When we think of Jewish occasions that add inches to our waistline, we normally think about Pesach or Succos.  After all, there are Yom Tov meals, Shabbos Chol Hamoed meals and then all of the extra eating we tend to do on Chol HaMoed.  But if you can pick one or two days that we can really load up on a lot of calories in a very concentrated period of time, there is little question that Purim wins!  We start with a fast day, and tend to eat more before and a lot more after.  Purim involves not only Meshloach Manos coming into the house all day, but there are Purim Mesibos the night of Purim, alcohol that seems to flow for 25 hours or so, and a big Purim Seuda.  In Eretz Yisroel, where Yerushalayim keeps the 15th day of Adar, many people multiply this by 2! (Imagine when there is a Purim Meshulash, when Purim falls on Shabbos in Yerushalayim and this is spread over 3 days). Let’s take a look at how one can have a wonderful and simchadik Purim, while at the same time not jeopardizing our health.

Fasting on Taanis Esther (Baltimore: Feb. 28, 2018: Fast begins 5:21 AM Fast ends: 6:44 PM)

When I speak with my clients about fasting, I often hear, “I get so sick when I have to fast” or “I start out fine but then I get a terrible headache”, and very common “I am fine during the fast, but after I break the fast, I can’t function for hours and I feel awful.”   I know that many years ago, prior to learning how to prepare and break a fast, there were times I could have said all of the above.  For the vast majority of people, if you prepare for and break the fast according to our tips, you will be just fine.  Yes, you will get hungry and thirsty, but that is normal.  Here are some simple instructions to help you along.  Let’s begin with a review of preparing for and breaking the fast.  These rules apply to any fast day.

PREPARING FOR THE FAST

  • Begin drinking on a consistent basis 36 hours beforehand. Increase your fluids by 25% or 30%. 
  • Eat more fruit; particularly fruit that is dense in fluid, melon and watermelon are particularly good. Fruits help retain the liquid you are consuming. 
  • If you are a coffee or caffeinated tea drinker or a chocoholic, it’s imperative that you begin weaning yourself from these and other caffeinated foods or drinks 72 hours before the fast begins.  Failure to do so may bring on headaches during the fast.
  • At the meal before the fast, stick with complex carbohydrates with a normal amount of lean protein—DO NOT go high protein at this meal. Whole Grains, vegetables, fruits, and baked potatoes or preferably sweet potatoes are great. 
  • Keep drinking non-caffeinated beverages and remember that water and some fruit juices are best.

BREAKING THE FAST

  • Begin with four or five glasses of water.
  • Have a light meal, a bowl of soup a small amount of whole grains (a slice of bread or a portion of brown rice are examples)  and fresh cut salad is perfect. Keep proteins light and lean.
  • Finish with a fruit or two.  Stop there!!!
  • Leave the table and go for a short walk and do your stretching exercises.
  • If you are really still hungry after that, have a small snack and some more water or tea. 
  • Don't eat late at night and the next day you should wake up feeling hungry and healthy.

Purim morning

When you wake up Purim morning, even before you go to daven and hear Kriyas HaMegillah, drink 2 glasses of water.   Now an important piece of advice-when you come home from shul in the morning, sit down and eat breakfast.  By doing so, you are less likely to start grazing and picking during the day as Mishloach Manot come in. (Even those of you celebrating Purim on Friday this year in Yerushalayim should still eat breakfast in spite of the short day.)  

Just like any Shabbos or Yom Tov, plan your treats.  You can have treats—it is Purim—but they must be limited.  Limited means ONE! If you really like chocolate, then choose that; if it’s a piece of cake that calls your name, choose that.  But when you have it, sit down, eat slowly and enjoy every bite.  And when you are done, you are done. 

Alcohol

Alcohol is high in calories.  For instance, each 5 ounce glass of red wine is 122 calories.  Whiskey is 105 calories per shot glass. Add these numbers to the extra food intake and realize that today won’t be a “perfect” eating day. But if we don’t impose some limits, we can really get in trouble.  And as we all know, alcohol consumption, when excessive is dangerous.

Unfortunately, drinking on Purim sometimes is far from moderate and Purim can also be more than just one day of drinking; it can be the beginning of a very bad and dangerous habit. If you feel good from a little drinking, you begin to think that maybe a little more drinking can make the feeling even better. And then you always want more. And when you have more and you have it more often, trouble most certainly lies ahead. Don’t drink alcohol if:

  • You’re planning to drive a vehicle or operate machinery
  • You take medications that can interact with alcohol
  • You’ve been diagnosed with alcoholism or alcohol abuse
  • You have liver or pancreatic disease
  • You have heart failure or you’ve been told you have a weak heart or dilated cardiomyopathy

There is no question, especially as Purim is upon us, that we have to be very careful about our drinking. This is something that when it goes beyond the limits, can end very tragically. There is always the danger of, chas v’shalom, an accident, but just as dangerous is the possibility of alcohol addiction, which can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and cancer. Ultimately, the person would need a liver transplant to survive.

The Seudah

  • As far as your Purim Seudah goes, it is a mitzvah to eat, but it is never a mitzvah to overeat or gorge yourself.  As a matter of fact, it is an Issur. 
  • Start your meal with several glasses of water.
  • If you are making your own Seudah, think about giving everyone a small, whole grain roll to wash on so you don’t take more than that. 
  • While you may well serve choices that aren’t particularly healthy, make sure healthy choices are also available.  Salads and vegetable sticks are good.  You may serve meat, but also have grilled chicken breast available.  For desert, (especially considering all the junk you received throughout the day), try a fresh fruit salad or possibly a low-sugar sorbet. 
  • Sing a lot and have a wonderful time.  The more you sing, the less you might eat!

Perhaps the most important advice though is when you wake up the day after Purim, get right back on track—exercise, eat well, drink a lot of water and stay focused. If you resume normal eating habits right away, the weight will fall right off. Then, in another month when Pesach is upon us, you won’t be worried about additional weight gain.  You’ll be back on track and armed with the confidence that you can get through “unscathed.” (And when that time comes, we’ll help you plan for Pesach too.) 

With a sensible and realistic plan, you can experience true Simchas Purim.  Excess is never a good thing and in the case of Purim celebrations, excess can be very dangerous.  But with a little bit of planning and some common sense, you can have great Simchas Purim, fulfill Ad D’lo Yada and still, you can add hours to your days, days to your years, and years to your life.” 

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a CERTIFIED WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the “10 Weeks to Health” program for weight loss.  He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@alanfitness.com   Check out the his web site – www.alanfitness.com    US Line: 516-568-5027