Wellspring issue #8

WELL OF YOUTH: TEENS, DOES SITTING IN YOUR DESK FOR MANY HOURS GIVE YOU A HUNCHBACK?

FROM DESPAIR TO HOPE

Dyslexia is not what you think it is Dr. Rinat Green on early detection and treatment

KIDS’ P ULLO SECTIO UT N PAGE 3 3

NO ENERGY WASTED

Six workout mistakes that keep you from seeing results

CUP OF TEA

WITH DR. RACHAEL SCHINDLER

“The body doesn’t know the difference between a bit of sugar and a lot of sugar.”

NEW EMOTIONAL WELLNESS COLUMN

BY ESTHER MOSKOVITZ, LCSW

GOOD FOOD INSIDE

Do you feel like an observer of your own life?

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From the Editor Dear Readers, You sleep well, you eat well, you feel well, you are well. And then, everything changes.

It’s not that you’ve decided to experience a throwback to adolescence, suddenly skimping on sleep and skipping meals. It happens when an emotional burden wedges itself heavily into your heart, snuffing out not only your peace of mind but also your physical health. When emotional pain sets in, sleep becomes a thing of the past. And who has the stamina to stick to a healthy diet?

Emotional wellness is a prerequisite to physical wellbeing. Without it, the complex organism that is the human being cannot function properly. In my capacity as a psychotherapist, I’ve seen this phenomenon over and over again. The clients who walk into my office looking disheveled, haggard, and tired are suffering profoundly in their hearts. Their lack of physical maintenance is a blaring sign of an aching psyche. When one client learned that a close family member whom she’d loved dearly abused not only her but also several other family members, she didn’t eat for a day.

A friend of mine, whose parenting insights I cherish, recently told me that she makes sure to be very aware of her children’s physical state because she sees the changes there as a sign of a deeper issue. Once, her son had a terrible case of diarrhea for several days and had a hard time falling asleep. Instead of “letting it pass,” she scheduled an appointment to the doctor to first rule out physical illness. When all suspicions of a physical ailment were cleared, she had a talk with him. It turned out that one of his friends had brought a toy to cheder that he had wanted. In his childish desire, he quietly brought it home with him and the guilt and fear had started eating him up inside, to the point that he became physically ill.

Indeed, the mind/body connection has gained much recognition over time; the popularity of practices like meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi has exploded for this reason.

Only a sound mind, the world has realized, allows for a sound body. In the Torah, the unequivocal source of all knowledge, we find reference to the alliance between the mind, heart, and body. The commandment that instructs us to take care of our health, venishmartem me’od lenafshoseichem, refers foremost to our nefesh, the spirit, because a healthy spirit is the prerequisite to a healthy body.

The more I pondered this phenomenon, the more I realized the impact we at The Wellspring can have on our readers’ physical health by providing broader content on emotional wellness. In this month’s issue, you will find two new illuminating columns— one for parents on how to raise emotionally sound children, and one for adults regarding their own emotional needs. Written by acclaimed therapist Esther Moskovitz, LCSW, “Emotional Wellness” will provide invaluable tools and techniques on how to nurture your inner child in a way that will make you more content, confident, and at peace.

Even if you weren’t raised in the perfect home (who was?) it is never too late to give yourself what you deserve.

The emotional/physical health relationship works the other way around, as well. In this issue’s feature “Dyslexia: From Despair to Hope,” Dr. Rinat Green explains how an untreated reading disorder like dyslexia can cause untold emotional pain for a child.

The fact that a condition resulting from a physical issue in the wiring of the brain can also have emotional and social ramifications is just another proof to the connection one realm of health has with the other.

Here’s to a healthy start of a new year. May you merit true physical and emotional wellness, always.

Kesivah v’chasimah tovah,

Shiffy Friedman

shiffy@wellspringmagazine.com

WELL-PUT!

"The children of today are the future of tomorrow.” As parents, we want to do our utmost to provide our children with the skills and security so they can develop into healthy and happy adults. Our new column, “From the Ground Up,” is dedicated for discussion on this matter. If you’re a licensed professional in a field of childhood development and would like to contribute to this column, please contact The Wellspring.

Editor In Chief Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC Nutritional Advisory Board Jack Friedman, PhD Moshe Weinberger Shani Taub, CDC Fitness Advisory Board LR Wilen, PFC Syma Kranz, PFC Esther Fried, PFC Managing Editor Esty Cinner Feature Editors Rochel Gordon Liba Solomon, CNWC Copy Editor Gila Zemmel Food Editor Levia Joseph Creative Directors Miriam Bluming Rivky Schwartz Art Director Chavy Lefkowitz Digital Marketing Goldi Feldman Simcha Nunez Store Distribution Motty Srugo 718-496-1364 Write To Us: 694 Myrtle Ave. Suite 389 Brooklyn, NY 11205 info@wellspringmagazine.com www.wellspringmagazine.com The Wellspring Magazine is published monthly by Maxi-Health 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.

Production: www.mediaotg.com

Contents

SEPTEMBER2016 WELL INFORMED

13

WELLNESS PLATFORM

By Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

15

WELL ACQUAINTED

By Joe Pira, NYS Licensed Optician

17

TORAH WELLSPRING

By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

18

HEALTH TIDBITS IN THE NEWS

By Liba Solomon, CNWC

23

NATURALLY WELL

By Mindy Lewis

24

FIGURES

By Miriam Katz

63

CLEAN SLATE

By Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC

30 LIVING WELL

“THESE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES ARE CHOCK-FULL OF NUTRITION— WITH A RUNNY SURPRISE INSIDE. GET THE NAPKINS READY! ” - LEVIA JOSEPH, SEASONED

PAGE 53

18

26

ASK THE NUTRITIONIST Obeying the Rule

By Shani Taub, CDC

28

IN GOOD SHAPE No Energy Wasted

By Syma Kranz, PFC

30

COVER FEATURE From Despair to Hope

By Rochel Gordon

48

HEALTHY HOME HABITS More MIlk

By Batsheva Fine

50

MONTHLY DOSE The Inflammation Fighter

By Dina Mendlowitz

FAREWELL 71

8 The Wellspring | September 2016

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

WELL OF YOUTH 33

TEENS’ SECTION

By Raizy Kleinman

39

CHILDREN’S SECTION

By Dina

"ANTIOXIDANT IS A BUZZWORD NOWADAYS. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT REALLY MEANS?” - RABBI HIRSCH MEISELS, WELLNESS PLATFORM

33

PAGE 13

EAT WELL 53

SEASONED PB&J The Healthy Way

By Levia Joseph

62

NUTRITION FACTS IN A SHELL In Season: Zucchini

By Devorah Isaacson

71

WELLBEING 64

HEALTH PERSONALITY Dr. Rachael Schindler

By Miri Davis

66

WELCOME TO THE LAB

By Judy Appel

67

FROM THE GROUND UP The Growth Mindset

By Nina Kaweblum, LCSW

68

ME-TIME Journaling

By Shiffy Friedman, MSW

69

NEW EMOTIONAL WELLNESS COLUMN! Living in the Moment

By Esther Moskovitz, LCSW

NEW COLUMN!

INKWELL 70

“I WOKE UP IN THE MORNING AND COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT MY SYMPTOMS HAD VANISHED. WAS I ACTUALLY BECOMING HUMAN AGAIN?” - H. TANNENBAUM, INKWELL

DIARY The end of my UTI Saga H. Tannenbaum

53

PAGE 70

September 2016 | The Wellspring 9

Springboard

Letters

True Oneg Shabbos [Issue #7: Seasoned] Dear Editor: As the mother of two children with food allergies, I’ve dedicated myself to running a healthy home. Baruch Hashem, we have all reaped great benefits from this healthy lifestyle.

For years, I’ve tried to make our Shabbos meals healthier as well by experimenting with various whole wheat challah recipes. Alas, I never succeeded—until last week. For a change, we had the most fluffy, delicious whole wheat challos at our Shabbos meals!

We couldn’t get enough of them! And they went really well with Shiffy Friedman’s eggplant and peppers.

(The recipe didn’t specify which flour to use but I understood that it obviously calls for whole wheat flour.)

Thanks for giving us a true Oneg Shabbos and keep up your great work, Avigayil Bender Los Angeles, California

Correction [Issue #7] Dear Editor: I love The Wellspring; thank you for a fine job.

Please insert a correction of a “fact” 10 The Wellspring | September 2016

that appeared in the August magazine, which stated that 1,000 steps of walking equals one mile. Here’s what I was taught, what I know from being a daily walker, and what I cut and pasted from Google: An average person has a stride length of approximately 2.1 to 2.5 feet. That means that it takes over 2,000 steps to walk one mile; and 10,000 steps would be almost 5 miles.

The reason I am writing to you is to verify if your writer meant that one must increase their walking by one mile or if 1,000 extra steps (half a mile) will engender major results.

I don’t want readers who might find “an extra mile per day of walking” daunting to shy away from increasing their walking, and I don’t want those who walk 5,000 steps to think they’ve walked five miles!

Thank you for understanding, and for inserting a correction.

Sarah Birnhack

Suggestion From A Former Water-Warrior [Issue #7: Water Woes] Dear Editor: I wish you would have an article on being over 60 and losing weight. The pointers for younger people don’t work for this age group.

Also, regarding the woman who hates drinking the required amount of water in the “Water Woes” article, maybe her body is trying to tell her something. I hated drinking water until I read an article about problems and medical conditions people have with water containing fluoride. I am currently drinking bottled water that is processed using reverse osmosis, which eliminates fluoride, and I now enjoy drinking water. Also, my arthritis pain is slowly getting better.

Goldie D.

More Suggestions [Issue #7: Water Woes] Dear At War with Water, As a reader who had the same problem, here are a few suggestions: Add some flavoring, such as Coolmate, or Cristalight, which come in quite a few flavors. Drink VitaminWater Zero (make sure it’s Zero, because it’s very easy to get mixed up!). It can count as your water and it’s great in taste!!

Good luck, A reader Shani Taub, CDC, responds: Thank you for joining the discussion.

However, I don't recommend additives in water for the required daily intake. Only lemon water, seltzer, or plain water will do the trick because only pure water cleanses the body. I tell my clients to drink 6 cups of water a day. Even if it’s hard, take two cups per meal like you would medicine. After you’ve had your fair share of hydration, you can have the zero-calorie sweetened drinks.

Thanks for the validation [Issue #7: Tidbits] Dear Editor: I too am a fellow migraine sufferer. It’s unbelievable how many people have told me over the years that it’s really a psychological issue. I will clip this page and have the evidence-based information as my ammunition for the future!

Chavie Lieser Flatbush, Brooklyn

The Memory/Emotion Connection [Issue #7: Editor’s Letter] Dear Editor: I enjoy your letter to the readers immensely every month. It always offers something insightful to think about other than the typical health advice.

In the August issue, you wrote about a student who remembered a particular year of her childhood because of the tense memories she had from that year. This struck a chord with me, as well, because I have crystal clear memories of the summer my father was killed in an accident. It’s unbelievable how I not only remember the levayah, but also everything else that happened that summer, including the ice cream party that my neighbors made for us during the shivah. And I was only five years old!

Chana Beila F. Monroe, NY

receive the intervention he desperately needed. Dr. Shoemaker is indeed the voice of sanity in a world that is afraid to admit that medications and exercise are not always the solution.

keep the mind healthy.

Best, Susan Hertz

Wishes for continued to success, Lara Seidel

Shedding Light [Issue #7: Got Mold?]

Dear Editor: For several weeks now, I’ve been finding spots of mold on the ceiling of my house. Until I read your article, I thought it simply to be an unaesthetic sight. With the extensive education I’ve received from the article, I understand how urgently I must tend to this matter.

Thanks for bringing important issues to light for the community.

Tamar D. Kew Garden Hills

The Joys of Journaling [Issue #7: Me Time] Dear Editor: What a breath of fresh air! I was excited to see an article, in a frum magazine, no less, on the benefits of journaling. This is a practice that so many frum women can benefit from, especially those who are so busy that they have no time to think. As a certified poetry therapist, I can attest to how therapeutic bibliotherapy can be. It not only helps people deal with losses and trauma, but even sorting out daily dilemmas and normal challenges. It’s also a great place to get organized!

Sarah Dickman, CPT New York City

The Voice of Sanity [Issue #7: Got Mold?]

Dear Editor: Kudos to a superb magazine. I find it to be highly informative and enlightening. Every page contains valuable material that provides me with food for thought regarding my health and wellbeing.

I especially enjoyed the scholarly interview with Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker. The topic he addressed, biotoxin illness, is one my father suffered from for many years until we were referred to Dr. Shoemaker.We made the trip all the way to Massachusetts in order to

Yoga for You [Issue #7: Cup of Tea]

A Different Tisha B’Av [Issue #6: Only Fun in the Sun]

Dear Editor: As a certified yoga instructor, I would like to commend you on the enlightening interview with Yael Stromer. Indeed, she made the points for yoga very clear. It truly is for everyone. I would like to add that yoga is an extremely important exercise for seniors. When they reach an age where they can no longer engage in strenuous exercise, yoga is a great way to maintain strength, flex muscles, and

Dear Editor: I would like to thank you for bringing awareness to the natural hydrating supplement, Maxi Green Energee™.

I started taking it, as instructed, two weeks before the fast day and for the first time, my greatest fasting fear— dehydration, did not materialize.

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.

Thanks, Reitzy M. Boro Park, Brooklyn

The next issue of The Wellspring will appear iy”H on October 12th.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 11

UI "WFOVF #SPPLMZO /: 5FM o 'BY &NBJM KVEBJDBDPSOFS!HNBJM DPN

0QFO %BJMZ BN QN

Well Informed

Wellness Platform By Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

VITAMIN A: MORE THAN SKIN-DEEP RESULTS In this series about vitamins, we will explore the various research-based benefits that each specific vitamin provides the human body.

ANTIOXIDANTS: WHAT THIS BUZZWORD MEANS

V

Vitamin A is associated with carotenoids, a word you’ve probably seen and may have wondered about its meaning. Simply put, a carotenoid is a colorful plant pigment that the body turns into vitamin A. Its prominent benefit is its antioxidant properties, another term that is widely used in the world of natural healing and is important to understand because it holds the key to a healthy body.

You may already know that antioxidants can help prevent some forms of cancer and heart disease, and that they act to enhance your immune response to infections, but do you really know what antioxidant means? Why ingest something whose nature you are unaware of? I wouldn’t want to put something in my body before knowing that it’s good for me, so here’s a little background to this wondrous nutrient.

In order to understand what antioxidant means, let’s first understand what it fights against. What is an oxidant? An oxidant is an oxidizing agent, which means that it combines chemically with oxygen to function. Oxygen is essentially the source of life for every human being, but it can serve as a double-edged sword. When the body is depleted of oxygen, it emits hazardous elements known as free radicals. How do free radicals damage the body?

Let’s understand the process with a mashal. If you’ve ever stood next to a fireplace for a few minutes, you’ve probably seen that the fire throws sparks. These sparks can damage carpets, curtains, couches, and anything in the vicinity. When a person ignites a fire in the fireplace, he is focused on gaining the warmth and coziness it will provide. But although he bene-

fits from the fire, he must add some form of protective screen to prevent the damage it will otherwise cause.

The larger the fire, the greater and stronger the shield must be. It’s simple logic.

Let’s apply this to the body. Oxygen is the body’s fuel. It’s the basis of all life. It’s what ignites the “fire” that makes everything run as it should.

However, although the fire in the body

If you want to observe the way oxygen operates, take a look at an avocado. has countless benefits, it also emits “sparks,” otherwise known as free radicals. This is the way nature operates.

How can this be the norm if it causes damage to the body? Would Hashem create a system in which the element that the body needs for survival is harmful to it?

The answer is that within the human body, Hashem also created the ammunition against these free radicals: antioxidants. They act as the screen to shield the body from the hazardous “sparks” of free radicals.

If you want to observe the way oxygen operates, take a look at an avocado. When you slice one open, you see

that its interior is a beautiful shade of green. What happens if you let it sit on the counter for even a few minutes? In no time, it turns dark brown.

(Some nutritional experts use apples or potatoes as the example, but they have too many carbs for my liking!)

What is the process that causes this browning phenomenon? As soon as the oxygen in the air comes into contact with the flesh of the avocado, it spurs a chemical reaction that harms the avocado. Although the immediate damage is not significant or harmful, it is obvious from the color change.

This is the work of oxidants. When oxygen is combined with other elements, it has the potential to wreak havoc.

The example of the avocado, although basic, demonstrates that oxygen can indeed cause damage. The Ribbono shel Olam, however, never forsakes us. To counter the dangers of free radicals, He created antioxidants to protect the body against them. But before we learn about the power of antioxidants, we will first briefly explain, in our next article, how free radicals operate in the body.

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

September 2016 | The Wellspring 13

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Well Informed

Well Acquainted By Joe Pira, NYS licensed optician

THE EXPERT’S VOICE TO INFORM YOUR CHOICE PROMOTING HEALTH, ONE ORGAN AT A TIME: A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR EYESIGHT THE TRUTH ABOUT ATROPINE & EYEGLASS CLEANING 101 I’ve received many inquiries regarding the topic we’ve recently covered in this column—atropine drops.

Readers and consumers requested clarity and details about the drug that many have turned to in an effort to slow the progression of myopia, nearsightedness.

Of course, every parent who has a child with myopia wants to do the utmost to either cure or at least deter the progression of the condition. They understandably don’t want their child to need stronger glasses every year. For this reason, atropine drops, which are known to do just that, seem like an excellent solution. However, in order for parents to make an informed decision whether or not to medicate their child, I would like to provide some more information regarding this intervention.

