Mag 146  - Page 87

Traditional Jewish Wisdom for Healthy Eating

By Chana Rubin

Gefen Publishing. 330 pages.

$16.95, NIS 70.

Available through Amazon, B &N;

www.Israelbooks.com

Reviewed by Rolly King-Kohansky

The second most satisfying and pleasurable experience in our lives, relates to food – in all its glory. Lovely, delicious, wonderful foods that melt in the mouth and fill our stomachs, sometimes too well and not always too wisely. Recently, however, the experts have taken all the joy out of eating with dire and conflicting warnings about dangerous chemicals, cholesterol, hidden sugars, fats, etc. predicting illness or even death in every spoonful. Where does that leave us poor hungry slobs? How do we know what we can eat that is nutritious, healthy, tasty and the least harmful? Especially if we are Jewish because kashrut and Jewish tradition come into the mix.

Chana Rubin to the rescue. Rubin, a registered dietician with a degree from Oregon state university, has taught nutrition and healthy cooking in the USA and now continues her work in Beersheba, Israel.

Food for the soul addresses these subjects from the Jewish perspective. Although the opening section deals with the Jewish traditions and its connection to diet and health, especially with references to our sages, the information she has included in this book is universally applicable to anyone, anywhere. You don’t have to be Jewsih to benefit from her sound advice.

Rubin claims that our sages recognized the connection between eating and disease long before modern man documented it. Having set this premise up for us, she has included in this volume many biblical quotations regarding health and nutrition and their relationship to our traditions.

But the major thrust of this book is devoted to what we should eat, analyses of the various elements in foods and how to decipher those mysterious nutricional facts labels on food packages, bottles and boxes, many apparently misleading if not inconclusive. Unless you are a graduate chemist.

Rubin has taken the enigma out of those nutritional facts and, in a clear and consice manner, offers in-depth explanations that any layman can quickly grasp and understand. Every aspect is covered and includes everything you ever wanted to know about any element, component, ingredient, mineral, vitamin, sugars, calories, carbohydrates, fats, in any food, and how they impact upon your body, your health and well-being.

In addition, Rubin recommends that an ideal lifestyle should include not only the right foods but stresses the importance of one of the most essential aspects of Jewish values, family-style meals so that eating together becomes an inherent and pleasurable part of our week.

A reference guide of suggested internet websites offering additional, reliable nutritional information is included as well.

The last part of the book concerns itself with menu ideas, Jewish Festival foods suggestions and 100 recipes to suit every occasion. The recipes are interesting, easy to follow and actually sound as though they could even taste good.

“Go eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a glad heart for God has already approved of your deeds.”.

(Kohelet 9-7)

Betayavon.