Wellspring Issue #32 by The Wellspring

WEALTH OF HEALTH CONFERENCE WITH MENDY AND SURI HIRSCH OF 0'S JUICES & SALADS

THE PERSONAL STORY BEHIND THE PROFESSIONAL GLORY A candid conversation with 4 women in the health and wellness field

2 NEW COLUMNS!

FROM THE GROUND UP Neurodevelopmental therapists Friedy Singer & Roizy Guttmann help you understand your child

UNVEILED Life with mental illness Zahava List's diary

MONTHLY DOSE Does the modern-day diet provide adequate nutrition for your child?

THE F-FACTORTM DIET Nationally acclaimed dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot on how fiber ushers fat out of the body

ISSUE 32 SEPTEMBER 2018 TISHREI 5779

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Does your child or young adult need help with social skills & behaviors that are inappropriate? Learn hands on techniques to help your child socially without the need for social groups.

Does your child have difficulty identifying & controlling their emotions? Learn techniques to help them with results that are immediate.

Nutritional Advisory Board Jack Friedman, PhD • Moshe Weinberger • Mimi Schweid Yaakov Goodman • Laura Shammah, MS, RDN

Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP Social Thinking December 13th Cedarhurst, NY

Leah Kuypers, MS, OTR/L Zones of Regulation October 25th Brooklyn, NY

Nutrition Contributors Dr. Rachael Schindler • Tanya Rosen, MS CAI CPT Shani Taub, CDC • Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE Beth Warren, RDN

Editor In Chief Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC

Fitness Advisory Board Syma Kranz, PFC • Esther Fried, PFC

Empower Yourself

Feature Editors Rochel Gordon • Liba Solomon, CNWC Copy Editors Gila Zemmel • Faige Badian Food Editor Esther Frenkel Food Styling & Photography Yossi & Malky Levine Creative Director Rivky Schwartz

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Store Distribution Motty Srugo 718-496-1364 Write To Us: 670 Myrtle Ave. Suite 389 Brooklyn, NY 11205 info@wellspringmagazine.com www.wellspringmagazine.com The Wellspring Magazine is published monthly by Maxi-Health Research LLC. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part or in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher reserves the right to edit all articles for clarity, space and editorial sensitivities. The Wellspring Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content or kashrus of advertisements in the publication, nor for the content of books that are referred to or excerpted herein. The contents of The Wellspring Magazine, such as text, graphics and other material (content) are intended for educational purposed only. The content is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your health care provider with any questions you have regarding your medical condition.

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From the Editor

Dear Readers, “Were you always into writing?” That’s a question I get often. Although I enjoyed language arts classes as a student and even taught high-school level English for three years, the answer is that I wasn’t. Of the choices for what I wanted to be when I grew up, “writer” was not on the horizon. Actually, I almost declined my first writing job offer. When a friend asked if I’d be willing to do a stint in business writing for her marketing coach husband, I was hesitant to accept. I was working as a teacher and getting my toes wet in the field of emotional wellness, and I didn’t feel confident to try my hand at the unchartered territory of writing. To my young adult self, teaching and inspiring others was a very important part of my identity, one that I feared giving up for a more technical job. But, as Hashem would have it, soon afterward I got engaged and looked forward to starting my married life in Eretz Yisrael, where I would need a job that allowed for long-distance communication. And so, I accepted the offer. The rest, as they say, is history. That job trial ended up turning into a weekly commitment for five years, during which I gradually developed into the writer I never thought I would be. Interestingly enough, a career that I feared would be technical in nature has provided an excellent outlet for my passion for teaching, albeit not in the traditional classroom setting. And I gradually came to realize that if I really want to inspire others, I first need to inspire myself and let Hashem guide me to what I’m meant to be doing. Every career has a backstory. Some are more straightforward—“I always knew I’d be a hairdresser; I was styling my friends’ hair for our eighth grade graduation”; in others, the individual was led on a winding route until she landed the job she’s at today. As the title of this issue’s cover feature suggests, at the heart of professional glory lies a personal story. In this feature, we bring you a candid conversation with four women in the health and wellness field. While they have built successful practices in their respective niches, their journeys have not been without pain. For Shani Taub, it was the way she felt about her size in childhood. For Miriam Raskin, a lack of guidance in processing her emotional turmoil led to the onset of an eating disorder. Yaffi Lvova struggled with postpartum depression, in addition to various nutrition-related challenges upon entering motherhood. And it took years of suffering and confusion until Jill Friedbauer was finally reassured that diet did play a role in managing her ulcerative colitis. While each story is individual, the one powerful message all women expressed was, “I want to be the person I needed when I was going through that rough patch.” It’s this same desire that led the writers of our two new columns to do what they’re doing today: Zahava List, who lives with mental illness, is the founder and director of Chazkeinu, a peer-led support organization for religious Jewish women who struggle with mental illness, and Friedy Singer, who experienced sensory issues as a child, ended up pursuing a degree in occupational therapy. It may seem that the job we pursue is the result of a logical decision: draw up a list of pros and cons, and go with the option in which the pros tip the scale. But, as dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot notes in her interview in this issue’s “Cup of Tea,” there is another element at play here: emotion. As much as the technical details of the job count, ultimately, the key to success, with the help of Hashem, is not so much in the knowledge as it is in the passion. This is not only true when it comes to career choice. We can enjoy success in our relationships, in parenting, in health, only if we invest our heart in it. And, most importantly, the heart is a key player in our avodas Hashem. As this issue’s “Torah Wellspring” explores, we can experience emotional and spiritual wellness only when we first cleanse our hearts, because only a heart that is free of guilt is open to feeling true simchah. May this be a year of true simchah and success for everyone, in all areas. Gut Yom Tov,

