Wellspring issue #4

Well of Youth: Teens, Brain-Boosting Tips To Help You Ace Your Exams

THE DAIRY DEBATE

Churning out the truth on cow’s milk

Cup of Tea with Dr. Melissa Klein

“I treat the root of the ailment, not its symptoms.”

But it’s still light outside!

Bedtime in Summertime: Making it happen

Kids’ p ullo sectio ut n page 2 7

just the gainNOT the pain

GOOD FOOD inside

How to prevent injury during exercise

issue 4 MAY 2016 iYAR 5776

issue 4 MAY 2016 IYAR 5776

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Editor’s Letter Dear Readers,

Editor In Chief Shiffy Friedman, CNWC

Everyone gets there, the question is how.

These were my introductory words to you in last month’s Pesach issue, written while I was still blissfully unaware of how aptly this phenomenon would apply to my very own erev Pesach. Indeed, I wasn’t where I thought I’d be in the days leading up to yom tov. Instead of standing at the tin-covered stove, happily stirring the oversized pot of chicken soup, I spent those hectic days in Shaarei Tzedek’s pediatric surgery ward with my eighteen-month-old baby (who is probably ripe and ready to be called toddler).

Nutritional Advisory Board Jack Friedman, PhD Moshe Weinberger Fitness Advisor LR Wilen, PFC Managing Editor Esty Cinner

For the sake of the precious children inhabiting this planet, this mother, who deems her parenting practices fairly reasonable, will confess to committing a negligent deed. While my older children were enjoying popcorn at the kitchen table one evening, their baby sister was having a party on the floor. All was nice and dandy before she broke into a violent coughing spell, trying desperately to catch her breath. The popcorn husk she choked on, however, was only removed twelve days later, from her left lung—in a full-blown procedure under general anesthesia.

Feature Editors Rochel Gordon Liba Solomon, CNWC

For twelve whole days from the choking episode, we were concerned about the wheezing sound accompanying the baby’s breath. However, the doctors kept shrugging it off, attributing her uncharacteristic bout of wheezing to the irritation caused to the lung from the violent coughing.

Food Editor Levia Joseph

“I don’t even need my stethoscope for this one,” the lung specialist finally confirmed our suspicions on the Monday before Pesach. Because the foreign body had been stuck in her lungs for so long a time, the ENT ordered a regimen of intravenous antibiotics before and after the procedure.

So that, in short, is my erev Pesach tale— of how everyone gets there, the question is how. By the skin of my teeth, that is how.

During those three days in the hospital, I had more than enough time to reflect upon the powerlessness of man, and also on the human desire for life. It was incredible to observe the multitude of Arab patients filling the halls of this Jewish-run hospital, obtaining excellent care from members of our loving nation. I was intrigued by their starkly clashing values: On the one hand, these are the people who idealize martyrdom—cutting a life short only to increase bloodshed. So why were they exploiting the kindness of the medical team in an effort to restore their quality of life? Even to a nation for whom life has no value, it seems, the human desire to live still prevails—until a misguided ideal manages to overwhelm it.

Vechai bahem—You shall live by them is the Torah’s command to the am segulah, the Chosen Nation. We are blessed to live by a code of laws that encourages living, encourages giving. May we merit to celebrate zman matan Toraseinu— the time of our receiving the Torah in good health and with happy hearts.

Shiffy Friedman

shiffy@wellspringmagazine.com

Well-Put!

Copy Editor Gila Zemmel

Creative Directors Miriam Bluming Rivky Schwartz Art Director Chavy Shwartz Digital Marketing Goldi Feldman Simcha Nunez Write To Us: 694 Myrtle Ave. Suite 389 Brooklyn, NY 11205 info@wellspringmagazine.com wellspringmagazine.com The Wellspring Magazine is published monthly by MaxiHealth Research LLC. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part or in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited. 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.

Full-fat or low-fat cream cheese in your Shavuos cheesecake this year? The research-based nutritious answer may not be what you think it is. Check out this issue’s feature on page 24 to learn more about the truth on dairy.

Production: www.mediaotg.com

Content

13

wellness platform

By Rabbi Hirsh Meisels

15

torah wellspring

By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

16

health tidbits in the news

By Liba Solomon, CNWC

18

figures

By Miriam Katz

59

welcome to the lab

By Judy Appel

Well Informed

20

Ask the Nutritionist Am I a Hopeless Case?

By Shani Taub, CDC

22

in good shape Preventing Injury During Exercise

By LR Wilen, PFC

24

cover feature: THE DAIRY DEBATE

By Rochel Gordon

42

healthy home habits Bedtime in Summertime

By Batsheva FIne

44

monthly dose Power in Powder

By Dina Mendlowitz

Living Well

22

63

food for thought

fare well

60 8 The Wellspring | May 2016

Teens’ Section

By Raizy Kleinman

27

Children’s Section

By Dina

33

Well of youth SEASONED: good and greek

By Levia Joseph

47

nutrition facts in a shell In Season: Cherries

By Devorah Isaacson

54

Eat Well clean slate

By Shiffy Friedman, CNWC

55

Health Personality Dr. Michelle Klein, DC, CNS

By Miri Davis

56

ME-time The Great Outdoors

By Batsheva Fine

60

Wellbeing diary

By Leah Gruber

62

inkwell

54

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Springboard

Letters to the Editor my family members are off gluten. In the scenario you presented, you mention that Perel went to see a clinical nutritionist. I was intrigued by the term. How is the work of Dr. Michelle Klein different from the work of a regular nutritionist who guides her clients to eat right?

E. Brody Monsey

A Thing of The Past How my husband’s heartburn finally disappeared [Issue #3: Potato Starch All Year] Dear Editor: I was excited to read about Dr. Klein in your Pesach issue. For years, my husband used to be in agony with his heartburn. He downed packs of Tums and zantac, desperate to quiet the storm in his chest. Our Shabbosim were often disturbed by his uneasiness and pain. A friend of mine suggested that we go see Dr. Klein and hear what she has to say about his issue. Incredibly, she got to the bottom of it. She was able to tell my husband which foods to stay away from and which ones were good for him. He’s a new person now.

Thanks for bringing her work to your readers’ attention!

Sara D. Flatbush

What’s the Difference?

Intrigued by clinical nutrition [Issue #3: Potato Starch All Year] Dear Editor: I read the article on celiac disease with much interest because several of

10 The Wellspring | May 2016

Editor’s Note: Please read this issue’s Cup of Tea to learn more about Dr. Michelle Klein’s work and how it differs from that of a regular nutritionist.

My Celiac Tale A reader cautions about nutrition deficiency [Issue #3: Potato Starch All Year] Dear Editor: Your magazine is a breath of fresh air for me and my family. It offers lots of solid information on various health topics pertaining to the community and is very much appreciated. I read your gluten sensitivity feature with much interest as I was diagnosed with celiac disease almost a decade ago. As Tilly Steiner writes in the article, it often takes a while until a diagnosis is given. I was in pain for years before we finally came to the bottom of this.

My symptoms appeared after I went through a stressful period with a child who was unwell and until my diagnosis I felt awful. Finally, when the GI gave me my diagnosis and instructed me to go on a restriction diet, I was thrilled to follow his advice. Once I went off gluten completely (in those days it was much harder!) I started feeling human again. The cramps and discomfort disappeared.

However, after being on a gluten free diet for about a month, I started feeling incredibly weak. I literally couldn’t pull myself out of bed in the morning,

and I was also constipated. This time, we were at a loss. What more could I do to feel better? I discussed my issue with a friend, who suggested that I see a nutritionist. The nutritionist ordered a set of blood tests and the results that came in were astounding. My vitamin and iron levels were abnormally low! Because I went off all gluten, I ended up depriving my body of many important nutrients, as well as fiber.

The nutritionist recommended that I start taking multivitamins, iron, and fiber supplements immediately. Within the month, I was feeling amazing. Until today, thanks to my supplements and gluten-free diet, I’m as energetic and healthy as I was in my teens.

I want to make your readers aware about the importance of supplementing a gluten-free diet (or any diet) with the nutrients our bodies really need to function properly. If only I’d read a letter like this back then, I’d save myself the anxiety and discomfort.

With much appreciation, D. Singer Montreal, Canada

My Classmate’s Story Allergies can be a serious danger [Issue #1: A Life of No Food] To the Editor: I’d like to commend you on a job well done with this highly important health magazine. I came across the first edition while cleaning my house for Pesach and sat down to read the article about allergies after midnight. The topic of allergies is close to my heart because I will never forget when, over a decade ago, a classmate of mine had an allergic reaction to milk at school.

At first, it looked as if she wouldn’t survive but she ended up coming through, with a miracle. I just want to point out, like Hindy Bertram did,

that allergies can be very serious. If a mother or child tells you that the child is allergic to something, never wave it away.Your sensitivity can save lives.

Keep up your great work!

Alana G. Woodmere

It Works!

Review on the natural relaxant [Issue #2: Keep Calm and Carry On]

offers such quality information on various topics. We discussed it on Pesach and it was fun to hear how everyone enjoyed a different column. The first article I turn to is “Ask the Nutritionist” because I’ve been eating healthy for several years now and I like to read what Shani Taub has to say on the topics that mean a lot to me. Please let her know that I followed her advice and got dressed at every single yom tov meal. It made such a difference! Besides for feeling better about myself, it served as a constant reminder to remain in control.

To The Wellspring: I’m enjoying your magazine very much!

I just wanted to let you know that I was in desperate need of some kind of natural relaxant before Pesach.With a large family to tend to, plus couples coming in from overseas, it was exactly what I needed. Otherwise, I knew I’d be tossing and turning in bed all night. I read about Relax to the Max and sent my daughter out to get me a bottle. It really worked! I sat at the Seder with wide open eyes, enjoying my nachas and the peaceful atmosphere.

Many thanks for sharing this vital information with the public.

Much hatzlachah, Gitty B.

My Thanks to Shani Dressed in her best [Issue #3: Can Calories Tell Time?]

Dear Editor: As a health fan, I’ve been hooked to your magazine since the first issue. It

Thanks so much!

F.T.

Concerned Mother What’s the deal with eggs?

[Issue #3: Just Wondering] Dear Editor at The Wellspring, I’m one of those women who don’t only enjoy the adult magazine, but like to skim through the kids’ pages as well, and I find the information to be very enlightening. My young daughters do too, which is why I was concerned about the advice regarding limiting egg consumption. I wasn’t clear about what you were advising the children, and I want to make sure I have it right.

Please advise.

Thanks, Pearl D. Cleveland

Happy Reader Discovered new uses for vitamins [Issue #2: Well-Informed, Teen Talk, Peace At Last] Dear Editor: As a busy mother of a large brood, ka”h, I just want to let you know how much I’m enjoying the articles in The Wellspring. I picked up a copy in my local health food store and found the content to be very informative and illuminating. It was especially interesting for me to see the many varied uses vitamins have. I always used them as immunity boosters for the kids during the winter, but I never realized that there’s such a variety out there—for relaxation, skin, sleep issues, etc. I look forward to trying out some of the ones you featured.

Thanks so much, Leah Rubin

invites readers to submit letters and comments via regular mail or email to info@wellspringmagazine.com. Please include your name, address and phone number. 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.

The writer did not discourage egg consumption, only to limit the daily amount.

However, we apologize for the the ambiguous advice.

Rabbi Hirsch Meisels, renowned health expert and The Wellspring columnist, responds: For many years, people used to follow the belief that egg consumption was hazardous to children because of its cholesterol content. Today, however, even the USDA in their recent updated guidelines removed the limit on cholesterol.

A child needs an abundance of cholesterol to help build his growing body and, even more importantly, his developing brain. If we will limit our children’s cholesterol, we will raise a generation of simple children (and adults).

That’s why I believe that the first food introduced to a baby should be egg yolks (the whites can be thrown away).

The next issue of The Wellspring will appear iy”H on June 22nd.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 11

WHEN LIFE HANGS

IN THE BALANCE MEdIcAL ProFESSIoNALS MAkE oNE cALL

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A d u lt i n t e n s i v e c A r e A i r m e d i c A l t r A n s p o r t s F u l ly c o o r d i n At e d b e d s i d e t o b e d s i d e , 2 4 / 7 s p e c i A l i z i n g i n c o m p l e x n e o n AtA l A n d p e d i At r i c c A s e s expert elAl Airborne icu H i g H ly s u c c e s s F u l i n s u r A n c e A d v o c A c y t e A m

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Well Informed

Wellness Platform By Rabbi Hirsh Meisels

Is Your Body Lacking the Basics?

N

Now that we’ve established the importance of vitamin nutrition as a means of preventing illness, I would like to offer a suggestion to ensure that your body benefits most from your decision. The first important step in vitamin nutrition is to start off with a solid foundation, namely a quality multivitamin supplement.

A potent multivitamin is generally composed of 20 to 30 ingredients.

It’s true that the supplement doesn’t provide a large amount of any nutrient, but when ingesting this capsule or tablet, you know that you’re giving your body at least a little bit of what it needs to function at its optimal level.

Then, according to the specific needs of your body, you can supplement with other vitamins or nutrients.

It’s interesting to note that even a multivitamin supplement, which is fairly general, is not always a onesize-fits-all solution. For instance, Maxi Health produces various multivitamin supplements: one for men; one for women, which contains a higher dose of iron; one for the elderly population; and, of course, one for children.

The logic behind starting off with a foundation of a multivitamin is to first ensure that your body isn’t desperately lacking the primary critical nutrients. For this reason, regardless of which vitamin protocol you choose to follow, you should always start off with a quality multivitamin. In this column, I will familiarize you with the various ingredients the multivitamin contains so you’ll be aware of what this wonderful supplement provides for your body.

In most columns focusing on vita-

min nutrition, the writers delve into a condition and then discuss which vitamin could work to ameliorate or heal it. I feel, however, that by detailing the benefits of every vitamin individually, every reader has the opportunity to cull information that may pertain to him or her currently, or at

He told me that his blood test results revealed damage in his kidneys and that the doctors were unable to detect where the issue stemmed from. a later date.

Indeed, in a series I ran several years ago on this vital topic, I had the zechus of helping another Jew, when I only vaguely touched upon the idea that certain vitamins may heal damaged kidneys. I hadn’t even specified the vitamin by name, but soon after that lecture I got a phone call from a middle-aged man, who told me that his blood test results revealed

damage in his kidneys and that the doctors were unable to detect where the issue stemmed from. Of course, I immediately advised him which vitamin to take, adding that I wasn’t promising any results, and discussed the various studies I’ve researched on this topic.

