
BS”D
Preparing for the Yom Kippur Fast - 5776
Based on the Sefer “To Your Health” by Rav Yechezkel Ishayek (to be published after Sukkot, אי"ה)
לרפואת הינדא בת רחל
The sefer Arbaah Turim begins the halachos of Yom Kippur by quoting our Sages:
“One who eats and drinks on the ninth [of Tishrei], it is considered as if he had fasted on the ninth and the tenth [of Tishrei].” And he adds, “Out of love for the [People of] Israel, the Holy One has commanded them to eat and drink first, so that they will be able to fast and so that this self-affliction won’t harm them.”
The Shulchan Aruch (608) states:
“On the day before Yom Kippur, a person should eat only foods that are digested easily, so that he not be sated and smug when he prays.”
It is wise to calculate beforehand how to eat and drink on this day. The following guidelines on how to prepare oneself for the fast of this Holy Day have benefited many.
Stuffing one’s stomach to capacity isn’t what will give a person the strength to fast. Proper preparation starts from the morning of the eighth of Tishrei (Monday, in 5776), and focuses on these areas:
We will explain, according to the dates of 5776:
A glass or two of water before the Seudah Hamafsekes is fine, but the body’s hydration should be completed before the meal begins.
First, find your height in the BMI chart. Normal weight for your height is anywhere between the lowest and the highest weight listed on your row.
EXAMPLE: Someone who is 5’ 10” (70 inches), should weigh between 132-167 pounds. If they weigh 160 pounds, they should eat 80 grams of protein (160 X .5) every normal day. On Monday, they should eat about 120 grams, then on Tuesday, back to 80 grams, including the Seudah Mafsekes.
For the same person who is overweight (over the top weight in their row, let’s say 180 pounds, in our example), they should eat protein as if they had the highest normal weight, or 83 grams (167 X .5) on a normal day, and 125 grams on the eighth of Tishrei. The excess weight they carry, while harmful to their health, does not require extra protein.
You can get protein from dairy products, fish, beef, chicken and turkey. A portion of meat or fish (like a can of tuna) provides 20 to 35 grams of protein, depending on the size of the portion. A medium-sized egg contains 8 grams of protein.
After the fast: First of all, drink. Then wait ten minutes and begin your meal with something light, such as fruits and vegetables. After that, add protein. Don’t eat too much at once, don’t eat hurriedly and chew your food thoroughly.
The sefer חיים בריאים כהלכה, now in its 12th printing in Hebrew, is coming out soon, in English, under the title “To Your Health.” For more information about the sefer, see: bit.ly/toyourhealth (only active after Yom Kippur)
Preparing for the Yom Kippur Fast - 5776
Based on the Sefer “To Your Health” by Rav Yechezkel Ishayek (to be published after Sukkot, אי"ה)
לרפואת הינדא בת רחל
The sefer Arbaah Turim begins the halachos of Yom Kippur by quoting our Sages:
“One who eats and drinks on the ninth [of Tishrei], it is considered as if he had fasted on the ninth and the tenth [of Tishrei].” And he adds, “Out of love for the [People of] Israel, the Holy One has commanded them to eat and drink first, so that they will be able to fast and so that this self-affliction won’t harm them.”
The Shulchan Aruch (608) states:
“On the day before Yom Kippur, a person should eat only foods that are digested easily, so that he not be sated and smug when he prays.”
It is wise to calculate beforehand how to eat and drink on this day. The following guidelines on how to prepare oneself for the fast of this Holy Day have benefited many.
Stuffing one’s stomach to capacity isn’t what will give a person the strength to fast. Proper preparation starts from the morning of the eighth of Tishrei (Monday, in 5776), and focuses on these areas:
- Extra hydration - One should drink 50% more water than usual, on the eighth and ninth of Tishrei, concluding late in the afternoon of Erev Yom Kippur. By that time, we should have drunk our share for that day or even a little more.
- Extra protein - One should eat 50% more protein than usual, on the eighth of Tishrei.
- Chewing all food extra well - Food that is not chewed properly will not yield its nutritional benefits.
We will explain, according to the dates of 5776:
- On Monday and Tuesday, drink 50% more water than the normal daily recommendation. “Normal” is .5 ounce for every pound you weigh (30 – 40 ml for every KG). So, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink 80 ounces (2.4 liter) on every regular day. On Monday and Tuesday, drink 3.6 liters.
A glass or two of water before the Seudah Hamafsekes is fine, but the body’s hydration should be completed before the meal begins.
- On Monday (only), eat 50% more protein than the normal daily recommendation. “Normal” is about .5 grams of protein for each pound (1 gram per KG) that you should weigh, according to the BMI chart. If you are overweight, eat the protein that matches the upper weight for the normal range for your height, as explained in the following example:
First, find your height in the BMI chart. Normal weight for your height is anywhere between the lowest and the highest weight listed on your row.
EXAMPLE: Someone who is 5’ 10” (70 inches), should weigh between 132-167 pounds. If they weigh 160 pounds, they should eat 80 grams of protein (160 X .5) every normal day. On Monday, they should eat about 120 grams, then on Tuesday, back to 80 grams, including the Seudah Mafsekes.
For the same person who is overweight (over the top weight in their row, let’s say 180 pounds, in our example), they should eat protein as if they had the highest normal weight, or 83 grams (167 X .5) on a normal day, and 125 grams on the eighth of Tishrei. The excess weight they carry, while harmful to their health, does not require extra protein.
You can get protein from dairy products, fish, beef, chicken and turkey. A portion of meat or fish (like a can of tuna) provides 20 to 35 grams of protein, depending on the size of the portion. A medium-sized egg contains 8 grams of protein.
- Chew your food very, very, very well (or else you will lose much of its benefit).
After the fast: First of all, drink. Then wait ten minutes and begin your meal with something light, such as fruits and vegetables. After that, add protein. Don’t eat too much at once, don’t eat hurriedly and chew your food thoroughly.
The sefer חיים בריאים כהלכה, now in its 12th printing in Hebrew, is coming out soon, in English, under the title “To Your Health.” For more information about the sefer, see: bit.ly/toyourhealth (only active after Yom Kippur)