My "Kosher" Week

This past week in our class we discussed what kashrut was, is, and will be. We reviewed the original commandment which states that we should not "boil a kid in its mother's milk." Many of us thought this was kinda vague and didn't necessarily reflect our dietary practices. However, there was a general consensus regarding the intention behind these Jewish dietary laws - we should (in some capacity) truly pay attention to what we put in our bodies.

This interpretation of Jewish dietary law has recently become a lot more relevant to me. I was diagnosed with patellar tendinitis in both of my knees as a result of playing basketball. This means I cannot participate in any sort of impact exercise (which includes basketball, running, and anything of that nature). Because of this, my exercise routine has drastically changed and thus, my diet has followed suit. It was recommended to me by my doctor that, in addition to physical therapy and other leg strengthening exercises, even a small amount of weight loss would significantly decrease my chances of ever dealing with this kind of injury again.

Here's where I'm at right now. In order to do this, I am on a diet through which I consume a little over half the amount of calories I usually consume. In addition, I do not eat meals, but merely small snacks throughout the day. This sounds a bit extreme, but I usually eat A LOT, so don't worry. My energy level hasn't decreased. I feel fine from a purely physical standpoint. Mentally, however, it's a bit tough. I grew up in a family where we eat BIG meals. I love to make BIG meals. The most difficult part of this diet is simply that it is not part of MY routine (well, now it is, but you get what I'm saying). I NEVER COUNT CALORIES. NEVER!!!! But now I do, and that's a new and weird feeling. I only have to do it for 5-6 weeks, and it's still messing with my head. You may think I'm rambling now and may be saying to yourself, "Ari, what does this have to do with kashrut? Get to it." Here's the deal: even though I have always cared about what I eat, I have never really paid attention to how much I eat. That is, I simply eat until I'm not hungry and then I stop eating. That sounds simple and healthy to me. By eating about 60% the amount I normally eat daily, I thought I would be supremely fatigued...but I'm not. I'm fine. When we look as the laws of kashrut we may say, "I could never do that. I love these foods too much." In my case, replace the word "foods" with "portions." Though I was not thrilled to be on this diet, and only went on it in order to be able to play more basketball, I am realizing what my version of keeping "kosher" may be. In addition to paying attention to the foods I eat, I am much more aware of what my body needs, rather than simply what it wants.

Does this mean that in the future I'm going to not eat meals, not have dessert, and keep a strict count on my daily calories consumed? Are you crazy? Get outta here with that.

For me it simply means maybe drinking some water instead of eating a mid-day snack, having a cup of coffee and an apple instead of a big sandwich, or eating half my bacon cheeseburger now and the other half later. That's where I'm at with my version of keeping "kosher."

-Ari