Two months after our phone conversation, I received a letter from this man. He wanted to share the wonderful news with me that, incredibly, the most recent blood tests revealed that his kidneys were now 100 percent healthy.

If I have the opportunity to help other Jews heal from illness, to give them more energy and clarity of mind, to offer information that they won’t receive at the doctor’s office, how can I withhold it from the klal?

Elokim bara es ha’adam yashar, Hashem created each and every human being to perfection, veheima bikshu cheshbonos rabbos, and some people will just continue making cheshbonos.

“And you also believe in vitamins? How can you?” When you realize the power that these G-d-given nutrients contain, you’ll understand why they’re so beneficial to your health and wellbeing.

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.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 13

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Well Informed

Torah Wellspring By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

Your Physical Health Takes Precedence

The extent of the Torah’s obligation to guard your health The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 216) cites a list of practices people should refrain from in order to guard their health. For instance, one shouldn’t drink water that was left uncovered overnight, consume meat with fish, put coins into his mouth, or consume a food that contains human sweat.

The Rema notes an incredible conclusion based on the mechaber’s instruction: Just as it’s prohibited to do any of the above, due to the inherent danger to the body, a person should be especially wary not to commit any practice that might endanger his health. The Rema appends a powerful caution to his ruling: “Chamura sakanta mei’isura, because something which is dangerous is treated with more severity than something that is forbidden.”

For this reason, if a person considers doing a deed that may lead to his transgressing a prohibition, such as going to a place that will cause him to transgress a Rabbinic prohibition, the rule is if we are in doubt that there is a prohibition, we rule leniently , and he’s allowed to do that action. However, if the that action might cause harm to his body, our Sages tell us that it’s prohibited. How vigilant we must then be to ensure that we don’t do anything that might cause us physical harm!

this,” Chazal tell us you’re still obligated to assist him.

What happens if a person decides to take matters into his own hands and reject an offer for help? And what’s the general case for someone who neglects his health, thinking it either trivial or too bothersome? The Rambam states (Hilchos Rotzeiach 11:7), “Whoever says, ‘It’s my body and I’m prepared to put myself in danger,’ will be punished by Beis Din with lashes instituted by the Rabbis.” This shows the extent to which the Torah is concerned about every Jew’s health!

You can’t be the one to say, “I’m not concerned.” According to the Torah, you have an obligation to tend to your needs notwithstanding how you feel about it.

Not only must a Jew extract himself from any form of physical danger, even on Shabbos, but he is also prohibited from entering a situation of potential danger.

We see this principle in countless sources throughout the Torah. Shabbos observance, for example, is one of the foundations of Judaism. When a person violates any of the laws of Shabbos, he receives the harshest of the four punishments given by Beis Din—sekillah, death by stoning. Furthermore, if a person transgresses a Shabbos prohibition, it’s as if he violated the entire Torah, rendering him in the category of a non-Jew! We’re no longer allowed to drink from his wine, consider him as a witness in Beis Din, etc. Despite the severity of a Shabbos prohibition, and the terrible consequences of violating its sacred laws, our Sages teach us that when a Jew is in danger, we’re not only permitted to save him, but we’re commanded to do so! “A life-threatening situation overrides the laws of Shabbos”—no matter who the Jew is.

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 12) lists ten characteristics that make a city inhabitable. If the city is lacking one of these ten, a person is not allowed to live there.

One of the ten conditions is the presence of a doctor. The Yad Rema asks, “What’s the reason for this?” He answers that if a person would contract an illness while living there, he has no resource to cure, and is thus putting himself into a situation of danger. Not only must a Jew extract himself from any form of physical danger, even on Shabbos, but he is also prohibited from entering a situation of potential danger.

We find an interesting consequence that befalls a person who is negligent in maintaining or restoring his health. This may be the reason you want to give your health-related choices some thought!

The Pele Yoetz teaches that a sick person is obligated to do everything in his power to restore his health. He should eat and drink any of the foods, such as meat and wine, that could make him better. It is his obligation to do so in this situation.

The Pele Yoetz further warns, citing a frightening Gemara: “For a person who isn’t careful with his health, in heaven, they won’t be careful with his livelihood.” Hashem says, “If he doesn’t care about himself, why should I?” For this reason alone, it’s worth it to invest in our health!

So crucial is the commandment of maintaining and restorSo much so, that even if you arrive at the scene intending ing our health that we’re obligated to do everything in our to help your fellow Jew and he rejects your offer, saying, “I power to make it happen, even at the seeming expense of the don’t want you to transgress the law for me. Please don’t do greatest of commandments.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 15

Well Informed

Health Tidbits in the News By Liba Solomon, CNWC

Power up with beet juice!

A new study on how beets work magic for your muscles According to a recent study on the power of beet juice that appeared in Circulation: Heart Failure, you might want to beet your way to the juicer when you feel your muscles need a boost.

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis measured the changes in muscle strength after consuming beet juice among nine subjects who had suffered heart failure. Because such people have reduced strength, it’s easier to measure the improvement in their muscles. After consuming 140 milliliters of concentrated beet juice, the muscle power of the participants in the test increased almost instantly by an average of 13 percent.

According to the study coauthor, Andrew Coggan, that’s a dramatic boost, on par with the kind of improvement a person can expect after two or three months of resistance training.

Of course, beets can empower healthy people, as well.

In two other studies Coggan and coauthor Linda Peterson conducted, all subjects experienced marked improvement in muscle power after drinking beet juice within an hour and a half to two hours after ingestion. Time to get the juicer out—and some gloves!

Golden Page Updates for the rich in years Curcumin : The Miracle Solution for Inflammation

When the joints, bones, or muscles are inflamed, it’s hard to enjoy the beauties of daily living. Plus, chronic inflammation contributes to many leading causes of death in the United States, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney disease, and chronic lower respiratory disease.

Newly published data about curcumin, the active component of the spice turmeric, which has studies in over 7,000 published scientific articles, continues to astonish scientists, physicians, and the public. It is known to modulate several important pathways, including the ones involved in inflammatory processes.

In a European study published in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 40 patients were given a supplement that included a high dose of curcumin for 20 days, 10 patients received it for 10 days, and 30 patients for 60 days.The product proved to be very effective, especially for those patients who received the supplement over a longer period.

Every capsule of Maxi Anti-Flame™ contains 500 mg of curcumin, plus other crucial nutrients that have a proven record of reducing inflammation, such as boswellia, especially that related to aging bones and muscles; bromelain, which reduces swelling and inflammation; and MSM, which supports joint health, range of motion, and reduces the inflammation of aging joints.

16 The Wellspring | May 2016

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

Ounce of Well Vitamin D: An antidote for childhood asthma and allergies New research shows that every mother can play a role in reducing her child’s risks of asthma and allergies—by taking vitamin D. In a trial of 260 pregnant women, researchers from Aukland University, New Zealand, randomly assigned participants to receive either low or high dose vitamin D drops or a placebo. The baby born to each mother continued to receive the same treatment, until six months of age. At 18 months old, each baby’s blood was tested to measure the amount of antibodies to allergens that it contained. The proportion of babies sensitized to allergens such as dust was significantly lower among those who had been given vitamin D than among those who had been given the placebo.

The researchers of the study, which was recently published in the international journal Allergy, also found, by examining the records of the children’s visits to their family doctors, that the vitamin D supplementation reduced the number of primary care visits made by these children due to asthma.

Dr. Cameron Grant, one of the researchers, says, “This is the first study to show that correcting poor vitamin D status during pregnancy and infancy might prevent childhood asthma.”

Bring on the Blueberries Food for your child’s brain A recent study published in the European Journal of Nutrition will give you another reason to fill your kids’ snack box with blueberries. Researchers at the University of Reading in the UK found that a drink with a high dose of blueberry significantly improved the cognitive ability of primary school children.

Lead researcher Claire Williams says, “We have known for some time that flavonoids promote healthy brain function in adults. However, this is the first, fully-controlled research study to examine the effects of flavonoids on cognitive behavior in children.”

The study included 21 children ages 7 to 10, who were given cognitive tests including word memory and activity memory tests. Some tests were conducted with distracting stimuli to test concentration levels, which also increased among the subjects who consumed the blueberry cocktail.

So how do blueberries sound for a pre-exam trick to academic success? Definitely worth a try!

To err is human— but sometimes fatal Study reveals that medical errors are a hidden killer Medical errors may be the third leading cause of death in the United States, a new study shows.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed eight years of US data and concluded that more than 250,000 people died each year due to medical errors. Because the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t classify medical errors separately on death certificates, the researchers found it challenging to gather their statistics.They examined four separate studies that analyzed medical death rate data from 2000 to 2008, including two that used data from federal agencies.Then, using hospital admission rates from 2013, the investigators extrapolated information and, based on a total of over 35 million hospitalizations, found that more than 251,000 deaths stemmed from a medical error.That translates to 9.5 percent of all deaths each year.

Dr. Martin Makary, a professor of surgery at Hopkins, says that he hopes these findings will ensure that prevention of medical errors gets the funding and attention it deserves.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 17

Well Informed

Figures By Miriam Katz

Numbers on all things milk

$3.82

163 billion pounds of milk produced in the US in 1999

billion pounds of milk produced in the US in 2015

725+

million

the number of milk cows in the US in 2006

208

9.14

million

the average price of milk in US retail stores in 2014

metric tons of milk produced worldwide in 2010

9.31

million

18  The Wellspring | May 2016

the number of milk cows in the US in 2015

of all Ashkenazic Jews are lactose intolerant

the average amount of time it takes for the effects of lactose intolerance to take effect after lactose consumption

40%

40

million total number of Americans who are lactose intolerant

(Sources: National Digestive Diseases Information, USDA, Food and Agricultural Organization)

75%

30 minutes

percentage of people who are able to digest lactose after childhood lactose intolerance

amount of cheese consumed in Israel, per capita per year

pounds

amount of cheese consumed in Greece, per capita per year

pounds

amount of cheese consumed in the US, per capita per year

mg

305

pounds

36.1 68.5 32.6

amount of calcium in a cup of milk

May 2016 | The Wellspring  19

Living Well

Ask the Nutritionist By Shani Taub, CDC

Am I a Hopeless Case?

Giving Up or Trudging On

Q

Weight loss is a major issue for me. I know that I must lose about twenty pounds to be in a healthy weight range, but somehow it never happens. No matter how many times I’ve tried, I keep falling back again and again. I can’t begin to count how many “day ones” I’ve been through in my life. Every time I start, experimenting with this diet or the other, I hope that this will be the time I’ll finally make it. However, before I know it, I lose it all over again. Also, most people in my family aren’t in the healthy weight range. Most of us are built broad, so can it just be a genetic issue that we can’t help? Can it be that I’m just a hopeless case?

Feels like giving up

Shani answers:

A

You ask if you’re a hopeless case, and my answer to you is a resounding “no.” There is no such thing as a hopeless case.

Is it a battle? Yes. Is it a difficult battle? Maybe. But if you have a customized plan that works for you, you can surely do it. I think you’ll be relieved to hear that regardless of where you stand right now and the countless times you’ve fallen through in the past, you can actually achieve, and maintain, a healthy weight. Let me share some tips with you as to how to finally make it to victory.

Weight is a forever battle. The same way you have to maintain your house every single day if you want it to look a certain way, you have to take constant stock of what you’re feeding your body. My belief is that if you really want

The Wellspring | May 2016 20

something, you can attain it. And even if you fall through, that’s still not a reason to give up.

Let’s take an example from parenting. My job is to be a good mother. If I’m working on my patience and one of my children stretches me to the limits and I lose my cool, do I say, “That’s it. I’ll never be a good mother,”? Do I proclaim defeat just because I lost it, or is being a good mother more important to me? I choose to tell myself that I’ll try harder next time.

For an overweight person, losing weight is a must. Besides for the social and emotional issues obesity may cause, it’s physically unhealthy for a person to carry around excess weight. So although the battle may be tough, especially at first when the weight loss isn’t yet noticeable, it is something you must do. So even when you slip up, if you tell yourself,

It may be easier for others to wage this battle, but the harder you work toward something, the better you feel when you finally win.

“I’ll try harder next time,” and not fall into the trap of giving up altogether, you will definitely achieve your goals. The results of acting with self-control are astounding. You wake up the next morning feeling so proud of yourself.

You say that several people in your family are at an unhealthy weight. I’d like to address this point because many of my clients ask me about this. Like you, they wonder if perhaps they’re destined to be overweight because of an unchangeable aspect in their genes. My take on this is that in most cases it’s a matter of nurture, not nature. A mother once brought her daughter to me and asked me if I thought her daughter was fat or broad. I told her that when a person loses ten pounds, their frame automatically appears smaller. When I was overweight, I looked like I’d make a good football player. Now, I’m the small-boned person I always was beneath the layers of fat. After a person loses a substantial amount of weight, their entire frame appears different.

So why is it that many members of your family seem to be broad? The environment plays a massive role in this. I do believe that some people have a faster metabolism than others, but everyone can still reach their ultimate goal.

If you eat vegetables and healthy snacks, if food is not a central issue in your life, chances are you’ll be attracted to healthier choices. In families that are overweight, the causes often have a lot to do with the cooking, the foods available, and/or an unhealthy relationship to food, as opposed to a genetic issue.

It’s true that for some people weight loss is a smoother journey. Depending on how many pounds they need to lose, how their metabolism operates, how active they are, etc., they may have it easier than you do. But that’s the case with everything in life. For some people, it’s easier to control the

Treat Yourself

What happens to all the treats you’ve always indulged in when you decide to stick to a plan? Just like you’re able to let your house run on its own for a day or two without picking up the broom or mop, you can go off your plan for a day or two. However, if you don’t shape up, it’ll catch up with you. Technically, you can go all out and indulge in your favorite foods for a short period of time and still maintain a healthy weight. However, overeating makes a person feel sluggish. It drains you of your energy and deprives you of the incredible feeling of being in control. For this reason, I would advise you that instead of bingeing once you’re on the plan, treat yourself once every day. I tell everyone on my program that they’re not allowed to be hungry, but they’re also not allowed to be too full. When you’re just content and satisfied, you feel that you’re in control.

