To Vax or Not to Vax? The editor’s perspective JANUARY 2021 // TEVET 5781 // ISSUE 60
COVID-19 Impaired Your Breathing? 4 exercises to help restore lung capacity
10Questions for JOWMA Unhappy Baby?
This May Be the Reason Why Tamar Feldman
A Plant for Every Ailment For herbalist Sara Chana Silverstein, the garden is your medicine chest
Is Lack of Self-Control Your Problem? Here’s why it may not be
Goes Well With Tea Cozy treats from your favorite nutritionists
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Running in Circles First MRSA, then psoriasis. But what was it really?
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COPY & RESEARCH Deputy Editor Esther Retek Nutritional Advisory Board Dr. Rachael Schindler Laura Shammah, MS, RDN Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE Bashy Halberstam, INHC Shaindy Oberlander, INHC Shira Savit, MA, MHC, CHC Nutrition Contributors Tanya Rosen, MS CAI CPT Shani Taub, CDC Health Advisory Board Dr. Chayala Englard • Chaya Tilla Brachfeld, RN • Miriam Schweid Fitness Advisory Board Syma Kranz, PFC Esther Fried, PFC Child Development Advisory Board Friedy Singer, OTR/L Roizy Guttmann, OTR/L Coordinating Editor Liba Solomon, CNWC Feature Editors Rochel Gordon • Rikki Samson
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From the Editor shiffy@wellspringmagazine.com
Not My Decision Several weeks ago, a Wellspring reader submitted a personal anecdote with a plea that we publish it in this issue’s Public Service Announcement space.
In her message, she shared details about an unpleasant matter she was experiencing, largely due to a lack of prior awareness, which was why she was so impassioned to get the word out and help others avoid her plight. Since the subject was rather personal, we here on the editorial board deliberated publishing the piece. While we understood the to’eles it would have — alerting readers to a matter that can impact their health and wellbeing — we also questioned its appropriateness on a public forum that takes serious care to deliver a kosher, wholesome read. There were certainly pros, as well as definite cons — and then there was the rabbinical board. As soon as we consulted with them, we had our answer: no. (Instead, you’ll find a very non-questionable — and helpful — tip in the PSA space!) There’s so much comfort and such relief in knowing we’re guided by an irrevocable truth. When both aspects of a matter have their own merits, how can we mortals know what’s right? Even rigorous research and exquisite intellect are unmatched by the certainty a Torah authority affords. A while back, our city was embroiled in a contentious mayoral election. To my mind, a certain candidate seemed the natural choice for a frum Yid. Then the gedolim spoke. And they encouraged voting for his contender. When I heard this, I remember asking my husband if perhaps the gadol whose guidance we follow wasn’t given
enough information before issuing his ruling — maybe those who consulted with him had other motives in mind. In response, my husband reminded me what I had forgotten: a gadol’s decision is not based on simple logic. It emanates from a Higher Place. Even a rav who is dedicated to his community merits unique siyata d’Shmaya in guiding his flock; and all the more so a gadol hador, whose life is centered and purified by avodas Hashem, and who serves as a vessel to deliver whatever it is that we are meant to hear. Many times, we learn only later that the tzaddik’s guidance was just what we needed at the time — despite our inability to understand it then. As part of adhering to emunas chachamim, we accept that something different may be right for each of us, according to the derech we follow. What’s right to one may be in direct and seemingly conflicting contrast to what’s right for another, but together, we are one, and the beauty of this — exclusive to Torah — is awe-inspiring. While consulting with daas Torah is consistently reassuring, it’s especially true in regards to health. Over the past few years, we’ve been approached by practitioners and individuals who either oppose or promote vaccination, all with only one commendable motive: to help educate their brethren so they can make the right choices and ultimately lead healthier, better lives. And that’s our goal here, too. But the information we provide, no matter how brilliant and earth-shattering, does not hold a candle to the wisdom and clarity a Yid receives when consulting with daas Torah. Education is empowering, and that’s what we’re providing you with in the next 100+ pages. But adhering to the age-old guidance of those who know better is the ultimate comfort. When we do so, we can’t go wrong.
Well-Put!
Shiffy Friedman
“Herbs won’t solve your issues… but they will give you a clear mind to figure out how to problem-solve.” Sara Chana Silverstein, herbalist, Cup of Tea
Teves 5781 | Wellspring 13
Contents
JANUARY 2021 TEVES 5781 ISSUE 60 Our next issue will appear on Wednesday, January 27th iy"H.
WELL INFORMED
LIVING WELL
24 SPIRITUAL EATING By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS
38 IN GOOD SHAPE 4 Lung Exercises By Tova Jeremias, PFC
26 HEALTH UPDATES IN THE NEWS By Esther Retek 28 INSIDER Pancreas By Roizy Baum 31
10 QUESTIONS Eliana Fine-Feld and Alisa Minkin, MD By Rifky Amsel
36 WELLSPRING COMMUNITY Treating Yeast Infections
Torah Wellspring will return next month.
WELLBEING
40 ASK How can I support my husband? By Shani Taub, CDC 42 COVER FEATURE Embrace the Cold By Rochel Gordon 50 CUP OF TEA Sara Chana Silverstein, IBCLC, RH (AHG) By Esther Retek 56 AT THE DIETITIAN Acid Reflux By Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE 59 DIY Jaundice Relief By Miriam Schweid
62 EMOTIONAL EATING By Shira Savit 64 FEATURE Writing My Stress Away As told to Ahuva Levine
Mazel Tov!
