Humankind is forever searching for enhanced health and happiness. The solution is subjective.
In Body & Soul: The Torah Path to Health, Fitness, and a Holy Life, authors Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld and Dr. Daniel Grove offer one solution. The book centers on the why and how of healthy eating, exercising, and learning to control one’s desires for heaven and health.
The book is divided into two sections: theory and practice. The theory uses Torah sources, including many passages quoted in Hebrew and English, to talk about what is known as taavah, or temptation, and why it is a mitzvah to avoid unhealthy temptations.
This is specifically relevant regarding food in the modern day, the authors explain, since most people living in the Western world have access to more calories than they need. Moreover, we live in a society where marketing messages encourage us to eat unhealthy foods, and those foods – sugars, fats, and salts – are addictive.
In addition, the theoretical section talks about the importance of honoring our bodies.
Learning Torah to heal your body
While some observant individuals believe in Torah learning and doing mitzvot to feed the soul, the authors explain through multiple sources, including passages from Maimonides, why taking care of one’s physical health is equally important.
“The body is a precious gift,” they write, “more valuable than the world’s most expensive car – with a holy purpose.”
However, once the book switches to the how, there are excellent lessons for improving your quality of life. I found myself sharing them here and there with my children as I read the book, hoping they could have some influence in 2023, when some kids are prone to excessive screen time and snacking on processed foods.
What is especially interesting is an explanation by Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski about food and happiness. Many people think that eating extravagant sweets feeds their souls because of the joy they get from tasting them. However, he says that “giving in to taavah comes from a sort of confusion. We misunderstand the urge as a call to true happiness. In fact, it’s a lie.”
In that chapter, readers learn that food addiction can be conquered.
Another chapter encourages spending time outside in the sun, which offers spiritual and physical benefits. Vitamin D, used by the body for vital tasks, is produced when the skin gets sun.
A further chapter offers tips for smart shopping, intelligent snacking, and a formula for effective and long-term weight loss – all based on Torah concepts and sources.
SPECIFICALLY, A seven-step protocol is laid out: Take it slow; reduce sugar; go low-carb, high-veggie, great-tasting; compute your burn rate; manage Shabbat; rebalance; and find a support system. The highlight of this chapter is a mock Shabbat menu, where the authors list the calorie counts of the foods many people eat on Shabbat. The numbers are eye-opening.
One of my favorite chapters was “Chinuch: Helping Children Develop Healthy Habits.” In this chapter, the authors discuss the terrible habit of rewarding children with sugary foods – something that happens too much in Israeli schools and that we also do at home.
Like in most chapters, a seven-step formula for being healthier role models is provided. This includes everything from modeling, reducing how much junk is kept in the house, and getting the children involved in building a healthy lifestyle.
Admittedly, some parts of the book were too religious for me. I often skimmed or skipped some of the Torah citations as I went along.
And the book is also long at 330 pages before all of the appendices add up to 475 pages. Part of the extras is a food calorie guide that is very helpful.
The book had a lot of good ideas, important messages, and practical tips to help us stay focused on being healthy and living a good life.
Body & SoulBy Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld and Dr. Daniel GroveFeldheim475 pages; $24.99