Honestly, Purim is only one day. So, even with all the joy, the hype, and the planning, 24 hours later Purim is over, with hopefully some meaning taken from the day that we can internalize going forward.
Food-wise, Purim is only one day as well. Which means that it can be easy to be mindful throughout that one day, make sure to eat good meals, and make it through Purim feeling energized. Conversely, if you feel you blew it — nu, its only one day.
The day after Purim, however, is the beginning of a new era that’s decidedly longer than one day. Between the post-Purim cleanup, getting house, kids, and schedule back together — and did we mention the food that is just everywhere?? In addition, however long your to-do list was pre-Purim, it probably cannot compare to that pre-Pesach to-do list.
To clearly delineate the post-Purim lifestyle that can affect the way we nourish our bodies:
1) High availability of cake, chocolate, candy etc. (despite all those supply chain issues)
2) Low availability of time and headspace
Both of these can be universal issues, not specific to only the days after Purim. Feel free to generalize any useful tip you find in today’s column.
Let’s address each issue:
1) Too Much Junk Food Around
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! Throughout the day of Purim, and the day after, make it a priority to organize all that food coming in to your home. If it is important to you to make healthy choices, and you feel that having certain foods in the house is counterproductive towards that goal, practice stimulus control. (Notice I did not make a blanket statement here.) That can mean making sure food is not sitting on your counter, but rather in a box in the pantry. It can mean totally removing certain foods from your house either by giving them away or disposing of them. Whatever your preferred method, get it done ASAP!
2) Limited Time to Sit Down for a Meal
Set aside a weekly half hour for the brainspace aspect of eating well so that the rest of the week can proceed on autopilot. (Incidentally, I think this is one reason that seeing a dietitian can be so effective.) Troubleshoot. What will be challenging for me due to time or headspace constraints? Is it availability of food, time to prep, time to eat? Think, “What is the smallest effort I can take that will make the biggest difference?”
Here are some ideas:
– Write a list of easy, wholesome foods you enjoy
– Stock up on frozen and canned produce
– Write a menu of dinners or lunches each Motzaei Shabbat for the week
– While preparing for Shabbat, meal prep extra veggies or salads for the week
– Take food along when you’re on the go to prevent true hunger from kicking in
– Make sure to eat an early dinner
– Wait three hours between meals
– Keep a water bottle on your desk at work, home, or school
As you see, the options are endless — but, incredibly, each small change can make a really big difference towards your goal.
Here’s to a beautiful Purim, post-Purim, erev Pesach, and beyond!
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