How to Enjoy Healthy and Delicious Food During the Holidays - Part Two

In the first part, we detailed practical guidelines for a healthy diet that is recommended to enjoy throughout the year in general, and during the holidays specifically.

This current section includes additional recommendations to upgrade your holiday meals and improve all types of health. The goal is to achieve quality of life and longevity that will assist you in your service to Hashem, especially during holiday times when there are many meals and also more prayers (for example during Chol Hamoed). It is important to eat correctly, thus having more energy for prayer, mitzvot, and good deeds.

1. Prefer fish, eggs (preferably organic) and chicken (preferably lean, or parts like chicken breast). Avoid red meat, which raises blood fat levels, and processed meat such as sausages, kebabs, pastrami, and deli meats that contain preservatives and artificial flavors and colors, adding waste to the body. It is also advisable to avoid dairy products, which like meat, increase acidity, inflammation, and blood fats.
2. According to the Rambam, it is important to eat and enjoy the holiday, but preferable to eat up to about 75% of stomach capacity. This means not eating until the feeling of "exploding," or to a point where you need to loosen your belt. Eat until full, but not to the point where you feel "stuffed" and can't eat another thing. Think of your stomach like a washing machine; if overloaded with laundry, the water doesn't reach all the clothes and doesn't clean them. Similarly, if you overload the stomach, digestive juices don't properly break down the food, leaving undigested food residues in the stomach, accumulating and causing discomfort, gas, and proliferation of "bad" bacteria (non-friendly bacteria like those found in probiotics). When eating in moderation, the digestive juices aid in the best digestion, the body diverts less energy to the digestive system, and more energy to other important systems like the nervous system – in this way, you feel lighter and happier and can enjoy the holiday more.
3. Whole grains – it is important to eat whole grains, such as whole wheat. Details can be found in the article on the principles of the Mediterranean diet, based on the 7 countries study, which practically proves the Rambam's recommendations. Yes, during the holidays it's advisable to consume 80% plant-based (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes), and only 20% or less from animals (meat, dairy products, eggs, and fish), as detailed in the article.
4. It is advisable to get family members used to healthy eating from a young age. It's easier to construct the building and framework properly and instill healthy eating habits that will accompany them throughout life than to change it later in life.
5. As with serving Hashem, persistence is crucial in health. The more you persist in healthier eating, you'll notice improvement in the short term, like less stomach bloating, gas, or heartburn. Additionally, you will feel more energetic and focused. In the long term (around 3 months or more), you'll start noticing improvements in health metrics such as reduced cholesterol and blood fat profiles, as well as blood sugar levels, among others.
6. Also remember that the Rambam noted that many diseases stem from the intestines. There is indeed a direct connection between physical and mental health, and essentially if the body is not healthy, it symbolizes that the soul needs attention and resolution for challenges it experiences. In fact, some mystics and naturopaths argue that physical and mental health are one and the same, two sides of the same coin that cannot be separated but should be considered as a whole. However, the Rambam was certainly correct that there are also ailments caused by poor nutrition unsuitable for a person's specific digestive system. For example, individuals suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) will find relief by following a recommended FODMAP diet for this condition. Details can be found in the article here.

Think of healthy eating as a way to prepare your vessel to receive all the abundance Hashem wants to give you. Additionally, the better you eat, the healthier you'll be, enabling you to serve Hashem with more joy and love, which is what He desires the most from us. Consider that you are eating healthily for His sake, not just your own. This alone will give you motivation and drive to eat healthy, persist, and see results.

Wishing you much success!

Noa Rol specializes in healthy nutrition and personalized female naturopathy, founder of the "Directions" center.