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The Segal Guide to Fasting For Yom Kippur
(from a Medical Perspective)
By: Michael M. Segal, MD, PhD
An earlier version of this article appeared in the Jewish Advocate <http://www.thejewishadvocate.com/>  (Boston, USA) in 1989. Copyright © 1989 - 2011 Michael M. Segal, MD, PhD.  This document may be reproduced freely on a non-profit basis, including electronically, during 2009 as long as the source at www.segal.org/kippur/ <http://www.segal.org/kippur/>  is indicated and this copyright notice is included.

Each year on Yom Kippur, Jews wish each other a khatima tova (a good seal in the Book of Life) and tolerable fast.  The route to a khatima tova is beyond the scope of this article; the route to an easy fast is simpler to describe.  The following are the essentials of human physiology that will help you have a tolerable fast on Yom Kippur:

Don't get thirsty:
Most people think the difficulty about fasting is feeling "hungry".  However, avoiding thirst is much more important for how you feel. Not only do you avoid the discomfort of thirst but you are also well hydrated and swallow frequently, so your stomach does not feel as empty.

One important way to remain well hydrated is to avoid drinks or foods that cause your body to get rid of water.  Such foods and drinks include alcohol, tea, caffeinated coffee and chocolate.  Another important rule is to avoid consuming much salt.  Salt causes a person to feel thirsty despite having a "normal" amount of water, because extra water is needed for the extra salt.  For this reason you should avoid processed foods containing lots of salt such as pickles, cold cuts, or cheese.  Most tomato sauces,  canned fish and smoked fish have a lot of added salt.  Since Kosher meat has a high salt content it may be best to choose a main course such as fresh fish, canned no-salt tuna fish or a de-salted meat such as boiled chicken.
 

By avoiding these types of foods and drinks in the several hours before a fast, you can avoid either losing water or needing extra water. Other actions that cause the body to lose water, such as perspiring in warm clothing, should also be avoided during the fast.

Don't start the pre-fast meal on a full stomach:
The pre-fast meal often begins at 5 PM, so a large lunch could prevent you from eating enough immediately before the fast.  It is best to have a small lunch, or no lunch at all.  A large breakfast early in the day based on cereals, breads and fruits can provide the energy you need during the day, yet these high-fiber foods will be far downstream by the time of the pre-fast meal and will not keep you from eating enough food at the pre-fast meal.  A large breakfast is also helpful because it stretches the stomach.  After eating breakfast, it is best to consume beverages during the day.  This will not fill you up, since liquids are absorbed quickly, and this will ensure that you have absorbed enough fluids during the day to start the pre-fast meal being well hydrated.  Be sure to avoid beverages with alcohol or caffeine.  You should also drink at least a glass or two of fluids with the pre-fast meal because many foods need extra water to be digested properly.

Eat foods that are digested slowly:
Include some foods high in oils and fats in the pre-fast meal, since such foods delay emptying of the stomach and effectively prolong your meal.  However, beware of fatty meats or salted potato chips that could load you up with too much salt.  Salads and other high fiber foods that are so important in one's normal diet should be de-emphasized for the pre-fast meal since they travel quickly through the digestive system.  Fruit, despite its high fiber content, is worthwhile since it carries a lot of water in a "time-release" form.

Don't get a headache:
Withdrawing from caffeine produces a headache in people who drink several cups of coffee a day.  If you consume this much caffeine in coffee or other foods or drinks you should prepare yourself for the caffeine-free period by reducing or eliminating caffeine from your diet in the days or weeks before Yom Kippur.  Don't try to get through the fast by drinking coffee right before Kol Nidre, since this will cause you to lose a lot of water.

Make the meal tasty enough so people will eat:
The pre-fast meal doesn't have be bland.  Spices such as lemon or herbs are fine for fasting, but salt and monosodium glutamate should be reduced as much as possible.

Don't do a complete fast if you have certain medical problems:
People with medical conditions such as diabetes should consult their doctors and rabbis before fasting. Certain medications need to be taken during Yom Kippur, and it is important to swallow them with enough water to avoid pills getting stuck on the way to the stomach and damaging the esophagus.  Fasting by women who are pregnant or breast feeding can also be dangerous. If a young person who has not fasted much before has unusual difficulty fasting you should discuss this with your doctor since this happens in some serious metabolic problems <http://www.genereviews.org/query?dz=mcad> in which fasting can be very dangerous.

