Expanding Succoth Waistlines

Beware of the cakes: Many people want to make a blessing on the sukkah every time they enter it. But, one really shouldn’t make a blessing unless he eats something. For that reason, many folks eat cake (“mezonot”, at a minimum amount of a little over and ounce) so they can say the “Leshev B’Sukkah” blessing, the blessing to sit in the sukkah. If a person eats 2 ounces of cake 3 times a day, that adds another 840 calories to his daily intake. The Melitzer Rebbe shlit’a says that one should make a “Leshev B’Sukkah” blessing only when eating a proper meal that includes washing your hands and breaking bread. So, don’t eat cake for the purpose of making a blessing to sit in the sukkah. If a person eats 3 average-sized portions of cake a day for the 9 (outside of Israel, 8 in Israel) days of the Succot/Simchat Torah holiday, he’ll gain more than two pounds. We suggest eating sliced fresh carrots or sliced green apples instead of the cake.

Beware of the liquor: Many people make a “Lechayim” every time they visit the sukkah of a friend and relative. In Israel, quite a few people that barely touch alcoholic beverages all year long keep them on hand to serve guests, and end up toasting glass-per-glass with the guest. A one-ounce shot of vodka or 86-proof Whiskey is 70 calories, while an ounce of a 72-proof liqueur such as Kahlua or Banana Liqueur is a hefty 117 calories. 3 “Lechayims” a day is enough to pick up another half pound during the week of the holiday. Adding that to the cakes (see above), you’ve already gained 2.5 pounds during Succot. Putting the weight on is so much easier than taking it off.

Beware of sweet beverages: Succot is a time when parents allow the Pepsi and the Coke to flow freely all week long. Now hear this – an 8-ounce glass of Coke Classic is a whopping 97 calories, just as caloric as the equivalent amount of beer or of a slice and a half of bread. A person that drinks 6 glasses of cola a day will gain almost a pound on Succot, plus wreck his teeth in the process. We suggest that you reach for the mineral water, sparkling water, or herb tea instead, for they have zero caloric value.

Beware of snacks: People like to munch in the sukkah. We all know that you can’t eat one Frito or potato chip – therefore, those plastic bags empty fast. One ounce of fritos, potato chips, or our Bamba and Bisli add another 160 calories to your calorie-galore score. If a person drinks two glasses of cola and consumes two ounces of snack foods a day, he’ll gain over a pound during Succot. Again, fresh carrot and cucumber sticks are a virtually non-caloric and healthy replacement for the junky snack foods.

So, with the cakes, the l’chayims, the cokes and the snacks alone – without the heavy meals that include kugel and fat meats, you’ve already gained close to 5 pounds. And, if you drink diet beverages and use artificial sweeteners, you might not gain the weight but you’ll be likely to suffer from headaches and anxiety.

True, tradition is important; that is, as long as it doesn’t ruin your health. Here at the Brody homestead, whole-grained rice, buckwheat groats and quinoa have replaced fried farfel and oil-dripping kugel. We don’t fry, but boil and bake. We eat loads of veggies and fresh fruit, and drink a great brand of Golan-Heights mineral water. Fish and lean poultry have replaced the beef and veal. Dessert is homemade applesauce, fresh cantaloupe cubes, or an almond-stuffed fresh date. Our bread is home-baked and whole-grain. We want to control what enters our bodies; the manufacturers care about making money, not about our health. That’s why we don’t buy their products. Our bodies weren’t designed to digest the myriad of chemical additives and preservatives that they force-feed us.

The Rambam gives an important reminder – don’t eat until you’re full. The stomach resembles a washing machine – if you overload it, it can’t do the laundry. By the same token, an overloaded stomach can’t digest, resulting in indigestion, another common Succot ailment.

A great way to combat the expanding Succot waistline is to walk for an hour a day. Better yet, while you’re walking, talk to Hashem in personal prayer. That way, your body gets its exercise and your soul gets its nourishment, that is none other than connecting with Hashem. What could be better? Breslev Israel wishes you a happy and healthy Succot with no indigestion and no expanding waistline and no indigestion, amen.