Why The Athos Diet Changes How We Think About Food | Dr. Pete Patitsas

<p><strong>What can modern medicine learn from Orthodox fasting without reducing an ancient ascetical practice to another health intervention?</strong></p><p>In this episode of the <em>Orthodox Health Podcast</em>, Dr. Pete Patitsas, emergency physician &amp; author of <em>The Athos Diet</em>, joins Dr. Michael Christian &amp; John to explore what the fasting traditions associated with Mt. Athos can teach us about food, health, discipline &amp; the formation of the human person.</p><p>They discuss intermittent fasting, metabolic health, protein during Great Lent, shellfish, pea protein, tofu, fasting-compliant junk food, food addiction &amp; the relationship between fasting &amp; feasting.</p><p>But the conversation ultimately goes much deeper than nutrition:</p><ul><li>Why does Christianity use something as visceral as hunger to teach restraint?</li><li>What happens when suffering is given a purpose?</li><li>Can health optimization itself become disordered?</li><li>And what does modern medicine miss when it isolates the physiological effects of fasting from the spiritual life in which those practices developed?</li></ul><p>Dr. Pete also shares why he believes fasting teaches delayed gratification, how purpose once helped him get a frightened patient out of an overwhelmed emergency department, &amp; why Orthodox fasting may have something important to offer a culture increasingly unable to resist its appetites.</p><p><strong>Topics include:</strong> </p><p>The Athos Diet • Mt. Athos • Orthodox fasting • intermittent fasting • Great Lent • fasting protein • metabolic health • delayed gratification • food addiction • asceticism • purpose • nocebo • fasting &amp; feasting</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Chapters:</strong></p><p>00:00 Coming Up</p><p>01:00 Orthodox Health Intro</p><p>02:29 The Athos Diet &amp; Orthodox Health</p><p>07:13 You Can&#39;t Fast From Something You Don&#39;t Desire</p><p>12:59 What Is The Athos Diet?</p><p>20:48 Health, Responsibility &amp; Purpose</p><p>27:39 What Can Mt. Athos Teach Modern Medicine?</p><p>33:24 Protein During the Orthodox Fast</p><p>39:33 Training, Duty &amp; a Purpose-Driven Life</p><p>42:53 Suffering, Purpose &amp; the Nocebo Effect</p><p>47:18 Fasting, Withdrawal &amp; Food Addiction</p><p>52:22 Tofu, Shellfish &amp; Protein Optimization</p><p>57:40 When Health Optimization Becomes an Obsession</p><p>1:03:05 Why Resisting Good Things Changes Us</p><p>1:08:38 Can Fasting Help Rebuild Culture?</p><p>1:13:18 Fasting, Feasting &amp; the Bigger Picture</p><p><br></p><p>Connect with Dr. Pete &amp; your copy of The Athos Diet: Before There Was Atkins, There Was Athos on <a href="https://www.theathosdiet.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">TheAthosDiet.com</a>The Athos Diet <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAwAm7PyFljemXLxOCs9iBw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">YouTube Channel</a></p><p><br></p><p>Work with <a href="">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a> ⁠⁠⁠<a href="">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠⁠</p><p>Signed Copies of Orthodoxy &amp; The Medicine of the Future: ⁠<a href="https://www.orthodoxhealth.com/book">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>Order Orthodoxy &amp; the Medicine of the Future on <a href="https://www.amzn.to/4adGdrv">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>Donate to St. John the Theologian <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-st-john-theologian-church">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a> with a One-Time or Recurring donation</p><p>Intro &amp; Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album <a href="https://stjohnorthodoxchurch.bandcamp.com/album/come-ye-faithful-building-fundraiser">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