In Part #1 of this guide to adopting a Kosher Macros Diet, we covered:
- How a Kosher macros diet varies from a regular macros eating plan;
- What macros and micros mean;
- How to calculate your own personal macro targets.
In Part #2, let’s go deeper into how to actually get started on this user-friendly plan for setting up positive lifetime eating habits, while enjoying all foods in balance.
Starting on Your Kosher Macro Diet
When you first start, a macro diet, all foods need to be measured and recorded accurately. You might think it is too much of a hassle, but this is just a short-term practice which results in long term habits and benefits. After a few months of tracking, you’ll be attuned to appropriate portion sizes and balancing your macronutrient intake at every meal. You’ll have taught your mind and body to understand the quantities you need of each macronutrient in order to feel your best and enjoy the habit of balanced eating.
Do’s and Don’ts of Kosher Macro Diet
The good thing about the Kosher macro diet is that you can eat everything! So you don’t have to deprive yourself of any foods you love. You can honor your desires, preferences and eat all food in moderation. The only thing to remember is to stay within the portion size and to reach your macronutrient targets.
Your goal may be to maintain your current weight, to lose weight, or to gain weight; all of these goals are achievable with a macro diet.
Benefits of Kosher Macro Diet
Following a Kosher Macros diet provides several benefits, but the one that tops our list is that it lets you enjoy all types of food recipes and maintain or improve your health. In addition, it helps you with the following;
- Flexibility: A Kosher macro diet is also known as flexible dieting, as you tailor the macro proportions to what suits your body, your desired results, and make adjustments for the reality of every day life and special occasions. This is what makes this plan ideal for sustainable long-term results.
- Losing, gaining, or maintaining weight: Adjusting your macro ranges depending on where your body is at means that you can use the same plan to lose, gain and maintain weight. Macros is a lifetime habit – it’s not an unsustainable crash diet that you abandon once you’ve reached your target.
- Enjoy higher energy levels: Your body releases energy with the right proportion of all important food groups and nutrients. Because you’re consciously nourishing your body with what it needs and in the right amounts, you’ll feel the difference in your energy levels.
- Delicious food: Food is pleasurable, and macros recipes are designed to keep your taste buds in mind. So, you can easily enjoy food while achieving your health goals. Check out these Kosher recipes on Jewish Food Hero for some inspiration.
- Improved gut health: Protein-enriched food needs more fiber to digest; carbs are important in keeping your gut health at its optimum. Better digestion also leads to many other benefits, like; weight loss, healthy and glowing skin, etc.
- Decreasing the risk of chronic diseases: Kosher diet helps you improve and regulate cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and digestion lowers the risk of chronic diseases. With clear skin, better sleep, mental clarity, improved digestion, and more, the Macros diet is a positive choice you can start today!
As we have discussed the benefits, let’s roll to the next step: how to start the Kosher Macro Diet.
A Kosher macros diet is not extreme: you can eat vegetarian, vegan, and kosher meat and stay on track. The biggest change is modifying how much carbohydrate, protein, and fat you eat so you can eat in balance. Besides learning about the kosher macros diet by reading this guide, you need to use a kitchen scale (this is the food scale I use in my kitchen) to measure your food and track your food intake. Changing our food behavior might feel a bit overwhelming in the start but your body and mind will get used to this healthier diet, benefit from it, and learn to love eating in balance.
Plan Your Kosher Meals
Planning meals while following a kosher macros diet is simple! You can use these simple-to-make and delicious recipes to plan your meals for the day, the week, or the holidays.
- Decide on your macros: All three macros must align with your health goals. For example, if you want 45% carbs, 25% protein, and 35% fat, your meals must contain the macros in this proportion.
- Measure grams of food macros: Measuring the macros in grams before cooking will keep you mindful of what you will consume. It’s easy to do this with a kitchen scale.
- Plan your meals: You can eat simple and special food – all Kosher recipes are acceptable. Planning meals makes it easy to prioritize the recipes you and your family like the most to make the diet journey fun.
- Prepare for your meals: With the help of your meal plan, you can do groceries for everything (Kosher) for the upcoming week’s meals.