Research has proven that the atropine drug is instrumental in reducing myopia progression. Several studies, such as one published in Ophthalmology in 2012, reveal that the atropine drug does play a role in slowing the progression of myopia in children. But how does atropine operate in the eye?

Topical atropine is a medication used to dilate the pupil and temporarily paralyze accommodation and completely relax the eyes’ focusing mechanism.

Simply put, it works like a patch, forcing the weaker eye to work harder.

Also, since most of the studies pertaining to atropine were conducted in the Far East, the results are not generalizable to the Western world. And a main concern regarding the use of the drug is that due to its fairly recent appearance on the myopia scene, its longterm effects are yet unknown.

If parents do make the decision to

medicate their child, it is best to first discuss the dosage and treatment span with a doctor in order to ensure that this intervention will be of long-term benefit to the child’s vision.

If you wear eyeglasses, they’re the window to your world, so you want to ensure that they give you maximum vision and clarity. You may think that cleaning them is a simple matter but, indeed, this process must be done right in order to keep the lens and your eye in great shape. Here are some tips for cleaning your glasses.

1. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly. Before cleaning your eyeglasses, make sure that your hands are free from dirt, grime, lotion and anything else that can be transferred to your lenses.

2. Rinse your glasses under a gentle stream of lukewarm tap water. This will remove dust and other debris, which can help avoid scratching your lenses when you are cleaning them. Avoid hot water, which can damage some lens coatings.

3. Apply a small drop of lotion-free dishwashing liquid to each lens. Most dishwashing liquids are very concentrated, so use only a tiny amount. Or, apply a drop or two to your fingertip instead. Never use Windex or anything with ammonia as it could break down the coating in the lens (as can chlorine or hair spray).

4. Gently rub both sides of the lenses and all parts of the frame for a few seconds. Make sure you clean every part, including the nose pads and the ends of the temples that rest behind your ears. And be sure to clean the area where the edge of the lenses meet the

frame, where dust, debris and skin oils can accumulate.

5. Rinse both sides of the lenses and the frame thoroughly. Failing to remove all traces of soap will cause the lenses to be smeared when you dry them.

6. Gently shake the glasses to eliminate most of the water from the lenses.

Inspect the lenses carefully to make sure they are clean.

7. Carefully dry the lenses and frame with a clean, lint-free towel. Use a dish towel that has not been laundered with a fabric softener or dryer sheet (these substances can smear the lenses). A cotton towel that you use to clean fine glassware is a good choice. Make sure the towel is perfectly clean. Dirt or debris trapped in the fibers of a towel can scratch your lenses; and cooking oil, skin oil or lotion in the towel will smear them. It is especially important to dry the nose pads thoroughly. Otherwise, the moisture will cause it to turn green.

8. Inspect the lenses again. If any streaks or smudges remain, remove them with a clean microfiber cloth — these lint-free cloths are available at most optical shops or photography stores.

Once your glasses are nice and clean, if you aren’t ready to wear them, don’t place them with the lens down on the table. Whenever they are not in use, make an effort to store them in their case to prevent scratching (and loss!).

Currently practicing at The Lens Center in Brooklyn, NY, Joe Pira is a NYS ABO, NCLO, and FNAO certified licensed optician. In this column, he shares his knowledge culled from over three decades of experience in the eyewear field.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 15

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Well Informed

Torah Wellspring By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

VACATION: A TORAH OBLIGATION WHY TAKING A BREAK TO REFUEL IS A MITZVAH

NOW THAT SUMMER VACATION has come to a close and life once again takes on a hectic routine, it’s important for us to understand the value the Torah gives to taking breaks to replenish the body and spirit. Sometimes, in the midst of our hectic schedules, it’s a Torah duty to give ourselves a pocket of rejuvenation in order to continue investing in our avodas Hashem.

Let’s look at a letter that Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, the author of Michtav Me’Eliyahu, wrote to his son Rav Nachum Zev. “My beloved son,” he writes, “ensure that when you take a vacation, you strengthen your health. Take advantage of the break to replenish your energy so you can immerse yourself in Torah study. If this is your goal in taking a vacation, the entire trip will become a true fulfillment of the mitzvah of Torah study.”

In his youth, Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, the Chafetz Chaim, learned so intensively that the many uninterrupted hours of Torah study caused him to fall ill. For one year, he was forced to follow the doctor’s order to return to Radin and refrain from learning until he replenished his strength. Years later, the Chafetz Chaim used to say that all the Torah he acquired throughout his adult life was thanks to the one year during which he held back from Torah study. “Who knows what would have happened if I wouldn’t have stopped?” he used to say.

After that year, when the Chafetz Chaim returned to the world of Torah study, he took every measure to ensure that his physical needs were tended to.

He would eat a healthy breakfast every morning and take breaks as needed, because he truly grasped the magnitude of good physical health. Furthermore,

he would often remind his students that they should not violate the mitzvah of guarding their health due to their great diligence and dedication to Torah study.

A masmid, the gadol explained, is someone who knows when to eat, when to sleep, and when to learn, because without a healthy routine, a person can’t function properly.

In a sefer depicting the Chafetz Chaim’s life, Chaim v’Poalo, a talmid relates that he was sitting and learning with great diligence one night, past midnight. Suddenly, the Chafetz Chaim and his esteemed son-in-law Rav Tzvi walked into the room. Naturally, the students assumed that the two Torah giants had come to join them in their lively Torah discourse, so they continued learning with greater enthusiasm. However, the Chafetz Chaim gestured for silence. “My dear children,” he said, “go to sleep. It’s already past midnight and it’s not right to put a stress on the body. This is what the Torah wants you to do now. My dear children, go to bed.”

The talmid continues to relate that the students did not think that the Chafetz Chaim truly meant that they should close the gemara. But when the gadol saw that they were not heeding his words, he stood up on the wooden benches and started extinguishing the lanterns that lit up the room, one by one, until utter darkness reigned, all the while saying, “My dear children, go to sleep.

My dear children, guard your health.”

In one of his many letters, the Chazon Ish answered a question of an apparently ill person who asked what to do when he’s not feeling well and can’t learn properly. Wrote the Chazon Ish: “Perhaps you should take a month’s-long vacation to replenish your energy.” In

his exquisite expression, the Chazon Ish continued to implore the letter-writer, “Beg your spirit to have mercy on your body.”

Rav Chaim Kanievsky once recounted an episode he experienced in the presence of the Chazon Ish. The Chazon Ish asked Rav Chaim whether there were people in the vicinity and when Rav Chaim answered in the negative, the Chazon Ish broke into a run. Later, he explained his seemingly queer conduct to Rav Chaim. It turned out that his doctor had instructed him to run for his health, but due to his shy temperament, he preferred to engage in the activity when the street was empty.

Rav Moshe Shmuel Schapiro, the Rosh Yeshiva of Be’er Yaakov, enjoyed a close relationship with the Brisker Rav. He once shared that one Yom Kippur, after Kol Nidrei, the Brisker Rav left shul with his son-in-law Rav Michel Feinstein and took a stroll. Rav Michel respectfully inquired about this strange conduct. Taking a stroll on the holiest night of the year? Answered the Brisker Rav, “I don’t understand. If now is not the time to take a stroll, then how can we do it all year long? When I take a walk, I only do it for my health. And if the doctors instructed me to do it for my health, what difference does it make if it’s Yom Kippur or not? On the contrary, if Hashem is commanding me to walk, when should I fulfill His command if not on Yom Kippur?”

The many Torah sources we find regarding preserving our health are proof enough of the importance of doing so.

But by contemplating anecdotes like these, the message penetrates the depths of our being.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 17

Well Informed

Health Tidbits in the News By Liba Solomon, CNWC

CAN WEIGHT LOSS PREVENT CANCER? So reveals a recent study The benefits of weight loss are many. The latest research, however, makes weight loss not a plus but a must. According to the study published in Cancer Research, overweight and obese women who lost weight through diet and exercise lowered the levels of certain proteins in their blood that play a role in angiogenesis, the process of blood vessel growth that can promote the growth and survival of cancer cells.

Study author Dr. Catherine Duggan and her colleagues randomly assigned 439 overweight/obese, healthy, sedentary postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 75, to one of the four study arms to measure the effect of exercise and diet on the circulating levels of proteins related to angiogenesis after 12 months. The four arms were comprised of a caloric restriction diet arm in which women restricted their calorie intake to no more than 2,000 calories per day that included less than 30% of fat calories; an aerobic exercise arm in which women performed 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise five days a week; a combined diet and exercise arm; and a control arm that experienced no intervention.

After 12 months, compared with women in the control arm, those in the diet arm and the diet-plus-exercise arm had significantly lower levels of the angiogenesis-related proteins, but such effects were not apparent in those in the exerciseonly arm. So although exercise is always a good idea, weight loss is key as an ounce of prevention.

YOUR BREAKFAST AND HIS BRAIN Scientists study the link between unhealthy pregnancy diet and ADHD According to the results of a recent study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, a diet high in fat and sugar during pregnancy may be linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children with behavioral problems early in life. The research, led by scientists from King’s College London (KCL) and the University of Bristol, is believed to be the first to indicate that an unhealthy diet alters the baby’s DNA in a way that might lead to brain changes and, later, ADHD. A high-fat, high-sugar diet in pregnancy has already been associated with behavioral problems and ADHD, but the study attempts to look at the processes involved. Studying participants from the Bristol-based “Children of the 90’s” cohort, the experts compared 83 children with early-onset persistent conduct problems with 81 children who had low levels of conduct problems. They assessed how the mothers’ nutrition changed IGF2, a gene involved in fetal development and the development of the cerebellum and hippocampus, areas of the brain implicated in ADHD. The results showed that high-fat and sugar diets of processed food and sweets were associated with greater modification of IGF2 in both sets of children.

Higher IGF2 methylation was also associated with higher ADHD symptoms between the ages of 7 and 13, but only for children who showed an early onset of behavioral problems such as lying or fighting.

Co-author Dr. Edward Barker, from the Department of Psychology at KCL, stresses that parents with children with ADHD should not blame themselves, because diet is just one factor, albeit a potentially significant one. “ADHD/conduct problems are very complex psychiatric problems. They are multi-determined,” he says. “Diet could be important but it’s only alongside a host of other risks. A sensible diet can improve symptoms but it’s not a single causal agent.”

Whether it leads to ADHD or not, a high fat and sugar diet is never a good idea.

18 The Wellspring | September 2016

TOO TIRED TO REMOVE YOUR CONTACT LENSES? Improper use can trigger serious eye damage A report published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that unsafe use of contact lenses, such as sleeping with them in place or using the same pair for too long, is triggering serious eye injuries for many Americans.

In fact, eye damage occurred in nearly 20% of contact lens-related eye infections reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over 10 years, researchers say.

One eye specialist believes many Americans don’t take contact lens hygiene seriously enough: “There is a serious health crisis with contact lens-related eye injuries,” says Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “Unfortunately, many of the 41 million contact lens users in the United States do not think of a contact lens as a medical device they are placing on the surface of their eye.”

In the study, CDC researchers analyzed nearly 1,100 cases of eye infections related to use of contact lens that were reported to the FDA between 2005 and 2015. According to the researchers, nearly one in five patients had either a scarred cornea, required a corneal transplant, or had other types of eye damage because of the infection. More than 10% of the patients had to go to a hospital ER or urgent care clinic for immediate treatment.

“While people who get serious eye infections represent a small percentage of those who wear contacts, they serve as a reminder for all contact lens wearers to take simple steps to prevent infections,” says study author Dr. Jennifer Cope, a medical epidemiologist in the CDC’s Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch.

Even when lens-related eye infections are minor, they can still be painful and disruptive. Many of these events can be prevented. According to Cope’s team, more than one out of four infections are linked to easily preventable risk behaviors, such as wearing contact lenses while sleeping, or wearing them longer than recommended.

How can you avoid contact lens-related infections? According to the CDC, you should not keep your contact lenses in while sleeping, because doing so raises the risk of eye infection by six to eight times. It’s also important to replace contact lenses as often as recommended by your eye doctor. Also, using old or incorrect lens-storage solutions can up infection risks.

And always wash your hands before applying lenses to the eye.

Contact lenses provide an excellent method of vision correction when used properly, but improper use can lead to serious eye infections and even permanent visual loss.

D FOR DYSMENHORRHEA A natural solution for menstrual cramps The pain and discomfort that accompany a woman’s monthly cycle is a common problem, affecting over 50% of women of all ages. A recent study published in Nutrition Business Journal may provide some much-needed relief to this recurring issue. The clinical trial, which was conducted on 60 women with dysmenorrhea, the medical term for menstrual cramps, found that subjects with vitamin D deficiency experienced greater suffering than women whose vitamin D levels were up to par. Thirty women in the treatment group were given an oral vitamin D supplementation once a week for eight weeks, while the other thirty received a placebo. Incredibly, pain intensity significantly decreased in the treatment group, with a significant difference in pain intensity between the two groups. So it may be worth it to fill up on the trusty D for a smoothsailing month.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 19

Well Informed

Health Tidbits in the News By Liba Solomon, CNWC

BUT I GO TO THE GYM!

Exercise is not enough for boosting heart health

The American Heart Association has gathered evidence that U.S. adults are sedentary for about six to eight hours a day. This leading cardiologists’ group has issued a warning that even if a person exercises regularly, too much sitting can still be bad for the heart. And the problem only gets worse with age.

Deborah Young, Chair of the AHA panel, says that adults 60 years and older spend between 8.5 to 9.6 hours a day in a sedentary position.

In a statement published in Circulation, the AHA noted that sitting impacts more than just heart disease risk. A sedentary lifestyle may also be associated with an increased risk of diabetes and impaired insulin sensitivity.

If you’re one of those people who spend the majority of your day at the desk, combat the effects of too much sitting time by taking a one-to-three-minute break every half-hour to stand or walk around. Stretch, bend, or take a short walk. It’ll also give you renewed energy to keep working!

GOLDEN PAGE

Must aching joints be synonymous with old age?

Many elderly people suffer as a result of osteoarthritis. Recent clinical research has increased the evidence that the answer to joint pain may be glucosamine. In a study published in the Bulletin on The Rheumatic Diseases, glucosamine was found to repair cartilage.

For decades, glucosamine has been shown to support healthy cartilage and joint function. In fact, it is one of the most studied supplements in the field of nutrition. As a component of cartilage, glucosamine is key in joint function and repair. Our bodies produce a certain amount, but as we grow older, we lose the capacity to make enough. This leads to drying of the cartilage in areas such as the knees, hips, and hands, which in turn causes the cartilage to harden, resulting in joint discomfort and stiffness. In a 2001 Belgian study, 212 people with osteoarthritis who were followed for three years received either a placebo or an oral glucosamine supplement, and were evaluated using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities’ (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index. The study showed that patients taking glucosamine had modest pain reduction (11.7%) compared with the baseline and reduced joint-space narrowing compared to the subjects who took the placebo.

Research also suggests that glucosamine may slow joint damage. A 2008 retrospective study of nearly 300 patients found that those using glucosamine underwent half as many joint replacement surgeries as those on a placebo.

Because glucosamine is generally derived from non-kosher sources, attaining its wondrous benefits is not simple for the kosher consumer. Maxi Health Super Glucosamine Complex™, however, is a strictly kosher formula.

With the addition of MSM, bromelain, and potassium, research-proven nutrients that ward off joint pain and inflammation, it’s the perfect solution to the aching joints that could impair the beauty of the golden years.

The Wellspring | September 2016 20

Egg yolks are bad for cholesterol.

THE TRUTH: For the vast majority of people, dietary cholesterol doesn’t have much of an effect on your blood cholesterol.

Contrary to what medical and science experts believed for centuries, you won’t suffer from high blood cholesterol if you consume foods that are high in cholesterol. Because the body produces cholesterol on its own, if it receives it from food like eggs it simply makes less of it, just like a thermostat that adjusts its temperature according to the heat or cold that enters the environment.

In fact, cholesterol in foods is good for you! It’s one of the most important nutrients in your body. It’s in the outer layer of every cell membrane, and is a requirement for growth, for the production of hormones, and for brain function. While the whites of eggs are just protein and water, the yolks are one of the most nutrient-dense, anti-oxidant-rich, and vitaminladen foods on the planet. According to Dr. John Berardi of Precision Nutrition, they contain 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, pantothenic acid, and B12 of the egg.

Interestingly, in controlled clinical trials where people were instructed to eat up to three eggs (55 mg of cholesterol!) per day while on a weight loss diet, good things happened. The subjects lost weight, experienced decreased inflammation, and either maintained or improved their blood cholesterol levels. So, unless you have diabetes or a rare genetic disorder, eating whole eggs is actually good for you!

THE MOST IMPORTANT SCORE Most US kids don’t make the grade on heart health In a recent statement published in Circulation, the American Heart Association declared that most American children fall short of ideal heart health. An analysis of 2007-2008 federal government survey results found that about 91% of youngsters do not have healthy diets. Those between the ages of 2 and 19 get most of their calories from simple carbohydrates such as sugary drinks and sweets.

“A primary reason for so few children having ideal cardiovascular health is poor nutrition,” statement author Dr. Julia Steinberger said in an association news release. “Children are eating high-calorie, low-nutrition foods and not eating enough healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, fish, and other foods strongly associated with good heart health and a healthy body weight.”

Lack of physical activity is another concern. Among 6- to 11-year-olds, half of boys and about a third of girls got the recommended 60 minutes or more a day of exercise. Between 16 and 19 years of age, those percentages plummeted to 10% of boys and 5% of girls. Not surprisingly, kids have packed on the pounds. About 10% of 2- to 5-year-olds were obese, compared to between 19% and 27% of 12- to 19-year olds. About a third of the older kids had tried a cigarette.

