Wellspring Issue #36

CONFERENCE WITH MIRIAM GOLDBERGER OF 5 MEALS

DOES JEWISH MEDICINE EXIST? A fascinating conversation with Dr. Yehuda Frischman His 10 Principles of Traditional Jewish Medicine

AM I NORMAL? Why we keep asking ourselves this question

NUTRITION FACTS

UNDERSTANDING PCOS Unexplained weight gain and pelvic pain are just two symptoms

DEPRIVED DIETER How can I be successful if I'm longing for treats?

CUP OF TEA When Eve Elenhorn finally discovered what it takes to lead a healthy lifestyle, she was eager to share her findings with others

Do bananas have too much carbs?

ISSUE 36 JANUARY 2019 SHEVAT 5779

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The publisher reserves the right to edit all articles for clarity, space and editorial sensitivities. The Wellspring Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content or kashrus of advertisements in the publication, nor for the content of books that are referred to or excerpted herein. The contents of The Wellspring Magazine, such as text, graphics and other material (content) are intended for educational purposed only. The content is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your health care provider with any questions you have regarding your medical condition.

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From the Editor

Dear Readers, As a long-distance editor, practically all my interactions with our incredible staff and contributors are virtual. It’s a treat for me when one of them visits Eretz Yisrael and makes the time for us to meet. This week, Friedy Singer of our popular “Child Development” column gave me that pleasure.

Ever since I first got to know Friedy and her sister Roizy, the notable neurodevelopmental specialists whose wisdom, expertise, and siyata d’Shmaya are evident in every one of their articles as well as in the success rate of their practice, I’ve been awed by their passion.

As professionals who previously practiced only in the capacity of occupational therapists, these sisters recognized the cracks in the system, and how many of the methods they were taught and were using were ineffective in generating long-term progress in their clients. They saw the thousands of dollars parents were shelling out in a desperate quest to help their child succeed, the great investment of time and hope, and they couldn’t help but notice the flaws in the system, which led them to keep searching, to find the answers that would help make their clients’ progress real and permanent.

We’re honored that Friedy and Roizy have chosen The Wellspring as their platform to give parents, educators, and therapists food for thought regarding various areas of childhood development. In this issue, however, Friedy and Roizy, bring a completely different angle of child development to the forefront: the parent’s role. Often, these inimitable sisters share, when parents are already on the way out of a session, they open up about how they feel regarding their child’s issues and the various emotions the situation brings up for them. The prevalence of this phenomenon, which is known as doorknob therapy, in which the individual unburdens when they’re literally at the door, prompted Friedy and Roizy to dedicate this issue’s article on empowering parents not only of children who are experiencing developmental struggles, but also of typically-developing children.

As someone who helps women on their journey toward emotional health, I find the content of Friedy and Roizy’s article not only refreshing, but vital. The advice they give to empower parents is just as relevant to those who seek to help themselves. Too many women I’ve worked with were in therapy for months or years, spending all that time and money in the hopes of getting better, without seeing any considerable progress. As Friedy and Roizy implore in their article, if you don’t see progress, question. Inappropriate intervention, they note, may not only be ineffective and prolong the wait until we do seek effective help, but could even cause harm. It’s your child, your life, your time, your money.

Emotional healing takes time. Learning how to connect, how to open the heart after years, possibly decades, of being shut off from our emotions is not an overnight process. On the other hand, therapy for emotional healing shouldn’t be a years-long process either. If we enter the emotional healing process from our own volition, with a true desire to heal and move forward, and after sitting with a therapist for months, our relationships still haven’t improved or we don’t feel happier and more energized, that’s a red flag too.

Here are some other points to consider: Is the therapist blaming the client for their lack of progress? Is the practitioner sensitive to the client’s cultural nuances? Is the inner work they’re doing bringing them closer to Hashem? Does the practitioner have hope in their progress?

Of course, red flags might turn out to be just that—red flags. Since healing can be painful, we may be tempted to shift the responsibility outward, where it doesn’t belong. All of these suspicions may be a result of our own discomfort with inner work. But that shouldn’t deter us from addressing our concerns, perhaps with an objective third party. The certificates or degrees plastered across the practitioner’s walls are not necessarily an indication that they’re the right messenger for our healing. A practitioner who’s in it to give will be happy to discuss such concerns, to hear how we feel about the process and her intervention.

Find the courage to question, to express how you feel, to assert yourself in a composed manner. Find the courage to take care of the incredible person you are and the beautiful life you deserve to live. If you can’t find it in yourself to take the heroic step, turn to Hashem for His help. Beg Him to give you the courage you need to do what it takes to get better.

As always, He will not forsake you.

Shiffy Friedman

shiffy@wellspringmagazine.com

Well-Put!

“When we take control of what needs to be changed on the inside, the external changes follow organically,” says Eve Elenhorn of FlavorFIT. Read more of her wisdom on adapting a healthy lifestyle in this issue’s Cup of Tea on page 68.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 7

Contents

JANUARY 2019 - SHEVAT 5779 WELL INFORMED

ISSUE #36 EAT WELL

TORAH WELLSPRING

By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

12

WELLNESS PLATFORM

By Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

14

37 47

SECRETS OF A KOSHER DIETITIAN

By Beth Warren, RDN

16

56

TIDBITS IN THE NEWS

By Liba Solomon, CNWC

HEALTH ED PCOS

By Laurah Shammah, MS, RDN

18

58

NUTRITION FACTS IN A SHELL This Month: Bananas

By Devorah Isaacson

WEALTH OF HEALTH Conference with Miriam Goldberger

By Sarah Weinberger

20

WELLBEING

HEALTH UPDATES IN THE NEWS

By Rikki Samson

23

66

LIVING WELL ASK THE NUTRITIONIST Deprived Dieter

By Shani Taub, CDC IN GOOD SHAPE 6 Foods to Improve Your Workout

By Esther Fried, PFC COVER FEATURE Traditional Jewish Medicine

By Shiffy Friedman AT THE DIETITIAN Perpetually Exhausted

By Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE MONTHLY DOSE Omega-3 Fish Oil

By Yaakov Goodman HEALTH PROFILE Client: Yoeli B.

By Rachel Esses

24

71

26

72

28

74

60 62 65

The next issue of The Wellspring will appear iy”H on February 20th.

8 The Wellspring | January 2019

68

SEASONED

By Yossi & Malky Levine FRESH.

By Rivki Rabinowitz

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS Healthy Attachment

By Goldie Unger, LCSW HEALTH PERSONALITY Eve Elenhorn

By Shiffy Friedman CLEAN SLATE The Secret to Success on Any Diet

By Shiffy Friedman CHILD DEVELOPMENT Making Good Choices for Your Child Friedy Singer & Roizy Guttman, OTR/L SERIAL DIARY Entry #5

By Zahava List

AGE WELL

76

GOLDEN PAGE Cancer Prevention

By Yaakov Goodman

INKWELL FROM A KINESIOLOGIST 78 MEMOS

By Miriam Schweid

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Springboard

Letters

More on Tongue-Tie

[Issue #35: Cover Feature] Thank you so much for publishing the important article on tongue-tie.

As “Racheli” in the article, I’m gratified that the frum community has a forum in which vital health topics such as these can be covered. You portrayed our tongue-tie tale exactly as it happened, in a well-written, informative fashion, and provided the readers with excellent guidance regarding this common but often overlooked matter.

In his list of possible complications, Dr. Siegel didn’t mention that it’s possible for the trauma of the procedure to cause oral aversion. It’s rare, but some babies end up on a feeding tube. I just feel that it’s fair to mention this so that parents know what’s at risk on both sides.

Tizku l’mitzvos! I hope Hashem leads those who need to know about tonguetie to this article.

“Racheli” West Hempstead, New York Thank you for the informative article regarding tongue-tie. Any Brooklyn-based mother whose baby has tongue-tie should reach out to Dr. Ari Goldsmith. Many of our local pediatricians are unaware of how to diagnose this condition, and we get sent home with our babies to nurse in pain. Dr. Goldsmith is an angel from Shamayim and an amazing shaliach. He was kind, clear, and quick. During the few days I waited for an appointment, Mrs. Rivky Schwartz, another incredible shaliach, coached me to nurse through the pain.

A different latch made those few days bearable.

As an interesting point, my sister-inlaw was able to request that an ENT do

10 The Wellspring | January 2019

the procedure on her newborn baby in the hospital, at Hackensack UMC. Unfortunately, at the Manhattan hospital I gave birth in, they wouldn’t accommodate me that way—but new mothers should know to ask for it in the hospital as a first option.

Tongue-tie is a manageable issue if it’s properly diagnosed and treated, but it causes terrible physical pain at an already emotional and busy time. I’m so glad this was brought to light for Jewish readers.

May we always share happy news.

I can be reached through The Wellspring.

Name Withheld Thank you for your beautiful and informative magazine. I felt compelled to write in to compliment you on your comprehensive and realistic feature on tongue-tie. It’s a topic I have not seen addressed in any other publication, so I learnt a tremendous amount. It felt like a whole new world opened to me. Also, I’m impressed and thoroughly enjoy how F. Singer and R. Guttmann explain child development through viewing the whole child and her environment.

Keep up the good work, Gitty Landman, LCSW Lakewood, NJ

Kudos to the Principal [Issue #35: Springboard]

I agree with the letter writer who expressed that it’s inappropriate for principals or teachers to push for a child to take Ritalin when it’s not necessary. I had this with one of my preteen kids, and when the principal saw I was adamant not to give my child Ritalin, she asked me to give a natural remedy instead. Although it was very expensive, I agreed just to get the school off my back. However, when I saw the ingredients were not federally approved, I went to my doctor, who told me that kids with ADD/ADHD are usually diagnosed be-

fore or around age five. Baruch Hashem, now the child is older and in the next level of education, and there’s not a word about it. I have seen with more than one child how natural maturing, coupled with parental intervention to help improve the situation, works wonders in improved discipline and scholastic productivity.

However, the mother in this letter came across as somewhat self-defensive. The fact that she’s a friend of the principal and her husband is on the board should not prevent the principal from trying to find a solution for a problem, or grant the mother immunity from dealing with her kids’ problems. The way I see it, it’s just the opposite. Kol hakavod that the principal wasn’t influenced by the ties with this family to refrain from pointing out what she saw as the truth.

I understand this mother for being upset, but perhaps she should have realized that the wake-up call from the principal was what helped her child get the help she needed, even though the advice to give Ritalin was seemingly inappropriate.

S. M. Teaneck, New Jersey

Gratitude for the Gratitude Awareness [Issue #34: Cover Feature]

Thank you for your amazing, eye-opening article on gratitude. I put down the article and thanked Hashem right then and there for the blessings in my life that I don’t usually stop to think about and thank for.

When my former classmates and I had a discussion about which project to undertake, I suggested we choose gratitude as the middah to work on. We’re planning a daily gratitude listing, a weekly hotline to read a gratitude book, and a weekly text prompt. The zechus is all yours!

Now that we’re on the topic of gratitude, thank you for a great read each month!

Faigy W.

invites readers to submit letters and comments via regular mail or email to info@wellspringmagazine.com. We reserve the right to edit all submissions and will withhold your name upon request. We will honor requests for anonymity, but we cannot consider letters that arrive without contact information.

Quick Question

Feel free to shoot us your health-related question to receive an answer from one of the health experts at the Wellspring.

As an example of the prevalence of bedwetting during pre-adolescence and adolescence, despite the lack of its public discussion, The Wellspring has received several letters similar to the one published below. If your child was in a similar situation and stopped bedwetting, please send us your advice so we can share it with fellow parents anonymously.

Question: My thirteen-year-old daughter bedwets. We have tried cutting out sugar, dairy, liquids a couple of hours before bedtime, apple cider vinegar, buckwheat, honey, etc.

After going to a urologist to rule out a medical condition, we were assured that Baruch Hashem she does not have an immature bladder, kidney problem, or a deep sleep issue (she’s a pretty light sleeper).

The only thing that reduced the amount of times she wets the bed is miriLAX for chronic constipation. She did the clean out method twice, two weeks apart, and takes her maintenance dosage daily. This has definitely helped regulate her and also minimizes the amount of nights that she bedwets. We went from five to six nights a week, to an average of two nights a week.

I was wondering if anyone who is in a similar situation can possibly offer some advice on how to solve this issue. This is obviously a topic that is not publicly spoken about, so it is difficult to find information.

Response: Firstly, I would like you to know that your daughter is not alone, and secondly you are right, people don’t talk about it, as compared to freely mentioning having a virus, flu, or strep. Here are some suggestions you can try for your daughter that have been successful for many children I have seen.

Being off dairy is very important. Make sure your child knows which foods contain dairy; some children claim they aren’t touching dairy and eat pizza for lunch every day, not knowing the ingredients. Make sure your daughter knows that the farina, hot cocoa, and perhaps even the mashed potatoes they serve at school are considered dairy.

In addition to being off dairy completely, have your daughter take a vitamin B complex, which is very helpful in adequate doses. There are also homeopathic remedies you may want to try. Here’s a simple exercise that is fun to do and is also helpful in strengthening the muscles in the bladder. Have your child lie flat on the bed or floor and raise her knees while keeping the soles of her feet flat on the surface. Pull on her knees, as if you’re trying to distance the legs from one another. The child will resist, tightening her muscles in order to keep her legs together. This takes some practice, but is easy and very helpful. The above suggestions are also helpful for a child who has a hard time controlling their bladder during the day.

Another matter to take into account is that your child may be suffering from anxiety, which you may not be aware of. Properly addressing this issue will not only help with the bedwetting issue, but also allow your daughter to do better in all areas of life.

Be well, Miriam Schweid, health consultant

Quick Question Question: My 6-month-old baby has been congested, with a runny, stuffy nose and a chronic cough for the past month. I believe some kind of vitamin or immune booster would be of benefit to him. Here’s my question: As a nursing mother, is it more beneficial if I give him the supplement directly, or should I take it and have it be transmitted to him through my milk?

Response: Firstly, I would like to say kudos to you for nursing your baby. The health benefits your son receives from your milk are his best immune booster.

When a baby is 6 months or less and exclusively nursing, the condition of his immune system is usually dependent on his mother. I would therefore advise that both you and baby get your vitamins. Give your baby Maxi Health’s Maxi 5 M™ and Kiddie Boost™, according to the directions for a 6-month-old, twice a day. Make sure to take acidophilus, as well.

Since all nutrients are transmitted from mother to baby, it’s important for you to realize that your consumption of dairy might play a role in his colds. If you’re also giving your baby bottles, make sure they’re soy-based and not milk-based.

In addition, your baby may be sensitive to the scent of ammonia, which is found in many household cleaning agents. Eliminating these scents from your home could help dry up the excess mucus which is causing the running nose and post nasal drip.

Be well, Chaya Tilla Brachfeld, health consultant

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 11

Well Informed

Torah Wellspring: Emotional Health By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

AM I NORMAL? WHY WE KEEP ASKING OURSELVES THIS QUESTION

M

Many of us, whether consciously or subconsciously, ask ourselves the following question numerous times throughout the day: Is what I’m doing normal? Do I look normal? Are my children normal? Is my family normal?

In other words, Am I normal?

Since these thoughts preoccupy our minds on such a consistent basis, especially when we’re in the presence of others, let us understand the definition of the word “normal.” We’ve accustomed ourselves to thinking that normal is a substantiated concept. Someone, of whose identity and whereabouts we have no clue, at one point established the standards for “normal,” and I must conform to them in order to be considered so.

This train of thought has two flaws: first, the belief that the concept of normal exists; second, that I must conform to that. In essence, the true definition of normal is far removed from the way most people perceive it: How am I not unique? How do I conform to the norms of the population?

How are my deeds and my appearance not different from everyone else?

If our desire to be normal is so intense, what is it that frightens us so greatly about being unique?

It’s important to note that this discussion is not about what drives our middas habushah, one of the three middos that personifies Klal Yisrael and instinctively inhibits a Yid from doing what is wrong al pi Torah. That self-consciousness, the Chovos HaLevavos says, is a gift Hakadosh Baruch Hu granted us in order to prevent us from doing what goes against our true will. Regarding this kind of desire to conform—conforming to Torah guidelines—the problem exists when a Yid does not possess it, thereby transgressing Torah prohibitions and engaging in behaviors that aren’t reflective of his true self.

What is the fear that does not allow us to be unique in areas that are within the confines of Torah and mitzvos and do not negate our true will?

Why are we so apprehensive of engaging in behaviors that are good for us, that allow us to shine in a particular area, because they’re not “normal”?

The answer to is that this fear emanates from our flawed self-percep-

12 The Wellspring | January 2019

The price we pay for pursuing this mistake is stifling our uniqueness, overlooking our purpose, and not discovering the unique creation that we are. tion. When a child grows up absorbing the message that conforming to a “system” is of utmost importance, that the goal is not to accommodate the system to the individual but the individual to the system, as if all human beings are robots that function identically, he absorbs a philosophy that all people must conduct themselves in the same way. To this child, the concept of a human being’s uniqueness, of a person’s complex and individual olam hanefesh is non-existent, so why can’t he just be like the Cohens next door? To this child, and later adult, the nefesh is no different than an item on Amazon, where he has the “click to compare” option to see what needs to be done in order to become identical to the items around him.

This mindset is perhaps one of the most destructive elements of our current times. We grow up feeling that we’re not unique, that everyone’s nefesh is basically the same. This manifests in the sweeping prevalence of broad diagnoses. We look at a person’s behaviors, tick off the checklist, and are quick to slap labels across their identity, without taking a second glance at the individual behind all of these symptoms.

If we look into the Mishnah, we see how antithetical this phenomenon is to Torah. “Just as two people’s faces are not the same, so too their opinions are different.” The Torah acknowledges that no two people think the same way, feel the same way, or have the identical issue. Yes, perhaps both of them are engaging in similar behaviors, but the source of their issue, the part in their nefesh that is propelling them to do what they’re doing is unique.

Thus, when a person tries deceiving himself into thinking that he must, or even that he could, be what he calls “normal,” in addition to the impossible nature of his quest, the price he pays for chasing this elusive endeavor is profoundly painful. By attempting to be “normal,” he fights against his own uniqueness.

Every Yid possesses a fount of infinite kochos that are unique to him and the purpose for which he was born into this world.

There is no other person in the world who could fulfill his purpose for him, since no other person in this world possesses a nefesh identical to his. Chazal tell us that Adam, man, is from the lashon of adameh le’Elyon, compared to Hashem. Can we attribute limiting estimations to a G-dly being? Hashem is unique, He’s the Kol Yachol. Every Yid is a chelek Eloka mima’al, unique in his own way, exactly the way he’s meant to be.

Wanting to be normal and thinking that normal exists implies a simple error in this understanding. And the price we pay for

pursuing this mistake is stifling our uniqueness, overlooking our purpose, and not discovering the unique creation that we are.

A respectable person who has done and keeps doing an enormous amount for the klal recently told me that when he first started out in his field, people kept asking him, "Are you normal?"

He said to me, "If I would have allowed myself to be discouraged by that question, I would be doing today what all 'normal' people are doing for klal Yisrael–nothing." If everyone's working normal jobs and leading normal lives, there is no room for growth, no room for improvement, no room for attaining depth and true quality of life for ourselves and others.

In last month’s article, we discussed that one of the reasons why we allow so much of our desire to do good to go unfulfilled is because we don’t believe in the good we possess. We don’t see ourselves as the unique, special individuals that we are. This concept is directly connected to our current topic. If an individual doesn’t truly believe that their essence is good, he tries to stifle his uniqueness. His flawed subconscious thinking goes like this: “When I’ll be like someone else, when I’ll be ‘normal,’ people won’t see my dark sides. They won’t see the real me.” This mistake, however, only stifles him.

