health & fitness
THE PARK
Prepping For A Fast
LIVING
Having a plan allows you to focus
on prayer and atonement.
Jackie Headapohl
Managing Editor
T
he Yom Kippur fast helps
free you from focusing on
physical concerns so you
can concentrate your energies on
your spiritual well being. However,
it's hard to focus on the spiritual
if you're suffering from severe side
effects. As the Day of Atonement
approaches, you may begin to think
about how best to prepare your body
for a 25-hour fast.
"First of all, fast-
ing is not danger-
ous," according to
Dr. Tom Rifai, med-
ical director of met-
abolic nutrition and
weight management
for St. Joseph Mercy
Oakland. "An occa-
Dr. Tom Rifai
sional fast may even
be beneficial to your health."
According to the U.S. National
Academy of Sciences, health benefits
of controlled fasting include weight
loss, reduced hypertension, stress
resistance, increased insulin sensi-
tivity and increased life span.
"Fasting is no problem for fit and
healthy people Rifai said, although
pregnant women, those with renal
disease, those who were recently
hospitalized or recently ill and dia-
betics should consult their doctors
before attempting a 25-hour fast. He
added that sometimes medication
dosages need to be adjusted, or a
modified fast can be designed.
"If your doctor
tells you not to
fast, listen to your
doctor:' said Rabbi
Elliot Pachter from
Congregation B'nai
Moshe in West
Bloomfield. "Ask
questions though.
Rabbi Elliot
Perhaps
it means
Pachter
you could drink
and abstain from eating. At the least,
it means you should eat less."
Even if you are unable to fast, it
doesn't mean you shouldn't partici-
pate in Yom Kippur in other ways.
"Yom Kippur is not just about
the fast, which is a means to an
end; it helps us focus on atone-
ment," Pachter said. "One can still
attend synagogue, focus on tshuvah,
and atone for one's transgressions
against other people and against
God. The day can be meaningful
without fasting."
If you are blessed with good
health, the fast can help you focus
on the spiritual significance of the
day. However, a safe fast does take
some advanced planning, mainly
to stave off dehydration. "The day
before Yom Kippur, you should
drink two liters of water to hydrate
your body:' Rifai says. "If you're to
become dehydrated during the fast,
you'll suffer from low blood sugar
and fatigue."
To make sure you don't get dehy-
drated, you should also refrain from
alcohol and caffeine on the days
leading up to Yom Kippur because
both can cause dehydration. The
nausea and headaches many people
report during Yom Kippur are usu-
ally from caffeine withdrawal. If you
are a heavy coffee or cola drinker,
start tapering off a week or so
before the fast.
Also, limit your salt intake during
the days leading up to Yom Kippur.
Avoid processed foods containing
lots of salt such as pickles, cold cuts
or cheese. Because kosher meat
has a high salt content, you might
choose a main course of fresh fish
or boiled chicken.
Rifai says his main concern is that
people tend to overcompensate for
their day of fasting either before or
after by loading up their plates. "You
should just eat healthy:' he says. This
includes lots of whole grains, fruits
and vegetables, which should cover
at least half of your plate at any
given meal.
To break your fast, shoot for foods
that have a moderate amount of
carbs and are high in water content,
like a piece of fresh fruit. "You want
a moderate rise in your blood sugar:'
Rifai says. "Don't break your fast
with a pastry."
Next, make sure you add a healthy
protein and a healthy fat to give you
a feeling of invigoration. Healthy
choices include low-fat, low-sodium
cottage cheese, fat-free Greek yogurt
and apple slices or carrots dipped in
peanut or almond butter.
"Allow yourself a small amount
of your favorite dish, but avoid glut-
tony," says Rifai, who adds it can be
hard to be mindful of what you're
eating when you're hungry, so have a
plan going in.
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September 29 • 2011
J14
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