Nearly all the children had ideal blood pressure. And most had ideal cholesterol and blood sugar levels, though not as good as blood pressure levels.

Overall, the findings show that “instead of taking a wait-and-see approach by treating disease later in adulthood, we should help children maintain the standards of ideal cardiovascular health that most children are born with,” says Steinberger, Director of Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Minnesota. “It’s much harder to turn back the clock.”

September 2016 | The Wellspring 21

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

MISCONCEPTION:

Naturally Well By Mindy Lewis

bone builders Calcium is one of the nutrients that probably enjoys the most popularity—and for a good reason. With the host of benefits it provides to people at every stage in life, it sure is worth it to keep the body fully stocked with this one.

Cal-M-D™ is a unique combination of the calcium citrate form of calcium, vitamin D3, vitamin K2, and magnesium—a wondrous blend of absorbable, potent nutrients all in one.

Calcium is an essential mineral that is often inadequately supplied, inefficiently absorbed, or excreted faster than it is assimilated. Research published in the Journal of Pharmaceuticals in 2000, as well as countless other sources, supports the claim that the citrate salt of calcium is well absorbed and utilized by the body. For this reason, this is the form many doctors and nutritionists recommend. Calcium citrate dissolves easily even if a person doesn’t have much stomach acid.

If you have been advised to add calcium malate and magnesium malate to your diet, the solution is Cal Mag K-D™. This supplement maintains the popular 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium, as well as containing 2000 IU of vitamin D3 per serving and the best form of K2,VitaMK7.

Calcium is the most abundant and possibly most vital of all nutrients. The body constantly loses calcium as it carries on its daily functions. We all know that bones need calcium, but did you know your bones are actually alive? The material that makes up your bones is being replaced on an ongoing basis throughout your life! Calcium is essential for the contraction of muscles, conducting nerve impulses, and enzyme activity.

A 2013 study in Metallomics revealed that nearly two thirds of the global population lack the recommended amount of magnesium in their diet, whereas in the US it is closer to half the population. Magnesium is essential for over 300 different biochemical reactions in the body—from cardiovascular and bone health support to energy metabolism, mood regulation, and cognitive function. When combined with calcium, optimal results are achieved.

Osteoporosis is the most prevalent bone disease in the United States. It is characterized by accelerated bone loss, which results in brittle and weak bones that are easily fractured. (PubMed Health, 2012) An estimated 8.2 million U.S. women over the age of 55 suffer from osteoporosis.

Cal-M-D™ contains vitamin D3 as cholecalciferol, which is the same thing you would get from sitting out in the sun and is the most usable form of this vitamin for the body.

For many people, getting the required amount of vitamin D from sunshine alone is not an option. Supplementation is the method of choice for adequate vitamin D intake worldwide, especially considering busy indoor schedules, vulnerability to skin problems, and in our case the added requirements of tznius. Vitamin D3 stimulates calcium absorption and promotes healthy bone density and thus is a vital component of this supplement.

An abundance of clinical data, such as the study published in Osteoporosis International in 2007, reveals that vitamin K plays a critical role in maintaining healthy bone density by facilitating the transportation of calcium from the bloodstream to the bones. Poor vitamin K status also results in increased circulating levels of undercarboxylated osteocalcin, which is shown to be associated with increased bone loss in elderly women.

Want the benefits of these vital nutrients for your kids as well? That makes sense, especially because the main bone growth occurs in youth. Cal K Yums™ are the way to go. This chewable combination of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2 will support your child’s growth from the inside out.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 23

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

Well Informed

Well Informed

Figures By Miriam Katz

DYSLEXIA DATA STATS ON READING DISORDERS

in

million

15

40+

American adults are dyslexic and only

2 million are aware of their condition

people have dyslexia

million

3+

Canadians are dyslexic

70-80% of people with poor reading skills are likely to be dyslexic

20% of school-aged children are dyslexic   The Wellspring | September 2016 24

160

#1

common cause of reading, writing, and spelling difficulty is dyslexia

80%

the estimated IQ of Albert Einstien— and he was dyslexic

of children placed in special education schools for learning disability have dyslexia

1896 the year the first description of dyslexia, authored by Dr. Pringle Morgan, appeared

25-40% of children with dyslexia have ADHD

September 2016 | The Wellspring  25

Living Well

Ask the Nutritionist By Shani Taub, CDC

Obeying the Rule Managing the Multiple Supper Shifts

Q

It’s back to school in our house! I love the happy routine that the school schedule brings into our life, but there’s one downside I hope you can help me tackle. Baruch Hashem, my children are now in several different stages, which means that I serve supper several times a night. While three kids walk through the door famished at 4:00, one comes in at 5:00, and then my two yeshivah bachurim only get home at 9:30. With so many shifts to man, I end up eating way too many suppers every night! If I eat supper with the younger kids, I still want to be a good mother and sit with my older sons when they’re eating.

How can I manage to stay in control despite this challenging schedule?

Juggling the Shifts

Shani answers:

A

“Welcome to Mom’s Restaurant,” reads a popular quote that hangs in many a kitchen. This rings true to mothers who serve their children in shifts, which is a great show of devotion but must not be at the expense of their own healthy lifestyle or diet plan.

How can you manage to provide each child with their own meal and still stay in control? Choose your shift. This is the only way that you’ll manage to eat your allotted meal without additions. When you sit down to your own meal, eat it slowly, calmly, and fully. And then, you’re done. Eating half your meal with one child and half the meal with another does not work. It ends up turning into two full meals.

If you find yourself picking at the food when preparing your sons’ meal later in the evening, prepare their meal earlier in ready-to-serve plates to warm up when they’re ready

The Wellspring | September 2016 26

to eat. Do everything you can to minimize your nisayon of eating. Recognize what’s hard for you and be creative in working around it. Sitting with your child while he eats and you don’t can be a beautiful experience. Although eating a meal together is always nice, if it’s not feasible, it doesn’t mean that you can’t spend quality time together. The same is true for wives who can’t eat dinner with their husbands due to scheduling issues. How about spending time in the living room? You can tell your son, “I’m waiting to hear about your day. Come to the couch when you’re done.” Quality time does not have to revolve around food.

If cleaning up the kitchen poses the temptation of emptying the pans, here’s a solution I gave one client who had this problem: Have your cleaning help come at night. It may sound odd if you’re not used to this setup, but anything pays to ensure that you lead a healthy lifestyle—and you’ll be glad when you hear the doorbell after an exhausting day!

Talking of back to school, here’s another challenge many mothers face. It’s a result of the wanting-to-be-a good-mother impulse. Many women think that one of the criteria of being a good mother is baking for the children. That’s a very nice desire, indeed, but if it comes with the downside of the mother participating in the feast, it is not worth it. I tell clients who want to bake for their kids that one great idea is to bake challah for them.

That’s also a great mitzvah! Or, you could bake portion-sized pieces like SMART SNACKS cupcakes, from which it’s hard to cut a small slice. Cookies made with a scoop are also a good idea, because each one comes out the same size. If If you send drinks to school with you’re one of those mothers who wants to send baked goods with your kids your child every day, a bottle of water to school but know that you can’t withstand the temptation of having mezois the best. If your child insists on nos around, Reisman’s and Stern’s are so good to us today! We have pastries box drinks, I highly recommend the to go for every occasion.

Honest Kids brand. Their 30-calorie One thing I stopped doing several years ago is baking cakes. Slivers turn box drink is made of organic into slices and more. Even for the kids, I found that it posed problems. I ingredients and contains 7 grams of had to deal with the “She got bigger” and “He got bigger” complaints all the sugar as opposed to 14 or 22 that time. For these reasons, you won’t find babka in my house, but you’ll find other box drinks contain. And it has rugelach and other portion-sized treats every Shabbos. no added sweeteners!

MORNING MATTERS: MAKE SURE YOU START YOUR DAY RIGHT Every new routine brings its own challenges. But with the right mindset, they are only hurdles that can be overcome and not impediments to weight loss or a healthy lifestyle. Once September comes around, many parents wake up early in the morning to send off or take their kids to school, and they need to eat something. Because you probably don’t have the time to sit down to a full-fledged meal, my advice is to have a coffee, tea, or hot water with lemon and a fruit. These foods take almost no prep time and give your body something to work with as you’re rushing through the morning routine. Once all the children have left, you will be ready to sit down to a proper breakfast. In the same way you wouldn’t send off your child without first ensuring that he ate a nutritious breakfast (on most days!), you make sure to do the same before you head out or start your own chores.

ARMING YOURSELF: WHY LUNCH IS MOM’S MOST IMPORTANT MEAL On my plan, lunch is the most plentiful meal because I believe that this is when most people need the most energy. Especially mothers, since the kids will soon come home from school kvetchy and tired. There’s bath, homework, supper, and bedtime for Mom to pull off calmly and with a smile. After supper, the day is over. At that point, your body needs to replenish its energy from sleep, not food. If you feel hungry after a small, balanced supper, know that this is your body’s call for bed.

Even if it’s not your official bedtime and you’re feeling hungry, make an early night (which is always a good idea). The next morning, the good feeling you’ll have from exercising self-control will serve as the best start to a great new day.

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, premeasured foods and delicacies sold at supermarkets and restaurants.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 27

Living Well

In Good Shape By Esther Fried, PFC

No Energy Wasted Six Workout Mistakes That Keep You from Seeing Results

How discouraging it is to put in your time at the gym and still not see results! It’s time to stop wasting your energy and start seeing a trimmer, tighter core. Here are some common mistakes people make when they work out that can stall their progress. Find out what you can do to get on track toward getting rid of the flab once and for all.

Mistake: You always do cardio first.

Fat loss takes more than burning calories during a single workout—it requires building metabolism-boosting muscle. But many of us hit the cardio machines first and have lost our steam by the time we hit the weights (if we pick them up at all). Instead, at least for a change, hit the weights first. When you have more energy, you’ll be able to lift heavier weights and get more muscle-building benefits, which will help you burn fat everywhere.

Mistake: You take a break between sets.

When you’re doing weights, if you stop between sets you’re missing out on a major fat-frying opportunity. Even though weight training is anaerobic, if you string four to six exercises together without any breaks between each one, you create an aerobic benefit that makes your heart rate go up, and you burn more calories than you would if you rest between sets. Plus, it creates a bigger afterburn, so you’ll continue burning calories for several hours after your workout.

Mistake: Your weights are too light.

I know, a 2 may be more tempting than a 5 if you’ve had a hard day. But, to get more fat-burning muscle, you need to keep challenging your muscles by lifting heavier weights. If you’ve been working out regularly, increase your weights by roughly 10% for a few moves each workout. For example, if you do eight exercises, increase the weights you use for two of these, while using the same weights for the rest. The following week, choose two more exercises to do with the heavier weights.

Continue this process until you’ve upped the weights for all eight moves. Then start again, going up 10% more for two more exercises at a time. Note: If upping the weights ever compromises your form, go back to the previous load until you’re strong enough to do all reps with good form.

The Wellspring | September 2016 28

Mistake: You’re revving up too often.

If you exercise at a high intensity every workout, you may be overtraining. In addition to putting yourself at risk of injury, it can stall your progress. If you don’t give your body ample time to recover between exercise sessions (such as doing back-to-back strength-training workouts), your muscles are in a constant state of being broken down and aren’t getting the opportunity to repair, which is how you gain fat-torching muscle mass.

Your body also perceives excess exercise as a stressor, which can boost levels of stress hormones and cause you to store rather than shed fat.

Mistake: You rely only on your workout to blast fat.

Even if you’re a committed gym-goer, it may not be enough to fight middle-age spread. Research shows that people who meet the recommended 150 minutes per week of physical activity are still at increased risk of obesity if they spend the majority of their day sitting.

The good news? Research also shows that people who report higher levels of non-exercise activity (such as taking extra trips to the water fountain or doing chores around the house rather than sitting on the couch) have smaller waists than those who are more inactive.

FITNEWS Stopping Exercise Decreases Brain Blood Flow Thinking of stopping your exercise routine during the yom tov season? Here’s an important research study that offers illuminating findings regarding even a short-term exercise break.

In the study, which was published in the August issue of Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, researchers examined cerebral blood flow in master athletes (ages 50-80 years) before and after a 10-day period during which they stopped all exercise. Using MRI brain imaging techniques, they found a significant decrease in blood flow to several brain regions important for cognitive health, including the hippocampus, after they stopped their exercise routines. Your brain needs the exercise for proper functioning so reconsider giving it up even for a short while.

Mistake: You’re still not doing intervals regularly.

Interval training—alternating between high-intensity bursts of movement and a moderate pace—has been shown to amp your metabolism for up to 24 hours post-workout. Australian researchers found that when women performed a 20-minute interval training workout three times per week, they shed nearly 6 pounds more over 12 weeks compared to those who exercised for 40 minutes three times per week at a steady pace.

Aim for 15 to 25 minutes of interval training three to four days per week. If you’re new to intervals or have a lot of weight to lose, start with walking or stationary cycling, which are easier on your joints.

Every person who dedicates time for the gym wants to maximize on the outcome. When you hit the gym next, keep these pointers in mind to avoid mistakes that may cost you time and energy without providing the results you desire.

Make every precious moment count!

September 2016 | The Wellspring 29

Living Well

  The Wellspring | September 2016 30

Cover Feature By Rochel Gordon

Dyslexia: From Despair to Hope Riddled by a Reading Disorder Miriam’s daughter Devorah was never a star student, but when she entered sixth grade, the fateful phone call from the teacher was the final straw. “She wasn’t a young girl, the teacher,” recalls Miriam, “so I was frightened by the confidence with which she attributed Devorah’s issues to an emotional problem.” By the end of the phone call, Miriam was convinced that her only daughter, born after four sons, would be on anti-depressants for the rest of her life.

I

t was true that Devorah exhibited signs of sadness, but Miriam couldn’t get to the bottom of the issue. As a young child, Devorah was a lively, happy child, entertaining the family of boys with her cute phrases and hearty laugh. Over time, however, the spark in her eye was slowly, painfully snuffed out by a sneaky source that left no traces.

“She wasn’t the best student,” says Miriam, “but I saw that she tried, so I never pushed her too much.

She especially hated to do her reading and writing homework, so I often ended up doing a lot of work for her. She’s my only daughter after all.” But, the truth slowly emerged; doing the work for her daughter was not a solution. At school, Devorah not only failed increasingly in her studies as the years progressed, but she also became more withdrawn, isolated, and sad.

As expected, Devorah did not do well at the social and emotional assessment her teacher recommended. But Miriam was desperate to uncover the reason behind it. Was Devorah a victim of bullies in the playground? Had she gotten into a fight with the leader of the class? “We so badly wanted to get to the bottom of it, because it pained us so much to see our daughter suffering in literally every area at school. During the summer months, she blossomed so beautifully, but as soon as she got back to school, she withdrew into her own sad world.”

This piece of information would be the flashing light to the evaluator. “Perhaps she has a learning disability?” she asked gently. “Here’s the phone number of a woman you should call.”

One week later, Devorah, a sixth grader, was diagnosed with dyslexia—finally, but a bit late in the game.

For years, Devorah had struggled to read, but to no avail. Instead of chanting through the rows of text like her classmates, she compensated by using the graphics on the page to understand the context of the sentences.

When her teacher called on her to read, she would mumble under her breath. As the graphics in the textbooks

September 2016 | The Wellspring 31

Living Well

Cover Feature

became more sparing in the older grades, Devorah learned to excuse herself whenever she feared that the teacher would call on her next.

So her primary school years passed in a succession of tension, disappointment, and exasperation. “Why can’t I do what everyone else is doing?” Devorah kept thinking. “Why is something that’s so easy for my friends so hard for me?” And that’s how she retreated into her own world, her self-esteem plummeting in the process.

Indeed, in addition to affecting every area of academics, dyslexia has the potential to devastate a child’s social and emotional world.

When a dyslexic child observes how difficult it is for her to complete a seemingly easy task, her ego suffers a major blow. She ends up becoming anxious and developing low self-esteem, rendering the dyslexia itself a problem of less importance in comparison.

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a hereditary condition characterized by trouble reading despite normal intelligence due to faulty wiring in the brain.

In early childhood, symptoms that correlate with a later diagnosis of dyslexia include delayed onset of speech, difficulty distinguishing between left to right, difficulty with following directions, and a lack of phonological awareness. Preschool children with dyslexia may exhibit signs of difficulty in identifying or generating rhyming words, or counting the number of syllables in words—both of which depend of phonological awareness. They may also show difficulty in segmenting words into individual sounds or may have difficulty blending sounds when producing words. If a child has difficulty with word retrieval or naming things, this may also be associated with dyslexia. Poor spelling is another sign.

Because dyslexia only affects the

left side of the brain, for the most part, dyslexic people are creative and smart, and many of them have superior intelligence than others.

However, in a school system that focuses on exactly the areas dyslexics struggle in, these children end up feeling stupid and incompetent.

Therefore, if dyslexia is not identified early on, it can cause untold damage in all areas of the child’s

acerbates their tension and anxiety.

Research shows that the window of opportunity for effective treatment is until the third grade. If before this point dyslexia is identified and treated properly, the issue can be largely corrected by strengthening the weak reading areas in the brain. However, past that age, intervention only serves as compensation.

Instead of chanting through the rows of text like her classmates, she compensated with the graphics on the page to understand the context of the sentences.

To The Summit Although dyslexia may hamper a child’s academic success at school, if it is properly treated, the child can still have a wonderful school experience and emerge with an unscathed ago.

