Community Magazine July 2014

78 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Drink to Your Health CHAYA STEINMAN Eat healthy. It sounds so simple, so logical and so good, yet in practice it often eludes us. As Torah Jews, we proudly eschew non-kosher fare, yet when it comes to the directive, “And you shall carefully preserve your lives” (Devarim 4:15), which includes healthful eating, many of us struggle to comply. Why is it that the most delectable food without proper kosher certification would never pass our lips, but once there is an acceptable hechsher (kashrut certification), we consume foods that are damaging to the body? While the answer to this question is manifold, part of the problem is the difficulty in defining healthy foods. T hroughout the past century, foods that were once deemed healthy – such as butter and red meat in the 1950s – have been labelled as harmful, at least in large amounts. Additionally, trendy diets have proclaimed entire food groups unhealthy; whether it is carbs, meat, dairy or something else, a simple internet search will yield volumes of information detailing the ills of many common foods that are assumed by everyone else to be healthy. The lone exception is fruits and vegetables, whose health benefits are recognized by virtually all mainstream health and weight loss diets. Fortunately, our holy Medieval sage, Maimonides (Rambam), who was both a rabbi and a trained physician, has gifted the Jewish people with a list of health directives. Of those who follow these guidelines he says: “I guarantee him that he will not become sick throughout all of his days, until he becomes very old and dies.” And a promise from the Rambam ought not to be taken lightly – traditional Yeminite Jews, famed for their long lives, are said to meticulously follow the Rambam’s medical advice. One particularly interesting recommendation from the Rambam is to chew food extremely thoroughly before swallowing. As elucidated in the Kitzur Shulhan Aruch (32:13), in the section entitled Shemirat Haguf Al Pi Teva (“Naturally Caring for the Body”), this means that digestion begins in the mouth, when the food is ground by the teeth and mixed with saliva. Therefore, food should not be swallowed before it is carefully chewed, as chewing is vital for facilitating easy digestion. As Rabbi Jonathan Rietti puts it, the Rambam is teaching us, “Don’t eat your food, drink it!” Drawing natural conclusions from the facts presented above – that fruits and veggies are undeniably healthy and that liquids are kinder to the stomach – it stands to reason that a great way to eat healthier is to incorporate smoothies and natural juices into our diets. So go ahead and pour yourself a glass of something healthy, cool and refreshing to sip as we delve into the whats, whys and hows of healthy smoothies and juices. Bottoms Up: Why Drink Your Food? In addition to the Rambam’s guidance – which is echoed by contemporary science – that liquid foods enable easy digestion and effective absorption of nutrients, another important benefit of consuming smoothies and juices is the increased intake of raw foods. While fruits and vegetables in any form are great, when cooked at temperatures above 118 o F they are stripped of essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes that enhance the immune system, aid in digestion and detoxify the body. Cooked food has a discernibly duller tone, because the radiant color of fresh fruits and veggies comes from phytochemicals and antioxidants. These provide essential health benefits that are lost once the food is cooked. Raw vegetables also contribute to hormone health. Therefore, drinking a mixture of fresh, raw produce maximizes the amount of goodness the body receives. Another draw of health drinks is weight loss. Fruits and vegetables are a low fat, low calorie, healthy alternative to junk food. For those who find it hard to choke down a salad of fresh veggies, blending or