent to allow it to be a fruitful season.

Rita interviews Cynthia Damaskos about the current research on gluten. Rita and Cynthia are the creators of My Beautiful Lent, a program to help Orthodox Christians in all stages of life to use the fast for the nourishment of the soul, leaving room for the blessings that the Church intends and that God wants to give freely. Find out more at http://www.mybeautifullent.com

Rita Madden shares the latest research regarding the way fasting helps our bodies to function properly, even as we keep our focus on prayer during Great Lent.

In this podcast, Rita discusses how fasting can actually lead to healthier food choices. She will also look at a 16-hour fasting approach and it's benefits to care for our body and soul alike.

Caring for our health and fighting our passions requires compassion. We need to start with showing compassion to ourselves to aid us in creating sustainable changes.

Rita encourages us to deepen our Advent Fast by simplifying our choices of what and where to eat, so that we can spend more time attending services, praying and serving others who are in need. She also introduces a new program called My Beautiful Advent which can be found at http://www.mybeautifuladvent.com.

Rita provides good insights into how we can keep the fast of Great Lent, and encourages us to stay connected to others who can help us be accountable and on the right path.

Rita shares her reflections on a short conversation by two desert fathers on laying new foundations in our lives.

Following the feasts and fasts of the Church cannot only help us care for our own health, but it can also benefit the environment and God's creation.

Rita explains the use of the Sanctification Prayer that we pray before eating, asking the Holy Spirit to fill and guide what we are partaking in.

Rita Madden encourages us to prepare our lives for the journey of Great Lent by working for the healing of the whole earth.

Rita Madden encourages us to continue the fast with words from St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain.

Rita Madden shares St. Gregory of Nyssa's writing on The Lord's Prayer, and provides insight on stress management and how to eat.

With fasting being such a buzz diet, craze right now, Rita Madden helps us to gain some perspective through the teachings of St. Issac the Syrian.

As we continue to move through the fast, it is quite beautiful to see how the physical end of our fasting tradition aids us in the spiritual hunger we all feel.

In this brief podcast we look at a beautiful teaching from St. John Kronstadt about our true food.

Rita Madden shares some wisdom from Abba Pambo to aid us in keeping the correct spirit for the Great Fast.

It's simply so beautiful how our tradition has the answers for what a lot of modern day self-help programs are offering to help one care for their health.

In this podcast we discover wonderful wisdom from A Monastery's Kitchen to bring Christ into everything we do.

Modern day medicine is encouraging people to practice gratitude as it is good for health. We are called by our Holy Tradition to give thanks for all things! Following the Holy Orthodox Tradition provides us the tools we need to care for soul and body.

In this episode, Krista Fedorchak, the new co-host of Food, Faith and Fasting, unpacks the differences between the fasting mindset and the dieting mindset, so we can better understand and approach this ancient Christian Discipline within the context of our current society's understanding of dieting.

The Church offers us guidance for what to eat and what to abstain from during the fast, but does not give much guidance in the way of exactly how much to eat. Today, I am hoping to suggest that, when keeping the proper spirit of the fast, the wisdom of how much we need is already within us.

Feasting is not the opposite of fasting, but a most joyful application of the fruits of our Lenten spiritual efforts! Take what you have cultivated during the fast, and feast with joy by following these 5 tips.

Rita Madden shares some reflections from the book titled, "How to Live a Holy Life."

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah discuss the effects of loss of control and powerlessness in the lives of those we are caring for, and how we might process our own sense of powerlessness even as we seek to be present with them.

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah reflect together about forgiveness from an Orthodox perspective, and how forgiveness applies in an acute care setting.

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah talk about the importance of prayer in the life of an Orthodox Chaplain, and how they use prayer as a spiritual intervention in their ministries.

Chaplain Sarah interviews Chaplain Elizabeth Hawkins, Pediatric Palliative Care Chaplain, on the power of loving silence and the respect of the mystery of God.

Chaplain Sarah Byrne-Martelli interviews Chaplain Sarah Jabbour from Beacon Hospice on the topic of "Caring for People with Dementia."

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah begin a two part conversation about the important role of self-care in preventing burnout in caregiving roles.

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah continue their conversation about the important role of self-care in preventing burnout in caregiving roles, focusing on the psychological point of view and addressing how to do good self-care.

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah begin a conversation about the challenge of applying the joy of the resurrection of Christ in the context of suffering that we see and experience as caregivers.

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah continue their conversation about the challenge of applying the joy of the resurrection of Christ in the context of suffering and loss.

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah reflect on the use of music as a healing intervention when caring for a person who is suffering.

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah continue their discussion about the role music in caring for a person who is suffering, and how music can be used in group settings.

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah begin a new series of podcasts with an introduction to the topic of grief and loss. (Part 1)

Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah continue an introduction of their new series of podcasts on the topic of grief and loss. (Part 2)