Wellspring issue #15

WEALTH OF HEALTH CONFERENCE WITH KIMBERLY CASSAR OF BEETOLOGY

THE GREAT POTATO DEBATE

Are spuds good for you or not?

Q&A with Eve Allen of the International Potato Center in Peru

SPELT MATZAH OR WHOLE WHEAT? Shani Taub, CDC, on the differences

EXCLUSIVE! 10 QUESTIONS Rabbi Shlomo Bochner of Bonei Olam

CUP OF TEA

RABBI YOM TOV GLASER

GOOD FOOD INSIDE

How to take care of your body so you can experience true freedom

ISSUE 15 APRIL 2017 NISSAN 5777

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Editor In Chief Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC Nutritional Advisory Board Jack Friedman, PhD • Moshe Weinberger Yaakov Goodman, CN • Shani Taub, CDC Dr. Rachael Schindler • Tanya Rosen, MS CAI CPT Fitness Advisory Board Syma Kranz, PFC • Esther Fried, PFC Feature Editors Rochel Gordon • Liba Solomon, CNWC Copy Editors Gila Zemmel • Faige Badian Food Editor Levia Joseph Food Styling Malky Levine Photography Creative Directors Miriam Bluming • Rivky Schwartz

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From the Editor

Dear Readers, This morning, when I walked home from my weekly parenting class, I thought to myself, “There’s no way I’m denying my dear Wellspring readers the words of wisdom I just heard.” I’ve been privileged and blessed to absorb weekly bolts of parenting brilliance from master mechaneches Rebbetzin Sima Spetner of Yerushalayim, for the past two years. Every week, when I return home, eager to apply her guidance into practice to the little people who fill our home with sunshine and life, I’m awed by her perception of the human psyche—those of children and adults alike. In this last shiur before Pesach, the Rebbetzin chose to address a most pertinent topic: the messages we transmit to our children before and during the yom tov.

“Do you have a vision of the perfect Seder?” Rebbetzin Spetner asked us when she introduced the class. Those who nodded their heads were in for a humbling surprise. There is no concept of a perfect Seder, the Rebbetzin explained: The perfect Seder is the one Hashem wants you to have. This may mean opening your home to people you least expected to have around on this exalted night, and this may mean happily changing your son’s shirt after every kos instead of sitting comfortably at the Seder you worked so hard to prepare because, to him, experiencing freedom means filling the cup until it literally overflows. In her witty trademark fashion, the Rebbetzin shared her memories of the year their “perfect” Seder was busted by a knock on the door, after which over ten random uninvited guests piled in. To the Rebbetzin and her husband, this was no reason to sigh. They embraced the situation Hashem sent their way, to continue fulfilling the mitzvos of the exalted night, out-of-the-box style. Your erev yom tov and yom tov are not supposed to look like the picture you envisioned in your mind. That’s simply a concept you’ve constructed that holds no real value. The true way to enjoy life is to allow yourself to simply experience it.

Perhaps what I’ve gained most from my extensive learning experience under Rebbetzin Spetner’s tutelage is that there’s no one right way to parent, just like there’s no one right way to have a Seder. As Rabbi Ezra Friedman beautifully explains in this issue’s Torah Wellspring, life is a minute-by-minute experience. It’s all about the now. Instead of asking, “Why is this not going the way I wanted it to?” when things go awry at the Seder table or in daily life, we are meant to ask, “What does Hashem want from me right now, at this very moment?”

In his “Cup of Tea” interview with The Wellspring, the world-renowned Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser shares a similar message regarding physical and emotional health. As long as we hold on to our vision of the way things are “supposed” to be versus accepting what they really are, he explains, we deny ourselves true freedom.

And just like there’s no one right way to parent, there’s no one right way to lead a healthy lifestyle.

From the hundreds of articles you’ve already read in The Wellspring, you’ve surely picked up this message along the way. Simply put, different avenues work for different people. As nutritionist Shani Taub explains in this issue’s “Ask the Nutritionist,” while spelt matzah is highly beneficial for those with sensitive digestive systems, whole wheat works perfectly for others. While the carb level in potatoes can be hazardous to some, others can benefit from the spud’s otherwise highly nutritious content. There’s no one right answer to any aspect of life; there’s no one way that it’s “supposed” to be, as long as it’s within the Torah’s boundaries. When we learn to simply live life, to breathe into the experience, we will merit a most liberating existence.

May we be zocheh to the ultimate redemption very soon.

A kasheren, freilichen Pesach to you and yours,

Shiffy Friedman

shiffy@wellspringmagazine.com

Well-Put!

“Ultimately, it’s not one specific carbohydrate or one specific food that can make or break a dietary plan,” writes Bayla Traube, CDC, in this issue's feature on potatoes. Read “The Great Potato Debate” to learn about the pros and cons of the contentious Pesach staple.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 7

Contents

NISSAN 5777

22

APRIL2017

The next issue of The Wellspring will appear iy”H on May 10th.

WELL INFORMED 15

WELLNESS PLATFORM

By Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

17

TORAH WELLSPRING

By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

18

HEALTH UPDATES IN THE NEWS

By Liba Solomon, CNWC

20

FIGURES

By Miriam Katz

22

WEALTH OF HEALTH Conference with Kimberly Cassar

By Sarah Weinberger

26

DEDICATED TO HEALTH 10 Questions for Rabbi Shlomo Bochner

By Chana Dunner

32 LIVING WELL

DURING THE FLIGHT HOME, MY WIFE SAID TO ME, “SHLOMO, LOOK WHAT A DIFFERENCE MONEY CAN MAKE FOR A COUPLE.” -RABBI SHLOMO BOCHNER

28

ASK THE NUTRITIONIST Which Matzah to Choose

By Shani Taub, CDC

30

IN GOOD SHAPE Fitness 101: PiYo

By Syma Kranz, PFC

32

COVER FEATURE The Great Potato Debate

By Bayla Traube, CDC

54

HEALTH PROFILE Client: Blima

By Esther Steinmetz

56

IN SESSION Vision Therapy

By Batsheva Fine

58

MONTHLY DOSE Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

By Yaakov Goodman, CN

PAGE 26

26

FAREWELL 79

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

39

CLEAN EATING IS ALL THE RAGE THESE DAYS, AND PESACH IS THE PERFECT TIME TO DO A ONE-WEEK TRIAL. - LEVIA JOSEPH, SEASONED

PAGE 39

EAT WELL WELLBEING 61

CLEAN SLATE Your Path to Satisfaction

By Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC

62

FROM THE GROUND UP 12-18 Months

By Goldy Guttman, Ms. Ed.

64

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS The Inner Child

By Esther Moskowitz, LCSW

66

HEALTH PERSONALITY Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser

By Shiffy Friedman

SEASONED Feast of Freedom

By Levia Joseph

48

NUTRITION TIDBITS IN THE NEWS

By Liba Solomon, CNWC

50

NUTRITION FACTS IN A SHELL This Month: Romaine Lettuce

By Devorah Isaacson

MAZEL TOV TO SHANI TAUB AND FAMILY UPON THE BIRTH OF A BABY GIRL. MAY YOU SEE LOTS OF NACHAS!

AGE WELL

79 ALL THROUGH THE MONTH OF MARCH, MY INCESSANT SNEEZING COULD BE HEARD THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE. -REISY FRENKEL

39

PAGE 78

71

GOLDEN PAGE

By Yaakov Goodman, CN

72

SENIOR CARE GERD

By Rena Milgraum, RN

74

SAGE ADVICE Creating Memories

By Aliza Simon

76

SERIAL DIARY Entry #5

By Malka Aronson

INKWELL 78

DIARY Nothing to Sneeze at

By Reisy Frenkel Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring  9

Springboard

Letters way to obtain fat-free foods, paying no attention to all the other ingredients that are detrimental to their bodies, so they end up consuming great quantities of these foods while feeling guilt-free.

When I see people falling into this trap, my heart goes out to them. And then they wonder why their numbers are only climbing upward…

Thanks for opening our eyes to the truth.

Much continued success, Raquel M.

Changed Perspective Finally, a shift [Issue #13: Cup of Tea with Dr. Joel Blush] Dear Editor:

Shout Out to Shimi Fan mail [Issue #14: Cup of Tea with Shimi Adar] Dear Editor:

For too many years, I’ve been thinking that my high blood pressure is a heart issue. Thanks to your incredible article about the relationship between the kidneys and high blood pressure and my subsequent visit to Dr. Blush, I’ve become a changed person. For the first time in my life, the numbers are actually going down—and I’m on many less pills.

With much appreciation to a magazine that is bringing to the community health awareness that we all need, Chag Kasher Vesameach, Gitta Fried

I'm writing in response to the interview with Shimi Adar. I’ve been going to Shimi’s class for a couple of years, and I look forward to it each week. It's not just the class that’s amazing, it’s the person who gives it. Just being around Shimi makes you happy and upbeat.

She’s always so positive and full of life.

Shimi spreads her happiness to everyone around her. Her Zumba class is a place where everyone can just be who they are, get rid of all their stress and negative energy, and have an awesome time.

Raizy H.

The Fat-Free Joke Thanks for the laugh [Issue #14: A Grip on Oils] Dear Editor: Thanks for an incredibly informative magazine that my family and I read from cover to cover every month (wish you were a weekly!). I especially enjoy Shani Taub’s nutrition column, which is full of practical advice as well as food for thought regarding the choices we make that affect us throughout the day.

Her last column, in particular, was excellent. I had a good laugh when she described how people go out of their

10 The Wellspring | April 2017

Dear Editor: I would like to thank you for the beautiful article “Cup of Tea with Shimi Adar" by Shiffy Friedman.

When reading magazines, I usually flip the pages, but this article caught my eye and I was spurred to read further. This beautiful piece impacted me very strongly. If I ever felt like I wasn’t

enough or I can’t make a difference—I now know that I can. I know I can use the strengths Hashem has given me and embrace them with purpose. I now have the strength to be myself and not compare myself to others.

Shimi Adar brings this greatness out in others, giving them one of the greatest gifts they could ever receive. I can personally vouch that there is something magical in that room, enabling me to let go of my fears and find the strength to be me, no matter what.

Helping me to keep moving forward and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

When I met Shimi in the summer and went to my first Zumba class, I didn't believe in myself. I was a girl who stood in the back row looking for the approval of others. But as the months went by, I began to feel like a different person.As I inhale confidence, I exhale my inner doubts. It’s not just women joined in a Zumba class; it’s a family, where Shimi instills her heart and soul into each person with powerful love. That energy penetrates the room and changes the lives of all the participants.

People have asked me, “How does Zumba inspire you?” It’s not something you can describe; it’s something you feel. This article opened my eyes to understand that one person can make a difference; anyone can change into the person they want to be; and each person can bring light into the world, wherever they are.

Many times I have questioned what can I do to make the world a better place? What can I do to make someone smile? And ultimately what is my purpose? Your article helped clarify my feelings, and I now feel empowered to translate them into action. One step at a time, I will reveal my inner potential.

With great appreciation, A girl who realized that she can

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.

Springboard

Letters

Dear Editor: Shimi2zumba is awesome! I've been going for over 6 years. Shimi is full of energy and has the ability to make others feel good about themselves. I don't normally “love”' to exercise, but Shimi’s classes are fun and exciting. Life is full of ups and downs, and people’s stress levels are high (at least mine are), but when Tuesday nights come around, I enter a stress-free zone on the dance floor.

Dina

Essential Questions From an aromatherapist in training [Issue #14: Conference with Mimi Schweid] Dear Editor: I’m writing in regard to the interview with Mimi Schweid of Releaf. I am currently studying to attain certification as an aromatherapist. Some points written in your article contradict what I’ve been taught about using essential oils safely and effectively.

Essential oils are very powerful and potent healers. They can be used to treat many conditions. However, because they are so powerful, they must also be treated with respect and used safely.

Mrs. Schweid says that eucalyptus and peppermint are used in her Cough and Chest Relief blend for children. I’ve been taught to keep these essences away from infants, as they may cause choking due to their rapid cooling effects. They should also be avoided by people with high blood pressure.

She describes a woman who took 2 droppersful of her Reflux Relief. Even a licensed aromatherapist won’t typically recommend the use of any oils internally (professional liability insurance won’t cover it) as they can be toxic. Only a licensed medical professional should prescribe oral use of essential oils.

Furthermore, she states that oils won’t spoil, and can last for years. That is simply untrue. Some oils go rancid fairly quickly and oxidize when exposed to air.

Essential oils can be very effective for all sorts of ailments. However, they should be used under the guidance of 12 The Wellspring | April 2017

a trained and licensed aromatherapist.

Aromatherapist in training, F. Goldstein Mimi Schweid, of Releaf Essential Oils, responds: Thank you for reading my interview in The Wellspring and for sharing your feedback. All the oil blends that we use are tested for 3 full years before they’re marketed, on subjects that include infants 3 months of age (the directions on the bottle recommend that the blend be diluted with olive oil), children, adults, and seniors. All Releaf oils are already blended.

Reflux Relief is not an oil. It is a product made of herbs especially for infants and children.

As per the shelf life of oils, that depends on the quality of oil you are using. The oils we use are of very high quality substances.

It also depends on how the oils are bottled and stored. Dark amber glass preserves oils for years. I don't know how long you are in training, but I would recommend that you do hands-on work and test products to really know about oils and their properties. Wishing you lots of luck!

Success Story How The Wellspring helped me combat diabetes Dear Editor: I would like to share my personal success story in regards to my battle with diabetes, thanks to your magazine.

I am 64 years old and otherwise healthy. However, earlier this year I went for my annual checkup at my doctor. A few days after my visit, the doctor called me and asked me to return to his office immediately. When I arrived, he informed me that my A1c levels were at 6.7, which are in the diabetes territory, and that taking medication is inevitable.

When I started searching for another answer, I came across the article about Maxi Health Cinnacaps Complex™ and Chromium Supreme™ in The Wellspring. I decided to give them a shot, in conjunction with watching my diet. Baruch Hashem, I was able to bring my A1c levels down to 5.9 in a matter

of 6 weeks, which is considered good for someone in my age range. Needless to say, my doctor was shocked.

Many thanks, H. Zacks Monsey, NY

Joy in My Heart Appreciating the column change [Issue #14: Torah Wellspring] Dear Editor: This is just a short note (it’s erev Pesach around here!) to let you know how excited I was to see that the Torah Wellspring column by Rabbi Ezra Friedman would be addressing emotional health. As someone who is acutely aware of how emotional health plays a role in the physical realm, and how many people suffer physically due to emotional issues, it gladdened my heart to read the new column. Already in the first installment, Rabbi Friedman articulately explained how joy is something that is not only accessible to us all, but is essentially part and parcel of our beings. What a changed perspective!

Looking forward to an excellent monthly read, Chava G. Shur Chicago, Illinois

Surprise! Surprise!

Not allergic anymore [Issue #13: Updates in the News] Dear Editor: Thanks for bringing an important piece of news to my awareness. For over three decades, I’ve been convinced that I’m allergic to penicillin. I made sure to include this information in all medical forms and to let all doctors know about this. After I read the article that explained why this might not be the case, I went to an allergist to get myself tested and, lo and behold, I am not allergic to the drug.

Thanks for helping me discover this vital piece of good news, Heather Klein

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Wellness Platform By Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

BEWARE OF THE CARBOHYDRATE OVERLOAD COMBATTING YEAST INFECTIONS ONCE THEY HAPPENED

W

For most Jews, the Pesach menu consists of mainly carb-loaded fare. As we’ve mentioned several times, in addition to the damage a carb overload wreaks on the body, it also plays a big role in increasing the yeast population.

Once yeast makes itself at home in the body and begins to multiply, the uncomfortable symptoms linger for a long time, generating unwanted misery and discomfort. But just because it got there, whatever the reason may be, doesn’t mean it needs to stay forever.

In His kindness, Hashem placed the antidotes against fungus (yeast included) into His beautiful world, and thanks to the combination of four such powerful ingredients in Olive Supreme™, you can take advantage of the powerful benefits.

In 2013, a fascinating study was performed on subjects who suffered from psychological disorders, like ADHD, and mood disorders such as anxiety.

The researchers treated the participants with micronutrients instead of mainstream medications. While some subjects experienced dramatic success with the supplements, others were not affected by the benefits. The researchers wondered why the nutrients worked for some people and not for others. Upon further research, they realized that those for whom the supplements didn’t work had a high-

er yeast population (candida) in their bodies compared to those who did benefit from the treatment, which they assumed led to a malfunction in the body’s absorption.

Once the researchers came to this conclusion, they continued the threeyear study. They documented all symptoms and provided the people who suffered from candida with olive leaf extract and probiotics in addition to the nutritional supplements that targeted their disorders. Incredibly, they observed how the psychological and mood disorders gradually diminished.

This scientific research found a direct relationship between olive leaf extract and its ability to combat yeast infections, as well as its far-reaching benefits of helping the body properly digest vital nutrients that are otherwise flushed out.

In addition to the super-powerful olive leaf extract in Olive Supreme™, garlic is another main ingredient in this unique formula. Garlic’s incredible antifungal capacity lies in its allicin, a liquid compound. Countless studies have been performed to establish allicin’s strength, particularly in combatting fungal infections. Some of the studies were done with animals, others with plants—where fungus enters the roots and then threatens to destroy the organism—and others, with humans. In all cases, the researchers consistently found that when garlic was added to the organisms’ fare, the fungal presence significantly diminished. And in studies that were performed in vitro (in laboratories), scientists observed time and again how garlic is able to fight yeast and fungus in the petri dishes.

Taking the experiments a step further, studies were done in 2007 and 2009 with subjects who were taking medications. When garlic was added to the drug, it worked more effectively.

This comes as no surprise to anyone who’s familiar with ancient medicine.

Garlic is a legendary remedy that has been used by doctors for centuries.

Oregano, another ingredient in the formula, also has the unique capacity to combat fungus. In fact, many doctors advise their patients who are suffering from fungal skin infections to apply oil made of oregano to the infected area. When oregano is actually ingested, it can function even more powerfully from inside out.

And the last ingredient, Spirulina, a rich source of vitamins and minerals, has also been proven to have antifungal properties. Studies were conducted in 2013 and 2014, in which Spirulina was used to combat candida effectively. Although its independent ability to do so has not been established, when it works together with the other superpower ingredients, such as olive oil extract and garlic, it serves as an incredibly effective ammunition against yeast and fungal infections.

When fungus infiltrates the body, treating it naturally is the way to go. In addition to avoiding trigger foods such as sugar and too many carbs, combating the fungus with superpower nutrients Hashem placed in this world helps relieve the discomfort and destroy the uninvited microbes.

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.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 15

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

Torah Wellspring: Emotional Health By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

HARNESSING OUR INNER GOODNESS IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN WE LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND

ON PESACH, we celebrate our freedom.

Of course, we experienced the ultimate exodus several thousands of years ago, and the fact that this yom tov is called zman cheiruseinu tells us that there’s an element of freedom that we still experience every single year. But what kind of freedom are we celebrating today?

We’re still very much in exile, suffering from the pain of gidul banim, parnassah, and illness. So what is the liberation that we have the opportunity to experience on Pesach? Besides for being physical slaves under Paroh’s servitude, the Jews were also trapped by the yetzer hara, immersed in the forty ninth level of tumah. The spiritual redemption that our forefathers experienced that first Pesach is the same liberation that every single Jew has the potential to experience on each subsequent Pesach.