In a society where many feel they’re part of the mass production and people walk around with sweeping diagnoses of themselves and others, as if the profound nefesh can be understood with one term, it’s not that hard to understand why people are so desperate to be normal. Why should they want to face, and allow others to face, what they see as their flawed essence?

The truth is that while chasing the elusive normal, every individual simultaneously yearns to be able to express their uniqueness, to give to the world in a way only they can. We each have a natural need to shine, to excel in our own individual way. How we wish to expose our light to the world! Because this yearning is erroneously suppressed, it often exhibits in areas where uniqueness is not a virtue. Instead of being unique in the areas that define us, such as with our unique personality or talent, the pursuit manifests itself in unique outer trappings that don’t fulfill this yearning.

When we start perceiving that our essence is entirely good, believing that we have a tafkid that is distinctive to us and that our uniqueness is our virtue, we will allow our remarkable light to emerge in a way that we will not only feel at peace with ourselves, but we will finally truly shine.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 13

Wellness Platform By Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

VITAMIN A: THE INFECTION VITAMIN

I

In this column, I’ve discussed the importance of supplementing one’s diet with vitamins and minerals that are not derived from food. I would like to share the findings from my years of research and experience in the field regarding the various vitamins Hashem put into this world.

Let’s start with vitamin A. In ancient Egypt, people used to eat cooked livers to cure night blindness. Only many years later did the general public understand the reason for this seemingly absurd practice. About 100 years ago, nutritional researchers discovered that liver is packed with vitamin A, whose chemical name is Retinol.

Indeed, vitamin A is crucial in maintaining good eyesight. In addition, it is a primary anti-oxidant and one of the most powerful weapons in the body’s arsenal ensuring the proper functioning of all its systems. Vitamin A is especially effective in boosting the immune system and fighting against free radicals.

Night blindness is officially associated with a lack of vitamin A, but a host of other ailments result from vitamin A deficiency, as well. Some of the main roles that vitamin A plays in the body are in the upkeep of reproductive health, hormone stability in women, growth, and blood sugar control. Vitamin A used to have a strong reputation as an infection fighter, to the extent that it was dubbed “the infection-fighting vitamin,” long before vitamin C took over that title.

The famous Dr. Atkins, who was a leading expert on vitamin nutrition, wrote in his book that when he felt

even a sniff of an upcoming cold, he immediately took between 50,000 and 100,000 IU of vitamin A daily, in addition to high doses of vitamin C and zinc. He added that he hadn’t missed a day of work in 30 years.

Vitamin A for Children In the Middle Ages, the lives of countless children were snuffed out by various viral and bacterial illnesses. The medical conditions today’s child struggles with for a day or two, or maximum two weeks, used to spell a death sentence for a child in yesteryear. In today’s day and age, we only hear about child mortality due to viral infections in such places as the wilds of Africa. What’s the difference between children living in developed countries and those growing up in Africa?

The main reason for the decline in child mortality in industrialized countries is that the children here receive enough vitamin A to prevent illness.

If children in Africa would receive the recommended doses of vitamin A, the lives of 1.2 million to 2.5 billion children would be spared annually. The incidence of infant and child bronchitis would decrease by 70 percent, and the rate of deaths due to intestinal illness by 39 percent!

The startling reality is, however, that even in established, modern America there are still children who suffer from deficiency in vitamin A, albeit not to the same degree as those in underdeveloped countries. In a study performed on 20 Californian

children who had the measles, the researchers found that half of them had a vitamin A deficiency, despite their nutritious diet and slightly overweight status. The explanation for this seems obvious: we eat foods that merely look like foods but are essentially not proper foods, and certainly not digestible.

The body is hungry for real food!

Children are especially prone to vi-

The main reason for the decline in child mortality in industrialized countries is that the children here receive enough vitamin A to prevent illness. tamin A deficiency because infections drain the body of the little bit of vitamin A that it previously contained.

However, even from a single dose of 20,000 IU of vitamin A, the healing process from viral, bacterial, and infectious diseases like chicken pox can be accelerated.

In our next column, we will discuss other vital roles that vitamin A plays in the body.

In this column, Rabbi Hirsch Meisels, a renowned expert on healthy living, delivers vital health information culled from his years of experience as the founder and director of FWD, Friends With Diabetes. The information was originally transcribed from his lectures on his hotline, Kol Beri’im.

14 The Wellspring | January 2019

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.

Well Informed

Well Informed

Research-Based Recommendations By Beth Warren, RDN

SECRETS OF A KOSHER DIETITIAN “It is not incumbent on you to finish the task, but neither are you free to absolve yourself from it”

SECRET #10: YOU’RE EATING TOO MUCH (HEALTHY) FOOD. We have focused mainly on food quality and the importance of mindset in weight loss, but ultimately, it does matter how much you eat. I focus on quality first, but the second part, matching up the quantity, matters. If you are overconsuming food, even healthy options, weight loss will be more difficult.

This secret to weight loss is obvious, but many people may not understand it applies to healthy food too. I often hear, “But it was a healthy cookie, muffin, etc.,” when people are confused why they aren’t losing or are gaining weight. While it’s great to eat foods made with whole-food ingredients, they still need to be counted. Ultimately, our body processes nutrients, like sugar, the same once inside the body.

It boils down to the fact that weight loss equals more energy out than energy in. That is, if your body is burning less energy (through exercising and your basal metabolic rate) than the energy you are eating (food), you will not lose weight. This applies to “healthy” food choices just as much as non-healthy ones.

Portion sizes for each meal and snack can simply be too big of any type of food. Fruits and vegetables, which are higher in water and fiber and lower in calories than other foods, are less likely to cause weight gain or prevent weight loss. However, fruit has almost three times the calories per serving as non-starchy vegetables, so it is easier to consume too many fruit calories, which can interfere with weight loss. Some people think of fruit as a “free food” and are unknowingly consuming up to 250 extra calories a day, which could prevent them from losing one pound of fat every two week. Something like a smoothie or an acai bowl, for example, can quickly add up in calories. A recipe calling for three bananas and one mango is certainly healthy, but is too large a portion.

Another common obstacle for clients is “when the kids get home,” from about 4-8p.m. or later. This time is when

- (Pirkei Avos 2:21)

the “picking” of food occurs, with calories that quickly add up more than most people realize. To reverse the over-snacking situation, start to become more aware of your snack triggers. Are the kids driving you crazy, and you find yourself reaching for something to dial down your emotions? Once you build awareness, ask yourself if you’re truly hungry. Notice physical signs of hunger, like a bit of an empty feeling in your stomach or slight growling. If they aren’t there, consider waiting until you can eat calmly. If signs of hunger are present, have a small snack mindfully.

Try looking at all the factors that contribute to weight loss and see if they are inhibiting your efforts. You could be eating well and exercising, but if you overeat to compensate for what was lost, either because you are hungry or just feel you are “allowed” to eat more after fitness, it won’t help your weight-loss goals.

Pay attention to exactly how much you are eating.

If your clothes aren’t fitting as well as you’d like, you’re dealing with excess bloat, or you could use more energy, you may need to right-size your portion sizes. Eating a handful of almonds can vary based on a person’s hand.

A drizzle of olive oil can be different, depending on who’s pouring, and the avocado mash on your toast might be too little or too much. It’s not necessary to start weighing and measuring all your food obsessively, but it could be helpful to do that once or twice, until your eyeballs adjust to the correct amount.

You can figure out how much energy you require in a day according to your age, height, weight, and exercise level. The Inbody 770 machine we use in my Beth Warren Nutrition practice calculates a person’s rate of resting metabolism based on age, height, lean muscle mass, and other factors. This is extremely helpful when creating a personalized plan, since everyone burns calories at a different rate, even if they seem to be the same height, weight, and age. Factors such as muscle mass, age, and fluid levels affect metabolism as well.

The point of this secret is to watch how all foods fit into your daily caloric needs, including the healthy ones.

To schedule a nutrition appointment with Beth in the Brooklyn, NYC, NJ locations or virtually, or book an appearance, email beth@ bethwarrennutrition.com or call 347-292-1725. Most insurances accepted. You can also follow her Instagram for healthy eating motivation and recipes @beth_warren

16 The Wellspring | January 2019

mediaotg.com

Well Informed

Health Ed By Laura Shammah, MS, RDN

PCOS

Is there a cure for this common condition?

PCOS affects 6-10% of women, so chances are you know someone who has PCOS, or that you’ve been living with it yourself. When building a family is a prime priority, dealing with this condition can be painful and difficult. Take this quiz to see how much you know about this condition.

1

3

True or False: A woman must have all symptoms of PCOS in order to be diagnosed with the condition.

Answer: False.

PCOS is a complex genetic disorder that is characterized by a number of factors, including androgen excess, ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovaries. If a woman has some of the symptoms, she may have PCOS.

2

Which of these is not a symptom of PCOS?

Answer: False.

Low-carb diets have not proven to ease the symptoms. Rather, a low-glycemic index diet has been shown to benefit women with PCOS. Although many women report feeling less bloated on a gluten-free diet, there are no evidence-based studies to confirm that a gluten-free diet reduces symptoms of PCOS. Performing an elimination diet with a registered dietitian may be done on an individual basis.

A. Unexplained weight gain B. Unexplained weight loss C. Fatigue D. Pelvic pain

Answer: B The symptom list of PCOS is lengthy (see sidebar). These symptoms are the results of two underlying processes: hyperinsulinemia (too much insulin) and hyperandrogenemia (too much androgen).

Hyperinsulinemia is associated with a cycle of insulin resistance that promotes weight gain even if exercise and nutrition is ideal.

4

True or False: Women with PCOS must be on an extremely low or no-carb diet in order to decrease the symptoms.

Which of these is not a goal of treatment for PCOS?

To help decrease the effects of PCOS, try to: 1. Maintain a healthy weight. Weight loss can reduce insulin and androgen levels and may restore ovulation.

2. Be aware of carbohydrate intake. Low-fat, highcarbohydrate diets may increase insulin levels.

3. Be active. Exercise helps lower blood sugar levels. Do aerobic exercise and weight training. Yoga exercise improves insulin sensitivity and body composition in women with PCOS. 4. At every meal, eat high-fiber vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, and spinach, which can help combat insulin resistance and reduce inflammation.

5. Eat lean protein at each meal.

6. Sleep.

7. Manage stress.

8. Limit dairy to 2 servings per day. Consuming moderate amounts of full-fat dairy sources is recommended.

9. Increase omega-3 rich foods, while keeping your total fat intake under 35%.

1. Cure the condition

3. Improve fertility

2. Decrease symptoms

4. Prevent health risks

Answer: A Practitioners are realistic in their knowledge that PCOS cannot be cured. Instead, the focus is on the other three goals, so that living with PCOS should not interfere with the woman’s life. For some, medication is needed to improve metabolic and reproductive parameters. In my practice, I’ve found that the most commonly effective medication is metformin, whose goal is to help the patient overcome

18 The Wellspring | January 2019

hyperinsulinemia. Contrary to common belief, taking metformin will not help the patient lose weight rapidly. While metformin can help a patient lose weight, decrease testosterone levels, induce ovulation, improve lipid levels, and lower blood pressure, this only occurs if the patient follows a healthy diet and exercise plan. Since metformin causes malabsorption, low vitamin B12 levels are commonly seen in women with PCOS, and supplementing is crucial.

5

True or False: Weight loss is impossible for women with PCOS.

Symptom Chart

Answer: False.

It’s difficult for women with PCOS to lose weight because they may have impaired appetite regulation. Pre- and postprandial ghrelin (the hunger-triggering hormone) may be impaired, which causes appetite signals to be compromised, leading to higher calorie consumption. However, although the odds are against you, with the right formula of diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, and possibly medication, weight loss is possible.

PCOS—Through the Stages In every stage, early detection and treatment of PCOS is essential. This can prevent excess weight gain and infertility and reduce the risks of chronic disease. Weight loss improves both reproductive and metabolic parameters of PCOS. Weight loss or prevention of weight gain is a main concern in treatment.

Adolescence While many symptoms get overlooked during adolescence, proper attention to the body’s signals can indicate the presence of this condition. While adolescence is the most vulnerable stage for receiving a PCOS diagnosis, with proper guidance, the adolescent can deal with it and feel better.

Diet and exercise should be the first approach for treating adolescents with PCOS. When these interventions don’t help decrease the symptoms, administration of metformin may be necessary.

Pregnancy Women with PCOS are at a higher risk for gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and preeclampsia. Glucose screening should be done as early as possible, to screen for gestational diabetes. Eating healthy and pacing weight gain is essential.

Aging Population The hormones in women with PCOS are different from usual even after menopause.

Postmenopausal women with PCOS may have higher adrenal and ovarian androgen levels than women without PCOS, and impaired glucose metabolism and insulin resistance may worsen after menopause. As always, women with PCOS should adapt their diet and lifestyle to ease the symptoms.

6

True or False: Fruit isn’t good for you if you have PCOS.

Answer: False.

Fruit is packed with dietary fiber and nutrients, like potassium.

A registered dietitian can help you plan how much fruit to eat and when to eat it.

Visible Symptoms Weight gain Facial hair Acne Belly fat Thinning hair Dark spots on skin Skin tags General Symptoms Fatigue Mood swings Insomnia Anxiety Depression Sugar cravings Internal Symptoms Ovarian cysts Insulin resistance Infertility Anovulatory periods Pelvic pain Irregular periods Sleep apnea High cholesterol

7

True or False: Consumption of high-fat dairy versus low-fat dairy has proven to be more beneficial in reducing acne and the risks of infertility in women with PCOS. Answer: True.

Low-fat dairy increases the risk of anovulatory infertility, while high-fat dairy decreases the risk. Studies show that overconsumption (more than 3 servings/day) of skim or low-fat dairy causes acne, but not so with whole milk.

Laura Shammah MS, RDN, has been operating a private practice in New York and New Jersey for over 20 years. Her clientele runs the gamut from people with eating disorders to those dealing with hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer. She also helps clients who run in marathons or are looking to lose or gain weight in a healthy way. Her nutritional guidance is published in MaryAnne Cohen’s book Lasagna for Lunch: Declaring Peace With Emotional Eating. Laura can be reached at 718-376-0062 or Laurashammah@aol.com.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 19

Well Informed

Wealth of Health By Sarah Weinberger

conference with: MIRIAM GOLDBERGER

NUTRITION CONSULTANT AT 5 MEALS SERVICE: daily delivery of gourmet healthy meals

LOCATION: New York SINCE: 2016

Leading a healthy lifestyle is important, but can often be challenging. One of the greatest impediments to remaining committed is meal preparation, which involves planning, shopping, and spending time in the kitchen. Enter 5 Meals, a kosher certified (under Tartikov and OU) company that delivers gourmet meals in accordance to the Zone® diet on a daily basis. In this Conference, Miriam Goldberger, their nutrition consultant, discusses what 5 Meals has to offer to the individual who wants balanced, delicious meals delivered fresh to their door.

WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL SIGNS UP FOR YOUR PROGRAM, WHAT DO THEY GET? 5 Meals delivers healthy, dietetic meals to the individual’s front door from Monday to Friday, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., so the meals are always available before they’re ready for breakfast. Because of its insulated packaging, the food stays fresh at room temperature for several hours. In the bag, the client receives breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. All our packaging is microwavable. The Shabbos food is safe to be placed on a hot plate.

WHAT NUTRITIONAL GUIDE DO YOU FOLLOW IN CONSTRUCTING THE MEAL PLAN? We’re based on the Zone diet, whose main feature is portion control: eating three portion-controlled meals with two snacks in between, totaling between 1300-1600 calories per day. Every meal is a mix of low-fat protein, carbs (mostly fruits and vegetables), and a small amount of healthy fat. Every meal at 5 Meals has the same proportions: ⅓ protein, 2/3 carbs, and a dash of fat.

20 The Wellspring | January 2019

DOES SIGNING UP TO THE 5 MEALS PROGRAM NECESSITATE ORDERING FOOD EVERY SINGLE DAY? Not at all. For those who want accelerated weight loss, we do recommend eating our meals for all 7 days of the week—we send the 3-day weekend package on Friday. The average client who does so loses about 7-8 pounds in the first week, and 3-6 pounds in the consecutive weeks.

However, our company also services people who order only on days when they need it. For example, we’ve had working mothers order their meals only on the days they work long hours. This service is designed for people who aren’t willing to compromise on their nutrition or on eating properly on days that preparing their own food is too overwhelming or difficult. They know they can turn to us to fill in the gaps. To that end, we’ve serviced new mothers and families at a time of a simchah and during a hectic pre-Yom Tov season.

DO CLIENTS GET TO CHOOSE THEIR MENUS? We work with a weekly rotating menu which repeats itself every five weeks. This ensures the client doesn’t get bored of the meals. While the basic menu, which offers lots of variety, was set up by our culinary and nutrition team, we’re glad to customize the plan according to the client’s taste.

To that end, we offer a substitution table that allows clients who don’t like a particular food on the menu to choose another item that our team prepares for them. For example, if a client doesn’t like fish or eggs, they could choose in advance from a list of four other proteins.

HOW OFTEN DOES THE CLIENT SEND IN THEIR REQUESTS FOR THE UPCOMING MENUS?

GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF THE CONTENTS OF AN INSULATED BAG ON ANY GIVEN DAY.

When a client first signs up to the program, I review the entire menu with them to note their preferences and what they don’t like. Since we make this thorough evaluation at the beginning, things generally flow smoothly afterward, but we’re always available to tweak a menu when the need arises.

Plain yogurt with granola for breakfast; baked tilapia with chili crumbs, roasted veggies, multicolor peppers, and baby carrots for lunch; a dried fruit and nut mix as a snack. Dinner would consist of brisket with gravy, honey carrots, and roasted potatoes; the after-dinner snack would be a muffin.

WHAT TYPE OF NEEDS MIGHT ARISE LATER ON?

HOW DO YOU ENSURE THE FOOD DOESN’T GET SOGGY IN ITS PACKAGING?

Clients could feel hungry when they first start out, because the body is adjusting to a new, portion-controlled diet.

Depending on what the client wants to add to their diet, such as more protein, fat, or carbs, we guide them accordingly.

Often, after a client has had our meals for several days, they want more of something or less of another thing. We recently had a client contact us that she felt she was getting too much chicken and too little salad in her menus. The very next day, another client called about the identical menu and said that she was getting too much salad and not enough protein. For this reason, we encourage clients to let us know what they’re looking for, and we customize the menu accordingly.

Because everything is baked and cooked fresh on our premises and sealed separately, we haven’t had an issue with this.

ARE THE PACKAGES PREPARED IN A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN? Yes. Our culinary team is dedicated to not only creating wholesome, gourmet meals but also in a clean, sanitary environment. In fact, 5 Meals is the only kosher diet meal delivery company that is FDA-regulated and USDAapproved. A USDA inspector comes down to our site every single day to ensure that the food we use is clean and fresh and that the equipment is sanitized.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 21

Well Informed

Wealth of Health By Sarah Weinberger

During the recent havoc regarding an E. coli outbreak, the many salads our company prepared still contained romaine lettuce. One client called us frantically, asking whether it was okay to eat the salads. I told her that if our on-site supervisor approved of its inclusion, she could rest assured that the lettuce wouldn’t harm her. We were right.

CAN YOU TELL US OF AN INTERESTING CLIENT YOU RECENTLY SERVICED? A few weeks ago, we got an order from a woman who would be hosting a family member from overseas. She wanted to ensure her guest would have wholesome meals during her stay, but she knew it would be a hectic time when it would be difficult to do all the food prep herself or to go out and buy the meals. So she turned to us as the perfect alternative.

This service is designed for people who aren’t willing to compromise on their nutrition or on eating properly on days that preparing their own food is too overwhelming or difficult.