Been There, Done That

Often, clients will tell me, “Last time I was able to do it.

Why can’t I do it again?” Some of them have lost thirty, forty, even fifty pounds and then gained them back, and they wonder, almost in defeat, if they can ever lose weight again. To them, I say, “You can do it! You’ve already proven it to yourself!” The first time a person climbs a tall mountain, he has doubts in the back of his mind whether or not he’ll make it to the top. But if someone’s already reached the top, there’s his answer that yes, he can do it. Nobody is doomed for failure.

Everyone can succeed, and every day is a new chance. desire to speak lashon hara. Does that mean that for those who relish gossip there’s no way to avoid it? That’s their challenge. Take every day at a time and don’t look at your weight loss journey as a long chunk of months or years. It may be easier for others to wage this battle, but the harder you work toward something, the better you feel when you finally win.

Please send your questions to the nutritionist to nutrition@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.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 21

Living Well

In Good Shape By LR Wilen, PFC

Just the Gain—Not the Pain How to prevent injury during exercise Picking a workout that works for you is a great start, but if you are not careful, any wrong move can be detrimental.

Here are some tips that will help you recognize the essential aspects of injury prevention and healthy pain identification to ensure that you get only the benefits of exercise.

Warm Up First, the most important thing is warming up before you start. A good warm up consists of cardiovascular exercises that use most of your body parts. Keep in motion for 5-10 minutes. A typical warm up may include jogging in place, jumping jacks, and arm circles. At the end of the warm up, you should feel a bit more energized and ready for your workout. Warm ups are essential for preventing numerous injuries such as pulled muscles, torn ligaments, and swollen joints. One of the goals of a warm up is to raise your core body temperature. Our bodies are more flexible after our heart rate is raised and our blood flow has increased.

Stretch Try to stretch the muscles you’ll be using during the workout—boxers don’t use the same muscles as bicyclists! Unique stretches can be done for each specific body part. Make sure to do both static and dynamic stretches, which will help increase your range of motion. Stretching lengthens the muscles and preps your body for that intense workout. You may opt to stretch after you work out. If you do so, make sure to thoroughly engage all of the muscles that have been worked out.

The Wellspring | May 2016 22

Proper Form It is vital to maintain correct form over the duration of your workout. If you are unsure how to do a specific exercise, ask a personal trainer or an experienced fitness coach. Improper performance can easily lead to injury, such as back pain or neck strain. Unfortunately, these types of aggravation are very common.

Don’t Sweat the Soreness Certain kinds of post-exercise pains are normal and should be expected. What we commonly call “charley horse” is a condition called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. DOMS often results from using muscles that are not frequently used. DOMS also occurs after exercising in a more intense way than your body is used to, whether that means increasing your weights, or going for your first long run after the cold winter.

If you keep exercising the muscles at the same level of intensity, the soreness will ease up.

This pain can be quite severe at times, but there’s no need to worry. To alleviate the discomfort, you can take an over-the-counter painkiller, a hot shower, and do some gentle stretches. There is no cure for charley horse; time is the only healer of muscle soreness.

Too sharp is no good While DOMS is normal and healthy, watch out for acute pain. A sharp, intense pain during a workout is a good sign to stop what you’re doing and take it easy. Pay close attention and listen to your body to avoid serious or long-term damage. If the pain continues after you stop exercising, seek professional medical advice.

Take it easy “I worked out and I’m not sore. I must have not worked out hard enough.” Rookie mistake!

Your lack of soreness does not mean you didn’t exercise properly. Your level of pain is not a good way to gauge the quality of a workout. Every body is different and everyone will have a slightly different response to an exercise routine. As long as you’re doing the right thing, you’ll get the right results.

A fitness coach and personal trainer with a degree in business for health professionals, LR Wilen combines her passion for physical fitness and her love of people in her business, “Live Right with LR.” She provides personal fitness training and help to individuals striving for higher levels of fitness and health. LR works with individuals in private one-on-one settings, as well as in classes throughout Brooklyn, including classes for organizations such as Menucha. LR can be reached through The Wellspring.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 23

Living Well

  The Wellspring | May 2016 24

Cover Feature By Rochel Gordon

The Dairy Debate Churning out the truth on cow’s milk With Shavous approaching, dairy is the hot topic for homemakers. In the health research field, it’s a burning issue, as well. Researchers and health-minded people want to know: Is milk really what it promises to be? The innocent (or not!) cup of milk has been the focus of thousands of scientific studies and arguments for decades now as researchers attempt to determine whether or not it provides what it promises.

Y

ou surely remember the stern-faced teacher who made you down an entire glass of milk at school.

Milk, we were raised to believe, is a potent source of all things magic, like white teeth and robust bones. This belief is not a novel one. In fact, it is even documented in medical journals and books from the early 1800’s.

In 1905, Dr. Charles Sanford Porter published a book called Milk Diet as a Remedy for Chronic Disease. In the book, he relates how at least 18,000 patients had been on the raw milk diet under his care for 37 years. He had them follow a solid, scientifically proven method for healing mild to severe disorders. In 1929, one of the founders of the Mayo Foundation, Dr. J.E. Crew, reported that he had been successfully using the raw milk treatment for the last 15 years. He said, “The results obtained in various types of disease have been so uniformly excellent that one’s conception of disease and its alleviation is necessarily changed. When sick people are limited to a diet containing an excess of vitamins and all the elements necessary to growth and maintenance, they recover rapidly without the use of drugs and without bringing to bear all the complicated weapons of modern medicine.”

Incredibly, many people around the globe follow Dr. Porter’s Raw Milk Cure, as it is known today. In order to see results, its supporters claim, followers must adhere to certain important guidelines. For instance, one may use only raw, untreated milk from pasture-fed cows only—they believe that milk has the highest curative value in spring and early summer when cows are eating new, grass rich in vitamins. One may not use milk from grain-fed or barn-bound cows. Also, milk with a high-fat content is ideal. Followers are told to use full-fat milk only (not 2% or skim). The average adult must consume at least 3 - 4 quarts of raw milk per day. Followers can consume up to 10 quarts per day, if they wish. At 4 cups per quart, I give credit to anyone who did this for a day! The minimum duration to see good results from the raw milk diet is four weeks. After what must be an intensely difficult period, the raw milk dieters then follow with gradual food introduction of easily digested foods.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 25

Living Well

Cover Feature

Ready to hear the fun part of this diet? You must have complete rest during the diet— do not work, take care of family, or even go to school!

And do not consume any other foods or beverages while on the diet, except filtered or spring water. Still with me? It’s hard to imagine how anyone could go past day one of this diet, unless the rest part is too enticing, but you’ll be surprised to learn that Dr. Ron Schmid, in his book The Untold Story of Milk, relates numerous stories of people who lived in perfect health for up to 50 years on raw milk alone. Here’s a letter he quotes from a man in Burlington, Iowa, in 1913: “I have lived on a strictly milk diet for the past forty-two years, not as a matter of choice, but from the fact that I am unable to take solid food of any kind, even a crumb of bread. At the age of two I took a dose of concentrated lye, which caused a stricture of the food pipe and since then have lived on a milk diet. I believe I have gotten along better than the man who eats. I am five feet six inches tall, weigh one hundred and forty pounds, and am married and have four strong, healthy children.

I take one quart at each mealtime and none between meals. My health is good; in fact I have never been ill in forty-two years.” (The Untold Story of Milk, p. 75) Until today, many researchers and doctors believe that milk contains healing powers. On the other hand, according to the Dairy Education Board, “Milk is a deadly poison.”

Their belief follows the common argument that humans are the only species that consume milk from another animal. So what’s the truth about dairy?

Ditto for Dairy A single cup of milk contains over 300 mg of calcium, 24% of the RDA

(recommended daily amount) of Vitamin D, 26% of the RDA of Riboflavin, 18% of the RDA of Vitamin B12, plus potassium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamins B1 and B6, selenium, zinc, and magnesium. And it contains 8 grams of high quality animal protein!

For people who are able to tolerate lactose, cow’s milk is actually a nutritious choice. Of course,

This is the kind of protein that provides your body with a steady supply of smaller amounts of protein for a longer period of time—like between meals or while you sleep. the precise nutrient composition of your slice of cheese depends on what the cow consumed and how it was raised, especially pertaining to the fatty components, which are bioactive and can have powerful effects on your health.

In fact, milk is one of the best muscle foods on the planet. The protein in milk is about 20 percent

whey and 80 percent casein. Both are high quality proteins, but whey is known as a “fast protein” because it’s quickly broken down into amino acids and absorbed into the bloodstream. Casein, on the other hand, is digested more slowly. This is the kind of protein that provides your body with a steady supply of smaller amounts of protein for a longer period of time—like between meals or while you sleep. Since milk provides both, one glass gives your body an ideal combination of muscle-building fuel.

Dairy that is produced from grassfed cows is obviously the most nutrition-laden choice. It’s high in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as in vitamin K2, a nutrient that’s incredibly important for regulating calcium metabolism.

And, of course, dairy is the best source of calcium, the main mineral in bones. For this reason, most mainstream health organizations recommend that people consume two to three servings of dairy per day to ensure healthy bones. A study published in The Journal of Pediatrics reports that adolescent subjects whose diet was supplemented with dairy products for twelve months had higher intakes of calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein than the control subjects, whose diets were unchanged.

Skim or Whole?

If you’re asked to choose between full-fat and low-fat, you’d probably think the way to go is low-fat, right? That seems like the sensible choice—but not if you consider the research. Despite being high in calories, consumption of full-fat dairy is actually linked to a reduced risk of obesity!

In a 2013 review published in the European Journal of Nutrition that analyzed 16 studies, 11 revealed that, incredibly, full-fat dairy, not continued on page 39

The Wellspring | May 2016 26

ut o l l u P n! o i t c e this s Dear Readers,

of Y uth the health magazine for youngsters

You might not think that studying is the funniest task out there, but research shows that if you laugh your way through your studies, you will boost your brain’s ability to retain material, giving you a greater chance at success. Thanks to laughter, which increases your cognitive ability, you’ll remember the material better. I can’t promise you won’t have to suppress a laugh as you work your way through the exam and come across the question that had you giggle at home!

In this issue’s feature, Brain Booster, you’ll pick up some excellent tips on how to maximize your brain’s potential to do well. Whether you choose to study on your own or with friends, try to give this season your all. Before you know it, you’ll be whisked away from your desk to the magical territory of grass and sunshine.

You may even miss the days your brain was hard at work. There’s nothing like reaping the results of your smart choices.

Wishing you a fun, successful final season,

Raizy

Kids

Teens

33 Just Wonderi ng

ter

28 Feature: Brain Boos

30 Teen Talk: Dalya’s Exam Pre

34 Body Language

32

p

Serial Diary issue 4 MAY 2016 IYAR 5776

36

Activities

37 Science Experiment Brought to you by:

Well of Youth

Teen Feature By Raizy Kleinman

BRAIN BOOSTER

The Black and White on Your Gray Matter In the weeks before school comes to an end, your brain, which is known as “gray matter” is hard at work. What’s going on inside the brain of a teen on study night?

Gray matter is made up of the cell bodies of neurons, the nerve fibers that project from them, and support cells. Just so you get an idea of how complex your brain is: One millimeter on each side of your brain can contain between 35 and 70 million neurons and an estimated 500 billion synapses!

As you’re poring over your notes, there’s lots of activity going on in your brain. The synapses are triggered at every moment, making communication possible between the five parts of your brain. The parts work together like an orchestra, with each playing its role to ensure that the process you’re working on gets done. When you’re thinking hard over a math problem, you’re using your cerebrum, which makes up 85% of your brain’s weight. Your memory also lives in the cerebrum, so that’s the part you trigger when trying to memorize the list of presidents for American History class.

Still Under Construction Did you know that during adolescence your brain is not yet fully developed? A clue to the degree of change taking place in the teen brain came from studies in which scientists did brain scans of children as they grew from early childhood through age 20. The scans revealed unexpectedly late changes in the volume of gray matter, which forms the thin, folding outer layer or cortex of the brain. The cortex is where the processes of thought and memory are based. Over the course of childhood, the volume of gray matter in the cortex increases and then declines. A decline in volume is normal at this age and is in fact a necessary part of maturation.

The scans suggest that different parts of the cortex mature at different rates. Areas involved in more basic functions mature first: those involved, for example, in the processing of information from the senses, and in controlling movement. The parts of the brain responsible for more “top-down” control, controlling impulses, and planning ahead—the hallmarks of adult behavior—are among the last to mature.

So how do these findings make you any smarter? One interpretation of all these findings is that in teens, the parts of the brain involved in emotional responses may be fully developed, or even more active than in adults. However, the parts of The Wellspring | May 2016 28

the brain involved in keeping emotional, impulsive responses in check are still reaching maturity. Such a changing balance might provide clues to a youthful appetite for novelty, and a tendency to act on impulse—without regard for risk. For this reason, if you’re part of the teen population, you may decide to take on activities other than studying even the evening before an exam, which may seem like an inviting idea right then, but doesn’t do much good when the grades roll in. Although as a teen, you have the ability to truly excel, other factors may lead you to slack off and not maximize your full potential.

Mind-Blowing Tricks to Help You Ace Your Exams How does the evening before your hardest exam look? Are you on the phone, desperately trying to forget that there’s stuff to do, and feeling that there’s no way you’ll make it to bed before sunrise?

Or are you locked into your room, reviewing your notes and study guides, planning to hit your pillow soon and arise for a nice, nutritious breakfast? The choices you make during this time, research shows, will significantly impact the results you will see.

You surely want to do your best this exam season. Before you know it, you’re off to the luscious rolling hills, singing and dancing in the brilliant sun.

Why not give it your all and show what your brain can really do? Make this season a successful one by incorporating these tips into your studying life. And keep in mind that as long as you’re trying your best, you’ve already succeeded.

1. Focus, Focus, Focus.

In the process of writing this article, I had to resist checking my messages every five minutes. We live in a world in which people find it hard to focus on “just” one thing. But the research reveals that multitasking is just not something our brains can do well.

At all. If you’re spending the evening hitting the books,

leave the telephone and other distracting devices outside the room. When you’ve settled in to study, it’s time to do that and only that. When you give your brain a chance to focus only on the material at hand, it’ll up its capacity to give you good results.

You’ll absorb the material so much better and be way more efficient with your time.

