About this episode

The episode discusses women's health and fasting from an Orthodox perspective, emphasizing the unique physiological needs of women.

Women are not tiny men. In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast , Dr. Michael Christian & John, are joined by Khouria Cathryn Barker, RN of The Sanctified Womb to unpack a neglected but urgent topic: women’s health, fasting, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, recovery, & peace from a distinctly Orthodox perspective. Khouria Cathryn explains why women cannot simply approach fasting like men, why season of life matters, & why the Church has never taught a legalistic, one-size-fits-all fast that ignores creaturely reality. They discuss hormones, motherhood, burnout, nursing, fertility struggles, nourishment, & what practical discernment looks like when you are trying to live faithfully in a real body with real responsibilities. If your version of fasting is making you harsher, more fearful, more obsessive, more ashamed, and less capable of prayer, patience, & love, something has gone wrong. This is a conversation for women in every season... & for husbands, fathers, & families who want a better understanding of women’s embodied life under God. Takeaways: Women are not tiny men. Female physiology is different, & fasting has to account for that…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Michael Kuhn

Guest: Khouria Cathryn Barker

Topics covered

• women's health
• fasting
• fertility
• pregnancy
• postpartum
• Orthodox perspective

Keywords

• women's health
• fasting
• fertility
• pregnancy
• postpartum
• Orthodox
• hormones
• motherhood

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Sanctified Womb

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