Be careful, for after the fast, your blood sugar levels are at their lowest. The worst thing you can do (a cardinal nutrition sin that many congregations commit) is to dive into the soft drinks, fruit juices and pastries that many congregations serve the moment the fast is over. This drives blood sugar through the roof and creates a shock to the body that could actually trigger diabetes, Heaven forbid. What’s more, drastic rises and falls in blood sugar cause headaches, nausea and fatigue. In order to avoid this, takes the following precautions:

  1. Break your fast with a glass of ice-water and high-fiber foods such as celery sticks, homemade low-sugar oatmeal cookies or whole grain/bran crackers.
  2. Add to the above a portion of protein, such as cottage cheese or goat cheese, which will also slow the rise of your blood sugar level.
  3. Avoid all sugary substances, soft drinks, fruit juices, cakes and pastries – these are downright dangerous at the end of a fast.
  4. Drink at least 2 glasses of water an hour for the first 4 hours after the fast. This will replenish the body’s fluids and slow the increase of blood sugar levels.
  5. Don’t eat a heavier meal until at least an hour after breaking your fast in the above manner; preferably, do some light exercise like taking a 30-minute walk or beginning to build your Succah before having a heavier meal.

Feel free to pass the above advice along to friends and family. Even better, send them this link so that they can subscribe to our weekly newsletter. We have no doubt that the above tips will not only make your fast more bearable, but safe and healthy as well! Every blessing, LB

Rabbi Lazer Brody is also a certified holistic nutritionist, health coach and fitness trainer.