72 BYE, DIET. HELLO, LIFE. Chapter 7: The Voice of Kindness By Gila Glassberg, MS, RD, CDN
WELLSPRING EXTENDS WARMEST WISHES TO
ROIZY BAUM AND FAMILY ON THE BIRTH OF A BABY BOY
14 Wellspring | January 2021
42
75
60
Springboard
Letters
On the Olfactory Sense, Peppermint Essential Oils, Eczema, and More
Sniffing Everything Issue #59: The Smell Connection
I’m wondering if the Guttmann sisters can address the other extreme of the sense of smell.
invites readers to submit letters and comments via regular mail or email to info@ wellspringmagazine. com. We reserve the right to edit all submissions and will withhold your name upon request. We will honor requests for anonymity, but we cannot consider letters that arrive without contact information.
What about a typical child who loves scents to the point that he has to smell everything, including his hands after he touches something? The other day he slipped his fingers out of the scissors to smell them and then he continued cutting. He appears okay in all other areas and is doing well in school. Anything I can do besides giving him lots of things to smell? Thank you, ____
R. K.
Thank your for publishing the informative and relevant articles by the Guttmanns. I’ve been reading their articles since they started contributing, and have clipped them all. I have a question that wasn’t addressed in the article on the sense of smell and I’m
16 Wellspring | January 2021
hoping they can respond. My four-yearold son doesn't avoid smells but rather enjoys smelling everything. This started in the summer and I can’t trace it to a specific trigger. Overall, he is overall a happy and playful child; he just “needs” to smell everything before he plays with it. Any ideas how I can help him and understand why he is doing this? Thanks!
F. B.
The Guttmanns respond:
We appreciate the amazing feedback we’ve been receiving on this topic. The sense of smell is often misunderstood but we’ll do our best to clarify in this response. Seeking to smell different objects reflects a hyposensitive (under-reactive) olfactory sense that could be stemming from several reasons. For some children, it could indicate that the olfactory system is not processing smell correctly. Many times, it could be connected to sensitivity with the gustatory sense (sense of taste), whereby a child may present with a range of associ-
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Q
Quick Question
I was with a friend the other day and she heard my baby cough. She said that to her it sounds like he may have croup. Besides for the cough, my baby seems okay. What is croup and how should I treat it?
Croup refers to an infection of the upper airway which obstructs breathing and causes a characteristic barking cough. The cough and other signs and symptoms of croup are the result of swelling around the voice box (larynx) and windpipe. A virus is the most common cause of croup, but the illness may also be caused by bacteria, allergies, or reflux from the stomach. Use a cool-mist humidifier or run a hot shower to create a steam-filled bathroom where you can sit with your child for 10 minutes. Breathing in the mist will sometimes stop the severe coughing. In cooler weather, taking your child outside for a few minutes to breathe in the cool air may ease symptoms. Your child’s doctor may prescribe steroids to open the airways. Alternatively, you can use essential oils such as eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender on the child’s chest — massage, use as a compress, or diffuse. This is best done under the guidance of a qualified practitioner with experience using essential oils. It’s important to note that children with severe cases of croup may need to be treated in the hospital. Call emergency medical services right away if your child makes a whistling sound (called stridor) that gets louder with each breath, or cannot speak because of lack of breath.
A
Take care, Miriam Schweid, kinesiologist
ated symptoms, ranging from preferring foods that are high in flavor and seasoning to perhaps mouthing objects. It’s important to be aware that although we’re addressing scenarios where children present with the need to smell things, many children who have dysfunction in this sense may manifest with the opposite reaction and avoid smells that they perceive aversive. Here lies the range and complexity of sensory dysfunction.
The sense of smell has a direct link to the frontal lobe that relates to our limbic system, which governs emotions, behaviors, and the memories that are formed through experiences — many of which are formed via our perception of smell. For some children, snuggling close to their mother for a hug, hugging their stuffed animals, or smelling certain things in their environment may provide them with a sense of comfort, security, and contentment that is associated with past positive experiences. That should not be cause for concern (unless a child has unfortunately experienced some form of trauma). Often, 18 Wellspring | January 2021
the need of a child to smell things may be linked to a sensory need that is related to an underlying regulation issue, with the increased need to smell providing the child with the input they require to help them with internal management of their emotions and behaviors. A subtle presentation of transitioning issues, inflexibility, difficulty managing their emotions, or impulsivity with or without hyperactivity are some of the early signs that could indicate this underlying source. These presentations should not be of concern unless they’re affecting the overall functioning and other parts of a child's day-to-day life. And if this behavior persists, an OT can determine whether the child's needs fits any of these profiles and whether remediation is needed. In general, the child should be encouraged to smell what he feels helps him. A desensitization protocol is not utilized in these cases, but rather the child will be introduced and then encouraged to smell those scents that provide him with the input he needs. Care should be taken when
presenting a child with different smells, as smells can be associated with either creating a sense of arousal or a calming sensation, and every child reacts differently to such stimulation (which is why a trained OT will know how to advise which scents to expose a child to during treatment). The most natural way to determine what smells your child gravitates towards is to present them in their natural form (i.e. presenting different fruits and foods), perhaps even with vision occluded, and to observe the child’s reaction. The protocol used will be determined based on these findings. Again, this topic is quite extensive. Please feel free to reach out to us or explore the course and podcasts we have available to learn more about the sensory systems. Sincerely,
Roizy and Friedy Guttmann Hands on Approaches
Founders of H.O.P.E. (Hands on Parents Empowerment) Foundation