Orthodox Health
Orthodox Health
Podcast Description
What does it mean to truly care for your body, mind, & soul in a way that aligns with Christ? Orthodox Health explores the timeless wisdom of the Orthodox Church in cultivating holistic well-being—spiritually, physically, & mentally.
Join your hosts as we dive into topics like fasting, nutrition, exercise, prayer, & overcoming modern health pitfalls through an Orthodox Christian lens. With guest interviews, theological insights, & practical applications, this podcast helps you break free from the consumer-driven health industry & reclaim a balanced, faith-centered life.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on various health-related topics such as fasting, nutrition, exercise, and mental wellness, with episodes that critically assess modern health pitfalls. For instance, one episode delves into the spiritual and physical benefits of fasting, while another examines the relationship between asceticism and holistic health, advocating for an integrated approach to well-being that emphasizes the interplay between one's spiritual, physical, and mental states.
How do we care for body, mind, & soul in Christ? Orthodox Health explores the patristic wisdom of the Eastern Orthodox Church for holistic well-being. Dive into Orthodox Christian theology & alternative health.
We explore the biological & spiritual power of liturgical fasting, traditional nutrition, functional medicine, hesychastic prayer, & longevity, while exposing wellness counterfeits, New Age deceptions, & spiritual warfare. Break free from a consumer industry & reclaim a faith life.
An Eastern Orthodox podcast bridging theology with alternative medicine & holistic wellness.
When Carollynn Xavier reached one of the lowest points of her life, she went to Fr. Ted Paraskevopoulos with a simple request:
“I need a bunker. Just tell me what to do.”
His answer was equally simple:
Go to church. Take care of your son. Move your body.
On this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Fr. Ted joins Dr. Michael Christian & John to explain why those three things mattered, how his own experience with burnout shaped that advice, & why the Orthodox life so often comes back to doing a few basic things consistently rather than constantly searching for something more profound.
They discuss the Church as a spiritual gym, prayer & fasting as fundamentals, the relationship between body & soul, the problem of disembodied online Orthodoxy, responsibility to family, doing the right thing even when you do not feel like doing it, & what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can teach us about ego, humility & discipline.
The conversation also turns to yoga, discernment, the limits of “secularized” spiritual practices, & why physical training can sharpen the Christian life without becoming a substitute for it.
Ultimately, Fr. Ted brings the episode back to the same question:
When life is falling apart, what has God actually put in front of you today?
Chapters:
00:00 Coming Up
00:59 Orthodox Health Intro
02:29 The Bunker
14:05 Simplicity, Burnout & What Actually Matters
24:17 Prayer, Fasting & Church
31:12 Body, Soul & the Embodied Christian Life
35:32 Online Orthodoxy & the Problem of Disembodiment
43:12 Responsibility, Duty & Doing the Right Thing
53:18 Jiu-Jitsu, Ego & Humility
01:00:27 Yoga, Discernment & “Christianizing” Practices
01:09:11 Three Things to Do Tomorrow
🎙️ Find Fr. Ted: Father Ted Talks on YouTube – @fr.tedtalks
Instagram – @fr.tedtalks & @BunkerJiuJitsu
Work with Dr. Mike
Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/book
Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on Amazon
Donate to St. John the Theologian here
Support the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donation
Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) – Please support their building fund by buying the whole album here
Orthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
Disclaimer
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