Tisha B' Av

Tisha B'Av is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. Tradition holds that both Temples were destroyed on this day. The spies defamed the Land of Israel and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain was decreed.

We read the book of Eichah (Lamentations), fast for a full day and observe the other strictures of mourning.

Here are some suggestions for an easier fast:

If you drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages regularly, start tapering off a week before the fast. This should help minimize or avoid caffeine-withdrawal headaches.

Drink plenty of water – even more than you're used to, starting several days before the fast. If you live in a hot climate, this is especially important.

For a day or two before the fast, avoid eating heavily salted, spicy and fried foods.

Eat a light meal just before the fast, including protein, carbohydrate and a little fat. Fish is a good main-course. Add pasta, potato or a cooked grain, vegetables, and fruit for dessert. Herbal tea is a relaxing way to finish the meal.

After the fast, don't stress your system by eating too much. Some people like to break the fast with tea and cookies or a bit of cake, followed a little later by dinner. My preference is for a light, simple dairy meal. Blintzes, a vegetable omelet, quiche, bagels and lox, soup and muffins, and salmon, tuna or egg salad are all good choices. And don't forget to re-hydrate with plenty of water, juice or tea.

Vegetarian Pasta Recipe

Here's a light vegetarian recipe using summer zucchini. It makes a good weekday entree during the period before Tisha B'Av, when it's customary to not eat meat.

From Food for the Soul - Traditional Jewish Wisdom for Healthy Eating, Gefen Publishing House

Pasta with Zucchini Sauce (Dairy)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, minced

5-6 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

2 cups non-fat or low-fat milk

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

freshly ground pepper

1 pound whole-grain or regular pasta tubes or spirals

Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring until slightly soft.

Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered over very low heat, until most of the milk has evaporated, stirring the mixture occasionally so that the bottom of the pan does not burn. Allow up to an hour of cooking for the milk to cook down with the zucchini into a sauce.

When the sauce is about half cooked, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta. Drain the pasta, rinse, drain again and set aside.

Add the cheese and ground pepper to the cooked sauce and mix with the pasta.

Serves 6-8

Rx for Israeli Tofu

I'm not one to complain about what's lacking in Israel. I don't miss canned cranberry sauce or pumpkin. Graham crackers would be nice, but I can do without them.

It seems to me that we have the widest selection of deliciously fresh, healthy kosher foods than anywhere else in the world.

I just have one minor gripe – Israeli tofu.

Perhaps I was spoiled living in Portland, where we had a choice of several brands of kosher tofu. One Vancouver company produced an especially soft and delicate tofu that was wonderful in miso soup. It also worked beautifully for parve chocolate mousse.

If you've cooked with Israeli-made tofu you know what I mean when I say that it's as dense and hard-as-a-rock. And I've tried every brand. There's one labeled "Japanese Style". How exciting – soft tofu at last! But it's the same as the rest.

My friend Shimron (A talented chef who made aliyah from Portland) heard my complaint and came to the rescue.

Here's his Rx for Israeli tofu:

Rinse the whole piece of tofu and steam it over water for 5-10 minutes. (I use a small bamboo steamer basket, but a metal steamer works just as well.)

Remove it to a cutting board and cool slightly. Cut it into square or oblong shapes and marinate it * for several hours.

That's it. Now use it in your favorite tofu recipe.

* The marinade is your choice. Keep it simple with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Add ginger and/or garlic. Or go with olive oil and herbs. It just depends on what you plan to do with the tofu.

"Weigh more, live longer"

That's the message from a recent Canadian study. Overweight (not obese) people were likely to live longer than their normal-weight counterparts.

Another study found that obesity increased survival rates in heart patients.

Could excess weight be a good thing?

There's a lot of speculation but no answers yet.

Perhaps extra weight is protective once disease sets in, especially in the elderly. On the other hand, extra weight takes a toll on knee and hip joints and can increase the risk for arthritis, making life more difficult for overweight seniors.

Since many health conditions associated with overweight (like high blood pressure) are now successfully treated with medication, perhaps weight is less of a factor than it once was.

We have many more questions than answers.

We do know that BMI (body mass index), which gives a healthy weight-for-height range, is not the whole story. Abdominal fat, genetics and metabolic risk factors are just as important in accessing health.

And excess pounds may be more protective for men than women.

Dr. Dror Dekker, internal medicine chief of Sharon Hospital in Petach Tikvah helped sort out the issues at a recent nutrition conference. He sited studies pointing to the differences between men and women when it comes to weight and disease. He emphasized that overweight women are much more likely to develop diabetes, cancer and heart disease than overweight men. And when it comes to being overweight, society is much tougher on women than on men.

Should you be concerned about extra pounds? Absolutely. But as Dr. Dekker emphasized, you shouldn't try a lose-it-fast "miracle" diet. Your best bet for losing weight is to make small changes over a long period of time.

If you're a guy who's overweight, I wouldn't get too excited about these preliminary studies. It's still advisable to eat well, exercise and maintain a healthy weight.

Accidental Recipe

What would you do with a frozen watermelon?

Fortunately I gave it a second thought before just throwing it away.

Given the intense summer heat and pre-Shabbat quantity of food, it wasn't surprising that our refrigerator temperature was higher than normal. (I keep an eye on fluctuations with a special thermometer.) So I cranked it up to "max" to cool things off.

As the refrigerator temperature gradually dropped to normal, the lower shelves dropped way below normal. And that's where our bowling-ball sized watermelon was hidden. By the time I found it, it was frozen solid. My sharpest knife wouldn't even make a dent.

When it finally defrosted enough to cut it, I found a beautiful shade of translucent red – obviously frozen solid. But one taste was all I needed to get creative rather than throw it away.

