JANUARY 2019 | TEVET/SH’VAT 5779
MAC & CHEESE
Redone Healthfully BY SANDI TEPLITZ
OK; this won't replace your green vegetable, but will appeal to your taste buds and make you feel slightly less guilty when you eat it. I recommend a white wine for the adults as an accompaniment and white grape juice for the kids. Some steamed broccoli on the side wouldn't hurt either.... INGREDIENTS: 1/2 lb. cooked whole wheat macaroni 1/2 lb. grated American cheese 1/2 green pepper, diced 1/2 c. diced onion 1/2 red pepper, diced 4 T. unsalted butter 1/2 t. black pepper 4 T. unbleached flour 1 lb. asparagus, cooked al dente & then cut up 2 c. milk 1 t. salt 1/2 t. salt, or to taste TECHNIQUE: Prepare sauce: melt butter, add flour, 1 t. salt, then blend. Add milk slowly, stirring one time. Add grated cheese when the sauce thickens. Mix with macaroni, rest of ingredients, and pour into buttered Pyrex dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve piping hot.
Finding beauty alternatives for a life safer from chemicals By Alison Holub Special to HAKOL
industry, consisting entirely of bovine or porcine urea.
How did it all start? Since the 1950s, we’ve been in love with chemicals because they were new and cool. They can turn our food bright colors, or make us stop sweating. They can have dinner ready in 60 seconds, and make our garbage bags smell like “spring rain.” But, the truth is there are risks to every chem-comfort you may not know about. And while you can easily avoid things like parabens (banned in the EU since 2012 but not in the U.S., despite their being an extremely likely carcinogen found in everything from deodorant to lip gloss), don’t be fooled. Companies know you’re catching on, and they’re starting to use trickery. If something says “does not contain” or “free of,” make sure you know what it DOES contain!
SOAP: Here’s a secret: cleaning the human body is easy, don’t think you need artificial scents and crazy bubbles to do it. Try a Castille soap with natural oils; it’ll give you the fragrance without the chemicals. Or go soapless and buy a moisturizing oil bar. Many soap and soapless bars are now available without plastic packaging from health food and holistic sources.
Here are some tips to for a cleaner, safer beauty routine: HAIR PRODUCTS: You don’t need sulfates in your shampoo, an additive solely there to create bubbles which ends up stripping color and drying out your hair. Look for a truly organic brand with aloe extract as a top ingredient, or try a “no poo” brand to ditch the bubbles altogether. MAKEUP: It doesn’t need nasty chemicals—they are just money-savers for the brand and dangers to you! Look for a clean brand that focuses on skin care as well as coverage; plant pigments are a plus. It may say “natural,” but look out for things like alantoin, a by-product of the meat
SKINCARE: Don’t fall for ads with lab coats making you think you need chemicals for your facial routine. Recently, carrot oil outperformed luxury and popular skincare brands when it came to improving collagen and reducing the look of fine lines. There are amazing organic, vegan, and cruelty-free lines out there now, performing better and costing less than chemical brands. Think internal and external: vitamin E oil dropped in your tea or coffee does wonders for your skin, hair, and nails. And sea buckthorn juice as a supplement has awesome anti-aging benefits. HAIR COLOR: Avoid ammonia and PPD (a chemical many people react to). There are alternatives available now that work better than chemical brands for things like grey coverage and blonding. Peroxide is the catalyst for organic permanent color. It is rarely an irritant and never a carcinogen, but still make sure to ask for a patch test before you color if you’re sensitive. If you have to avoid all chemical
exposure your only option is henna, a warm brown or blonde that will cover gray but cannot lighten your hair. If you’re looking for dark brown or black, indigo is an option, but be warned ... there is no way to remove it predictably! It may have to grow out. NAIL POLISH: It often emits formaldehyde when it dries, and breathing this in is a lung irritant and a known carcinogen. Over time, irritants like these build up and can lead to debilitating chemical sensitivity and autoimmune disease. Look for at least “5-free” polish. It just takes a little reading and maybe a little help from technology to live safer. Downloading the EWG app, for example, is a great way to make sure you’re not exposing yourself and your family to toxic chemicals. There are people doing this research every day to help all of us, so take advantage of it. Alison Holub has been researching and studying organic care for hair and beauty for over 11 years. She is the owner of Sato Salon Organics and Sato Spa Organics in Allentown.