While dyslexia is 50 percent due to hereditary components, the other 50 percent is due to the environment. In other words, if a child is given help early on, he will not end up with full-blown dyslexia. So while the genetic aspect can’t be controlled, it is incumbent upon parents and educators to address the environmental factors that exacerbate it.

Dyslexic children have the potential to excel in other areas. .

They are also generally gifted in predictable areas such as sports, technology, art, or other creative pursuits. Indeed, many of the inventions we enjoy today are thanks to the creative work of dyslexic people. To name a few, Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, was dyslexic. So was Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO; Walt Disney; Albert Einstein; Steven Spielberg; and Charles Schwab, a prominent guru in the stock market. Many dyslexic individuals end up being successful because they’re not afraid to fail and they’re not afraid to take risks. With their innate creativity, they’re able see what’s missing and fill the need for the benefit of the greater world.

Simply put, if dyslexic children are not helped properly, we lose out an important part of society.

life. Dyslexia is known as the hidden disability because it is not detectible just by looking at the child and many of these kids are smart enough to compensate for their inabilities, either by guessing or finding excuses not to have to read out loud. Compensation helps dyslexic children to a point. When they’re younger, they have the pictures that help them in the guessing game, but when they get older, they have to find different ways to compensate, which only ex-

continued on page 39 The Wellspring | September 2016 32

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

OF Y UTH THE HEALTH MAGAZINE FOR YOUNGSTERS

You walk into the classroom on the very first day of school, your uniform shirt a tad too starched to your liking. Your skirt is so new that the pleats don’t budge and inside, butterflies are having a party in your stomach. Want a trick that will immediately make you feel better?

It’s easy, it’s free, and it’s instant: Straighten your back. Research has proven that a straight back makes the person feel more confident, happy, and self-assured. Even if you’re in a new school and you don’t even recognize one face in the room, your good posture will not only make you feel better physically and in spirit, but it will also make you look more attractive.

And even when you slide into your desk when the teacher finally tells you to take your seat after a long stare, keep your back straight. Check out this month’s feature on all the benefits you will gain from avoiding that slouch.

Wishing you much success in the new school year,

Raizy

KIDS

TEENS

39 Just Wonderi ng

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34 Feature: Good Postu

36 Teen Talk: How to Fast Rig

40 Body Language: Skin

38 Seria l Diary: E

ht

ntry #8

ISSUE 8 SEPTEMBER 2016 ELUL 5776

42

Activities

43 Science Experiment Brought to you by:

Well of Youth

Teen Feature By Raizy Kleinman

STAND UP TALLER! MAINTAINING A HEALTHY POSTURE Do you suffer from kyphosis? Sounds like a scary illness, right? In simple English, it means a hunchback, the condition where there is an exaggerated forward-rounding of the upper back. We don’t only see rounded backs on elderly people; many teens suffer from kyphosis as well.

What is Kyphosis?

What helps you sit up straight at your desk or stand upright when you finally get away from it at recess? Thank your back for that. Running along every person’s back is the spine, which connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body, sending messages through the neurons to all your organs. Also known as the backbone, the spine is made up of a series of vertebrae extending from the skull to the small of the back, enclosing the spinal cord, and providing support for the thorax (the area between the neck and the abdomen) and abdomen.

In a healthy body, the vertebrae are lined up one under the other in a straight line. A hunched back is when the vertebrae in the upper back become increasingly wedge-shaped.

How does that happen? While some people suffer from conditions that contribute to a hunchback, such as osteoporosis or other genetic diseases, adolescent girls who have poor posture are also at great risk of developing this condition. It can actually occur at any age! When the person consistently stands or sits in a slouched position, the vertebrae gradually take the shape of the hunched posture, making it a more permanent form. And while mild kyphosis may not cause any problems other than a slouched look, severe kyphosis can be detrimental to the health of the lungs, nerves, tissues, and organs in the spinal area.

The Wellspring | September 2016 34

Why do you need a good posture?

Good posture is essential to maintaining a healthy mind and body. It helps in aligning the spine and in alleviating common problems like back or neck pain, headaches, and fatigue. Other than improving your health, a good posture also boosts your self-confidence and your carriage. Don’t you feel so much better when your back is straight?

In order to have a good posture, you must first know what it is! A good posture is a straight back, squared shoulders, chin up, chest out, stomach in. In a good posture, you should be able to draw a straight line from your earlobe through your shoulder, hip, and knee, to the middle of your ankle.

With the help of a mirror, align your ears, shoulders, and hips. These points should make a straight line; however, the spine curves naturally in a slight “S” shape. If you are experiencing pain, then look at your side view to see if you’re forcing your spine into an unnatural position. The two natural curves in the spine need to be maintained. These are known as the “double C” or “S” curves and are positioned at the base of the head to the shoulders and from the upper back to the base of the spine. Make sure that your weight is evenly distributed on your feet when standing upright.

What is considered a good standing posture? Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and stand up straight. This is the key to a good standing posture and should be repeated until it becomes second nature for you. Place your weight on the

balls of your feet. When you rest on your heels, you tend to slouch. Now stand up and try to stand on the balls of your feet. Observe the way the rest of your body straightens up. Now tilt back so that your weight shifts to your heels and observe how your entire body shifts into a “slouchy” posture again.

Always keep your shoulders squared and stand up straight. Initially it may feel unnatural, especially if you do not have good posture habits, but keep practicing.

Pull your head backwards and upwards so that you are reaching for the ceiling, and keep your head square on top of your neck and spine while doing this. This technique will not only improve your posture, but will also

make you look taller and leaner.

And now that you’re back at your desk, you need to know what a good sitting posture is. The first rule, obviously, is to sit up straight. Keep your back aligned with the back of the chair, as this will help avoid slouching or leaning forward. When sitting, always keep your shoulders straight and squared, your head upright, and your neck, back, and heels aligned. Although it’s probably more comfortable to cross your legs, especially when you’re on to the fifth period of the day, try to keep both feet on the ground. And between periods, take standing breaks even if you have a good sitting posture. Stand up, walk around, and stretch a little for a few minutes.

EXERCISES FOR GOOD POSTURE Want to avoid a hunchback? In addition to maintaining a good posture, here are some exercises you can do to keep your back straight.

• Pretend to be a penguin by placing your elbows at your sides and touching your shoulders with your hands. Keep your hands on your shoulders with your ears aligned. Raise both elbows and lower them again.

• Teach your body how a good posture feels by standing with your back against a door or wall so that the back of your head, shoulders, and your bottom are lightly touching the wall. Continue practicing this to gain a good posture.

• Stretch or tilt your head in all four directions (forward, back, left, right). Don’t roll in a circle, as it can cause additional strain.

• Get down on your hands and knees and bend your back upwards (cat stretch). Then do the opposite. Repeat a few times daily. This stretch, when done in the morning, helps in relieving the muscle lethargy induced by sleep. If done regularly throughout the day, it helps boost your energy levels.

WHY YOU SHOULD STRAIGHTEN YOUR BACK TODAY: BENEFITS OF GOOD POSTURE Say goodbye to back pain: Good posture is critical to reducing back and neck pain. Slouching can add strain to muscles and put stress on the spine. This can change the anatomical characteristics of the spine, leading to constricted blood vessels and nerves, as well as problems with muscles, discs, and joins. The Cleveland Clinic notes that people who suffer from back pain experience positive changes when they improve their posture.

Look good and feel confident: Needless to say, being upright does wonders for your appearance. You look taller, slimmer and more successful when you sit and stand tall. It is imperative to making a good first impression. A study by researchers at Ohio State University found that sitting upright actually reinforced confidence. Upright participants felt confidence in their thoughts whereas slumped participants were more unsure of their themselves.

Lose weight! You can actually burn up to 350 calories a day by being upright! Chiropractor James Emmett explains that this is because by carrying yourself better, you are “taking tension off the whole body and everything starts to flow better.”

Improve your memory and brain: This one’s a great plus for the new school year! A study conducted by Indiana University focused on how words and memories are linked to posture and found that babies’ learning ability is in fact affected by their posture. Being upright improved their ability to map new experiences and remember things.

Improve your mood: Researcher Erik Peper carried out a range of experiments to test how posture affects energy level and the ability to generate positive and negative thoughts. He found that participants who were upright and dynamic felt more energetic, happier and positive. By contrast, those who slouched reported feeling sad, lonely, and isolated.

Be more productive: Sitting upright makes you more alert, concentrated, and productive. The reason is that when you slouch, your body takes in as much as 30% less oxygen than you’d take in with good posture.

This means that when you slouch, it is much harder to keep your energy up.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 35

Well of Youth

NTH:

THIS MO

Teen Talk By Miri Davis

Sarala’s First Fast:

Meet: Sarala B. Age: 12 Location: Far Rockaway Favorite exercise: volleyball Favorite junk food: Mentos Favorite healthy food: cauliflower (but breaded!)

How To Do It Right

Miri: Very soon, many young girls who’ve turned or will become bas mitzvah over the past few months will fast for the very first time on Tzom Gedalyah or Yom Kippur. How was it for you to fast for the first time on Tishah B’Av? Sarala: Although I felt weak, it was definitely easier than I thought it would be.

Miri: In what way?

Sarala: The thought of not eating or drinking for one whole day really scared me. It sounded like a very adult thing to do. When I was eleven, I barely managed to wait it out until chatzos. But once I knew I had to do it, I just did it. When my father came home from shul after the fast and we all sat down at the table to eat, I thought, “This is it? I thought it would take forever!” But I wouldn’t want to do it again if I didn’t have to.

Miri: The reason we fast is either to commemorate the churban, like on Tishah B’Av, or as a means of teshuvah, like on Yom Kippur. It’s okay for us to feel pain or weakness, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t arm ourselves to fast right. Did you eat any special foods before the fast started?

Sarala: I drank loads of water throughout the week before the fast. I’m not sure how that helps because by the time I woke up on Sunday morning, I was thirsty again!

Miri: You may have felt dry in your throat, but the hydration lasts a while in the body, so you did the right thing. Did you eat any particular foods before the fast?

Sarala: The whole family filled up on grapes and watermelon. It was like a Tu B’Shvat party in the house! But my father kept telling us that it’s only one day and the main thing is to drink enough.

Miri: When did you feel the weakest during the fast?

Sarala: The last two hours weren’t hard because I knew it was almost over. About five o’clock was probably the hardest, but mainly because I was thirsty.

Miri: What would you do differently before your next fast?

Sarala: I would eat less after the fast! I ate so much that night because I kept telling myself that I didn’t eat anything all day, but it made me feel awful.

Fruits Before A Fast: Good Idea or Not? In general, it’s not a good idea to fill up on high-fiber foods right before a fast because this means that the food leaves the body quicker.

However, eating fruit, despite its high fiber content, is worthwhile, since it carries a lot of water in a “timerelease” form. In other words, it will take time for the water in the fruits to enter the bloodstream, hydrating you for another few hours. Because fruit does have a high sugar content, as well, especially fruits like grapes and watermelon, it is never a good idea to eat too much of them.

The Wellspring | September 2016 36

The Nutritionist Weighs In Liba Solomon, CNWC:

Becoming bas mitzvah means that you’ve entered adult territory. Mazel tov! And part of being a Jewish adult is that you are now required to fast several times a year, depending on your family’s minhag.

Although a fast day is meant to make us feel the way we do when we’re lacking food and drink, it is not meant to make us feel so weak or faint that we can’t concentrate on the importance of the day. For example, if you’re feeling too dizzy on Yom Kippur, you won’t have the energy to daven a proper tefillah.

For this reason, it is important for you to take the necessary steps to ensure that you will feel right.

Hydration Most people think the challenge of fasting is feeling “hungry.” In truth, avoiding thirst is much more important. The average person can survive for a month without food, but only three days without water. With proper hydration, not only do you avoid the discomfort of thirst, but

you also swallow more frequently, so your stomach does not feel as empty.

The key to an easy fast is to superhydrate. Starting 24 hours before the fast, drink one cup of water every hour.

Throughout the day, consume a lot of beverages. This will not fill you up, since liquids are absorbed quickly, but it will ensure that you’ve absorbed enough fluids during the day to start the pre-fast meal well hydrated. Don’t drink syrupy beverages, which provide empty calories. Stick to pure water for best results.

Thirst-inducing foods

In addition to focusing on hydration, stay away from the foods that cause your body to get rid of water. Avoid chocolate, tea, cola, and coffee because they all contain caffeine, which has diuretic effects when consumed in large amounts (3+ cups daily).

The other problematic food—salt— is well-known for causing thirst.

Avoid salty foods such as pickles, cold cuts, cheese, canned fish, and smoked fish. Stay away from spicy foods as well.

Slow and Steady The trick is not to “stock up.”

Overeating before a fast will only make you feel uncomfortable during the fast. It won’t provide you with the energy you need on that day.

Especially if you’re fasting for the first time, you may have an urge to save up for later, but the body doesn’t work that way.

The morning before the fast, start with a large breakfast, based on cereals, breads, and fruits, which will provide you with energy during the day. These high-fiber foods won’t keep you full until the pre-fast meal, which is when you want to have a hearty appetite. Eat a moderate

lunch, early enough so that you will have an appetite for the final meal before the fast.

Start the final meal at least an hour before the fast begins, so there is no rush to eat quickly.

Smart Food Choices Although it is a great idea to eat lots of vegetables and proteins throughout the year, before a fast you should also fill up on healthy carbs, such as sweet potatoes and brown rice. These foods will keep you satiated for longer as they aren’t digested as quickly as other foods.

Breaking the Fast Even if you’ve prepared well for the fast, you will be hungry afterward.

Be sure not to eat too quickly at the post-fast meal. Begin with water, and then a fruit or a glass of juice. These put sugar into the bloodstream and occupy space in the stomach, discouraging you from eating too rapidly.

You probably want to party on rugelach first, but avoid pastries and sugary drinks, whose heavy glucose content can shock the digestive system. To prevent overeating, eat one portion and then take a halfhour break. Otherwise, the break-fast meal may turn into a weight-gain event (and a stomachache). Since the body protects itself from starvation when you are not eating by slowing down the rate at which it burns food, the calories you take on right after a fast will stay with you a lot longer than those acquired when your metabolism is functioning at full speed.

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.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 37

Well of Youth

Serial Diary By Sheva Berger

Dear Diary,

September 12, 2007 Right after I learned how to eat right to keep my blood sugar levels in the healthy range, I was busy checking labels all day. But what about foods that don’t have labels, like fruits? I’ve learned how many grams of carbs every fruit has and I remember the count in my mind. A banana, for example, has 27 while an apple has 20. An orange has only 11 grams! In the beginning, it took me time to calculate how many grams of carbs every meal has. By now, I basically know how many grams of carbs most of the foods I usually eat have so I can prepare a meal in no time.

When I bring my lunch to school every day, some friends will say, “You brought your own stuff again?” I’ve learned to pack up my foods all on my own every morning. I like to take a whole-wheat sandwich with tuna and lettuce and a box drink of chocolate milk. Yum! My meals are so healthy but also so delicious. Before I sit down to my meal, I go to the school secretary and take out my insulin shot from her drawer. She is the only one in the whole building that knows my secret.

As long as I know how many carbs I’m eating, I feel great and regular. But sometimes, when I’m not so careful, scary things can happen. I want to tell you what happened the last week of day camp. To celebrate the end of the summer, our counselor announced that we would have an ice cream party. Of course, everyone was all excited. The

A Different Kind of Sweet: Living with Juvenile Diabetes

counselor brought out four different flavors of ice cream: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and my favorite—cookies and cream. She also put out a lot of different toppings like chocolate syrup, colored sprinkles, and nut crunch.

Every kid got a chance to choose whatever she wanted and the counselor put it into a cone.

When it was my turn to choose, I was too excited to think about my sugar levels. I had eaten lunch only one hour before so I knew that the insulin was still in my blood, but the amount of sugar I ate was just too much.

Suddenly, as I was licking another spoonful of cookies and cream with chocolate chips, I started feeling very dizzy. The sugar levels in my body were probably sky high! The whole room was spinning before my eyes and I quickly sat down. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, hoping that no one was realizing what was happening to me. After all, this is my greatest fear. My parents want this to be a secret!

While I sat in the chair, slowly getting back to myself, the ice cream dripped away on my skirt. I watched the other girls licking excitedly all around me, and it was the first time in my life that I felt sad about my situation.

Not because I couldn’t finish my ice cream, but because I couldn’t even tell my best friend about what had happened.

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 | September 2016 38

Dear Kids, What do you think is your body’s biggest organ? Are you thinking about the lungs or heart? The answer may surprise you: it’s the skin! Although it’s stretched thin and the outside layer is mostly transparent, your skin covers you all around. Without skin, your muscles, bones, and organs would be floating all over the place! It’s the durable wrapping that keeps you safe and sound inside.

Here’s an interesting tidbit regarding skin. Gary Turner holds the Guinness World record for the stretchiest skin. He can stretch the skin on his abdomen an amazing 6.25 inches. That’s almost the length of a pencil! Which part of the skin gives it the ability to stretch so easily? Check out this issue’s feature “Under the Surface” to get acquainted with this wondrous organ that has so much more to it than meets the eye.

Good luck in your new school year and with removing those pen marks from your skin!

Dina

Tehilla, age 9, asks: I always wonder what makes me sneeze.

From one second to the next, I get an urge to sneeze and I don’t know what it’s all about. Can you explain what makes me sneeze?

Also, my friend told me that if I look at the light, the sneeze will come. Is that true?

JUST WONDERING

When you sneeze it means that something was probably irritating or tickling the inside of your nose. Sneezing, also called sternutation, is your body’s way of removing an irritation from your nose.

