The traditional Jewish diet typically is very high in saturated animal fat, low in fibre and does not include many vegetables.

You will find many brown foods such as cholent, brisket, kugel, knishes and potato latkes. It is full of refined foods like white sugar, white flour and flour products such as challah and noodles, white matzah and matzah meal products like matzah balls. Packaged kosher foods are often full of artificial ingredients and some of the worst oils we can consume.

Another problem with Jewish food is that since we cannot mix meat with milk, we tend to use margarine or crisco when cooking or baking so that the food can be eaten with any meal. Margarine and Crisco contain trans fats which have been linked to heart disease.

“No disease that can be treated by diet should be treated with any other means.”

There are many diseases that are quite common in the Jewish community including Crohn's and colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Digestive difficulties are very common among Jews. Studies have shown that Inflammatory Bowel Disease is up to eight times more common in Ashkenazi Jews than the rest of the population and 78% of Ashkenazi Jews are lactose intolerant.

Diet certainly plays a role in many of these diseases. It is not the only contributing factor but it is one we can control. This does not mean that we should never eat traditional Jewish foods, but that we need to make healthier versions. Of course, there will be some instances where healthier versions are not possible, and in that case, moderation is key.

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