Читать книгу Textbook of Lifestyle Medicine - Labros S. Sidossis - Страница 110

Disease prevalence and mortality rates differ between populations. Differences in genetic makeup, lifestyle habits, and other characteristics may explain these disparities. Religion is an important factor in shaping some people's beliefs; their lifestyle and dietary habits are often influenced by their religious traditions and practices. Many religious doctrines exist, each one having followers with varying degrees of devotion. It is common for these religious creeds to be related to specific religious food practices or customs; dietary restrictions may include the types of foods that are allowed in the diet, the foods that are allowed to be consumed on specific days of the week/month/year, the timing of food consumption, methods to prepare food, and when and how long to fast.

Fasting is common in most religions. It is considered a call to purification, holiness, and spirituality. The practice of fasting is acknowledged as the means by which the pious believers expiate for their sins, so as to be accepted by God, as well as to identify themselves with the anguish of the destitute. Fasting signifies resistance to temptation, as a deed of expiation for committed sins but also as a means to prevent excessive eating and drinking. The duration of fasting may vary from a few hours during the day (e.g., from sunrise to sunset for Jews), to a fixed number of hours (e.g., 12‐24 hours or more for Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and Mormons whose fasting is practiced on specific days), but also for several successive days, as happens during the Ramadan month for Muslims.

Detailed descriptions of the following religion‐based dietary models and their corresponding sample menu plans can be found in Appendices B.4.‐B.8.