Ep. 17: Eating and Fasting for God with Cynthia Damaskos
“ Our body belongs to God and we need to be good stewards of it.
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Intro and Mission
Cynthia is a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach from Valpariaso, Indiana. She and I share a passion to promote health and faith. Her goal is “to teach you how to be a good steward of your biggest blessings—your mind, body, and your soul.”
She describes a healing experience with her elderly aunt that encouraged her to enter this field and become a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She realized she wanted to take her healing message to her church community.
Cynthia describes a special prayer that she and other Orthodox Christians say upon receiving the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ: We are taking his body and blood “for the health of body and soul.” She recalls feeling jolted when, at the coffee hour after the service, she really thought about the unhealthy food that people were putting into their bodies. It didn’t fit.
Special Offer from Cynthia!
Great opportunity!! At Filled With Less sign up for 6-week course “Six Weeks to Sanity” and use code FWLLOVE for a 10% DISCOUNT.
Watch the Interview Here
Listen to the Audio File Here
The Spiritual Benefits of Fasting
I asked Cynthia to tell me about fasting—as an Orthodox Christian and a nutritionist. She describes the long history of fasting for Christians.
Her faith-based routine: Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays and other specified times in the year, which means: No animal or fish (some exceptions), diary or eggs; no olive oil; no wine; eating 3 meals—basically a vegan diet. (I asked her later about the oil—she said some people avoid all oil, others only olive oil).
“It blows my mind that through the power of the Holy Spirit early Christians started fasting for the spiritual benefits, and now science shows us the remarkable health benefits that come from these practices,” says Cynthia.
Fasting in the Orthodox Christian church is not about food, but about trying to simplify eating.
How Can I Make Healthy Eating Easier?
Cynthia’s go-to is to make a pot of vegetable soup and eat it all week.
Key is to realize that we need a 3-legged stool for our Lenten practice to bring us spiritual health: Eating right, serving people, prayer.
St. John Chrysostom said fasting is the “Mother of bodily health” and its focus is to help us be closer to God.
Cynthia’s advice for healthy eating:
Eat mostly plants.
Eat animal products on the side.
Eat food in the way God created it—not processed with added chemicals and sugars.
Should I Aim to Eat Five Servings of Fruits and Vegetables as a Goal?
Cynthia describes how fruit has been bred for high sugar content. She discourages lumping fruits and vegetables together and thinks the intake of veggies should be much higher than of fruit. Berries are the best!
I asked her about the Plate Method of eating, which I have recommended because of its simplicity. She disagrees with several aspects, like: Canola oil is listed and she discourages it uses because it is inflammatory—recommends olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, grass fed butter, and ghee; need healthy oil at every meal, not use 2 meals as recommended; the whole grain portion is way too big—excess grains have contributed greatly to rising incidence of diabetes and inflammatory illnesses.
Deciphering Food Labels
Concentrate on the ingredient list! If you don’t know what those ingredients are, you probably shouldn’t be eating the product. Go to filledwithless.com for her free “What to Eat” E-book that includes label reading and much more.
What about the Link Between Genetics and Health?
We can’t just say obesity or diabetes runs in our family. We have MUCH control. Cynthia adds, “Our genes load the gun. Our lifestyle is the trigger.”
“Your health and weight [depend] 85% on what you eat, not your genetics.”
Additional Reading & Resources
Go to www.holisticchristianlife.com to learn more about Cynthia, her book, and her contact information.
Go Filled With Less for numerous resources, including the free “What to Eat” E-book. And consider joining her ongoing membership group to work with others on your health of mind, body, and soul.
Book about fasting mentioned in the conversation: Eat, Fast, Feast: Heal Your Body While Feeding Your Soul—A Christian Guide to Fasting by Jay W. Richards.
Special Offer from Cynthia!
Great opportunity!! At Filled With Less sign up for 6-week course “Six Weeks to Sanity” and use code FWLLOVE for a 10% DISCOUNT.
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About Cynthia Damaskos
Cynthia Damaskos is certified as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach through The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and is a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Specialist through Functional Nutrition Labs Full Body Systems training. As an internationally known health coach with global clients, she helps those who simply want to change their weight and lifestyle, to those with chronic illness. Her background in public speaking, and her passion for living a healthy and Christ centered life, has propelled her to help others realize their potential. Along with her private coaching practice, she is the author of The Holistic Christian Woman, leads women’s wellness workshops, speaks at conferences, and holds retreats. Her ministry Filled With Less, (filledwithless.com) The Filled With Less Show on Ancient Faith Radio,(https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/filledwithless) and her own Holistic Christian Life podcast.
About Donna
Dr. Donna Chacko promotes health of body, mind, and spirit through her website (serenityandhealth.com), her blog, and programs at her church. She is the author of Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey (Luminare Press, 2021).
Donna previously practiced medicine for forty years, first as a radiation oncologist and later, after re-training, as a family medicine doctor. What she learned taking care of immigrants and the homeless in Washington, D.C., continues to influence her programs. A central theme is that health of body, mind, and spirit is interrelated and connected to God, all as a package deal. Donna is a wife, mother, and grandmother and lives in University Park, Maryland.
Questions? Reach out to Donna Chacko.
Do you use these excuses to avoid having to take action?