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Avoid these mistakes with classic Jewish healing recipe
Local chicken soup recipes EDITOR’S NOTE: We asked some of the Lehigh Valley’s own beloved bubbes to share their recipes for “Jewish penicillin” so that this nourishing tradition could be passed on to other families. We hope you’ll try them out the next time you or a loved one is coming down with a cold or just needs a little extra warmth on a chilly day.
JEANETTE EICHENWALD’S JEWISH PENICILLIN A pot full of water 8 quarts of water – 1 chicken minimum OR 20 quarts – 2 chickens Soup bones, if available 3 large carrots 3 stalks of celery 1 large onion, whole 1 bunch of parsley 1 bunch of dill 1 turnip 3 parsnips 1 green pepper Bring to a super boil. Skim. Cook for about 3 hours. And you have chicken soup!
By Shannon Sarna The Nosher
and aromatics very, very slowly, which makes it even more flavorful.
We, the Jewish people, have some strong feelings about chicken soup. And with good reason — it’s delicious, comforting and been scientifically proven to help when you have a cold. It’s not called Jewish penicillin for nothing! But, like cooking brisket, there are some essential rules you must follow when making chicken soup.
NEVER LEAVE THE FOAM When the soup starts to simmer, you will notice a grayish film will appear on top. Don’t ignore this — you must skim it to avoid a cloudy soup. What is that icky, foamy stuff on top? It’s actually the proteins that have coagulated. Most people advise to skim, skim, skim, so that your soup will be clear. But according to “The Kitchn,” it really doesn’t impact the flavor; still, most cooks I know strongly recommend skimming off that foamy top.
FORGET THE CHICKEN BREASTS Never, ever, ever try to make chicken soup with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You always want to use chicken on the bone for rich, maximum flavor. My preference is to use a whole chicken plus approximately one pound of chicken wings. I know some people who exclusively use chicken necks, backs and thighs for their higher fat (and flavor). Chef Adam SaNagoueira even suggests using chicken feet! DON’T BOIL OR RUSH! Everyone I know, from restauranttrained chefs to Jewish grandmas, say not to boil the soup. Start with cold water, bring to a simmer and then cook it on a simmer for hours. And hours. Some people say as long as overnight. Sandra di Capua, partner at Kelloggs NYC (and my dear friend), suggests actually filling your pot with ice, which slows down the heat process, forcing the flavor to get pulled out from the chicken
DON’T USE A SOUP MIX Forget bouillon, chicken consomme mix or other packets of salty, fake flavor. True chicken soup is flavored from real ingredients like carrots, celery, turnips, dill and parsley. Some people also like to use a small piece of fresh ginger. My mother-in-law swears by yellow turnip (and her soup is truly amazing). Others suggest leaving the skin on the onion for color, or adding some sweet potato or even lemongrass. It doesn’t matter which herbs and vegetables you use: just make sure they grew on a farm, not in a factory. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, CALL YOUR MOTHER If you’re not sure about something, call your mom, mother-in-law, grandma or that lovely Jewish lady who lives up the block — they will know just what to do, or not to do.
Jeanette says: “It’s the idea of generation to generation, and what we always knew [about its health benefits] has now been scientifically proven. The more you put into it, the better it comes out.”
COOKY NOTIS’S CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS 1 – 3.5 to 4 lb. whole chicken 1 or 2 cloves of peeled fresh garlic 1 or 2 very well cleaned leeks 2 peeled and cleaned parsnips 3 or more whole carrots, peeled and cleaned 2 or more celery stalks, cleaned 1 parsley root, cleaned and peeled to the best of your ability 1 bunch of fresh dill, washed Put the chicken in a 6-quart pot and fill with cold water. Bring to a boil and skim the white stuff off the top as much as you can. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 2 or 3 hours. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove chicken to one bowl and vegetables to another bowl. Cooky says: “These are things I remember about my mom’s chicken soup with some added touches. I prefer to serve the soup as clear, with the other stuff to be taken by the diners. I remember my mother always used ‘petrushka’ (parsley root) and dill.
(It’s hard to get parsley root and I only added it for Passover and Rosh Hashanah.) She added the dill the last 15 minutes of cooking. I put the dill on top of the vegetables when I add them to the soup. B’tayavon!”