When the inside of your nose gets a tickle, a message is sent to a special part of your brain called the sneeze center. The sneeze center then sends a message to all the muscles that have to work together to create the amazingly complicated process that we call the sneeze.

Some of the muscles involved are the abdominal (tummy) muscles, the chest muscles, the diaphragm (the large muscle beneath your lungs that makes you breathe), the muscles that control your vocal cords, and muscles in the back of your throat.

Don’t forget the eyelid muscles! Did you know that you always close your eyes when you sneeze?

It is the job of the sneeze center to make all these muscles work together, in just the right order, to send that irritation flying out of your nose. And fly it does—sneezing can send tiny particles speeding out of your nose at up to 100 miles per hour!

Your friend is right about the bright light! Do you know anyone who sneezes when they step outside into the sunshine? About one out of every three people sneezes when exposed to bright light. They are called photic sneezers (photic means light). Most people have some sensitivity to light that can trigger a sneeze.

Have you ever had the feeling that you are about to sneeze, but it just gets stuck? Next time that happens, try looking toward a bright light briefly (but don’t look right into the sun) and that will unstick a stuck sneeze!

Have a health or science question you’ve been wondering about?

Send it in to us to get an enlightening answer.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 39

Well of Youth

Body Language By Dina

Let's Explore Your... SKIN UNDER THE SURFACE

Are you ready to crawl under your skin and get acquainted with your body’s biggest organ? When you look around your classroom, you’ll notice that some of your classmates are dark-skinned, others lighter-skinned, and others fair-skinned. Now that the summer vacation has just come to an end, your friends may be darker than usual. But the color you see on the skin’s surface is only one part of the picture. Let’s take a peek underneath!

THE THREE LAYERS

Although the skin may seem like one thin, transparent layer to you, it is made up of three layers, each with its own important components. The layer on the outside, and the only part you can see, is called the epidermis.

Look down at your hands for a minute. Even though you can’t see anything happening, your epidermis is hard at work. At the bottom of the epidermis, new skin cells are forming constantly. When these cells are ready, they start moving toward the top of your epidermis. This trip takes about two weeks to a month. As newer cells continue to move up, older cells near the top die and rise to the surface of your skin. What you see on your hands (and everywhere else on your body) are really dead skin cells.

These old cells are tough and strong, just right for covering your body and protecting it. But they only stick around for a little while; soon, they’ll flake off. Though you can’t see it happening, every minute you lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.

So, just in the time it took you to read this far, you’ve probably lost about 40,000 cells! That’s almost 9 pounds (4 kilograms) of cells every year! But if you’re afraid your skin might wear out someday, rest assured.

Your epidermis is always making new skin cells that rise to the top to replace the old ones. Most of the cells in your epidermis (95%) work to make new skin cells. How kind of them!

The next layer of skin, which is hidden under the epidermis, is the dermis. It contains nerve endings, blood vessels, oil glands, and sweat glands. It also contains collagen and elastin, which are tough and stretchy.

The nerve endings in your dermis tell you how things feel when you touch them. They work with your brain and nervous system, so that your brain gets the message about what you’re touching. Is it the soft fur of your new coat or the rough surface of the playground floor?

Sometimes what you feel is dangerous, so the nerve endings work with your muscles to keep you from getting hurt. If you touch something hot, the nerve endings in your dermis respond right away: “Ouch! That’s hot!” The nerves quickly send this message to the brain or spinal cord, which then immediately commands the muscles to take your hand away. This all happens in a split second, without you even thinking about it.

Your dermis is also full of tiny blood vessels. These keep your skin cells healthy by bringing them the oxygen and nutrients they need and by taking away waste. These blood vessels are hard to see in kids, but you might get a better look if you check out your grandparents’ skin. As the dermis gets older, it gets thinner and easier to see through.

The third and bottom layer of the skin is called the subcutaneous layer. It is made mostly of fat and helps your body stay warm, as well as absorbing shocks, like if you bang into something or fall down. The subcutaneous layer also helps to connect your skin to all the tissues underneath it. This layer is where you’ll find the beginning of your hair.

Each hair on your body grows out of a tiny tube in the skin called a follicle. Every follicle has its roots way down in the subcutaneous layer and continues up through the dermis.

If you read last issue’s feature, you know that you have hair follicles all over your body, except on your lips, the palms of your hands, and the soles of your feet. And you have more hair follicles in some places than in others—there are more than 100,000 follicles on your head alone!

Your hair follicles rely on the sebaceous glands to bring on the shine.

Connected to each follicle in the dermis layer is a tiny sebaceous gland that releases sebum onto the hair. This lightly coats the hair with oil, giving it some shine and a little waterproofing.

The Wellspring | September 2016 40

10 Things to Think About:

As you transform from a child to a teenager, you may notice that the baby skin you had in your younger years is gradually becoming speckled with a new addition: pimples. That’s a totally normal part of growing up!

Although polar bears have both white and transparent fur, their skin is actually black!

Skin accounts for 15% of your body weight. That’s a number for something so flimsy, right? It means we have a lot of it!

You surely noticed that the skin on your hand looks different than your grandmother’s. Why do wrinkles form on her skin and not on yours? When we’re young, we don’t have wrinkles because the skin does a great job of stretching and holding in moisture. The dermis has an elastic quality thanks to fibers called elastin and a protein called collagen that keep the skin looking and feeling young.

However, over time, the dermis loses both collagen and elastin, so skin gets thinner and has trouble getting enough moisture to the epidermis. When the fat in the subcutaneous layer that gives skin a plump appearance also begins to disappear, the epidermis starts to sag, and wrinkles form.

Does your newborn baby brother look darkskinned? This may not be his permanent color. It takes up to six months for babies to develop their permanent skin tone.

If you think that popping pimples is the best way to get rid of them, think again. The fact is that picking or popping your pimples pushes germs further under your skin, which could cause more redness, pain, and maybe even a nasty infection.

And popping zits can lead to the production of scar tissue, which lacks sweat and hair glands, making your skin appear different in that spot.

Every inch of your skin has an exact stretchiness and strength for its location.

For example, the skin of your knuckles is very different to the skin on your neck.

The average skin, when stretched out, is 2 square meters! The thinnest skin is on your eyelids. It is 0.02 millimeters thick! The thickest thin, which is 1.4 millimeters deep, is on your feet.

You’ve got a freckled-faced friend? Here’s why she sports those cute little dots all over. Freckles are just pigment cells (cells that contain color) that are contained within the skin in small batches. They’re usually tan or light brown, flat, and very small. Sometimes they overlap and run together so they may look larger.

Ever wondered why there was so much dust in your house? Over 50% of that dust is actually dead skin!

WHAT’S THE WEATHER INSIDE?

Your skin can help if you’re feeling too hot or too cold. Your blood vessels, hair, and sweat glands cooperate to keep your body at just the right temperature, around 98.6°F (37°C), to keep you healthy. When you run around in the heat, you could get overheated, and when you play outside in the cold, your inner temperature could drop. Either way, your skin can help.

How? The skin responds to messages sent out by your hypothalamus, the brain’s inner thermometer. If you’ve been running around on a hot day, your blood vessels get a signal from the hypothalamus to release some of your body’s heat. They do this by bringing warm blood closer to the surface of your skin. That’s why you sometimes get a red face when you run around. To further cool you down, sweat glands swing into action by making lots of sweat to release body heat into the air. The hotter you are, the more sweat your glands make! Once the sweat hits the air, it evaporates (it changes from a liquid to a vapor) off your skin, and you cool down. Your skin serves as a built in cooler!

What about when you’re making snowmen in freezing weather? When you’re cold, your blood vessels keep your body from losing heat by narrowing as much as possible and keeping the warm blood away from the skin’s surface. You might notice tiny bumps on your skin. Most kids call these goosebumps, but the fancy name for the reflex that produces them is the pilomotor reflex. This makes special tiny muscles called the erector pili muscles pull on your hairs so they stand up very straight. So your skin isn’t that thin, flimsy layer it appears to be after all!

September 2016 | The Wellspring 41

Well of Youth

Children‘s Activities By Chavy

Win $

Color by Number is so much fun! Add up the sums to find out which colors to use.

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1- YELLOW 3- RED 7- PINK 10- LT. BROWN 12- BROWN 14- GREY 15- BLACK

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5x 3

7+8

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5x 2

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20-8 2x 6 15-1 3x 1

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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

The Wellspring | September 2016 42

Last Month’s Winners: Rivky Leitner, Boro Park Ruchy Klein, Boro Park

5+2

Science Experiment By Leah Brach

Our skin has built-in touch receptors that help us identify objects by feel. While the skin has more touch receptors in some areas of the body than in others, our fingers do the best job at feeling objects.

In this experiment, you and your friend will learn about how our touch receptors help us determine which item we’re holding even when we can’t see it.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • A medium-sized cardboard box • Scissors • One long gym sock • Items to fill the pillowcase

(for example, cup, spoon, ball, block, fruit,

sponge, rock, a small bell, cotton ball, pine cone, feather, wood letters or numbers)

WHAT YOU’LL DO: 1. Cut a hole in two different sides of the box. The hole should be big enough for your friend’s hand to fit into.

2. Use strong tape to attach a long gym sock over one hole, so your friend can put her hand in the sock and reach into the box. Leave the other hole open.

3. Add items to the box.

4. Have your friend reach into the box and try to identify objects.

5. See how many items your friend can identify while wearing the sock on one hand to impair her sense of touch. See if she can figure out more items when reaching directly into the box through the open hole.

WHY IS YOUR FRIEND DARKER THAN YOU?

You know that 95% of your epidermis cells are hard at work making new skin cells. But what about the other 5%? They make a substance called melanin, which gives skin its color. The darker your skin, the more melanin you have. So now you know why one friend is dark-skinned and the other lighter. It’s all a matter of how much melanin their skin produces. When you go out in the sun, these cells make extra melanin to protect you from getting burned by the sun’s ultraviolet, or UV, rays. That’s why your skin gets tanned if you spend a lot of time in the sun. But even though melanin is mighty, it can’t shield you all by itself. You’ll want to wear sunscreen and protective clothing, such as a hat, to prevent painful sunburns.

KEEP IT CLEAN!

Unlike other organs (like your lungs, heart, and brain), your skin likes a good washing. When washing your skin, use water and a mild soap. And don’t forget to cover scrapes and cuts with gauze or a bandage. This keeps the dirt out and helps prevent infections. It’s just one way to be kind to the skin you’re in!

September 2016 | The Wellspring 43

Keep that smile shining bright!

Calcium plays a pivotal role in promoting tooth strength and preventing tooth decay.

A lack of calcium in your body can lead to major issues with your teeth and numerous visits to the dentist. Vitamins D3 and K2 work to direct calcium to the right areas of your body, to ensure your bones and teeth receive the intake they require. Tooth pain and nuisance can be avoided with Maxi’s winning calcium formulas.

A combination of Cal Mag K-D OR Vitamin K2 with D3 is the perfect answer to maintaining strong teeth!

Warning: do not use these products with Coumadin (Warfarin) unless advised by your healthcare practitioner.

maxihealth.com 800.544.MAXI info@maxihealth.com

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

Avoid The Pain

continued from page 26

EXPLODING THE TOP FIVE DYSLEXIA MYTHS 1.

Dyslexics can’t read.

They sure can, but the process will be slower. In general, it takes a dyslexic person five times longer to read a sentence than the average person.

3.

Dyslexia is uncommon.

Sorry to break the news to you, but dyslexia is actually very common.

Based on a study performed by husband-and-wife team Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz of the Yale

4.

Dyslexia occurs due to a lack of motivation or low intelligence.

2.

Dyslexics see the letters backward or mirrored.

Dyslexics see the letters the same way the average person does. Their issue lies in how they process the information they see or hear.

Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, one in five American children has trouble reading. Their longitudinal study, which started in 1983 and continues until today, followed all of the Pre 1-A students in the Connecticut public school system, providing many findings regarding education.

Dyslexics are typically motivated and bright. They are not able do what others can because their brain is wired differently. However, once they are taught the way they need to be taught, they do well.

5.

Dyslexics are low achievers.

In life, these kids do very well. 35 percent of dyslexics end up being entrepreneurs,

the top at the field they choose. Another 35 percent, however, end up in the jail system as a result of their condition being untreated, leading to compromised social and emotional stability.

September 2016 | The Wellspring  45

Living Well

Cover Feature

An Inside View: Q&A with Dr. Rinat Green PSYCHOLOGIST AND FOUNDER OF KOL KOREH, AN ISRAEL-BASED ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK OF SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND EDUCATORS DEALING WITH DYSLEXIA WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL ENCOUNTER WITH DYSLEXIA? I have a background in psychology, with a doctorate in clinical and school psychology. But I became more involved in the field of reading disorders when my second child was in first grade.

He was diagnosed with dyslexia, and at that point I had some suspicions about my daughter under him, as well, which were later confirmed.

HOW DID YOUR CHILDREN’S CONDITION SPUR YOU TO TAKE A ROLE IN DYSLEXIA ADVOCACY AND TREATMENT? When we moved to Israel from the States, because of my knowledge in the field, I knew what type of teachers and support to look for. Before we moved, I was able to get the support they would need. But once we got here, I saw that the issue was greater. Some of the kids sitting right next to mine were struggling in a similar way to my children and were being misunderstood. And even my children were misunderstood by their teachers. To many educators, dyslexia is a sign of reduced intelligence. It isn’t. I was surprised by the lack of awareness from the school’s perspective, as well as from the parents’ perspective. Many parents think that tutoring will solve their child’s problem, while dyslexia requires a very specific kind of intervention. My desire to help these children and provide them with the intervention they need, and my realization of the profound lack of resources and support spurred me to take a stand in the field.

HOW DID YOU REACH OUT TO PARENTS TO LET THEM KNOW OF YOUR WORK? I put out ads looking for these kids because I wanted to find a way to help them. Incredibly, I was flooded with phone calls, even from people in other neighborhoods. I kept hearing the same chorus from the parents—that they were spending lots of money on tutors, usually for more than one child in the family, but they weren’t seeing improvement. Many parents were questioning whether to place their child in a special education classroom because they were struggling in basically every subject. But in those classrooms, they would encounter children with an array of other kinds of problems. Instead of receiving individualized support for their specific issue, which would improve their success in all affected areas, they would unfortunately end up in a problematic arrangement where it was impossible to cater to every child’s different makeup.

Based on the number of phone calls I was receiving, I urged the parents to ask for support in arranging small classes specifically for language-based issues, rather than grouping them with the children who had other problems in the same class.

WHAT KIND OF ADVOCACY DO YOU DO ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA? Through Kol Koreh, I advocate for kids who fall between the

The Wellspring | September 2016 46

cracks in the educational system. I urge lawmakers, educators and parents to give these children evidence-based interventions in a timely manner. Parents and educators are often not aware how early these issues can actually be detect so I’m working toward raising awareness about early detection followed by correct evidence-based intervention.

HOW EARLY CAN DYSLEXIA BE DETECTED? The risks for reading failure can already be picked out in kids by the beginning of kindergarten. These are the kids who typically don’t have an advanced vocabulary. They end up mixing up long words like hopsital for hospital and pasghetti for spaghetti.

They have a hard time picking out rhymes, and they’re not as sensitive to the sound system of language. The sound is not as crisp in the brain, so they have a hard time retrieving the correct sound even if they know it in their head. And this is all before we even start introducing letters.

SO IF DYSLEXIA IS AN ISSUE IN THE BRAIN, IS IT AN AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER? There is an auditory element to it, but dyslexia is a problem in the wiring of the brain. It’s the inability to be able to differentiate between the different specific sounds that make up language. To dyslexics, for instance, the word cat is one sound, while it’s really made up of three. They have to learn to tease apart the sounds that make up a word and then bring them together. This must all happen before they even learn to read.

WHEN A DYSLEXIC KID LOOKS AT A PAGE, WHAT DOES HE SEE? Dyslexia is not a visual issue. It’s a myth that dyslexic people see letters backward. They see letters just like you and me.

So why do they have a hard time reading? Let’s understand it through the following example. If someone speaks to you in French, you hear every word. But if you’re asked to repeat it afterward, you won’t repeat it exactly right because you simply didn’t process it right. It’s not about the letters being backward or flipped. It’s about the way the child processes the information. Unfortunately, because of this myth, many kids don’t get diagnosed correctly. Their parents think that because they are not flipping all their letters they’re not dyslexic, which is not true.

HOW SHOULD DYSLEXIA BE TREATED? One excellent approach that helps these kids master the English language is the Orton-Gilligham system, which was developed in the early 1900’s by neuropsychiatrist Samuel Torrey Orton and educator and psychologist Anna Gillingham. These two professionals took the entire English language and dissected it, from the most common sound to the least common sound. This approach has four basic elements. It must be intensive, which means that it must be practiced daily for at least

three times week. It has be explicit, meaning that the sound is pronounced exactly the way it should be. For example, the letter /m/ is pronounced ‘m’ and not ‘mah.’ A third characteristic of this system is that it is direct. Contrary to how untreated dyslexic kids learn to tease out the meaning of words based on context or graphics, there is no guessing involved in this method. And lastly, it’s multi-sensory, which means that the students use more than one modality to acquire the information. This system is very organized and predictable. Because the child knows exactly what to expect, he is able to slowly break the code and learn to read. It’s important to note that dyslexia is on a continuum. Most kids can learn to read to a point, but it also depends on the severity of the dyslexia and the time and type of intervention.

