Healthy Living According to the Rambam (Maimonides)
Pesach has come and gone, and spring has sprung even in
Montreal where I live.
With the start of the new Rambam cycle those who are
learning 3 chapters a day will be learning Hilchos Deot this week. Those
learning 1 chapter a day will get there in the middle of Iyar. As you know the
first 2 Halachos of Perek 4 discuss healthy living.
Before discussing the Rambam I want to mention that the
Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) will be introducing a new course called Healthy
and Holy. It’s a two-part course, the first discusses in detail the Torah
sources for leading a healthy lifestyle. The second part deals with nutrition
and healthy eating. I’m very excited about it and look forward to its formal
introduction in the next few weeks. The course is designed to be presented to high
school level students and can be used in Chabad Houses as well. The nutrition
section was written by a nutritionist and outlines a moderate approach to
healthy eating. No fad diets and no drastic unsustainable programs.
And now I’m going to get on my soap box.
It’s time to start exercising and eating better. You don’t
have to do anything drastic, you don’t have to try the latest fad diet, and you
don’t have to become a marathon runner. As the Rambam says take the middle
road. And don’t worry, you’ll be able to eat those blintzes and cheesecake on
Shvuos.
Those of you who are already exercising and eating healthy
do some “Mivtzoim”. Tell people what you have done. Inspire them. Don’t be
modest about your accomplishments. You never know who you will help.
In Perek 4 Halachah 1 the Rambam says:
And in Halachah 2 he says:
We know that the Rambam wrote the Yad as a book of Halachos.
That means that his directives are directed to and attainable by everyone. More
than that, as the Rebbe mentioned on many occasions, when Torah mandates a Mitzvah
not only is it attainable, but we are given the strength to accomplish it.
Here is a quote from an article written about Rebetzin Korf (wife
of Reb Pinchas Korf) published a few months ago.
“On top of that, I wrote to the Rebbe that I had been
so busy with my school’s extracurricular projects and programs that I had been
neglecting my health.
In his response, the Rebbe calmed me down. He
explained that watching your health is a mitzvah, so there is no way that it
could be at odds with other mitzvot of the Torah. He advised me to go back to
my teachers in Bais Yaakov and ask them to help me manage my schedule.”
To those who say they have no time I say this: The half hour
you spend exercising will give you one extra hour during the day. You will be
less tired, and your mind will be clearer. That half hour is not an expense,
it’s an investment that yields great dividends. Try it, you’ll see results quickly.
So, get out there! Run, walk, bike, do something that gets your blood moving.
Commit to eating better by cutting down on junk foods, sugar
drinks (that includes sports drinks) and cut down on your vitamin K (Kugel, Knishes,
Kreplach, Karnatzel, Kishkeh, Kiddush Club…). According to the Rambam you only
need to eat 75% of what you are currently eating, this is because your brain
only registers fullness about 15-20 minutes after you finish eating. You think
you are hungry, but you really aren’t. I mentioned this to a friend, and he
told me that one time he was halfway through his meal when he got a real phone
call, (not a robo call). The call lasted 15 minutes. Upon returning to the
table, he was not hungry anymore.
Remember that as we approach Pesach Sheni there is no “Farfallen”.
Whether it is exercise or healthy eating age doesn’t matter. Start slowly and
be persistent and patient. You will see results.
Have a healthy summer!
Comments
Post a Comment