- Keep track of your portions: After a period of tracking your food, you can keep your portion sizes appropriate by using the plate method or the hand-size method.
How to Stick to your Macros Diet?
Sticking to any diet may feel like a challenge. However, a Kosher macros diet is more of a lifestyle for every age and family member. It’s easy to stick with eating in balance when you understand the following:
- Make unlimited combinations and variations for pleasure and interest. You can have a lot of (Kosher) food choices to keep the food interesting for yourself and your family so that you look forward to every meal.
- Understand the exact or nearest possible number of grams of each macro that your body requires.
- Have lots of easy recipes on hand so that making macros diet-based food seems smooth when you are not in the mood.
- If you eat out, try to order with your macronutrient goals in mind – and remember that this plan is designed for flexibility.
What Mistakes to Avoid?
Eating is emotional for most of us! We eat when we are happy and sad and look to food to provide routine, comfort, and nourishment. Eating should make us feel pleasure! What matters is the amount of any food that you eat – the portion size – and how much protein, carbohydrate, and fat you eat. Overeating any food or any macronutrient might make feel happy in the moment but as Maimonides said: overeating will only hurt your overall health and mental/emotional well-being. This book, Hungry Brain, discusses cutting-edge neuroscience and the modern epidemic of obesity caused by overeating.
For me, adapting to the Kosher diet plan is about balance – eating everything kosher in moderation and being mindful of eating the correct portion sizes of all foods.
Exercising and moving your body is one of the keys to maintaining physical and mental/emotional health. You should not be exercising as a punishment for overeating or being overweight. Instead, you should be moving to take care of the body you have, no matter the size or shape. It is a healthy habit to move your body on a regular basis, and this doesn’t change while you follow a Kosher macros diet. Moving your body is a gift you can give yourself every day!
Importance of Exercise in Macros Diet
A Kosher macros diet is all about striking a balance: the balance with the food you eat, the balance between your mind and body, and a balance between keeping fit and having a healthy diet. You cannot expect to feel food in your body if you are not moving. Moving our bodies:
- Releases hormones that keep us happy and give us a sense of achievement
- Strengthens the relationship between the mind and body
- Focuses energy and helps process thoughts with a clear mind.
- Provides “a little me-time.”
Types of Exercises to do with Kosher Macros Diet
Any exercise that you enjoy is a welcome part of the macros lifestyle:
- A light jog around the block
- Achieving 10k steps daily
- Any cardio activity you enjoy
- Dance
- Yoga/pilates
- Weight training
If you do not feel sure of yourself when it comes to exercise, join a local gym and ask for help.
Q1: Can I go to restaurants and dine out while on a Kosher macros diet?
Yes, you can go out to eat while on a Kosher macros diet. Just be mindful of what you order and keep your macros portions in mind.
Q2: Does the Kosher macros diet suit everybody?
A Kosher macros diet benefits everybody due to its all-food fits policy.
Q3: Is the Kosher macros diet suitable for me even with my allergies?
Yes, you can adapt your diet to accommodate any allergies or food preferences you have.
The Kosher Macro diet is a game-changer that brings a lot of positive and long-lasting changes to your life. Committing to a Kosher Macros Diet provides you with numerous benefits including lower chances of chronic diseases, feeling better about your body shape and weight, better gut health, more energy, feeling emotionally balanced, and more.
Following a Kosher macros diet doesn’t have to be hard, boring or feel restrictive; you can enjoy all types of Kosher food and recipes while keeping on track with your macros goals. The macros diet works even better if you move your body regularly.
To adapt to the Kosher macro diet, you must be mindful and meet your macronutrient goals and plan your meals accordingly. You can use a macros calculator, meal plan, and use macro-friendly Kosher recipes to efficiently plan your Kosher Macro diet. You can start by learning more key information, delicious and simple recipes, pro tips, and inspiring ideas about health and Kosher Macro Diet, in this book.
Learning how to eat in balance allows all of us to achieve better health and peace of mind.
Stay tuned for news about Jewish Food Hero’s new cookbook, Kosher Macros!
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