NEVER FAIL MATZO BALLS 2 eggs 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil 3⁄4 cup boiling water Dash of pepper 3⁄4 cup matz9 meal Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Mix in oil and water. Stir in matzo meal. Refrigerate 1 hour. (Cooky says: “I’ve refrigerated the mixture up to 2 days”). Bring 2.5 quarts of water to boil in a 4-quart pot with a teaspoon of salt. Wet hands and form 8 matzo balls. Drop into boiling water. Cook 30 minutes covered. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet covered with paper towels. Dry. Can be placed in freezer until frozen and packed in plastic bags. Otherwise add to soup. Cooky says: “I’ve doubled, tripled and quadrupled the recipe. Just make sure the pot is big enough; otherwise, make a few batches. I find that it’s easier to make lots of matzo balls and freeze them. They come out fluffier. Just remember to defrost them before adding to soup. I wouldn’t freeze them longer than a month or two.” And if you’re pressed for time, try a trick from Cooky’s daughter, Jenny:
OLD-FASHIONED CHICKEN SOUP – INSTANT POT VERSION Add chicken parts (Cooky used a breast and two thighs). Add water to cover up to the line. In a piece of cheesecloth, add 1 cleaned leek, 2 peeled carrots, 2 stalks of cleaned celery, 1 garlic clove, 1 or 2 parsnips, and a handful of washed dill. Tie cheesecloth with vegetables inside and put on top of water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Close Instant Pot and press soup button. It should take 20 minutes to cook and a while to cool down and open. That’s it! Cooky says: “My daughter Jenny showed me how to do it a few months ago. Thanksgiving weekend, I made it for my daughter Debbie and family.”
HEALTH & WELLNESS | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JANUARY 2019 3
Melt away those winter blues The Maimonides Society of the Jewish Federation is proud to support HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. Visit JEWISHLEHIGHVALLEY.ORG/ MAIMONIDES for a directory of members
4 JANUARY 2019 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HEALTH & WELLNESS
Push-ups By Nolie Schneider and Terrence Baker Jewish Community Center We get it. It is hard to keep your fitness routines steady during the winter months. It’s cold outside, it gets dark early, and there are too many holidays with food to enjoy. Even with these factors, you can still stay on track by doing some basic exercise routines indoors. We always invite you to come to the Jewish Commu-
nity Center fitness center more often to help keep you on track on your fitness journey, but if your time is short and you can’t make it to the gym, here are some tips and exercises that you can implement at home or anywhere where you are stuck inside. You don’t need a full gym of equipment to continue with your strength training. Functional training exercises are exercises that can use your body weight for resistance and/or require minimal to no equipment to perform. One great upper body exercise is push-ups that work the chest and tricep muscles, which can be easily modified by doing them on your knees or the wall, or any stable flat surface. Another great exercise to work the triceps is dips, which can be done on a chair, a bench, the side of a bathtub, etc. An easy way to work out your biceps is to grab that gallon of milk or water jugs sitting in the refrigerator and use them to do a couple sets of bicep curls. You can use those same milk gallons or water jugs to do bent over rows that work your back muscles, or overhead shoulder presses or shoulder shrugs for the shoulders. For your lower body, a great exercise to work all the leg muscles are squats using your own body weight, which can be modified by doing them
with a chair or made harder if you add weight or resistance. Wall sits are also a great option to get that isometric hold. Another great lower body exercise are lunges which can be done by stepping forward, stepping back, or even to the side. To work on your calves, step on your lowest step in your house and push up on your toes to do calf raises. Lastly, don’t forget about the core! Planks are one of the best total body but corespecific exercises. You can do planks on your forearms or up on your hands, and you can easily modify by dropping the knees. If you can’t get down on the ground, sit in a chair with your legs extended and toes up to the ceiling, and use those abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders off the back of the chair. These are just a few exercises that you can do at home. Remember, always try to do your exercises in sets. For example, maybe 8-10 reps for 2-3 sets. If you have cabin fever and are ready to get out of the house, we always welcome you to come workout in the fitness center—come shoot some hoops, play pickleball or squash, take a Group Exercise or Functional Training Class, or even come work out with one of our knowledgeable personal trainers. Happy New Year, and good luck keeping to those resolutions!