AS AN EXPERT IN THE FIELD, WHAT DO THINK IS THE KEY TO A DYSLEXIC CHILD’S SUCCESS? I have no doubt that it’s early detection followed by correct evidence-based intervention. These two factors can greatly improve not only the child’s reading ability but also his self-esteem and general success. Dyslexia affects 1 in 5, so in a class of 30 students, you will have 5-6 kids struggling with dyslexia. Ideally, during the first part of the kindergarten year, all kids should be given a quick assessment for phonemic awareness. This will check for their ability to tease apart the sounds that make up words before they learn to read. Questions that are usually asked during this assessment are, “What would this word be if I take out the beginning sound? The end sound?” There are specific tests for this purpose.

I also advise that the testing includes a rapid automatic naming exercise. In this activity, children are presented with pictures, letters, and numbers and asked to name them. Based on the speed of the answers, the educator will see how quickly the child can spit out words. By kindergarten, 80% of kindergarteners will intuitively know the answers while the other 20% will need to be taught.

HOW DOES THIS EXERCISE SHED LIGHT ON A STUDENT’S READING ABILITY? It’s important to look at at rapid automatic naming because reading really involves two things: the ability to construct and break apart words and fluency. This exercise highlights fluency issues in the brain. Some kids struggle in only one area while some struggle with both. If the educator spots a kid with a difficulty, which she surely will based on the statistics, she can already start an evidence-based intervention in kindergarten so that when the child is in first grade she will be on a completely different footing.

WHAT HAPPENS IF DYSLEXIA IS LEFT UNDETECTED? By the time a kid is in fifth or sixth grade, it becomes too draining to compensate.The child can’t pretend that she knows what’s going on from the pictures because there usually are none, and she can’t keep asking to leave the room when the teacher calls on her to read. At that point, the teacher or parents might think that the child has a behavioral or emotional issue because the child’s self-esteem will be plummeting. Also,

an educator might attribute the problem to a reading comprehension issue, while the real reason for the child’s blank face is because she can’t read the text in the first place.

So even when attention is drawn to the fact that the child has a problem, she may not necessarily be correctly diagnosed. And if she gets help for the wrong problem, that only exacerbates her fragile self-image and desire to succeed.

I strongly believe that dyslexia and attention should be the first two issues to be ruled outaside from possible emotional trauma in any problematic academic circumstance before intervention is started.

DOES DYSLEXIA PLAY OUT DIFFERENTLY IN EVERY LANGUAGE? HOW ABOUT READING IN LASHON HAKODESH, YIDDISH, OR ANY OTHER LANGUAGE? If someone is dyslexic, the symptoms appear in all languages.

Lashon hakodesh is a phonetic language, which means that there is a direct relationship between the spelling and the sound, as opposed to English which has a deep phonological system where it’s possible for the same letter, such as the vowel /a/, to be pronounced in a number of different ways. The hard part of attaining the skill of reading and speaking lashon hakodesh is that more letters look similar to one another, like reish and dalet.

Also, in English, only a few words have the same letters flipped within a word, such as stop and spot, dairy and diary. In lashon hakodesh, it happens much more frequently. For instance, a simple change of a vowel turns sefer, book, to sapar, hairdresser.

IF DYSLEXIA IS TREATED PROPERLY, DOES IT HAVE AN EFFECT IN ADULTHOOD? They brain’s neurological layout of individuals with dyslexia is different from those who are not dyslexic. Although individuals with dyslexia can get the proper support to strengthen the weak reading areas, their brains are wired in a different way from those who are not dyslexic, which also explains their typically strong creative side. When these individuals get the intervention they need they are spared the anxiety, embarrassment, repeated failures and diminished self-esteem that often plague those who are not identified. Yet, even as adults, their brains are wired toward dyslexia.

If someone has a tendency to be overweight, they will never be in the same category as someone who’s naturally skinny.

Sure, they can be thin, but they have to work harder to make it happen. In the same way, a person with dyslexia always has the condition, so these adults will always have to work harder to read or write, but it doesn’t have to diminish their quality of life.

It’s interesting to note that it’s not uncommon for parents to come in to see me for a consultation because they’re not quite sure what’s going on with their child, and as we talk, it emerges that not only does the child have dyslexia but the parent does too.The parent will say, “You know something? I was wondering why I always had a hard time writing reports or reading a book.

I was always bad with spelling.” It may have been that the parent’s case was mild, so he compensated, but then the child has severe dyslexia, which is much harder to cover up.

Dr. Green can be contacted through The Wellspring.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 47

Living Well

Healthy Home Habits By Batsheva Fine

Tried and True More Milk

Tips on Increasing Breastmilk Supply When my first two children were babies, as soon as I realized that nursing wouldn’t work for me due to my almost nonexistent milk supply, I resorted to bottles. Although I was reluctant about nourishing my babies with second best, I thought I had no choice. With the impending birth of my third child however, I’ve decided that it’s time to give breastfeeding another shot.

I’ve read and heard so much about the benefits of breastfeeding that I want to do my all to make it happen. What advice can you give me?

Shavy Montreal mother of seven: You may get some good ideas from fellow moms, but if you’re adamant enough to become a breastfeeding mother, I highly recommend seeing a lactation consultant. I came to my senses by baby number three, also thinking until then that nursing was not for me. After a few sessions with the consultant, who taught me how to position myself and the baby for proper latching, the magic happened.

Chantzy Boro Park mother of three: I’ve been making these lactation cookies for a few years now. Besides for being a healthy and filling breakfast, which nursing moms surely need, they also contain Brewer’s Yeast, which is supposed to be helpful in increasing milk supply. I find that on hectic mornings, when I’m famished after a night of nursing, this replenishes my nutrients and my milk supply.

1/2 cup butter, 1 cup applesauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 Tbsp water, 2 Tbsp flax seed meal, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 3 cups oats, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup cranberries, 2-4 Tbsp Brewer’s Yeast.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the flax seed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Beat butter, applesauce, sugar, and brown sugar well. Add eggs and mix well. Add flax seed mix and vanilla, beat well. Sift together flour, brewer’s yeast, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mix. Stir in oats, cranberries, and chips. Scoop onto baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to set for a couple minutes and then remove from tray.

Yehudis Chicago mother of five: Are you drinking enough? I was sure that I would never be able to breastfeed until my mother pointed out that I must make sure to drink enough fluid. I started drinking enough water to keep my urine clear, and I also eat lots of soups while nursing. Also, try to avoid bottles or pacifiers from the start for at least two weeks. The baby should learn to suck only at feedings, which will help him learn to suck properly.

The Wellspring | September 2016 48

Nursing works by supply and demand, so nurse often. Pump for a few minutes after you’re done with each feeding because this sends a vital message to the brain for more milk to be produced. The second most important factor to having a full milk supply is hydration. During pregnancy, a woman should drink 8-12 cups of water.

While nursing, that amount increases to 12 cups. Keep a bottle of water near your bed. Drink before and after sleeping, and before and after nursing. Keep drinking. It is normal to feel famished during a nursing session, but often those hunger pangs are just the body’s way of misinterpreting the thirst for more water.

Take good care of yourself. Nourishing food and adequate sleep go a long way in helping the nursing mother. In addition, some really effective nutrients to add to your diet are almond butter, as well as all seeds and nuts, which make the milk rich and abundant. Mother’s Milk Tea can be found in all health food stores. And supplements like Maxi Health’s Maxi Lactation Pure & More™ work really well. In severe cases, your OB can prescribe hormonebased prescriptions to increase your milk supply.

Sury Gruber is the founder of Birth Connections, a highly popular listen-by-phone childbirth, postpartum, and lactation class. She can be reached through The Wellspring.

Toby Lakewood mother of three: Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. I know it’s hard to tell this to a busy mother of a newborn, but this is what works for me. It’s unbelievable how much fussier my baby is when mom doesn’t get her sleep.

And it doesn’t help that mom is fussy too!

Smart Solution Maxi Health Joins the Conversation There’s a reason you want to provide your child with mother’s milk, and your reasoning is right. The lab experts at Maxi Health have created a product with mothers like you in mind. With Maxi Lactation Pure & More™, every mother gets a chance to enjoy a positive breastfeeding experience. This supplement has all the right nutrients for the job, containing a unique blend of alfalfa, anise, barley grass, fennel, fenugreek, inositol, citrus bioflavonoids, marshmallow root, nettle leaf, red raspberry, and spirulina.

The herbs alfalfa and nettle leaf, for instance, are known to increase liquids in the body. Many midwives even suggest that alfalfa be consumed for at least six weeks before birth because of its healing and breastmilk-producing qualities.

Herbs like fennel and fenugreek have the added benefit of not only increasing milk supply by 50% in many cases, but are also helpful in relieving symptoms of gas or an upset stomach. Red raspberry leaf both helps increase milk production as well as toning the uterus, helping it recover after birth. Many of these herbs also have high vitamin and mineral contents, which are essential for both mother and baby. Marshmallow root is also used to increase milk supply, but it doesn’t work on its own. In Maxi Lactation Pure & More™, you get the entire combination of these milk-increasing herbs to ensure that you and your child have a most beautiful breastfeeding experience.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 49

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

Sury Gruber lactation consultant:

Living Well

Monthly Dose By Dina Mendlowitz

THE INFLAMMATION FIGHTER Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response; without it, we can’t heal. But when inflammation sky-rockets out of control—such as in rheumatoid arthritis—it can damage the body. In addition, inflammation is thought to play a role in obesity, heart disease, and cancer.

WHAT IS INFLAMMATION?

Inflammation is the key word in a host of illnesses and conditions. The simplest form of inflammation is when a wound swells up and turns red and hot. Generally speaking, inflammation occurs when the immune system fights something that it views as potentially harmful, whether bacteria colonizing a wound on your finger or a virus in your intestines. To protect itself, the body arms itself to combat the stimulus. When a pathogen such as a bacteria, virus, or fungus enters a wound, it causes the telltale signs of redness and swelling that characterize infection.

External injuries like scrapes or foreign objects like a splinter becoming imbedded in the flesh, as well as the effects of chemicals or radiation also cause inflammation.

But these are not the only causes, there is a host of diseases and conditions associated with inflammation— think of the many conditions you know that end in -itis. From cystitis, an inIs the inflammation getting to you? Try this super-healthy de-inflammatory shake for breakfast, after you’ve taken your daily dose of Anti-Flame!

De-Inflaming Shake 1 cup of organic coconut milk 1/2 - 1 cup of frozen blueberries 1-2 scoops of NatureMax Energize whey protein™ 1 Tbsp of ground flax/chia 1 Tbsp of turmeric 1 Tbsp of Boswellia 1 Tbsp of cinnamon Pinch of salt Blend and enjoy!

The Wellspring | September 2016 50

flammation of the bladder, to bronchitis, an inflammation of the bronchi in the lungs, and otitis media, an inflammation of the ear, inflammation can manifest itself in every organ. While some instances of inflammation, like an ear infection, are relatively manageable and mild, others, such as arthritis or colitis, are chronic, severely painful, and potentially incapacitating. Arthritis, for example, is a particularity common inflammatory condition that can be painful and incapacitating. Arming yourself with the proper ammunition against inflammation is thus vital.

The five signs that indicate an acute inflammation are redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function. If an internal organ is inflamed, the first four, external symptoms will not be apparent, but the loss of function may be particularly noticeable. For instance, if the bronchi are inflamed, one’s breathing will become laborious. Some inflammations do not exhibit any symptoms whatsoever, but wreak havoc in the body nevertheless.

If the inflammation is severe, it may cause general reactions in the body like fever and exhaustion, which are results of the body’s heightened activity in warding off the stimulus causing the infection. Changes in the blood, such as an increased number of defense cells, are other response mechanisms used by the body, which focuses all of its energy on the immune system in an effort to combat what it sees as a harmful stimulus.

Although inflammation is often a helpful response, in certain diseases, such as psoriasis and arthritis, the body fights against its own cells, causing harmful inflammatory responses.

What can an inflammation sufferer

do to decrease the inflammation and its unpleasant symptoms?

MAXI HEALTH ANTI-FLAME™

Anti-Flame™ is an invaluable supplement. Made from a unique combination of herbs, it aids the body in dealing with inflammation. Because inflammation is generally painful, the nutrients contained in Anti-Flame™ are geared to provide pain relief. Anti-Flame’s main ingredient, Curcumin, promotes the body’s response to inflammation by inhibiting key inflammatory factors such as NF-kappaB, a protein molecule that acts like an “on-switch” in genes that govern the body’s pro-inflammatory responses. The Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences cites several studies that reveal that Curcumin has the ability to exert powerful inhibitory effects on NF-kappaB activation.

Its extract promotes immune system health by inhibiting histamine release from mast cells.

Curcumin is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in the spice turmeric. The turmeric used in Anti-Flame™ is called Turmeric BCM-95 and is very different than the standard turmeric used in turmeric capsules.

The 100% pure extract of turmeric found in BCM-95® derives its powerful health-promoting benefits from the colorful and aromatic qualities of this Indian spice. BCM-95® has been studied in many animal models and in human clinical studies for its powerful support to a healthy inflammatory response, as well as its anti-oxidant, mood-regulating, cognitive, and other health benefits. The ‘95’ in the BCM-95® trade-

mark entails the patented composition of this potent curcumin-essential oil complex (CEC) mixture: 86% curcuminoids, plus 7-9% essential oils. In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2011, researcher Leray found that BCM-95® offers anti-inflammatory benefits to obese cats.

But curcumin alone does not do the full job. Together with boswellia, bromelain, and MSM, it provides the anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects the body needs. Boswellia is particularly helpful in decreasing inflammation related to aging bones and muscles, making Anti-Flame™ especially beneficial to the elderly population. A 2011 article in the Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences reveals that this miracle herb, which has been used in medicines since time immemorial, works to reduce inflammation through a unique mechanism.

It acts to modulate the pro-inflammatory enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX).

5-LOX is the first enzyme released in the cytokine metabolic pathway. This

pathway creates leukotrienes, which are strong inflammatory substances thought to influence many inflammatory processes, including rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. The immune modulation reduces the amount of chemicals that cause inflammation, as well as the ameliorating the symptoms of inflammation.

Bromelain, a mixture of enzymes found in pineapple, supports reduction in swelling and inflammation, as well as relieving the pain of aching joints.

Pineapple has been used for centuries in Central and South America to treat indigestion and reduce inflammation.

However, the dose of bromelain found in a serving or two of pineapple is not high enough to act medicinally. The German Commission E approved bromelain to treat swelling and inflammation after surgery, particularly sinus surgery. According to the University of Maryland, bromelain may help reduce pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Yet another noteworthy ingredient in Anti-Flame™ is MSM (methylsul-

fonylthemane), which supports joint health, range of motion, and reduces inflammation of aging joints, protecting their integrity. According to Dr. Stanley Jacob of the Oregon Health and Science University, MSM is so effective in reducing inflammation that patients with back pain who took MSM reported a drop in their pain level of 50% or more. MSM inhibits the transmission of pain impulses along nerve fibers, and reduces inflammation and muscle spasms. It’s interesting to note that veterinarians have been using MSM for over 35 years to relieve pain due to inflammation in animals.

A study published in the Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin in 2009 reveals that MSM does indeed have anti-inflammatory properties due to the way it operates with the brain cells.

Anti-Flame™, the specially formulated combination of these wondrous natural herbs and enzymes, provides all the necessary ingredients to combat inflammation.

The Anti-Inflammatory Diet Foods high in sugar and saturated fat can spur inflammation. They cause over-activity in the immune system, which can lead to joint pain, fatigue, and damage to the blood vessels.

Other foods may curb inflammation. Add these items to your plate today: Whole grains: Whole grains have more fiber, which has been shown to reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation in the blood, and they usually have less added sugar.

Dark leafy greens: Studies have suggested that vitamin E may play a key role in protecting the body from pro-inflammatory molecules called cytokines—and one of the best sources of this vitamin is dark green veggies, such as spinach, kale, broccoli, and collard greens.

Nuts: All nuts are packed with antioxidants, which can help your body fight off and repair the damage caused by inflammation. They’re a big part of the Mediterranean diet, which has been shown to reduce inflammation in as little as six weeks.

Soy: Several studies have suggested that isoflavones, estrogen-like compounds found in soy products, may help lower CRP and inflammation levels in women. A 2007 study published in the Journal of Inflammation also found that isoflavones helped reduce the negative effects of inflammation on bone and heart health in mice.

Low-fat dairy: Milk products are sometimes considered a trigger food for inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, because some people have allergies or intolerances to casein, the protein found in dairy. But for people who can tolerate it, low-fat and non-fat milk are an important source of nutrients. Yogurt also contains probiotics, which can reduce gut inflammation.

Beets: This vegetable’s brilliant red color is a tip-off to its equally brilliant antioxidant properties.

Beets (and beetroot juice) have been shown to reduce inflammation, as well as protect against cancer and heart disease, thanks to their hearty helping of fiber, vitamin C, and plant pigments called betalains.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 51

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

From cystitis to bronchitis, inflammation can manifest itself in every organ.

LET’S BEET THE UNHEALTHY!

Beets. The king of superfoods.

Cleanse your body. Reduce stress.

At 60 calories a cup, this marvel of a food is packed with fiber.

Studies have shown cancer-preventing nutrients and antioxidants.

Infused with a chocolate-like effect to calm and ease the mind, beets are the premier leader of the food pyramid.

Live again. Thank us later.

P

YOUR HEALTH. YOUR TASTE. Find our bags of ready-to-eat beets in your local supermarket.

ISSUE 8 SEPTEMBER 2016 ELUL 5776

Protein Fruit Dip The perfect accompaniment to after-school fruit snacking!

1 3.5 oz Greek vanilla yogurt 2 Tbsp almond butter 1 Tbsp honey 1/4 tsp cinnamon Optional: choice of nuts, chopped (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.)

