Abstinence

The practice of refraining from certain foods on fast days — the external discipline that supports the interior fast.

Abstinence (apoché, from 'to hold back') refers specifically to refraining from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and oil on fast days, as prescribed by the Typikon. It is distinct from total fasting (no food at all): abstinence is the ordinary Orthodox fast; total abstinence is reserved for specific intense moments such as preparation for communion. The distinction ensures that the fast is a genuine discipline rather than mere ascetical performance.