YOUR MENU OFFERS VARIETY AND BALANCE. HOW IS IT UNIQUELY DESIGNED TO GENERATE SUCH RAPID WEIGHT LOSS? Because 5 Meals is a portion-controlled diet and our culinary team prepares those portions accordingly, a client who eats only what the package includes sees incredible results. When an individual prepares food in their own kitchen, portion control can be challenging, but when the meals are ready to eat in their correct amounts, that part of the struggle is eliminated.

receive them at their convenience.

ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING WOMEN ALLOWED TO BE ON YOUR PROGRAM? We’ve certainly had clients who did well in these circumstances, but we advise that every client consults their doctor before going on any diet.

DO YOU GIVE YOUR CLIENTS ANY OTHER GUIDELINES OTHER THAN EATING THE MEALS YOU PROVIDE EXCLUSIVELY? We advise our clients to drink at least eight glasses of water per day, which helps keep the metabolism going, among other benefits. The program also allows one daily cup of coffee, but advises clients to limit diet soda and colored drinks, of course.

We also recommend that they eat within one hour of waking up. The food we feed our body at that time ignites the metabolism and burns body fat. When a client tells me she can’t eat breakfast so early in the day, I advise her to at least drink her cup of coffee then.

Another important guideline is to never go more than four or five hours without eating. This keeps the blood sugar stabilized, increases energy levels, and control cravings. For this reason, our plan is structured with five smaller meals a day rather than three larger ones.

Clients are advised to have one snack between lunch and dinner and one after dinner.

INSTEAD OF GIVING THE CLIENTS AN AFTERDINNER SNACK, WHY ISN’T THE SNACK ALLOCATED FOR BETWEEN BREAKFAST AND LUNCH? Many people believe one shouldn’t eat for three hours before going to sleep, but the Zone researchers have found that studies suggests otherwise. Research has found that eating a snack one hour before going to bed helps the body burn more fat through the night.

The way we see it, even while we’re sleeping, our body is hard at work. If we want it to work, we must ignite it first. If we don’t fuel the metabolism, it slows down.

DO ALL OF YOUR CLIENTS HAVE WEIGHT LOSS AS THEIR GOAL?

ONE OF YOUR SNACKS IS PEPPERMINT MOUSSE. HOW CAN THAT BE INCORPORATED INTO A HEALTHY DIET?

Not necessarily. We’ve serviced many individuals, couples, and families who simply want to eat nutritious meals and

We offer lots of other treats. Our belief is that everything can be incorporated into a healthy diet, in moderation.

Miriam can be contacted through The Wellspring.

Well Informed

Health Updates in the News By Rikki Samson

IS THIS WHY YOUR PRESCHOOLER IS MISBEHAVING? New research links low iron to behavior problems

Supplementing iron into the diets of low-birth-weight infants has been shown to significantly reduce the prevalence of behavioral and emotional problems later, as toddlers, compared to those infants who did not take iron, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.

These findings suggest a causal relation between infant iron deficiency and later behavioral problems.

Researchers at Umea University, Sweden, noted low-birth-weight infants are at increased risk of cognitive and behavioral problems as well as at risk for iron deficiency, which is associated with impaired neurodevelopment. They conducted a randomized controlled trial in 285 marginally low-birth-weight infants (2 to 2.5 kg), who received 0, 1, or 2 mg/kg/day of iron supplements from six weeks to six months of age. At 3.5 years of age, these infants and 95 normal-birth-weight controls were assessed with a psychometric test (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence; WPPSI) and a questionnaire of behavioral problems (Child Behavior Checklist; CBCL).

Children who received the supplement had better CBCL scores, indicating fewer behavioral problems. Almost 13% of the children who received no iron scored above the U.S. subclinical, compared to 2.9% and 2.7% in 1-mg and 2-mg groups, respectively.

The researchers found no significant differences in IQ between the groups.

Iron levels are low in the United States, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The nutrient has also been shown to reduce fatigue in women and increase fitness in teenagers. A recent study showed that babies born to obese mothers have lower iron levels at birth, which can result in greater risk for delays in motor and cognitive development.

SHOULDER PAIN

Understanding its prevalence Each year, Americans make 7.5 million doctor visits related to shoulder and upper arm pain. After neck and back pain, shoulder pain is one of the top reasons patients seek chiropractic care. Why are shoulder injuries so prevalent?

Although there are many possible explanations, here’s a simple answer: anatomy. There are three joints that make up the shoulder: the scapulothoracic joint, the glenohumeral joint, and the acromioclavicular joint. These joints work simultaneously and in harmony to carry out the many tasks we throw at our upper extremities, from swimming to swinging a tennis racket or even reaching up to hang a curtain or change a light bulb. The overall structure of the shoulder favors mobility over stability, resulting in a greater chance for injury. So, what can we do to prevent shoulder injuries?

Perhaps the most important strategy is to think before you act; that is, don’t take unnecessary chances, such as over-lifting in especially awkward positions. Try asking someone else for help instead. Also, use proper form and stay conditioned. Research shows that a strong core (back and belly) can help prevent shoulder injuries.

Common shoulder conditions include, but are not limited to: inflammation (bursitis and tendinitis), instability (“sloppy” joints), arthritis (bone/cartilage injury/wear), fracture, and nerve injuries. Injuries can be acute, from an obvious cause; or, more commonly, they can be chronic, from wear and tear; or they can occur gradually over time, from no obvious, single cause.

It’s important to understand that a shoulder complaint may be the end result of dysfunction elsewhere in the body, just as a knee problem can place added stress on the hip, or vice versa.

So in addition to direct treatment of the shoulder, your doctor or chiropractor may identify and treat problems elsewhere in the body, such as forward head carriage, poor core strength, leg length deficiency, etc., that likely contribute to your shoulder pain. In order to promote a speedy recovery, your chiropractor may also recommend certain foods or vitamins and supplements, with the aim of reducing inflammation.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 23

Living Well

Ask the Nutritionist By Shani Taub, CDC

Deprived Dieter

How can I be successful if I’m longing for treats?

Q

I’ve been doing the diet thing for as long as I know myself. At some points in my life, I hung out longer, at other times it crashed before I had a chance to really enjoy the benefits of my hard work. Before a recent family wedding, for example, I kept myself motivated by counting down to my goal date, promising to treat myself during the week of sheva berachos. When the date came around, I didn’t know where to start with the treats—and I didn’t know where to end. Of course, I wasn’t happy about that, and neither was my body.

On reflection, I realize that I felt very deprived while I was dieting. I know that’s not good, but that’s how I felt. How can I diet when I feel deprived?

A

I understand you for not being happy when your healthy eating came to a halt as soon as you hit your goal date.

While eating healthfully is rewarding, it undeniably involves an investment of effort, time, and responsibility, all of which

You may not have realized, though, that the answer to your question lies in your own description of the issue. You ask how you can diet if you feel deprived, but in the situation you describe above, you come to the conclusion that when you feel deprived while dieting, you end up crashing soon after. So here’s your answer, in short: You cannot diet if you feel deprived.

Coming into a health plan with a feeling of deprivation, of missing out on the goodies, does not yield favorable results. It simply doesn’t work. Indeed, I don’t allow anyone to join my program unless they feel lucky to be a part of it.

For this reason, I don’t allow anyone to sign someone else up. When a child, for example, is being signed up by a parent without first initiating, I don’t doubt that the child will feel deprived when she’s suddenly told to stay away from candy.

To her mind, dieting is a pain. Why should she go through all the hard work if it’s not important enough for her?

would make us want the results to be long-lasting and worthwhile. It’s difficult to see ourselves undermine all that investment in a short period of time.

24 The Wellspring | January 2019

There is no better feeling in the world than being in control of our food intake and eating what we’re supposed to eat. Yes, chocolate and cake do look good. Ice cream is delicious. Who are people kidding, when they try to

convince you that it isn’t? But the question is: what you want more.

The analogy I often give my clients is of a woman in a jewelry store. When I’m getting the most beautiful piece in the store, do I feel bad walking past the other diamonds? I know I’m getting the best. The other pieces look nice too, and perhaps I would want them as well, but I’m getting something way more valuable. And so, walking past the other pieces doesn’t leave me feeling deprived.

The benefits of eating healthy are not only about weight loss. When I eat as I should, I feel more energized, I need less sleep, and I feel a sense of self-control that trickles over to all

areas of my life.

The difficult component of weight loss is that it isn’t instant.

But that’s like knowing that I’m in the process of saving up money for the nicest piece of jewelry in the shop.

If you don’t feel this way before you embark on a healthy eating plan, you’re not ready to do it. Dieting isn’t easy, but you’re not depriving yourself when you diet; you’re treating yourself to the best-tasting delicacy out there. You may not have tasted it yet, but I will tell you that it’s unlike anything you’ve ever had. Give yourself the pleasure of having that taste.

Short Term vs. Long Term For many people, once they have been committed to a healthy plan for a certain amount of time, they can enjoy delicacies in moderate amounts and still continue to reap weight-loss benefits. Others don’t do well with this at all. But as long as they view their lifestyle from a perspective that they’re getting what they want most, they’re happy to avoid “treats.” They realize that while the pleasure they get from a good-tasting food lasts approximately three seconds, the feeling of being healthy and in control lasts way longer.

Please send your questions to the nutritionist to info@wellspringmagazine.com.

Shani Taub, CDC, has been practicing as a certified nutritionist in Lakewood for almost a decade, meeting with clients in person and on the phone. She also owns the highly popular Shani Taub food line, which carries healthy, approved, pre-measured foods and delicacies sold at supermarkets and restaurants.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 25

Living Well

In Good Shape By Esther Fried, PFC

6 Foods That Boost Weight Loss and Improve Your Workout Food on the fitness page? Oh, yes! You surely know that healthy food choices and your workouts go hand in hand. One doesn’t reap ideal results without the other. But then there are foods that take it a step further: they promote weight loss and make your workout better at the same time. By providing you with intense energy and muscle power, their nutritious content will push you to give it all you’ve got.

WATER Is it really any surprise that water tops this list? Water is absolutely the most important ingredient for both weight loss and excellent workouts. Our bodies are comprised of 60 percent water, which is crucial for everything, from how your muscles work to your metabolism rate. Even mild dehydration can slow it down.

When you’re dehydrated, your body sends the water that would be used in keeping your metabolism chugging smoothly to more important locations like your brain, which becomes sluggish. And if you hit the gym without proper hydration, your workout will suffer. You’ll probably start to feel lightheaded, and fatigue will set in faster. Aim for 8 to 10 glasses a day—or 10 to 12 if you’re working out for 45 minutes three times a week—to make up for what you lose in sweat.

26 The Wellspring | January 2019

GREEK YOGURT Greek yogurt is very high in protein, and lower in sugar and sodium than traditional yogurt.

The high protein keeps you fuller for longer, which will help you make it to your next meal without snacking or getting so ravenous you go overboard. It’s a great post-workout snack.

All protein helps build and repair muscles, but dairy protein does this more efficiently than any other. Aim for two percent or whole Greek yogurt to avoid additives used by companies to dress up low-fat versions, and go for plain. You can add some fruit or pure vanilla extract for flavor.

NUT BUTTER Protein is not the only nutrient at play here: the unsaturated fat found in nut butter can actually help you drop pounds. Beyond keeping you satisfied so you don’t give into cravings, nut butter can help you absorb more nutrients from the food you eat, helping your body become the well-oiled machine it should be.

The key is to have a source of healthy fat with some carbs so your body can break the nutrients down quickly. Just having a tablespoon of nut butter won’t be enough to give your body what it needs to excel. Try mixing two tablespoons with quick-cooking oats for a great breakfast!

GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES These are incredibly high in fiber. A little of these vegetables goes a long way. Because they’re bulky and fill up your stomach, you’re less likely to overeat. To use these weight-loss weapons for a more effective gym session, bust out the blender. These veggies are great in a smoothie eaten pre- or post-workout because they’re packed with vitamins, and they also don’t lose the fiber that’s usually pressed out when making juice.

EGGS Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a snack, eggs should be one of your go-tos. Their high protein count helps you feel fuller. Plus, they’re high in choline, an antiinflammatory nutrient that helps keep your muscles in working order and can improve gym performance. Even better, foods with anti-inflammatory properties can help cut down on weight gain, by keeping your metabolism regular and fending off potential metabolic diseases.

WHOLE GRAINS Our bodies are fueled by carbohydrates, but not all grains are created equal. Look for whole grains instead of refined ones. Whole grains give you B vitamins, fiber, and protein. White grains give you none of these. The protein and fiber make you feel full, and B vitamins are key in boosting energy, and have anti-inflammatory properties as well.

Try a piece of whole-wheat toast or wholegrain rice cake with nut butter as a great pre-workout snack. Our bodies break down carbs really quickly, so this pairing provides a great jolt of energy, ensuring you’ll get the most of your workout.

When you choose one of these foods as your pre- or post-workout meals, you’ll fill up on energy and boost your muscle power—increasing your results and reducing the breathlessness that can make exercise the pain it shouldn’t be.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 27

Living Well

Cover Feature

28 The Wellspring | January 2019

Does Traditional Jewish Medicine Exist?

A fascinating conversation with

Dr. Yehuda Frischman

The crisis that sparked his foray into Jewish medicine, and the journey he took to become the beloved messenger of healing he is today.

By Shiffy Friedman Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 29

Living Well

Cover Feature

A

All the way back in 1990, life was good for Yehuda Frischman. A Los Angeles native, he and his wife were raising their young family, while he was running a successful business. And then, his wife had a seizure—her first of many hundreds to follow.

dents Torah while attending Chinese medical school.

“Over the course of the next 9 years, we literally travelled around the world to find a cure. We travelled across the United States, and then to Switzerland and Israel. We met with approximately 200 doctors and practitioners, but most of our travels led to dead ends.”

“Here I was,” he recalls, “living as a frum Yid. I saw the profession of medicine is highly thought of in our circles and beyond.

Were there no codes of Jewish medicine we could follow?

I discussed this with many people, from professionals to friends to rabbanim. Many of them said that although there is much mention in Chazal about refuah, the methods mentioned don’t work anymore, that the medicine of the time is what we use. But I couldn’t accept that.”

Having been thrown into the medical scene on behalf of his wife, Dr. Frischman immersed himself in the research with a desperation that emanated from his burning desire to help her. “I found that many Western and alternative practitioners were cut from same cloth. No one was really offering an insight as to why she was having the seizures. Conventional medication was not an answer, because her allergy to medication was severe. Her convulsive, life-threatening reaction did not allow us to take that route.”

In his quest to find answers directly in the Torah, Dr. Frischman came across a Rambam in Hilchos Dei’os that has since become his mantra.

As his wife’s health continued to fail, Dr. Frischman’s frequent travels and necessary involvement in the home took a toll on his messenger service business, the revenue of which was precipitously dropping. “During that period, when the seizures were getting more frequent and all options of treatment had been explored, I realized it was time for me to become a messenger of a different kind. Perhaps Hashem was sending me a message to be that messenger of healing we had been looking for all those years.” And so, Dr. Frischman knew it was time to close the business.

“I gave my accounts away to a friendly competitor considered my options for medical school,” says Dr. Frischman.

At first, Dr. Frischman considered going to regular medical school, then osteopathic medical school. “But upon further research, I found that the modalities that most addressed the mind-body connection, as well as treating and trying to figure out the causes rather than treating symptoms, were Chinese medicine and craniosacral therapy.”

While Dr. Frischman felt content with his decision to pursue a career that would allow him to help others, he still needed a source of livelihood to sustain the family during his schooling period. The solution? He simply scanned the classifieds in the local paper. “I saw an ad from a cheder in Los Angeles that was looking for a rebbi to teach the mechina class. I applied, and I was hired.

“When I later asked the menahel why he hired me, a person without any experience, he told me he saw that I love children. ‘That’s 70% of the teaching,’ he told me, ‘the rest you could learn.’”

For the next four years, Dr. Frischman taught his stu-

30 The Wellspring | January 2019

Throughout the time he was learning Chinese medicine, as well as while attending seminars in craniosacral therapy, one question bothered Dr. Frischman intensely: Why was there no Jewish medicine?

In his quest to find answers directly in the Torah, Dr. Frischman came across a Rambam in Hilchos Dei’os that has since become his mantra. “There, the Rambam writes that a person is obligated to direct his heart to know Hashem. However, he continues, it’s impossible to have knowledge of Hashem if one is hungry, sick, or in pain.

This, I realized, is the essence of Jewish medicine. Healing and preventing illness is what helps us not be distracted by our bodies.”

Later, Dr. Frischman found a Ramban in Parashas Bechukosai that explains that when Yidden follow the ways of Hashem, the purpose of doctors will be to educate people to keep themselves in balance. This, he concluded, would be his goal as a Jewish healer: to help people stay in balance so they can focus on their most important purpose in this world.

With this clarity, Dr. Frischman looked forward to his next phase in life as a health practitioner who would do exactly that. Using the tools he studied, such as Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and craniosacral therapy, he helps his patients bring their body into balance so they can feel Hashem’s presence without being distracting by their body. And over his years as a messenger of healing, he established the ten principles of Jewish medicine (see sidebar).

In his practice, Dr. Frischman explains to patients that everything that happens in our life, including to our body, is a message from Hashem. He could say this because

he lives it. One of his most important principles in Jewish medicine is recognizing that Hashem, not the doctor, is the One Who heals. For a physician who has invested years of study and has witnessed the success of his intervention time and again, only true emunah allows for this clarity. “Although I have a doctorate in AOM, Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, from a university in California, and I’ve invested intensive study—about 20 four-day seminars—in the craniosacral curriculum, I learn much more from my patients,” says Dr. Frischman.

“The three things that limit our ability to help us get well are fears, imagination, and a lack of da’as—that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is the real doctor.”

Because Dr. Frischman understands that every individual receives precisely the message Hashem wants him to hear, every patient must be seen with a holistic approach.

“The physician must determine all the factors leading into the illness in order to get the right treatment that will help the person get whole. The patient shouldn’t be getting a treatment that’s effective in 60-70 percent of cases.

Why isn’t it 100%? I call this statistical outlook ‘Las Vegas medicine.’”

When a condition is treated exclusively, explains Dr. Frischman, and the patient’s lifestyle and overall health are not taken into account, he may be impeding his own recovery. Thus, Dr. Frischman sees himself as the medical detective. “I listen for clues that patients give me to determine which factors to take into account in order to help facilitate their healing.” He also sees himself as a tour guide, taking the patient where they may or may have not gone before. “I never leave them at an unsafe place, or have them do something they can’t handle,” he is quick to add. “I’m also a translator of symptoms, with a focus on understanding the chaotic language that the body is expressing.”

Sadly, by the time Dr. Frischman completed his studies, his wife’s condition had deteriorated. While he did help ease her pain, she passed away after 25 years of suffering, in 2013. Now remarried, Dr. Frischman relocated to Yerushalayim, where he sees only two patients daily and devotes the rest of his day toward his avodas Hashem. *** In preparation for this cover feature, my husband and I had the honor of having Dr. Frischman and his wife, Yocheved—a writer friend, pay us a visit in our home. The child of non-observant but traditionally oriented parents, Dr. Frischman embraced Orthodoxy while still in high school and then attended Yeshiva University. When we meet at our interview on Motzaei Shabbos, he wears the full chassidish garb and speaks of his Rebbe and his connection to Chassidus with an awe-inspiring fire in his eyes.

Conversation flowed freely as Dr. Frischman regaled my husband with tales from his practice, the history of

When I ask Dr. Frischman if he focuses on treating a particular illness, he answers simply, “I treat people, not diseases.”

Chinese medicine, and the many sources he has found in the Torah supporting his approach to healing.

And then it was time for Dr. Frischman to get to work on a complimentary Chinese medicine session for my husband. The sincerity with which he approached his work was awe-inspiring. Before taking my husband’s hand into his, he spent a few minutes in intense prayer, beseeching Hashem to allow him to serve as a messenger of healing.

