Health & Fitness

Health & F tness Another Reason to Cut Out Sugar

By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

There are many reasons to avoid sugar in your diet. High sugar consumption tends to lead to weight gain and obesity. Obesity increases your risk of developing other chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes and heart disease, not to mention all the cavities that can result from high sugar consumption.

Sugar has absolutely no nutritional value – no vitamins or minerals, simply calories and carbs. Here’s one more reason to stay away from sugar. A study published in the journal of Cancer Research demonstrates an association between sugar consumption and an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Research on mice showed that high sugar consumption, such as the average American diet, increases one’s risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers believe that eating sugary foods causes the growth of certain enzymes and fatty acids in breast cancer cells. Eating sugary foods causes a rapid rise in blood sugar. The body then responds by producing more insulin. Elevated insulin levels can cause an increased production of a growth factor called IGF-1. IGF-1 stimulates the growth of tissues – including breast tissue. Studies have found that insulin, along with IGF-1, fuel the growth of cancer cells.

Another way that a high sugar diet contributes to cancer is sugar’s effect on body weight. As mentioned above, a high sugar diet increases body weight and one’s risk of obesity.

Obesity has been shown to have a link to breast cancer.

The bottom line is that sugar is bad for your body in general. Being that we lack control over the prevention of breast cancer as most of the risk factors are not alterable, it is important to take control of what we can. The most common breast cancer risk factors are age, family history of breast cancer, genetics, and estrogen levels. None of that is controllable. Our diet, though, is something that we can control and by cutting down on the sugar, hopefully we can prevent the development of breast cancer in that way.

Staying away from candy and cake is not enough. Sugar “hides” in almost

all packaged, processed and refined foods in the U.S. and around the world. When purchasing processed and packaged foods, it is important to read the food label clearly and carefully analyze the sugar content. The American Heart Association suggests that women restrict their sugar intake to less than 6 teaspoons a day. To put that into perspective, the average 12-ounce soft drink contains about 9 teaspoons of sugar. But let’s face it: that’s never the only sugar we’re consuming daily. Most people get bombarded with the “hidden” sugars in foods and are consuming a lot more sugar than the recommended amount.

The best option to lower your risk of developing breast cancer would be to cut back on sugar. Enjoy more whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, as well as exercising regularly. Try cutting back on the sugar in your coffee and tea and on the amount of sweet treats you normally eat. You’ll be surprised to find your taste buds will adapt and become more sensitive to the sweet taste. Cutting out sugar from your diet will also help you lose weight and leave your body feeling better energized.

Most people get bombarded with the “hidden” sugars in foods and are consuming a lot more sugar than the recommended amount.

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. She is currently a dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @EatBetterandFeelBetter.

Graduate Program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies to be offered at Yeshiva University

The Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Yeshiva University is pleased to offer a Master of Arts in Holocaust and Genocide Studies beginning in the fall semester 2021.

“Holocaust Education, at its heart, is character education, which is sorely needed in today’s world,” said Dr. Shay Pilnik, director of the Fish Center. “This new program will form the core of the Fish Center’s mission to build a new cadre of teachers, professional and lay leaders across the United States committed to Holocaust education and remembrance and ready to meet the challenges the field is currently facing.”

The new master’s program joins the Fish Center’s current programming, which includes courses, lectures and teacher training workshops attracting students from across the United States and abroad.

It also fulfills the vision of the Fish Center’s founder, Emil A. Fish, to have the Center conduct a multidisciplinary investigation of the Holocaust of European Jewry through history, theology, psychology, law, literature and education by relying on the resources and faculty of one of the world’s premier Jewish institutions for higher education.

Information about the program can be found at on the Fish Center website

(https://www.yu.edu/fish-center/) or by contacting Dr. Shay Pilnik (shay. pilnik@yu.edu) or Hodaya Blau (hodaya.blau@yu.edu).

About YU

Founded in 1886, Yeshiva University brings together the ancient traditions of Jewish law and life and the heritage of Western civilization. More than 7,400 undergraduate and graduate students study at YU’s four New York City campuses: the Wilf Campus, Israel Henry Beren Campus, Brookdale Center, and Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus. YU’s three undergraduate schools – Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women, and Sy Syms School of Business – offer a unique dual program comprised of Jewish studies and liberal arts courses. Its graduate and affiliate schools include Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, the Katz School of Science and Health and Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. YU is ranked among the nation’s leading academic institutions.

