Holistic Nutrition: A Jewish Perspective

by Sabina Spiegel
Jewish Tribune

As interest in alternative health care has grown over the past few years, holistic nutrition has been getting a lot more attention. While some may be a little skeptical in embracing ‘new age’ practices, it may surprise you to learn that many of the key concepts found in holistic nutrition have been around for centuries. Even more interesting is that Judaism’s philosophy on health and nutrition is actually a holistic one. Many Torah commentaries have discussed the importance of nutrition and several of these concepts are held today by holistic practitioners.

To fully understand how the Jewish perspective on health is holistic we must first explain what holistic nutrition is.

Holistic nutrition is a practice that treats the whole person through diet and lifestyle modifications. Its aim is to enhance overall well being by unifying an individual's physical, emotional, and spiritual components. An individual functions at his/her optimal potential when all these components are in balance.

Jewish thought on health shares this ideology about the interconnectedness of the body and the mind.

One prominent scholar of Jewish philosophy to examine this was Maimonides. Maimonides was a 12th century rabbi and physician who, among other works, wrote numerous commentaries that discussed healthy living and the mind-body connection. He ascertained that “the welfare of the soul can only be achieved after obtaining the welfare of the body” and acquiring physical and mental health is essential in understanding the teachings of the Torah. He believed that a healthy soul required a healthy body, a very holistic perspective.

A key principle in holistic nutrition is the treatment of an individual’s illness by addressing the underlying causes. Often, allopathic medicine – commonly referred to as conventional medicine – treats the symptoms of a disease while neglecting to look at the source of the problem. In Maimonides’ work, Medical Aphorisms, he described the very need to treat a disease by removing the core cause and not just the symptoms.

According to holistic nutrition, it is not only what you eat but how your body assimilates the nutrients within food. For that reason, supporting and enhancing digestion is crucial. Maimonides also held this position.

For instance, he maintained that one should never drink during meals as fluids dilute digestive enzymes essential for proper digestion. While not drinking during a meal is a foreign concept to many, nutritionists today assert that if one’s digestion is weak, it is best to avoid drinking 30 minutes before a meal and to wait until one hour after.

Maintaining our health while preserving the environment is another objective. In fact, our health is directly dependent on the state of the environment. The water and soil that feed our food must be healthy to properly feed us. That is why consumption of natural and wholesome organic, local and sustainable foods is emphasized. This idea of making sure our environment is taken care of for the sake of our health is also an ancient and important Jewish maxim called shmirat ha-teva, the protection of nature.

By implementing the practice of holistic nutrition into your lifestyle, you are adopting the Jewish value of caring for the body, called shmirat ha-guf. Treating the body as a sacred space by making healthy food choices will nourish the body and, in turn, nourish the soul.

Sabina Spiegel is a nutritional consultant currently practicing in Toronto.