Here was a sincere Yid who sees himself as an emissary of Hashem. Despite his vast knowledge in the field of natural medicine, the humility with which Dr. Frischman regards his work is remarkable.

“In Judaism, and especially in Chassidus, we are encouraged to look at everything that happens to us as a sign from Hashem. Nothing happens by coincidence.

We’re not Hashem’s bookkeepers, and we shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking that we are, but we must ask ourselves what we can do differently so that the body doesn’t get in the way. A twitch in the shoulder, a rash on the skin—these are ways that Hashem speaks to us through our bodies.”

Chinese medicine is one of the modalities Dr. Frischman has been using since 2004 in helping the patient determine what’s going on inside his body and healing it. In Chinese medicine, the pulses are enormously important toward determining the root of an issue. Dr. Frischman explains that there are three pulses in each wrist, each of which corresponds to a different organ system. The right hand pulse, for example, corresponds to the adrenals, digestive system, and lungs. Each pulse also has three depths, the amount of pressure the practitioner places on the spot. The most surface touch tells about the status of the surface of the organ; a level of pressure deeper, the middle pulse, tells about the blood—how the blood is flowing through the particular organ; and the deepest pressure tells of the organ itself. “Every depth is important,” Dr. Frischman stresses. “Each is unique and enormously important in terms of a diagnosis.”

The surface lung pulse, for example, tells if there are superficial manifestations of a problem, such as if the patient is coming down with a cold or flu, before a doctor or the patient himself feels it. In the middle pulse, the Chinese medicine practitioner feels if there are irregularities

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 31

Living Well

Cover Feature

in the quality of the blood. For instance, a choppy pulse is an indication of a blockage in that particular organ system. A too-rapid blood flow is an indication of a heat pathogen going up, which may exhibit in nose bleeds and mouth sores. A slow pulse many be an indication of a blockage from cold stagnation. “Often,” Dr. Frischman adds, “I’ll feel that the pulse is empty. This means that I could feel a pulse on the surface, but when I press harder it disappears. This is an indication that the organ is not getting the nutrition it needs. “Shlomo Hamelech says in Shir Hashirim, ‘Kol dodi dofek.’ Perhaps we can understand this to mean that the voice of Hashem is in the dofek, the pulse. Hashem speaks to us through our body.”

While Dr. Frischman has seen how helping his patients balance their pulses improved their health, he also acknowledges that not every issue can be solved in this way. “Sometimes,” he notes, “an issue emanates due to body mechanics. An imbalance of the jaws, hips, gait, and knees, for example, can affect health enormously.”

As a case in point, Dr. Frischman tells of a patient who had undergone knee replacement surgery and was still in excruciating pain. When he went to see his doctor because he wasn’t getting better, he was advised to exercise in order to strengthen the muscle.

“I felt this was the wrong approach,” Dr. Frischman relates, “because the patient’s knee was swollen. So I told him, ‘Do me a favor. Humor me for one week and don’t do any exercise during this time. When the week is over, come back to me.”

When the patient returned, the swelling had gone down significantly. “I felt the knee cap and all the musculature around it,” says Dr. Frischman, “And I was wondering why I was feeling so much crunching. I realized that the replaced cap was the wrong size. The patient went to a different

orthopedic surgeon who validated this finding.”

Craniosacral therapy is another modality of treatment that Dr. Frischman turns to as a means to help his patients heal. “In craniosacral therapy, we work with the two types of tissue called fascia: elastin and collagen. The network of fascia connects the entire body from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet. A skilled therapist is able to feel the different parts of the body by holding the fascia. Any kind of interruption with the body’s flow of cerebrospinal fluid, which we call craniosacral rhythm, indicates a physical or emotional problem. By holding the tissue of the body at the spots where fascia accumulates, such as in the abdomen, liver, shoulders, and neck, the therapist is able to feel blockages. By applying very light force—only 5 grams, about the weight of a nickel, the therapist can make dramatic changes.”

As a case in point, Dr. Frischman used craniosacral intervention to help a high school girl who had been taking psych meds essentially her whole life and really wanted to go to overnight camp—without the meds. “When her mother came to see me, she told me that the child had been born with a wild look in her eye, that she was never the same as the other kids. This girl made her way through school on meds, and she was fairly successful at it. But now, they wanted to try something else.

“As soon as I examined this girl, I saw that the bones in her head were out of balance. I started doing craniosacral work, and we saw dramatic changes in her behavior.” Dr. Frischman also gradually reduced her meds while giving her Chinese medicines to replace them. Within one month of this patient’s first visit, she was off medication completely. But there were still outbursts and some dysfunctional behavior. “Three weeks before camp started, I told the parents that their daughter wasn’t ready yet. They said to me, ‘You have three weeks to make it happen.’ I saw her twice weekly, and on that last session, I was working on temporal bones in her skull, which I felt were jammed, when we both heard a pop. When I freed the bone with craniosacral work, the girl felt like a different person.

Her first words were, ‘Am I normal now?’ This girl’s behavior changed completely, and she ended up being the model camper that summer.”

According to Dr. Frischman, addressing the physical aspects of a patient, such as their craniosacral structure, helps put them in balance. However, he is quick to point out that in order to maintain the balance, the individual must be adjusted emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as well. “When a person holds on to trauma, for example, it will turn into an energy cyst, which may cause them to develop an illness later in life. An individual must allow their body to release these cysts.”

By using various modalities in his capacity as a practitioner of what he calls Traditional Jewish Medicine, Dr. Frischman’s objective is to heal his patients so that they don’t have to return. “I don’t want my patients to have to keep coming back to me, but I will never abandon them if I feel they need something.”

As a practitioner who is deeply connected to his spirituality, Dr. Frischman admits that seeing his patients heal can be a challenge to his humility. “Whenever a patient comes back to tell me that the treatment brought about his recovery, and I start feeling heady, Hashem reminds me who the Ultimate Healer is. I appreciate the reminders.”

In order to help people other than his patients, Dr. Frischman has a Google group, which was set up by his wife, Yocheved (also the hostess of the frum writer’s Goo-

She came for treatment and a few weeks later, on Pesach, she drank the arba kosos without a problem. gle group, Soferet) where people ask how Jewish medicine addresses their issues. In his answers, he helps members empower themselves to be more tuned in to what their body needs.

When I ask Dr. Frischman if he focuses on treating a particular illness, he answers simply, “I treat people, not diseases.” With this approach, he’s helped patients with issues ranging from cancer to Crohn’s to type 1 diabetes, and beyond. “Chinese medicine is one of the tools I use, but the main thing I use is Jewish medicine, which teaches me how to listen to the Ribbono Shel Olam in order to bring balance to our body.”

It follows, therefore, that the first thing Dr. Frischman does before examining or treating a patient is to say a tefillah, in which he acknowledges that he is only a messenger and asks that it be the will of Hashem to cure the patient. In the same vein, after providing a diagnosis and a treatment plan, Dr. Frischman reminds the patient of the importance of sur mei-ra, of staying away from foods and lifestyle habits that aren’t good for them.

“It’s very important to make sure that our diet is balanced. I tell my patients to eat breakfast like a prince, lunch like a king, and dinner like a prisoner. I advise not eating solid foods after dark and no fruit at nighttime, which affects the blood sugar. Based on what we’ve realized is good for us, we live like this in our home. Because raw vegetables aren’t good for us, my wife Yocheved sprouts and ferments them.”

Although Dr. Frischman himself adheres strictly to a

healthy lifestyle that includes sprouted vegetables and green foods based on a principle of balance between animal and plant-based foods and healthy fats, one of his principles is to meet each person where they are. “If a patient doesn’t like certain foods, I won’t push them. At the same time, we try to figure out the reason for their repulsion. There are always ways around an issue. It’s never a one size fits all.”

Interestingly, Dr. Frischman notes that even when an individual is allergic to something, they could desensitize themselves to the allergy through a combination of acupuncture and manipulation of the spine. “I had a patient who was allergic to wine,” he shares. “She would break out after taking a few sips. She came for treatment and a few weeks later, on Pesach, she drank the arba kosos without a problem.”

Among Dr. Frischman’s achievements is his translation of The Garden of Healing. “This book,” he says, which was originally written by Rabbi Shalom Arush, “is not for those looking for quick fixes or who attribute illness and pain to natural phenomena. The original text was entitled, ‘Hashem Rofecha,’ which means ‘Hashem is your Doctor.’

As I often say, it’s a book whose goal is to get the reader to think differently, and to learn to listen to illness, pain, and adversity as Divine messages, given to wake us up and make changes in the way we relate to ourselves, those whose lives we impact, our environment, and, of course, Hashem. Illness is a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the pure unpolluted waters that nourish and cultivate the garden of healing.

Dr. Frischman shares a particular example in support of his understanding of medicine. “One can take the path that Western biomedicine has taken, looking with greater micro-detail at disease, play with molecules, and tweak genes in order to attempt to confound and trick disease.

But, believe me when I say it won't work. I remember, growing up in the 50s and 60s, hearing that soon the war on cancer would be won. What a lie that was, and how deceitful Western medicine has been to con innocent people into shelling out billions of dollars with nothing to show.

Nobody gets well from disease without addressing the fundamental aspects of our lives: How we eat, how we hydrate ourselves, how we move our bodies, how we breathe, how we sleep, and how we nurture ourselves spiritually and make ourselves happy.

“To say why epidemics or global tragedies occur would be to arrogantly say that I can see the larger picture. That would be a lie. But for myself, for my patients, and for those whose lives impact me, yes, I believe I can begin to tune into the messages we are given. We are given the choice: If we choose to address it as such, disease can be a process of nature. In fighting nature, not only will we not succeed, but we’ll die miserable, empty, and alone.

But I choose to take a very different approach, and I am constantly learning, growing, and connecting from the remarkable messages I am sent on a daily basis.”

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 33

Living Well

Cover Feature

Ten Principles of Traditional Jewish Medicine 1. “Know Hashem in all your ways” (Mishlei 3:6).

4. Shvil Hazahav—The Golden Mean.

This verse teaches us to integrate Hashem into our lives in whatever we do. The Baal Shem Tov tells us a novel understanding of the verse in Tehillim, “Hashem tzilcha—Hashem is your shadow.” Hashem responds to us according to how we involve Him in our lives.

It’s our job, with the help our physician, to learn to fine tune our receivers to be able to pick up and understand the messages that Hashem constantly sends us. It’s the physician’s role to guide his patient, first by asking Hashem to help him, and then, practically, by helping him engage in healing activities that promote sound, restful sleep, sound digestion and elimination, and appropriate exercise, in order to sensitize him to better involve G-d in his life.

Our therapeutic goal is to promote balance. If the patient is in a state of repletion, we need to sedate or reduce the excess. If the patient is in a state of vacuity, we need to supplement in order to fill the void. If he has been exposed to a pathogen, whether physical or otherwise, we must expel it. If he is blocked or in any way restricted, we need to open and unblock him.

Before seeing every patient, I say the following prayer: Master of the Universe, assist me to help bring a complete healing from Above, a healing of body and soul to _____ the son/daughter of _____. May the malach Raphael help me so that I don’t stumble with any treatment or advice that I give. And may the pleasantness of Hashem Our G-d be upon us, so that the works of our hands be established, and may He establish the works of our hands.

2. “Turn away from evil and do good” (Tehillim 34:15).

We learn from this verse to consider if how we are living our lives is making us sick, and that before we initiate new therapies or new strategies, we must first stop the old patterns that cause inflammation.

3. Healing therapies must take place on four levels.

The patient’s health needs to be assessed physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. On the physical level, he must be treated biochemically, biomechanically, and bioelectrically.

34 The Wellspring | January 2019

5. Hisbatlus (overcoming ego) and Hiskashrus (melding).

For the physician, there can be no room for ego, or any agenda or preconception. Even though the physician must have knowledge and experience, he also must recognize that he is an agent of G-d, who is the True Healer of all flesh. Therefore, the physician's goal should be to connect himself with Hashem, as well as his patient, and listen well.

6. Hashem always creates the healing before the illness.

The physician and patient must never give up, knowing that the Al-mighty has already prepared the patient’s healing. It is only a lack of knowledge that stands in the way of the physician’s success: a knowledgeable and correct assessment of the patient’s complete picture; the knowledge of what needs to be done therapeutically; as well as the knowledge that G-d is the Ultimate Physician, Who has already prepared the cure.

7. Shabbos.

The Talmud tells us (Shabbos 12b): “If one refrains from expressing pain on the Shabbos, then healing will quickly come.” This statement expresses the awesome healing potential contained within Shabbos— that complete immersion into the Shabbos will bring healing! Though technology enables us to accomplish

For the physician, there can be no room for ego, or any agenda or preconception. Even though the physician must have knowledge and experience, he also must recognize that he is an agent of G-d, who is the True Healer of all flesh. our tasks more efficiently, freeing us to use our time better, we nonetheless multitask and become slaves to that which should be serving us. Shabbos frees us from those chains. When we actively prepare ourselves before Shabbos, and we liberate ourselves this one day a week from weekday occupations, neither thinking nor talking about them, we effect a profound paradigm shift toward healing.

8. Pain is a gift.

We must differentiate between pain and suffering. The Talmud, (Berachos 5a) tells us that pain is a wake-up call for us to introspect.

Physiologically, pain is the expression of extensive or even partial blockage: blockage of blood; blockage of phlegm, lymph, or body fluids; blockage of one’s breathing or energy; or even blockage of one’s emotions. So, one of the physician’s goals is to facilitate the release of those blockages, to effect permanent and lasting healing.

9. Honesty.

In order for a patient to get well, he must first acknowledge that he is sick. That acknowledgement must be to G-d, to his physician, and to himself. If he is not prepared to admit that he is out of balance, he can never completely heal.

10. Teshuvah.

There almost always was a time before the patient was sick. To get well, the physician enables the patient to retrace his steps back to that seminal event or decision that changed his life. The patient is helped to understand that he has the freedom of choice to decide to respond differently.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 35

ISSUE 35 JANUARY 2019 SHEVAT 5779

Treats you could eat These 4 No-Bake Energy Bars will give you the boost you need

NUTRITION FACTS DOES THE BANANA HAVE TOO MUCH CARBS?

ink h t u ... o s y g n n i e n h r o W about m

Eat Well

Recipes

Dear Cooks, As far as most couples I know, the wife is the one who opts to cook with whole grains and veggies, while the husband prefers potato knishes and Beef Wellington. When she wants to whip up his favorite dinner, it’ll be safe to say that the menu will consist of a generous helping of carb-loaded fare.

In our house, eating healthy started the other way around. Interestingly enough, my husband was the one who preferred the salads (dressed with a bit of olive oil) with a simple slice of lean chicken cutlet before I hopped onto the health bandwagon. My husband hasn’t “dieted” a day in his life. He’s just one of those lucky few who find eating healthy a pleasure.

Sure, my husband’s eating habits have done their duty egging on my inner critic. How could I sit and enjoy an ice cream cone when he was content with a cup of tea? How embarrassing! And then, when we were newly married, there was the issue of how to celebrate his birthday. How could I, the new wife who wanted to whip up a storm of goodies, possibly give his taste buds a party with a few cut up peppers and tomatoes? I had to get creative.

Yossi & Malky Levine’s fabulous “Treats You Could Eat” remind me so much of the recipes I concocted in honor of that birthday celebration. I tried this version of ice cream and then that one, until I put together some kind of dessert that wouldn’t leave us feeling bloated and giddy. The menu ended up being terrific, but when I confided in my new husband how hard I had worked to bring it all together, he was horrified.

“Nothing will happen to me if I eat a scoop or two of store-bought ice cream,” he reassured me.

But with recipes like the layered caramelized-apple crunch the Levines present in this issue, and the incredible no-bake energy bars that Rivki Rabinowitz shows us too, creating delicious, nutritious desserts for that special occasion, or as an anytime treat, are easy as pie.

To a wonderful month of happiness and celebration, Esther

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 39

The Best For Last For us, creating late harvest wine is a work of passion that keeps us in the vineyard long after others have left for the season. Leaving the clusters on the vine until just the right moment, we harvest and bring them to the winery at 45°F. The fermentation is slow and kept just above freezing to capture every essence and flavor.

The result is worth every minute.

Late harvest wine is wine made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have been naturally dehydrated while on the vine.

Eat Well

Recipes, Styling & Photography By Yossi & Malky Levine

good-for-you Chocolate Soufflé If you’ve accustomed yourself to stay away from chocolate soufflé because it’s just not worth the calories, things are about to change for you. Here’s our revolutionary version that gives you the same rich flavor, only with ingredients that are good for you.

3-4 small pears 5 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate 3 eggs, separated 1 Tbsp organic coconut milk 4 Tbsp pure maple syrup 2 Tbsp coconut flour 1/8 tsp cinnamon 2 Tbsp finely ground coconut sugar

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Add pears to a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes. Optional: add ½ cup pomegranate juice to deepen color of pears.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler until completely smooth.

Whisk egg yolks and coconut milk in a bowl until combined. Whisk in chocolate until smooth, then whisk in maple syrup, coconut flour, and cinnamon until well incorporated.

Beat egg whites on high speed and add sugar slowly, until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold half of the beaten whites into chocolate mixture until smooth, then fold combined mixture back into remaining egg whites until no white streaks are visible.

Divide between 3 or 4 ramekins (depending on size), drop a pear in center, and place on baking sheet in middle rack of oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes until puffed and slightly firm to the touch.

Serve immediately.

Yield: 3-4 ramekins

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 41

Legendary make any meal

Eat Well

Recipes

Layered Caramelized-Apple Crunch It’s always nice to have another fabulous apple crumble recipe to add to your collection, but if you’re a connoisseur of taste and nutrition, this will become your go-to choice.

Caramelized Apples: 5 Granny Smith apples, diced into cubes of equal size 2 Tbsp coconut oil ⅓ cup pure maple syrup ¼ tsp cinnamon 2 tsp tapioca starch, diluted in ½ cup water

In a large saucepan, heat coconut oil, then add diced apples. Cover the pot and sauté for 10 minutes. Remove lid and sauté an additional 5 minutes while stirring, until apples are tender. Add maple syrup and cinnamon and keep stirring. Add diluted tapioca and stir until thickened.

Crunch: 1 cup old fashioned oats ½ cup almond flour ½ cup chopped walnuts ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp salt ¼ cup melted coconut oil ⅓ cup honey

Preheat oven to 350˚F In a bowl, add all dry ingredients, mix to combine, then add the coconut oil and honey. Mix until clumpy. Spread it on a lined baking sheet and press it down slightly. Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden and crispy. Allow to cool— it’ll get more crispy as it cools.

To assemble, place a scoop or two of ice cream (see recipe on following page) in a dessert glass. Add a handful of crunch and then some warm caramelized apples. Repeat layers until glass is full. Serve and enjoy!

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 43

some have well guarded trade secrets we just call them family traditions

HERZOG LINEAGE nine generations of patient winemaking

Eat Well

Recipes

Homemade Coconut Ice Cream Whip up a batch of this creamy delight and you’ll know that the days when ice cream was considered a sinful treat are over.

3 cups organic coconut milk (canned) ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup coconut sugar 1½ tsp vanilla extract ½ cup toasted coconut chips for garnish Stir all ingredients together in a bowl and freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, then blend the frozen ice cubes in a high-speed blender and freeze.

(If you don’t have ice cube trays, use the typical sorbet method: Freeze the mixture, once it’s mostly frozen, re-blend and freeze again. Repeat.)

Additional Flavors Coffee: Use the basic coconut ice cream recipe above, adding 2 tsp dissolved coffee to mixture.

Peanut Butter: Stir ¼ cup peanut butter into the mixture and add some mini cocoa nibs.

Salted Caramel: Swirl in caramel and add a quick sprinkle of sea salt to the top of each serving.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 45

Heaven Now on Earth

Have your cup and eat it too.