2. Fill up on good fuel.

Heading out for ice cream with friends on your way to school? If you eat heavy, unhealthy foods late at night or even by day, your brain isn’t going to be in prime form. Your brain activity is largely impacted by what you feed it. As such, it’s especially important to factor food into your study routine. Fruit and nuts are particularly good choices during crunch time. Read more about this important brain-boosting tip in this issue’s Teen Talk!

3. Sweat it out.

While mental exercise is important for brain health, that doesn’t mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brain stay sharp.

It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exercise also enhances the effects of helpful brain chemicals and reduces stress hormones. Perhaps most importantly, exercise plays an important role in neuroplasticity by boosting growth factors and stimulating new neuronal connections.

Aerobic exercise is particularly good for the brain, so choose activities that keep your blood pumping.

In general, anything that is good for your heart is great for your brain. Does it take you long time to clear out the sleep fog when you wake up? If so, you may find that exercising in the morning before you start your day makes a big difference. In addition to clearing out the cobwebs, it also primes you for learning throughout the day. Exercise breaks can help you get past mental fatigue and afternoon slumps. Even a short walk or a few jumping jacks can be enough to reboot your brain. Also, keep in mind that physical activities that require hand-eye coordination or complex motor skills are particularly beneficial for brain building. Perhaps you can gather a group of friends for a pre-studying exercise class!

4. Get some zzzz’s.

Fuel goes beyond what you’re putting in your mouth and how you’re engaging your muscles: Getting enough quality sleep and taking some time to recharge is also super important.

Research suggests that adolescence brings with it brain-based changes in the regulation of sleep that may contribute to teens’ tendency to stay up late at night. The obvious effects of sleep deprivation, are fatigue and difficulty maintaining attention. Adequate sleep is central to physical and emotional health. It’s not easy to concentrate

when everything around you looks fuzzy.

5. Friends to the rescue!

You always knew that surrounding yourself with friends is a good idea, but did you know that even your brain benefits from this? When you think of ways to improve memory, do you think of “serious” activities such as wrestling with a crossword puzzle or mastering chess strategy, or do more lighthearted pastimes come to mind? If you’re like most of us, it’s probably the former. But countless studies show that a life full of friends and fun comes with cognitive benefits.

Humans are highly social animals. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Relationships stimulate our brains—in fact, interacting with others may be the best kind of brain exercise.

Research shows that having meaningful friendships and a strong support system are vital not only to emotional health, but also to brain health. In one recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health, for example, researchers found that people with the most active social lives had the slowest rate of memory decline. Go for it!

6. Don’t stress It. Stress is one of the brain’s worst enemies. Over time, chronic stress destroys brain cells and damages the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in the formation of new memories and the retrieval of old ones.

To minimize your stress levels before an exam, here’s what you can do: Set realistic expectations.

Don’t kid yourself when you set your alarm clock at ten if you haven’t started studying yet. You can already imagine what your morning will look like! Take breaks throughout the day to clear out your mind.

Express your feelings instead of bottling them up.

And focus on one task at a time, rather than trying to multi-task. When you’re all over the place, you just grow unnecessarily frantic.

7. Laugh it out!

Laughter is the best medicine for the brain, as well. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specific areas of the brain, laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain. Furthermore, listening to jokes and working out punch lines activates areas of the brain vital to learning and creativity. As psychologist Daniel Goleman notes in his book Emotional Intelligence, “Laughter… seems to help people think more broadly and associate more freely.”

When you feel like you’re getting stuck, have a good laugh. You can do this by spending time with fun, playful people. Read some funny jokes. Even smile at yourself in the mirror! And to score extra mitzvah points before your test, play with the kids.

That’ll give you some good laughing opportunities too!

May 2016 | The Wellspring 29

Well of Youth

Teen Talk By Miri Davis

Examining Dalya’s Exam Prep nth:

This mo

Meet: Dalya P. Age: 15 Location: Passaic, New Jersey Favorite exercise: jogging Favorite junk food: dairy chocolate Favorite healthy food: kale

Miri: How long is final exam season at your school?

Dalya: About two weeks. We have two finals per day. We take one from 10:30 to 12:30 and the other from 1:00 to 3:00.

Miri: Tell us about your studying schedule.

Dalya: I’m a very social person, so I enjoy studying with friends. For most finals, I either go to a friend’s house or have someone over at mine to study. We go through the notes together and then have some fun.

Miri: Do you find that you study well with other people?

Dalya: I used to study in groups of three or four, but I realized last year that I do better when I study with just one friend. It helps me stay focused on the material when we focus quietly, as opposed to being surrounded by the noise and questions of too many people.

Miri: From when to when do you study?

Dalya: I usually take a two to three hour break after the exam to chill. We’ll go out for pizza or ice cream, or I’ll go home and read. Later in the afternoon, I get to work.

We sometimes end up studying into the night or sleeping over at each other’s houses. On rare occasions, like when teachers have us study a hundred sides of notes, I fall asleep in my clothes.

Miri: Probably not the best thing to do, right?

Dalya: It feels horrible the next morning, but with so much work to do I’m not always in control. I hope to practice good studying skills this year.

Miri: How do you think you’ll do that?

Dalya: I know I should really cut down on the sugar. Sometimes, I end up finishing a pack of toffies while studying because I’m so unfocused.

And then I start feeling lightheaded and I really need a bed. That’s when I’ll quickly make myself a coffee to get a caffeine kick. I don’t know which foods help with brain function.

Miri: Do you find that certain foods make you tired and others energize you?

Dalya: For sure. I know that dairy stuff makes me feel sleepy, so I won’t have it if I want to be up late. I also know that too much sugar makes me feel dizzy, but sometimes I just need something sweet and fun to eat while I’m hard at work. Maybe it’s also my way of getting the stress of the work off my mind.

The Wellspring | May 2016 30

The Nutritionist Weighs In: Exam time can be quite stressful for a teen. With all those pages of notes to study and the constant deadlines, there’s a lot on a student’s plate at this time of year. However, a lot of the stress can be alleviated when an adolescent makes smart lifestyle choices. And the news is even better: if you eat properly, you can even boost your brain’s ability to excel at your tests!

According to a survey done at Tufts University, 50% of students eat too much fat, and 70-80% eat too much saturated fat. Unfortunately, when we don’t eat right, we may literally be eating ourselves silly. Researchers have known since the late 1980’s that bad eating habits contribute to the kind of cognitive decline found in diseases like Alzheimer’s. That’s pretty intense, I know, but these are the facts.

Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already know that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, “healthy” fats (such as olive oil, nuts, fish) and lean protein will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. For brain health, though, it’s not just what you eat—it’s also what you don’t eat. The

The Cup on Coffee Although caffeine in large doses in unsafe for everyone, especially teens, it is usually thought to be safe in moderate amounts.

Experts consider 200–300 mg of caffeine a day to be a moderate amount for adults. But consuming as little as 100 mg of caffeine a day can lead a person to become “dependent” on caffeine. This means that someone may develop withdrawal symptoms (like tiredness, irritability, and headaches) if he or she quits caffeine suddenly.

following nutritional tips will help boost your brainpower: • Get your omega-3s. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for brain health.

Fish is a particularly rich source of omega-3, especially cold water “fatty fish” such as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring.

• If you’re not a fan of fish, consider non-fish sources of omega3s such as walnuts, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney and pinto beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans.

Another excellent Omega-3 source is an Omega-3 supplement, which contains the highest amount of this vital brain-boosting nutrient.

• Limit calories and saturated fat. Research shows that diets high in saturated fat (from sources such as red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, cream, and ice cream) impair concentration and memory. Instead, give your body healthy fats from nuts and fish.

• Eat more fruit and vegetables. Produce is packed with antioxidants, substances that protect your brain cells from damage. Colorful fruits and vegetables are particularly good antioxidant “superfood” sources. How about choosing a fruit shake over cookies and cream at the ice cream store?

• Choose complex carbohydrates.

Just as a racing car needs gas, your brain needs fuel to perform at its best. When you need to be at the top of your mental game, carbohydrates can keep you going. But the type of carbs you choose makes all the difference. Carbohydrates fuel your brain, but simple carbs (sugar, white bread, refined grains) give a quick boost followed by an equally rapid crash. For healthy energy that lasts, choose complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, high-fiber cereal, lentils, and whole beans. Avoid processed foods

and limit starches (potato, pasta, rice) to no more than one quarter of your plate. At the pizza store, choose whole-wheat over regular pizza and order a salad as the side.

• Drink green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect against free radicals that can damage brain cells. Among many other benefits, regular consumption of green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and slow brain aging.

• Down a cup of grape juice. Makes you feel like Shabbos is here? Red wine, grape juice, and even fresh grapes and peanuts are rich in resveratrol, a flavonoid that boosts blood flow in the brain and reduces the risk of memory loss.

So let’s get practical. In order to ensure that you’re feeding your brain the foods it needs to operate the way you want it to, make sure you start your day with a nutritious breakfast based on the guidelines we established above. For snack, choose fruits and vegetables over processed, sugar-laden treats. And in the evening, after a good dinner, try to drink water and munch on healthy snacks while studying. Like you said, the sugar-laden snacks only give you a short burst of energy and then leave you feeling depleted and lightheaded.

Liba Solomon is a certified nutrition and wellness consultant, who specializes in guiding teens toward leading a healthy lifestyle. She can be contacted through The Wellspring Magazine.

To be interviewed for this column about your lifestyle patterns and to hear from an expert on how you can maximize your adolescent health choices in order to develop into a healthy adult, please email us at teentalk@wellspringmagazine.com.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 31

Well of Youth

Serial Diary By Sheva Berger

Dear Diary, Friday, March 23, 2007 I started reading It’s Time to Learn about Diabetes that the doctor gave me this week. Let me tell you all about it. It’s actually a very fun book. I thought I would have to read a lot, which I do like to do, but it’s even more fun than that. It’s making me feel that having juvenile diabetes is not a scary thing at all. It doesn’t make me feel like I’m sick. Instead, it’s a condition that my body has that has nothing to do with what I did or do. It reminds me of the science workbook Mrs. Gluck, my first grade teacher, gave us. All the pages have cute pictures and also interesting questions that make me think.

I really liked to read the letter to my friend that the book has. It explains that diabetes is not like the cold or the flu.

Nobody has to be afraid to stand next to me or hold my hand when we play at recess. It’s something that’s only in my body and it doesn’t travel over to anybody else’s no matter how close we are—not even to my sisters’, who sometimes share my cup with me because they say that sisters don’t give each other germs.

Another interesting thing I read in this book is how I will feel when I will take insulin. I was excited to learn that it will make the tired feeling go away! I hate feeling tired even after I slept a whole night and at school when everyone is having such a good time. I’m so excited that insulin will take that feeling away from me. Yay for insulin!

I think the part I liked most until now was where the book tells me that I couldn’t do anything not to make diabetes happen. It didn’t happen because of the foods I ate or the things I did. Not because I ate too much candy or sour sticks. It didn’t happen because I didn’t listen to my teacher or share my toys with Boruch, our older baby. It’s something that just happens to some people. Because

A Different Kind of Sweet: Living with Juvenile Diabetes we are yidden, my mother told me, we understand that it happened because that’s what Hashem wanted. And if He chose me to have it, it’s a good thing for me.

The book talks about having “support.” I didn’t understand what that means and my mother explained to me that it’s good to have someone to talk to if I’m not feeling good or happy. Like if I get sad sometimes about having to take the insulin or not eating all the candy I used to.

I’m happy that I can talk to my mother about it because it makes me feel better that she understands. I wish that I could talk to more girls that have diabetes because only they can really understand, and even the book says that it’s a good idea, but my mother says it’s better if I don’t tell anyone about it. I don’t know why she’s saying that but I like to listen to her so I’ll try not to tell.

I didn’t finish doing all the activities in the book yet.

The doctor told me that she’ll make a check for every page that I complete, but I think I want to read it anyway.

It gives me a real understanding of what is happening to me. It’s like as if the diabetes is talking to me and making everything clear, like when I studied very hard four our history bee and Rikki won and my mother sat with me on the couch and answered all my questions. I wanted to know why I didn’t win even if I studied so hard and why it pays to study even if we don’t win. This book is like my mother, only it knows even more about diabetes and it makes me feel very calm. I’m really not scared about it and I’m excited to know that if I take insulin and eat the right foods I will feel great every day.

Love you, Sheva

In this column, Sheva Berger, today a mother of two, tells about her life with juvenile diabetes. to be continued

The Wellspring | May 2016 32

Dear Readers,

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Hashem’s gifts to althy spring, Dina

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Zissy Gertner, age 9, asks: Eating ice cream in the summer is so much fun. On Shabbos, when we get ice cream cones, I enjoy the flavor so much. But then, when I suddenly get a headache, it’s not such fun anymore. Why do I get ice cream headaches and how can I prevent them?

JUST WONDERING

You’re right that ice cream headaches can be very annoying. How do they happen? Here’s the scoop: When you eat or drink, food or liquid touches your palate before you swallow. Your palate is also known as the roof of your mouth. You can feel your palate with your tongue.

When something very cold touches the center of the palate, the cold temperature can set off certain nerves that control how much blood flows to your head. The nerves respond by causing the blood vessels in the head to swell up. This quick swelling of the blood vessels is what causes your head to pound and hurt. Some people call this a “brain freeze,” even though nothing is really happening in the brain— it’s all in the blood vessels of the head.

And ice cream isn’t the only food that can make your head hurt. Anything that’s very cold— like ice pops, slushy frozen drinks, and even cold soda, water, milk, or juice — can make the blood vessels swell.

A headache from ice cream or another cold food usually lasts about a minute or so, although it can feel like much longer. This kind of headache almost never lasts more than 5 minutes, and it goes away on its own. And although you may feel pain, it’s not dangerous and doesn’t mean that anything is wrong in your body.

Want to lick your ice cream headaches away? Some doctors say that simply eating cold foods more slowly can help prevent brain freeze. You can also try warming foods up a tiny bit in the front of your mouth before swallowing them. And if you start to feel an ice cream headache coming on, take a break from the cold food for a minute or two. That way, your palate will warm up a little so you can enjoy the rest of your chilly dessert.