Shiffy Friedman

shiffy@wellspringmagazine.com

Well-Put!

“The number one thing for family members of patients to know is the importance of helping prevent infection. Hospitals are a breeding ground for germs,” says Leah Krausz of Vaad Refuah. “If the room your relative is in doesn’t have a can of disinfectant wipes nearby, go out and buy a box of Clorox® wipes.” To get acquainted with the organization that is here to help patients and their families with all hospital-related matters, check out this issue’s “Dedicated to Health” on page 30.

Tishrei 5778 | The Wellspring 7

Contents

SEPTEMBER 2018 - TISHREI 5779 WELL INFORMED TORAH WELLSPRING By Rabbi Ezra Friedman WELLNESS PLATFORM By Rabbi Hirsch Meisels SECRETS OF A KOSHER DIETITIAN By Beth Warren, RDN HEALTH UPDATES IN THE NEWS By Rikki Samson

12 14 16 18

FIGURES By Miriam Katz

WEALTH OF HEALTH Conference with Mendy & Suri Hirsch By Sarah Weinberger

HEALTH ED Diabetes By Laurah Shammah, MS, RDN DEDICATED TO HEALTH Leah Krausz By Chana Dunner

IN GOOD SHAPE Staying Fit Over Yom Tov By Syma Kranz, PFC COVER FEATURE The Personal Story By Shiffy Friedman AT THE DIETITIAN Is it Really Just IBS? By Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE MONTHLY DOSE Nutrition for Kids By Yaakov Goodman

8 The Wellspring | September 2018

EAT WELL

47 57 59 60

26 28

70 72

32 34 36 62 64

SEASONED Do the Dip By Yossi & Malky Levine THYME FOR DINNER By Shiffy Friedman POTS + PLANTS By Naomi Hazan NUTRITION FACTS IN A SHELL This Month: Celery By Devorah Isaacson

WELLBEING

LIVING WELL ASK THE NUTRITIONIST Sensitive to Sugar By Shani Taub, CDC

ISSUE #32

HEALTH PERSONALITY Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD By Shiffy Friedman CLEAN SLATE Is Emotional Eating Bad? By Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC CHILD DEVELOPMENT Emotional Regulation Friedy Singer & Roizy Guttman, OTR/L SERIAL DIARY Entry #1 By Zahava List

AGE WELL

GOLDEN PAGE Nourishment for Seniors By Yaakov Goodman

INKWELL FROM A KINESIOLOGIST 78 MEMOS By Miriam Schweid The next issue of The Wellspring will appear iy”H on October 24th.

Done right.

WISHING ALL OF KLAL YISROEL A CHAG SAMEACH.