Let’s understand the essence of the evil inclination. Fundamentally, every Jew wants to do the right thing; he’s simply caught in the shackles of the yetzer hara, who cunningly finds a way to prevent him from doing so. In other words, there’s a constant battle taking place between the person’s desire to do good and the yetzer hara’s intervention. Only a human being is faced with this battle and has the ability to win it, as we say, “Umosar ha’adam min habaheimah ayin”—Man’s superiority to the animal is his ability to say “no.”

What makes it so hard for a person to exercise this incredible power and harness their inner goodness? One of the causes is when we remain tangled up in the past. To give a simple example, suppose Reuven is used to teasing Shimon.

When he meets Shimon every morning, he automatically finds something to tease him about, because based on past experiences, this has become his role.

He teased him yesterday and the day before, so of course it makes sense for him

to do it again. Similarly, if I wasn’t the kindest spouse or child or parent before, this has become my role in the relationship. Logically, once a person commits a sin he should never want to do it again, because he realizes that it’s all fluff. So why is it that “aveirah goreres aveirah,” one sin leads to another one? Because the moment we perform a negative deed, we start identifying ourselves with it. We make it a part of who we are—I’m the kind of person who does that.

But when a person stops for a moment and thinks that his past mistakes have absolutely no connection to the present, that what he did is a bygone and his new life starts now, he has the incredible ability to extricate himself from the yetzer hara’s grip. He has the ability to truly follow his desire to do good. The only benefit, according to the Rambam, that we can gain from the past is to use it to help us improve our deeds. But the moment it pulls us down, the moment it makes us identify with a negative image of ourselves, there’s no point in revisiting it.

It’s interesting to note the extent to which people can be adversely affected by holding on to their past mistakes, even in the gashmius realm. For example, if a person keeps turning down good job offers and his debts only keep piling up, instead of admitting that he’s made a mistake in the selection process and moving on, he’ll keep rejecting more and more opportunities simply because it’s too painful to face the truth.

In chinuch, we see this unfortunate pattern too. Parents can watch one child after another fall through the cracks, but instead of starting their life anew from this moment onward and consulting with the right mechanchim for guidance, they hold on to their past techniques and repeat their tragic mistakes.

The underlying fear that impels people

to act in this counterintuitive manner is that by confronting their past, they’ll have to admit that what they did wasn’t right. This may be true, but it should not negatively impact the decisions of today. However, this can’t be further from the truth. What do yesterday’s mistakes have to do with today? Why wouldn’t we want to save what we can from here on?

Freedom is all about living in the present moment. The Jews in Mitzrayim fell to the worst level of impurity. Had they remained in exile for only a short while longer, our Sages teach us, they would never have been able to emerge from the depths. But when Hashem pulled them out, He said to them, “Atah bachartanu mikol ha’amim,” I’m choosing you as My beloved nation. It was to them that He offered His most prized possession, the Torah. Had the Jews started clinging to their past, thinking, “But look how low we stooped! Look at the sins we committed!” they would only have dragged themselves deeper into the abyss.

The sefarim tell us that if a mikvah can transform a non-Jew into a Yid, how much more does it have the ability to transform a Yid into a Yid. Our status, to begin with, is way more elevated than that of the Jews in Mitzrayim. Now that we’re already Hashem’s Chosen Nation, how much greater is our ability to leave the past behind and embrace a life of true freedom from the yetzer hara. With this perspective, we have a deeper appreciation for the words we say on Pesach, “Venodeh lecha… al geulaseinu v’al pedus nafsheinu.” We thank You, Hashem, not only for the physical redemption, but also the liberation of our nefesh, our soul. By starting anew from this very second, we’re dropping the heavy burden of the past from our shoulders and giving ourselves the ability to experience true freedom.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 17

Well Informed

Health Updates in the News By Liba Solomon, CNWC

NO RUDENESS IN THE NICU What parents say may affect their child’s treatment The neonatal intensive care unit is a place full of tiny, vulnerable, and critically ill infants; fearful and anxious parents; and busy doctors and nurses working to save lives. But if a parent of a sick baby says something rude to the medical staff, the quality of care might suffer, a new Israeli study suggests.

“We weren’t looking at angry parents, we were looking at rude parents,” says Dr. Peter Bamberger, a study coauthor and the associate dean for research at Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University. The study used the kind of simulated crisis scenarios that are commonly performed to help medical staff practice, using actor “parents” and a realistic plastic baby “patient.” And the rude “mother” in the study said, loud enough for the staff to hear: “I knew we should have gone to a better hospital where they don’t practice Third World medicine.”

“It wasn’t anything horrible,” Dr. Bamberger says. “They weren’t going ballistic, they weren’t violent. They just said things that weren’t so pleasant for doctors to hear.” But even such mild unpleasantness was enough to affect doctors’ and nurses’ medical skills. Individual performance and teamwork deteriorated to the point where diagnostic skills, procedural skills, and team communication were impaired and medical errors were more likely, compared to control scenarios in which the mother would just say something general about being worried. The team’s ability to perform in critical medical situations with sick babies was affected for the rest of the day, the findings suggest.

“At the level of the team, it really hampers all the function,” says Dr. Arieh Riskin, the director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Bnai Zion Medical Center in Haifa and the lead author of the study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics. “All the collaborative mechanisms and things that make a team a team, rather than four individuals working separately, were damaged by the exposure to rudeness.”

Dr. Bamberger says that many of the physicians aren’t even conscious that someone has been rude. “It’s very mild incivility that people experience all the time in every workplace, things slip out that maybe shouldn’t slip out.” But in response to even mild rudeness, he says, people need to expend cognitive resources deciding whether they are in a threatening situation, and whether the threat is going to get worse; those concerns can draw cognitive resources away from the task at hand, and teamwork suffers.

Everyone working in the NICU understands that parents are under tremendous stress and cannot necessarily be expected to demonstrate good manners at all times. But it’s critical for the members of the medical team to be aware of the risk and to acknowledge the problem, Dr. Riskin says, in order to help protect one another and deliver optimal care. “We are human beings; we are affected by rudeness.”

WORLD HEALTH DAY Comes every year on April 7th While you were probably busy frying another batch of crepes, the world celebrated World Health Day on Friday, April 7th. In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) held the first World Health Assembly, where it was decided that April 7 of each year, with effect from 1950, would be celebrated as the World Health Day. The World Health Day is held to mark WHO’s founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. The WHO organizes international, regional, and local events on the Day related to a particular theme. World Health Day is acknowledged by various governments and nongovernmental organizations with interests in public health issues, who also organize activities and highlight their support in media reports.

The focus of 2016’s World Health Day was diabetes, a disease that plagues about 422 million people in the world today. This year, the focus is depression. Whether or not the discussions of the day bring to solid, helpful conclusions is your guess. But, in any case, we can make the commitment toward leading healthier lives on April 7th and every day.

18 The Wellspring | April 2017

WHICH COUNTRY IS THE HAPPIEST IN THE WORLD? Norway’s the winner this time Norway has been judged to be the happiest country in the world, in the United Nations’ latest World Happiness Report, released in March 2017.

The Scandinavian nation, which was ranked fourth in last year’s report, jumped to the top this year on the basis of several key calculations for measuring social happiness, among them levels of caring, freedom to make life decisions, generosity, good governance, honesty, health, and income.

Other factors by which 155 countries were measured in the annual World Happiness Report are: employment, income inequality, life expectancy, GDP per capita, public trust (i.e., a lack of corruption in government and business), and social support.

Denmark, last year’s Happiest Country, was ranked second on this year’s list, followed by Iceland and Switzerland. The United States, meanwhile, has slid in the rankings, from 13th place last year to 14th this year.

Happiness is falling in America, thanks primarily to a drop in four key indicators — access to social support, a sense of reduced personal freedom, lower donations, and a perceived increase in corruption — rather than economic causes. The report reveals that unemployment, or the quality of the work they have, is a major factor in people’s happiness. A rise in unemployment, in fact, affects the happiness of everyone, even those with jobs. And while higher pay clearly makes workers happier, work-life balance, job security, health and safety, social capital and autonomy are also predictive of a higher state of happiness on the job.

In wealthier Western countries, mental health was considered a more important determinant in personal happiness than income, employment, or physical health. In all countries, misery would be reduced more by eliminating depression and anxiety disorders than by reducing poverty, low education, unemployment, physical illness, or a lack of social support.

The bottom five countries on the list were Rwanda, Syria, Tanzania, Burundi, and Central African Republic.

Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and a coauthor of the report, says attention must be drawn to the importance of creating sound policy for what matters most to people: their well-being.

“As demonstrated by many countries, this report gives evidence that happiness is a result of creating strong social foundations,” Sachs says. “It’s time to build social trust and healthy lives, not guns or walls. Let’s hold our leaders to this fact.”

Thanks to our Torah, we’ve known this for centuries.

IS YOUR CHILD SLEEPING TOO LITTLE? It may affect her behavior at school Preschoolers who don’t get enough sleep may be more likely to have trouble paying attention, controlling their emotions, and processing information later in childhood, a new study published in Academic Pediatrics suggests.

By age 7, these sleepless kids had markedly decreased mental and emotional functioning, says study lead researcher Dr. Elsie Taveras.

The children exhibited “poorer ability to pay attention, poorer emotional control, poorer executive function in general, and more behavioral problems,” says Taveras, chief of general pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston.

“If you think about it, these are the basic functions of a child’s life. It really has implications on their ability to perform at school and home, and in relationships with their peers,” Taveras adds.

The researchers drew these conclusions from data gathered as part of Project Viva, a long-term investigation involving a group of children recruited for the study before birth. Most are about 13 years old today.

As part of the study, mothers of 1,046 Project Viva kids filled out regular questionnaires, including how much sleep their children routinely got. When the kids reached age 7, both the mothers and the children’s teachers filled out an additional questionnaire aimed at assessing each child’s “executive function.”

Executive function includes attention and reasoning — the brain’s ability to process incoming information and respond appropriately. The mothers’ and teachers’ reports revealed similar associations between poor functioning and not receiving sufficient sleep from age 3 onward, the researchers found.

Nothing will happen to your child if he stays up until Nirtzah on Pesach night, but a solid bedtime routine all year long is more crucial than you may have thought.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 19

Well Informed

Figures By Miriam Katz

SPUD STATS

14.2 billion of potatoes are produced annually in Idaho

pounds

Data on everything potatoes

$348 million Japan’s potato export market, the highest in the world

$333 million Canada’s potato expert market, the second highest in the world

34%

of potato production is utilized for frozen fries

28% of potato production is sold as fresh potatoes

13%

of potato production is utilized for potato chips

2%

of potato production is utilized for potato starch

The Wellspring | April 2017 20

It takes

pounds

pounds

10,000 2,500 of potatoes to make

of potato chips.

1853 #1 Potato chips have been the

American snack food for over 50 years

the year potato chips were invented

1537

The average American eats over

4

pounds of potato chips every year.

In 2011 Americans ate

1.5 billion pounds of potato chips.

the year Spanish conquistadors discovered the potato

In 2 hours a factory can make

7,000 pounds

110 pounds of potatoes are consumed annually per person in America

of potato chips

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring  21

Well Informed

Wealth of Health By Sarah Weinberger

CONFERENCE WITH: Kimberly Cassar COMPANY NAME: Beetology PRODUCT: Beet Juice LAUNCH DATE: April 2017 MOTTO: March to your own Beet!™

Kimberly Cassar is the Vice President of Marketing at Beetology, a company whose signature beet juice will make its debut appearance in specialty retail stores, as well as the kosher health food stores and supermarkets in April 2017. Thanks to the years of rigorous research and trials involved in its production, this juice is the ultimate culmination of nutrition and great taste.

In addition to these benefits, the Beetology production process is also supervised under the Chareidim kashrus certification team, which makes the juices especially suited to members of the Jewish community who appreciate healthy beverages and new trends.

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO INTRODUCE A VEGETABLE JUICE TO THE HEALTH FOOD MARKET? The fruit juice market is saturated with beverages, but most of them, even those that are purportedly “healthy,” are laden with sugar and chemicals. We wanted to create a product that is packed with nutrients, doesn’t contain any added sugar, preservatives, or additives,

The Wellspring | April 2017 22

and is still a delicious-tasting go-to beverage.

WHY WERE BEETS SINGLED OUT AS THE VEGETABLE OF CHOICE FOR YOUR BEVERAGE? On a list that includes kale and coconut, beets have been topping the charts as one of the hottest vegetables for the past 2-3 years. In the general market, beet sales have increased 30-40% over the past few years. This root is getting wide attention, and rightfully so. Its health benefits, especially its detox and cleansing capacities, are incredible. The antioxidants in beets have been shown to support what is called phase 2 cleansing. In phase 2 cleansing, unwanted toxic substances are chemically combined with a small nutrient group. This combination neutralizes the toxins and makes them sufficiently water-soluble so they can be excreted through the urine.

Thanks to beets’ high fiber content, beets are also a sought-after weight loss vegetable. In fact, although beets taste sweet, a whole cup of cooked beets contains only 60 calories and is full of fiber. Beets are also loaded with anti-inflammatory benefits, as well as brain- and energy-boosting properties.

THERE HAS BEEN MUCH TALK THAT BEET JUICE CAN LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE. HAS THIS BEEN PROVEN? Drinking beet juice may help to lower blood pressure in a matter of hours. One study found that drinking one glass

of beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 4-5 points. The benefit likely comes from the naturally occurring nitrates in beets, which are converted into nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide, in turn, helps to relax and dilate the blood vessels, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.

WHAT MAKES BEETS SUCH A POPULAR JUICE BASE? Juicing has become a trend over the past few years, and beets are the perfect vegetable for the process. Most vegetables are not so viable for juicing, either because they lack a significant moisture content, like kale or peppers, or because their taste doesn’t contribute positively to the drink, such as cucumbers. Beets, on the contrary, have a sweet element that makes them juicing-worthy.

IF BEETS ARE LADEN WITH NUTRITION AND BENEFITS IN THE VEGETABLE FORM, WHY HAVE YOU DECIDED TO TURN THEM INTO A JUICE?

Once the directors of the company realized the great demand for ready-made beets, we researched how to bring beet items to consumers so they can enjoy the benefits of this incredible vegetable in various convenient ways. Beetology is based on extensive research into baby beets, whole beets, and beets of all kinds in our quest to deliver the best beets possible, in the best form.

SEVERAL BEET JUICES ARE ALREADY ON THE MARKET, ESPECIALLY THE GENERAL MARKET. WHAT MAKES BEETOLOGY UNIQUE?

On a list that includes kale and coconut, beets have been topping the charts as one of the hottest vegetables for the past 2-3 years.

The biggest problem with beets is the preparation process.

They must be peeled and cooked for two hours, and then you’re left with a purple kitchen for days. That’s the reason you won’t see so much of this superfood in the produce aisle.

When we first looked into beet juice, we soon realized that most are not pleasant to drink, and understandably so. Beets, after all, are known for their earthy aftertaste. The other beverages may contain the nutritious benefits of the vegetable, but drinking a juice, we believe, should be a pleasant experience as well as a healthy one. So began our global search for the perfect blend.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE PERFECT BLEND? We knew we were looking for organically grown beets that contain the highest possible Brix value, which is the natural sugar content in produce. After all, we wouldn’t add any other sugars to the blend. Once we located those beets, our team developed five different blends that we thought would complement the beet flavor nicely. The final results are surprisingly refreshing, delicious-tasting beet juices that even someone who isn’t looking for a “healthy” drink would grab off the shelf and enjoy, without the off-putting flavors that many associate with beets.

WHAT ARE THE FIVE BLENDS YOU’VE CREATED? While the main ingredient in each juice is beets, we’ve played around with some fun combinations to bring consumers an assortment of flavors that will appeal to various tastes. One juice is a blend of beets with vegetables like carrots, kale, and celery. Another contains berries, a third is a combination of beets and tropical fruits, and another blend contains lemon and ginger. We’ve also created a juice for the mature palate that features tart cherry.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 23

Well Informed

Wealth of Health

HOW HAS THE FEEDBACK BEEN IN THE GENERAL MARKET? Category managers at major mass and specialty retailers such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Costco, which are all very discriminating, concurred that the end product is fabulous. Thanks to their reviews of Beetology’s beverages as sophisticated and perfectly crafted blends that are packed with flavor, our juices have made it onto shelves of the country’s most popular health food chains. Of course, the high health standard that these products boast is also an important attribute to its success.

nutrition-dense status.

YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT PRODUCT, INDEED, WHICH YOU’VE CHOSEN TO SELL IN INTERESTINGLY SHAPED GLASS BOTTLES. WHAT DID YOU BASE THIS DESIGN ON? We wanted to offer something unique not only in terms of the ingredients and flavor, but also from a marketing standpoint. So we developed a custom bottle that mimics the beet shape, as well as the layers of sliced fruit included in the blends. And because plastic doesn’t preserve nutrients as well as glass does, we went for the glass bottles.

The biggest problem with beets is the preparation process. They must be peeled and cooked for two hours, and then you’re left with a purple kitchen for days. That’s the reason you won’t see so much of this superfood in the produce aisle.

Its many health certifications, such as the non-GMO and USDA Organic labels, confirm its

WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE IN DEVELOPING THIS PRODUCT?

Crafting the perfect flavor was by far the greatest challenge of all. Because Beetology beverages are 100% juice, with no added water or concentrates, coupled by their coldpressed component, which means that we don’t play around with the produce, it was challenging to get the blends at the exact acidity level that creates that pleasant experience. But once we mastered that, it’s become our unique selling point. The fact that the juices are organic and certificated healthy on many levels is the entry point in the market, and their remarkably good taste puts them at the top of their league.

This column features a profile of a business owner who manufactures or distributes a service or product that promotes health and wellness. To be interviewed, please contact The Wellspring.

The Wellspring does not endorse any product featured in this column.

The Wellspring | April 2017 24

YOUR WELLNESS LIST

Supplements related to content in this issue that can improve your health and wellbeing To get a detailed understanding of the following nutritional topics, read more on the page numbers listed below.

MAXI STOMACH AND ACID™ Related to “Which Matzah to Choose?” pg. 28

RELAX TO THE MAX™ Related to “Cup of Tea" pg. 66

Deciding between spelt and whole wheat may be one way to ease your stomach pain this Pesach, but what happens if your digestive system is super-sensitive? There’s always Maxi Stomach & Acid™ to the rescue, even in a Kosher for Pesach version. Formulated with slippery elm, chamomile, licorice, marshmallow, and ginger, this unique formula helps ease acid and comforts an upset stomach.

FOCUS MAX TWO™ Related to “Sage Advice” pg. 74

Want to feel true simchas yom tov this Pesach? With Relax to the Max™ at your side, you can enjoy a life of serenity and relaxation no matter how hectic or frenzied your schedule is.

This supplement is a unique proprietary blend of the B vitamin inositol and amino acids taurine and L-Theanine compounds that have been studied and proven for reducing stress and promoting relaxation.

Watching a loved one suffer from memory loss is an intensely painful experience, but you can slow down the memory decline with the powerful brain formula, Focus Max Two™. A unique supplement that combines the health benefits of vitamin B12 (as methycobalamin), phosphatidylserine, ginkgo biloba, and lecithin to form one great product, this formula increases alertness and concentration and protects the brain and neural tissues from oxidative damage as the person matures.

MAXI G-C COMPLEX™ Related to “Tidbits in the News” pg. 49 Craving carbs all day long? Maxi G-C Complex™ may be just what your body needs to curb those cravings and kickstart your metabolism.

Made with natural compounds garcinia cambogia and chromium polynicotinate that are known to curb appetite and help shed pounds, this is your ideal weight loss formula.