Variety of fruits, such as red apples, grapes, and bananas Mix all ingredients. Dip your fruit and then coat it with your favorite nut crunch.

It’s always a great idea to thread individual fruit slices onto toothpicks.

Kids love picking out their favorite fruits on their own and eating them like the grownups.

IN SEASON: PREPARE ZUCCHINI FRIES FOR A FILLING DINNER AFTER A LONG DAY AT SCHOOL

THE NEW HOTTEST ICE CREAM EVER

To make healthy eating more fun, how about making natural nut butter with the kids? It’s easy and takes less than ten minutes—including cleanup! To make two cups of peanut butter simply blend 4 cups of dry roasted peanuts in the food processor for about ten minutes. If you’re daring, add some raisins! Enjoy with sliced apples, celery sticks, or on whole grain bread.

LIBA SOLOMON, CNWC

PB&J The Healthy Way Dear cooks,

Back in the day when eating healthy wasn’t yet fashionable, I had one classmate whose definition of snack was green apple slices dipped in peanut butter. While the rest of the class munched on brownie bars and sour sticks, she ate her nutritious snack with grace and pleasure.

Shiffy W., this well-rounded and filling breakfast, which I enjoy almost daily, is inspired by you!

Combine 2 ounces of oats with 2 ounces of peanut butter in a bowl.

Mix well. Slice green apples and enjoy them together.

To stock up for a hectic morning, freeze oats and peanut butter mixture in saran wrap. The cleanest version of the granola bar

SHIFFY FRIEDMAN, CNWC Who says only kids can have delicious, nutritious school snacks? I give my clients this recipe for a muffin that I call a superfood because it’s full of fiber and other nutrients. If you’re rushing to get the kids out in the morning, you can have one before they’re off, and then enjoy the other two when the rush hour is over. Or, sit down to three for a quick breakfast in one shot.

Shani’s Superfood Muffin 6 Tbsp oat bran 1 egg 2 egg whites 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 Tbsp cinnamon/4 Tbsp cocoa 6 oz Greek light vanilla yogurt 6 packets Stevia Pour into 6 muffin tins.

Bake for 20 minutes.

SHANI TAUB, CDC Allergen alert: If your child is allergic to peanut butter or peanut-based foods are not allowed at school, try these recipes with sunflower seed or soynut butter.

In the United States, 1.5 billion pounds of peanuts and peanut butter are consumed every year.

If your recollections of school lunches are peanut butter and jelly, we can safely assume that your childhood memories weren’t made in Brooklyn. Who came with sandwiches to school? When I was growing up in Brooklyn, nobody even knew what a lunch box looked like. After our morning sessions, we would sit down at the lunch table, our little stomachs grumbling, wondering what the lunch menu would be. If we were lucky, the stainless steel bowl at the center of the table was filled with pasta. If we weren’t, there was pareve cholent inside. Those were the days…

In Yerushalayim, where I live today, I’m into the sandwich-making role full-fledged. It’s not a thing of the storybooks here. Every morning, as part of the pre-school routine, I stand at the counter filling slices of bread with cream cheese, chocolate-flavored carob spread (I know, but she wouldn’t eat anything else!), and of course, peanut butter. Thanks to my adult health awareness, however, it’s not the peanut butter I ate as a child. It’s natural peanut butter, made of peanuts and nothing else. And the kids like it—even without the jelly!

Really, peanuts are sweet as they are. It’s not like I’m making them eat unflavored Bio Yogurt. And when the kids return home (at one!) with an empty lunch box, I know they had a filling, protein-stocked lunch.

Because natural nut butter is chock-full of nutrients and also associated with backto-school memories for many, we’ve centered this issue’s recipes on this excellent staple.

Enjoy PB&J the healthy way,

-Levia September 2016 | The Wellspring 55

Eat Well

Recipes By Levia Joseph Styling & Photography By Malky Levine

Apple Sandwiches

Leave the bread sandwiches for lunch! Whether your kids find these sandwiches in their lunch box or on the kitchen table when they return home from a long day at school, this highly nutritious, fun-to-eat treat will light up their eyes.

2 green, cored and sliced 2 red apples, cored and sliced Pineapple rings 1 cup unsweetened granola

2 Tbsp almond butter 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter 1 Tbsp honey Dash of cinnamon

Combine granola with 1 Tbsp of almond butter, 1 Tbsp of peanut butter and 1 tsp honey. Sprinkle some cinnamon and mix until well combined.

On one slice of apple, spread peanut butter, top with granola mix, and add a slice of pineapple. Spread almond butter on another apple slice, top with granola mix, and place it on top of the pineapple to complete the sandwich.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

September 2016 | The Wellspring  57

Eat Well

Recipes

Coconut Fruit Smoothie

Who ever said that peanut butter is just for sandwiches—or cookies? This creamy drink is intensely nourishing and filling. Prepare filled cups in the fridge so the kids can go straight for them as they walk through the door. This one’s a treat for mom too!

1 cup coconut juice 1/2 cup coconut meat 1 3.5 oz vanilla yogurt 2 bananas, frozen

1 cup frozen strawberries 2 Tbsp peanut butter 1 tbsp agave 6-8 ice cubes

In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth and serve immediately.

Yield: 2-4 servings

September 2016 | The Wellspring 59

Eat Well

Recipes

Surprise Peanut Butter Bites

What a fun treat! These mini cookies are chock-full of nutrition—with a runny surprise inside. Get the napkins ready!

2 tbsp butter, softened 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 Tbsp honey 1 egg

10 mini scoops natural peanut butter 1 1/2 cups oats 1/3 cup chopped peanuts 1/3 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup chopped almonds

Using a mini scoop or small spoon, scoop 10 little balls of peanut butter (dime sized) onto a plate and freeze.

In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add butter, honey, and egg and mix until well combined.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Remove mixture from refrigerator. Using your hands, form balls (1 1/2 inch diameter) and insert a frozen peanut butter ball in the center. Continue creating covered peanut butter balls until the mixture is finished.

Yield: approximately 10 bites

September 2016 | The Wellspring  61

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:

Summer Squash (Zucchini)

Zucchini, also known as courgette, is one of the most popular summer squashes in America and Europe. Originating from Central America and Mexico, this vegetable’s prime season is August. Almost all members of the squash family feature smooth skin and tender crunchy flesh, with small edible seeds and high moisture content.

Principle

Nutrition Value

Percentage of RDA

Energy

17 Kcal

<1%

Carbohydrates

3.11 g

2.5%

Protein

1.21 g

2%

Total Fat

0.32 g

1%

Cholesterol

0 mg

0%

Dietary Fiber

1 g

3%

Folates

24 µg

6%

Niacin

0.451 mg

3%

Pantothenic Acid

0.204 mg

5%

Pyridoxine

0.163 mg

13%

Riboflavin

0.094 mg

7%

Thiamin

0.045 mg

4%

Vitamin A

200 IU

7%

Vitamin C

17.9 mg

30%

Vitamin E

0.12 mg

<1%

Vitamin K

4.3 µg

4%

Sodium

8 mg

0.5%

Potassium

261 mg

5.5%

Calcium

16 mg

1.6%

Iron

0.37 mg

5%

Magnesium

18 mg

4%

Manganese

0.177 mg

8%

Phosphorus

38 mg

5%

Selenium

0.2 µg

<1%

Zinc

0.32 mg

3%

Vitamins

Electrolytes

Minerals

• Zucchini is one of the very low calorie vegetables, providing only 17 calories per 100 g. It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. Its peel is a great source of dietary fiber that helps reduce constipation and offers some protection against colon cancers. Its pods are commonly included in weight reduction and cholesterol-control programs by dieticians.

• Zucchini is a very good source of potassium, a heart-friendly electrolyte which helps reduce blood pressure and heart rates by countering the pressure-effects of sodium.

• Zucchini is also a good source of the anti-oxidant vitamin C, providing about 17.9 µg or 30% of the daily required level per 100 g. In addition, zucchini contains moderate levels of the B-complex group of vitamins, such as thiamin, pyridoxine, and riboflavin, as well as minerals like iron, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc.

Zucchini is available all year round, but is at its best during the late summer season. In the produce store, choose small to mediumsized zucchini featuring shiny, bright green skin, and which are firm and heavy. The best zucchini have a length of 6 - 8 inches and a diameter of 2 inches or less. Some large-sized varieties of marrow are specially grown for stuffing. Minor superficial scratches and mild bruises on their surface are common and perfectly fine.

At home, place the zucchini in a plastic bag and store inside the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator set at adequate relative humidity. It can be stored for up to a week.

In Your Plate!

• Zucchini makes a great soup thickener instead of carb-loaded potatoes. Simply sauté and cook and then blend to achieve the thick consistency you love in a pureed dish.

• Now that you know about the great nutritional value of the zucchini’s peels, how about using them in your next sauté dish?

Wash the squash well, cut it into wheels, and sauté with onions for a delicious, nutritious veggies side.

• Use a spiralizer or julienne peeler to create “zoodles,” nutritious noodles that pair well with cheese or chicken.

• Serve zucchini rounds at your next party as a bite-sized appetizer. Top each baked zucchini wheel with a sun-dried tomato, and sprinkle all with a handful of feta cheese and fresh herbs.

• Hide this nutritious veggie in your yom tov muffins. It’ll make the batter moist and delicious and give the treat a healthy touch.

Fun in the Kitchen: Stocked up on too much zucchini? How about serving zucchini fries instead of potato fries? Peel the Zucchini and cut into strips. Coat in eggs, whole-wheat bread crumbs and spices and fry or bake with spray oil. A healthy delight!

The Wellspring | September 2016 62

Wellbeing

Clean Slate By Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC

What You’re Hungry For We all want to feel powerful If you’re an emotional eater, you may feel disappointed in yourself. “How can you give up health and satisfaction for a piece of chocolate?” you made chide yourself. The truth, however, is that we are all meaning-hungry people.

Especially as Jews, we crave meaning more than anything in the world. We want to feel connected, we want to feel happy, we want to feel satisfied.

In other words, your hunger is not animalistic at all. On the contrary, because you are seeking something more, you’re turning to food in your confusion because it serves as a shortterm quick-fix to combat your negative feelings. When you distract yourself with food, be it before an exam, a shidduch meeting, or getting word back from the doctor, it’s not about the cookie; it’s about burying the emotion that is too painful or leaves you feeling powerless.

No one likes feeling angry, lonely, sad, or bored. But most emotional eaters have more than a dislike of these feelings; they have an allergic reaction to them.

Psychologist Dr. Roger Gould coined a phrase for this. He calls it a “feeling phobia.”

This phobia makes an emotional eater avoid negative emotions at any cost because she’s overly frightened of what the feeling means or what it may lead to.

Some people, for example, eat to avoid crying. What they don’t realize is that a good cry has a cathartic ability to make them feel lighter and calmer.

It all boils down to facing your emotions. You can shell out thousands of dollars for dieting programs, even hiring a personal nutritionist and trainer, but as long as your emotions remain unaddressed, you will likely drop everything in a weak moment and sneak out for a slice of pizza.

This incredible reality was proven at a program in Santa Monica, California, where clients paid the astronomic amount of $10,000 per month to take part in a controlled diet and exercise program. Although the tuition for the program far exceeded the cost of attending the most expensive private university in America, the directors frequently found

participants sneaking out for burgers and fries at a corner stand. And these were highly motivated individuals who were sent to the program by their doctors because of serious, lifethreatening health problems! Here is your answer to why diets fail. The only secret to true, permanent weight loss and healthy eating is to sever the negative relationship you’ve developed with food by using it as a way to circumvent your feelings.

When you distract yourself with food, it’s not about the cookie.

The Power Struggle

If we take a close look at the variety of negative emotions we may feel, we see that they all possess an element of powerlessness. The relationship between anger and powerlessness, for example, is obvious. The same is true with sadness, fear, and loneliness. When we experience these emotions, we feel a total lack of control. As Torah Jews, we are aware that we are not the ones in control of the world and we are not meant to be. We also understand that it is not our place to control others, and manipulating others is a negative action.

However, there is one kind of control that every human craves: the power over our own selves. This is a power applauded by the Torah. When Bilaam came to curse Bnei Yisrael, he wanted to ask Hashem to turn us into a people who act on impulse. He understood that if we would follow our hearts and act impulsively, we would lose our uniqueness.

That’s when a malach stepped in and changed his word to melech, that we be blessed to act royally—in control at all times. Exerting power over yourself means that you not only control and discipline yourself, but that you take control of your life. So here’s the perfect solution to the problem. By maximizing this power over yourself, you have the ability not only to combat the negative emotions that threaten to leave you powerless, but also to bring an end to emotional eating.

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

September 2016 | The Wellspring 63

Wellbeing

Health Personality By Miri Davis

A CUP OF TEA WITH...

DR. RACHAEL SCHINDLER

OCCUPATION: Nutrition health expert LOCATION OF PRACTICE: Cedarhurst, Lawrence, and Manhattan YEARS IN PRACTICE: 20+ PASSION: Helping people feel better about themselves SHE WISHES YOU WOULD KNOW THAT: Food is like medicine; it can heal the body, or wear it down.

HOW MANY YEARS ARE YOU IN THE FIELD AS A PROFESSIONAL? I got into the field of nutrition when I was 16. At that time, I suffered from stomach issues and weight gain, and I just wasn’t feeling right. Those were the days when they were telling us to eat fat-free muffins, fat-free bagels, and fat-free ice cream to feel good. I worked out for two hours a day and then ate all that stuff. I knew that something was wrong with this, because I wasn’t feeling well.

I also knew that I have the sugar gene because several of my family members are diabetic. I had to figure something out. I started out in aerobics and then over twenty years ago I went into the field I’m in today, when I was in my 20’s.

HOW DID YOU FIND THE SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM? My father is a doctor who incorporates into his healing many techniques he acquired from his Persian background, and my mother is a naturopathic healer, so I had a great base. At one point, I simply documented what I was eating and then how I was feeling. The truth was glaring. After I ate lots of vegetables with rice, I felt very different from when I would eat the rice first. Six years of intense trial and error made me realize that a lot of how we feel depends not only on what we eat, but in what order we eat it. It’s not just about sugar and white flour. It’s about how we eat in general.

SO WHAT IS THE RIGHT ORDER OF EATING? People don’t realize that sugars and proteins get digested in different places. Proteins get digested in the stomach, but sugar gets digested in the mouth. The second sugar enters the mouth, even if it isn’t swallowed, insulin gets to work. If you eat sugar first at your meal, the insulin gets to work on The Wellspring | September 2016 64

storing everything. Don’t eat the sandwich right away. Leave the sugar for last. Fruit is okay, though, because fructose is very different from glucose or sucrose.

WHAT WAS ONE INTERESTING THING YOU LEARNED WHILE ACQUIRING YOUR EDUCATION IN NUTRITION? People think that just a bit of sugar, like a spoon of duck sauce, is okay, but the body doesn’t know the difference between a little bit and a lot, if you have a diabetes gene.

As soon as it detects the sugar in your mouth, the body produces a lot of insulin. People think they have a sweet tooth when they experience cravings at night, whereas they really have a messed-up insulin system. There’s simply too much insulin in the body left over from the last meal!

SO WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS A SWEET TREAT? Make yourself treats with a bit of honey instead of sugar. A little sugar is also bad.

WHY IS HONEY DIFFERENT? Because it doesn’t get absorbed the way sugar does.

Honey is nutritive. It’s good for the intestines and for the brain, in small amounts. A lot of healing can be done with just honey,

especially for people with allergies.

WHICH PEOPLE ARE THE MOST PRONE TO WEIGHT GAIN? ARE THOSE THE ISSUES THAT YOU TREAT? I deal with people who need to lose weight and don’t feel good about themselves. People with a genetic predisposition for diabetes are the most prone to weight gain because of the way their body digests sugar. I use my experience as a psychologist to work on self-esteem, as well. I treat people who are taking meds for depression and anxiety, as well as people who have started taking cholesterol meds and, through our work together, they get off them. Fatty lipids accumulate because the body not is processing food properly.

I also treat people who are suffering with IBS or constipation, which also occur when the body is not able to absorb food properly because of what we call sugar intolerance. I help them go off sugar in a specific way. Everyone is allowed to have certain sugars, but they must be consumed in the right order for proper digestion. I use a naturopathic approach to help women dealing with infertility, PCOS, and thyroid problems.

CAN A CHANGE IN EATING HABITS ACTUALLY AFFECT FERTILITY?

natural. I know people who live on anti-allergy pills every day.

As a doctor, I could prescribe medication, but my job is to get people off it.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE YOUR OWN FOOD LINE? I had to do it for my clients because they weren’t cooking right. I don’t use wheat flour in cakes because it’s not good for the body. I use coconut flour or almond flour instead. People think that whole wheat is so much better than white. It’s really only one point less on the glycemic index. But you don’t have to be off it, just eat it in the right order. The trick is storage.

Six years of intense trial and error made me realize that a lot of how we feel depends not only on what we eat, but in what order we eat it.

It sure can. Here’s a case in point. A while back, I was away on vacation with my husband and kids on a little island.

We were waiting for the ferry when one of my clients called me for guidance and I told her what to do. After our phone conversation, a non-Jewish woman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, approached me and, informing me that she had listened in, asked me what my field of practice was. On our hour-long ferry ride, she told me about her daughter who was desperate to have a child. She had been to eighteen doctors already but nothing had helped.

I had the daughter call me, and within one month she was pregnant. She was crying when she made the call to me. It turned out that she had an implantation issue that a change in her diet helped repair.

