As we approach the fast, here are some tips to help prepare for the fast:
1) As much as it is a mitzvah to eat today, it is not a good idea to load up on all the sugar and processed foods as they convert into fat and get removed from the digestive system very quickly. Rather look for your more whole grain – or complex carbs such as pasta, barley, quinoa, or whole grain brown rice.
2) Eat lots of fruit that is low on the glycemic index, and/or high in water content such as grapes, cherries, and melons, including watermelon.
3) Proteins, especially lean proteins keep you fuller for a longer time so, even for dessert try to have some nuts (dry roasted or raw) rather than cake or ice cream.
4) DO NOT STUFF YOURSELF! It will not help you to eat until you feel like you will bust. It will either make you sick, (and you will spend precious davening time in a room that you can’t daven in), and it will make you extremely tired. So unless you are looking to take a nap during kol nidrei, eat until you are full and then stop.
5) Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I did not tell you to DRINK WATER and lots of it in order to keep yourself hydrated. If you feel like you want to have a sports drink to help you through the fast, stick to Gatorade as opposed to Powerade. ( thanks Motti B!).
Wishing all of you a G’mar Chasima Tova!
Ezi
Ezi Levi is a certified health and diet coach and is the director of the Men’s Weight Loss Center. The center works with men and teenage boys who are committed to losing weight in a safe and natural way by learning how to make healthier choices in their primary and secondary foods.
THANKS FOR THE TIPS. A GUT GEBENTSCHT GESUNT JOHR FOR KLAL YISROEL. AND BY THE WAY ITS ALSO A GOOD IDEA NOT TO EAT TOO MUCH AFTER A FAST,
Thanx, Ezi. Ur the best. These R very helpful hints. I used to be a terrible faster, I still am, actually, but now i eat grapes 2-3 days before the fast, along with a banana & melons (or oranges in winter season) and it helps me a LOT. And a Gmar Chasima Tovah to all.
Just wondering why Gatorade over powerade?
There was an article in a recent publication that suggested eating about 6 to 8 fresh dates right before the fast. The writer said that it’s a proven technique that takes away the hunger. I tried it before Tisha B’Av and I fasted very well but it’s hard to know if it was the dates the Tzom Kal, the water melon or the powerade…or the herring at shalosh seudos…
Yeah why Gatorade over powerade
Can it be vitamin water instead?