Non-GMO, gluten free, vegan, and packed with nutrients, our Instant products are hearty meals in convenient on-the-go cups.

Just add hot water and stir!

Eat Well

Recipes

fresh.

By Rivki Rabinowitz photos by Ksenija Hotic

No-Bake Energy Bars As the temperatures drop, days are shorter, and motivation wanes, I find myself looking for the simplest ways to feed myself and my family. Given that I am often out and about from morning until 4 p.m. carpool, I try to have one or two healthy snacks in my purse. About 20 or so minutes after a workout, I become ravenous, and fueling myself while satisfying my sweet tooth gives me something to look forward to! I store these snacks in my freezer, individually wrapped, for the hastiest grab-and-go I can manage. Here I present you with four No Bake bars—with no oven to preheat, really now, what’s your excuse?

When I first began incorporating more nutrient-dense foods into my lifestyle, I believed that as long as it was clean—it meant free reign. I learned the hard way: Glo bars are my weakness! Being mindful of what I ingest has made me aware that although they are full of healthy ingredients, the sugar content in dates, and fat content in nut butters, for example, are not things that should be eaten without restraint! Whatever your goals are, these can act as a sweet dessert post-meal as well.

Notes: These recipes are very versatile. You can easily substitute different nuts or seeds in equal portions in order to suit your taste.

If the mixture is too dry, add in more figs or maple syrup/honey. If the mixture is too wet, just add in more seeds or nuts. It’s almost impossible to mess them up!

Energy Bars 101 While every recipe developer loves to believe that they are constantly reinventing the wheel, it’s actually really simple to create your own raw balls or bars at home. Here’s an easy guide that will have you mixing and matching in no time.

Use a 1:1 ratio of seeds/nuts to dried fruit: Recommended nuts: almonds, cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.

Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats, and may help reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

Recommended dried fruit: dates (make sure they are pitted), apricots, figs, cherries, and cranberries.

Dried fruit is packed with fiber and antioxidants, and when consumed in moderation, is an excellent way to add sweetness to your snacks without using refined sugar.

The above base is really what you need to create about 10-15 energy balls. But below is where the fun begins!

Add-ins: Spices: cinnamon, cocoa powder, ginger, nutmeg, etc.

Extracts: vanilla, mint, almond, etc. Buy the pure extracts and not “flavoring.”

A little of this and that: shredded coconut, peanut butter, flaxseed, chia seeds, chocolate chips.

Brought to you by: Savours Fresh Market

Of Toronto

For everyone. With everything.

Breaded Cream Cheese

Bombs Ingredients

15 slices square bread 3 eggs 3 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs 8 oz Mehadrin PARVE onion chives or Mehadrin PARVE olive cream cheese Oregano 10 oz marinara sauce

Tastes Milchig!

Directions

Remove the crust from the breads and use a rolling pin to flatten them.

In a flat dish, whisk the 3 eggs and set aside.

Prepare bread crumbs in a deep dish.

Dip one side of the bread into egg. Add a teaspoonful of cream cheese in the center on the dry side, sprinkle some oregano over the cream cheese, then wrap the bread around the cream cheese and press to form a ball. Roll it in bread crumbs, dip in egg again and roll in bread crumbs for the 2nd time.

Repeat for all the slices of bread.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a pot. Fry the cream cheese balls, 3 at a time, until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping.

Eat Well

Recipes

Chocolate Cherry Energy Bars A homemade fruit and nut energy bar, easily customizable with whatever fruit and nuts you have on hand. The dates are the only ingredient I wouldn’t swap out. These are my personal favorites.

1 cup cashews 1 cup rolled oats (use gluten free, if necessary) ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut 10 Medjool dates (soaked in hot water for 1-2 minutes)

1 cup tart dried cherries ¼ cup chopped 85% dark chocolate 1 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil ½ tsp sea salt

Add cashews, oats, and coconut to a food processor. Process for 1-2 minutes, until a coarse meal forms.

Add dates, and process until they are mixed in well.

Add cherries, coconut oil, and sea salt. Pulse until well combined. Stir in dark chocolate. If the mixture isn’t coming together into a dough quickly, add 1 tablespoon of water or almond milk.

Press dough firmly into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 45 minutes. Slice into bars.

For everyone. With everything.

Savory Waffles With Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients Waffle:

2 cups flour

Yield: 8 square waffles

1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 2 tsp baking powder ¼ cup Mehadrin PAREVE garlic butter, melted 1 cup Mehadrin PAREVE sour cream 1 cup water 1 lemon, juiced 3 eggs Optional:

egg for topping

Mushroom Sauce:

cup Mehadrin

PAREVE butter

12 oz mushrooms, sliced 6 shallots, diced

Directions

Waffle: In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, salt, pepper & baking powder.

Add garlic butter, sour cream, water, lemon juice and eggs, and beat until smooth.

Heat a waffle maker and lightly spray with oil.

Pour batter into the waffle maker and bake until browned – approximately 8 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Sauce: Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute for 5-7 minutes.

Add cream cheese, salt and pepper cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm over waffles.

Optional: Add a sunny side up egg.

6 oz Mehadrin

PAREVE cream cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

ig!

Tastes Milch

Eat Well

Recipes

Chewy Fig Energy Bars ½ cup cashews ½ cup walnuts ½ cup almonds 1 cup dried figs, stems removed ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds ¼ - ½ cup golden raisins

¼ cup flaxseed meal 2 Tbsp coconut oil 2 Tbsp chia seeds 1.5 tsp cinnamon, optional ¼ tsp salt 1-2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

In a food processor, combine nuts, figs, and coconut. Pulse until thoroughly broken down.

Add pumpkin seeds, golden raisins, flaxseed meal, coconut oil, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse just until combined.

You can add a bit of maple syrup or honey to help hold the mixture together. Pulse it in at the end and add as needed.

Press mixture into an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap (makes getting them out much easier). Cover and chill for 30-60 minutes in the fridge before cutting. Remove from the pan and place onto a cutting board. Cut into 8 bars or 16 squares and store in an airtight container.

Makes: 8-12 bars

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 51

Dreamy Creamy Nutella

Cheesecake Ingredients Crust:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

For everyone. With everything.

cup Rice Krispies, slightly crushed cup roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped 3 tbsp sugar cup Mehadrin PARVE Butter at room temperature cup hazelnut cream Cheese Filling:

2 Mehadrin PARVE cream cheese tubs Mehadrin PARVE sour cream tub cup sugar ¼ cup whipped cream 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 eggs 2 tbsp corn starch

Directions:

Crust: In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, Rice Krispies, hazelnuts and sugar. In another bowl, add butter and hazelnut cream, and microwave for 45 seconds. Mix with a whisk until well combined; then pour over the dry ingredients. Mix until evenly combined and press the mixture firmly at the bottom and about halfway up the sides of an 8 inch springform pan.

Cheese Filling: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, whip and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor.

Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape the sides if needed.

Add the eggs and process until well combined. Add the corn starch and beat until well incorporated.

Add the hazelnut cream and process for another 30 seconds Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust and place it in the middle rack of the oven.

Add a broiler pan with hot water to the bottom rack of the oven (optional, but recommended). Bake for 25 minutes then lower the temperature to 250°F and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Turn the oven off and crack the door open about an inch. Leave the cake in the oven, undisturbed, for about 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Garnish: Run a thin spatula or knife around the rim of the cheesecake and remove it from the pan. Dust the top with powdered sugar. Add hazelnut cream to a piping bag and pipe around the edge of the cheesecake, about one inch in. Cover with roasted hazelnut halves.

Keep refrigerated until about an hour prior to serving.

1 cup hazelnut cream Garnish: (Optional)

Powdered sugar for dusting ½ cup hazelnut cream 1 cup roasted hazelnuts, cracked in half

ig!

Tastes Milch

Eat Well

Recipes

Smooth Tahini Energy Bars Tahini, oats, nuts, and berries join forces in a chewy, salty-sweet energy bar. These flavor-packed bars are made with wholesome ingredients and are naturally gluten free and vegan-friendly. ⅓ cup tahini, well-stirred 3 Tbsp honey (sub with brown rice syrup or agave if making vegan) 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil 1 cup old fashioned oats

5 pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped ¼ cup salted pistachios, roughly chopped ¼ cup goji berries (sub with dried cranberries), roughly chopped ¼ tsp sea salt

Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add tahini, honey, and coconut oil. Stir well.

Once melted, remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Press dough firmly into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 45 minutes. Slice into 8 bars.

Makes: 8 bars Notes: Because of the richness of tahini, I often cut these into smaller squares.

They are amazing eaten frozen.

They work beautifully rolled into energy balls.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 53

Cheese-Filled Pastry Cookies

Ingredients Cookies:

1 10x15 puff pastry sheet, thawed 1 Mehadrin PARVE cream cheese tub ½ cup sugar 1 tsp lemon juice

For everyone. With everything.

Directions:

Cookies: Roll the puff pastry sheet, jelly-roll-style, in the width, so you have a 10-inch roll. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla together until smooth.

Remove dough from the freezer. Using a serrated knife, slice into ½ inch slices and place them on a parchment paper.

Using the back of a spoon, gently indent the middle of each circle. Brush the cookies with beaten egg. Place a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture into each indentation, then top with scattered blueberries, cherries, or chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden.

Glaze: Beat sour cream, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

!

Tastes Milchig

½ tsp vanilla extract 1 egg, beaten Topping:

Coffee chocolate chips or your favorite flavor Blueberry pie filling or fresh blueberries Cherry pie filling Glaze:

¼ cup Mehadrin PARVE sour cream ½ cup powdered sugar 1 tsp lemon juice

Eat Well

Recipes

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars aka Elevated PB Rice Krispie Treats Because of the universally palate-pleasing flavor combo of peanut butter and chocolate, these are the bars I would start with if this is one of your, or your children’s, first forays into healthy treats.

They are playful and fun to make, and even better to eat. ½ cup creamy peanut butter ½ cup honey ¼ cup cocoa powder ½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt 2 cups quick oats ¾-1 cup Rice Krispies® (I used brown rice) ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter and honey. Microwave for about 20-30 seconds or until just warm enough to mix together. Mix until fully combined.

Add in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt and mix well.

Stir in the quick oats until fully combined and then add the Rice Krispies and mini chocolate chips.

The mixture should be thick.

Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using your hands, firmly press the mixture in.

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until the bars are set enough to cut into bars. Remove the parchment paper from the pan and cut into 10-12 bars.

Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Makes: 10-12 bars

Rivki is an interior-design-trained mom of three girls, who is passionate about cooking—particularly with elevating the vegetable. Showcasing their diversity in modern and innovative preparation is her happy place! Find her cooking and lifestyle shenanigans @rivkirabinowitz

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 55

Well Informed

Nutrition Tidbits in the News By Liba Solomon, CNWC

HEALTHY FOOD FOR A HEALTHY MOOD Stock up on fruits and veggies

A study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology shows that eating more fruits and vegetables may make young people calmer, happier, and more energetic.

The research conducted by Tamlin Conner, Caroline Horwath, and Bonnie White from the University of Otago, Wellington, sought to investigate the relationship between day-to-day emotions and food consumption.

report the number of servings eaten of fruit, excluding fruit juice and dried fruit; vegetables, excluding juices; and several categories of unhealthy foods, like biscuits/cookies, potato crisps, and cakes/muffins.

A total of 281 young adults (with a mean age of 20 years) completed an Internet-based, daily food diary for 21 consecutive days. Prior to this, participants completed a questionnaire giving details of their age, gender, ethnicity, weight, and height. Those with a history of an eating disorder were excluded.

The results showed a strong day-to-day relationship between more positive mood and higher fruit and vegetable consumption, but not other foods. To understand which comes first—feeling positive or eating healthier foods—the researchers ran additional analyses and found that eating fruits and vegetables predicted improvements in positive mood the next day, suggesting that healthy foods may improve mood. These findings held regardless of the BMI of individuals.

Each day, participants logged into their diaries in the evening and rated how they felt, choosing from nine positive and nine negative adjectives. They were also asked five questions about what they had eaten that day.

Specifically, participants were asked to

While this research shows a promising connection between healthy foods and healthy moods, more research is necessary to further evaluate the influence of high fruit and vegetable intake on mood and wellbeing. In the meantime, eat your fruits and veggies anyway.

OPPOSED TO GMOS?

on a seven-point scale the desire to regulate them, the willingness to eat them, and the inclination to actively oppose them by participating in protests or donating to anti-GMO organizations.

What do you know about them?

If you’re opposed to eating GMOs, do you know what they are? A new study suggests that the people who are most extremely opposed to them know the least about them.

Researchers surveyed 501 randomly-selected adults, testing their knowledge of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) with a series of true/false questions—for example: “The cloning of living things produces genetically identical copies” (true), or: “It is not possible to transfer animal genes into plants” (false).

The study, in Nature Human Behavior, also tested how strongly the participants opposed GMOs by measuring

56 The Wellspring | January 2019

The researchers then had the participants rate their own knowledge of GMOs, on a scale from very little understanding to detailed and deep knowledge.

As the degree of opposition to the foods increased, knowledge about them decreased. The scientists also found that people who knew the least tended to think they knew the most.

“This shows that extreme beliefs stem from overestimation of knowledge,” said the lead author, Philip M. Fernbach, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Colorado.

“We have to somehow get people to appreciate that they don’t understand things as well as they think they do.” Whether or not GMOs are good for us, this is a point to ponder.

WINTER WHITE PRODUCE They’re nutritious too!

We’re used to hearing “Eat the colors of the rainbow.” As the thinking goes, the more colorful the produce, the more nutrients it contains. But the fact is that many white or off-white plant foods can be just as nourishing as those colorful red, blue, and yellow foods. Here’s a look at which white-colored foods are nutrient-rich, and how they can be made kid-friendly: Banana While the peel is banana-yellow, the edible portion is a creamy white. Bananas are a perennial kid favorite and can be baby’s first food when mashed with a fork. Everyone knows they’re loaded with the mineral potassium, but did you know they’re packed with fiber? Bananas are perfect for a backpack, need no refrigeration, and help soothe hunger pangs when a meal isn’t forthcoming. Whirl into a smoothie, slice on top of cereal or nut butter, or even freeze for a cool treat. (Check out this issue’s “Nutrition Facts” for more on this one.)

Cauliflower This classic cold-weather vegetable is loaded with vitamins C and K and glucosinolates. Pureed cauliflower can be a great beginner food. Cooked, whole florets are easy to grab and munch on, when your little one is ready.

For older kids, cauliflower is fantastic when cut into flowerets, tossed with a little fresh chopped rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted in the oven.

Celery root Rich in both iron and vitamin K, this root vegetable is a good source of dietary fiber, which is lacking in many kids’ diets. Traditionally mashed, it can also be eaten raw with a dip.

Onion Pungent and sharp when raw, onion becomes sweet and delicious when cooked until it’s soft and translucent. Like the drummer in a band, always in the background yet missed when it’s absent, onion adds depth of flavor to nearly every savory dish there is. Onions contain the antioxidant quercetin.

Try this the next time you grill burgers: Slice a few onions thinly, put into a covered frying pan with a little oil, and cook slowly over low heat. After about a half hour, the onions will have caramelized. You can top your burgers and add them to sandwiches and salads, as well.

Potatoes These sturdy, budget-friendly tubers tend to be a kid’s fave when ordered as a “fry” at a quick-service restaurant.

When cooked up at home in the form of oven fries, baked, sliced into wedges and roasted, or even mashed with a little oil, potatoes are a good source of vitamin C and fiber.

Surprisingly, they’re a better source of potassium than a banana.

Parsnips Most kids won’t eat cooked parsnips, but they will eat them if you sneak them into stew or soup, or include them in a medley of oven-roasted root vegetables. A cup of parsnips takes care of almost a third of your vitamin C needs and is an excellent source of the mineral manganese and dietary fiber.

During this month of snow, incorporate one or more “winter white” foods in your diet for good taste and good health.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 57

Eat Well

Nutrition Facts in a Shell By Devorah Isaacson

Here’s the place to check out nutrition labels for the nutrient-dense produce that come in their natural peels-- just so you know what wholesome goodness you’re feeding your family and yourself!

THIS MONTH:

Principle

Nutrition Value

Percentage of RDA

Energy

89 Kcal

4.5%

Carbohydrates

22.84 g

18%

Protein

1.09 g

2%

Total Fat

0.33 g

1%

Cholesterol

0 mg

0%

Dietary Fiber

2.60 g

7%

Folates

20 µg

5%

Niacin

0.665 mg

4%

Pantothetic Acid

0.334 mg

7%

Pyridoxine

0.367 mg

28%

Riboflavin

0.073 mg

5%

Thiamin

0.031 mg

2%

Vitamin A

64 IU

2%

Vitamin C

8.7 mg

15%

Vitamin E

0.10 mg

1%

Vitamin K

0.5 µg

1%

Sodium

1 mg

0%

Potassium

358 mg

8%

Calcium

5 mg

0.5%

Copper

0.078 mg

8%

Iron

0.26 mg

2%

Magnesium

27 mg

7%

Manganese

0.270 mg

13%

Phosphorus

22 mg

3%

Selenium

1.0 µg

2%

Zinc

0.15 mg

1%

Vitamins

Electrolytes

Minerals

BANANAS In Your Plate *Add sliced bananas to your yogurt. *Enjoy a chocolate-banana-nut smoothie. Add 1 cup coconut milk, ⅓ cup almond butter, 1 peeled banana, 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, and 2 cups ice cubes to a blender. Blend until smooth. Your kids will love this for a quick breakfast! *Peel and slice ripe bananas and freeze in small bags. When you’re in the mood for a healthy treat, blend frozen bananas with peanut or almond butter and a dash of vanilla. Nice cream!

Should you incorporate bananas in your diet?

If you are on a low carb diet, you probably want to have fewer bananas and carefully monitor intake.

If you are on a ketogenic diet, then you'll need to avoid bananas altogether.

If you are using bananas to fuel your workout, eating it about an hour before your workout can provide great benefits to having a strong workout session.

Carb/Calorie Count All bananas are not created equal. Nutritionally, they’re about the same, but calorie count depends on the size of the banana. An average-sized banana contains approximately 100 calories, but like all foods, portions matter. This chart gives you a better idea of how many calories and carbs a banana contains: • Extra small (less than 6 inches, 81 grams): 72 calories, 19 grams carbohydrates • Small (6–7 inches, 101 grams): 90 calories, 23 grams carbohydrates • Medium (7–8 inches, 118 grams): 105 calories, 27 grams carbohydrates • Large (8–9 inches, 136 grams): 121 calories, 31 grams carbohydrates • Extra large (9 inches or longer, 152 grams): 135 calories, 35 grams carbohydrates • Sliced (1 cup, 150 grams): 134 calories, 34.2 grams carbohydrates • Mashed (1 cup, 225 grams): 200 calories, 51.3 grams carbohydrates In general, your daily calorie intake should contain between 500 and 800 calories of carbohydrates, which is typically approximately 150 to 200 grams. If you’re trying to trim down, 120 calories from carbohydrates per day may be ideal.

58 The Wellspring | January 2019

Banana is the kind of fruit you either love or loathe, but not only tastewise. Fans tout its high potassium levels, whereas critics condemn its whopping carb load and calorie content. All preconceived associations aside, are bananas good for you?

A part of the Musaceae family, the banana plant grows 10 to 26 feet tall. Bananas grow in clusters from 50 to 150 bananas per giant cluster. Each cluster contains smaller groups called bunches, known as “hands” and formed from between 10 to 25 bananas.

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits, and their unique packaging allows for safe, clean transport. They offer loads of nutrients and contain carbohydrates, which is frightening to some but welcome to others. Athletes, for example, appreciate the boost of energy bananas offer in a healthy, no-prep-needed form.