Have a health or science question you’ve been wondering about? Send it in to us to get an enlightening answer.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 33

Well of Youth

Body Language By Dina

Let's Explore Your... TONGUE Want to find out just how much you use your tongue? Try eating an ice-cream cone or singing your favorite song without it. You need your tongue to chew, swallow, and sing. And don’t forget talking and tasting!

A Quick One: How You Taste Things

Did you ever wonder why your favorite foods taste so good?

Well, you can thank your taste buds for letting you appreciate the saltiness of pretzels and the sweetness of ice cream.

Taste buds are sensory organs that are found on your tongue and allow you to experience various tastes. How exactly do your taste buds work? Well, stick out your tongue and look in the mirror.

If you look closely at the top of your tongue, you’ll notice how its rough and bumpy—not like the underside, which is very smooth. That’s because the top of your tongue is covered with a layer of bumps called papillae.

Papillae help grip food and move it around while you chew. And they contain your taste buds, so you can taste everything from apples to zucchini! People are born with about 10,000 taste buds. But as a person ages, some of their taste buds die. (An old person may only have 5,000 taste buds!) That’s why some foods may taste stronger to you than they do to an adult. Taste buds can detect sweet, sour, bitter, and salty flavors.

So how do you know how something tastes?

Each taste bud is made up of taste cells, which have

Your Tongue’s Friends

sensitive, microscopic hairs called microvilli. Those tiny hairs send messages to the brain, which interprets the signals and identifies the taste for you.

Identifying tastes is your brain’s way of telling you about what’s going into your mouth, and in some cases, of keeping you safe. Have you ever taken a drink of milk that tasted funny? When the milk hit the taste buds, they sent nerve impulses to your brain: “Milk coming in—and it tastes funny!” Once your brain unscrambled the nerve impulses, it recognized the taste as a dangerous one, and you knew not to drink the milk.

Some things can make your taste bud receptors less sensitive, like cold foods or drinks.

An ice pop made from your favorite juice won’t taste as sweet as plain juice. If you suck on an ice cube before you eat a food you don’t like, you won’t notice the bad taste.

Last time you had a cold and your nose felt stuffed up, did you notice that foods didn’t taste as strong as they usually do? Well, that’s because your tongue can’t take all of the credit for tasting different flavors—it has help from your nose.

Your nose helps you taste foods by smelling them before they go in your mouth and as you chew and swallow them. Strong smells can even confuse your taste buds try holding an onion slice under your nose while eating an apple. What do you taste?

Your tongue also gets help from your teeth, lips, and mouth. Your teeth help your tongue grind food as the tongue mixes the food around your mouth. And without your teeth, lips, and the roof of your mouth, your tongue wouldn’t be able to form sounds to make words.

Saliva is also a friend of the tongue. A dry tongue can’t taste a thing, so saliva helps the tongue by keeping it wet. Saliva moistens food and helps to break it down, which makes it easier for the tongue to push the food back so you can swallow it.

The Wellspring | May 2016 34

10 Things to Think About: Have you ever wondered what keeps you from swallowing your tongue? Look in the mirror at what’s under your tongue and you’ll see your frenulum. This is a membrane (a thin layer of tissue) that connects your tongue to the bottom of your mouth. In fact, the whole base of your tongue is firmly anchored to the bottom of your mouth, so you could never swallow your tongue even if you tried!

Your tongue helps keep you from getting sick! The back section of your tongue contains something called the lingual tonsil. Lingual is a medical word that means having to do with the tongue, and tonsils are small masses of tissue that contain cells that help filter out harmful germs that could cause an infection in the body.

Keep your tongue in tip-top shape by brushing it along with your teeth and avoiding super-hot foods. A burned tongue is no fun!

The average person has about 10,000 taste buds and they’re replaced every 2 weeks or so. But as a person ages, some of those taste cells don’t get replaced. An older person may only have 5,000 working taste buds.

With all that talking, mixing food, swallowing, tasting, and germ fighting, does your tongue ever get a rest? No. Even when you are sleeping, your tongue is busy pushing saliva into the throat to be swallowed. It’s a good thing, too, or we’d be drooling all over our pillows.

Smoking can reduce the number of taste buds a person has.

Butterflies have Your tongue’s color taste buds in and texture can give their mouths and you hints about your on their feet! health! A healthy tongue is a nice pink shade—except for right after it has devoured blue ice cream or purple candy. Some allergies and infections might cause some redness and swelling of the tongue called glossitis. A bright-red tongue accompanied by fever and sore throat may be more serious.

The average tongue is about 10 centimeters long, measured from the back of the throat to the tip. The Guinness World Record for the longest tongue goes to Nick Stoeberl, whose tongue is 10.1 centimeters from the tip to the middle of his tongue that meets with his lip when his tongue is out!

You don’t sense different tastes in different areas of the tongue.

Despite those tongue maps you’ve likely seen, you can taste sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami relatively equally across the tongue, scientists reported in the journal Nature. Don’t believe it? Put some salt on the tip of your tongue, the supposed home to only sweetness taste receptors, and see what happens.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 35

Well of Youth

Children‘s Activities By Chavy

SPOT THE DIFFERENCES Sruli and Mimi took their anti-allergy Maxi Health vitamins and can now help their mother collect flowers to decorate the Shavuos Yom Tov table without feeling itchy or getting tears in their eyes.

Can you spot and circle the 10 differences between the two pictures?

Now enjoy, and color!

For a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at Toys 4 U, write your name on your completed colored activity and send it in to: Maxi Health Win 694 Myrtle Ave, Suite 389 Brooklyn, NY 11205

Last Month’s Winners: Aviva Dashiff, Flatbush Suri Mittelman, Williamsburg

The Wellspring | May 2016 36

Science Experiment By Leah Brach

You know that your tongue is the body part that gives you the opportunity to taste the many delicious foods out there. But your tongue doesn’t act alone.

In order for food to have taste, chemicals from the food must first dissolve in saliva. Once dissolved, the chemicals can be detected by receptors on the taste buds. What happens if you try tasting something without the help of your saliva? This experiment will give you the answer!

What you’ll need: • A friend or two • Paper towels • Foods to taste (cookies, crackers, pretzels, or other dry food) • Drinking water for everyone

What you’ll do: 1. Use a clean paper towel to dry off your tongue.

2. Taste each food, one by one. How does it taste?

3. Have a drink of water.

4. Taste each food again, letting your saliva do its magic.

Tongue Twister

Has anyone ever told you that the tongue is a muscle? Well, that’s only partly true—the tongue is really made up of many groups of muscles. These muscles run in different directions to carry out all the tongue’s jobs.

The front part of the tongue is very flexible and can move around a lot, working with the teeth to create different types of words. This part also helps you eat by helping to move food around your mouth while you chew. Your tongue pushes the food to your back teeth so the teeth can grind it up.

The muscles in the back of your tongue help you make certain sounds, like the letters “k” and hard “g” (like in the word “go”). Try saying these letters slowly, and you’ll feel how the back of your tongue moves against the top of your mouth to create the sounds.

The back of your tongue is important for eating as well. Once the food is all ground up and mixed with saliva, the muscles at the back of your tongue start to work. They move and push a small bit of food along with saliva into your esophagus, which is the food pipe that leads from your throat to your stomach.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 37

Mommy,

you care about my health, right?

Maxi Health does too!

Do you have a Maxi Health success story to share?

Send it to info@maxihealth.com to receive a free bottle of the supplement that made your life better.

Let’s celebrate your journey to health together!

continued from page 26 low-fat dairy, is associated with reduced obesity. One observational study from Harvard researchers looked at the amount of trans-palmitoleic acid (a dairy fat) that was floating in people’s bloodstreams. The researchers found that those who had consumed the most full-fat dairy had less abdominal fat, less inflammation, lower triglycerides, improved insulin activity, and a 62% lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Can it be that healthier people just opt for full-fat dairy? The correlation is there, but the answer isn’t.

When Milk Consumption Turns Sour: What Is Lactose Intolerance?

The researchers found that those who consumed the most full-fat dairy had less abdominal fat.

Milk consumption is not beneficial for everyone, though. In fact, for the lactose intolerant population, dairy can turn into a nightmare. Lactose intolerance, which should not be confused with food allergy to milk, means the body can’t easily digest lactose, a type of natural sugar found in milk and dairy products. The small intestine produces lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose. In many people, however, a deficiency in lactase leads to lactose indigestion. One explanation as to why lactose intolerance often appears later in life is that an infant’s body produces lactose in order to digest its mother’s milk. As the person matures into adulthood, his body may lose the ability to do so.

When lactose moves through the large intestine without being properly digested, it can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloating.

While some people who are lactose intolerant cannot digest any milk products whatsoever, others can eat or drink small amounts of milk products without experiencing the negative symptoms. A big challenge for those who are lactose intolerant is to ensure that their bodies receive the nutrition they would otherwise receive from dairy, such as calcium and Vitamin D. They must also learn how to supplement dairy in their diet by using soy or rice milk, tofu, and other lactose-free milk substitutes in order to feel good and healthy.

Farewell, Soy Milk

er from London, has an eight-year-old daughter who used to be lactose intolerant. “When she was a baby,” Esti tells The Wellspring, “our daughter suffered from chronic diarrhea. From about six months old, when we started her on solids, until she was eighteen months old, we couldn’t put our finger on what was causing it.”

At first, Esti took the trial and error path, taking her daughter off wheat, yeast, and then eggs. For some reason, she didn’t think of experimenting with milk.

“I gave birth to a new baby just before Shavous, a three-day yom tov that year.

My daughter was staying at my sister in law, and boy did I get it after yom tov. The kid literally needed bathing on yom tov! Poor thing—she was consuming dairy goodies all day, causing major leakages.”

At that point, the penny dropped.

Esti and her husband finally realized that lactose must have been what their daughter was intolerant to. “We then took her for allergy testing to confirm our suspicions. She was completely off milk for four years. I used to send soy milk to school, which had to be kept in a little fridge that we provided, because the teachers found it difficult to run down to the kitchen every day for her special milk. After four years, our allergist suggested slowly getting her back onto milk and watching to see what happened. Since it was not a life threatening allergy, it was okay for us to try this at home. We started with pizza, cheeses, and butter, and then gradually increased the amounts we were giving her, under the guidance of the allergist.

“Today, she drinks milk like every normal kid and there are no signs of the intolerance whatsoever. We’re very grateful that she outgrew it.”

The good news about lactose intolerance in infants is that most infants generally outgrow the condition in their early youth.

Esti, a young moth-

Got Nutrition?

From the research, it seems that consuming milk isn’t nearly as risky as some make it out to be. However, when it comes to dairy, there is no one right answer.

Some practitioners tell their clients to stay away from the reportedly phlegm-producing substance, attributing colds and congestion to the consumption of dairy (see sidebar). If your body tolerates lactose and you’re not allergic or sensitive to the substances in dairy, there’s a lot for you to gain in that cup of milk (from the slice of cheese cake not so much!). Chock-full of protein, calcium, and Vitamin D, it’ll give you more than the pearly teeth you’re wishing for.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 39

Living Well

Cover Feature

Does Milk Produce Mucus?

Many people believe that milk consumption increases mucus production. Is that a myth or the truth? In a study published in the American Review of Respiratory Disease investigating the widely held belief that “milk produces mucus,” 60 volunteers were challenged with rhinovirus-2, and daily respiratory symptoms and milk and dairy product intake records were kept over a 10-day period. Nasal secretion weights were obtained by weighing tissues collected and sealed immediately after use. Information was obtained on 51 subjects, yielding 510 person-days of observation. The subjects consumed zero to 11 glasses of milk per day, and secretion weights ranged from zero to 30.4 g/day. In response to an initial questionnaire, 27.5% reported the practice of reducing intake of milk or dairy products with a cold or named milk or dairy products as bad for colds. Of the latter group, 80% stated the reason as “producing more mucus/phlegm.” Interestingly, however, the results revealed that milk and dairy product intake was not associated with an increase in upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms of congestion or nasal secretion weight. A trend was observed for cough, when present, to be loose with increasing milk and dairy product intake; however, this effect was not statistically significant at the 5% level. Those who believe “milk makes mucus” or reduce milk intake with colds reported significantly more cough and congestion symptoms, but they did not produce higher levels of nasal secretions. The researchers concluded that no statistically significant overall association can be detected between milk and dairy product intake.

“Drinking milk may make phlegm thicker and more irritating to the throat than it would normally be, but it doesn’t cause the body to make more phlegm,” says James Steckelberg, M.D., consultant in the division of Infectious diseases and a professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota. In fact, Dr. Steckelberg recommends that cold sufferers drink or eat dairy products such as cream-based soups, ice cream, pudding, or milk, as they are soothing on sore throats and provide calories they otherwise might not eat while they’re feeling so lousy. If you find that you or your child develop sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses) and/or ear infections after consuming dairy products, a dairy allergy may be involved.

The Wellspring | May 2016 40

An Inside View Q&A with Chaya Sarah Stark Lactose Intolerant for about three decades How did you come to the realization that dairy isn’t good for you?

As a teenager, when I was in seminary in Switzerland, the yogurt I ate was very rich. I used to be doubled over in pain after eating it. The association was obvious, but I went to a GI to confirm my condition.

How do you supplement for the nutrients you would otherwise get from milk?

It would probably be a good idea for me to take calcium supplements, but I don’t. I have kidney stones, so I have to be careful with calcium consumption. Other calcium sources are green vegetables, nuts, and figs.

What foods are off limits to you?

I mostly avoid dairy, except for yogurt, and occasionally I’ll have some very light cheese, like a cheese made from yogurt. Yogurt is in a different category because it contains active bacterial cultures (probiotics) that help digest lactose.

Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, and heavy cheeses like Swiss cheese are off limits. Even the milder ones don’t necessarily agree with me. Pizza, for example, will make me feel sick.

Are there genetic factors at play?

Yes, there are other members of my family who are lactose intolerant. Research points to a prevalence of lactose intolerance among Ashkenazic Jews.

Any advice for others who are lactose intolerant?

When Lactaid is added to milk, it makes it easier to digest. I personally don’t drink milk, but there are ways to work around lactose intolerance.

Cottage cheese was one of the staple foods for President Nixon. In fact, Nixon’s famous last meal as president was a bowl of cottage cheese with slices of pineapple on it.

Despite its creamy texture, milk is comprised of 85 to 95% water. The rest of its volume comes from vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and fat.