Springboard

Letters

You Described My Child [Issue #31: Cup of Tea]

First, I want to thank you for this amazing magazine that is so informative. Every month I learn a few interesting things that I can apply to my own life. This month’s “Cup of Tea” was extremely helpful. It described exactly the scenarios I’m having with my five-yearold. I feel like this might be the solution for him. He’s also been having speech and occupational therapy for the past three years with no major progress. I hope Freidy and Roizy will be the shelichim to help not only my child, but also my husband and me (as we get frustrated with him very often). Thanks for introducing us to this avenue of help. Thank you so much Name withheld

More on Fermented Veggies [Issue #30: Cover Feature]

I’m excited when I see some real natural alternatives to the standard American diet most of us grew up eating, in a frum magazine! My digestion is much improved since I added fermented foods to my diet. I have been making pickles and sauerkraut for a couple of years now and have found a few things that make the process a bit easier. First of all, for crunchy pickles, I always soak my kirbies in a large bowl of cold water for at least a couple of hours or even all day, if I don’t get to them sooner. Second, and you may have mentioned this in the article, I slice off a very thin piece at the flower end of the cucumber. It’s a very small brown spot. I read somewhere

10 The Wellspring | September 2018

about an enzyme that turns pickles mushy if this isn’t done. Thirdly, there is a wonderful new product out there that eliminates the need for a tray under the fermenting jars. It’s called a pickle pipe. It comes with a glass weight shaped like a hockey puck that keeps all the veggies under the brine (especially useful when making sauerkraut where shreds of cabbage tend to float to the top). The pickle pipe itself is a piece of silicone with a nipple-like piece in the center. It looks almost like a baby bottle nipple. There is a tiny hole in the nipple which allows the gases in the jar to escape while preserving all the liquid inside. It comes in two sizes—regular is jam jar sized and large is wide mouth sized—the size of pickle jars. They fit right inside the canning jar lids and make fermenting veggies a breeze, and are reasonably priced. No mess or clumsy airlocks to bother with. Debbie Lebovic Toronto, Ontario I read the follow-up article on fermentation and I have another question. After fermenting at room temperature for a week or so, can I transfer the veggies to a plastic container and put it into the refrigerator, or do the vegetables need to stay in the glass vessel? Thank you for your very informative magazine, Rivky Grossman Editor’s response: Once the initial fermentation process is complete, the vegetables may be transferred to a plastic container.

Thanking Hashem Changed Me [Issue #31: Torah Wellspring]

Kudos on last month’s Wellspring. In “Torah Wellspring,” Rabbi Ezra Friedman discusses how thanking Hashem

plays a crucial role in emotional wellness. I would like to share how true I found this to be in my life. During my last pregnancy, I dealt with a lot of anxiety. It affected me so much that there were times when I almost couldn’t function. When I was at the end of the pregnancy, and it was getting worse, my father convinced me to join a WhatsApp group called “Thank you Hashem.” It’s a place where, throughout the day, members share their stories that focus on how thanking Hashem led to minor incidents, like finding a set of lost keys, and major salvations, like finally getting a new job. There are a few of these groups, since the maximum membership allowed per group is around 250. I started saying “Thank you, Hashem” constantly, especially when I was having a hard time, and it really turned things around for me. It helped me literally see Hashem’s hand in my life over and over. Thanks for bringing this beautiful point to your readers’ attention. Name withheld upon request

An End to the Itch

[Issue #31: Psoraisis or Not?] Miriam Schweid’s article titled “Psoriasis or Not?” got me thinking. I felt as if you printed it especially for me. For a while now, I’ve been experiencing intense itching along with an unsightly rash. As soon as I finished reading the article, I went out to buy the probiotic Maxi Active Pro 10™. I took four capsules as soon as I woke up (on an empty stomach), and after only three hours the intense itching stopped. I was amazed at the instant results. Abstaining from which foods can help me get rid of the unsightly rash? Kinesiologist Miriam Schweid responds: I’m glad to hear that you’ve experi-

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.

enced positive results after taking the probiotic supplement. Although you’re best off getting an individual evaluation of your condition and which foods are interfering with your body’s functioning, two categories that I’ve found to be almost universally problematic for people with skin conditions are nightshade vegetables (such as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes) and wheat. Both of these food groups are completely healthy for most people, but for some it can act as an immune response trigger that results in negative repercussions. Consult with a health practitioner to confirm whether or not these food groups are playing a role in your condition.