Don't eat improperly after Neila:
Even people who have prepared well for fasting will be hungry after Neila. Be sure not to eat food too quickly at the post-fast meal.  Begin the break-fast meal with several glasses of milk or juice: these put sugar into the bloodstream and occupy space in the stomach, discouraging you from eating too rapidly.  Also be careful about eating high salt foods such as lox, since you will still be a little dehydrated and will need to drink a lot of fluids to avoid waking up extremely thirsty in the early morning hours.  If you take vitamin C, be sure that you are fully re-hydrated beforehand, because one of the vitamin's breakdown products can precipitate out in your urine if you are dehydrated, causing kidney stones, which are painful and dangerous.

These preparations for the fast of Yom Kippur will be different from your normal routine, but they can serve as a concrete reminder of the approaching Day of Atonement.

« Last edited by mevinyavin on March 21, 2024, 06:01:13 AM »

Author Topic: What do you eat before a fast?  (Read 65443 times)

Offline Cholentfresser

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #100 on: October 06, 2011, 11:44:03 AM »
Someone sent this to me:

The Segal Guide to Fasting For Yom Kippur
(from a Medical Perspective)


By: Michael M. Segal, MD, PhD


An earlier version of this article appeared in the Jewish Advocate <http://www.thejewishadvocate.com/>  (Boston, USA) in 1989. Copyright © 1989 - 2011 Michael M. Segal, MD, PhD.  This document may be reproduced freely on a non-profit basis, including electronically, during 2009 as long as the source at www.segal.org/kippur/ <http://www.segal.org/kippur/>  is indicated and this copyright notice is included.

Each year on Yom Kippur, Jews wish each other a khatima tova (a good seal in the Book of Life) and tolerable fast.  The route to a khatima tova is beyond the scope of this article; the route to an easy fast is simpler to describe.  The following are the essentials of human physiology that will help you have a tolerable fast on Yom Kippur:

Don't get thirsty:
Most people think the difficulty about fasting is feeling "hungry".  However, avoiding thirst is much more important for how you feel. Not only do you avoid the discomfort of thirst but you are also well hydrated and swallow frequently, so your stomach does not feel as empty.

One important way to remain well hydrated is to avoid drinks or foods that cause your body to get rid of water.  Such foods and drinks include alcohol, tea, caffeinated coffee and chocolate.  Another important rule is to avoid consuming much salt.  Salt causes a person to feel thirsty despite having a "normal" amount of water, because extra water is needed for the extra salt.  For this reason you should avoid processed foods containing lots of salt such as pickles, cold cuts, or cheese.  Most tomato sauces,  canned fish and smoked fish have a lot of added salt.  Since Kosher meat has a high salt content it may be best to choose a main course such as fresh fish, canned no-salt tuna fish or a de-salted meat such as boiled chicken.
 

By avoiding these types of foods and drinks in the several hours before a fast, you can avoid either losing water or needing extra water. Other actions that cause the body to lose water, such as perspiring in warm clothing, should also be avoided during the fast.

Don't start the pre-fast meal on a full stomach:
The pre-fast meal often begins at 5 PM, so a large lunch could prevent you from eating enough immediately before the fast.  It is best to have a small lunch, or no lunch at all.  A large breakfast early in the day based on cereals, breads and fruits can provide the energy you need during the day, yet these high-fiber foods will be far downstream by the time of the pre-fast meal and will not keep you from eating enough food at the pre-fast meal.  A large breakfast is also helpful because it stretches the stomach.  After eating breakfast, it is best to consume beverages during the day.  This will not fill you up, since liquids are absorbed quickly, and this will ensure that you have absorbed enough fluids during the day to start the pre-fast meal being well hydrated.  Be sure to avoid beverages with alcohol or caffeine.  You should also drink at least a glass or two of fluids with the pre-fast meal because many foods need extra water to be digested properly.

Eat foods that are digested slowly:
Include some foods high in oils and fats in the pre-fast meal, since such foods delay emptying of the stomach and effectively prolong your meal.  However, beware of fatty meats or salted potato chips that could load you up with too much salt.  Salads and other high fiber foods that are so important in one's normal diet should be de-emphasized for the pre-fast meal since they travel quickly through the digestive system.  Fruit, despite its high fiber content, is worthwhile since it carries a lot of water in a "time-release" form.

Don't get a headache:
Withdrawing from caffeine produces a headache in people who drink several cups of coffee a day.  If you consume this much caffeine in coffee or other foods or drinks you should prepare yourself for the caffeine-free period by reducing or eliminating caffeine from your diet in the days or weeks before Yom Kippur.  Don't try to get through the fast by drinking coffee right before Kol Nidre, since this will cause you to lose a lot of water.