Lunges
Wall sits
Tricep dip downs
Wall push-ups
Modified planks
HEALTH & WELLNESS | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JANUARY 2019 5
Migraine relief from an Israeli neuro-modulation device
By Brian Blum ISRAEL21c Fourteen percent of American adults suffer from migraines or severe headaches. Among women aged 18 to 44, the number soars to 23 percent. There is no cure for migraines, and over-the-counter pain relief medicines do not always work. One of the most promising treatments is occipital nerve stimulation, where a small pulse generator is implanted at the base of the skull to send
pain-relieving electrical impulses to the brain. What if the same effect could be achieved without surgery – and for a lower cost than the tens of thousands of dollars required for an occipital nerve implant? That hypothesis launched Shmuel Shany and Amit Dar on their journey to establishing Neurolief. Neurolief is developing a noninvasive neuro-modulation device that could be available for purchase in your local pharmacy for less than $500.
The device looks a bit like Geordi’s visor in Star Trek: The Next Generation, except it sits on top of the head. The Neurolief neuromodulator stimulates six different nerve branches in the brain that regulate pain and mood. Each electrode in the device delivers a charge strong enough to penetrate the skull. “It needs to be done without causing pain to the patient and not causing damage to scalp tissue,” Dar tells ISRAEL21c. The device is rechargeable, can be adjusted to a variety of head sizes and connects to both a mobile phone app and the cloud, so that a particular patient’s experience can be compared with others to deliver a precise electrical “dose.” By “dose,” Dar explains that the device can dial up and down the six electrodes individually, holding out the possibility to create a treatment plan personalized for each patient. Neuro-modulation prevents the secretion of chemicals in the brain that trigger pain. But it also modulates the “activation threshold” of the neural system, so that the next time a migraine trigger is present (whether that’s stress, lack of sleep or even chocolate), the nerves will not react as severely as before. Neuro-modulation is mostly side-effect free. 80 percent pain reduction One study of the product conducted last year demonstrated an average 80 percent reduction in pain symptoms. That’s double the rate for implanted devices and far more than a couple of
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6 JANUARY 2019 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HEALTH & WELLNESS
Tylenols can achieve. “We compete mainly against the strongest painkillers,” explains Neurolief CEO Shany. “We are not targeting patients whose symptoms are alleviated with Advil but those who require drugs frequently.” The Neurolief device is meant to be used only during a migraine attack. Since it can fold up to the size of a sunglasses case, it’s small enough to carry in a purse or backpack. Dar and Shany are not newcomers to the field of neuromodulation. The two started and sold NESS-Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Systems, a company that builds neuro-modulation products to help stroke survivors move paralyzed arms and legs. After NESS’s new owners moved most of the company’s operations to California, Dar and Shany were free to develop their own non-competing neuro-modulation device. NESS fetched a price of $75 million in 2007. Netanya-based Neurolief is still at the beginning of its journey and has so far raised $5 million since it was established in 2013. The financing was led by Terra Venture Partners. Neurolief has developed a novel pricing model. Instead of purchasing the device for a one-time fee, patients will buy it “pre-loaded” with a certain number of treatments (10 to start). “It’s like buying a blister pack of medications,” VP of business development and marketing Eran Schenker tells ISRAEL21c. If the device works for you, you can “turn on” more neuro-
modulation doses remotely via the Internet. “It won’t cost more than the pills you already get,” Schenker adds. But don’t head to your local pharmacy just yet. Neurolief’s product will not be available until sometime in 2019. There are still a few trials to complete, including a study with 56 patients now underway. The company hopes to apply for a European Union CE mark, with application to the FDA for approval in the U.S. to follow. Next target: depression Neurolief started by targeting migraines because the clinical evidence from implanted devices has already demonstrated that neuro-modulation works. But the same neuromodulation techniques can be used for other indications. Next on Neurolief’s list is depression. Dar reports “remarkable results” from a clinical trial at a mental hospital in Israel. Neurolief’s anti-depression model could come as early as 2020. There are other companies working on brain stimulation to treat depression, mostly using magnets. “But these are large machines that can only be used in a clinic,” Dar says. “We wanted something that could be used at home, that allows for self-treatment.” “At the end of the day, we will have a solution for multi-indications, although each needs its own regulatory approval and may need a different device,” Dar says. In the meantime, the company is inching closer to giving migraines the boot from your brain.
Is there a silent killer in your house?