According to the British Cheese Board, Britain has approximately 700 distinct local cheeses. It is believed that France and Italy have about 400 each.

The milk bottle was invented in 1884. Plastic milk containers were introduced in 1964.

What makes one cheese different from the other? The varying flavors, colors, and textures of cheese come from many factors, including the type of milk, bacteria or acids used to separate the milk, the length of aging, and the addition of other flavorings or mold spores.

Milk stored above 40°F will spoil faster than usual, depending on how warm the temperature that it was exposed to.

Homogenized milk was first introduced in 1919. This process of breaking down the fat molecules prevents milk from separating.

According to the federal government’s current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, children aged 9-18 need 3 servings of dairy products daily. Only 30% of teenage boys and 12% of teenage girls meet this recommendation.

It takes 3 to 3.5 cups of broccoli to provide the calcium in one cup of milk.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 41

Living Well

Healthy Home Habits By Batsheva Fine

Tried and True

On a pleasant bedtime in summertime The long summer days are such fun, for children and adults alike. There’s nothing like a glorious day to lift everyone’s spirit and give the atmosphere a good kick. But what happens when it’s time to wind down? How can I get the kids to bed at a decent hour (according to my definition, at least) when they think it’s still party time?

Yittu, Williamsburg, mother of seven: Always keep a portable crib mattress or anything big on the window sill. It does a great job at blocking out the sunlight. It’s especially useful for when the kids go to sleep late and you don’t want them waking up with the sun, like on Shabbos morning.

Home Depot sells black paper shades that can be used under blinds so the window treatment still looks pretty but it blocks out the light.

Toby, Miami, mother of two: The sun doesn’t put the kids to bed; an effective routine does. If kids are tired and exhausted, they’ll be ready to call it a day no matter how light it is outside. Here in Miami, we have sunlight until late all year round, so working my routine according to the sun would be a disaster. I wake up my kids at 6:45 to prepare them for their commute to school. From suppertime, I start talking in a low voice, putting them into a calm mood. Also, when kids feel too full or uncomfortable after dinner, they have a hard time falling asleep, so I keep their sugar and carb intake low.

Racheli, Lakewood, mother of six: I agree that getting the kids to bed in summertime is quite a job. It took me a few years to master this part of the parenting routine, but thanks to a tip I learned from a parenting teacher two years ago, I’m glad to report great improvement and would like to share it with The Wellspring readers. Like adults, children enter a super-relaxed mode when they get a massage. My kids know that when they’re lying in bed, on their stomachs, I’ll come to their bed and give them this treat. While I rub my child’s back, which, as a side point, is an excellent opportunity for positive physical touch, I tell him in a soft, gentle tone how much I love him. I list his special qualities and then hum a soft tune. I find this practice to be the most effective, most loving, relaxant in the world—even for my six-year-old daughter.

The Wellspring | May 2016 42

I close all the shades in my house around five o’clock so they don’t see the sunlight. This helps them transition into evening mode.

Miri, Lakewood, mother of three: We have a bookshelf in the kids’ bedroom and every night, the kid who lies down first gets to tell me which book to read. I try to read in a soft tone, bending over to show them the pictures so they don’t have to sit up in bed.

Because all three of my kids sleep in one room, I stay in there to supervise until at least two of them are sleeping.

Esther, Deal, mother of four: I’ve learned to simply embrace the longer days.

Instead of fighting the circumstance, I set up a system that reduces frustration on both ends. In the summer, we set bedtime an hour later than usual, and I allow this quiet time to be a long, slow, winddown. The kids are bathed and ready for bed and they can play while my husband and I eat dinner.

They especially love to watch the stunning sunset from our den window. After they ooh and aah over the magnificent colors, which they don’t tire over, they know it’s time for bed. By then, they’re ready.

Next up: In the summertime, I find that my kids are so active outdoors that they don’t want to sit through a proper meal of chicken and potatoes for dinner.

Any ideas of how I can provide my children with light, easy meals that pack in nutrition? Please submit your tips to info@wellspringmagazine.com.

Is there a healthy habit you’d love to enforce in your home? Let us know what it is and we’ll do our work to get the conversation rolling in your favor!

Smart Solution Maxi Health Joins the Conversation Like Toby, mother of two from Miami, pointed out, it’s routine more than the sun that generally predominates a child’s sleeping schedule. However, sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, the child’s routine is disturbed, derailing his orderly bedtime system. The event may be something minor, like a late-night party, a week of yom tov, or an overseas trip. For some children—and thus their mothers, snapping back to schedule is superbly difficult. In cases like these, giving the child a totally natural and safe dose of melatonin may be the way to go.

A 2014 meta-analytic review published in the Nutrition Journal revealed that melatonin reduces the time it takes for people to fall asleep and that it helps reset the body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Melatonin has an extraordinarily safe record with children who have received appropriate dosages. As a matter of fact, some hospitals even use low dosages for newborn infants. Of course, there are many other reasons for insomnia, which should be looked into, such as anemia and other deficiencies, such as calcium deficiency. In healthy children, melatonin merely brings the time clock and sleep rhythm back to normal in a couple of days or weeks, to a point at which they don’t need it anymore. Contrary to unsupported claims of the dangers of youthful melatonin usage, sleep deprivation can be extremely harmful, especially to kids with Attention Deficit Disorder and other learning disabilities, putting them at risk by lowering immune functions, etc. An in-depth scientific study on melatonin that was published in 2010 in the Journal of Pineal Research found that “there is general agreement that melatonin therapy has a remarkably benign safety profile, even when children are treated with pharmacological doses. Moreover, severe complications with long-term melatonin therapy in children or adults have not been reported.” Although melatonin should not be used in place of a nightly structured bedtime routine, Mel O Chews™ are an excellent solution to restore the body’s sleep-wake cycle.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 43

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

Bruchy, Monsey, mother of two:

Living Well

Monthly Dose By Dina Mendlowitz

POWER IN POWDER How a nutrition-packed shake provides you with energy and a weight-loss boost It’s no news to you that your health is largely dependent on the food choices you make. When you’re at the supermarket, contemplating between buying whole-grain and white flour, the decision may impact your health. When you’re in the kitchen, deciding on whether to snack on an orange or a cookie, the options you’re weighing will determine what your body will be working to digest over the next couple of hours—and what will remain of it after. But what happens when you need a kick of natural energy and you just don’t have the time to cut up that salad? What happens when you know you need a protein for breakfast but you’re not in the mood of cheese or eggs?

Perhaps it’s time to shake hands with the shake.

Naturemax Energize™: What’s in it for you?

acids, vitamins, essential minerals and powerful antioxidants.

Not every day is a let’s-have-funin-the-kitchen day. Sometimes, you want to give your body what it needs without giving it your all. Is that a reason to grab a sugar-laden cookie that will only diffuse your energy and increase your hunger for real food? For most people who lead busy lifestyles, preparing nutritious meals in not always an option. And even the most nutritious of meals can’t promise all the recommended nutrients your body requires. Naturemax Energize™ may just be the answer to your energy, weight loss, and nutrition needs. A powder that creates the substance for a creamy, delicious, satisfying drink, this professionally formulated product is enriched with easily digestible whey protein, fibers, enzymes, amino

Whey Protein Whey protein is a mixture of proteins isolated from whey, the liquid part of milk that separates during cheese production. The main building blocks of the body, proteins are assembled from amino acids, smaller molecules that are linked together like beads on a string. While some amino acids are produced by the body’s cells, others must be obtained from foods or supplements. Of course, proteins that provide all amino acids are the ideal choice, and whey is one of them. It’s particularly high in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), the building blocks of skin, hair, nails, and muscles, and even your immune system.

The Wellspring | May 2016 44

Many people think of whey protein as a supplement used only by athletes

wanting to increase their muscle mass.

But scientists recently investigated the effects of a balanced amino acid mixture high in the branched-chain amino acids found in whey. In keeping with earlier studies on other organisms, they found branched-chain amino acids significantly increased life span in mice.

This “superfood” provides all 18 amino acids, naturally occurring bioactive components such as immunoglobulins and lactoferrin, and a cysteine concentration over 4-fold higher than other proteins—all in a highly absorbable form. And whey is one of the greatest foods for maximizing glutathione, the endogenous antioxidant that quenches oxidative stress and promotes immunity.

In addition to expanding life span, whey has been found to reduce

muscle wasting, reduce the risk of diabetes, inhibit cancer development, and defend against cognitive decline, making it an excellent choice for young and old alike.

Scientists demonstrated that whey can reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes. Normally, a high-fat diet produces excessive weight gain, adiposity, and metabolic complications associated with higher risk for type II diabetes and fatty liver disease.

Scientists placed mice on a high-fat diet for eleven weeks and gave one group 100 grams of whey protein per liter of drinking water (equivalent to approximately 12 grams for an average 165 pound human).

With no other intervention, both the glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity of the whey-protein fed mice was improved. They also maintained lower weight and greater percentage of lean body mass, compared to control mice consuming the same daily calories but without the added whey. The team concluded that whey protein boosted metabolic rate in the test group and may be beneficial in preventing the development of type II diabetes.

Whey protein is prominently known as an excellent weight-loss booster. In a 2013 review published in the Journal of Nutrition, scientists reviewed many previous studies and concluded that the evidence supports the use of whey as a therapeutic treatment for obesity.

Specifically, the study team concluded that “Whey protein, via bioactive peptides and amino acids generated during gastrointestinal digestion, enhances the release of several hormones… that lead to reduced food intake and increased satiety.”

In a host of studies—all with similar conclusions—scientists have investigated pathways through which the proteins, peptides, and minerals in whey boost satiety, influence glucose

homeostasis, and optimize lean body mass.

The branched-chain amino acids play an essential role in supporting lean muscle mass, especially among older adults. One trial in the British Journal of Nutrition compared diets high in leucine—abundant in whey—to calorieequivalent diets high in carbohydrate.

After 16 weeks, the leucine group lost 6.8 pounds more in total body weight, 7 pounds more in body fat—but lost 1.5 pounds less in lean body mass!

Energize™.

Wheat Grass and Barley Grass Juice are high quality green juices. They are rich in chlorophyll, beta-carotene, calcium, vitamin C, and many other vitamins and minerals not commonly found in the food you eat.

Enzymax® is a vital digestive enzyme complex only available at Maxi Health.

It helps you absorb the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

TRAACS® Chromium is an important

Given all these benefits, whey has now been substantiated by significant scientific research as a powerful super food in the quest for health. Two servings of Naturemax Energize™ provide 40 grams of whey protein.

Is there a better answer to boosting your energy, weight-loss process, and general health?

Other Ingredients Earthrise® Spirulina is high quality, pure spirulina. It is rich in protein (65%) and is an excellent source of essential amino acids, gammalinolenic acid (GLA), vitamin B12, vitamin C, chlorophyll, iron, RNA, DNA, and trace minerals.

B e c a u s e Spirulina can be contaminated with heavy metals, only Earthrise® Spirulina, known for its high quality, is used in the making of Naturemax May 2016 | The Wellspring 45

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

Whey protein is prominently known as an excellent weight-loss booster.

Living Well

Monthly Dose

trace mineral that has been found to be more biologically active than other similar compounds.

L-Carnitine – supports optimal health, as it plays a main role in fatty acid metabolism.

In addition to these highly effective main ingredients, Naturemax Energize™ is also fortified with significant amounts of crucial nutrients

like vitamin A, calcium, and iron.

It contains 100% of the daily value recommended for vitamin C, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, vitamin B-12, biotin, pantothenic acid, and iodine!

Available in both creamy vanilla and rich chocolate flavors, Naturemax Energize™ is gluten-free. Add one scoop of this empowering powder to 8 ounces of cold milk or juice, and enjoy the fuel your body will thank you for.

Pack in the Protein Women need at least 50 grams of protein a day, and men need about 60 grams per day. Because proteins are the building blocks of your body, you want to ensure that you’re providing your body a fair amount of this nutrient, which also aides in weight loss and satiation. What are some other sources?

Fish Fish is an excellent source of protein because it’s usually low in fat. Fish such as salmon is a little higher in fat, but it is the heart-healthy kind: it has omega-3 fatty acids.

White Meat Poultry Stick to the white meat of poultry for excellent, lean protein. Dark meat is a little higher in fat. The skin is loaded with saturated fat, so remove it before cooking.

Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt Not only are dairy foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt excellent sources of protein, but they also contain valuable calcium, and many are fortified with vitamin D.

As a dietary supplement for weight support combine Naturemax Energize™ with Maxi Thin Supreme®, D&S Control, and Maxi Green Tea Concentrate™. For a non-dairy alternative to Naturemax Energize™, Maxi Health also carries Naturemax Plus™, a great tasting concentrated soy protein drink loaded with vitamins, enzymes, and fiber.

Eggs Eggs are one of the least expensive forms of protein. The American Heart Association says normal healthy adults can safely enjoy an egg a day.

Beans One-half cup of beans contains as much protein as an ounce of broiled steak. Plus, these nutritious nuggets are loaded with fiber to keep you feeling full for hours.

Soy Fifty grams of soy protein daily can help lower cholesterol by about 3%. Eating soy protein instead of sources of higher-fat protein and maintaining a healthy diet can be good for your heart.

Lean Beef Lean beef has only one more gram of saturated fat than a skinless chicken breast. Lean beef is also an excellent source of zinc, iron, and vitamin B12.

Too much of a good thing…

Ketosis Caution Stay away from a high-protein diet that eliminates carbohydrates. The results may seem enticing because when you cut out carbohydrates, you lose weight quickly due to water loss. However, after a short while, with no extra carbs, the body begins burning more fat for fuel. This can lead to ketosis, which may make losing weight easier because you feel less hungry. Ketosis, however, causes temporary headaches, irritability, and nausea. Although eliminating carbohydrates appears to be safe long-term, it’s never a good idea to deprive the body of any food group.

The Wellspring | May 2016 46

Good & Greek Dear cooks, To most of us, Shavuos brings to mind creamy cheesecakes and calorie-laden dairy treats. The custom of eating dairy, however, doesn’t have to translate into feeding our loved ones with foods that have no nutritious value. In truth, dairy really has the potential to provide your body with good stuff. Yogurt, for example, is full of probiotics, active cultures that can help heal the gut, improve the immune system, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. A study that followed more than 5,000 university graduates in Spain for about two years found a link between yogurt intake and the risk of high blood pressure.