While the banana has plenty of carbohydrates — more than many other fruits — it also contains fiber and starch, which can make you feel fuller longer, since fiber helps slow the release of the carbs into the bloodstream.

Not-So-Scary Carbs Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel, aka energy, for the body. When you eat, your body breaks down the food into sugars and starches so it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. As part of this process, the sugars and starches are converted into glucose, also known as blood sugar. This is key, since glucose is needed for the body to function properly. It keeps the brain sharp while offering energy for everything from day-to-day tasks to workouts.

ATP is a key source of fuel found within the cells that fuels proper cellular function. ATP is formed through a natural chemical reaction process that occurs after digestion and can be

created from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats from both plant and animal sources. Bananas have plant cells that keep ATP in reserve, so when you consume a banana, it’s converted into glucose, then used to make ATP when required by the body.

However, it’s important to note that bananas can have a greater effect on blood sugar levels than oranges or strawberries. Since bananas contain more carbs, they have a higher glycemic index and glycemic load than the other fruits, which is significant for diabetics. Still, many consider the banana a smart choice for keeping blood sugar in good order.

Assists Digestion Due to their fiber content, bananas have a low glycemic index (GI) value relative to their high carb count (but not in comparison to some other fruits). The glycemic index measures the impact of a food on the body’s blood sugar. Fiber allows the conversion of carbs to simple sugars to occur at a pace that provides a much easier digestion process. Furthermore, bananas contain pectins, a complicated type of fiber. During the ripening process, the water-soluble pectins increase, causing the banana to soften. This process increases the level of fructose, which helps stabilize the rate of “carbohydrate digestion,” another reason it’s best to eat ripe bananas versus green ones.

Energy Boost A study conducted at Cornell University followed athletes who performed 90 minutes of running followed by 90 minutes of cycling or cycling to exhaustion. Athletes were given a placebo, a banana blend, or a solid banana. The trial indicated that the banana, both in solid and slurried form, was highly effective in enhancing endurance exercise performance.

Fun in the Kitchen!

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins One great benefit of bananas is that they provide the starchy, thick consistency as an alternative to flour. Here’s one such incredibly delicious recipe. Grain-free and naturally sweetened, these muffins are made with simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen, and they can be ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients: 1 cup natural organic peanut butter 2 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup mashed) 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 whole eggs ½ teaspoon sea salt ¼ cup honey (or stevia, to taste) 1 tsp cinnamon Optional add-ins: ½ cup chocolate chips, ½ cup dried raisins or craisins, or 1 sliced banana Directions: Preheat oven to 350˚F and prepare a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in one of the optional add-ins, if desired.

Scoop ¼ cup of batter into each muffin liner.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350˚F. The muffins should be firm, and lightly golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Serve immediately, or store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

Makes 12 muffins

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 59

Living Well

At the Dietitian By Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE

PERPETUALLY EXHAUSTED My first impression of Ruchama would be “tired.” She arrived seven minutes late to our initial appointment huffing and puffing, apologized for her lateness with an excuse about the full parking lot, and proceeded to plop down into the nearest chair with an exhausted sigh. After a preliminary greeting, she launched into a detailed history of her failed weight-loss attempts.

“I’ve tried numerous times to choose healthier foods, but my mid-morning and afternoon exhaustion always leads me to grab a quick-fix, sugary, pick-me-up snack to get me through my workday and the bedtime routine. There are times that I manage for a couple of weeks to wake up early to take a morning walk, and feel great, but it never lasts.”

“Are you ravenous when you turn to the wrong foods, or do you choose a sugary snack for the energy pick me up even when you are only slightly hungry?” I asked.

Ruchama considered my question for a few seconds. “I think

I’m slightly hungry, but although I know that I’d be satiated with a healthy snack, I need the sugar for the energy boost.”

A detailed assessment revealed the following significant pieces of information: • Ruchama has a high stress job.

• She dislikes food preparation.

• She believes she’s prone to “low-blood-sugar” attacks manifested as extreme weakness, although she has never been officially diagnosed with hypoglycemia and doesn’t experience shaking.

• She had gestational diabetes with one pregnancy, and her mother recently developed type II diabetes.

• Her go-to quick breakfasts and lunches consist of mostly carbohydrates, such as cereal, granola bars, or crackers, without much fat or protein as a counterbalance.

MY ASSESSMENT: I have worked with numerous individuals who fit a similar profile to Ruchama. The common issues I see in these individuals are: low energy; frequently grabbing quick, sugary fixes for energy; feeling weak and/or shaky after a few hours without eating; and, frequently, leading a high-stress lifestyle. Most of these individuals feel guilty about their nutrition slip ups, and feel like failures in their ability to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

The common denominator in these cases is a poor regulation of blood sugar, either due to a lack of education on nutrition,

60 The Wellspring | January 2019

or due to an underlying blood sugar regulation issue, which can often be exacerbated by stress. Blood sugar, which rises after ingesting food containing carbohydrates, can often be prone to peaks and crashes in certain individuals. When blood sugar peaks too high after consuming sugary foods or a large volume of high carbohydrates, individuals report feeling tired.

The body responds to the onslaught of glucose in the blood by overproducing insulin, causing a crash with accompanying fatigue, irritability, and hunger, with dizziness and shaking in

some individuals.

Individuals with a predisposition for developing type II diabetes often initially present with hypoglycemia, as the body reacts to the lack of sensitivity to insulin by initially overproducing the hormone. Strategies to keep blood sugars regulated in individuals susceptible to blood sugar crashes include: • Consuming small frequent meals, consisting of low-glycemic carbohydrates. These include most whole, unprocessed, cooked whole grains; fruits; vegetables; beans; and sprouted breads.

• Combining fat and protein with each carbohydrate meal.

• Exercising, which improves the body’s response to insulin and thus prevents its overproduction.

• Learning to reduce stress.

• Getting sufficient sleep.

I agreed with Ruchama’s initial suggestion that her constant exhaustion and fatigue was due to blood sugars that were rising fast after the ingestion of processed carbs, followed by weakness due to the subsequent drop. Her history of gestational diabetes was one clue that this could be the case, as this condition increases risk of type II diabetes, which is often preceded by poor blood sugar level regulation. On session one, we designed a low-glycemic meal plan with frequent snacks and meals, particularly emphasizing the importance of adding fat and protein to meals to stave off mid-morning and afternoon blood sugar lows.

By our second meeting, Ruchama had lost four pounds in two weeks, and was overall feeling much more energetic. “My main concern is making sure I don’t slip back into my old habits due to my hectic lifestyle,” she expressed. We spent the next few sessions making sure that Ruchama’s new meal plan and way

of eating could work practically in her lifestyle. Weekly meal planning and grocery list planning in advance, a new concept for her, was initially done in my office for the first few weeks, until Ruchama got the hang of it. On my urging, Ruchama trained her household help to assist with vegetable pre-prep, which made nighttime prep of her foods for the next day much easier. The steady weight loss and renewed energy motivated

My main concern is making sure I don’t slip back into my old habits due to my hectic lifestyle.

Ruchama to keep going, and aside from a three-day slip up during the week of a family wedding, she stayed completely on track. While it took me a month or two of cajoling until Ruchama actually started exercising, to her credit, she stuck with her nightly power walk with a friend all through the summer and fall months, “I feel like a different person,” Ruchama told me four months into our work. Addressing her underlying lack of energy due to her blood sugar crashes was the key to her ability to stick to a plan. She described her energy levels as tripled and her blood sugar issue as completely resolved, and she felt confident that her way of eating was now a long term lifestyle. Of course, being freed from lugging around 25 pounds of excess body weight may have been another reason for her increased energy.

Tamar Feldman, RDN CDE is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and a Certified Diabetes Educator with over twelve years of experience.

She maintains a busy nutrition practice with offices in Lakewood and Edison, and via phone/skype to numerous international clients, specializing in balanced and sustainable weight loss and nutrition therapy for autoimmune and gastrointestinal issues. She can be reached at 732-364-0064 or through her website: www.thegutdietitian.com

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 61

Living Well

Monthly Dose By Yaakov Goodman

OMEGA-3 FISH OIL

YOUR BODY'S GREATEST ALLY Research on omega-3 fish oil began in the early 1950s, when scientists examining the diets and lifestyle of the Inuit (Eskimos) in Greenland were left scratching their heads at the startling absence of cardiovascular disease, while heart disease ranks among the top killer in the industrialized world.

sent more than the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to this versatile and essential nutrient.

Inflammation From the 40 million Americans suffering from arthritis to the 31 million

It is important to understand that acute inflammation is essential to the body. Without it, wounds and infections would never heal. The pro-inflammatory mediators such as omega-6 that produce inflammation are essentially cellular “battle troops” that attack and destroy invaders such as cancer cells.

In an optimal scenario, after the temporary inflammation takes care of the problem, the body releases a set of molecules that shuts off the inflammation before it can get out of control. It’s yet another one of your body’s systems of checks and balances.

These post-inflammatory molecules eradicate dead and dying tissue, mop up excessive inflammatory waste products, and promote healing.

However, with optimal health compromised, often inflammation slips through the cracks and begins to spread through the body like wildfire.

Upon deeper research, scientists understood that this disparity was a direct result of the diet that the Eskimos subsist on, which consists of large quantities of fish and marine mammals, the greatest sources the omega-3 fatty acids.

Decades on the science is stacking up and the evidence is mounting. Research from around the globe reveals that the much-heralded heart benefits repre-

62 The Wellspring | January 2019

suffering from dermatitis, from Alzheimer’s to asthma, and from Crohn’s to colitis, the one culprit with an unwanted presence, is chronic inflammation.

Omega-3 fish oils have long been recognized for their powerful ability to reduce the body’s burden of inflammation, a fact gaining relevance as scientists discover the growing role of chronic inflammation as a major factor behind virtually all diseases.

After decades of intense research and discovery, scientists uncovered a newly characterized class of inflammatory regulating molecules that add an entirely unique dimension to the benefits of fish oil.

Although many studies have demonstrated the vast array of health benefits of omega-3s, scientists have only just begun to uncover exactly how they function. Researchers at the University of California in San Diego have published a groundbreaking study to show how fish oil works inside a cell to pro-

Further studies have shown that people with diseases that involve chronic inflammation have greatly reduced levels of omega-3. Other studies have revealed that omega-3 levels are sharply reduced with age. In fact, it is this deficiency that is now recognized as one of the chief reasons that people increasingly suffer from chronic inflammation as they grow older.

Fortunately, by restoring omega-3 to optimal levels, the inflammatory processes can be rapidly resolved and healing can begin. By doing so, you can directly impact some of the most common diseases of aging by battling age-induced inflammation.

Healthy Mind The powerful omega-3 fatty acids have been thoroughly documented in clinical literature for their paramount role in optimizing many facets of brain function, from depression to cognition, and memory to mental health.

Recent research has opened up a new horizon in our understanding of omega-3s’ profound ability to halt age-related decline and pathology. They shatter the long held belief of the medical community that brain shrinkage and nerve cell death is progressive and irreversible.

Omega-3s have been shown to con-

tain powerful antidepressant and neuroprotective properties. One recent study found that aging humans who supplemented with omega-3s had increased brain volume and that most new tissue development was observed in the part of the brain associated with positive state of mind.

A remarkable Japanese study was published just this year evaluating the connection between blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) and

mation, and the cumulative destruction inflicted by other chronic insults.

Accumulating in the human brain during fetal development, omega-3 levels are closely linked to intelligence and cognitive performance in infancy and childhood. But the omega-3 content of brain cell membranes involved in essential memory-processing areas diminishes with advancing age.

Early deficits in brain content of omega-3s have been associated with poor brain maturation and neurocognitive dysfunction. These are manifested especially in the area of attention, increasing the risk of ADHD and other behavioral disturbances. Later in life, declining levels of DHA and EPA may contribute to development of aggression, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, and a variety of other mental health and even criminal conditions.

Omega-3 fish oils have long been recognized for their powerful ability to reduce the body’s burden of inflammation. clinical depression scores. This was a large rigorous cross-sectional study of 2,123 subjects (1,050 men and 1,073 women) aged 40 years or older. The first finding showed that people with the lowest levels of omega-3 fats were at the highest risk of depression. They also found that those in the group with higher blood levels of omega-3s had a staggering 53% lower risk of depression.

Similar findings appeared in the prestigious journal Lancet.

In one of the largest studies of its kind, scientists analyzing 12,000 pregnant women found that children of those who consumed the least omega-3 were 58% more likely to score in the lowest quartile on IQ tests.

Approximately 9% of the brain’s weight is comprised of omega-3 fatty acids they are the building block for an estimated 100 billion neurons (brain cells). DHA and EPA primarily found in fish oil, play a host of vital roles in neuronal structure and function, protecting them from oxidative damage, inflam-

Scientists are having great success at reversing many of the fundamental age-related decreases in brain function correlated with omega-3 deficiency. ADHD and related conditions can be prevented or mitigated by supplementing infants and nursing mothers with omega-3 fish oil.

The implications of these studies are profound The science strongly suggests that supplementation with quality fish oil should be a priority from a tiny fetus all the way through the journey of life.

Metabolic Syndrome The skyrocketing obesity epidemic is evident everywhere you look. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is now recognized to be one of the devastating consequences of excessive body fat.

Fat tissues are not inactive storage depots; rather, they are biologically active factories pumping out a steady stream of inflammatory harmful mediators. Those mediators ultimately trigger many of the signs of metabolic

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 63

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not ibntended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.

duce its anti-inflammatory effects. This discovery is so profound that it’s likely to change the way we think about inflammation for years to come. While studying acute inflammation in animals, the scientists noticed the production of small molecules released in response to inflammation in the presence of high levels of omega-3. These molecules had a dual set of actions. First, they sent out a “stop signal,” quickly putting a stop to runaway inflammation. Next, they triggered the active resolution of inflammation. In other words, having enough omega-3s in your system provides your body with the tools necessary to combat and resolve inflammation as soon as it is triggered.

Living Well

Monthly Dose By Yaakov Goodman

syndrome, including diabetes, elevated lipids, hypertension, and fatty liver infiltration.

In addition to that, it is becoming clear that high-fat diets and obesity result in decreased levels of at least one of the pro-resolution molecules: protectins. This “resolution deficiency” contributes to the persistence of the fat-induced inflammatory state. Fortunately, supplementation with fish oil rich in omega-3s can reverse these processes, boosting levels of all the pro-resolution molecules.

Studies show that these novel substances are at the root of omega-3s’ ability to improve insulin sensitivity.

They switch on genes for cellular energy sensors, glucose transport molecules, and the protective cytokine adiponectin, all of which contribute to lower blood sugar and decreased liver fat stores. In one remarkable study, high levels of omega-3s completely protected mice against experimentally induced diabetes, retaining normal insulin production and producing no inflammatory cytokines in their fat tissues. Not surprisingly, elevated levels of lipoxins and resolvins were f o u n d

in their bodies. As for those affected by metabolic syndrome, the science is crystal clear, and supplementing with omega-3 fish oils should be a priority.

Healthy Skin Like metabolic syndrome, psoriasis is characterized by a fundamentally TH1 inflammatory response and thus, omega-3 plays a crucial role in its prevention treatment and healing.

In fact, omega-3 fish oil has shown to be effective for virtually all skin conditions including acne and eczema. Not only do these powerful oils reduce the inflammation, the driving force behind these conditions, but the essential fatty acids present also actively nourish dry and irritated skin. It is worth noting that positive results were reported exclusively with omega-3 from a fish oil source. Vegetarian sources did not report these same results.

The Devastating Imbalance Like the omega-3, pro inflammatory omega-6 is not manufactured by the body. Rather, it is exclusively obtained from one’s diet. The trouble is, though, that the American diet has a huge overload over pro-inflammatory omega-6 and a worrying shortfall of anti-inflammatory omega-3 pushing inflammation up.

For this reason alone, supplementation with a quality fish oil is vital now more than ever for the fight against chronic disease. Fish oil can no longer be considered an

optional supplement; rather, it is an essential supplement for whole-body protection.

With their work cut out, the formulators at Maxi-Health sat down to formulate a supplement putting absorption at the forefront and purity as a priority.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (June 1996) exploring the benefits of omega-3 for Crohn’s disease reported that using enteric-coated fish oil capsules provides up to three times better absorption. How does that work? This extra layer that is applied to the capsule delays its release, allowing it to open only when it reaches the small intestines, where it is most valuable, and it protects these delicate omega-3 oils from potential damage in the acid-filled stomach. Better yet, the coating prevents any unpleasant “burp-up effect,” which is from the most common complaints regarding fish oil supplementation.

Thus, Maxi-Health set out to create the first and exclusive kosher enteric-coated fish oil supplement. As for the pursuit of purity, the walleye pollock fish—known for its purity, sustainability, and high quality of omega-3 oils— was chosen by Maxi Health. Only after being triple-tested for mercury and with approval from the highest standard kosher authorities this product was ready to hit shelves.

If you are taking any blood-thinning medication consult your healthcare practitioner before supplementing with fish oil. Always consult your healthcare practitioner with any concerns.

To order Maxi Health products by phone, call 718-6452266. Mention The Wellspring for an additional discount.

64 The Wellspring | January 2019

YOELI B.

Living Well

Health Profile By Rachel Esses

Age: 28 Gender: Male Location: Borough Park Weight: 220 lbs. Height: 6’0” Marital Status: Married Occupation: Insurance Broker Favorite health food: Peppers and carrots.

That’s great. They are free vegetables, so you can munch on them throughout the day if you feel like it.

Favorite junk food: A slice of cake.

In a balanced diet, you could have that, too. If the cake is made with wholesome ingredients and is consumed in moderation, go for it. TAP Muffins are a delicious alternative.

Favorite exercise: Running.

Favorite nutritious dish: A slice of salmon with a side of mashed potatoes and a garden salad.

Amazing. Salmon is a good source of protein and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

My usual bedtime: 12:30 a.m. My usual wake-up time: 6:00 a.m.

My biggest meal on a usual day: Dinner. When I’m at work, I quickly have my lunch, but dinner is when I’m able to sit down and enjoy the delectable food my wife makes for me.

My usual dinner menu: My wife always switches it up. Some nights I have healthy-style chicken with vegetables, and others I have a piece of steak with asparagus and Brussels sprouts.

My weight loss saga: It’s difficult for me to eat on time throughout the day, since often I’m in meetings. So, many times I eat later than I’m supposed to.

Eating on time is very important. That is what keeps your metabolism going and prevents you from feeling hungry.

Greatest weight loss challenge: Eating at night. I can be good throughout the whole day, but when it comes to the night, I feel like noshing on many things even though I’m not hungry.

Lots of people struggle with that. That’s why you have a treat option, which is great for a little “sweet tooth” nosh.

My weight/lifestyle goals: To lose 30 lbs. and to eat on time.

How I would treat myself if I get to my maintenance plan: A nice vacation with my family.

Rachel Esses is a nutrition counselor at Nutrition by Tanya, a nutrition practice run by Tanya Rosen, which has locations in Boro Park, Flatbush, Lakewood, Monsey, Monroe, Williamsburg, Queens, Five Towns, and Israel. Tanya is the creator of the TAP (Tanya approved products) line available on her website, offices, and at select supermarkets, offering all-natural low-calorie delicious snacks and food. Tanya can be reached through The Wellspring.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 65

Wellbeing

Emotional Wellness By Goldie Unger, LCSW

Healthy Attachment What does your child need for healthy emotional development?

Much has been written on the topic of healthy attachment and, conversely, the effects and cumulative loss of its lack.

Healthy attachment between parents and children creates resilience in the face of stress, trauma, and life’s challenges.

Hashem created us as social creatures; we thrive and survive through our interactions with other human beings.