MEL-O-CHEWS™ Related to “Updates in the News” pg. 19 Now that research once again proves that a child’s sleep is not only important to his physical health, but vital to his behavior and emotional health, as well, good sleeping habits take on an urgency. Especially after a week or two of a hectic yom tov schedule, having a healthy dosage of melatonin in Mel-OChews™ around to help the kids get back onto a solid sleep routine is the way to go.

Ask for these products at your local health food store.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 25

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

Selection Guide

Well Informed

Dedicated to Health By Chana Dunner

10 QUESTIONS FOR

RABBI SHLOMO BOCHNER

DIRECTOR OF BONEI OLAM BONEI OLAM IN A NUTSHELL Bonei Olam is a worldwide organization that provides funds globally for all aspects of infertility, including genetic research, high risk pregnancy & fertility preservation.

1

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO LAUNCH YOUR ORGANIZATION?

Over two decades ago, my wife and I, along with other frum couples, traveled overseas for an advanced procedure. We were all advised to bring along an extra couple of thousand dollars, so that if the initial treatments were not successful, these funds would enable the doctors to change their protocol within the necessary time frame. Unfortunately, one of the couples who joined us was told that their initial treatment had failed. They were so destitute that they had not been able to bring any extra funds with them. My wife informed me of their predicament, and right there in the waiting room we discussed whether or not we should give our extra funds to them; we so desperately wanted them to be matzliach.

In the end, we decided to hand the couple our precious envelope, following the ruling of the Gemara that funding should be given to the person who definitely needs it rather than the one who might need it. A non-Jewish couple had observed these emotionally-charged moments. They approached us, requesting an explanation of what had just transpired. When we told them, they said, “Wow! This would never happen in our circles.” (Incidentally, this couple helped us out on Shabbos, when we had issues with the many electronically-generated contraptions at the center.)

Unfortunately our treatment was not successful, but the other couple’s treatment, Baruch Hashem, was (they had twins nine months later). During the flight home, my wife said to me, “Shlomo, look what a difference money can make for a couple.” That’s when the seed of Bonei Olam was planted.

2

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE AT BONEI OLAM?

As the executive director of the organization, I bear the responsibility of raising the millions of dollars dispensed yearly to fund the exorbitant costs of these treatments. It is also my responsibility that all our offices adhere to the professional standards Bonei Olam has earned renown for. We currently have a presence internationally with branches in New York, Eretz Yisroel, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Chicago, Montreal, London, Manchester and Antwerp. It is also my duty to ensure that everything is done under the guidance of Gedolei Yisroel and within the guidelines of halacha.

The Wellspring | April 2017 26

3

WHAT IS ONE GREAT CHALLENGE YOU FACE IN RUNNING THE ORGANIZATION?

Dealing with couples who are facing a future where all their options for fertility have been exhausted is for me by all accounts the greatest challenge. It’s incredibly painful to get questions that I can’t answer, like, “Now what?” and “Where do we go from here?” Unfortunately, I know what it’s like to be there—the realization that becoming parents will never happen. Nevertheless, I tell them that Hashem can always surprise us. After we opened a state-of-the-art lab last year to overcome a severe factor of infertilty based on research done in overseas, we proceeded b’Syate d’Shmaya to help at least eight couples who had been told that they would never have children of their own. Although this treatment can’t help everyone, it proves that Hashem can provide solutions even when we think there are none.

4

CAN YOU SHARE A POSITIVE STORY THAT YOU’VE EXPERIENCED?

A while back, when I got a phone call one day from a woman who said that she lived in some hick town in New Jersey, I braced myself for an interesting case. It turned out that she was an unaffiliated Jew who was completely non-observant. After she asked me to help her in her situation, she told me that if we’d help her have a child, she would keep a kosher home. Of course, we did what we could.

Several months later, at our annual Lakewood auction, I happened to enter the auditorium just as an obviously irreligious woman came in, looking sorely out of place. When I heard her say, “Where is Rabbi Bochner?” my heart skipped a beat. It was that woman, who had come to tell me personally that she would be becoming a mother soon and that she was keeping her promise. She thanked me profusely and asked me for a favor—to help her unaffiliated sister who was struggling with the same infertility issue she had--on the same condition that she too would keep a kosher home. We did, and her sister also merited to bear children. It felt especially rewarding not only to add two more families to Klal Yisrael, but also families that have started to keep kosher homes, as well.

5

WHAT DO YOU WISH PEOPLE WOULD KNOW ABOUT INFERTILITY?

Two things come to mind. First, I would like to appeal to the couples who are struggling to ask for help. There are so many resources available today. Why suffer for naught?

Second, to Klal Yisrael, I would like to say that everyone can play a role in helping couples achieve their ultimate dream—a family of their own , irrespective of your financial standing. Small donations add up to great sums; and it’s thanks to these funds that we exist and that close to 6,500 babies are alive today.

7 8

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF YOUR WORK?

Hearing that a particular treatment was successful for a couple despite all odds is the best experience by far. It proves to all that Hashem is the One in charge, especially when medicine didn’t give the couple much of a chance.

WHAT’S THE TOUGHEST?

The toughest part is to maintain our emunah and bitachon so that we can help those who need chizuk, especially when we’re starting out on a journey that we know will be long and arduous. Our most expensive case took about 7-8 years and cost us $304,000, but you can imagine our sheer joy when that baby was born.

10

WHAT IS THE BEST COMPLIMENT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Although the organization is 19.5 years old, we started helping people before its official launch, which means that the first babies we helped bring into the world, with much siyatta dishmaya, are now getting married, baruch Hashem. I was invited to the wedding of one of these babies, and his parents honored me with a brachah under the chuppah. Afterward, both mechutanim hugged and kissed me. In that very emotionally-laden moment, the father said to me, “Imagine you hadn’t been there for us then.” That was the best compliment ever, along with seeing the beautiful and far-reaching results of all our efforts.

6

WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING REQUEST YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

9

HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE STRESS THAT COMES ALONG WITH YOUR TAXING WORK?

I once dealt with a frum patient from Eretz Yisrael who was an active Mossad agent, working on a highly classified mission. Because of the covert nature of his mission, he couldn’t even identify himself to me. All communication went through his Rav, who told me that the Israeli government had sent him to me on behalf of the couple. He served as the intermediary, relaying all medical information. It was the first time that I dealt with a couple whose identity I didn’t know. Three years later, this young man, who merited to have a child, showed up at an event we held in Bnei Brak to thank me. He informed me that he had completed his mission and was thus able to thank me in public.

I don’t! If you’re cool enough to handle this kind of stress, you’re not the right person for this job. It’s the stress and the true concern we feel for these couples that spurs us into action.

It doesn’t let us rest until we’ve explored every avenue. Especially when we realize that we are the couple’s last resort, it becomes our challenge.

That’s when we push ourselves to do things we never imagined possible. For example, one erev Shabbos last year I got a phone call about a highrisk case in New Jersey one hour before the zman, in which the baby was in danger. We worked on the couple’s behalf, contacting a hospital in New York and getting the staff into motion as the clock was ticking all too quickly. The couple got to the hospital one minute before the zman and their unborn child was saved.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 27

Living Well

Ask the Nutritionist By Shani Taub, CDC

Which Matzah to Choose?

The wheat and spelt difference

Q

It’s interesting to observe that despite the increasing emphasis on healthy eating within the community, the obesity epidemic only keeps growing. When I was growing up two decades ago, no one ate anything but regular white-flour matzah on Pesach unless they had a particularly severe digestive issue. Today, most matzah bakeries offer whole-wheat and even spelt options, which have become the more popular choices. My husband ends up buying a few boxes of each to please palates and intestines of all kinds, but I was wondering what the difference between spelt and whole-wheat matzah is. I’ve set a goal to maintain my healthy weight over Pesach, as well as feel good after meals. If I have a perfectly healthy digestive system, does spelt offer more benefits toward my goal than whole-wheat or are they equally better than regular matzah?

—Matzah-musing

A

Shani answers:

You make a good point regarding the obesity epidemic and its opposing relationship with healthy eating. Before I address your question, I would like to point out that supposedly healthy foods like spelt cookies, granola bars, and low-fat muffins, and even really healthy foods like fruits and nuts can easily lead to weight gain if they’re not consumed in proper amounts. Too many people have been gaining too much weight from these so-called nutritious options. So although today’s market is flooded with healthier options, a wise consumer understands the need to stay away from foods that only appease the conscience but don’t provide the proper nutrition necessary for weight loss and weight maintenance.

To answer your question regarding the difference between whole-wheat and spelt matzah, both are essentially healthy grains. Although spelt is closely related to wheat, it has a reputation for being a healthier choice. Some people prefer the flavor, which they describe as mellower and nuttier than

The Wellspring | April 2017 28

whole wheat. However, the main distinction between the two is that whole wheat is harder on the stomach than spelt.

Because it contains all parts of the wheat grain, a more sensitive digestive system will have a harder time breaking down whole wheat properly. This is the reason why people who have conditions like celiac disease or gluten intolerance, which means that their digestive systems are compromised, will opt for spelt over whole wheat. Other than that, however, the differences are minute. For example, while spelt has twice as much vitamin K, wheat has 6 times more selenium per serving. Thus, because they provide a similar number of calories, if you have a perfectly healthy digestive system, you won’t feel a significant difference when choosing one over the other. When eaten in the right quantities, which is about a kezayis per meal, you will end your meal feeling light, no matter which option you go for, and you will easily be able to maintain your healthy weight.

I would like to commend you for setting a weight maintenance goal over Pesach and taking the necessary steps to attain it. For years, I’ve been hearing from clients and ac-

quaintances that Pesach is one week in the year on which they simply “give up.” They don’t realize that not only can this one week lead to an eight-pound gain and a miserably uncomfortable experience, but that this very week can also be one of weight loss, a week of feeling light and content, and a week of enjoying the bounty of the natural foods Hashem kindly grants us. People always ask, “How can I do it over Pesach? With all that matzah and all that wine, the calories simply add up.” And my answer is that if you stick to the kezaysim and right amounts of all food groups, you will experience absolutely no weight gain over yom tov.

On the contrary, Pesach offers a benefit that most of us usually don’t have all year long. We get one week of real clean eating. The ideal weight loss and healthy eating plan is to consume foods in their natural state, and there’s no better time to do that than on Pesach. Instead of taking that sweet potato and turning it into a pie, this is your chance of steaming it, adding a bit of salt and pepper, and enjoying it in its most natural state. Matzah serves as the carb at all yom tov meals and the protein and vegetable choices are limited, but not that much. Almost all of the foods that are off limits are foods that your body anyway doesn’t need in order to function at its optimal level.

So what are the Pesach challenges? I once had a client who came into my office after Pesach and said to me, “You’ll be so proud of me when I tell you how I did Pesach this year, Shani.” She shared that before yom tov, she had made a promise that unlike all other years, she wouldn’t eat chocolate and cake, only cake. When she stepped onto the scale and saw that she’d gained 8 pounds, I wanted to cry for her.

She gave up so much, but she didn’t do it right.

If we put our minds to it, we realize that Pesach cakes are truly poisonous. They’re loaded with sugar, oil, and potato starch—foods that leave us feeling bloated and craving. Simply stay away from them. And they’re not that tasty either.

If you feel that you must have something sweet, there are al-

ways ladyfingers, in the right quantity.

At least they’re just sugar without other detrimental ingredients.

You can also make meringue with egg whites and sweetener, ices with fruit, or enjoy some fresh fruit, which is still the best. For proteins, you can easily prepare tasty chicken and meats, as well as fish (if your family eats it). And make sure to stock up on the vegetables you use, especially romaine lettuce and cucumbers. With a bit of oil and spices, you can have a salad that fills you up and leaves you feeling light at the same time.

When you eat right, it’s not only the number on the scale that shows the difference. You simply feel better. After Pesach one year, a client came to me and said that her entire family would be signing up for my program. She was the only one who was able to clean up after the meal! Properly balanced meals of starch, protein, vegetables, and fruits benefit us in so many ways. And Pesach is another week in the year when we can make those meals a reality.

In my career as a nutritionist, I’ve seen 8-pound weight losses (in beginners) and 8-pound weight gains over Pesach.

It all depends on how you view the yom tov and the mindset you establish before it starts.

WHO’S THE WINNER HERE?

If you’re spending Pesach at a hotel, here’s something important to keep in mind. This concept also holds true when you’re eating out at a restaurant, or enjoying a meal you’re paying for in any setting. Several years ago, our family spent a beautiful yom tov at KMR’s lavish Pesach program. I didn’t gain one ounce throughout the entire week there. We had free access to an ice cream stand all day long, and the tea room filled with chocolates, nuts, and cakes was open all day and night, as well. But instead of feeling that I was losing out by not “cashing in” on these opportunities, I knew what I had come for. We didn’t pay to be treated to calorie-laden dishes all day long. I came with the mindset that I would be served healthy food on a golden platter, which I was. There’s so much more to enjoy other than the food! Of course, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a dessert here and there, but not because you “have to make the most of it.” Enjoy it because you want it.

When we left after a beautiful week, I was the lucky one. The guests who “packed it in” were the ones who ended up feeling gypped. Especially if you’re going to an expensive hotel, request healthy foods. Be nice to yourself, and you will be the winner in the end.

Please send your questions to the nutritionist to info@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.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 29

Living Well

In Good Shape By Syma Kranz, PFC

Fitness 101: PiYo That exercise is highly advantageous to the body is an indisputable fact. Among other excellent benefits, it helps with weight loss, builds muscle, improves metabolism, reduces the risk of many diseases, and enhances your mood and mental health. But you may be wondering how particular exercises score on this list—which is better for what. In this series, we take a look at the primary fitness workouts that are popular today and discuss the description, pros, and cons for each.

Workout Description If you’ve been keeping up with this column, you’ve already gotten the basic education of what Pilates is all about. PiYo is an exercise program with a twist: it’s an amazing combo of Pilates and yoga.

PiYo is a total-body fitness system designed to whip you into shape from head to toe. It combines the practices of Pilates and yoga to help you build strength, lose weight, increase flexibility, and have a great time doing it. PiYo is different than other yoga and Pilates blend in many ways. While it does blend together these two mind-body exercises, it also adds in components of martial arts and dance for a more intense, kick-boxing style workout. We mix up the best yoga moves with a twist to make the classes really fun! If you’ve done yoga before, you know how boring and hard it can get to hold the positions for so long. PiYo cuts all of that out. PiYo also prides itself on using upbeat, mainstream music, rather than traditional yoga music, to keep the class participants excited, interested, and in the zone during the workout.

If you’re looking to get “hardcore” results really quickly without destroying your body, PiYo is the answer.

Calories burned per workout: 250-400 Areas targeted: Full-body workout, muscles Style: low-impact, high intensity

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Development PiYo was created by Chalene Johnson, the founder of the Turbo Kick system.

It was designed for people who want the mind-body benefits of a yoga or Pilates workout, but with a higher energy, higher sweat class. This combination ends up giving you a good cardio-like workout without the heavily intense plyometric exercises.

The Pros PiYo incorporates muscle sculpting body-weight exercises and Pilates moves with the flexibility training of yoga and low-impact fluid movements to burn calories. In the end, you get a workout that will make you stronger, leaner, and more flexible. The moves strengthen your inner core, which in turn strengthens your back, helps your posture, and draws your stomach muscles in for a flatter look. No matter what fitness level you’re at, you’ll feel confident that you can do every single workout.

Strengthening The PiYo system is a total-body strengthening workout. Poses such as plank, side plank, core work, lunges, and squats are key elements to engage the large and small muscles of the body. By working in and out of these poses, you build strength using your own body’s resistance. In some classes, light hand weights are also used to increase the amount of strength building. In this style of classes, your muscles are worked to be toned and sculpted, but not bulky as in some classes.

Cardio Unlike most yoga and Pilates classes, PiYo classes are aerobic. PiYo classes link together dynamic, constantly flowing exercises to increase your heart rate, burn calories, and make you sweat. These classes are low-impact but high energy, with moves and poses taken from traditional yoga, Pilates, and dance, linked together in a new way to add more cardio and fun. These moves include flowing in and out of Warrior pose, stepping in and out of lunges, and flowing through traditional Sun Salutations.

Additional Benefits PiYo classes not only build muscle and help you increase your cardiac health, but they also have additional benefits.

The poses and moves help add flexibility to the muscles. These exercises also help to increase the range of motion in your joints, improve your balance, improve energy, and reduce stress, for a total mind-body, blissed-out workout.

The Cons There is a limit to how many body-weight exercises there actually are that will burn fat and sculpt muscle. So, just be prepared to do a lot of the same moves repeatedly.

The Program There are nine basic PiYo programs, each varying in target areas and workout time.

• Align: The Fundamentals (40 min.

This workout targets

• Define: Lower Body (20 min.)

• Define: Upper Body (20 min.)

• Sweat (35 min.)

• Core (30 min.)

• Strength Intervals (25 min.)

• Drench- (45 min.)

• Sculpt (30 min.)

• Glutes (25 min.)

Try It at Home!

You will love doing this program no matter what fitness level you’re at as it’s newbie friendly. You just need a yoga mat and a towel to get started. Here are some reasons PiYo may be especially for you: —If you want to exercise without jumping, or you are rehabilitating from an injury —If you love Yoga or Pilates and want to do both in an exercise program that has proven results — If you don’t want to spend money on expensive fitness equipment —If you want the privacy of working out at home because gyms and health clubs can be intimidating —If you travel a lot (You can do PiYo on a portable dvd player in your hotel room) —If you are overweight, out of shape and want a program where you can start off slowly —If you want something simple, but proven to be successful, to start your weight loss journey —If you are having issues getting back in shape after having your baby Go for it!

Syma Kranz, PFC, is a certified aerobics, Pilates, and Barre instructor, as well as the fitness director at Fusion Fitness in Lakewood, New Jersey. What started out as a small exercise class in her home catapulted into a popular gym that prides itself with tzanua, professional instructors and an appropriate atmosphere with lyric-free music and proper attire. Syma specializes in training women to integrate fitness into their busy lives, paying special attention to proper form and alignment and specializing in core and pelvic floor strengthening.

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Living Well

  The Wellspring | April 2017 32

Cover Feature By Bayla Traube, CDC

THE GREAT POTATO DEBATE WHETHER IN WHOLE OR POWDERED FORM, SPUDS MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF THE PESACH MENU. IS THIS A GOOD THING OR NOT?

D

uring my seminary year in Yerushalayim, I had some colorful experiences at the families whose homes I frequented. One hostess, in particular, stands out in my mind. Among her other admirable qualities, Gittel managed to teach me all about health and nutrition, the rules of which she applied to her own life and kitchen. In Gittel’s home, the Shabbos meals were very elaborate and tasty, but everything she served was wholesome. I remember helping her prepare for Shabbos one Thursday afternoon. After we were done with the soup and fish prep, I asked her if we’d be making a potato kugel next. Her reaction left an indelible impression on me. Whether I agreed with her or not was irrelevant. I was wowed by her passion. “Why would I feed my children something that turns into sugar as soon as they eat it?” To Gittel, potatoes were poison.

Instead, we got to work on preparing a three-layer vegetable pie.

No matter how limited your family’s Pesach diet is, one thing you can be sure of: you’ll be consuming a fair share of potatoes over the yom tov’s eight days. While potatoes have been the recipient of plenty flack over time, let’s take a good look at what these tubers are really giving us in terms of nutrition.

