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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 74120 times)

Offline Mikeoracle

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #20 on: July 19, 2010, 12:50:40 PM »
You'll know when you're doing it right if during the days before the fast the color that goes in is the same color going out...
I've been drinking Gatorade since friday, how will i know when i am doing it right? :)

Offline Yordai Dooma

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #21 on: July 19, 2010, 12:53:03 PM »
I've been drinking Gatorade since friday, how will i know when i am doing it right? :)

Depends what color you are drinking. lol.

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #22 on: July 19, 2010, 12:55:05 PM »
why is drinking a lot not healthy?

it thins the blood.

Offline Dan

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #23 on: July 19, 2010, 12:57:11 PM »
no offense but that does seem a tad inappropriate for tisha bav
We were talking about a fast in general.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Dan

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #24 on: July 19, 2010, 12:58:35 PM »
why is drinking a lot not healthy?
If you drink gallons and gallons of water you can get sick, but drinking good amounts of liquid won't get you sick.  And being hydrated on a fast makes it much easier.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #25 on: July 19, 2010, 12:59:08 PM »

Offline ceejay

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #26 on: July 19, 2010, 01:00:19 PM »


Unless you fast on random days I would think it be inappropriate on any Teynus. Tanaysim are meant to do tshuva on.

Offline moish

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #27 on: July 19, 2010, 01:03:31 PM »
which one are you referring to "in general" yom kippur, asara bteves, shiva asar btamuz, tzom gedalia, or taanis esther?
in any event have an easy and meaningful fast

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #28 on: July 19, 2010, 01:36:18 PM »
which one are you referring to "in general" yom kippur, asara bteves, shiva asar btamuz, tzom gedalia, or taanis esther?
in any event have an easy and meaningful fast

eating grapes helps, so does grape juice if allowed.

Offline chuchem

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #29 on: July 19, 2010, 01:40:02 PM »
Dan 24 is a great idea. I am done with all seasons. Prisonbreak as well. Fasting is getting harder again. Maybe I will have to join my wife watching desperate houswife!!

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #30 on: July 19, 2010, 01:41:29 PM »
Dan 24 is a great idea. I am done with all seasons. Prisonbreak as well. Fasting is getting harder again. Maybe I will have to join my wife watching desperate houswife!!

Never saw any of those, but apparently Lost is one that needs to be seen.

Offline aussiebochur

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #31 on: July 19, 2010, 01:41:38 PM »
Dan 24 is a great idea. I am done with all seasons. Prisonbreak as well. Fasting is getting harder again. Maybe I will have to join my wife watching desperate houswife!!
Now that's desperate...

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #32 on: July 19, 2010, 01:48:02 PM »
For those who need to watch something, at least it should be in the spirit of...

Jewish Partisans.



« Last Edit: July 19, 2010, 02:24:44 PM by Dan »

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #33 on: July 19, 2010, 01:51:54 PM »
About the Warsaw ghetto

« Last Edit: July 19, 2010, 02:24:28 PM by Dan »

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #34 on: July 19, 2010, 01:52:25 PM »
You might need to change IP and or delete cookies to download next link.

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #35 on: July 19, 2010, 01:53:07 PM »
Won't be giving support for this. If you don't know how to download and watch it, you are not made for it.

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #36 on: July 19, 2010, 01:53:53 PM »
I suggest that you copy paste it, and tomorrow in the day you just delete the posts.

Offline Yordai Dooma

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #37 on: July 19, 2010, 01:54:32 PM »
Won't be giving support for this. If you don't know how to download and watch it, you are not made for it.

For tech support, call 1-800-Superflyer

Offline Dan

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #38 on: July 19, 2010, 02:01:53 PM »
which one are you referring to "in general" yom kippur, asara bteves, shiva asar btamuz, tzom gedalia, or taanis esther?
in any event have an easy and meaningful fast
And on other days we're not mourning the loss of eretz yisroel?
And on other days bittul torah doesn't apply?
Or just filling your mind with shtooyot?

Not everyone is holding on your level.  Perhaps if everyone would try to become more acceptable to that fact there would be less sinas chinam which is what got us into the whole churban mess in the first place.  I'm not accusing you of sinas chinum c"v, just saying there's a lot of it out there because people have a problem with others not holding on their own spiritual level instead of accepting them for who they are and allowing for them to grow at their own pace.

I applaud those who are holding at such a level, but for the rest of us for whom fasting isn't the easiest thing having something to take your mind from it is surely better than not fasting at all...
« Last Edit: July 19, 2010, 02:05:01 PM by Dan »
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Re: What do you eat before a fast?
« Reply #39 on: July 19, 2010, 02:03:41 PM »
Dan 24 is a great idea. I am done with all seasons. Prisonbreak as well. Fasting is getting harder again. Maybe I will have to join my wife watching desperate houswife!!
May I recommend "The Amazing Race"

Kind of like the "Trip Reports" forum on steroids.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.