Greek yogurt is gaining popularity in the dairy market these days, and it’s not all hype. This Mediterranean version of yogurt—which is strained extensively to remove much of the liquid whey, lactose, and sugar, giving it its thick consistency— does have an undeniable edge. In roughly the same amount of calories as regular yogurt, it can pack up to double the protein, while cutting sugar content by half. Especially when you want to achieve a creamy texture, like in the recipes you’ll find in this issue, Greek yogurt is the way to go.

In this month’s Seasoned, we bring you some delicious ideas of how to incorporate Greek yogurt into your dairy diet—for yom tov and all year round.

To a healthy and happy yom tov,

issue 4 MAY 2016 IYAR 5776

Make this refreshing finger treat by threading fresh blueberries on skewers and rolling them in greek yogurt. Add some blueberry sauce to the yogurt for a burst of color and tang. Serve frozen.

-Levia

To create these show-stopping strawberry bonbons, dip whole strawberries in Greek yogurt and freeze. For added flavor, roll in crushed nuts or coconut flakes. Serve frozen.

EAT WELL: Try cherry pudding for dessert at your next picnic

Eat Well

Recipes By Levia Joseph Styling & Photography By Malky Levine

Tri-colored Yogurt Popsicles Strawberry Layer 1 cup frozen strawberries 2 tablespoons Mehadrin Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon honey, or more to taste

Blueberry Layer 1 cup frozen blueberries 2 tablespoons Mehadrin Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon honey, or more to taste

Plain Layer 1 cup Mehadrin Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste

Combine strawberries, Greek yogurt, and honey in blender until smooth. Distribute the mixture evenly into 3-ounce plastic cups, filling the cups one-third full. Place into freezer and freeze until set, about 15-20 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt and honey.

Scoop the mixture evenly into the plastic cups, filling the cups two-thirds full. Place into freezer and freeze until set, about 30-45 minutes.

Combine blueberries, Greek yogurt and honey in blender until smooth. Scoop the mixture evenly into the plastic cups, filling the cups full. Place into freezer and freeze until hard, at least 4 hours.

Yield: 6 3-ounce cups or popsicles

May 2016 | The Wellspring  49

THE BEET!

Get moving with the beet trend.

Beets are a wholesome food with an array of proven health benefits and an ability to be incorporated into countless recipes. Gefen brings you this nutrient-packed vegetable peeled, cooked and ready to use. Live again. Thank us later.

P

OUR BEETS. YOUR IMAGINATION. Find our bags of ready-to-eat beets in your local supermarket.

Eat Well

Recipes

P ineapple-Berry Smoothie 1 1/2 cups plain Mehadrin Greek yogurt 2 medium ripe bananas, peeled, sliced, and frozen 3/4 cup almond milk, plus more if needed 3/4 cup frozen strawberries 3/4 cup frozen blueberries 1/2 cup frozen pineapple Add yogurt, bananas, and milk to the blender. Blend until smooth.

Add pineapple and berries and blend until smooth. You can add milk if you feel it’s too thick.

Yield: 2-3 smoothies.

April 2016 | The Wellspring  51

NOW UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF HARAV LANDAU

Eat Well

Recipes

A beautiful, refreshing alternative to the sugar-laden chocolate bark!

Mehadrin Greek Yogurt, flavor of your choice Toppings Nuts (blanched almonds, pistachios) Dried fruit (apricots, cranberries) Fresh fruit (banana slices, nectarine slices) Coconut flakes Oats

Frozen Yogurt Bark Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and assemble your topping mix.

Using a spatula, spread yogurt on the parchment paper, approx. 1/4- to 1/2 -inch thickness.

Top with your desired mix.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for an hour or two until firmly set.

Break apart and enjoy immediately.

May 2016 | The Wellspring  53

Eat Well

Nutrition Facts in a Shell By Devorah Isaacson

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

This Month:

Cherries

Botanically, the cherry is a “drupe” (stone fruit), belonging to the broad Rosaceae family of small tree fruits. Some of the common drupe family fruits are plums, peaches, and apricots. Although there are several species of cherries, the two most popular ones are wild, or sweet, cherries and sour, or tart, cherries. In the US, the cherry season begins in May and lasts until August.

When you eat cherries, you enjoy much more than their amazing taste. Cherries are one of the most low-calorie fruits. Nonetheless, they’re packed with antioxidants and offer many health benefits, including decreasing insomnia and joint pain, and reducing abdominal fat. Just what the doctor ordered!

Principle Cherry Type Energy Carbohydrates Protein Total Fat Cholesterol Dietary Fiber Vitamins Folates Niacin Pyridoxine Riboflavin Thiamin Vitamin A Vitamin C Electrolytes Sodium Potassium Minerals Calcium Copper Iron Magnesium Manganese Zinc Phyto-nutrients Carotene-B Carotene-A Lutein- Zeaxanthin

Nutrition Value Sweet Tart 63 Cal 50 Cal 16.1 g 12.18 g 1.06 g 1.00 g 0.20 g 0.30 g 0 mg 0 mg 2.1 g 1.6 g

Percentage of RDA Sweet Tart 3% 2.5% 12% 9% 2% 2% 2% 3% 0% 0% 5.5% 4%

4 µg 0.154 mg 0.049 mg 0.033 mg 0.027 mg 640 IU 21 mg

8 µg 0.400 mg 0.044 mg 0.040 mg 0.030 mg 1283 IU 43 mg

1% 2% 1% 2.5% 4% 3.5% 2.5% 3% 2% 2.5% 2% 2.5% 21% 43%

0 mg 222 mg

3 mg 179 mg

0% 0.2% 5% 4%

13 mg 0.060 mg 0.36 mg 11 mg 0.070 mg 0.07 mg

16 mg 0.104 mg 0.32 mg 9 mg 0.112 mg 0.10 mg

1.3% 1.6% 7% 11.5% 4.5% 4% 3% 2% 3% 5% 0.5% 0.1%

38 µg 0 µg 85 µg

770 µg 0 µg 85 µg

-- --- --- --

Because cherries are pigment-rich fruits, they contain lots of polyphenolic compounds, which ups their antioxidant power.

Studies have found that these compounds operate like anti-inflammatory drugs by blocking the actions of inflammatory enzymes like cyclooxygenase.Thus, consumption of cherries offers potential health effects against chronic painful inflammation like gout arthritis and joint inflammation. The Alzheimer’s Association includes cherries as one of the memory boosting foods because they’re so rich in antioxidants. Cherries also contain a fair amount of melatonin, the popular relaxation-inducing chemical that has soothing effects on the brain neurons, preventing insomnia and tension headaches. Let’s call it the little red drug!

When shopping for your perfect box of cherries, choose the cherries with bright, shiny skin and firmly attached green stalks.

Because cherries have a short shelf life, refrigerate them as soon as you can.

In Your Plate!

Who needs instructions for cherry consumption? They’re just so deliciously palatable as is. Rinse them well, pluck the stalk off, and indulge. Frozen cherries are a great treat too!

If you’re in the mood of being playful in the kitchen, remove the pits and add cherries to a colorful fruit salad.

Tart cherries are great for creating juice concentrates packed with energy. In fact, cherry juice concentrate is a popular drink among athletes and various sports personnel. According to scientists from the Michigan State University, drinking one glass of tart cherry juice slows down the aging process. To create your own concentrate, wash, stem, and pit the cherries.

Run the cherries through the juicer and then process the cherry pulp two to three additional times to get off all available juice. Plus, you’ll get a nice, soft brick of cherry skins. Enjoy the juice and the kick of health it provides!

Fun in the Kitchen: Cherry Pudding How about serving some cherry pudding at your next family picnic or barbeque?

Blend 1 large banana, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and half a cup cashew nuts (softened by soaking for four hours prior). Pit and slice one cup of cherries and add them into your homemade vanilla pudding.

This refreshing dessert tastes great and is oh so nutritious!

“There’s no diet list I’ll follow that would rule out a cherry.” -Edgar A. Guest The Wellspring | May 2016 54

Wellbeing

Clean Slate By Shiffy Friedman, CNWC

Is it Your Body or Your Heart?

The key differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger In the last article, we discussed four of the seven differences between real hunger, which is physical hunger, and imagined hunger, which is emotional hunger.

Let’s talk about a fifth difference, which pertains to the after-effects of the meal. How do you feel after you surrender to emotional hunger? While you’re at it, you may enjoy the food very much, but emotional eating often results in guilt or promises to do better next time. Once the initial excitement over the food dies down, you start to question your capacity for self-control. Physical hunger, on the other hand, has no guilt attached, because you know you ate in order to maintain your health and energy.

Another seemingly simple difference between the two types of hunger is that emotional hunger results from an emotional trigger, whereas physical hunger results from a physiological need.

Last, when you’re feeding physical hunger, you can eat your food and savor each bite, but when you eat to fulfill emotional hunger you stuff the food down. All of a sudden you look into the package and you see a whole bar of chocolate is gone.

The Destructive Potential of a Purposeful Human Need

Now that we’ve discussed the key differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger, determine if you’re able to identify with some, none, or all of the emotional eating characteristics. It’s normal for a person to confuse emotional hunger for physical hunger once in a while, or even for a person to knowingly feed an emotional need with food every now and then, but a consistent habit

Self-Talk

What you should tell yourself An excellent message to store in your self-talk arsenal for when you’re deliberating giving in to your emotional hunger is “What do I really need now?” It’s true that you may be craving chocolate cake, but this is your chance to let logic prevail.The answer to your question, let me assure you, will not be chocolate cake. Or ice cream. Asking yourself this question will give you insight into what you’re truly lacking.

Are you looking to be entertained? In the mood of good company? You may want the chocolate cake, but you surely don’t need it.

As you stand there, knife in hand, ready to cut a generous slab, ask yourself, “What do I really need now?” Think hard.

Think long. And walk away from the kitchen a hero.

of feeding emotional hunger with food is an unhealthy and destructive behavior.

Using food to fill an emotional void is like stuffing an open pit with feathers. One storm later, and they’re gone with the wind. Eating is purposeful only when food is used to satiate physical hunger.

Food has a very distinct role in our world: to sustain our bodies. Hakinah hata’avah vehakavod motzi’in es ha’adam min ha’olam—If jealousy, lust, and honor pull a person away from this world, Rebbetzin Yitti Neustadt asked in a shiur I recently attended, then what is their purpose?

She discussed that every seemingly negative emotion has a positive purpose. What is the purpose of food-related ta’avah? In order for us to sustain ourselves—to nourish the body with the fuel it needs to function. If we wouldn’t have a desire to eat, we’d wither away. That’s the reason we have been gifted with the ability to feel hunger. And for this reason, Hashem created the most attractive array of natural foods that appeal to our sharpened senses. The enticement of a juicy slice of watermelon is designed to prompt you to relieve your hunger! But when we exploit the sensory ability to appreciate food in order to fill an emotional void, we cause ourselves physical and emotional harm.

In addition to the physical effects of overeating, namely obesity, which is a leading cause of death, hypertension, and diabetes around the world, the emotional effects are devastating. In a study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology the interview transcripts of 45 women who engaged in emotional eating revealed that when they were angry and depressed and thus overate, their feelings were not relieved after the eating episode. On the contrary, their feelings only increased as a result. The authors concluded that the feeling of powerlessness the women experienced prior to the eating episode only intensified when they reflected on how powerless they proved to be in their eating choices. As soon as we take this vehicle for pleasure a step too far, we’re risking not only our physical health, but perhaps, more importantly, our emotional health, as well.

In the next article, we’ll discuss the triggers for emotional eating as part of the process of understanding how to eliminate this destructive practice.

In this column on emotional eating, Shiffy Friedman, CNWC, discusses the journey toward a healthy relationship with food from a Torah-based, psychological, and personal perspective.

May 2016 | The Wellspring 55

Wellbeing

Health Personality By Miri Davis

A Cup of tea with...

Dr. Michelle Klein, D.C., C.N.S.

Occupation: Chiropractor and clinical nutritionist Location of Practice: Great Neck, Long Island, Manhattan, and once per month in Williamsburg Passion: Working with my mother, Denise Forster, to carry on the legacy of my grandfather, Dr. Arnold Forster, to help my patients potentiate their health to the maximum degree; helping people understand that their health is very much dependent on their choices.

SHe wishes you would know: that when the body creates symptoms it is the body’s way of communicating its needs. When we work to uncover what the body requires physically, nutritionally, and emotionally, we can prevent and/or overcome many different health conditions.

For How many years are you in the field as a professional?

Ten and a half.

How did your passion evolve into the flourishing practice it is today?

I was fortunate to have the positive influence and guidance from my mother and grandfather, who encouraged me to take the educational strides that allow me to help patients in an integrative, holistic way grounded in science. I consistently attend professional conferences on health, functional medicine, nutrition, and chiropractic to advance my ability to help more people. Unfortunately, there are epidemic proportions of chronic health issues today and I am confident that by helping families make the changes that are necessary we allow for a shift in the direction of the current trend. For example, the rate of diabetes is expected to increase by 165 percent by the year 2050. The overwhelming need to prevent and reverse chronic disease, like diabetes naturally is what drives the passion that my mother, and I have, which in turn drives us to consistently learn the latest scientific information.

Who is your clientele?

My mother, a licensed acupuncturist and clinical nutritionist, and I have a family wellness practice where we The Wellspring | May 2016 56

see infants, children, teenagers, and adults. Pediatric health issues that we often deal with, include cranial misalignment, developmental delays, allergies, asthma, ear infections, chronic colds, strep throat, eczema, behavioral issues, and bedwetting. We also find that our work helps children to more easily handle vaccinations, minimizing side effects by boosting their immune systems. Adult health issues we deal with include hypertension, high cholesterol, vertigo, allergies, fertility, digestive issues, stress, weight loss, diabetes, psoriasis, and cancer.

How are you able to treat such a wide spectrum of issues?

We don’t treat the condition; we treat the root issues through supporting the systems on the individual level.

Ailments manifest themselves in many ways, but that’s only the end point. In other words, We treat the individual patient, not the diagnosis.

The human body is dynamic; it’s never really static. Just like the heart has to beat 24/7, the cells require certain tools—physical, emotional, biochemical, and nutritional-- in order to work properly.