Technically, potatoes are considered vegetables. However, due to their high glycemic load — their ability to cause blood sugar and insulin levels to spike and plummet rapidly — most dedicated dieters, as well as diabetics, put them on the “do not eat” list.

Take Gittel, for example. For the past five years, she’s been following the paleo diet religiously. To her, potatoes are a huge no-no. “It’s just pure sugar once it enters your system,” she says. “It may not be as bad as some grains like wheat, but it’s really not good for you.”

There’s definitely truth to Gittel’s claim. According to research compiled by the Harvard School of Public Health, a cup of potatoes might as well be a can of cola or a handful of jelly beans from your blood sugar’s perspective. That’s not ideal because, among many potential problems, such surges and crashes can leave you hungry and prone to overeating.

Needless to say, the potato is in the midst of a public relations crisis — so much so that the U.S. Potato Board recently funded a study to explore whether potatoes can be a healthy part of a weight loss plan. Especially since people have become more familiar with the glycemic index, “There’s been some negative messaging around potatoes,” says the study’s lead author, Britt Burton-Freeman, who directs the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Center for Nutrition Research.

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Living Well

Cover Feature

There’s no denying that potatoes have a high glycemic index and, as such, have a greater effect on your blood sugar than other vegetables such as broccoli or carrots. As research has consistently shown, this can lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

But, experts say, there are ways to consume potatoes that lower their glycemic load, such as by pairing them with a protein like fish and a healthy fat like olive oil.

That’s one great way that the body resists the glycemic index effect, because once you pair your potato with something that’s slowly absorbed in the body, everything is going to be slowed down.

(And who really wants to eat a plain potato by itself, anyway?) Cooking potatoes and then cooling them for a dish like potato salad can lower the glycemic index, too, Burton-Freeman says.

And just because something has a lower glycemic load doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy, experts say. Take the potato topped with fatty meat and mayonnaise, for example: Lower glycemic index, thanks to the protein and fat, but healthy? Hardly.

But in reality, she and others say, potatoes are more than their glycemic load. They’re a great source of potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B6 — and fiber, if you eat the skin.

“You can find candy bars that have a lower glycemic index than some fruits and vegetables, and you just look at that and say, ‘Does that really make sense?’” Burton-Freeman says.

contains over one-half of a milligram of this important nutrient — the potato earns a high grade as a health-promoting food. Vitamin B6 is involved in more than 100 enzymatic reactions. Enzymes are proteins that help chemical reactions take place, so vitamin B6 is active virtually everywhere in the body.

Many of the building blocks of protein — amino acids — require B6 for their synthesis, as do the nucleic ac-

rived neurotransmitters that require vitamin B6 for their production are serotonin, a lack of which is linked to depression; melatonin, the hormone needed for a good night’s sleep; epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that help us respond to stress; and GABA, which is needed for normal brain function.

Vitamin B6 plays another critically important role in methylation, a chemical process in which methyl groups are transferred from one molecule to another.

Many essential chemical events in the body are made possible by methylation, for example, genes can be switched on and turned off in this way. This is particularly important in cancer prevention since one of the genes that can be switched on and off is the tumor suppressor gene, p53. Another way that methylation helps prevent cancer is by attaching methyl groups to toxic substances to make them less toxic and encourage their elimination from the body.

Methylation is also important to cardiovascular health. Methylation changes a potentially dangerous molecule called homocysteine into other, benign substances. Since homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls, greatly increasing the progression of atherosclerosis, high homocysteine levels are associated with a significantly increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

Eating foods rich in vitamin B6 can help keep homocysteine levels low.

In addition, diets high in vitamin B6-rich foods are associated with overall lower rates of heart disease, even when homocysteine levels are normal, most likely because of all the other beneficial activities of this energetic B vitamin.

A single baked potato will also provide you with over 3 grams of fiber, but the fiber in potatoes is mostly in their skin. If you want the cholester-

According to research compiled by the Harvard School of Public Health, a cup of potatoes might as well be a can of cola or a handful of jelly beans from your blood sugar’s perspective.

The Other Side of the Potato So can it be that potatoes do have nutritional value after all? Let’s take a look at its vitamin and mineral content.

If only for its high concentration of vitamin B6 — 1 medium potato

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ids, used in the creation of our DNA. Because amino and nucleic acids are such critical parts of new cell formation, vitamin B6 is essential for the formation of virtually all new cells in the body. Heme (the protein center of our red blood cells) and phospholipids (cell membrane components that enable messaging between cells) also depend on vitamin B6 for their creation.

Vitamin B6 plays numerous roles in our nervous system, many of which involve neurological (brain cell) activity. B6 is necessary for the creation of amines, a type of messaging molecule or neurotransmitter that the nervous system relies on to transmit messages from one nerve to the next. Some of the amine-de-

How the Glycemic Index Works When it comes to how quickly we metabolize different carbohydrates, it all begins with the glycemic index and glycemic loads of different foods. The definition of the glycemic index (GI) is “a measure of the blood glucose-raising potential of the carbohydrate content of a food compared to a reference food (generally pure glucose, or sugar).”

In very simple terms, a food’s GI measure (or GI score) tells you how quickly the food is converted into sugar once you eat it. Every time you eat a food containing carbs, you experience a change in blood glucose.

However, responses to eating certain carbohydrates can be very different from eating others, depending on factors like how much sugar they contain, how processed they are, their fiber content, and what other types of foods you pair them with.

There’s a glycemic index number for virtually every food out there. Things like meat, oils, and fats have a GI of zero, since they contain no carbs. Carbohydrate-containing foods fall into different GI categories based on scientific measurements of glucose in the blood before, and then after, consuming each food. Generally speaking, when you eat foods high on the glycemic index scale, you experience a faster, more significant increase in your blood glucose level. When you eat foods lower on the GI, the increase in blood sugar is slower and more sustained. This process has an effect on how you feel after eating the food, including how satisfied or full you are, how quickly you get hungry again, or experience cravings for more, and how much of a lift in energy the food tends to provide you with.

To determine a food’s GI value, portions of the food containing 50–100 grams of available carbohydrates are fed to healthy people (without insulin resistance) after an overnight fast. All foods containing glucose, fructose, or sucrose (various forms of carbohydrates or sugars) can be classified as high GI, moderate GI, or low GI. The glycemic index ranges from 0–100: • High GI = 70 to 100 • Medium GI = 50 to 70 • Low GI = below 50 Here are some basic foods and their GI value: • Pancake, 1, 6-inch diameter = 39 • White rice, 1 cup boiled = 35 • Dates, 2 ounces, dried = 25 • Spaghetti, regular made with white flour, 1 cup = 25 • Potato, white, 1 medium baked = 25–30 • Brown rice, 1 cup = 20 • Cornflakes, 1 cup = 20 • Puffed rice cakes, 3 cakes = 17 • Doughnut, 1 medium = 17 • Whole wheat or whole grain pasta, 1 cup = 14 • 4 crackers = 12 • Bread, made with white-wheat flour, 1 large slice = 10 • Honey, 1 tablespoon = 10

• Pineapple, 1/2 cup raw = 11 • Banana, 1 raw = 13 • All-Bran™ cereal, 1 cup = 10 • Maple syrup, 1 tablespoon = 7 • Watermelon, 1 cup = 8 • Orange, 1 raw = 5 • Apple, 1 raw = 6 • Table sugar (sucrose), 2 teaspoons= 6 • Skim milk, 1 cup = 4 • Pearled barley, 1 cup = 11 • Cashews, 1 ounce = 2 • Peanuts, 1 ounce = 1

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Living Well

Cover Feature

ol-lowering, colon cancer preventing, and bowel supportive effects of fiber, be sure to eat the potato’s flavorful skin as well as its creamy center.

Potatoes for All? Of course, some populations, such as those who have or are at risk for diabetes, should be cautious about their spud consumption. Long-term research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, for example, has linked a diet high in potatoes and French fries to a greater risk of diabetes in women. According to popular Wellspring columnist and health expert Rabbi Hirsch Meisels of Friends with Diabetes, “People with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome need to limit or eliminate potatoes due to their high carbohydrate content.” And sweet potatoes aren’t any better, he adds.

People who are overweight or obese, too, might consider limiting their potato intake because it’s very likely that they have poor insulin sensitivity and can’t handle that much carbohydrate. Poor insulin sensitivity isn’t the same as being insulin resistant, but it’s a slippery slope if the individual doesn’t try and fix it.

Healthy, athletic individuals, on the other hand, may consume potatoes in a variety of forms with nominal concern, nutritional experts agree.

Still, the American Diabetes Association and other experts say there’s no need for people with diabetes to avoid the veggie entirely. The key, they say, is portion control and again, the proper pairing of the starch with a lean protein and healthy fats. It’s looking at the whole plate and what the balance is that’s going to make a difference.

There’s even new support in the

Journal of the American College of Nutrition that people who are trying to lose weight won’t necessarily derail their plans by eating potatoes. In Burton-Freeman’s study, her team found that whether potato-eating dieters were assigned to a high glycemic or low glycemic index meal plan, they lost similar amounts of weight.

And among the control group — people who were simply told to eat five to seven servings of potatoes per week but weren’t necessarily trying to lose weight — weights dropped, perhaps because the potatoes made the participants feel more full, the researchers speculate.

Ultimately, it’s not one specific carbohydrate or one specific food that can make or break a dietary plan. When eaten in proper quantities, potatoes can certainly be included in a healthy diet, whether it’s for weight maintenance or even for losing weight.

An Inside View:

Q&A with Eve Allen, Researcher at the International Potato Center ALLEN IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHER WHOSE STUDIES REVOLVE AROUND THE CONSERVATION OF CROPS AND THEIR WILD KIN. LIVING, WORKING, AND TRAVELING EXTENSIVELY THROUGHOUT FOURTEEN PLUS COUNTRIES HAS GIVEN HER A RICH BACKGROUND IN THE VARIOUS AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE. THROUGH HER TRAVELS, EVE HAS BECOME INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED WITH THE PERUVIAN LIFESTYLE, WHERE POTATOES ARE CONSIDERED A STAPLE FOOD. IN THIS INTERVIEW, SHE DISCUSSES HOW AND WHY POTATOES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN PERUVIAN FAMERS’ LIVES. WHAT DOES THE DIET OF THE PERUVIANS SUBSIST OF? The diet of Peruvians is diverse, as the country boasts a wide array of ingredients. However, the geography largely dictates what crops can be grown and harvested. Peru has coastal deserts, high altitude mountain ranges, semi-tropical forests, and the lowland jungle of the Amazon Basin.

These distinct land areas create numerous ecological niches which results in a dazzling array of food options.

I work in the high Andes (at 3,500–5,000 m a.s.l.) where the main staple is potatoes and freeze-dried versions of potatoes such as chuño and morayas. In addition, fava beans, tawri bean (a native legume), corn, barley, quinoa, and kiwicha (a cousin of quinoa) are very important. Animal protein

The Wellspring | April 2017 36

comes from alpaca, llamas, cows, sheep, and chicken. Other tubers are also consumed, such as oca, mashua, and olluco.

Soup is served at every meal. While living with a traditional Quechua farming family, I enjoyed sometimes up to five different soup preparations in one day. For breakfast, a sweet barley soup was common. Lunch would be time for a heartier soup of sheep and chuño, and at dinner a vegetable, potato, and quinoa soup would be served. In addition, the common accompaniment to soup is always whole potatoes boiled with corn and fava beans.

HOW DID THE PERUVIANS GET INTO POTATO PLANTING? Agriculture started in many different regions of the

world around the same time. Several “forcing factors” are attributed to the reason that people in far-separated places all started agriculture at nearly the same time. Evidence suggests that hunter-gatherer groups independently began cultivating plants for food in as many as 24 different regions of the world.

Peru was one of these regions and potato was one of the main crops domesticated. The great antiquity of potato cultivation has been in South America.

I am not sure how the first hunter-gatherers got into potato planting.The potato was not an apparent candidate for intentional cultivation. Its wild relatives are laced with secondary metabolite toxic alkaloids produced to defend the plant against harmful organisms, fungi, and animals, including humans. Early potato consumers ate the tubers with a clay and water “gravy” to neutralize the poisons, in mimicry of the wild relatives of the llama, vicuñas, and guanacos, who lick clay before eating poisonous plants. Eventually, less lethal potatoes were bred, a feat made possible by a plethora of individual selection events spanning over time.

WHAT NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS HAVE YOU FOUND THAT POTATOES HAVE? Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), with their remarkable ecological adaptability and nutritional ability to sustain societies, entered into equal league with the major agricultural staple crops, domesticated seeds from the grass, Poaceae, family. Plants such as wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), corn (Zea maize), and rice (Oryza sativa) all have been integrally intertwined with the histories of great civilizations. Egypt and the Middle East found their sustenance in wheat and barley; Mexico and Central America were nurtured by maize; and Asian empires rose with rice. The potato, a tuber, became the keystone crop in the sophisticated agricultural systems that nourished the great Andean civilizations.

Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C. When boiled, one single medium sized potato can provide about half the daily adult requirement, as well as significant amounts of iron, potassium, fiber, and zinc. Potatoes also contains high amounts of vitamin B and valuable essential trace elements such as manganese, chromium, selenium, and molybdenum. Potatoes come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. The farmers I work with grow over 1,200 different varieties. I have eaten pink, yellow, red, purple, and blue potatoes. These different colored potatoes have antioxidants like carotenoids and anthocyanins which can also help combat aging and cancer.

The elders in the area I work are a living testament to the nutrition of the potato. The other day I was helping an 80-year-old farmer in his field and was so impressed by the fact that he still had some black hair, could spot tiny wild plants from a distance, hear my questions perfectly,

and outpace me walking up and down the mountain slopes.

IS THERE NO CARB CONCERN? Carbohydrates are an essential part of the human diet, yet have fallen victim to demonization that is so commonly promoted by diet trends and fads. However, throughout history, there have been no groups that were able to survive without a good hearty portion of carbohydrates. To me, it is important that we evaluate the source of our carbohydrate intake. Potatoes are an excellent, low-fat source of carbohydrates, containing less than one-fourth the calories of bread or pasta.

HOW MANY SERVINGS OF POTATOES DOES THE AVERAGE PERUVIAN FARMER CONSUME DAILY? Potatoes are consumed at every meal and in between.

Where I work, I would estimate that the average person consumes over 20–30 potatoes a day. I remember once consuming over 60 potatoes in four days. It was a lot for me; my body didn’t feel quite adapted to eating that many potatoes in such a short amount of time. However, potato consumption in the Andes is very different than the rest of the world. Because there are so many different varieties, 4,000-plus in total, when you eat potatoes you eat a variety of them. Some of the farmers I work with grow up to 70 or 80 different types during the season on their own. When dinner is served, you might find 10–12 different types on the table. They are all different shapes, sizes, and colors so it never gets boring.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE PERUVIAN LIFESTYLE? I'm an ethnobotanist who researches how we can adapt agriculture for a warmer and more populous planet. I was sent to Peru on a Fulbright research grant to investigate how small-holder farming and indigenous land use practices are important for maintaining the continuity of wild potato populations.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LESSON? So many incredible lessons have emerged forth from my experiences while studying wild potatoes and working with the indigenous small-holder farmers. One very important insight I have received from my research on potatoes is that the relationship between plants and people can result in human populations surviving and even thriving in harsh climates. The wild potatoes species I'm currently studying produce very small tubers, on average the size of a green pea. In addition, they are bitter and slightly toxic. I have no idea why the Andean hunters and gatherers chose to start cultivating them. Yet, fast-forward many years and we have 4,000 different types adapted to growing in a variety of environments all over the world. The domesticated potato can extract prodigious nutrition with little effort in places with harsh climates and minimal soils.

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Kosher for Passover

Out of this world.

ISSUE 15 APRIL 2017 NISSAN 5777

Feast of Freedom

EAT WELL: ROMAINE LETTUCE MAKES FOR A PERFECT SANDWICH BASE

Eat Well

Recipes

Dear Cooks,

The first time we made our own Pesach, people were surprised that we did this so early in the game. While most of our peers were still busy packing up their families and traveling overseas or to different cities, we opted to do yom tov in our own cozy, little abode. “How are you going to shop and cook for the entire Pesach?” I was continually asked. For a family of four, you don’t need more than one case of grape juice and four boxes of matzah. And if you’re not busy preparing sugar-laden cakes and sorbets, there isn’t that much kitchen work left either.

Clean eating is all the rage these days, and Pesach is the perfect time to do a one-week trial. I, for one, find Pesach cooking liberating. The limitations on products we use make the food prep process so utterly simple. Just cook up a few pots of chicken soup, put some chicken bottoms with potatoes in the oven, and you’re almost there. But, of course, I do try to be a bit creative when I’m ready and in the mood to up the ante—because it is yom tov after all.

Here are some of the dishes I look forward to preparing for my family this year. I hope you enjoy them too!

A kasheren, freilichen Pesach to you all, -Levia

Especially on Pesach, when many people don’t use a large variety of vegetables and fruits, preparing visually appealing dishes may be a challenge. However, this doesn’t have to be an impediment to a beautiful presentation. When we eat a meal that is presented nicely, we enjoy it so much more. Set your table beautifully, using nice china and individual silver pieces. At our Seder table, I make sure to invest in the table arrangement because I know what a difference it makes. In addition to the decor, we put out matching haggados at everyone’s place. We make it a beautiful, healthy yom tov by using as many gorgeous vegetables as we can. You don’t necessarily have to take Hashem’s foods and deep-fry them in order to enjoy the experience.

Yes, we do have a mitzvah to eat matzah on Pesach, but this doesn't mean we can't consume it within limits. A typical round shemurah matzah is equal to four whole breads! Once you've had your k'zayis, move on to the healthier options at the meal. And you can always get up and move around if you find yourself munching too much.

SHANI TAUB, CDC

NUTRITIONIST TANYA ROSEN

‫™‪Solomon’s‬‬ ‫‪Taste That‬‬ ‫‪Never Disappoints‬‬

‫‪P‬‬ ‫‪KOSHER FOR‬‬ ‫‪PASSOVER‬‬

‫כשר לפסח‬

‫גלאט כשר‬

‫• כל המוצרים נעשו מבשר של ארה״ב • הייצור כולו הוא תמיד במפעל שלנו בתכלית הכשרות •‬ ‫• כל השוחטים ובודקים הם תלמידי חכמים ויראי שמים • השחיטה והבדיקות נעשים במתינות גדולה •‬

Eat Well

Recipes By Levia Joseph Styling & Photography By Malky Levine

Sweet Potato Nest with Pastrami Garnish

Try this dish as a sophisticated appetizer or side. You’ll be saving this recipe to use all year long!

1 large potato (Yukon gold works best) 2 sweet potatoes

salt and pepper to taste 1 Tbsp oil 2 Tbsp potato starch

1 tsp natural sweetener 1 egg 1 package beef pastrami

Preheat oven to 400˚.

Peel 1 potato and 1 sweet potato with a julienne peeler. Place in colander for 10 minutes and squeeze out any excess liquid. Add oil, salt and pepper, and mix well.

Generously spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Arrange grated potatoes into each muffin cup, pressing against the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 15 minutes, or until slightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.

Peel and roughly chop the other sweet potato. Place it in a pot, cover with water, and sprinkle with some salt. Bring pot to a boil and let it cook until sweet potato is soft (approx. 15 min).

Drain the potato, mash, and add sweetener, egg, potato starch, and salt and pepper to taste.

Fill the potato nests with sweet potato mixture and bake for 15-20 minutes.