IS A CHANGE OF DIET THE ONLY INTERVENTION YOU PROPOSE? I am also a great believer in the power of herbs.

Thanks to my parents’ extensive positive experience with using herbs as treatment, I knew from the start that they work. Oregano oil, for example, is great for treating congestion instead of allergy medications. It dries up congestion and is 100%

DO YOU DEAL WITH EMOTIONAL EATING? Yes, but I believe that if people deal with their insulin issue, they’ll be fine. The body responds to stress by needing energy, and if you’re in sugar storage mode, your body doesn’t want to release the stored sugar. It tells you to go look for more. It saves it up for later, which leads to weight gain.

Once the sugar is controlled, it takes about three days to undo this system. Emotional eating is a response to an improper insulin system.

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON POTATOES? DO THEY ALSO OPERATE LIKE SUGAR? If you eat them in the right order, you’ll be okay.

AND WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON PROCESSED FOODS? ARE THEY REALLY THAT BAD FOR THE BODY? Once the body doesn’t have to deal with sugar, it is able to work on the chemicals. On the other hand, if the body is busy with sugar storage, even vitamins won’t help. Once you clean up, you can work on the quality of the food, but that’s not the first step.

HOW CAN SOME PEOPLE EAT ONE SQUARE OF CHOCOLATE AND WALK AWAY?

That’s because they don’t have a sugar issue.

It’s a physiological thing. For someone with the sugar gene, however, the consumption of even a bit of sugar leads to an excessive production of insulin, which causes continued sugar cravings. It’s so simple that it’s laughable.

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR READERS OF THE WELLSPRING? If you don’t eat right because you think it’s too much work or not that important, know that you are depriving yourself and your body. You know when your body is not working properly. Every meal counts, so fix the problem. Food is one of the few things you actually put inside your body. How many things do you put through your system without thinking about the ramifications first?

September 2016 | The Wellspring 65

Well Informed

Vitamin Production Process By Judy Appel

WELCOME TO THE LAB!

6

The Vitamin Production Process: A sneak peek inside Step six: coating

Now that you already know what’s inside the vitamin: a wondrous mix of natural herbs, nutrients, and enzymes that are especially designed to improve health and wellbeing, you may wonder about the next step—coating.

Vitamin tablets are usually coated for a variety of reasons. The coating may make the tablet easier to swallow.

It may mask an unpleasant taste, and it may give the tablet a pleasant color. A manufacturer may coat tablets that are the same size and shape in two different colors for easy identification. Tablets may also be given an enteric coating—a pH sensitive coating that resists gastric acid. Other coatings determine the timing of the tablet’s dissolution, so the vitamins can be absorbed slowly, or all at once, depending on what is appropriate to that tablet.

Once the tablets are taken from the tableting area, they are placed in the coating pan. The coating pan is a large rotating pan surrounded by one to six spray guns operated by pumps. As the tablets revolve in the pan, the pumps spray coating over them. After air drying, the tablets are ready for packaging.

What is enteric coating?

If a tablet is described as having an enteric coating, it means that it has a coating designed to hold the tablet together when in the stomach. This clever science relies on the fact that the stomach is acid and the intestines, where food goes after the stomach, are not. The coating is designed to hold together in acid conditions and break down in non-acid conditions, therefore releasing the nutrients where they are needed— in the intestines.

Maxi Health Research prides itself with a wide array of enteric-coated supplements, such as Maxi Omega-3 Concentrate. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that the rate of absorption of the component n-3 fatty acids in fish oil is up to three times higher when it is administered in the form of a new, enteric-coated preparation. As a result, when the enteric-coated Maxi Omega-3 Concentrate is ingested, the frequency of side effects is reduced, compliance increases, and long-term treatment becomes feasible even for the elderly population or people with weak digestive systems.

Coming up in the next issue: Packaging 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 its label.

The Wellspring | September 2016 66

Wellbeing

From the Ground Up By Nina Kaweblum, LCSW

The Secret to a Successful School Year Growth Mindset In preparing your child for the new school year, you probably checked off the pencils and pens, binders and uniforms. But there’s one more thing on the list: a growth mindset.

According to psychologist Carol Dweck, PhD, a growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and ability can be developed. It’s an essential key to success. A child who is willing to try something difficult, make a mistake, and keep trying has this mindset. A child who gives up quickly or says things like, “I don’t care. I hate school,” refusing to try to make it work, does not. Kids with a growth mindset are not afraid to make a mistake, whereas kids with a fixed mindset think that if they make a mistake, everyone—including themselves— will think that they’re dumb. Thus, they shut down to “hide” their ineptitude.

Dweck discovered these two opposite mindsets when she studied children’s reactions to solving difficult puzzles.

When she asked them for their take on the puzzle they’d completed, she was shocked when some children happily

told her, “I love a challenge,” and “I was hoping this would be informative.”

Dweck summed up her response to her observation in a report. “I always thought you coped with [difficulty] or you didn’t. I never thought anyone loved difficulty. Were these alien children or were they on to something?”

Dweck’s research showed that, indeed, these children were on to something. Instead of seeing difficulty and effort as a sign that they were not smart, these children focused on learning from their mistakes, persisting in their efforts, and gaining satisfaction and self-esteem from their hard work.

Children who could not cope with failure, she found, had no idea how to improve and were likely instead to shut down, find ways to avoid work, and even to cheat.

By teaching children how to fail successfully by learning from their mistakes and observing their own progress, we help them acquire the growth mindset. In fact, our Sages teach this perspective in Gittin 43b: “No one ful-

ly understands divrei Torah unless he has stumbled in them.”

The growth mindset must also be taught to students who excel. In one study, after giving students a test, Dweck told half the class that they did well because they must be smart, and the other half that they did well because they must have worked hard. The students were then given a choice regarding their next test: to take an easy one or a hard one. A whopping 97 percent of the “hard-working” children opted for the harder test, whereas almost the same percentage of “intelligent” children opted for the easy one. Similarly, a Brooklyn high school for high-achieving students found that when the accelerated curriculum challenged students in ways they had not previously encountered, students shut down. The students in both “intelligent” groups were afraid to make a mistake and lose their “intelligent” status.

These findings point out that a growth mindset is not a luxury, but a necessity, for all students.

How to help your child develop a growth mindset 1. Praise effort, not results. For example, say “I’m so impressed with how you tried to solve that puzzle more than one way,” instead of, “You’re so smart, you got the right answer.”

2. Show how to learn from mistakes. Explain why what they did doesn’t work.

3. Teach new strategies. Instead of insisting they “try harder,” show your child a different way to think about a math problem. Or share your thought process aloud when analyzing a Rashi. Often, children really don’t know how to do it and would be willing to try if they were given the tools.

4. Teach that the brain can get stronger and smarter with new learning. Compare the brain to a muscle: the heavier the weight, the stronger your muscle. Similarly, your brain grows most not when you get a question right, but when you get a question wrong—as long as you work harder to learn from your mistake. Children with a growth mindset enjoy challenges because they view them as a way to get smarter.

5. “You’re smart, you could do it if you want to,” is a dangerous line. Now the child is doubly afraid to try and show that she’s not as smart as you think.

6. Do you believe in yourself? Acquire a growth mindset about yourself so you can be a role model to your child.

Nina Kaweblum, LCSW, MA, MEd maintains a Lakewood-based private practice as a DBT therapist, working with adolescents, adults and families, doing both individual therapy and leading DBT Skills classes. She also works as a certified school social worker for elementary and high school girls and speaks on practical strategies to integrate DBT skills and the Growth Mindset into schools. She can be reached through The Wellspring.

The Wellspring welcomes educators, therapists, and childhood intervention specialists to contribute to this column. Please send a bio of your work to info@wellspringmagazine.com

September 2016 | The Wellspring 67

Wellbeing

Me-Time By Shiffy Friedman, MSW

PROGRAM THIS MONTH: JOURNALING (Part 2) Although journaling as a therapeutic tool does not necessitate any specific instructions, I would like to share some ideas of how you can use your alone time to provide yourself the awesome gift of free therapy.

A popular premise in the world of therapy, specifically narrative therapy, is that every person has the tools to her healing within herself. In other words, the work of the therapist is only to help the client access that buried key from the subconscious realm. Practitioners of narrative therapy believe that simply telling one’s story of a problem is a form of action toward change. For this reason, a narrative therapist will barely speak throughout the initial sessions.

The client may feel, at first, that the therapist isn’t doing her job, but she is essentially giving the client a chance to

simply uncover the key to healing that is hidden inside of her. By being listened to and understood, the client has the ability to dig deeper and deeper, laying out her speculations, her conclusions, her doubts, on the table and putting the pieces together with the subtle guidance of the therapist.

My brilliant and highly experienced supervisor once said to me a sentence by which I aspire to practice. “A good therapist is not here to show what’s in her brain.” The role of the therapist is not to spill forth psychobabble and phrases that leave the client confused, he explained. A truly effective therapist knows how to listen, to gently guide the client to come to her own conclusion about her past, present, and future.

During your Me-Time with your journal, you can forge a relationship with

that pretty little journal or simple college-ruled marble notebook. By sharing what’s going on in your mind and heart, you’re spilling forth your insides and simply tidying them up. The more you share, the more connected you will feel to this pastime because sometimes, all you need is the silent time to allow yourself to think and access the secrets to your healing. Allow yourself five-ten minutes a day to explore this potentially life-transforming tool. Of course, your journal won’t provide you with solutions or even simple bits of advice but it will surely give you the opportunity to uncover the answers that lie somewhere deep inside—answers that will come to you once you start the cleanup process.

Here are seven tips to get you started: 1. Start writing about where you are in your life at this moment.

Describe your relationships, your work, your thoughts about yourself and where you’re headed.

2. For five to ten minutes, just start writing in a “stream of consciousness.”

Don’t edit your thoughts or feelings and don’t correct your grammar. Don’t censor your thoughts. Just think on paper, as if someone really close to you asked, “How are you?” and just let you talk while silently nodding his or her head.

3. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude by maintaining a daily list of things you appreciate, including uplifting quotes.

Keep it in one journal or in a separate section so that you can read through it all at once. When you feel down you can read through it for a boost of gratitude and happiness.

4. Start a journal of self-portraits.

You can take pictures, draw colors or shapes or collage images. Learn to love and accept yourself just the way you are today. Why share it with the world and not with yourself?

5. Maintain a log of successes.

Begin by writing the big ones you remember then regularly jot down small successes that occur during the week—how you exercised self-control as a parent or friend. As you pay attention, your list will grow and inspire you.

6. Dilemma cleanup.

Are you in a dilemma about a certain decision you must make? Be your own guide by jotting down the pros and cons of each choice. Be honest and open about both options and see for yourself what is more sensible.

7. If there’s something you are struggling with or an event that’s disturbing you, write about it in the third person.

This will give you distance and provide a new perspective. When you’re too connected to a challenge, you may get stuck on the details, but if you look at it with the eyes of an outsider, you will attain a clarity that will help you through.

The Wellspring | September 2016 68

Wellbeing

Emotional Wellness By Esther Moskovitz, LCSW

living in the moment

Understanding Disassociation: Do You Feel Like An Observer Of Your Own Life?

In an ideal world, all parents would be emotionally equipped to raise their offspring with affirmation, love, and boundaries.

However, more often than not, this doesn’t happen. If a child isn’t nurtured properly, one of the effects this can cause in adulthood is disassociation. An adult who disassociates lives her life like an outsider looking in. She views her life not through her heart but through her eyes.

Thoughts that a disassociated adult may have are, “I’m being a good mother now. I’m reading my child a book.”

“We’re spending quality time in the park. We’re such a close family.” Instead of living in the moment, a disassociated adult lives to check off the list, to do what must be done, even extending herself to do so. The husband of a disassociating wife I know once said to her, “I feel like I’m the object of you being a good wife.”

The problem with leading a disassociated life is that you’re cheated from the real thing. Living in the moment is so satisfying, invigorating, and beautiful.

And if you’re not there for your loved ones, you’re depriving them too of true emotion, of true love. The children of a disassociated mother are raised by a woman who is emotionally absent.

How does the lack of proper nurturing in childhood lead to disassociation in adulthood? Disassociation provides relief to a painful situation. It’s the child’s way of saying, “I can’t handle this so I’ll step out.” If a child experiences abuse, neglect, or simply the feeling of being unheard or misunderstood, she subconsciously opts to move away from that uncomfortable place—from the heart into the head. Graduated high school? Check. Married? Check.

Good mother? Check. Life becomes a role that must be played, a series of hoops she must jump through, not the real and rich experience that it is.

The issue with disassociation is that children are not yet wired to self-reflect and plan their behavior the way adults do. Kids are not meant to “live in their heads” just yet. They are meant to just be. But, if their parents, for whatever reason, can’t allow them the space to just be, they don't use love and boundaries to help them develop appropriately and and learn how to live life, these children will instead be forced up into their head prematurely, which is developmentally inappropriate. It’s like teaching a child to walk before she learns to crawl. Children who live in their heads lose out on the joys of childhood.

A young client, for example, was accepted into a choir that only another one of her 24 classmates got into.

She only realized how special she was when she thought, “Wait a minute. If my friend would get into choir I would think that it’s a big deal, so that means that this must be major.” Although in her head she understood that she was privileged, she didn’t actually experience the feeling of being special.

When the child lives this way from age zero to ten, she may eventually begin noticing, as a teenager or a grownup, that she’s living her life as an observer of herself. She knows how she feels, but she doesn’t feel how she feels. Because she has lived like this for so many years, she simply hasn’t realized that it wasn’t normal.

The opposite of disassociation is owning your reality by truly experiencing it. It’s when you realize, as an adult, that you don’t want to give yourself and your children a second-best reality.

You want to give them something real.

The difference between presence and lack of presence is incredibly subtle. It’s not about sitting with your kid or not sitting with him. It’s a flicker of eye contact, that second of quiet after the child says something and you truly think about his words. It’s about really hearing what your child or spouse is saying as opposed to flying off somewhere in your head. It’s not about a parenting class or about reading to your child because you could be reading your child the most exciting book and not be there with her. It’s not about going out with your husband. You can be present with your child or spouse for ten minutes or be with him or her for 24 hours and just not be there.Ten seconds of real presence is enough.

Healing from disassociation begins with knowing and allowing your “feeling reality” to be known to you. If there is some pain in the feeling reality, that’s okay. Pain isn’t dangerous. Pain hurts, but it also brings the gift of knowing what needs to be changed or healed.

Disassociation is way more dangerous.

One method that is very effective in putting parents in touch with their “feeling reality” is called sitting on the couch. You sit there and make yourself really see what’s going on in front of you. There are three little people sitting on the couch, three neshamos.

Know them. Be as real as you can.

Connecting to your feeling reality in such tiny little increments of time creates the shift inside. This is what births the healing, the antidote, to disassociation. The change will happen slowly, slowly. You will find yourself moving out of your head and into your life.

Esther Moskovitz, LCSW, specializes in challenges faced by adults raised by narcissistic or emotionally undeveloped parents using EMDR and the work of Pia Mellody. Her practice is in Monsey, NY and she has an active telephone practice, as well.

September 2016 | The Wellspring 69

Inkwell

Diary By H. Tannenbaum

The End of My UTI Saga

Imagine trying to concentrate

on something, even on the words someone is telling you, but that nagging pain doesn’t allow you the comfort of concentration. For five years straight, I suffered from urinary tract infections. It’s the kind of pain that literally takes your head away from everything.

Not only couldn’t I sit or stand in one place for more than a few seconds, but I also couldn’t think straight.

I think that I became my doctor’s most frequent patient during that time. I would come to her, crying, begging, for a solution to the problem that wouldn’t resolve itself. Doses and doses of antibiotics gave me relief that was too short to cherish. Before I knew it, the symptoms returned.

When even the doctor was at a loss at the treatment’s failure, she explained to me that a UTI is caused by bacteria that attaches itself to the cell walls of the urinary tract, and perhaps it would be a good idea for me to try an alternate route in ridding my body of the bacteria. She told me that although she isn’t too familiar with the natural options on the market I should stay away from cheap cranberry supplements that are made from diminished juice extracts because I needed the real thing.

On my way out the door, I quickly phoned a cousin of mine who is into nutrition, in the hopes that she would know which supplement to recommend. “CranMax Supreme™,” she stated

emphatically. “Believe me, I’ve tried them all and only now my symptoms haven’t returned.”

Although I didn’t understand everything she excitedly shared with me, it sounded like the product she was recommending was worth a try. She said that the supplement contains the full cranberry, which provides the body with fully stocked ammunition against those pesky bacteria. She also said that the extract in Cran-Max Supreme™ has a unique delivery system called Bio Shield that ensures that the cranberry bioactive elements don’t deteriorate while traveling through the acidic environment of the stomach. “Oh,” she gushed before I hung up with her, “And it’s not only the cranberries. There are more ingredients there that make the supplement as potent as possible, like MSM and standardized oregano extract to further maximize its anti-bacterial power against UTI.” “You convinced me,” I said to her as I walked into the health food store. I was truly hoping that this would be my salvation. If you’ve ever had a UTI, you can probably understand how I felt one week after I ingested Cran-Max Supreme™ every day. I woke up in the morning and couldn’t believe that my symptoms had vanished. Was I actually becoming human again? I sure was, thanks to this miracle supplement that ridded my urinary tract of the bacteria that had been all too comfortable there for too many years.

She said that the supplement contains the full cranberry, which provides the body with fully stocked ammunition against those pesky bacteria.

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 info@wellspringmagazine.com.

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

The Wellspring | September 2016 70

Strive for progress, not perfection.

September 2016 | The Wellspringâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; 71

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