Weinberger MS, RD

Health & F tness

V’Nahapoch Hu

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

Purim: a day loved by all. A day when kids get dressed up and eat endless amounts of candy. A day when parents proudly watch their children enjoy the festivities in their cute costumes. A day when friends get together to eat, drink, and cherish the joyous day.

It’s hard not to enjoy the cheerful, happy, and holy day of Purim, except, that is, if you’re dieting. Lucky for you, rather than rambling on about eating healthy on Purim, “V’nahapoch hu.” Enjoy some good, fatty foods that you are staring you in the face on Purim. As you savor each bite, here is something to think about. • Potato chips: Chances are a lot of the mishloach manos you will collect are bound to have a bag of crunchy, salty, mouthwatering potato chips. Potato chips are smothered in salt, which can send your sodium levels through the roof with just one bag. The problem is, they’re so addictive that you never stop after just one bag. High sodium levels are the leading cause of hypertension, thus escalating to a cascade of other conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Most potato chips are doused in trans-fat to give it that unique crunch. Trans-fat intake leads to clogged arteries and high cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease.

Although potato chips are not considered high in sugar, they cause a large spike in blood glucose levels and are a poor choice for diabetics. • Soda: Although sweet, refreshing, and thirst-quenching, drinking soda is like drinking pure sugar. Soda is the main contributor to the obesity epidemic. Extensive evidence has linked sugar-sweetened beverages with increased caloric intake and weight gain in both children and adults. In addition, sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

For those of us who are thinking, “OK, no problem. I’ll drink diet soda,” that is an even worse beverage, since diet soda is packed with artificial sweeteners that have shortterm and long-term detrimental effects on our bodies. Additionally, soda is loaded with sodium, but the sugar or artificial sweeteners mask the sodium with their super-sweet flavor.

• Red meat: Most likely, red meat will be served at any seudah. A thick, juicy piece of red meat is hard to refuse. Just make sure to warn your arteries first. Red meat is loaded with saturated fat that clogs your arteries and increases your risk of heart disease. Even more, red meat is linked to many types of cancer. • Alcohol: It’s a mitzvah to drink on Purim, so naturally, you’ll be drinking lots of wine. The problem is, aside from the high calories found in alcohol, high amounts of alcohol consumption put an individual at high-risk for long-term cognitive damage, memory loss, depression, cirrhosis of the liver, high blood pressure, stroke type II diabetes, throat, esophagus, and breast and colon cancer, as well as drowning, falling and motor vehicle accidents. • Candy: Sweet, sweeter, and sweetest. No doubt, all candies are loaded with sugar and most likely high fructose corn syrup, which is harmful to the body. The main problem with sugar is that it’s addictive. The more candy you eat, the more sugar you store as fat. Let’s not forget the cavities. • Chocolate: Chocolate comes in many forms in mishloach manos. We know that dark chocolate has positive effects on heart health, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that downing chocolate bars are healthy. Chocolate has a lot of sugar and is high in calories, too.

So, go ahead, “V’nahapoch hu!” (if I didn’t scare you enough!). Eat these foods that you generally restrict. After a whole day of eating these foods, your body will feel the difference. I guarantee you’ll come running back to healthy eating on Shushan Purim!

Let all the “bad” things turn into good things this year. A freilichen Purim!

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. She is currently a dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@ gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @ EatBetterandFeelBetter.