For the garnish, heat oil in a skillet. Add the diced onions and sauté until translucent. Roughly cut pastrami into smaller pieces and add to the pan. Add salt, pepper, and paprika to taste and sauté another 5-6 minutes. Place the garnish above the sweet potato mixture and serve.

Yield: 8-10 nests.

1 onion, sliced

NUTRITION NUGGET I would recommend shoulder roast instead of pastrami to avoid the sugar and sodium in cured meat. I slice it thinly and pan crisp it with fresh garlic for extra antioxidants and cholesterollowering effects without compromising on taste.

--Dr. Rachael Schindler

Eat Well

Recipes

Roasted Root Veggie Mix

Who says vegetables have to be boring? This is a colorful, flavorful option for a vegetable side.

1 butternut squash 1 sweet potato 2 red potatoes 2 small beets 1 parsnip

2 carrots 5 shallots (or 2 purple onions) 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup oil 1 squeezed orange

1 Tbsp natural sweetener salt and pepper for seasoning optional: 1 rosemary sprig

Preheat oven to 375Ëš.

Peel and cut butternut squash into 1/2 inch round slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roughly chop the rest of the vegetables. Place in a large bowl. Add garlic, oil, squeezed orange, salt, pepper, sweetener, and rosemary and toss.

Place the seasoned vegetables and butternut squash slices onto a large roasting pan and spread in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serving suggestion: place a pile of chopped veggies over a slice of butternut squash.

NUTRITION NUGGET This is a high-fiber, pretty, and beneficial dish!

If you use rosemary on Pesach, I would highly recommend adding it. Numerous studies have shown that rosemary helps prevent breast cancer and fights the deterioration of brain function. It is also useful in treating migraine and tension headaches, flatulence, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and joint pain!

--Dr. Rachael Schindler

Eat Well

Recipes

Shredded Chicken Bundles

The beautiful presentation and incredible flavor in this dish make it a real yom tov hit.

Crepe: 4 eggs 3 Tbsp potato starch 1/4 cup water pinch of salt

Filling: 1 onion, diced 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (if using) 2 chicken bottoms

1 zucchini 4 cups water 1 tsp salt pepper to taste

NUTRITION NUGGET This is a recipe you will want to use all year round. It looks and feels like a wrap but is gluten free, sugar free and low carb. The chicken and veggies combine to make this dish satisfying and delicious too!

--Dr. Rachael Schindler

For the crepe, whisk eggs, potato starch, water, and salt until well combined. Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat on low flame. Pour in some mixture, enough that it spreads and covers the entire pan.

Leave about 1-2 minutes and flip over if necessary. Repeat these steps until the mixture is done.

Add some oil to the frying pan. Place diced onions and mushrooms in it, and sautĂŠ until onions are translucent.

For the filling, place 2 chicken bottoms, zucchini, salt, and pepper in a pot. Fill with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 45 minutes, until chicken is tender. (Chicken bottoms from your soup works perfectly!)

Remove chicken from the bone. Use a fork to shred the chicken. Add the zucchini and mix.

Place a scoop of chicken mixture in the center of the wrap, top with sautĂŠed onion/mushroom mixture. Bring up the sides to form a bundle and tie with chives or scallions.

Yield: 6 bundles

Eat Well

Nutrition Tidbits in the News By Liba Solomon, CNWC

YOU FEEL WHAT YOU EAT Nutritional Psychiatry: A new field of study What you eat at your yom tov seudah and every day may affect your mental health, a new field of study suggests. More than 16 million American adults report having experienced a major episode of depression within the last year, according to the National Institutes of Health. While a number of factors are at play when considering who’s at risk, the new field of study called “nutritional psychiatry” looks at how diet can impact mental health.

“It’s the idea that maybe a psychiatrist should be asking you what was on your dinner plate last night,” says Dr. Tara Narula.

“What did you eat for lunch? The idea is that food plays an essential role in our mental health in the same way that we think about it playing a role in cardiovascular disease, in our blood sugar management, and in our gastrointestinal health.”

Dr. Narula notes that while the connection may not seem intuitive to many, research in the past few years has shown that a healthy diet is linked to a reduced risk of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

“The brain is a highly metabolic organ. It uses a lot of energy, a lot of nutrients. It’s always on, and it depends on fuel, but not just any fuel. It’s like a car,” Narula says. “You want to give it expensive, high-quality fuel. That means foods that have the right nutrients, the right vitamins, and the right sources of protein, because these form the building blocks for the neurotransmitters in the brain, for the cellular structures in the brain, and for the enzymes in the brain.”

Gut bacteria also plays a role in health, including mental health. Probiotics found in yogurt and fermented foods and prebiotics in leeks, asparagus, onions, and garlic can help boost your body’s own natural bacteria.

“The gut bacteria work as a defense layer, preventing the flow of bad toxins across that layer that could potentially get into the blood and be proinflammatory,” Narula says. “They also work to help the communication in the neurons between the gut and the brain.”

A PESACH PLUS Eat your own food For most of us, Pesach is the one week of the year when eating out isn’t on the plan, which may actually be very beneficial to our health. Researchers from the University of Washington School of Public Health have been peeking into kitchens— via interviews—for years now. They’ve just published results showing that people who cook at home more frequently are likely to eat a healthier overall diet.

“By cooking more often at home, you have a better diet at no significant cost increase, while if you go out more, you have a less healthy diet at a higher cost,” says Adam Drewnowski, director of the UW’s Center for Public Health Nutrition and senior author of “Cooking at home: A strategy to comply with U.S. dietary guidelines at no extra cost,” published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The measurement used to define a healthy diet is called the Healthy Eating Index. It gauges whether a person’s diet is giving them the right combination of fruits, vegetables, and other elements.

As part of the Seattle Obesity Study, researchers interviewed 437 adults, who were asked to remember their last week of eating in and eating out. The study found that home-cooked dinners were associated with a “greater dietary compliance,” meaning the overall weekly diet met more of the federal guidelines for a healthy diet. People who cooked at home about three times a week scored approximately 67 on the Healthy Eating Index. Those who cooked at home about six times a week had a score of about 74. “The differences were significant, even with a relatively small study sample,” says Drewnowski, also a professor of epidemiology.

But don’t feel bad if you don’t have time to cook at home every night. Drewnowski realizes that some people in the United States suffer from what epidemiologists call “time poverty.” Roughly half of all food dollars in the United States are spent outside the home, which suggests that cooking at home may not be feasible for a large chunk of the population. Public health nutritionists suggest that efforts to promote cooking at home should be balanced with efforts to encourage retailers and restaurants to offer healthy, less expensive prepared foods for easy purchase outside of the home.

Interestingly, the study showed no association between levels of income and education and eating at home or eating out. The 437 people chosen for the study were a stratified random sample.

“People have the preconception that a lower income leads to eating more fast foods, but that was not true in our study,” Drewnowski says. Those who cooked more often at home were more likely to have larger households and more children, which makes a lot of sense to us Jewish moms.

The Wellspring | April 2017 48

CHOCOLATE LOVERS, YOU’RE WELCOME The psychological technique that can help you resist If you’re trying to stay away from the dangerous drug called chocolate, here’s how you can do it, according to new research.

Researchers from Flinders University in Australia reveal how cognitive defusion and guided imagery help lower the desire for chocolate among young women craving this indulgent treat. Lead researcher Sophie Schumacher, of the School of Psychology at Flinders, and colleagues, recently reported their findings in the journal Appetite.

Chocolate is undoubtedly one of the nation’s favorite treats, with United States citizens devouring around 2.8 million pounds of chocolate annually, the equivalent to around 12 pounds per person, with the numbers rising drastically in the Jewish community during the Pesach season.

So how can we eradicate those intrusive thoughts that make us want to gorge on chocolatey treats? The new study suggests that it’s all about self-awareness. Schumacher and colleagues explored what is known as the “elaborated-intrusion theory of desire,” the idea that initial thoughts about a desirable object are amplified by mental imagery. With this in mind, the researchers hypothesized that targeting both desirable thoughts about chocolate and mental imagery of chocolate might help reduce chocolate cravings. The team tested this theory by conducting two experiments. The first experiment involved a group of 94 young women, while the second experiment involved a group of 97 young women who said they wished to reduce their chocolate cravings. In both experiments, participants were randomly allocated to receive cognitive diffusion, guided imagery, or a mind-wandering control condition.

Cognitive defusion targets the initial thoughts of the desirable product, in this case, chocolate. It focuses on taking the initiative to move away from such thoughts, and realizing that we do not need to respond to these thoughts with action.

Guided imagery targets the second craving stage, whereby we start to imagine what it would be like to smell and eat chocolate. It replaces these thoughts with unrelated imagery, like a forest or a beach.

Across both groups, the researchers compared the occurrence of chocolate-related thoughts before and after each intervention, as well as the intrusiveness of these thoughts, the intensity of cravings, vividness of imagery, and chocolate consumption.

The team found that cognitive defusion led to a reduction in intrusive thoughts, vividness of imagery, and craving intensity in both groups, while guided imagery led to reductions in chocolate-related thoughts, intrusiveness, vividness of imagery, and craving intensity for chocolate cravers only.

Although chocolate consumption did not differ between groups, the researchers believe that their findings indicate that engaging in greater self-awareness when chocolate-related thoughts first hit could stop us from succumbing to cravings.

So when that craving pops up in your mind, especially if you’ve just finished a meal, nip it in the bud with constructive distraction.

The sooner you rid your mind of the dangerous thoughts, the easier it’ll be to forget you ever wanted to indulge. Wishing you good luck!

MISCONCEPTION: Eggs are high in cholesterol, thus clogging the arteries.

TRUTH: You can enjoy your eggs guilt-free this Pesach.

Dietary cholesterol found in eggs has little to do with the amount of cholesterol in your body. The confusion boils down to semantics: The same word, “cholesterol” is used to describe two different things. Dietary cholesterol—the fat-like molecules in animal-based foods like eggs, doesn’t greatly affect the amount of cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream.Your body makes its own cholesterol, so it doesn’t need much of the kind you eat. Instead, what fuels your body’s cholesterol-making machine is certain saturated and trans fats. Eggs contain relatively small amounts of saturated fat. One large egg contains about 1.5 grams saturated fat, a fraction of the amount in the tablespoon of butter used to cook that egg. So, cutting eggs out of your diet is a bad idea; they’re a rich source of 13 vitamins and minerals. Perhaps cut down on the amount of butter or oil you use instead.

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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:

Romaine Lettuce

Open any refrigerator in a Jewish home at this time of year and you will find a stock of romaine lettuce that would otherwise portend a famine. In addition to its primary use on Pesach for the mitzvah of maror at the Seder, many of us eat this vegetable on this yom tov in our desire to fill up on the right foods and to keep the carb overload in check. By starting your meal with a salad made of romaine lettuce, you will add not only a variety of textures and flavors to your meal but many vital nutrients. Most of the domestic U.S. harvest of romaine lettuce and other salad greens comes from California and is available throughout the year. Lettuce is synonymous with salads, which are predominantly made from their crispy green leaves. Most varieties of lettuce exude a small amount of a white, milky liquid when their leaves are broken. This “milk” gives lettuce its slightly bitter flavor and its scientific name Lactuca sativa derived from the Latin word for milk.

Principle

Nutrition Value

Percentage of RDA

Energy

15 Kcal

1%

Carbohydrates

2.87 g

2%

Protein

1.36 g

2%

Total Fat

0.15 g

0.5%

Cholesterol

0 mg

0%

Dietary Fiber

1.3 g

3%

Folates

38 µg

9.5%

Niacin

0.375 mg

2%

Pantothenic Acid

0.134 mg

2.5%

Pyridoxine

0.090 mg

7%

Riboflavin

0.080 mg

6%

Thiamin

0.070 mg

6%

Vitamin A

7405 IU

247%

Vitamin C

9.2 mg

15%

Vitamin E-a

0.29 mg

2%

Vitamin K

126.3 µg

105%

Sodium

28 mg

2%

Potassium

194 mg

4%

Calcium

36 mg

3.5%

Copper

0.029 mg

3%

Iron

0.86 mg

10%

Magnesium

13 mg

3%

Manganese

0.250 mg

11%

Phosphorus

29 mg

4%

Zinc

0.18 mg

1.5%

Carotene-A

4443 µg

--

Carotene-B

0 µg

--

Lutein-zeaxanthin

1730 µg

--

Vitamins

Electrolytes

Minerals

Phyto-nutrients

The Wellspring | April 2017 50

Selection and Storage In the store, choose crispy leaves that are bright in color and avoid sunken leaves with spots or discoloration. Wash romaine and loose-leaf lettuces and drain any excess water before storing in the refrigerator. Pack the leaves in a plastic bag and keep inside the refrigerator. As opposed to other types of lettuce, romaine will stay fresh for up to seven days, making for perfect Pesach fare up to the very last day.

In Your Plate!

Here are some creative ways for you to enjoy the health benefits of lettuce, especially when other food choices are significantly limited.

• Start every meal with a fresh romaine-based salad. Add some cucumbers, carrot strips, and red onions, salt, and a bit of oil and you’re off to a great, clean start.

• For a fun dressing, use a mayonnaise or avocado-based dip.

• Instead of a carb-loaded sandwich, follow the maror example. Use large lettuce leaves as the base for a sandwich of hard boiled eggs, salmon bits, or baked chicken nuggets. No gebrochts or carbs here.

•Ever tasted sautéed romaine lettuce? It’s definitely worth a try. Simply heat oil in a skillet, add garlic cloves and a small celery stalk (if using), and then romaine lettuce, trimmed and cut into strips, with spices, for about 10-12 minutes.

• For a fun chol hamoed breakfast, melt cheese and tomato sauce (if using) in a frying pan and pour onto lettuce leaves. The combination will wow you.

Want to maximize the health benefits of your salads? Start with romaine lettuce for a salad guaranteed to be packed with nutrients. The vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber found in romaine lettuce are especially good for the prevention and alleviation of many common health complaints.

Due to its extremely low calorie content and high water volume, romaine lettuce—while often overlooked in the nutrition world—is actually a very nutritious food. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, notably through its concentration of the provitamin A carotenoid beta-carotene; vitamin K; folate; and molybdenum. It is also a very good source of dietary fiber; the minerals manganese, potassium, copper, and iron; and the vitamins B1, C, and biotin.

The combination of vitamin C and beta-carotene makes romaine lettuce a heart-healthy green. These two nutrients work together to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol, which forms plaque in artery walls. If these plaques become too large, they can block off blood flow or break, causing a clot that can trigger a heart attack or stroke. The fiber in romaine lettuce adds another plus to its list of heart-healthy effects. In the colon, fiber binds to bile salts and removes them from the body. This forces the body to make more bile, breaking down cholesterol and lowering high cholesterol levels as it does so.

Equally beneficial to heart health is romaine’s folic acid content. This B vitamin is needed by the body to convert a damaging chemical called homocysteine into other, benign substances. If not converted, homocysteine can directly damage blood vessels, thus greatly increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. In addition, romaine lettuce is a very good source of potassium, which has been shown in numerous studies to be useful in lowering high blood pressure, another risk factor for heart disease.

With its folic acid, vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, and fiber content, romaine lettuce can significantly contribute to a heart-healthy diet, as well as many other health benefits, especially for women in their childbearing years.

The high amount of vitamin A found in romaine lettuce is essential for skin health. Studies show that a deficiency in this critical vitamin can lead to a poor complexion. Vitamin C also helps build collagen in the skin, which is responsible for building firm, healthy skin and preventing loss in elasticity. Both of these antioxidants work together to stop cell damage that can lead to skin cancer. Additionally, romaine lettuce supplies nutrients that help defend against acne and inflammation, including vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and B vitamins. Romaine lettuce may also be helpful in preventing acne, since it has a low score on the glycemic index, whereas foods with a high score on the glycemic index are shown to be related to acne flair ups.

Fun in the Kitchen!

Here’s my super-healthy variation of the usual vegetable blintz. Sauté squash and carrot cubes until soft. Add spices. Place a spoonful of vegetables on a large lettuce leaf and roll up blintz-style. You’ll get great flavor and a really good crunch, and it’s all veggies.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 51

W E G O T YO U R P R O B L E M S S O LV E D .

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Blurry Vision Eye Infection Glaucoma Keratoconus Refractive Errors Macular Hole

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C R E T

I N O P A T H Y

Eye Twitching Eye Allergies Retinal Detachment Dry Eye Syndrome Cataracts Diabetic Retinopathy

Dr. Dhimiter Llambiri Optometrist | Dr. Kirk F. Kaupke Pediatric Optometrist Dr. Jennifer Chau V.T. Specialist | Dr. Tasnuva Marwan Optometrist

505 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn, NY

1 Preshburg Blvd., Monroe, NY

718.522.3332

845.782.3332

envisioncare.org

PROMOTION

IN THE KNOW The Expert Is In! Tired of running around town — first for the perfect prescription and then the perfect eyeglasses? Finally, you can get all your eye care services met under one roof. You can now benefit from the Lens Center’s latest renowned initiative on behalf of the community: the recruitment of Dr. Moskowitz, a top expert in the optometry field.

Highly skilled and with many years of experience, Dr. Moskowitz is the one you can trust with one of your most valuable senses, and it’s no secret that the Lens Center team will help you obtain that perfect pair of glasses that fits properly, looks great, and does the job.

Eczema May Not Be the Reason Painful, burning, red skin? You may be misdiagnosed as having eczema, psoriasis, or seborrheic dermatitis. If you’ve used steroids in any form, you may actually have a completely different condition that most doctors don’t know about. It’s called Red Skin Syndrome (or Topical Steroid Withdrawal) and is caused by the steroids themselves. The good news is that complete healing is possible.

The Skin Healing Gemach is dedicated to helping you get the right diagnosis after years of suffering. With the right information, your skin can be rash-free.

Save the date! April 23rd — the first Sunday after Pesach — Dr. Marvin Rapaport, the dermatologist that discovered Red Skin Syndrome and has helped thousands heal from the condition, will be coming to Monsey for a health symposium sponsored by Supreme Health.

For more information about Red Skin Syndrome or the health symposium, please contact TSWfighter@gmail.com

Feed Your Baby Right Mazel tov upon the birth of your new baby! As a new mother, first and foremost on your mind is your child’s nourishment. After all, an infant’s development is in full swing for months after the birth, which makes solid nutrition so vital.

When mother’s milk is not an option, whether for longterm or when mom isn’t available for certain feedings, Kendamil offers the solution that comes with no compromise whatsoever. Of the highest quality ingredients (closest to mother’s milk and thus easily digestible), kashrus (chalav Yisrael), and nutrition (fortified with vitamins and minerals), Kendamil Mehadrin is the formula you’ve been waiting for.

Natural Reflux Solution Are you looking for a natural alternative to Prevacid and Zantac? Is your baby crying miserably after his feedings because he is in pain? Reflux is a burning sensation accompanied by pain in the stomach, accompanied by gas, bloating, vomiting, and at times shortness of breath that can be triggered by spicy or fatty foods, citrus fruits, chocolate, and juices. Reflux in nursing infants may occur when the mother subsists on a diet that includes these foods. Pediatricians recommend Zantac or Prevacid to ease these symptoms since the drugs suppress stomach acid, but long-term use of these medications may lead to unwanted side effects. Reflux Relief™ is an all-natural, kosher supplement that promotes healthy digestion. It also helps to alleviate gas and cramps, and induces calm in babies with colic.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 53

Living Well

Health Profile By Esther Steinmetz

In this fun column, The Wellspring readers get acquainted with a fellow reader’s health profile, getting a glimpse into the role that health and wellness play in her everyday life and the tidbits of advice that Chana Roness, nutritional counselor at the popular Nutrition by Tanya, offers for improved quality of life.

