I love hearing how the entire country shuts down for the holiest of our holy days. The eight o’clock news announced that schools are out as of today; banks and businesses close early; the stock market won’t be active till the day after the fast. Security is up very high, of course, and the Magen David Adom emergency services have organized all their manpower resources to be at the ready in case of emergencies, G-d forbid. May all ambulance calls be only to get laboring mothers to the birth room on time.
The weather promises to hold out fair, which is a relief. But apart from turning on the air conditioner before the fast starts, it’s worth reviewing the standard tips for an easy fast:
1. Cut down on the caffeine. Coffee and cola dehydrate.
2. Start drinking a glass of water every hour. A friend tells me to add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar to each glass; I’ve tried it, and it seems to help. Diluted fruit juice is a good choice for the pre-fast meal.
3. The pre-fast meal should focus more on complex carbohydrates and much less on proteins and fat. A good menu would be a cooked vegetable, plenty of whole grains or pasta, chicken soup or a light fish dish.
4. Even if, like us, you enjoy spicy foods, go lightly on spices at the pre-fast meal. Avoid fried foods entirely.
Another friend swears by this: to help you feel better during the long hours of prayer in shul, make a bundle of whole cloves, tied up in a square of loose-weave fabric. Hold it in your hand and sniff the fragrance when your energy needs a little boost. She made a clove bundle for me and I intend to use it.
Essential oil of peppermint or rosemary helps to clear the head, too. Personally, I think a fresh, crushed garlic would do the trick better than anything else – but that would make you… unpopular, with your friends, I’m afraid.
The body goes into starvation mode over the 25 exclusively spiritual hours. On breaking the fast, it will hold on to those calories and not want to burn them up again. So make the after-fast meal light. We’ll break the fast on a light spice cake and juice, then a little later we’ll have vegetable soup, a delicate ricotta cheese, an omelette and bread.
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May you, and all of Am Israel, be inscribed in the Heavenly Book for a year of blessing .
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