Helping My Health-Obsessed Teen [Issue #28: Cup of Tea]

I was just reading your article about orthorexia. Thank you so very much for it. I always suspected that my son’s extreme health practices were not coming from a healthy place. Thanks so much for providing some clarity on the topic. My question is: what do I do now. He’s 13 years old, and I don’t see him wanting to get help. Where can I go from

here as parent to guide him towards a healthy balance? Thank you so very much for your informative articles. I’m looking forward to your response. N. S. Laura Shammah, MS, RD responds: Thank you for reaching out and thank you for reading the article. It is so painful to watch a loved one, especially your child, spiraling down the wrong path. It’s our job as parents to lead them in the right direction. Find a good time, when both of you are not distracted, to talk to your son in private, in a space that is comfortable for both of you. Explain why you are concerned without criticizing. Give examples of specific behaviors you have noticed that worried you. Talk with him and share your concerns calmly. Stick to the facts, give examples, and suggest talking to a therapist and/or registered dietitian with experience in eating disorders. People struggling with orthorexia may know a lot about nutrition, but they often make their food choices based on incorrect or misleading information. Working with experienced profession-

als may help your son sort out fact from fiction. Telling him that you will help him gain more correct nutritional knowledge may help convince him. Making an appointment for help is often the hardest step. Offer to accompany him to the first meeting. This will help him to make and keep the appointment. Orthorexia is more about the individual’s feelings of self-esteem and other underlying conditions than it is about food and nutrition. Eating disorders aren’t really about food or weight. They are attempts to deal with emotional and stress-related issues. Eating disorders will only get worse without treatment, and the physical and emotional damage can be severe. The sooner you start to help him, the better his chances of recovery. Be patient and supportive. Don’t give up if he shuts down, becomes angry, or denies at first. It make take time until he is willing to open up and admit he has a problem. The important thing is to open up the lines of communication so that he knows he can come to you. Make it clear that you are there for him no matter what and you know that he can accept the help he deserves. Good luck. I’m here for anything you need.

Quick Question

Feel free to shoot us your health-related question to receive an answer from one of the health experts at the Wellspring.

Question: Our daughter’s school allowed her to move up to second grade only on the condition that we give her extra help. Her reading is far from perfect. She needs a lot of help with her homework, and I’m wondering if she’s following in school at all. She gets 30 minutes of OT twice a week. It’s clearly not enough. Is there something that I, as her mother, can do to help? Response: As an introduction to my answer I would like you to know the unpopular truth that a mother is her child’s best therapist. To improve your daughter’s brain development and focus, give her a daily dose of Maxi Health’s Omega-3 Focus Formula™. In addition, the following enjoyable, simple brain exercises will improve her brain circulation and development: 1. Have your child walk in an 8 figure. 2. Have your child spin several times. 3. Play volleyball with your child for at least 3 minutes. Have her throw the ball from her right to left hand and left to right. Do not criticize if she drops the ball or can’t catch well. For younger children, use bean balls, which are easier to catch. For older children, use balloons for a greater challenge. 4. Have the child draw an 8 figure on paper and in the air. 5. Remember to have fun. Don’t mention that this is therapy, and make her feel special. If you’re afraid that your child will feel singled out, you can do these exercises as a family. These exercises have proven to be very successful with boys, as well, and children of all ages, in a home setting or at school. Take care, Miriam Schweid, health consultant

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 11

Well Informed

Torah Wellspring: Emotional Health By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

GONE IS THE GUILT WHY SUCCOS IS A TIME WHEN WE CAN EXPERIENCE THE ULTIMATE SIMCHAH

With Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur behind us, we enter Succos with a clean slate. Now that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has forgiven us for all the sins we did in the past year, we’re in a rare state of purity. The Rambam says that when a Jew repents, even if he felt “distanced and was repulsed in the eyes of Hashem,” he is now “beloved and close, like a dear friend.” Only now, in such a state of purity and closeness to Hashem, can we properly fulfill the primary commandment of Succos: “Vesamachta bechagecha, rejoice on your chag.” As the Vilna Gaon says, this is one of the hardest mitzvos in the Torah: not to be meisiach da’as, lose focus, from feeling happy for eight entire days, to constantly feel joy, joy, joy. Still, if there’s ever a circumstance in which we’re able to feel it, it’s now. How so? This is actually the Yom Tov in which we leave behind all material pleasures to enter a hut in the street. What is it about Succos that enables us to feel simchah despite the material scarcity? The greatest joy a Jew can experience in this world is the simchah of feeling close to Hashem. As we’ve discussed numerous times, simchah is not based on how much one has, but rather on how one feels about himself. One of the greatest mistakes people make is thinking that joy is attained through external pleasures. They assume the rich or popular person is certainly hap-