The foundation for the ability to bond is formed by our early attachment with our parents. Effective bonding with a child creates healthy intimacy, creating a prototype, a schema, for the child’s ability to be social and connected with others.

Without attachment, a child is bound to grow up isolated, socially awkward, and without the ability, or stunted in his ability, to navigate social and relational arenas. If a child is then further traumatized by an outside happening or person, he will fall apart more easily than if he has a healthy bond, a secure attachment with his primary caregiver. Similarly, healthy attachment is the “glue” that helps the child rebound after trauma. It’s the knowledge that “I’m not alone,” that the world is a safe place and “I’ll be okay.”

There are many factors that can impact the parent’s ability to attach and bond properly with the child. Among them are the numerous factors that affect the parent when giving birth and raising the child. For example, if a parent is suffering from depression or their own unresolved childhood trauma, this will negatively impact the child. The parents’ financial situation, the stability of the marriage, and the child’s birth order in the family will all affect the parent’s ability to attach properly with the child and be attuned to his needs. Lack of appropriate attachment and bonding may possibly create the various forms of mental illness, PTSD, and ADHD that we so commonly see in our children today.

Another crucial factor affecting our ability to attach is the unresolved impact of the Holocaust on its survivors and their descendants. With Hashem’s chessed, we have been able to rebuild physically and financially

66 The Wellspring | January 2019

from the horrors of the Holocaust. The emotional damage, however, lingers on. When a person loses his family and everyone he holds dear, unless that trauma is processed, his ability to attach to his own children and give them what they need, including love, will be fraught with a tremendous amount of difficulty and pain, if it’s at all possible. When parents are unable to bond in a healthy way with their children, these children will face difficulties in doing so with their own children. We are seeing a generation of parents who are third and fourth generation descendants of Holocaust survivors struggling deeply with

A child learns healthy attachment to Hashem through his connection and relationship with his parents. their ability to emotionally attach to their children.

The ultimate goal of parenting is to create a metaphor for attachment to Hashem. A child learns healthy attachment to Hashem through his connection and relationship with his parents. Continued recovery from the Holocaust must involve tending to our own attachment trauma, thereby giving the space, ability, and opportunity for our children to thrive and become close to Hashem. When parents invest in their own healing, their relationship with their children, and other family members, shifts. The troubled child may suddenly start getting better grades, sleep better, and in general be happier and more content. I have found parental healing to be so powerful that the shift can often impact adult children, even those who no longer live at home.

Implementation of the following ideas can immediately impact change, healing, and connection.

Safe Children must feel safe in their environment.

A child deserves the right to know that his body, space, and privacy will be protected. A safe home is a place where violence and boundary crossing of any type is unacceptable. Parents should take care of their own unresolved pain and trauma, preventing them from venting it on their children in various forms of criticism, shaming abuse, or violence. Safety and protection at home provides healthy attachment and enables the child to trust that the world is a safe place, empowering him with the knowledge that he can trust his parents, himself, and others.

Secure Children should be able to expect that life will follow a certain consistency and stability. They feel secure when their parents care, respect, and love each other. Children should know that they are the focus of their parent’s thoughts and feelings, and that their parents view each one of them as a gift. Parents provide security for their children when they are secure in themselves and in their ability to parent each child according to his individual personality and needs: “al pi darco.” It is important for children to know that their needs will be met appropriately and that their parents will “be there” to help them grow up. Similarly, they should feel their parents have faith in them, despite their struggles, mistakes, and misbehaviors. Children learn to tolerate their own struggles and failings when parents are able to tolerate their pain and are not seeking to change, deny, or medicate it. Trust and be with your child in their difficult task of growing up.

Seen Children need to be seen as the individual and precious human being that they are, for their uniqueness and individuality, and the gifts and potential they bring to the world. When parents are able to see children for who they are, versus the image that the parent might want them to be, the child is given permission to be who they authentically are. This creates developmental maturity, resilience, and accountability in the child. Telling your child that you thought about him when he was away helps him understand that his parents are with him, even when they are not physically present.

Soothing Children need physical and emotional soothing.

This includes physical touch and comforting in order to develop appropriately. Emotional soothing involves caressing their hurting psyches and nurturing their souls, even when their actions and behaviors are less then appealing. Children must know there is absolutely nothing in the world that will diminish the love that their parents have for them. When children are both accepted and soothed unconditionally, they learn to comfort and tolerate themselves. Soothing helps regulate the nervous system, creating stability, healing, and resilience in a child, as well as enabling him to process information and function better emotionally and academically.

May we all have the resources and tremendous siyata d’Shmaya to enable us to bond with our children and bring them closer to us and to Hashem, and to fulfilling their true potential.

Some of the concepts in this article were taken from a lecture by Rabbi Shimon Russell, LCSW. Goldie Unger, LCSW, is a therapist in private practice in Monsey, NY. She specializes in attachment, reparenting, and inner child work.

She is also trained in somatic healing. She can be reached at 845-304-4457.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 67

Wellbeing

Health Personality By Shiffy Friedman

a cup of tea with: EVE ELENHORN OCCUPATION: IIN health coach, personal trainer

BRAND: FlavorfulFIT SINCE: 2016 LOCATION: Brooklyn, New York PASSION: To get people to stop dieting WISHES PEOPLE WOULD KNOW THAT: not every diet is for everyone—just because it works for some people doesn’t mean it will work for you.

When Eve Elenhorn, née Scaba, now famously known as the woman behind FlavorfulFIT, was a high schooler, she did what all her friends were doing: diet. Interestingly, though, she was one of those lucky ones who didn’t need it. “I was naturally thin in high school,” Eve remembers of her adolescent years, “weighing in at about 115 pounds and wearing size 2 clothes. Still, I was always at the gym working out, and I went to nutritionists and dietitians to get food plans. I felt that I needed to do what my friends were doing—and not even one professional made me aware that what I was doing wasn’t right.”

The peer pressure that is characteristic of high school days, notes Eve, doesn’t end after graduation. “Even as adults,” she emphasizes, “we often get influenced by people, which propels us to take action that may or may not be good for us.”

To Eve, a recovering dieter who has since taken on a healthy lifestyle, the story of her life has given her a profound perspective on what many of her fellow dieters have experienced.

“When I got married,” Eve continues, “things changed. As typically happens when newly marrieds keep going out to eat or have gourmet meals served to them, I started gaining weight.

At the same time, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which exacerbated the issue. Here I was, eating things I shouldn’t, with a thyroid that wasn’t doing its work metabolizing all that food. And I stopped exercising, too.”

During Eve’s first pregnancy about a year later, she gained a whopping 45 pounds. To make matters worse, she developed gall stones, which necessitated a cholecystectomy immediately after she gave birth.

“Growing up,” Eve recalls, “I often had digestive issues. I had kidney stones when I was younger, and I was often in and out of the hospital during my youth. I was often afraid to eat, fearing

68 The Wellspring | January 2019

that I would get those painful cramps again.”

Since Eve did not receive a definitive diagnosis of a digestive condition, she did her best in trying to avoid foods that she figured weren’t good for her. After the birth of her first child, she lost between 25-30 pounds, bringing her weight down to about 150 pounds. Soon after, though, during the pregnancy of her second child, the number started climbing upward again.

“I gained another 45 pounds this time,” Eve recalls. “But this time, after I gave birth, it hit me. When I went into a clothing store and asked them to show me clothes, I was told they didn’t carry my size.”

Having been hit hard by reality, Eve embarked on the next leg of her dieting journey.

She tried lots of diets—and failed with each one. “At one point,” Eve admits, “I got annoyed. Most of the diets were heavily restrictive, and I wanted to be able to enjoy my food.

I wanted to eat the food I like and lose weight.”

With this goal in mind, Eve became her own dietitian. “That’s when I started digging deeper, doing research on what ingredients are good for the body. I took out all the recipes I loved and used to make and got to work substituting the processed, unhealthy ingredients with healthier ones. I also learned how to portion properly. Incorporating healthier versions of the foods I loved into my menus made weight loss a more enjoyable, less pound-counting process.”

Not surprisingly, as Eve improved her eat-

ing habits, her thyroid issue got under control and she stopped having stomach issues. Weight loss was an added bonus.

“When I saw how much I had helped myself by making simple changes in my lifestyle,” says Eve, “I was eager to help others do the same.”

First, she received certification from the Natural Gourmet Institute, a culinary school that teaches nutrition and cooking. “There,” Eve explains, “under the guidance of the late health food visionary Annemarie Colbin, I learned how to heal people from various diseases through food.”

At the Natural Gourmet Institute, Eve learned how to cook with various healing herbs and nutrients, to cook for people with special diets, and to concoct a meal that nourishes particular organs.

However, upon completing the program, Eve realized she wanted to help others get long-term benefits, not only from the meals she would be preparing for them, but by teaching them the habits of a healthy lifestyle.

Thus, Eve started going for therapy to release the pain she’d been holding on to for years. “Learning how to accept the circumstances of my life,” Eve admits, “was what ultimately helped me move forward. People nowadays are on autopilot; they want things to happen without them doing anything. But we must go through a process, if we want real change to happen. Once we start changing, the process starts to shift.”

When she originally set out to lead a healthier life, Eve not only realized she had terribly poor eating habits, but also that she was using food to deal with emotional issues.

And so, Eve pursued certification from The Institute of Integrative Health, solidifying her successful personal experience with educational expertise. As an IIN health coach, Eve teaches her clients to implement the habits she had incorporated into her own life.

What are some of these healthy habits? When she originally set out to lead a healthier life, Eve not only realized she had terribly poor eating habits, but also that she was using food to deal with emotional issues. “Taking care of my relationships and dealing with stress were the prime factors that helped me make better choices. I learned that not everything revolves around my food choices, rather there are other parts of my life that influence these choices.”

Another great habit Eve has made a part of her life is committing to one small positive change at a time. “I committed to exercising every day, because this is something that makes me feel good.

Committing to giving myself an hour of selfcare, with the focus not on the actual exercise, made a big difference to my health and wellbeing.”

Eve’s approach to health is less about the food we eat than the lifestyle habits we institute. Accordingly, an integral part of her program is committing to it from a place of desire, not despair.

To Eve, empowering her clients is a huge part of her work. One client, for instance, who came to her first visit with a case of psoriasis, was able to clear 90% of her condition on Eve’s program.

“A large part of healing psoriasis,” Eve explains, “is knowing the person’s medical history, which medication they’re taking, and working with that. In culinary school, I learned that people with certain medical conditions need to adhere to a certain diet in order to heal. I learned which foods trigger reactions. Once this client started cutting out the foods that weren’t good for her, primarily dairy and wheat, her psoriasis decreased. Most issues are exacerbated by processed, artificial foods, which a lot of people have a hard time avoiding. But even cutting down a little bit helps,” she says.

“When I first started my practice three years ago,” Eve shares another powerful anecdote, “my first support group consisted of about 15 clients who all had trouble with fertility. Baruch Hashem, all of them recently gave birth and are now back on the program.”

Eve reiterates that her program is about healing yourself from the inside out. “Usually,” she explains, “when we take control of what needs to be changed on the inside, the external changes follow organically.”

Eve works with groups, to give her clients opportunities for giving and receiving moral support, recipes, and tips on healthy products. In addition, she sees clients personally or through phone calls for one-on-one sessions.

When a client joins her program, she will first participate in a phone conference covering a large amount of material. Eve explains the rationale behind this: “Because the material is often technical and familiar to many clients, I teach a lot of it in a phone conference. In that talk, we touch up on nutrition, lifestyle, talking about the food

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 69

Wellbeing

Health Personality By Shiffy Friedman

industry, products, what to watch out for, and so on. I don’t want people wasting their money on hearing this from me in their one-on-one session.”

After they’ve heard the conference, clients are advised to make an appointment to discuss personal matters with Eve, such as their health history and issues they’re going through in their life that may impede leading the healthy lifestyle they desire.

How does Eve coach a client who has a hard time staying committed to her program? Here’s where the uniqueness of her practice lies. “I weed out a lot of clients who are not seriously interested, based on the original questionnaire they fill out when applying. This questionnaire helps me get to know them better, to see if I could help them or not. If I see that an individual is going into this thinking about weight loss as their only goal, I know it’s not for them.”

In the health coaching arena, Eve has set herself apart by not focusing only on results, but also on what goes on beneath the surface that might impede them. “When a client comes to the average nutritionist and says she’s having a hard time staying committed, the nutritionist doesn’t focus too much on why the client is cheating. What’s triggering her to engage in behaviors that aren’t good for her? For this reason, I get to know my clients first. I’ve turned down a lot of people in the past because I felt they weren’t ready for this part of the journey.”

If Eve has learned one thing from her own journey toward healthy living and helping others on theirs, it’s that it’s not so much about the details. “It’s not so much about what breakfast or lunch looks like,” she explains, “as long as you’re taking one positive step to making healthier choices. That’s all that matters. Even if you’re starting with drinking more water or cutting down a bit on processed foods. You may think you want a certain food, but you don’t need it.”

While Eve helps her clients realize when their emotions are

getting in the way of eating right, she appreciates the strength it takes to actually emerge victorious in the crunch of the moment. “Being conflicted is something I can relate to,” Eve admits.

“One day this week, for example, I had it hard. In the evening, all I wanted to do was eat. But when I started to dig deep into what I’m feeling, I knew what I really needed.”

When we look inside ourselves to explore why we do what we keep doing, we find the answers we seek. As a case in point, Eve tells of a client who kept falling off the bandwagon. “She kept being committed for a couple of days and then stopping, being committed and stopping. She had only come in for one appointment, and we kept in touch through the group from there.

When I saw she was struggling, I encouraged her to come in for a one-on-one appointment. I explained it would be very difficult for her to get past having more good days because she’s obviously caught in a cycle. Hopefully, by sitting down with me and discussing what was going on, we would be able to help her break the cycle.”

When this client met with Eve, they ended up talking about issues she was having with a family member, hardships Eve was able to relate to well. In that watershed conversation, Eve helped the woman learn how to separate her emotions from bad choices with food. She also encouraged the client to get in touch with the family member and deal with the situation in a healthy way.

“After she started doing the healing inner work,” Eve relates, “she was more content. For the first time in her life, she was able to maintain a healthy lifestyle for a much longer stretch.”

Having seen so many individuals reap success in leading a healthier lifestyle, Eve has learned a thing or two about the power of our will. “Nobody should ever give up on themselves,” she encourages. “There are so many possibilities, so many ways to do it right. There’s a quote in my office that I absolutely love: You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

A FlavorfulFIT recipe by Eve Elenhorn Tahini Fudge Brownies Serving: 16 brownies Ingredients:

Directions:

2 cups pitted dates, soaked

Soak the dates in very hot water for 2-3 minutes, reserving ¼ cup of water. Remove dates from water, place in a blender, and start to pulse. Slowly add the ¼ cup of water until you have a paste consistency. (It can be a little chunky, which will add chewiness to the brownies).

¼ cup hot water 1 cup melted chocolate chips ¼ cup tahini

Add melted chocolate and tahini to the blender and blend to combine.

1 cup ground walnuts

Add ground walnuts and baking soda to the blender. Scrape down the sides to ensure the best mix.

½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp vinegar

Add salt and vinegar and pulse a couple more times.

Transfer the batter to a bowl.

2 egg whites, whipped

Whip up egg whites and fold into the batter gently, being careful not to overwork it.

whole walnuts and chocolate chips, optional for decoration

Bake in a baking pan on 375˚ F for 25 minutes, or until firm in the center.

70 The Wellspring | January 2019

Let cool before slicing.

Eve can be contacted through The Wellspring.

Wellbeing

Clean Slate By Shiffy Friedman, MSW

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS ON ANY DIET

O

Okay, you say, I already took responsibility for my self-harming behavior. Yes, I realize I’ve been using food in a way that isn’t good for me, whether physically or emotionally. Now what?

Taking responsibility essentially encompasses two parts: sur mei-ra, distancing ourselves from the negative, and asei tov, engaging in the good. But how do we do that? In order to ensure we stay committed, we establish doable, sensible boundaries. Often, setting them up for the first time requires assistance from a nutritionist or dietitian to ensure we’re not going overboard and that we’ll be leading a healthy, balanced lifestyle. The boundaries could range from the general, such as “I will not eat anything that contains granulated sugar,” to more specific, “I will eat ABC at each meal with nothing in between.”

Once you’ve established the boundaries and feel comfortable with them, make a commitment to stick to them—no matter what. If you’re extra self-loving, tell yourself, “I care about you, dear, and I will do this so you could live the healthy, happy life you deserve.”

There, you did it. You committed to giving yourself the gift of a healthy lifestyle, to bringing an end to your self-destructive behavior.

If it sounds so easy and sensible on paper, why doesn’t it work? What gets in the way of sticking to a commitment? It’s not the sneaky chocolate cake or the lavish simchah you forgot you’d be attending before you committed. It’s because you forgot to give yourself encouragement.

Instituting any change is hard, but only to a certain degree. If I know it’s good for me and I want this enough, I will give myself encouragement along the way to keep the train on track.

What does encouragement mean? Encouragement that motivates is focused on the good I already have. It’s not about telling myself, “Ten more pounds to go before

NOTICE YOUR PROGRESS you hit your goal,” or “Just keep doing this until you fit into the dress.” That’s still better than telling yourself, “Two weeks doesn’t mean anything. If I do this for a month I know I did something.”

Self-talk that’s not focused on the good I already have doesn’t generate motivation.

If I know a change is good for me and I want it enough, I will give myself encouragement along the way to keep the train on track.

So what is the good I already have, even if I committed to this lifestyle a mere two hours ago?

The scale hasn’t budged yet; the skirts haven’t gotten looser; the acne hasn’t disappeared; the blood sugar levels haven’t miraculously returned to your pre-diabetes days. But what has happened? For the past two hours, you remained committed. That’s something, something that perhaps hasn’t happened in a long time. And wait, what about two hours after this? That brings the total to four hours of sticking to your commitment. Later, you tell yourself, “I’ve gone two days without reaching for wafers or sweets.” And that’s how you keep encouraging yourself, cheering yourself on for what you already have. “Wow! I’m making progress. I’m not eating stuff that isn’t good for me.”

If a voice inside you whispers that comments like these are too petty, too childish, know that you need this all the more. No human experiences progress without love.

You’re a human, too. No one can give this to you in the way you can.

If you continue encouraging yourself for several days, you’ll start to feel the incredible pleasure that results from remaining committed. This is a much more profound pleasure than actually seeing the numbers move, which will happen also. It’s a spiritual pleasure, one that reflects on our ability to rise above our humanness, to control ourselves in a way that builds us.

Without giving yourself this kind of focused encouragement that is targeted toward what you already did, it’s impossible

to see a change in habits. It’s not the diet that’s making you be in control; it’s your will. It’s you. You’re choosing to stick to your commitment, and you deserve the feedback.

Giving focused self-encouragement on present progress is the secret to success in maintaining any change in our lives. For example, we might realize that we’ve been too critical with our spouse or children instead of dealing properly with our pent-up emotions. When we decide to take responsibility for our behavior and to commit to go on a criticism diet: “I will not criticize anyone for anything they do for the next month,” we need the same type of self-encouragement to maintain the commitment. Wow! It’s been two hours that I haven’t criticized a single kid. Wow! I haven’t been critical of my husband in two days.

It’s the small progress that counts.

When we encourage ourselves for our baby steps, we’ll merit making that giant leap.