Age: 24 Location: Boro Park Weight: 175 lbs.

BLIMA

Height: 5’7” Marital Status: Married Children: 2 little girls You have some impressionable young ones there to be a good role model for.

Occupation: Housewife Favorite health food: Pomegranate seeds Pomegranates are full of iron and fiber. Good choice.

Favorite junk food: Peanut chews Favorite exercise: Walking Favorite nutritious dish: Avocado on a whole wheat baguette with tomatoes, red onions, and pickles Although avocado is healthy, it’s a very high fat food, so limit it to a quarter of an avocado max per meal. Baguettes are not a health food. They are equal to 4(!) breads!

My usual bedtime: 11:30 AM. My usual wake-up time: 7:00 AM. Excellent. You’re getting a nice amount of sleep!

My biggest meal on a usual day: Dinner—I'm hungry after all my housework and errands.

Do you eat a balanced breakfast and lunch? If you do, the hunger pangs won’t be that strong before dinnertime.

The soups I usually make: Not very often, only when it's really cold. When I do, it’s a Kemach soup mix, either the split pea, minestrone, or vegetable.

Ready soup mixes generally contain ingredients that aren’t all that wholesome. Try sticking to soups that are more vegetable based.

My usual dinner menu: I always serve a protein, such as baked cutlets or baked flounder, and a starch like brown rice, pasta, or potatoes. For the vegetable, I prepare a salad or steamed vegetables, or I serve canned vegetables such as peas, corn, or baby corn.

The Wellspring | April 2017 54

Be sure to rinse canned vegetables well to get rid of excess sodium, and keep in mind that corn is a starchy vegetable.

My weight loss saga: I feel like it's a roller coaster ride. Some days and weeks I can be so careful about eating healthy, portion control, and avoiding midnight snacks. And other times I can’t take feeling restricted or I’m just stressed after a long day, and I find the need to eat, cheat, indulge, and to party without any limits.

Greatest weight loss challenge: Keeping far away from foods with the letter “c” like coke, cake, chocolate, cheesecake, cookies, and cupcakes.

Cute! I never thought of their “c” common denominator.

The time of year when I find it hardest to watch my weight: Summertime when the days are so long and it’s so hot.

The extent I’ve gone to implement a healthy lifestyle in my home: I started serving whole wheat pasta and brown rice. We have a water cooler to encourage drinking water. I personally have stopped eating dips on Shabbos. I only eat horseradish with fish and challah.

Good choice regarding the dips. Although many of them are supposedly vegetable based, they’re full of fat and bring up the challah intake.

What I do in my downtime: Read and talk on the phone.

Why don't you use your phone time to go up and down stairs? Or walk on a treadmill?

You can even ask the people you speak to often to assess how much less out of breath you’re getting once you get more in shape.

One place I would love to visit: Palm Springs, California My weight/lifestyle goals: I actually feel healthy and have lots of energy, baruch Hashem. I also have a great posture so I don’t look and feel so big. All I want is to attain a healthy weight and lose my excess weight. I know that with age and future pregnancies iy”h it gets way harder to lose. The time is now.

How I would treat myself if I get there: It would feel great to re-wear some things that I loved wearing once upon a time. I’d also purchase some new black skirts. For some odd reason I’m always short on them.

Take out your favorite smaller skirt or outfit and hang it up where you can see it. This will be a motivator for you.

Chana Roness is a nutrition counselor at Nutrition by Tanya which has locations in Boro Park, Flatbush Williamsburg, Monsey, Lakewood, Five Towns, Monroe and Crown Heights.

To be interviewed for this column (anonymously) please send your contact information to info@wellspringmagazine.com.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 55

Living Well

In Session By Batsheva Fine

WHEN EACH EYE DOES ITS OWN THING WOULD ESTI EVER LEARN TO HIT THE TARGET?

E ST I AG E 7 G RA D E 2 mother: Several weeks ago, I noticed that Esti’s eye appeared “lazy” and turned outward. The more I paid attention to her behavior, the more I realized that she was bumping into people and objects.

Something looked off to me. When we got home from doing some errands one day, she asked to stay on the street so she could play with her friends. I decided to stand at the window and watch her. To my shock, I saw that every time she tried catching the ball, she was a bit off target.

I reached out to my pediatrician, confused about what my next step should be. Was this a concentration issue?1 But Esti did so well at school and she sat through all our Shabbos meals with so much patience. At our brief visit, the doctor recommended that I take Esti to an ophthalmologist. His advice surprised me, as her vision is absolutely perfect.

The ophthalmologist we saw several days ago diagnosed Esti’s problem as strabismus2 and recommended surgery. Before putting my child under the knife, I opted for a second opinion. We will be seeing Dr. Llamibiri, an optometrist3, tomorrow.

The Wellspring | April 2017 56

Dr. Dhimiter Llambiri: After conducting a thorough examination, I observed that although Esti does have 20/20 vision, she clearly has a vision issue, which is very correctable. I agree that Esti has an eye movement disorder that can be labeled as strabismus (though I like to refer to it as a convergence insufficiency). However, in my opinion, it is not an organic problem but rather a functional one. I believe it can be solved with vision therapy and does not require surgery. I observed Esti’s mother’s relief when she heard that. When she asked me why my opinion differed from that of the ophthalmologist, I explained to her that in her daughter’s case, surgery would at best only be providing a cosmetic cure — unlike the real, internal cure that therapy provides.

The strabismic individual, like Esti, experiences a loss of control of environment and of self relationship to the environment, as well as a limitation of the range and variety of visual concepts. Strabismic individuals will never really perceive space, which leads to a lack of three-dimensional perception of space and eventually of the visual field.

These kinds of issues cannot be addressed merely by cosmetically aligning the eyes, which does nothing to retrain the neural system. Therapy, however, has proven to be effective in solving the problem.

mother: What Dr. Llambiri explained to us made a lot of sense and we decided to give it a shot. In order to improve our daughter’s vision, we set up weekly appointments for 45-minute sessions with a vision therapist.

Elky Falkowitz, Vision Therapist: When I first introduced myself to Esti, I spoke to her in simple languageabout the process we would be doing together. My goal was to have her understand what would be happening, as well as to motivate her to put her best foot forward both at the actual sessions and also when she would be doing the activities at home several times a week.

At our very first session, I said to Esti, “Right now, your eyes are not working as a team. As a result, one eye may be sending one message to the brain, while the other is sending something totally different. When your brain can’t trust your eyes, it has to work very hard to sort out the information.

This sorting out takes too much energy, energy that you could use instead for reading, playing, or painting.”

I then took Esti into our spacious activity room. I wanted to first work on strengthening her muscles so that we could then work on using these muscles together. I had her stand behind an electric rotator board. This circular board has perforated holes all around and can be set to turn clockwise or counterclockwise at a variety of speeds and patterns. I started the rotator on a slow speed at first and handed Esti a box of colored pegs. I removed one peg and inserted it into one of the holes. I asked her to find the next closest hole and while the board was rotating, she was to follow it with her eyes, head straight, without moving it to and fro, which at the time was visually taxing to her. Then I instructed Esti to count the rounds the peg was making and to insert a new peg at every third round.

This task is relatively easy when the child uses both eyes together, as a team, but as I assumed, Esti was having a tough time following the activity. Due

to her issue, she missed the hole by a second on every round.

After we played the activity for several minutes, I said to Esti, “When you’ll reach your goals with me, you will have a single clear image of where that peg is in space, so that you will be able to hit the target on your first attempt. As a result of our work together, you won’t bump into people or objects anymore.”

esti: I love going to therapy. I have a lot of fun there and I look forward to each sesssion. I’m also doing my home activities, such as beanbag shifts, to help speed up my progress. It’s exciting to see that I’m getting better and better at doing things that were always so hard for me.

Elky Falkowitz, Vision Therapist: Esti has been coming regularly for a while now and I can see that she enjoys the equipment and the many computer programs we work on together for muscle strengthening, binocularity, and accommodation. We started on a basic level and have been gradually working our way upwards as the activities become more complex.

The specialized tools we use, such as the vectograms, tranaglyphs, aperture rules, and computer programs, are serialized in a sequence so that the child cannot progress to a higher level unless both eyes are zoomed inward or outward precisely at the same location in space.

Dr. Dhimiter Llambiri: After ten therapy sessions, Esti came in to see me for a re-evaluation.

I observed positive changes in her performance. Her convergence insufficiency has improved by far, as has her accommodation, which is the ability to adapt vision from near to far and vice versa.

At this point, she has already gained depth perception. I believe that ten more sessions will help her perfect the issues she’s been struggling with.

mother: Who would have believed that Esti would be a changed child in such a short time? She complains less of headaches and has been doing very well with the focusing. Vision therapy has indeed turned out to be our salvation.

NOTES:

[1] Very often, parents and teachers may confuse vision problems with concentration issues as their symptoms may appear similar.

[2] Strabismus is defined as an abnormal alignment of the eyes—when each eye focuses on something else.

[3] The difference between an ophthalmologist and optometrist is that while an ophthalmologist deals with the anatomy, physiology, and diseases of the eyeball (usually correcting issues through surgery), an optometrist focuses on examining and correcting issues pertaining to the eye and the mechanisms through which it operates.

Dr. Dhimiter Llambiri, who is licensed in optometry and has clinical experience in eye centers across America, is an expert in diagnosing vision issues in children and adults. He and Eliezer Mertz, Ms. Ed., a vision therapist, currently practice at the Envision eye therapy center in Brooklyn, NY, and can be reached through The Wellspring.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 57

Living Well

Monthly Dose By Yaakov Goodman, CN

TAKING A BREAK FROM THE ACHE A SOLUTION FOR ACHING BONES

For the 52 million Americans suffering from arthritis, everyday tasks can be an uphill struggle. Many doctors now consider this debilitating condition to be progressive and incurable. Research, however, points to promising answers in the form of natural treatments and lifestyle changes. Although expressed in over one hundred forms, two of the most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (degradation of joint cartilage and bone) and rheumatoid arthritis (autoimmune).

Human joints are designed to allow for smooth movement of bones on both sides of the joint space. To facilitate this, the joints are lined with a smooth, glistening substance called cartilage, which acts as both a lubricant and a shock absorber. Cartilage is composed of a variety of biomolecules, proteins, water, and small molecules that help reduce friction and keep joints healthy. The protein called collagen makes up the bulk of the cartilage in your joints. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis both cause destruction and loss of integrity of invaluable cartilage in joint surfaces. Osteoarthritis is the consequence of simple “wear and tear” on joints, and largely inevitable.

Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that arises when the body mistakenly attacks its own tissues, in this case the joint linings and cartilage. It is now understood that osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis have much The Wellspring | April 2017 58

in common, primarily the aggressive inflammatory assault on joint cartilage.

Therefore, these two forms of arthritis can be treated with a similar approach.

Let’s start with examining what occurs when a person is stricken with osteoarthritis, a condition that arises typically in the later years of life. This age-related degradation of joint cartilage and bone accounts for a staggering 25% of all visits to primary care physicians in North America. It affects over 21 million American adults and costs the U.S. economy roughly $60 billion annually. The hips and knees bear the brunt of our body weight and are subject to repetitive movements with each step we take.

Young, healthy joints bear up well, but with advancing age we gradually lose function. Tiny traumas, unnoticeable to a young person, gradually wear away the smooth cartilage surface, eventually exposing collagen to immune system cells. And that’s when complications start.

Normally shielded from the immune system, these exposed collagen proteins are now falsely identified by immune cells as foreign. Incorrectly sensing an invasion by a possible enemy, the immune system reacts, producing inflammatory cytokines that draw in more “killer” T-cells. These cells barrage the offending cartilage with toxic chemicals in a misguided attempt to destroy it, creating oxidative stress and skyrocketing inflammation in the process. This assault begins to literally eat away at the essential lubricating, shock-absorbing cartilage.

Osteoarthritis features not only the wearing down of the cartilage, but the diminution of bone density. This makes supplementation with calcium, magnesium, and vitamin-K essential for those who suffer from this condi-

tion. The Maxi Health team strongly recommends Maxi Cal-M-D™, a formula vital for maintaining and rebuilding bone density.

The symptoms of osteoarthritis are chronic pain, accompanied by a sense of friction or grinding with joint movement. The pain is often constant, and is exacerbated by walking or standing and other forms of weight-bearing, and slightly relieved with rest. Patients with osteoarthritis often experience joint stiffness or even immobility after periods of inactivity, such as in the morning or after sitting for extended periods of time.

Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid

arthritis is not a direct result of “wear and tear” of the joints and therefore occurs at a much earlier age. It is however an autoimmune disorder, in which joint structures such as cartilage and synovial membranes are falsely identified as “enemies” by the immune system. Similar to osteoarthritis, the end result is activation of “killer” T-cells by exposed collagen, destruction of joint surfaces, and ultimately pain and loss of function. So, in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, the chief culprit is exposed collagen and the ensu-

ing inflammatory attack.

Despite the fact that over half of all prescriptions for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are written for arthritis, these drugs do nothing more than transiently blunt the pain; they have no long-term impact on the disease itself. In addition to this, alarming studies documenting the potentially deadly side effects of prescription anti-arthritis drugs such as Vioxx and Celebrex have forced many to relinquish these medications.

The result has been a frantic scramble among scientists and arthritis sufferers alike to find safe, effective agents that reduce inflammation and relieve arthritis pain.

Given the scale of this chronic condition, Maxi Health has created a range of formulas with promising results in the battle to control and repair this devastating condition. Maxi Collagen H.A.™ helps rebuild essential lost collagen. It is the first kosher collagen on the market and is combined in this formula with hyaluronic acid, which is an essential lubricant for the joints.

Researchers at Harvard’s Beth Israel Hospital in Boston have studied collagen supplementation extensively in patients with arthritis. In a study of 60 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis, there was a major decrease in the number of swollen and tender joints in subjects who supplemented with collagen for 3 months, but not in placebo recipients. Still more remarkably, 19% of those patients supplementing achieved complete remission of the disease, an unusual finding for any form of treatment. Similar results were obtained in a much larger trial of 274 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.

Next, the researchers focused on controlling the aggressive inflammation produced by rheumatoid arthritis and promoting healthy joint mobility.

Maxi Health’s Super-Glucosamine-Complex™ is certainly no

standard glucosamine supplement. It is formulated with the highest quality glucosamine sulfate, with added MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), and the pineapple extract, bromelain, two powerful inflammation fighters. Despite relentless attacks by big drug companies and others, there is a wealth of solid science supporting the ability of glucosamine to offer relief and repair in those suffering from arthritis.

Glycosaminoglycans are long, unbranched molecules of repeating pairs of sugars that help cushion the joints from wear and tear. These highly viscous molecules exist in the extracellular matrix, making them ideal as a lubricating fluid for the joints.

Glucosamine is a natural remedy that has been found to be effective in promoting healthy joints. It is an amino sugar crucial for the construction of glycosaminoglycans in articular cartilage. A reduced glycosaminoglycan content in the osteoarthritic cartilage matrix is correlated with the severity of osteoarthritis. Oral glucosamine appears to promote the secretion of more glycosaminoglycans by chondrocytes (cells within the cartilage). Clinically, glucosamine has demonstrated benefits in patients with arthritis of the hip or knee.

Clinical evidence suggests that glucosamine helps maintain the joint

space and may help rebuild damaged cartilage. By contrast, NSAID drugs have a propensity to make cartilage deteriorate. Glucosamine also inhibits certain enzymes that destroy cartilage, including collagenase and phospholipase. By blocking pathogenic mechanisms that lead to joint degeneration, glucosamine delays the progression of osteoarthritis and relieves symptoms even for weeks after termination of the treatment.

Glucosamine is becoming recognized as a treatment of choice for arthritis. Its ability to repair and improve joint function, in addition to providing pain relief, gives it a significant advantage over conventional treatments. Additionally, glucosamine may stimulate new tissue growth and suppress the enzymes that otherwise break down cartilage.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), another natural compound in the Super-Glucosamine-Complex™, has been shown to benefit individuals with both forms of arthritis. A naturally occurring, organic sulfur compound found in human diets, and those of virtually all other vertebrates, MSM is produced by the body as a result of the foods we eat, but the body’s concentration of MSM greatly decreases with age. Some research even suggests that a concentration of MSM must be maintained in the body to preserve normal function and structure.

Experiments show that MSM gives up its sulfur to the essential amino acids methionine, cysteine, and other serum proteins, eventually finding its way into the collagen of skin, joints, and blood vessels. It is also incorporated in the keratin of hair and nails.

Animal studies have shown that joints affected by osteoarthritis have lower sulfur content, and that arthritic mice given MSM experience less joint degeneration. In a double-blind trial in people with osteoarthritis, subjects Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 59

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

In both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, the chief culprit is exposed collagen and the ensuing inflammatory attack.

Living Well

Monthly Dose

who received MSM experienced significant pain relief. MSM is known to be safe and nontoxic.

Another study of arthritic women conducted by Stanley W. Jacob, MD, indicated that MSM was as effective as ibuprofen, but without the latter’s side effects. It was once again shown to be a powerful arthritic fighter.

MSM relieves pain and inflammation in osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and fibromyalgia. It has also been reported to be helpful in alleviating allergies, back pain, headaches, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, tendonitis, and other conditions.

Synergistic Effects of Glucosamine and MSM In an exciting new study, the combination of glucosamine with MSM has been found to be more effective in improving the symptoms of osteoarthritis than the use of either agent alone. Glucosamine is known as a chondroprotective agent, since it helps to protect and restore joint cartilage. MSM is known to be an effective natural analgesic and anti-inflammatory.

In the following study, 118 patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis

were treated 3 times daily for 12 weeks with either 500 mg of glucosamine, 500 mg of MSM, a combination of both, or an inactive placebo. The patients were evaluated for pain, inflammation, and swelling at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks.[1] Glucosamine, MSM, and the combination of both significantly relieved the The Wellspring | April 2017 60

pain and swelling of osteoarthritis compared with the placebo. After 12 weeks of treatment, the average pain score in the glucosamine-only group dropped from 1.74 to 0.65. In the MSM-only group, the score fell from 1.53 to 0.74.

In the group taking both glucosamine and MSM, however, the average pain score dropped from 1.80 to 0.26.[2] The study authors concluded that the combination of glucosamine with MSM provides better and more rapid improvement in patients with osteoarthritis than either agent alone.

Bromelain is another key component of the Super-Glucosamine Complex™. Results of a study reported that supplementing daily with bromelain was as effective as diclofenac (50 mg, twice daily) in improving the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. At the end of the study, patients reported comparable reductions in joint tenderness, pain, and swelling, as well as improvement in range of motion. The investigators found bromelain to be as effective as diclofenac on a standard pain assessment scale and to be better than this drug in reducing pain at rest (41% efficacy with bromelain versus 23% with the drug) and in improving restricted function. In summary, bromelain is proven to be an effective and safe alternative to drugs such as diclofenac for painful osteoarthritis.[3] Another study from the United Kingdom looked at the effects of bromelain in volunteers with acute knee pain. Pain evaluation was based on patient symptom scores, which were reduced by a staggering 69% with its use.

Similarly, stiffness was greatly reduced and physical function increased with the supplementation of bromelain. In addition, the study showed that the subjects’ overall psychological well-being was significantly improved, leading to the conclusion that this natural therapy is effective in improving general well-being as well as symptoms in otherwise healthy adults suffering from mild knee pain.[4] Together, these findings reveal that bromelain provides safe and effective relief from acute and chronic joint pain caused by arthritis.

