On Tisha B’av we try to experience the sorrow for the destruction with the whole body and the whole soul. It is forbidden to eat and drink, but there is no need to suffer in a special way, and certainly not to arrive at the fast with stomach pains and an unpleasant feeling of fullness. That’s why you should listen to the advice of the sages about the best way to prepare for the fast.
One should eat and drink reasonably, a little more than usual, throughout the day before the fast, and not come to the last meal before the fast (‘breaking meal’) hungry and thirsty. Don’t ‘fill your stomach’ during the break meal, this may cause us to start the fast with stomachaches and an unpleasant feeling.
You should eat a small portion of chicken (for those who are allowed) or fish (preferably not fried), and especially varied carbohydrates that will give energy to the body for the next day. You should drink more from the morning hours and not just during the break meal. It is better to drink carbonated or sugary drinks as little as possible, and to drink a lot of water throughout the day – up to three liters on hot days. It is important to give up coffee before the fast, to avoid headaches resulting from a type of ‘withdrawal’ from caffeine. .
During the break meal it is recommended to drink chamomile tea which calms the digestive system. You should avoid as much as possible salty foods before the fast, which cause increased thirst – no tuna fish, no sauces and soup powder, no pickles and salty cheeses, and except as much as possible by adding spices to the food. You should give up on a sweet last dish, you can end the meal with a fruit or vegetable.
What happens to breastfeeding women on Tisha B’Av?
A lactating woman who has not yet recovered after giving birth can avoid fasting when a doctor determines for her that fasting may endanger her. However, another factor comes into play here – the need to make sure that the nursing baby does not enter into a situation of danger due to his mother’s fasting. Breastfeeding is very important for the baby and although there are milk substitutes, breastfeeding is still better medically and psychologically than any of its substitutes. At the same time, the breastfeeding woman needs rich and satisfying food, in order to maintain the quality and quantity of milk, and prolonged fasting may cause a decrease in the quantity and quality of milk; That is why many rulers make it easy not to fast even on Tisha B’av.
If the woman feels that she has run out of milk or has become extremely weak, you should add one or two meals of pre-pumped milk until the end of the fast so that she can rest. In fact, the decrease in the quality and quantity of milk is manifested mainly towards the end of the fast, but this is a small, temporary and reversible decrease, and by increased breastfeeding at the end of the fast, damage to the continuation of breastfeeding will be avoided.
Pregnant women are also warned about the need to drink a lot before the fast and if there is any pregnancy complication, it is important to follow the gynecologist’s recommendation to drink and sometimes also eat. The health of the mother and fetus is most important. Sometimes you can start fasting and continue according to the feeling
I hope that the fast will be canceled this year – that’s enough – our strength is already exhausted.
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