When we take the time to examine the roots of why the body has manifested a condition, we respect what the body needs. For example, eczema is not just a rash on the skin— it’s the body’s way of crying out that something’s happening

inside, whether it be an immune reaction, allergy, sensitivity, toxicity, digestive difficulty, or infection.

Our job is to identify the roots and then create a plan to “remedy” the many pieces of the puzzle.

SO What’s your foundational philosophy?

“That which made the body heals the body.” Hashem created the human body and He also created what the body requires for health. When we find the reason for an imbalance in the body, we can give the body what it requires to re-create its balance. This is why we named our practice “Balance Equals Health,” as a gentle reminder that when a symptom arises we must look to the body and ask what it requires to again achieve a balanced state.

If we respect that the body is made up of different elements and we tap into nature— whatever it provides, and we start to respect that parallel by feeding that to the body, it starts to kick into gear.

Let’s take the example of a car.

Ideally, it runs on gasoline. You can technically fill the tank with water if you want to and it might travel a bit, but it will eventually slow down. The body will show signs of malfunction in one way or another if we feed it with anything other than what nature provides, and that manifests itself through one ailment of another. In our practice, we go with the positive aspect of this understanding, which is to give the body what it needs in order for it to work.

Are certain ailments more prevalent in your practice?

Sure. The ones we see most often in children are eczema, developmental delays, colic, and strep throat.

The ailments we see most often in adults are chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, infertility, IBS, diabetes, and hypertension. We also see many adults who just don’t feel their best and are stressed, could use more energy, and could lose some weight.

Did any interesting findings come up in your work?

We witness incredible things every day. We recently had a patient with advanced lung cancer go into remission, another patient who was diabetic get her blood sugar into normal ranges, and yet another patient with PCOS have a sonogram show all cysts were gone. Time and again, we’re amazed at how true the motto “balance equals health” is.

You can technically fill a car’s tank with water and it might travel a bit, but it will eventually slow down

Can you provide an example of how this plaYS OUT IN YOUR PRACTICE? Think of a young child with eczema and developmental delays who is breastfeeding. The traditional medical approach might be to get occupational therapy, physical therapy, and other early intervention for the child while the mother applies various steroid and antibiotic creams to the child’s skin. Our approach is to find out why this child developed eczema. In determining the root cause, we look into the child’s birth history, the mother’s diet and lifestyle, possible nutrient deficiencies, gut health, and possible immune challenges. Once we determine the reasons for the symptom presentation, we work on addressing those “roots” and give the body the chance to heal.

What do you usually find as a cause?

Every case is unique but we spend sufficient time to uncover the cause for each individual.

Do you work as a team on every patient?

This depends on each patient’s individual issues. For some patients, it’s more appropriate to use the chiropractic medium. Sometimes, the patient only requires guidance in nutrition. Sometimes, the answer is acupuncture, and in some cases all three are necessary. If someone had a fall, for example, chiropractic is the first step. If he’s suffering from chronic pain or chronic stress, acupuncture would be the first step. For a metabolic issue or high blood pressure, we start off with nutrition. With infants, I find that I usually need to do chiropractic work with the cranial region, the bones surrounding the brain.

Can you explain that? How does the structure of the cranial bones play a role in the body’s functioning?

I’ve checked so many newborns and maybe two babies in my ten and a half years of practice didn’t need a correction in their cranial function. If this issue is not corrected immediately after birth, the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) pump mechanism can get affected so the flow is not optimal, potentially leading to negative consequences.

Birth is the first potential place where the cranial bones shift out of place, causing various degrees of misalignment.

At its worst presentation, we see flattening of the skull, or “cone heads.” The more mild presentations are the ones that go unnoticed by the parents and pediatricians, but they are just as important to correct. A chiropractor is trained to detect and gently correct the more subtle presentations.

The second potential time when a child’s cranial bones may become misaligned is when a child starts to crawl and walk, as they tend to fall. As there is a connection between the May 2016 | The Wellspring 57

Wellbeing

Health Personality

cranial bones and the sacrum, even when the child falls on their bottom they can effect the CSF flow. This is why many parents bring their children to get “checked” for misalignment throughout their child’s development just like they bring the children to the pediatrician for “well visits” or the dentist for “preventative care.”

If the issue is corrected immediately, it’s typically not a problem, but if a person carries around this misalignment, the CSF flow is affected, negatively impacting organic function.

So many people suffer as adults from health ailments such as allergies, pain, headaches, anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure, because the fluid doesn’t flow the way it should. Most patients with these symptoms require specific cranial adjustments as part of their care. I can never know for sure, but maybe if parents would have brought this child in to get evaluated at birth and throughout his childhood, and the parents were more aware of proper nutrition and lifestyle, the child wouldn’t have to deal with these subsequent health issues.

What’s your take on dairy?

It depends. For some people, it’s an excellent source of nutrition but for others it wreaks havoc. That’s our take on most things!

Nothing is good or terrible for all human beings.

We take into account the individual genetics, overall lifestyle, possible allergies, digestion, etc. of the patient when we advise on foods.

Do you work with long-distance clients?

We’ve worked with patients in Israel, Europe, the Caribbean, and other states in America. The nutritional guidance we provide through phone consultations and, when appropriate, we find them someone local for chiropractic and/or acupuncture.

What’s your goal for your clients?

As the scientific field of epigenetics teaches us, there is a generational effect resulting from how our lifestyle choices affect our DNA expression. I’d like to see a generational shift occur where the health trends reverse and we begin to see a decline in childhood illness and chronic disease. I’d like to continue to help our patients understand the roots of a healthy body and mind, helping them achieve their health goals.

The Wellspring | May 2016 58

A large percentage of your clients are from the Orthodox Jewish community. Do you find anything unique in this population?

Evidence shows us that the decisions we make today affect not only our children but also our grandchildren. Whoever I see right now, in this lifetime, is also impacting three to six generations forward. The community has come from a very difficult time in the past. During the Holocaust, people were malnourished, incredibly stressed, and experienced severe trauma. It only makes sense that certain resulting ailments should come up later because of unresolved issues. I pray to G-d every day and thank Him for the ability to impact the current generations in a positive way in order to help keep the community strong for generations to come.

You say that you’re carrying on your grandfather’s legacy. What was his field of medicine?

Dr. Arnold Forster was a chiropractor, nutritionist, acupuncturist, and iridologist. He was a pioneer in the chiropractic profession and inspired countless individuals to become chiropractors. He was an excellent diagnostician because he truly listened to his patients, which provided him with a lot of important information.

As my mentor, he taught me to always look for the root of the presenting condition and to treat the person rather than his condition. He also taught me to always increase the number of “tools” that I could use with a patient in need but to carefully select the ones that person needs that day.

Dr. Arnold Forster’s original office was in Flatbush so he was well-known in the religious community, whom he respected and cared for deeply. Unfortunately, he passed away five years ago.

Before he passed away, we spent countless hours talking about health and I’ve learned some of my most important lessons as a doctor from those conversations.

What’s your message to The Wellspring readers regarding nutrition and wellbeing?

Work with your body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Recognize that Hashem is way wiser than us and what He created is so incredibly brilliant. The body knows what to do if we give it what it needs.

If I have a headache and the first thing I do is pop an Advil, I never get see if my body can heal on its own. (Not that you can’t take an Advil every now and then!)

We get to witness the miracle of health every day because the people who come to us want to heal naturally and they give their bodies a chance. Give yourself the gift of allowing your body to show you its strength.

Well Informed

Vitamin Production Process By Judy Appel

WELCOME TO 2 THE LAB!

The Vitamin Production Process: A sneak peek inside

Step TWO: Blending and Compounding Through the Blender Often, the raw vitamins arrive at the manufacturer in a fine powder, and they need no preliminary processing. However, if the ingredients are not finely granulated, they will be run through a mill and ground. Some vitamins may be pre-blended with a filler ingredient such as microcrystalline cellulose or maltodextrin, because this produces a more even granule which aids further processing steps. Laboratory technicians may run test batches when working with new ingredients and determine if pre-blending is necessary.

Wet Compounding For vitamin tablets, particle size is extremely important in determining how well the formula will run through the tabletting machine. In some cases, the raw vitamins arrive from the distributor milled to the appropriate size for tabletting. In other cases, a wet granulation step is necessary. In wet granulation, the fine vitamin powder is mixed with a variety of cellulose particles, then wetted. The mixture is then dried in a dryer. After drying, the formula may be in chunks as large as a dime. These chunks are sized by being run through a mill. The mill forces the chunks through a small hole of the desired diameter of the granule. These granules can then be weighed and mixed.

Coming up in the next issue: Weighing When it comes to the vitamin selection, there’s reason for the consumer to be wary. After all, not all vitamins are created equal. The process is complex and necessitates supreme quality control in order to give the consumer the results they anticipate. Maxi Health Research prides itself in providing that—and more, in every single bottle that wears their label.

May 2016 | The Wellspring  59

Wellbeing

Me-Time By Batsheva Fine

Program this Month: THE GREAT OUTDOORS There’s nothing like the fresh spring air to clear your mind and boost your spirit. Now’s your chance to enjoy the beauty of nature—on your own. When you venture out with friends or family, the focus is usually the company. Of course, that’s important too. But how about taking a day, or an hour, off to enjoy Hashem’s beauty in solitude? This doesn’t have to be a meditation session. It can just be simple alone time under the glorious blue sky. What better way to refresh yourself?

Smell the Roses

While you probably grew up frolicking through fields, swinging at the park, and cruising along on your bike, as an adult, you probably spend much of your time indoors. It’s time to take a little time out. Science shows that some fresh air will really do you good.

Clears your lungs Just like you learned in elementary school, trees use photosynthesis to turn carbon dioxide into the oxygen we need to breathe. According to new research published in Environmental Pollution, the presence of trees saved 850 lives and prevented 670,000 cases of acute respiratory symptom attacks. How does it work? Trees remove pollution from the air, making it cleaner for us to inhale. According to the research, the fresh air created by trees is especially beneficial to those living in urban areas, where the air is most heavily polluted.

Boosts your immune system If you find yourself cooped up with many other people, it may be time to step outside. Being in close proximity to others exposes you to various sorts of germs. The fresh air created by greenery provides your white blood cells with the oxygen they need to do their fighting work.

Busts your stress Research findings reveal that smelling the roses isn’t just a pleasant activity. It actually promotes relaxation. A 2009 study found that the use of rose oil has relaxing effects on participants. Simple nature, even the whiff of freshly cut grass, can induce a sense of calm and make you happier. Interestingly enough, the human body relieves itself of stress when inhaling the scent of a downpour!

Provides a burst of energy What an excellent alternative to the energy drink! A 2010 meta-analysis in the Journal of Environmental Psychology reveals that spending time in fresh air, surrounded by nature, increases energy in 90 percent of people. “Nature is fuel for the soul,” says researcher Richard Ryan. “Often, when we feel depleted, we reach for a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better way to get energized, by connecting with nature.”

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Time Out! All packed up and ready to go? For this trip, all you need is you. Dress in comfy clothes (no one will see you anyway!) and embrace this solid stretch of me time.

Where to go When planning this activity, opt for a place that offers as much nature and as little pollution as possible. If you’re a city dweller, the options may be scarce but the more nature the better. You want those trees and birds around you! Surround yourself with as much green as you can.

What to do Getting into it This is your chance to appreciate Hashem’s beauty, undisturbed. For starters, disconnect by turning off your phone or leaving it behind altogether. Find a comfortable spot where you can sit and relax, taking deep, slow breaths. Now just be!

You may find this difficult if you’re accustomed to the whirlwind of activity that daily life provides. It may take you a few moments to enter a calm, relaxed state, and your mind may keep wandering to your endless list of tasks, but that’s okay. This doesn’t happen every day!

In the mode Once you’re in a tranquil state of mind, inhaling the gifts of nature around you, take the time to think. Close your eyes and focus. Write, reflect, take a stroll, hum a tune, or just bathe in the sun’s glory. In a world increasingly focused on speed and competition, solitude is precious—something to be treasured.

Embrace the beautiful person you are!

If you’re overcome by gratitude to Hashem for the wonderful world He’s created, daven. There’s nothing like the connection we feel when we get in touch with the natural world.

As you head back to real life, back into the throes of busyness and the tension it engenders, the mere memories of this adventure will fill you with the energy you need.

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Inkwell

Diary By Leah Gruber

Vanished How Chromium Supreme™ banished the cravings Several months ago, my husband was

put on a low-carb diet by his doctor. Because he’s a diabetic, the doctor advised us that this would be the way to go to ensure that his medications would do the job.

Trying to be a good wife, I got to work in the kitchen, whipping up the tastiest protein dishes possible. I experimented with various kinds of chickens and meats to fill his plate at dinner time, and even packed him up protein-stocked lunches to take to work. I couldn’t possibly supplement his tuna sandwiches with just a can of tuna, so I’d play around with the foods, concocting new lunches all the time. Of course, my husband’s diet consisted of lots of vegetables and some fruits, as well. To me, it seemed like he was getting enough.

At work, he would take some crackers from the snack room. At home, he would taste some potatoes from the dinner pot. Something in him just called for those starches.

I was at a loss. I knew that the starches weren’t doing any good to his health, but how could I deprive him of something he really needed?

I was at a loss.

I knew that the starches weren’t doing any good to his health, but how could I deprive him of something he really needed?

But from when he got off the carbs, my husband kept telling me that he was experiencing cravings toward starchy foods. No matter how many proteins he consumed, the lack of carbs still overwhelmed him. For this reason, he kept grabbing small starches here and there.

I was at the health food store one day, stocking up on the corn cakes that I love, and I mentioned my husband’s situation to the nutrition advisor there. She walked me over to the vitamin shelf and pointed toward Chromium Supreme™.

“This should do the job,” she told me. We don’t usually take vitamins, and the bottle wasn’t that cheap, but I figured it was worth it for my husband’s health.

For the past few months, my husband has been taking Chromium Supreme™ every single day—and the cravings have vanished. His weight loss has been incredible and he feels so much more in control. I won’t find him at the dinner pot any time soon because he’s now perfectly satisfied with his meal of proteins and vegetables.

How has your health and wellbeing improved thanks to Maxi Health? To receive a free bottle of the supplement that changed your life, send a summary of your story to inkwell@wellspringmagazine.com.

We reserve the right to end this promotion at any time, without notice.

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You don’t have to see the whole staircase to take the first step.

May 2016 | The Wellspring  63

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

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