For those suffering from arthritis, it is vital to maintain a healthy balanced

diet. The following guidelines are recommended. Foods that are high in arachidonic acid and saturated fat that rank high on the glycemic index (raising blood sugar quickly), and that have a low ratio of calcium to phosphorus are poor choices for arthritis sufferers.

Among the foods to eliminate or cut back on are red meats and organ meats, fried foods, egg yolks, products made from white flour (breads, rolls, cakes, cookies, donuts, etc.), white rice, soft drinks, fruit juices, and sugary treats. A diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, salmon and other oily fish, nuts, legumes, and whole grains is highly recommended. Needless to say, excessive body weight places unwanted strain on joints and has been shown to be a major contributing factor to arthritis.

Allergy Alert People with known allergies to pineapples or pineapple juice should not take bromelain. If you have concerns about supplementing, please check with your health care practitioner.

1. Trentham, D.E., Dynesius-Trentham, R.A., & Orav, E.J. Effects of oral administration of type II collagen on rheumatoid arthritis. Science. 1993 Sep 24; 261(5129):1727-30.

2. Usha, P.R., & Naidu, M.U. Randomised, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled study of oral glucosamine, methylsulfonylmethane, and their combination in osteoarthritis.

Clinical Drug Investment. 2004 Jun; 24(6):353-63.

3. Akhtar, N.M., Naseer, R., Farooqi, A.Z., Aziz, W., & Nazir, M. Oral enzyme combination versus diclofenac in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee—a double-blind prospective randomized study. Clinical Rheumatology. 2004 Oct; 23(5):410-5.

4. Walker, A.F., Bundy, R., Hicks, S.M., & Middleton, R.W. Bromelain reduces mild acute knee pain and improves well-being in a dose-dependent fashion in an open study of otherwise healthy adults. Phytomedicine. 2002 Dec;9(8):681-6.

Wellbeing

Clean Slate By Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC

YOUR PATH TO SATISFACTION It’s not what you may think it is The good thing about writing a column as the editor of this magazine is that I know not to do another article on cheirus, freedom, since it is already covered extensively in other articles. Although the theme of freedom is so closely related to emotional eating, which holds us hostage in too many ways, we will focus instead on looking beneath the surface, also a primary theme in the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim.

When the Jews left Mitzrayim, although they experienced miracles of the highest caliber, their underlying insecurities did not disappear. In other words, those who had it in them to complain still found what to complain about. Imagine watching the Splitting of the Sea before your very eyes.

Would it be sensible to entertain the slightest thought of Hashem’s lack of power after that? But those who wanted to fear, despite seeing Hashem’s guiding Hand with crystal-clear vision, were still afraid.

It may sound discouraging to read what I’m about to share with you, but keep reading to understand why this discussion is actually immensely encouraging. When we try losing weight with a focus on an end goal based on external factors, we may very well reach it. If we think weight loss will make us look or feel a certain way about ourselves and refrain from eating what’s not good for us until we get there, we may very well shed those thirty or even one hundred pounds.

The problem is, though, that our willpower will keep us going only until reality intervenes. When we finally reach the goal and realize that yes, I do like the way I look now more than I did before, but that inner satisfaction I craved didn’t magically appear, the balloon pops. Unless you want to lose

weight for your own health and wellbeing, thus taking the necessary steps to make that happen, the diet will fizzle away all too fast, taking with it everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

In spite of burning motivation, people trip up on diets all the time. Why is that so? You can’t succeed if you diet to please other people or for some transient goal, like to fit into a size 4 in time for your sister’s wedding. (A nutritionist once told me that if someone wants to lose weight for just one occasion, she may as well photoshop her photo after the affair!) You can’t make a deal with Hashem that if you lose weight, all your dreams and wishes will come true. Of course, your new size and level of conscious confidence may add to your success in life, but the magical wish to be excused from the hard work of dealing with reality is a setup for harsh disappointment. And as soon as you realize that, no matter how hard you worked to reach your goal, you will find yourself returning to the self-soothing zone you’ve been all too comfortable with for too many years—eating.

The only weight loss that can be permanent and effective, then, is weight loss that has intrinsic and achievable goals, and only goals that are completely within your control, with the help of Hashem. To think that weight loss will solve other issues not related to health is erroneous and only leads deeper into the emotional eating trap.

The moment your goal is focused on pleasing another person or achieving an unrealistic status, your risk of falling back into the emotional eating pit is significant. Suppose you eat to assuage the pain of feeling rejected by your spouse or parent. The pleasure of eating something “good” takes

away those harsh emotions for just a few moments. It transports you to a place of sensory satisfaction and emotional equilibrity where the rejection doesn’t burn as much. Later, though, you experience a low. Because you’re trying to lose weight in order to look good for that individual, in the hope that you won’t feel rejected any longer, you resolve to eat clean. But what happens when that very person hurts you or makes you feel small again?

You lose your motivation to diet and then you’re back at the freezer for the last scoop of ice cream. And so the cycle continues. Your weight loss plan can’t be motivated by a desire to satisfy another person who just might find something else to criticize even after you lose all that weight.

Just because you drop fifty or eighty pounds doesn’t mean you’ll drop all those self-doubts you’ve been carrying around for too long. It may provide you with pleasure to some degree, but it will be short-lived if the reasons for your weight loss are superficial. Thus, before you start out, it’s important to address the emotional issues that are bogging you down from a place outside of your weight loss journey and to commit to losing weight only for the direct and immediate benefit of being a healthier person, which is the only real benefit of weight loss. By scratching beneath the surface and coming face to face with yourself, may you merit miracles that will enhance your life in a way that only emotional wellbeing can.

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.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 61

Wellbeing

From the Ground Up By Goldy Guttman, Ms. Ed.

Watch My Growth Can you believe that your infant is now practically a toddler? Welcome to the wonderful world of Baby, 12-18 months version.

12-18 months

Happy birthday! Your little one is now one year old. Whether you celebrated by allowing your child a huge piece of mud cake or an extra large bottle of juice, revel in the joyful moments, and reflect on the momentous year you have experienced together.

Your once-tiny baby has now officially metamorphosed into a toddler. So what can you expect in the next few months?

Motor Development: Now that your child is becoming more mobile, take care to babyproof the entire house. If there is anything small, sharp, or fragile, rest assured that he will find it. So make sure to put those items in a really high place or lock them away.

• Your baby may begin to walk on his own at this stage. Don’t fret if it takes him some extra time, though. Some children do not begin walking until they are 16–18 months.

• While he is taking his little wobbly steps, your baby may begin to carry some toys while walking.

• Beware of stairs! Baby may begin to climb the stairs, but he won’t know how to come down just yet, so until those skills are developed, it is wise to install a gate at the foot and top of the staircase.

Fine Motor Development: Make sure your baby is getting a large variety of foods in his diet. The more food you expose your baby to (and that Baby sees you eating), the more likely he is to try new foods as he grows older. And if he resists a food the first time you offer it, keep trying. Some studies say that it may take babies eight trials of exposure to a new food before they develop a taste for it.

It’s a good idea to start with vegetables, especially carrots as they’re packed with vitamin A, which are very important in a developing infant’s diet. Instead of buying the ready jars, which are very expensive, you can simply peel the carrots, cut them into small chunks, steam them until tender, and mash them. It’s such fun to watch as the baby makes up her mind whether she goes for it or not.

•Your child should be able to scribble spontaneously when you hand him a paper and pen.

• Baby should be able to turn over a container to pour out its contents. (Don’t keep food on low shelves!)

Language Development: You may find yourself laughing in delight as your baby learns some of his first words. They may sound funny or unintelligible. However, if you understand it, show him! For example, if he says “ba-ba” for his bottle, respond by giving him his bottle, and saying, “Oh, you want your bott-le?” There’s no need for you to respond in baby language. Eventually, your child will • Baby should begin to say several single change his word to the proper words. terminology, as long as you help • She should follow simple, one step inhim along. structions. “Bring that to Mommy, please.”

• She should be babbling, imitating the inflections heard in normal conversations.

The Wellspring | April 2017 62

Social Development: Your child may exhibit episodes of separation anxiety. This is completely normal as he is starting to understand that you are his most favorite person ever and he would like to spend time only with you. (How sweet!)

Developmental Concerns Speak to your pediatrician if you have any concerns or if your child does not: • Walk by 18 months • Speak at least 15 words by 18 months • Know the function of common household objects, such as a fork, spoon, or brush

Keep in mind: The evaluation process is fairly simple. If you have concerns about your child’s development, research your local evaluation center, and give them a call. They should be able to help you arrange an evaluation (depending where you live, this service may be free). In this day and age, where services are so accessible, and encouraged, why not take advantage of that fact, and get your child the help she needs?

Congratulations on reaching the solids stage! It can be fun and messy to feed your child food other than milk but very rewarding to watch her eat and enjoy the work of your hands. Here’s one winning recipe for babies starting on solids.

It’s a great combination of fruits and grain that even mom enjoys (with cinnamon)!

1 small apple 1/4 cup ground oats 3/4 cup water Peel, core, and dice the apple. Bring all ingredients to a boil, simmer covered, and check frequently until the apples are soft and the oatmeal is cooked. Stir and mash while cooking. Mix in milk if needed and puree if necessary.

Here is a list of toys that are appropriate for a 12-18 month old baby:

Rainbow Stacker

Hide and Seek Farm Wooden Activity Board With Barnyard Animal Magnets

Wire Bead Maze

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 63

Wellbeing

Emotional Wellness By Esther Moskovitz, LCSW

the Inner child When will we finally grow up?

At thirty-two, Sarah is highly disappointed in herself. She’s an accomplished accountant, runs a happy home, and is a good wife and mother.

So why is it, she wonders, that when she gets frustrated at certain people, she finds it so hard to get over it? Isn’t she an adult after all?

In the physical sense, Sarah is definitely an adult at thirty-two. But this doesn’t negate the role her inner child plays in her adult life. The inner child is real. Neither literally nor physically, but figuratively and metaphorically. It is very, very real, and impacts how we feel and how we behave profoundly.

Our inner child represents our childlike capacity for innocence, wonder, awe, joy, sensitivity, and playfulness. It also holds our accumulated childhood hurts, traumas, fears, and angers. As “grown-ups” we sometimes believe we have successfully outgrown, jettisoned, and left both this vibrant, ever-learning, trusting child and its heavy emotional baggage behind us. But this is far from the truth.

As children, we formed the beliefs that made our world make sense, and they’re as much a part of us as our adult body. Those beliefs form our “inner child.” They reflect healthy trust, self-love, and healthy responsibility.

This part of us carries our creativity,

joy, and love, and helps us mature into the part of us that is a functional adult.

But the beliefs that were borne from less than nurturing experiences form our “wounded inner child.”

When operated from this place, it is as if a hurt, angry, fearful little boy or girl is calling the shots, making adult decisions, sent out into the world to do a man or woman’s job. Can a child have a mature relationship? Raise children?

Have an independent life? And then we wonder why our relationships fall apart, why we feel anxious, afraid, in-

The very first step is recognizing that the inner child is still very much alive within us. secure, inferior, small, lost, or lonely.

There are three variations of our wounded inner child. The first is the “very young inner child.” She is overwhelmed by our triggers, just like Sarah, the successful wife, mother and accountant. When we feel flooded and overwhelmed by our emotions that very young inner child is at play.

The second is the “adapted wounded child.” She carries the beliefs that made her feel safe and in control, in situations where, as a child, she really wasn’t safe or in control. Those beliefs can sound like “If I’m perfect, everyone will be okay.” Or, “If I take care of x,

then I will feel worthy.” Or, even, “If I criticize myself first, then no one else’s criticism will hurt.” And then, there’s the “inner teenager,” who blows her problem outwards. Often, she sounds angry, blaming, and is unwilling to accept love or support. When we act from the inner teenager, we may seem powerful, but there’s so much self-loathing fueling that power that it’s really pain masquerading as power.

Inner child work is when we build from our healthy inner child—our healthy strengths, and recognize how to deal with our wounded inner child, working to face the pains that we still carry with maturity, love and kindness.

When we learn and practice how to do that, we naturally move on with more understanding, less self-loathing, and less self-criticism. The very first step is recognizing that the inner child is still very much alive within us, often dictating our thoughts and emotions.

Once we realize that, we become empowered to heal that inner child and learn to take responsibility for ourselves from a place of patience, trust, and appreciation for ourselves and those we love most.

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.

The Wellspring | April 2017 64

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Wellbeing

Health Personality By Shiffy Friedman

A CUP OF TEA WITH...

RABBI YOM TOV GLASER

AGE: 48 OCCUPATION: Founder and leader of Living Inspired/The Possible You seminar, Senior lecturer at Aish HaTorah, and professional musician LOCATION OF PRACTICE: Yerushalayim and internationally YEARS IN PRACTICE: 16 PASSION: Living experientially in the present, in the unfolding of Hashem's Infinte essence into the finite.

WISHES PEOPLE WOULD KNOW THAT: your body is the sanctuary of your soul.

AS A RABBI AND LECTURER, YOU’RE KNOWN TO PROMOTE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. WHAT WAS YOUR INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF HEALTHY LIVING? I was raised secular in a fast-paced, billionaire California community, and I always had a strong desire to find the truth. But because it wasn’t possible for me to discover Hashem where I was, I wound up pursuing sports, probably as a subconscious distraction for my search. I didn’t want to be distracted, but my search was so fruitless. When I went to my parents’ Conservative rabbi and asked him what life was all about, he looked at me like I was crazy. He couldn’t figure out what my questions had to with his salary! This confusion made me immerse myself even more in sports. I started with skateboarding. I skated in the legendary first skate parks from when I was very young. I also did bodyboarding on the beach near my home, and then, when I was 11, I took up stand-up surfing. I was super athletic all these years, and I saw the physical benefits I gained from sports. I also started off-road mountain biking in my preteen years, which is the number one healthiest sport in the world for many reasons.

ONCE YOU FOUND THE TRUTH IN TORAH, WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CONTINUE EXERCISING? Today, I continue to keep up a consistent exercise regimen because I realize how important it is for us Torah Jews to The Wellspring | April 2017 66

maintain a healthy body in order to maximize our emotional and spiritual potential. For the last 15 years, I’ve also been doing lots of yoga, because I’m getting older and I feel it’s important for the muscles and joints to have the flexibility that yoga provides. Of course, my teachers are anti the Eastern traditions. One is a Biala chassid, and another is a rabbi in training.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH? The two are very connected. First of all, the chemical balance in the body obviously affects the mind, which is where the emotions are.

Contrary to what many people believe, the emotions are all in the mind, not the heart, and when the chemicals in the brain are imbalanced, such as when a person leads an unhealthy lifestyle, that automatically manifests itself in poor emotional health.

When we work out

and perspire, we release toxins, which balances out the mind. I have a client who disassociates often. Her brain simply shuts down when she feels emotionally incapable of moving on. Incredibly, when she works out, it doesn’t happen. Exercise is also great for relationships. It generates the production of hormones that help us feel connected, especially to our spouses.

AND, PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ROLE DOES PHYSICAL HEALTH PLAY IN SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT? Every Jew has a body voice and a soul voice, the nefesh habahamis and nefesh haElokis. When we don’t take care of the body, its voice makes loud noises. It has its ways of letting you know it’s tired, stiff, in pain. Think of all that heartburn and discomfort when you don’t eat right.

And when the body is screaming out like that, you simply can’t hear the soul’s voice. When one is loud, the other one is quieter. When someone stubs their toe, they’re a toe. And when they have a headache, they’re a head. But when they take proper care of the body, Hashem’s gift to them, they can hear what the soul is telling them.

I like to give the analogy of a man driving an old, beaten-up car. While his wife and kids may enjoy the ride up a mountain, he’s slaving his way upward, nervous that the machine won’t break down on them. There’s no way he can enjoy the ride, the music, the view. All he’s doing is sweating, wondering if he’s going to make it. When he buys new car, he’s suddenly able to enjoy the ride because his car is quiet.

day with a cleansing shake that’s made mostly of vegetables and some fruit. Processed foods pull us down and just louden the body’s voices.

The second key in quieting these voices is understanding that most of our thoughts should be ignored. Most people think that the neshamah is in the brain. We learn that in school, and we never revisit the subject. The truth is, though, that the brain is simply the interface between the neshamah and the body. The neshamah is eternal; it’s not in any one place. The brain is just a part of the body, albeit the noisiest part. 90% of its thoughts are files that should be aborted, not downloaded. The highest level of mastery is quieting the thoughts that pull us down.

The root of the word Mitzrayim is meitzar, constriction. Our biggest mitzrayim is the negative selfimage we have of ourselves.

SO HOW CAN WE QUIET THE BODY’S VOICES SO WE CAN CONNECT TO OUR NESHAMAH? There are two steps to doing that.

The first is to do the right hishtadlus so the body is in top physical condition, by eating healthy foods, ideally in their most natural state, and maintaining a consistent exercise regimen.

I like to start my

HOW DO WE QUIET THE THOUGHTS THAT PULL US DOWN? To become conscious and to be able to focus on the soul’s voice, a person has to practice separating their awareness from their thinking. They have to realize that just because they have a certain thought doesn’t mean they have to believe it. If they hear, “I’m not good enough,” they should realize that that’s the voice of the body, the brain, and not the neshamah. The neshamah is flawless, created in the image of Hashem.

HOW CAN WE PRACTICE THIS IN REAL LIFE?

Here’s an exercise you can do right now.

Stop reading this article and listen to the voice in your head. What do you hear? All you’ll hear is nothing. You’ll hear, “What’s the voice in my head? I don’t hear any voice.” That’s the body’s voice. And the fact that you’re able to listen to it means that you’re not that voice.

It’s your neshamah listening to it. You and your thoughts are two separate entities, and as long as you allow these two to be intertwined, you can’t enjoy total physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

Any time we say, “I am something or other,” such as, “I am hungry,” “I am stuck,” “I am angry,” “I am frustrated,” you’ll notice that there are two entities. There’s the “I” and the adjective. One is the brain thinking that it’s upset, but then there’s the “I,” which is not upset. You’re simply getting this upset message from your brain, and it’s your decision to listen to it or not.

SO WHO IS THE PERSON REALLY, IF NOT HIS BRAIN AND THOUGHTS? Every person is his neshamah, the chelek Eloka mima’al.

And that’s a perfect being. All the things he sees as imperfections and flaws are not in any way related to his real essence. It’s this realization that generates the highest level of health in all aspects. And only once a person comes to this realization can he truly love himself, others, and Hashem.

That’s the “Possible You” I teach about in my seminars—the essence that you really are.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 67

Wellbeing

Health Personality

THIS MUST BE THE IDEAL LEVEL OF CHEIRUS, FREEDOM, WHICH WE CELEBRATE ON PESACH. It is. The root of the word Mitzrayim is meitzar, constriction. Our biggest mitzrayim is the negative self-image we have of ourselves. It’s a very narrow, limited sense of self.

And because we feel so uncomfortable believing that we’re not good enough, not lovable enough, not kind or smart or beautiful enough, what do we do? We puff ourselves out to not feel. We exhaust ourselves with activities to show the world that “I’m good.” That’s the tzemer, the wool, which contains the same letters as the word meitzar. This puffy, fluffy exterior that’s not real is our personal chameitz. It’s a wall that we erect because we’re so afraid of being no one.