I cut the whole melon into chunks and pureed them in the food processor.

That's the whole recipe. It's called Watermelon Soup. Icy cold, refreshing and delicious – perfect for a hot summer day. Everyone kept asking what it was. And I was almost too embarrassed to say.

Do you have a favorite "accidental recipe"? If so, please share it with us!

More on Vitamin Supplements

Not long ago I wrote about vitamin and antioxidant supplements. (See: http://www.healthyjewisheating.com/2009/05/dietary-supplements-good-bad-and.html)

There's a tremendous amount of research being done on the subject. Recently two more articles caught my attention:

Vitamin Supplements and Exercise

"If you exercise to promote health, you shouldn't take large amounts of antioxidants," says Dr. Michael Ristow, a nutritionist at the University of Jena in Germany. He tested the metabolic effects of moderate doses of vitamins C and E on young men who were exercising.

The vitamin supplements seem to have cancelled out some of the positive effects of exercising.

"… antioxidants in general cause certain effects that inhibit otherwise positive effects of exercise, dieting and other interventions," said Dr. Ristow.

He emphasized that the effects are only seen with supplements and not with eating fruits and vegetables.

Antioxidants and Breast Cancer

Among women being treated for breast cancer, over 60% recently reported that they were taking antioxidant or vitamin supplements during treatment. Most of them were taking high doses – more than what you'd find in common multi-vitamin pills.

Here's the problem: Research suggests that high doses of antioxidants (like vitamins C and E, selenium and beta-carotene) may actually interfere with radiation and some types of chemotherapy.

The American Cancer Society has recommended for years that vitamins and other supplements not be used during cancer treatment. They do suggest that eating lots of fruit and vegetables may be beneficial before, during and after cancer treatment.

Skin and Bones – Can Diet Help?

Nutrition professionals from around the world recently met in Tel Aviv for a conference focusing on the Mediterranean diet. We know that the Mediterranean diet can help improve health and prevent disease. There were sessions on heart disease, cancer and healthier aging.

Of special interest –

Does the Mediterranean diet help protect against skin cancer? Can it improve bone health?

We all know about the importance of wearing sunscreen to protect against skin cancer. But diet may also help against the sun's harmful rays. Research points to the possible role of antioxidants as "internal" protectors of the skin. And the Mediterranean diet, high in vegetables, fruit, fish, olive oil and red wine, is certainly high in antioxidants.

What about bone health? Most of us are familiar with the role of calcium and exercise in building and maintaining strong bones. Numerous studies also point to a connection between eating lots of fruits and vegetable and good bone health.

Professor Alessandro Laviano from Rome stated it pretty clearly –

"You are what you eat." And for overall good health, the Mediterranean diet makes nutritional and delicious sense."

Is the Mediterranean Diet for You?

The Mediterranean diet can help protect you from heart disease and cancer. It can contribute to healthier aging and increase longevity, even when started later in life. It's a diet rich in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.

Obviously a very healthy way to eat!

Just keep a few things in mind:

The parts work together as a whole. Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet works to reduce disease when the various elements are combined. It's true that each component of the diet is good. But you can't just pick one or two things that appeal to you, ignore the rest and expect to get terrific results.

Don't rule out foods from other cultures. Asian soy foods and greens are healthy and delicious. From South America we have the nutritious combination of beans and whole grains. India gives us an array of legumes and spiced vegetables, and from the Middle East, chick peas, fava beans and techina all contribute to a healthy diet. Choose the best from your favorite cuisines.

It's about life-style, not just diet. Physical activity is essential! (Take a look at the base of the Mediterranean diet pyramid above.) So is portion control. And thoughtful, relaxed eating is part of any healthy-eating plan. What's important is that you eat good-for-you foods that work best for you and your family.

The Mediterranean Diet – Greek or Israeli?

When health professionals talk about the Mediterranean diet, we're referring to a pattern of eating found in the late 1950's and early 60's in the olive growing areas of the Mediterranean.

Countries like Greece, Spain and southern Italy. Before "fast food" got there.

Every country had its own variation of the diet, but the common elements were:

Lots of fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits

Legumes, nuts and seeds

Whole grains

Olive oil as the main source of fat

Moderate amounts of wine, fish and dairy products (mainly cheese and yogurt)

Very little red meat

Can Israel claim the Mediterranean diet as well?

In the Tanach, the Land of Israel is described as

"[A] Land of wheat, barley, grape, fig and pomegranate; a Land of olive oil and date honey." (Devarim 8:8)

"…a land flowing with milk and honey…" (Shemot 3:8)

Here we have the seven species – including whole grains, fruit, olive oil and wine. Add (goat's) milk, which was most likely made into yogurt.

It sounds like the Mediterranean diet started right here!

Summer Fruit Crisp for Two (Parve)

I'm not big on cooking or baking during the hot summer months. But we do enjoy dessert, especially on Shabbat. When it's just the two of us, this fruit crisp recipe is perfect. Use apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, berries or a mixture of fruits. This recipe takes just a few minutes to put together and you're likely to have all of the ingredients on hand.

2 cups fresh fruit, (stone fruit should be sliced, cherries pitted)

2 teaspoons orange juice

1-2 teaspoons sugar (depending on how sweet the fruit is)

2 teaspoons flour

2 tablespoons rolled oats

¼ cup sliced almonds or chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons flour

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Spray a small shallow baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the fruit, orange juice, sugar and flour and mix lightly. Spoon it into the baking dish.

Mix together the rolled oats, nuts, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the oil until the mixture is crumbly. Use your fingers to distribute the topping over the fruit.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is lightly browned.

Serves 2