In other words, move your legs – when you walk to shul, take the long way home. If you find yourself sitting at the computer for too long, get up and walk around. Stand if you can instead of sitting, take longer-than-usual leisure walks, park farther from the store. When you’re cleaning up after meals, instead of bringing the dirty dishes to the sink in one or two big loads, take fewer dishes at a time and make three or four (or more) trips. Find ways to take extra steps. When it comes to health, doing little things can make big differences.
Indulge your inner Borsch Belt. Jewish people make great doctors, lawyers…and comedians. Maybe it’s our legacy of suffering that makes Jewish people want to joke (how else is there to deal with it?), but for your own health’s sake, you should give your Jewish funny bone as much tickling as you can.
It is well known that humor has beneficial effects: it reduces stress and relieves pain, among others. So when you laugh, you are promoting good health in your mind and body. And that is no joke. Lighten up and release your inner Jewish humor; it’ll be good for you.
Make your world the Promised Land. Each person is his or her own world, and you want to cultivate in your world a land of milk and honey. That might sound a bit idealistic, as no one occupies a land as smooth as milk and as sweet as honey. But it is something you can strive for, and to do that you need to nurture your physical and mental well-being with love and care, which means, among many other things, getting enough sleep, avoiding smoking, not drinking too much, and eating a healthy diet. Now, far be it from me to tell anyone who desires to smoke, drink, or eat unhealthily to refrain from doing so, but it is common knowledge that these habits can lead to health problems, and we all must take responsibility for our own actions. Barring disease, accidents, and unforeseen tragedies, you have the power to make your world smooth and sweet through smart choices.
One of the paradoxes of trying to lead a healthy Jewish life is that eating is a vital part of our rituals and observances. To wit: brisket, corned beef, chopped liver, kreplach, gefilte fish, tzimmes, hummus, mushroom barley soup, blintzes, potato latkes, borscht, challah, pumpernickel bread, bagels, potato salad, cole slaw, kugel, hamantaschen, matzo ball soup, matzoh brie – the list could go on and on. And I would be remiss if I didn’t include chicken soup! Who said being Jewish is not challenging? Okay, you know to eat intelligently and in moderation. Personally, I always try to leave the table feeling a little hungry.
Count your blessings. We count the omer to show excitement for receiving the Torah and to enhance our spiritual being. Likewise, you may want to count your blessings to enhance your appreciation for what you have. Sure, everyone has problems, and we sometimes find ourselves wallowing in misery for one reason or another, but we shouldn’t forget what we should be grateful for. Literally count your blessings, and continue to find new ones.
Write your own Ten Commandments of Health. If you could make up ten rules of health that you would assiduously follow – not just resolutions but culinary rules that you abide by – what would they be? Here are mine: (1) I will never smoke and will avoid second-hand smoke as best I can; (2) I will avoid alcohol except for wine at Kiddush and maybe a rare drink (I don’t even like the taste of alcohol); (3) I will never stuff myself at meals; (4) I will run at least once a week and walk as much as I can at other times; (5) I will avoid situations and people who stress me out; (6) I will learn from my mistakes and not beat myself up over them; (7) I will never sit too long at the computer or in front of the TV without getting up and moving around; (8) I will avoid products made with refined flour and choose only whole grains; (9) I will change my toothbrush at least once every three months; (10) when it comes to eating, sleeping, exercising, interacting with others, or any health-related issue, I will always be vigilant of my health and use my common sense.