Gedolei Yisrael Address First Major Post Corona Dirshu Gathering

By Chaim Gold

“There is such a large ed by virtue of the fact have merited to strengthen this area in crowd here, but I feel that Dirshu’s Nasi, Rav a profound way while simultaneously that there are much more Dovid Hofstedter, was ensuring that it not come at the exthan just a lot of people able to participate in per- pense of the depth and iyun sedorim. here tonight. I feel the son for the first time in a “I am standing here to express my presence of millions of year and a half, with the tremendous hakaras hatov on behalf dafim of Gemara here easing of lockdowns. of the olam haTorah to Dirshu and Rav together with us to- Rav Messoud Ben Dovid for establishing and supporting night! I feel that millions Shimon, the venerated these programs so that so many of us of se’ifim in Shulchan Sefardic Gaavad of Bnei can be koneh Torah in the way they Aruch have joined us to- Brak and Rosh Yeshiva should…” night, and they are only of Yeshiva Ohr Elitzur, A highlight of the event was the here because of the orga- said, “How do we prop- heartfelt, drasha of Rav Dovid Hofstnization called Dirshu!” erly utilize this gift of edter. Visibly moved, Rav Hofstedter

Those powerful Torah to enable us to began by expressing his overwhelmwords of HaGaon HaR- Festive dancing at the Dirshu Kinnus overcome challenges? ing feelings of simcha of once again av Asher Weiss, shli- The answer is Dirshu! being in Eretz Yisroel after such a long ta, Gaavad of Beis Din Dirshu enables the To- absence and meeting with the Gedolei Darchei Horaah, were rah to spread out and Yisroel and the beloved chavrei Dirsaid at a unique Dirshu reach so many people. shu. gathering held at the Rav Dovid Hofstedter “A year-and-a-half ago, we celeWagschall Hall in Bnei has merited to not only brated a World Siyum… Almost imBrak. increase the learning of mediately thereafter, we were struck

What was the nature Torah in Klal Yisroel by a plague. We entered our own teiof this Dirshu kinnus that but the love of Torah as vah, ark… and now, baruch Hashem brought senior Gedolim well!” we are emerging from the teivah. It is such as HaGaon HaR- There was a hush in imperative, however, that we renew av Moshe Hillel Hirsch, the hall as Rav Dovid our deep bond with learning, with shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva accountable limud haTorah. When the Slabodka Yeshiva, of the Chevron Yeshi- we attach ourselves to the Torah, the and HaGaon HaRav Me- va, rose to address the plague has no power over us. Let us nachem Ernster, shlita, crowd. Rav Cohen said, attach ourselves again to Kinyan Vizhnitzer Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Dovid Cohen giving Divrei Chizuk at the Dirshu Kinnus “Rav Yisroel Salanter Shas, Kinyan Halacha, Daf HaYomi and brother-in-law of the Yisroel unites through Dirshu and writes that the way Torah B’Halachah wherein we are preparing Vizhnitzer Rebbe, shlita, who came now, as the Corona virus is, boruch has been learned among Klal Yisroel for a World Siyum on the Mishnah as the personal shaliach to give over Hashem slowly fading, the time has throughout the ages has been in two Berurah in less than a year!” the Rebbe’s words? What brought the come to redouble efforts to encourage different areas. The first is learning Rav Asher Weiss voiced the feelvenerated Sefardic Gaavad of Bnei accountable limud HaTorah in Eretz with great depth. The second is wide ings of so many hundreds present Brak and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ohr Yisroel and also to pay tribute to the ranging knowledge. One cannot be a when he said, “Now, after a long peElitzur, HaGaon HaRav Messoud Ben remarkable chavrei Dirshu who per- true talmid chochom without yedias riod of isolation in an attempt to stop Shimon, shlita, together with HaGa- severed throughout the very difficult haTorah, a wide-ranging knowledge the spread of the mageifah, we have on HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Corona period, to learn, be tested and of all areas of Torah, Shas and poskim. returned! It is time we return to the Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva and continue their ascent towards becom- “The ideal of learning the Torah in beis medrash! The Torah hakedosha HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, ing the Gedolei Torah of the next gen- its depth is something that in our gen- itself is waiting for us! shlita, Rav of Western Bnei Brak? eration. eration has surpassed previous gener- “I feel that Dirshu is the greatWhy was the senior, venerated Rosh That is what spurred these venerat- ations. Lomdei Torah invest so much est and largest organization for the Yeshiva of Ponovezh, HaGaon HaRav ed Gedolei Yisroel, despite their busy time and effort into understanding the spreading of Torah in our times. The Gershon Edelstein, shlita, scheduled schedules, to come to address an elite depth of Torah. As a result, the Torah success they have achieved is beyond to address the event before he was un- group of Dirshu talmidei chachomim world is flourishing. anything imaginable! The range of the fortunately hospitalized and unable to who have been religiously learning “Regarding the second area, how- organizations and its myriad programs attend? and been tested throughout the Corona ever, the area of knowledge of all areas is remarkable. My bracha is that many

The answer is simple. Dirshu is a virus period and in the years preceding of Torah, the ideal of completing en- more thousands should join so that vital institution that represents and fa- it, together with vital members of Dir- tire sedarim of Shas, the entire Shas or they too will be able to learn with clarcilitates Torah learning for the entire shu’s hanhallah. Shulchan Aruch, is not found among ity, hard work and simcha!” cross-section of Torah Jewry in Eretz An even greater dimension of us in the way that it was previously. Yisroel. With remarkable achdus, Klal simcha and hakaras hatov was add- Rav Dovid Hofstedter and Dirshu