In her practice as an MSW, Shiffy Friedman realized that her knowledge in psychology was not helpful in healing the infinitely profound nefesh. An intensive search led her to discover the Torah’s direction toward a more connected life. To sign up to receive Shiffy's weekly message on this subject, write to emotionalwellnessthroughTorah@gmail.com.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 71

Wellbeing

Child Development by Friedy Singer & Roizy Guttmann, OTR/L

Making Good Choices for Your Child Part I In our practice, where we mainly treat children, we’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon. Often, the parents will talk to us about their concerns in regard to how their child is doing in school and at home, they’ll listen to what needs to be done to help their child, and express interest in following through. And on their way out, in a phenomenon that’s known as door knob therapy, many parents will tell us about their own struggles— what it’s like to be the child’s parent or how they discover that what their child feels now is a reflection of what they themselves felt as a child. The heavy emotions that are aroused for parents are often suppressed until they allow themselves to relate to the process their children are going through, which enables them to unburden and share the realizations they haven’t dealt with on their own.

These are mothers who are doing everything they can for their children, fathers who may be successful, well-to-do, or respected in their communities. Yet all, each in their own way, have intense internal struggles. Thus, providing a listening ear and empowering parents has become part of our job description. Since we’ve noticed how important this is not only for the parents’ wellbeing but also to help facilitate their children’s development, we’ve devoted this article to this critical topic. We recognize that we can never truly understand what parents are going through as we are not walking in their shoes, and that although the issues for some parents may appear the same in regard to their individual children, the particulars of their stories, their struggles, and the appropriate solutions may not be the same.

This article is not only intended for parents whose children exhibit developmental issues; it’s for all parents, as well as the family members of the mothers and fathers that we deal with.

As therapists, we see how vulnerable they are, and how the stigma of their children’s conditions affects them so deeply.

This article is based on the experiences we’ve had with our clients and their families, as well as on the interactions we’ve had with parents and educators when speaking in schools or at community events. It is our hope that this article will spark awareness in this area. We hope our thoughts and guidance serve to empower all parents. We present our thoughts with no judgement and from the perspective as therapists, parents, and individuals who truly wish to help all parents and their families.

Believe in Yourself and Trust Your Gut If you notice a behavior or physical issue in your child that you suspect requires intervention, go with your gut. Trust what it is that you’re feeling. Have confidence in the paren-

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tal instinct Hashem granted you as the mother or father of your child. It has been scientifically proven that parents know what’s best for their child. This doesn’t imply you will always be right, but do your homework to ensure your child gets the care he needs.

Too often, parents seek to quiet their intuitive alarm bells based on the feedback they receive from other people. The pediatrician or teachers might tell them that nothing is wrong with their child. We recently worked with a first-time mother, who took her child to the pediatrician because he wasn’t eating. The pediatrician dismissed her concerns, but when we started working with this child, we saw his feeding issues were a result of underdeveloped systems that needed intervention. First time mothers, in particular, may feel they’re being anxious or paranoid, and sometimes they are, but sometimes they’re correct.

It’s important to note that while most pediatricians look at how children are developing through the lens of the medical model, many times they do not focus on the quality of milestone attainment which can be an indicator of neurodevelopmental delay. Thus, if a child is doing well in medical terms, such as if his weight is in the normal range, they may not give substance to the parents’ concern. If you don’t feel comfortable with the advice you’re given, take it further.

Take It Further When a parent suspects that their child has an issue that requires intervention, they often turn to other parents, particularly another parent who experienced a similar issue with their own child. This should not be the only source of guidance you seek as the referral or solution that is good for their child may not be appropriate for your child. If you suspect your child has an issue with reading or feeding, this parent will tell you exactly what she did with her child, before you even know if your child needs the same treatment. We recommend that once you have confirmed that your child needs treatment, you could get your references from those parents, but when you’re still dealing with your gut feeling, ask people who are not in the same situation. Turn to an objective party for guidance.

Be an Informed Consumer Once you followed your gut and conferred with an objective party who confirmed your suspicions, you will seek the practitioner to help your child. Here’s where being an informed consumer comes into play. Before your child starts treatment, do your research. Ask questions from the people who are referring you to the professional and from the professional directly.

We’re impressed when parents interview us before choosing us to treat their child. The more questions they have the more we’re able to let them know what we’re able to do and the better feel we have for what they need. In this way, we can figure out if we’re the right fit for one another. When you question the professional, find out what they can and can’t do for your child. Don’t just ask the professional for references, though.

Naturally, she will only provide you with contacts that will encourage you to use her services. As a parent, you can respectfully request if there is anyone who perhaps had difficulty with the process or to speak to a parent who had a different issue than the one your child is experiencing so you can judge what you hear from your own objective viewpoint as it doesn’t touch so close to home.

To make sure that the therapist is not in the field for the wrong reasons, ask, “Do you have anyone I could speak to about you who you did not treat?” If the professional tells you that they can handle everything, that’s a red flag. There is no way a professional could treat every kind of issue. For example, we are extremely careful in treating children with a history of seizures and for certain therapeutic techniques there are contraindications for specific diagnoses. We would love to help every child who comes to us, but we have parameters of what we do and don’t do.

Another question to ask is: What is the practitioner’s training? Ask for real answers, not for a list of courses. What is their licensing?

Inappropriate intervention may not only delay the child’s access to effective treatment, but may also cause harm. Here’s a case in point. The majority of our caseload is children who are diagnosed with anxiety and processing delays with most presenting with neuro-developmental delay. In our practice, we’ve seen a fascinating yet unfortunate evolvement within the community—many such children are being treated by unlicensed practitioners.

For example, we recently evaluated a 6-year-old boy who presented with neurological soft signs. Based on the results of the testing, we recommended that his parents go see a neurologist for an assessment. We explained that our obligation is to always ‘do no harm’ and based on our suspicions this child may not be a candidate for us unless he gets clearance from a neurologist. When we told this to the parents, they insisted that a year ago, the child was doing an exercise program

Have confidence in the parental instinct Hashem granted you as the mother or father of your child. with a practitioner who did not have formal training and that they even saw improvement. They came to us because the improvement wasn’t sustained. Upon our insistence, the parents took their son to a neurologist, who confirmed that he has Chiari One Malformation, a condition where the brain tissue extends into the spinal canal. Often, this condition doesn’t present with symptoms, but in our evaluation, we were alerted to red flags that prompted us to send him for further assessment.

While the parents of this child were grateful to us for leading them toward the diagnosis, they were upset that their child had been subjected to inappropriate treatment for an entire year. There are many therapeutic domains and treatment techniques that do not require an individual to have extensive training and licensing. In that case, as long as the person is ethical and always adheres to the ‘do no harm’ principle, they will more than likely be an appropriate messenger to facilitate the improvement your child needs.

However, in other areas, before you take your child to any professional, make sure they are trained and have the appropriate credentials and expertise for what they’re doing. Certain exercises could trigger reactions in children. When a trained professional notices that, she will say, “I suspect something.

I can’t work with your child before we have this checked out.”

No parent wants to be spending time nor money on something that might harm their child.

As a parent, you know your child best. Trust your instincts, quiet the noise around you, and acknowledge the awareness that ‘one size does not fit all’ in searching for the right professional to help your child. May the effort you invest in doing your due diligence in vetting the right professional yield the results you are seeking.

In Part II, we will discuss further points on this topic.

Friedy Singer and Roizy Guttmann are neurodevelopmental therapists and the directors of Hands on OT Rehab Services, Hands on Approaches, and the H.O.P.E. (Hands on Parent Empowerment) Foundation. They are focused on educating and empowering the community to help children with anxiety, processing and learning issues. They can be reached at info@handsonapproaches.com

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Wellbeing

Serial Diary by Zahava List

Unveiled

Life with mental illness #5 During the time I was behaving in a completely uninhibited way, I had to be supervised constantly. Although this was my experience, not everyone who experiences a manic episode has such a severe reaction.

Upon Dr. Bunzel’s instruction, someone had to be with me 24/7. I was to stay home as much as possible. The medication I was taking was to help sedate me from the manic state, and as it kicked in I felt like a “walking zombie.” I was living in the world but it was as if I was in a deep sleep at the same time.

said, “I have bipolar. Talk to me at your own risk.”

Despite having an understanding that certain things I was doing were not sensible, there were parts of me that still hadn’t returned to normal. Soon after I started taking medication, I decided I wanted to get a degree, a decision I made with my manic energy. In my application to the post-seminary program, I wrote freely of how incredible I am. By the time the program actually started, the depression came in full force. My words no longer came out naturally and with confidence. Interacting with my fellow classmates five years younger than me was not easy and not as enjoyable as when I was the “exciting” manic Zahava. It was very challenging for me to get up and get out when I had lost my desire to do anything and taking care of myself was the last thing I had on my to do list. After Eleven days after my baby’s birth, four months in the program, I checked out. even after I started taking medication, While medication gave me my control back so that I I was still battling with agitation, some was able to be in the mindset to receive help towards my of the mania, and a host of other difficult inner healing, it was not my cure. Rather, the intensive emotions. therapy I went to, where I did a lot of work with my inner Because I was on medication, I had to stop nursing, which was a point of contention for me. However, although I was no longer the exclusive caretaker of my baby, I still felt that I needed to be in control of something. So, for example, when I once saw my husband feeding the baby before the 3-hour mark, I wanted to grab the baby away. I was totally uninhibited, acting on my emotions, without any restriction. When things would get overwhelming, my neighbor would come to take me out for a little while.

child, turned out to be the healing experience I had been craving for so many years. Combined with the medication I was taking, I started crawling out of my difficult state. But my journey wasn’t yet over.

Although my mania decreased, my agitation still lingered on full force, and depression started kicking in. At that point, I started feeling the shame of how I was acting.

When I remembered everything I had said or done in the presence of other people, I would think, “I can’t see this person ever again.”

I worked hard to make it work, but once it was going well, I had to stop cold turkey due to the medication. While I was devastated at the time, I later realized that just because a mother can’t nurse her child doesn’t mean she can’t connect to her baby.

In Hindsight Before and after giving birth, I was obsessed with the desire to nurse my baby. I took classes beforehand and prepared myself for the experience as much as possible. When I got to the hospital, I made sure I’d have a lactation consultant at my side to guide me immediately after birth.

When medication is necessary, health is the first priority. I remember my friend asking me, “Do you want to be a good mother or do you want to nurse your baby?”

Being a healthy mother takes precedence over everything else. Bonding can—and did—happen in many other ways.

Two months after my baby was born, we went to spend our bein hazemanim summer vacation back in our hometown. This would be our opportunity to show off our new baby and spend quality time with family and friends. When we arrived there, however, I felt so ashamed to face anyTo be continued... one I had been in contact with when I was manic.

Zahava List is the founder and director of Chazkeinu, Whether I liked it or not, my secret was out, and I felt a peer-led support organization for Jewish women who that everyone who saw me thought differently of me. struggle with mental illness and their female family In my mind it was as if I was holding up a sign that members.

74 The Wellspring | January 2019

YOUR WELLNESS LIST Supplements related to content in this issue that can improve your health and wellbeing To get a detailed understanding of the following nutritional topics, read more on the page numbers listed below.

MAXI B12 WITH BIOTIN™ Related to HealthEd pg. 18

LIVAMAX™ Related to Inkwell pg. 78

Since metformin causes malabsorption of vitamin B12 and a vitamin B12 deficiency has been seen in many women with PCOS, supplementing is crucial, says registered dietitian Laura Shammah. Maxi B12 with Biotin™ will give you the abundant energy you need to glide through your day.

In this issue’s “Inkwell,” kinesiologist Miriam Schweid encourages a young woman with cholestasis to take a daily dose of Livamax™, an incredible nutritional supplement that contains dandelion (for digestion) and milk thistle (to cleanse the liver). This unique formula supports liver health.

MAXI TURMERIC™ BCM-95® Related to Golden Page pg. 76 Even conventional medicine now recognizes prevention as an essential element in today’s war on cancer. Curcumin is a particularly valuable nutrient, having been shown to target virtually all types of cancer.

As curcumin is one of the most difficult herbs for the body to absorb, Maxi Turmeric™ BCM-95® employs a novel manufacturing technology, using a patented curcumin formulation that is absorbed up to seven times better than conventional curcumin.

K2-A-D™ Related to Health Platform pg. 14 As Rabbi Meisels writes, even from a single dose of 20,000 IU of vitamin A, the healing process from viral, bacterial, and infectious diseases can be accelerated. K2-A-D™ is a unique formulation for those who want to take their vitamin K2, D3, and vitamin A together.

Not only is it more convenient, but it offers the best delivery method for these 3 vitamins—in an easy to swallow one-piece gel capsule with organic extra virgin olive oil.

MAXI OMEGA-3 CONCENTRATE™ Related to Monthly Dose pg. 62 As this issue’s “Monthly Dose” reveals, the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are plenty, supporting the brain, the eyes, joints, mood, memory, and heart. In Maxi Omega-3 Concentrate™, you get all of these benefits in an enteric-coated gel cap. Enteric coating is a barrier applied to a capsule, protecting it from breaking down in the acidic environment of the stomach, but allowing it to break down rapidly in the alkaline environment of the small intestines. This means that more EPA/DHA gets absorbed into your system, by taking this supplement that has no fishy aftertaste and does not cause bad breath or gastrointestinal discomfort.

Ask for these products at your local health food store.

Shevat 5779 | The Wellspring 75

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.

Selection Guide

Golden Page By Yaakov Goodman

CANCER PREVENTION

S

Studies reveal that one in four Americans dies from cancer.

Despite clinical successes using the latest cancer treatment drugs, an estimated 1,735,350 cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States, and 609,640 people died from the disease in 2018 alone.

Factors that may put us at higher risk for cancer include: tobacco, sun exposure, radiation exposure, chemicals and other substances, some viruses and bacteria, certain hormones, family history of cancer, alcohol, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and being overweight.

When it comes to a dreaded diagnosis of cancer, there is much uncertainty, particularly around causes, treatments and their subsequent results; answers are often not forthcoming; and, in many cases, causes are simply unknown. However, for those who become proactive early on, doing their hishtadlus to remain healthy, a great deal can be accomplished.

Even conventional medicine now recognizes prevention as an essential element in today’s war on cancer. In cancer research, the concept of nutritional prevention is overwhelmingly positive. The Bethesda conference demonstrated that

absorb, Maxi Turmeric™ BCM-95® employs a novel manufacturing technology, using a patented curcumin formulation that is absorbed up to seven times better than conventional curcumin. Suggested preventive dosage is 500 milligrams daily, taken with food. A suggested dosage of this formula for adjuvant cancer therapy (additional treatment given after the primary treatment to prevent the cancer from returning) is double that.

Vitamin D Up to 80% of adults in the US have a vitamin D level under 30 ng/ml, remarkably lower than the optimal level of over 50 ng/ml.

As The New England Journal of Medicine clarifies, cancer results from the accumulation of mutations in genes that regulate cellular proliferation. In other words, cancer is essentially caused by the genetic mutations that occur over a person’s lifespan. The fascinating impact of vitamin D is that it protects against cancer by enabling us to regain control over the genes that regulate cell proliferation. Vitamin D affects at least 200 human genes. These genes are responsible for regulating crucially important aspects of cells: their proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis (a process that allows cells to self-destruct).

Even conventional medicine now recognizes prevention as an essential element in today’s war on cancer. research is moving far beyond the idea that eating fruits and vegetables helps prevent cancer to identifying which compounds in plant food are cancer-preventing agents. The research is now focusing on how and not whether nutritional compounds prevent cancer cell growth.

Curcumin is a particularly valuable nutrient, having been shown to target virtually all types of cancer. It disrupts the spread of cancer cells and contains powerful anti- inflammatory properties. Curcumin is especially useful in the prevention of prostate cancer, which is dependent on a certain hormone for its growth. Curcumin reduces expression of this hormone in the prostate, impairing the ability of the cancer cells to operate.

As curcumin is one of the most difficult herbs for the body to

76 The Wellspring | January 2019

In recent years, a multitude of studies have shown cancer risk reductions of 50% and more, based on higher vitamin D status. People with higher vitamin D levels have lower risks of lethal cancers. While blood testing is needed to determine the dosage appropriate for each individual, Maxi-Health recommends 2000 IU as the minimum dose to maintain optimal levels of 50-80 ng/ml.

Summary A considerable number of nutrients have been shown in published scientific studies to help reduce cancer risk. These nutrients function via multiple mechanisms to inhibit the development and progression of cancer.

For further information, or to purchase one of the cancer fighting supplements offered by Maxi Health, call our hotline at 718-645-2266.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.

Age Well

We know tomatoes

Field Fresh, Tuscan

The secret to authentic italian dishes, starts with the tomato.

Memos from a Kinesiologist By Miriam Schweid

Cure Delivered A cholestasis solution

At a family simchah several months ago, I indulged in some salads that, despite being lettuce-based, were probably undermining my weight loss efforts. While I was enjoying the toppings, an array of dried fruits, nuts, and crispy noodles, and dressings, whose ingredients I was blissfully unaware of, I caught a glimpse of my young niece Chavi standing nearby. She was holding a tall glass in her hands, intently sipping its green content. I was doubtful she had picked up that drink from the sugar-loaded Viennese table, but I was curious to taste it.

When I asked Chavi where I could get some of that drink, she confided that she had brought it along from home to avoid being tempted by any of the foods she would be served. I couldn’t help but look at her in amusement. She was expecting her second child, and her maternity dress hung loosely over her slender frame. Why was she so obsessed about her weight? Chavi told me she wasn’t. Rather, she was suffering from a severe itch that wouldn’t let up and didn’t let her sleep. Any food, the doctor told her, could be the culprit.

During Chavi’s first pregnancy, her itching had been unbearable. Her obstetrician prescribed an allergy medication that did not help at all. Her first baby, a boy, was born with an elevated bilirubin level. Since his jaundice could not be brought down quickly enough, he ended up staying in the hospital for an entire week. His bris and pidyon haben were celebrated on the same day.

This time, Chavi was using a different OB, who had more knowledge of cholestasis, a liver condition that occurs during pregnancy. Cholestasis, the doctor explained to Chavi, can

make the patient feel extremely uncomfortable, due to the constant itching it generates. However, its more worrisome effects are the potential complications it may cause for the mother and her baby. The causes of this condition are obstruction to the liver, pancreas, or bile ducts, as well as infections or metabolic disorders.

As such, Chavi decided to take scrupulous care of her diet.

She was eating only boiled chicken and drinking vegetable drinks. I wasn’t concerned only about the lack of nutrition for her and her baby, but also for Chavi’s mental and emotional state. When I advised her to add some variation to her diet, such as healthy grains, she was apprehensive. However, I explained to her that most liver problems come from undigested food or chemicals (even Motrin or Tylenol). I thus encouraged her, with her doctor’s approval, to take a daily dose of Livamax™, an incredible nutritional supplement that contains dandelion (for digestion) and milk thistle (to cleanse the liver).

After checking with her doctor, who carefully examined the ingredients, Chavi started taking the supplement. After two weeks, she experienced a dramatic improvement in the itching. Gradually, she added healthy grains to her diet. In her ninth month, she also supplemented with Jaundice Relief™ for a further cleansing of the liver and to protect against jaundice in the newborn. By the time Chavi was due to give birth, her itching days were a distant memory. On the week of her due date, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. This time, the baby had no signs of jaundice. I’m happy to report that, Baruch Hashem, Mom and baby are doing well. *Names and identifying details have been changed.

Miriam Schweid is a Brooklyn-based kinesiologist. She can be reached through The Wellspring.

78 The Wellspring | January 2019

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.

Inkwell

Farewell

Dictionary

Fascia Definition: noun

a thin sheath of fibrous tissue enclosing a muscle or other organ.

“

A NETWORK OF FASCIA CONNECTS THE ENTIRE BODY FROM THE TOP OF THE HEAD TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FEET. A SKILLED THERAPIST IS ABLE TO FEEL THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY BY HOLDING THE FASCIA. ANY KIND INTERRUPTION WITH THE BODY'S FLOW OF CEREBROSPINAL FLUID, WHICH WE CALL CRANIOSACRAL RHYTHM, INDICATES A PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL PROBLEM.

”

- DR. YEHUDA FRISCHMAN COVER FEATURE

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