If we allow ourselves to peel off all those layers, to shear the wool off the sheep, we find our true essence, a flawless neshamah. This gives us the greatest joy, and only this allows us to feel truly connected. True cheirus is when we slaughter those voices in our head that tell us otherwise and we bring that as a korban to Hashem.

We celebrate our freedom with achilah, eating. In the times of the Beis Hamikdash, we ate the actual sheep that symbolized our place of constriction. We consumed it with simchah.

When a person eats from this perspective, the food assimilates properly and they stay healthy. All the eating we do when we’re in a place of low

self-image causes weight gain. The lack of healing from past situations causes digestive issues, because we don’t allow the food to go through its process. It’s the body not letting go. We’re holding on to our pain. So many of us have gotten so identified with our pain that it’s simply easier to just stay stuck. We humans are very fragile when it comes to self-identity, but when we allow ourselves to face the neshamah, we don’t have that problem. Then we feel the joy and the connection. Who wants more than that?

All the eating we do when we’re in a place of low self-image causes weight gain.

The Wellspring | April 2017 68

IF CONNECTING TO THE NESHAMAH BRINGS SUCH JOY AND CONNECTION, WHY WOULD WE BE FEARFUL OF LETTING THAT HAPPEN?

The problem is that most people freeze when they get into an identity crisis, so they’d rather hold on to their past. It serves as a protective device, just like fat.

People are so desperate to be someone, even if it means a bunch of ridiculous self-statements, the meitzar statements that keep them stuck. They’d rather live their whole life thinking, “I’m not smart enough,” “I’m not capable enough,” “I’m not as good as…” than confront their fears.

Other people survive by focusing on their tzemer, that fluffy wool that surrounds them. It’s frightening for them to think, “Wait, so if I’m not that hotshot doctor, successful businessman, perfect teacher, etc., who am I really?”

That’s why so many people adopt what they do as who they are, whether it’s their profession or their place in society as an askan, a ba’al chessed, or a superwoman. They identify with their doing because they’re afraid to let go of the walls.

But eventually, this mechanism fails. What happens when business doesn’t go well? Or they get older and they can’t identify with their old title anymore? Or someone’s better than them and they start feeling vulnerable? That’s when the low self-image statements kick in again full force.

It takes tremendous strength and courage for a person to take a good look at himself and say, “Who am I really?”—to shed all those layers that he built over the years.

The Jews too, in the depth of exile, had a hard time accepting that they would finally be leaving Egypt. But when we leave the confinement of our low self-image and connect to our neshamah, we merit the true yetzias Mitzrayim.

AGE WELL

GERD in Seniors

Keeping up with keeping stomach acid down ISSUE 15 APRIL 2017 NISSAN 5777

GOLDEN PAGE: HOW TO SLOW DOWN THE AGING PROCESS

Golden Page By Yaakov Goodman, CN

FIGHT THE FREE RADICALS

HOW ANTIOXIDANTS SLOW DOWN THE AGING PROCESS Simply put, antioxidants are natural compounds that protect our bodies from harmful free radicals as they seek to damage the cells comprising the immune system and speed up the aging process. The difficulty we face is that as our environment becomes ever more toxic, our exposure to these free radicals is growing rapidly. And the small amount of antioxidants we receive from our diet is simply inadequate, making supplementation vital.

In addition to their bountiful protective abilities, decades of research point to antioxidants’ remarkable ability to increase oxygen, improve arterial health, increase fertility, improve insulin sensitivity, and help the skin retain its youthful look. A meta-analysis published in July 2013 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provided more solid evidence of the role of antioxidants against age-related cataracts. Researchers at Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, selected 13 studies that included a total of 18,999 participants for their analysis. The included studies evaluated the risk of cataracts in association with blood levels of antioxidants. The results revealed that higher antioxidant levels where associated with a staggering 43% fewer cataract cases. In their discussion, authors Yu-Hong Cui and associates remark about the results of studies evaluating the association between cataract and antioxidant intake. “Our results provide additional evidence in support of a significant inverse association between blood levels of antioxidants and risk of age-related cataract, suggesting the elevation of blood levels of antioxidants by appropriate methods brings a benefit in age-related cataract prevention, especially for people with low basic levels of blood antioxidants.”

An article published on July 6, 2010 in Nutrition and Metabolism reports the outcome of a clinical trial, which found that supplementing with antioxidants improved arterial elasticity and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels while reducing hemoglobin A1C (glycated hemoglobin, or HbA1C, a marker of prolonged elevated blood glucose) in men and women at risk of cardiovascular disease. Reuven Zimlichman and colleagues at Israel’s Wolfson Medical Center enrolled 70 patients from the center’s hypertension clinic who had at least two of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, diabetes, low HDL cholesterol, or cigarette smoking. Participants were randomized to daily supplementation with antioxidants or a placebo for 6 months.

By the end of the treatment period, HDL-cholesterol increased and blood pressure and HbA1C were reduced significantly among those who received antioxidants while levels remained relatively unchanged in those who received a placebo. Small and large arterial elasticity also significantly improved in the antioxidant-supplemented group. “Antioxidant supplementation significantly increased large and small artery elasticity in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors,” Dr Zimlichman concluded. “The findings of the present study justify investigating the overall clinical impact of antioxidant treatment in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.”

Clinical studies have demonstrated that combining these powerful compounds greatly increases absorption and bio-availability. So in 2002 Maxi Health formulated a one of a kind supplement, Antioxidant Complex®, which encompasses 20 of the most powerful antioxidants including coenzyme Q10, green tea, resveratrol, and bilberry.

The lab researchers at Maxi Health then turned the formula up a notch by adding an antioxidant-rich super-food blend, packing a powerful punch that includes Pycnogenal, cinnamon extract, and pomegranate.

And to make a good product even better, a probiotic blend was added to put absorption at the absolute maximum.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 71

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

Age Well

Age Well

Senior Care By Rena Milgraum, R.N.

The Last Word on GERD

Keeping Up with Keeping Stomach Acid Down Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, reminds us of the rule that “correlation does not equal causation”—meaning that just because Factor A features more in people with Symptom A, Factor A does not cause Symptom A. How does this apply to GERD? We might think that because GERD most commonly hits people aged 60 to 70 this means that age (Factor A) causes GERD (Symptom A).

One of the most common causes of GERD is a hiatal hernia. This is a hole in the diaphragm, through which the stomach bulges like a balloon, pushing on the end of the esophagus (food pipe) and causing the symptoms of GERD. However, while much of GERD in seniors is caused by a hiatal hernia, since the diaphragm tends to weaken with age, hiatal hernias in seniors do not always cause GERD. In fact, many hiatal hernias in this age group cause no symptoms at all. Thus, although both Factor A and Symptom A are present, there is no cause-andeffect link. Otherwise, every case of hiatal hernia in seniors would cause GERD. Having established that GERD is not always caused by a hiatal hernia, let’s examine its symptoms and causes, and how to best treat and prevent it.

it causes inside the chest, which is in fact an irritation of the esophagus lining, comes and goes. But when it hits at least twice a week or otherwise interferes with your life, you should see your doctor to find out whether the symptoms indicate GERD. GERD can be distinguished from heartburn by the following symptoms. First it does not go away or get better. In addition, you will experience all or some of the following: chest pain, a sour taste in the mouth, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), a dry cough, hoarseness, a sore throat, or feeling there’s a lump in your throat.

Once you have been diagnosed with GERD, by your doctor taking a medical history and running some tests, the next step—eliminating that chronic acid reflux—depends on how severe your GERD is.

Definition Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is basically heartburn that doesn’t go away.

Heartburn (acid reflux, in medical terminology) is caused by stomach acid backing up the esophagus, even as far as your mouth. It is triggered by any combination of the following: eating too much, eating spicy foods or foods that do not “agree with” you, wearing too-tight clothes, being overweight, or lying down to sleep too soon after eating.

Heartburn, so named for the burning sensation

72 The Wellspring | April 2017

Treatment “So how do I keep that acid down?” you may be asking. This simple question usually has a simple answer.

Once you have been diagnosed with GERD, by your doctor taking a medical history and running some tests, the next step—eliminating that chronic acid reflux—depends on how severe your GERD is.

Step 1: Lifestyle change(s) The good news is that GERD is eminently treatable with lifestyle and/or diet changes. Symptoms can often be improved, if not eliminated outright, by avoiding alcohol and spicy, fatty, or acidic foods that trigger heartburn; eating smaller meals; not eating close to bedtime (about two hours before); losing weight if needed; quitting smoking; and wearing looser-fitting clothes.

Also raising the head side of your bed with wooden blocks, or putting a specialty wedge under your mattress, will raise your head and shoulders above the level of your stomach, allowing gravity to help keep acid from flowing back into the esophagus or beyond.

If that doesn’t work or at least help, the next level of treatment is medication to control the acid reflux or treat other GERD causes.

Most GERD can be con-

trolled through medications.

Step 2: Medication(s) Many over-the-counter (OTC) medications that neutralize stomach acid can make a major difference. These antacids include Gaviscon, Gelusil, Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, and Tums. It is important to note that these medications provide relief, but will not heal an inflamed esophagus damaged by stomach acid. They can also cause side effects like diarrhea or constipation, especially if overused.

Other OTC medications for GERD are stomach acid reducers like Axid AR, Pepcid AC, Tagamet HB, and Zantac.

These kick in slower, but last longer by decreasing acid production.

The strongest OTC GERD medications are called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). These temporarily block stomach acid production altogether, giving damaged esophagus tissue time to heal. Common PPIs include Prevacid 24 HR, Prilosec, and Zegerid OTC. If these don’t help, your doctor may prescribe one of these medications (or others) in prescription form.

Another common prescription GERD medication is Baclofen, which treats a different cause of GERD. In some patients, GERD is caused by a weak sphincter, the muscle “door” that opens from the esophagus into the stomach. Baclofen helps keep the lower esophageal sphincter tightly closed more often.

Step 3: Surgery Most cases won’t come to this. But where lifestyle/diet changes and medications don’t do the trick, or if you want to avoid long-term medication use, there are several surgical procedures that doctors may recommend, depending on your case. Unfortunately, surgery may not be an option if the patient has developed esophagitis (inflamed lining of the esophagus), bleeding, or narrowing of the esophagus, or Barrett’s esophagus (a precancerous condition).

Common GERD treatment surgeries include fundoplication, which ties the top of the stomach tightly around the bottom of

the esophagus, or implanting a Linx ring, which tightens the bottom opening of the esophagus.

Finally, some alternative treatments have been known to provide some relief, especially when combined with your doctor’s care. Alternative treatments for GERD include herbal, acid-reducing remedies like licorice, slippery elm, chamomile, and marshmallow, as well as acupuncture, which provides relief for some people.

Prognosis We also know that emotional causes produce physical symptoms. Stress and anxiety contribute to GERD. Consequently, relaxation and meditation techniques, mental-health counseling, and other non-medical treatments are all powerful tools in treating GERD, which may be a symptom of whatever’s really bothering you in life.

Regardless of what’s causing it, GERD is an important senior health concern to know about—especially since recent studies confirm that the prevalence of GERD is rising among people of all ages, not just seniors.

Are we becoming a more stressed-out society, with more GERD a result? It certainly seems that way! So eat healthy, with the right amounts at the right times; live healthy; and, most importantly, keep a healthy outlook on life. And that should give you the last word on GERD.

Rena Milgraum, R.N. is Director of Patient Services at HamaspikCare, a home-care agency serving seniors and others across New York.

She may be reached through the Wellspring.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring 73

Age Well

Sage Advice By Aliza Simon

Creating Memories

Spending quality time with your elderly loved ones Having an elderly parent or grandparent over for yom tov? Here are ten beautiful ways to spend time with a loved one who is exhibiting early signs of dementia. People with dementia often return to long-term memories of childhood. Their minds seem to only recall their younger years, and this is often where connections can be made. Try one or more of the following activities to create a connection with them.

1. Create a memory bag Fill the bag with items reminiscent of their late teens/early twenties. Scented products work well for this, as scents are strongly tied to memory. Try including soap, perfumes, or things that will remind them of yom tov.

2. Look through photo albums Photo albums with pictures from their childhood or young adulthood are best for this. Enjoy the nachas together with them!

3. Read out loud If your parent has a favorite book, read it out loud to them and let them hold the book and feel the pages. Encourage them to enjoy the distinctive “old book smell.” Reading aloud works especially well with poetry, as the cadence of the words are familiar and calming.

4. Listen to a playlist of favorite music Play songs that feature music from their teenage or young adult years.

5. Sing old songs Sing the zemiros and songs they loved to sing in their younger years.

6. Go on a nature walk Use nature to integrate sensory experiences into conversation. Listen to birdsong, touch the wet grass, smell the roses, and feel the sunshine on your shoulders. Ask what their favorite outdoor activities were during their youth and try to safely recreate similar scenarios if possible.

7. Look through old cookbooks Our bubbies spent a great deal of their young adult years cooking for their families. Discuss origins and variations of old family recipes, or better yet, cook with those old family recipes and share the results with your loved ones. Think Pesach lukshen and nut cakes.

8. Enjoy favorite treats Look for candy or other indulgences that were commonplace when your loved one was young.

Even simple things, like an orange, can be a treat to someone who remembers it as the special food they had on Shabbos.

9. Bring back old skills Did your mother quilt, crochet, or knit? Put a homemade quilt or skein of yarn in her hands and let her feel the weight of the quilt and the scratchiness of the yarn. You may be surprised to find that she can still crochet or knit a little bit, even though she has serious memory or cognitive deficits. Often, the muscles remember what the brain has forgotten.

10. Daven together Although your mother or grandmother may be forgetting your name, she may still remember and enjoy the words of tefillah she’s been saying for years. Start the day with some basic prayers to foster a connection between yourselves and with Hashem.

Your loved one may be different from the person you have always known, but they still long for connection and companionship. You can encourage that connection by using these activities to enrich both of your lives.

74 The Wellspring | April 2017

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Age Well

Serial Diary By Malka Aronson

Spreading Myself Thin Life in the Sandwich Generation

Entry #5: Facing it I kept thinking that we’ll take care of the issue after Pesach, but now I realize that there’s nothing that has to be “taken care of” here. From my friends whose mothers suffer from Alzheimer’s, I know all too well that there’s no magic cure. For me, right now, this is the saddest thing, but the one solace I have is that at least I know I’m not causing any harm by not addressing it. One friend gave me the following chart when I confided in her that I was afraid my mother’s memory was failing her. Once I went through the list of symptoms, there was nothing for me to do but realize that Mommy’s issues are more than just normal age-related memory chang-

es. Although she’s clearly still suffering from a very early stage of the disease, there’s no denying that it has caught her in its grip.

The way I’m dealing with the realization is by simply allowing myself to recognize it. Since there’s nothing I can do to reverse the situation, I let myself enjoy the mother I’ve always loved and will continue to love and respect forever.

Although life is so hectic at this stage, baruch Hashem, I grab every opportunity I have to spend time with my mother. Instead of sending her to the senior program three times a week, I cut down to two and Mommy sits near me as I clean closets and unpack my Pesach dishes.

She even wants to make the Pesach lokshen for us! Not only will this be a great help, but I’m also grateful that she’s still involved in our day-to-day lives.

As we talk, interesting things have been coming up. I always saw my mother as a beacon of strength, a woman who endured so much in her lifetime. She spent several months of her teenage years in a concentration camp, and was left without a single family member after the war. All alone, she chose to build a new family, to perpetuate her family’s legacy as its sole survivor. (Later, she reunited with one aunt, but sadly, that aunt’s children aren’t frum today.) Perhaps because she struggled so much to rebuild, she was afraid to reveal her own insecurities. She wanted to give us the backbone she was lacking, the strength she had to find within to forge forward.

In her desire to do so, we only knew a strong mother.

She was always doing for us, giving, giving, giving.

But now that she’s growing older and more vulnerable, I am hearing how Mommy feels as a mother—the guilt she carries for this and that regarding our upbringing, which, surprisingly, makes me feel so much better and more validated.

It gives me the opportunity to finally open up about my own insecurities, something I’ve never felt comfortable sharing with my mother because I thought she wouldn’t understand.

What a growing experience this is for me—to be my mother’s caretaker, but also that little girl of hers that I never allowed myself to be.

To be continued…

DEMENTIA SYMPTOMS

NORMAL AGE RELATED MEMORY CHANGES

Forgets entire experiences

Forgets part of an experience

Rarely remembers later

Often remembers later

Is gradually unable to follow written/spoken directions

Is usually able to follow written/spoken directions

Is gradually unable to use notes as reminders

Is usually able to use notes as reminders

Is gradually unable to care for self

Is usually able to care for self

76 The Wellspring | April 2017

B e c a u s e

emergencies Happen

ISAAC LEIDER, CEO

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VITALONE.ORG

Diary By Reisy Frenkel

Nothing to Sneeze At How I got rid of my allergy symptoms All through the month

of March, my incessant sneezing could be heard throughout the house. My children tried to keep straight faces, so as not to burst out laughing. Loud sneezing can be funny, especially in public, but not especially when the culprit is the teacher in the classroom or during Shabbos meals, surrounded by company. But when it happens in March, when the streets of New York are still covered in snow and ice, exhibiting hay fever symptoms is especially rare.

I was pretty surprised. My seasonal allergies—my unwelcome, annual, usually punctual guest—arrive on April 15 respectfully, accompanied by itchy eyes, watery nose, and incessant sneezing. Not in March!

This year, allergies have made their appearance earlier than usual. Due to a stretch of warm weather during the last week of February and an especially mild winter, the trees have already started to release pollens. For those, like me, who picked up on it, weather forecasters normally occupied with wind chills, temperature, and snow falls now included pollen count in their forecasts. Indeed, the headlines on many news outlets in the first week of March were, “Are you suffering from allergy symptoms?”

Allergic rhinitis (also known as allergies or hay fever)

occurs when the immune system overreacts to particles introduced from the air. The immune system identifies these particles as foreign, prompting an immune response which includes sneezing, coughing, and a runny nose. Symptoms of allergic rhinitis include sneezing continuously after you wake up, a postnasal drip, and itchy eyes.

But I didn’t suffer for too long. Kudos to Maxi Health for being so organized and preparing Allergy Support™ ahead of time! After 24–48 hours of taking the supplement that includes pantothenic acid to dry up the runny eyes and nose (not like those available in the pharmacy that would leave me feeling dehydrated and drowsy) and bioflavonoids to strengthen the respiratory system, I started to feel like myself again. I’m also taking Max-C-Gram™ for additional relief. The slow release is so kind to the stomach that I’m easily able to take three doses daily and feel great. Armed with this natural ammunition, I’m all ready for the spring season and looking forward to enjoying every aspect of it.

And here’s an added note to my fellow allergy sufferers who are cleaning for Pesach and all year round. Be careful when using Mr. Clean and other perfumed detergents, as they have a special ingredient which induces sneezing in people suffering from allergies. Refer to the natural detergent list in the Wellspring’s March issue for a symptom-free, pleasant cleaning experience.

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 50-100 word description of your story to info@wellspringmagazine.com.

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

The Wellspring | April 2017 78

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

Inkwell

Fare Well

Food for Thought

Bloom where you are planted.

Nissan 5777 | The Wellspring  79

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

Don’t suffer through spring Allergies can be debilitating. A scratchy throat, sore lungs and runny nose can keep you feeling down for days. But this year, you can jump into spring with a smile. Maxi Allergy Support™ contains a unique formula to provide you with powerful protection against allergies, alleviating those persistent symptoms and leaving you more content than ever.

maxihealth.com 800.544.MAXI info@maxihealth.com