How we love to hate matzah, and how our stomachs hate to love matzah. Most of us spend half of Pesach complaining about the lousy effect that all the matzah, chrain, and wine have on us. Yet, during the week of Pesach, we all delight at the simple pleasure of a creamy slice of geshmeerte matza. Or two. Or, why not three? Who\u2019s counting? Besides, matzah doesn\u2019t fill us up, so it\u2019s very easy to keep going on and on just like the Energizer bunny. But there are some very real concerns when it comes to marvellous matzah and its effects on our digestive system. Of course, some have more real and pressing concerns than others, but it would be wise to take these tips to heart and keep them in mind before gorging yourself on this particular brand of cardboard box cuisine to spare you an achy-breaky stomach for the next eight days.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding the gastrointestinal effects of matzah, there are three basic categories that we can look at,\u201d says Colorectal Surgeon Dr Dean Lutrin. And how seriously people will listen to your moaning about the cement brick that the matzah left in your stomach will depend on where you fit on the spectrum of matzah moaners.<\/p>\n
The truth tellers<\/strong><\/p>\n There are those who suffer from authentic medical problems and will have real issues if they eat matzah. The main concern here, says Dr Lutrin, are people with Celiac Disease. \u201cCeliac Disease is a true allergy to wheat and gluten.\u201d No grains or anything with gluten can be eaten. For these people, matzah presents a genuine problem, and they should only eat true non-gebrokts foods on Pesach. Lucky for these guys, the shift towards gluten-free eating has made it much easier for them on Pesach, as previously more Pesach food contained the dreaded matzah meal. \u201cThe decision as to whether they would be allowed to eat any matzah at all is done on a case by case basis in conjunction with a rabbi and a gastroenterologist.\u201d<\/p>\n Top tip:<\/strong> \u201cMatzah made from oats has the lowest gluten content. Or look for spelt or even egg matzah,\u201d says Dr Lutrin.<\/p>\n \u201cDiabetics also have a concern on Pesach,\u201d says Dr Lutrin. Wine, grape juice, and matzah on the Seder nights, as well as the rest of Pesach, pose a significant carbohydrate challenge and should be carefully watched.<\/p>\n Top tip: <\/strong>\u201cOur digestive health depends largely on fibre and water, so ensure adequate fibre intake from fruits and vegetables and, if you are Sephardi, then beans, peas, and lentils too. Also make sure you are drinking enough (aim for 6-8 glasses) water daily,\u201d says Lauri Isserow, Registered Dietician.<\/p>\n The sensitive souls<\/strong><\/p>\n Now let\u2019s chat about people who have a gluten intolerance or a just a sensitivity to gluten. These are people who don\u2019t have a true allergy in the medical sense, but they find that it makes them feel below par \u2013 symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, fatigue, and nausea. I know what you\u2019re thinking \u2013 that is pretty much all of us on Pesach, right? But seriously, this is a legitimate concern and because these guys fall into what we shall call the grey area of matzah eaters, they should look to have the smallest halachic quantity in order to fulfil the mitzvah of eating matzah, or maybe only have matzah when it is an absolute mitzvah to do so \u2013 of course, in consultation with their doctor and their local orthodox rabbi.<\/p>\n Top tip:<\/strong> \u201cFor most people, a little matzah is okay for our bodies, but too much is not. Instead of focusing on matzah as the main starch during Pesach, view it as a condiment and eat it sparingly, including potatoes and sweet potatoes as your go-to carbohydrate instead,\u201d says Lauri.<\/p>\n The middle road matzah moaners<\/strong><\/p>\n Yup, that\u2019s most of us. These are the people without any medical conditions. There is no legitimate reason for anyone to listen to our digestive complaints; none at all. Sadly, complain we must. Especially as many of us actually enjoy a nice slice of matzah (or two) with some avocado or melted cheese, without suffering any of the supposed after effects. But there are still problems that matzah might present. The major issue is the cursed calorie content of matzah.<\/p>\n \u201cEating matzah is like eating lots of white bread that is very calorie dense,\u201d says Dr Lutrin. Because it is a convenient snack during Pesach (when most of us feel permanently starved anyway), people find themselves consuming a fortune of calories without realising how much they are actually having. And this, says the good doctor, is a concern. \u201cIf you consider that a single square of matzah can equal up to two slices of white bread, and you have one slice of matzah a meal for breakfast, lunch, and supper for the eight days of Pesach, you are looking at a whopping 48 slices of white bread for the duration of Pesach! It\u2019s a huge number that most of us would not eat during a normal week,\u201d says Dr Lutrin. \u201cBut don\u2019t skip meals because you know that a big meal is coming. Rather eat smaller healthful meals in preparation for the big ones.\u201d<\/p>\n Top tip:<\/strong> \u201cBe aware of the amount of spreads (butter, margarine, jams) you use on your matzah as well, as this is usually much more than you would use on a slice of bread,\u201d says Lauri. \u201cIf you tend to experience constipation during Pesach, then decrease your dairy intake as this may exacerbate the constipation.\u201d<\/p>\n Married to matzah <\/strong><\/p>\n Then there are people who just eat way too much matzah on Pesach. Dr Lutrin has seen \u201cmore than one or two people who have been hospitalised for bowel obstructions caused by matzah\u201d. Usually it sorts itself out naturally, but he has had to operate on patients for this rare emergency. This is a legitimate thing, people; so, if you are one of these matzah fiends, beware.<\/p>\n Top tip:<\/strong> \u201cThere is no reason to unnecessarily limit matzah if you enjoy it, and no reason to eat it more than halacha requires if you don\u2019t!\u201d says Lauri. \u201cJust like the rest of the year, the focus should be on healthy balanced eating with everything in moderation.\u201d<\/p>\n The health gurus<\/strong><\/p>\n The key on Pesach is to try and eat as healthily as you can, says Dr Lutrin. The health gurus know that keeping Pesach as green as possible is the best way to handle the matzah meltdown. Fruit and vegetables are your friend on Pesach due to the constipating effects that many experience from matzah, as well as the strain on your pocket from processed Pesach food.<\/p>\n Top tip:<\/strong> \u201cFan of the Banting diet? Quinoa can replace a lot of the carbohydrates in matzah,\u201d says Dr Lutrin. \u201cDon\u2019t be so quick to re-gift that dried fruit presentation you received. This can help sort out your stomach quite significantly. And mint teas can really help digestion as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Thank you to Izzy Goldfein for this story idea. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Chandrea Serebro How we love to hate matzah, and how our stomachs hate to love matzah. Most of us spend half of Pesach complaining about the lousy effect that all the matzah, chrain, and wine have on us. Yet, during the week of Pesach, we all delight at the simple pleasure of a creamy slice of geshmeerte matza. Or two. Or, why not three? Who\u2019s counting? Besides, matzah doesn\u2019t fill us up, so it\u2019s very easy to keep going on and on just like the Energizer bunny. But there…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-april-2019"],"gutentor_comment":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1444"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1444\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1445,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1444\/revisions\/1445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}