Tomorrow at Sundown begins Yom Kippur the holiest day of the year — the day on which we are closest to G‑d and to the quintessence of our own souls. It is the Day of Atonement — Be forgiven and cleansed from all your sins before G‑d.
For nearly twenty-six hours — from several minutes before sunset on 9 Tishri (Sept. 29) to after nightfall on 10 Tishrei (Sept. 30) — we “afflict our souls”: we abstain from food and drink, do not wash or anoint our bodies, do not wear leather footwear, and abstain from marital relations. Instead, we head to temple and our time is spent in prayer to G‑d. It’s truly a beautiful holiday.
For those of you who follow, it’s a great time to give your weight loss a boost as well. Your last meal on Friday should be a nice balance of protein and healthy carbohydrates and this combination will sustain you throughout your fast. Some great choices would be:
- Grilled or Roasted Chicken (no skin)
- Vegetables – string beans, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus
- Mashed Sweet potato – (no milk or cream)
- Fresh Fruit – nuts
Water water water throughout the day before you fast. You should never go into the fast thirsty. When you feel thirst that means your body is already dehydrated which is not good for any of your organs and will make you feel hunger. You should drink water all day when you are NOT thirsty to avoid dehydration.
When you Break the Fast you should not go crazy and eat everything in sight. Some of you will want to and others will not. If it’s your Cheat Day then have a piece and/or spoonful of the foods you like – scoop out the bagel and try to taste smaller choices – instead of eating large servings. If you over eat after fasting you will get sick. Ideally you should stay on program and let the fast work in your favor and Break the Fast with the following:
- Light Tuna or Vegetable salads with ak mak or wasa crackers
- Whole wheat or rye toast with lox and light cream cheese
- Egg White salad with vegetables
- Vegetables and guacamole or mashed avocado
- Fresh Fruit – nuts
- Water Water Water
If you do this you will lose more weight because you are having two clean meals with a long fast in between. The fast helps the weight loss because when your food is digested and used by the body – your body will then begin to burn stored fat. When the fast is over and you fill it with balanced nutritional foods and snacks you will see how much better you feel and will maintain that lighter healthier cleansed feeling. All the yummy treats that are around the table should be saved and taken home in a goody bag or put in your refrigerator and have it on your Cheat Day Sunday so you can enjoy the treats throughout the day and not try to get them all in after nightfall.
You should only be breaking the fast if you actually fasted:
If you are not fasting because of medicine, not religious, you just can’t do it…. then you should be sticking 110% to your program, and eating on program Friday and Saturday and unless it’s your Cheat Day Saturday then you should be on program and your Cheat Day is your Cheat Day – Done!
Innovation Weight Loss wishes you all a healthy peaceful and fulfilling year.
G’mar Hatimah Tovah
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