Make the meal tasty enough so people will eat:
The pre-fast meal doesn't have be bland.  Spices such as lemon or herbs are fine for fasting, but salt and monosodium glutamate should be reduced as much as possible.

Don't do a complete fast if you have certain medical problems:
People with medical conditions such as diabetes should consult their doctors and rabbis before fasting. Certain medications need to be taken during Yom Kippur, and it is important to swallow them with enough water to avoid pills getting stuck on the way to the stomach and damaging the esophagus.  Fasting by women who are pregnant or breast feeding can also be dangerous. If a young person who has not fasted much before has unusual difficulty fasting you should discuss this with your doctor since this happens in some serious metabolic problems <http://www.genereviews.org/query?dz=mcad> in which fasting can be very dangerous.

Don't eat improperly after Neila:
Even people who have prepared well for fasting will be hungry after Neila. Be sure not to eat food too quickly at the post-fast meal.  Begin the break-fast meal with several glasses of milk or juice: these put sugar into the bloodstream and occupy space in the stomach, discouraging you from eating too rapidly.  Also be careful about eating high salt foods such as lox, since you will still be a little dehydrated and will need to drink a lot of fluids to avoid waking up extremely thirsty in the early morning hours.  If you take vitamin C, be sure that you are fully re-hydrated beforehand, because one of the vitamin's breakdown products can precipitate out in your urine if you are dehydrated, causing kidney stones, which are painful and dangerous.

These preparations for the fast of Yom Kippur will be different from your normal routine, but they can serve as a concrete reminder of the approaching Day of Atonement.
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Offline mercaz1

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #101 on: October 06, 2011, 12:43:48 PM »
some good advice in the article but most has been mentioned previously

Offline akivacp

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #102 on: October 06, 2011, 10:49:38 PM »
I eat a lot of salty foods and soda right before sundown.

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #103 on: October 07, 2011, 01:16:06 AM »
i think fasts are overrated. fasts are all the same (YK & Tisha Bav a few more hours) and i dont think it makes much of a diff what you eat before. just eat a good filling meal the night before (or in this case before YK) and drink a few cups of water and ur good to go!


Offline AsherO

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #104 on: October 07, 2011, 02:11:25 AM »
I eat a lot of salty foods and soda right before sundown.

I know salty foods help your body retain water, but don't they also make you thirsty?
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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #105 on: October 07, 2011, 05:37:28 AM »
some good and lots of bad advice by phd.

Offline akivacp

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #106 on: October 07, 2011, 09:27:54 AM »
I know salty foods help your body retain water, but don't they also make you thirsty?
I was making a joke!

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #107 on: October 07, 2011, 11:20:39 AM »
started my powerade intake last night!

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #108 on: January 05, 2012, 12:27:02 PM »
Bump.
How we all doing today? Had a coffee at 540am and I'm good so far  :)

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #109 on: January 05, 2012, 12:29:50 PM »
Bump.
How we all doing today? Had a coffee at 540am and I'm good so far  :)
Coffee is known to dehydrate.
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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #110 on: January 05, 2012, 12:40:12 PM »
Coffee is known to dehydrate.

True, but it keeps my headache away. Coffee addict problems.

Offline Mocha

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #111 on: January 05, 2012, 12:42:30 PM »
True, but it keeps my headache away.
+1
But made sure to drink a cup of water after the coffee for added hydration.

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #112 on: January 05, 2012, 12:56:26 PM »
Cooked some Frankel's ravioli at 4am and had it with parmesan cheese and drank a gallon of water.
So far so good :)
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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #113 on: January 05, 2012, 12:58:58 PM »
Shortest fast of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Didn't really do too much prep :P
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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #114 on: January 05, 2012, 01:03:14 PM »
Shortest fast of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Didn't really do too much prep :P
+1

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #115 on: January 05, 2012, 08:04:55 PM »
Woke up before fast: ate not too heavy, lots of water, and all day on power-save-mode.

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #116 on: January 05, 2012, 08:17:54 PM »
grapes great, grape dryer even better,
also eating 2-3 dates every 3 hours a day before is a miracle,doc advised my wife to do so once before yom kipur, unbelievable results
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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #117 on: January 05, 2012, 08:21:44 PM »
sorry grape SUGER*
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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #118 on: January 06, 2012, 02:12:55 AM »
grapes great, grape dryer even better,
also eating 2-3 dates every 3 hours a day before is a miracle,doc advised my wife to do so once before yom kipur, unbelievable results
Will have to make a note of that.
Thanks!

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #119 on: July 08, 2012, 02:15:21 AM »
With the heat wave we've been having in NY, I'm not too excited for this one. it starts in a hour and half and ends after 9 PM!
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