Surviving Pesach 2020

We’re All In This Together!

First and foremost though, your and your families’ physical and mental health is your number 1 priority and if you end up coming out of this having maintained your weight or only putting on a little then really that’s just a bonus. We’ll be here to help with that when the dust has settled.

In the meantime though, please look after yourselves and your families and follow all the government guidelines diligently.

SURVIVING PESACH 2020

If you are anything like us, then your usual Yom Tov ‘traditions‘ consists of many 3 course meals, shared with tons of guests, little exercise and lots of snacking.

Although we wont be entertaining guests this year we are confident that all the other traditions will still apply.

So here are our top tips to help you keep fit and healthy during Pesach in quarantine:

1. Get outdoors. It’s just about the one thing we are still allowed to do (once a day). Make sure you take a long walk every day and try to pick up the pace to get your heart beating faster.
2. Make Pesach food as simple as you can this year. In addition to food being limited and the logistics of getting it, the products on sale have become more and more processed. So go back to basics and channel how our grandparents used to make it!
3. Try to include lean proteins with each and every meal. Fortunately, these don’t need to change much over Pesach. Go with lots of poultry, fresh or canned fish, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt etc.
4. Choose your largest mea of the day! – if you are having a heavier lunch, have a lighter dinner (or vice-aversa).
5. FORGET ABOUT BAKING!!! There we’ve have said it! No one needs it. You will be doing your family a huge favour.
6. Drink drink drink (4 cups on seder obvs night but really we’re referring to water!), have a big cup of water before AND with every single meal to help you feel satisfied quicker.
7. Think of a piece of matzah as a piece of bread, it is so easy to keep chomping away when it is in front of you and then slap some butter or jam on it. If you want it, have it, but decide before you start how much you are planning on eating and put the rest away.
8. If you can get your hands on whole grain matzah then it’s worth keeping a couple of boxes in the house. It’s higher in fibre and might keep you fuller for slightly longer. And whilst we are on the topic of fibre; load up on fruit and veg. Not only will this help fill you, it will also keep you very (ahem) ..
9. For some of us we associate Pesach with dried fruit. If you do rely on dried fruit then remember that once they have been dried their sugar concentration rockets up so will also be very calorific.
10. A great option for lunch on Chol Hamoed is an omelette wrap. Put in 1 or 2 whole eggs (with a few extra egg whites) and once its cooked and cooled roll it up into a wrap shape. Then add any of your favourite (and healthy!) fillings.
11. Are you watching your kids running around the garden? playing football? table tennis? basketball? if so then get out there and join them or start a game.
12. Try and enjoy Pesach….take each day at a time, find a book on your shelves and just start reading it, take more time over the mundane tasks like cooking or eating, give that little extra in each job you do and don’t watch the clock.

And remember; we really are all in this together so don’t feel like you are alone…literally everyone you know is struggling with the same challenges, so communicate and support one another. You know we’re always here for you.

Keep safe & well and STAY AT HOME!