Maimonides brunch to explore the possibilities of medical cannabis By Stephanie Bolmer HAKOL Editor
By St. Luke’s Pediatrics Special to HAKOL Harsh winter months can throw some big obstacles in the way of our health and well-being. Ice, snow, cold and flu can all cause discomfort, sickness or injury, and we, as parents, try to shield our little ones from it all. But, the colder months can be dangerous for another reason that we may not think about. During winter, carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning rates are at their max with nearly 500 deaths each year, most of which occur between December and March. Carbon monoxide is commonly known as the “silent killer” because there is nothing visible or tangible about the poisonous gas; it’s odorless, tasteless, colorless: pretty much undetectable. And you don’t know you’ve fallen victim to it until it’s too late. In fact, carbon monoxide poisoning often happens when people are sleeping. During colder months, we are heating our homes and cars and are more likely to use supplemental heating sources or generators in power outages—all of which can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a byproduct created when carbon-containing fuels like wood, coal, natural gas, methane, gasoline, oil or kerosene don’t completely burn. Gas-powered furnaces and gas, oil and kerosene heaters, propane stoves or generators can all emit carbon monoxide if they aren’t used properly or if they are faulty in some way. “When CO is inhaled, it inhibits the function of the body to carry oxygen-fueled blood to the vital organs, especially the brain and heart,” explained Samone Nore, MD, of St. Luke’s University Health Network. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are dizziness, nausea, fatigue, confusion—unfortunately, all of these can also be signs of other things, like the flu, which is also widespread this time of year. When someone is overcome by
carbon monoxide poisoning, they become unconscious, rendering them powerless to remove themselves from the situation and get fresh air. “Kids can be extra vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning because they tend not to communicate symptoms,” said Nore. “Or, if they do, parents may mistake it for something else, like the flu, which is also prevalent during the winter months.”
If when you think of cannabis you think of “Reefer Madness,” Dr. Bruce Nicholson has a message for you—it’s not about that. Join him at the Maimonides brunch on Jan. 6 for his talk: “Medical Cannabis: Weeding Out Fact from Fiction” to learn the truth about this misunderstood drug. “It really is truly separating fact from fiction or myth,” said Nicholson of his talk, which aims to leave the audience “understanding the potential benefits but also limitations” of medical cannabis. Nicholson is an anesthesiologist with a subspecialty in pain medicine who actually helped craft the legislation that brought legalized medical cannabis to Pennsylvania. And he understands the skepticism that exists about this new treatment. “If this were five years ago, I would’ve taken the position
that there was no place in medicine for medical cannabis,” he said. But, then he did the research which led him to support it. “This really needs to be part of what we do, and we need to understand it better,” said Nicholson. One of the major breakthroughs of medical cannabis is in the treatment of chronic pain, which obviously interests Nicholson. “We’re certifying 10 people a week [for use of medical cannabis to treat their pain],”
said Nicholson, “and most of them are in their 70s or 80s.” Nicholson will explain the previously unexplored endocannabinoid system of the human body, which makes the use of this promising medicine possible. The Maimonides Society Brunch will take place on Sunday, Jan. 6, at 10:15 a.m. at the JCC of the Lehigh Valley. It is free for Maimonides members, $10 for community. RSVP to the Jewish Federation at 610-821-5500 or mailbox@jflv.org.
It really doesn't matter which heating sources you use, you should have your system checked regularly for faulty or malfunctioning ventilation. Here are some prevention tips: • Have your water heater, gas, oil or coal burning fireplaces inspected once a year to make sure they are operating properly and efficiently. • Make sure all gas, oil and kerosene heaters are working, too. • Don’t burn anything in an unvented fireplace or stove. • Don’t ever start a car in an unopened garage. It may be great to get into a warm car, but make sure the garage door is always open or, better yet, move the car outside to start it. And even if you do start your car outside, make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t covered with snow or mud. • Make sure your chimney and flue are clear from debris, as this can cause a blockage that would result in carbon monoxide flowing back into the house. • Never use a gas range to heat your home (even in the event of a power outage when it may seem like a good idea). Be aware of the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home. Check the batteries every few months and if the detector goes off, heed its warning and get out into fresh air immediately! HEALTH & WELLNESS | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JANUARY 2019 7
He’s growing fast. So are we. The region’s leader in pediatric care has a new name: Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital Thanks to the Reilly family, the only children’s
hospital in the area will be able to provide even more quality care – all under one roof.
We already have the most pediatric doctors in the region – plus a surgery center and ER designed just for kids. And now, with the Reillys’ gift, we
will further enhance our neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, as well as expand our pediatric surgical programs.
Like you, we want only the best for our kids. Which is why we’re committed to providing the highest
level of care possible, right here, close to home.
LVHN.org/children | 888-402-LVHN
A new name. The expert care children need.