12 The Wellspring | September 2018

pier than they are. If a person feels okay with who he is—he is not critical of himself—he will feel happy despite the external circumstances of his life. In truth, a person shouldn’t have to do anything to feel joy. Like a child that’s naturally happy just by being, we all have an inner fountain of joy within. If you ever took the time to watch an infant delight in every moment of his life, his eyes shining as he offers an endless supply of laughs and smiles, you know what it means to be happy just to be. Why is it that, as adults, we lose touch with this inner wellspring of simchah? As this delightful child grows up, he commits wrongful deeds. Since guilt is a natural consequence of wrongdoing, with every aveirah he commits, his guilty conscience grows. When a Yid does aveiros, no matter how happy he appears, his inner world is ridden by guilt. So, over time, he not only finds it difficult to bear his deeds, but also to bear himself. Because self-disgust is a horrible feeling, an individual who can’t bear himself will seek every possible avenue to distract himself from this feeling—be it through food, technology, or other material pleasures. Isn’t it ironic, then, that the person who is best able to distract himself is in turn viewed as the happiest person? On the contrary, the person who is okay with who he is—who has no need to distract himself in order to feel joy—experiences the highest possible level of simchah.

Now that we’ve established that true inner peace is only possible when the guilty conscience is out of the way, it becomes clear that attaining this level of happiness is achieved through teshuvah. As long as one commits sins, since he feels distanced from Hashem, he feels broken and guilty and therefore can’t connect to himself. Feeding his deep yearning with various distractions only drags him deeper into the rut. Once he does teshuvah, however, and he is able to taste the feeling of connection, he is finally able to experience the simchah he longs for all year long. Now that Yom Kippur has passed, we’re at a point in the year at which every Yid feels this good feeling. It is most appropriate that the Yom Tov that follows Yom Kippur requires we move out of our homes, to leave all vestiges of material comfort behind and reside in a more spiritual environment. Only now that our slate is clean, can we finally sit with ourselves and listen to the sound of our soul. Until now, we were desperate for all the material stuff, like the sick child who’s bombarded with candies and gadgets so he can experience counterfeit joy while in pain. But once we rid ourselves from the illness—from all that guilt, from the great distance between us and Hashem, and our yearning has been fed through connecting to our spiritual essence, we’re finally able to feel true simchah. The Chazon Ish was known to say that if a non-Jew would know the sweet taste of learning before davening, for that alone he would convert. Perhaps we can say that if a non-observant Jew would experience the good feeling we have on Motzaei Yom Kippur even once—the feeling of being unburdened, of being pure of sin—he would return to a life of Torah. When we experience the true simchah that comes with freeing ourselves of our aveiros, which in turn rids us of our guilt and allows us to feel happy with who we are, we want to take this good feeling with us all year long. Indeed, teshuvah is not designated only for the Yamim Nora’im. As the sefarim teach us, this is the time when we get instructions for “derech hateshuvah, the way to repent,” so that we can engage in it throughout the year to come. Why would we want to carry our sins with us all year long? Even if we manage to cover up our guilt feelings with all types of material pleasure, we’re only distancing ourselves from our ability to feel simchah. Withholding ourselves from engaging in teshuvah leads to sadness; we can’t wait until the next year to repent and live with this feeling of joy once more. It would be much wiser for us to do teshuvah as soon as we realize we’ve erred. If one can experience simchah through repentance, why is doing teshuvah on a daily basis so hard for us? It’s hard to admit we made mistakes; our human instinct (aka ego) propels us to protect our faults. We see this phenomenon frequently in our day-to-day lives, in trivial decisions to those with serious repercussions. As a petty example, when we buy something that’s

defective, instead of throwing it out, we’d rather use it as is despite the inefficiency or discomfort of its use. Getting rid of it would be admitting that we made a mistake. On a more serious note, a person may cause great suffering to himself and/or his loved ones only to protect an erroneous decision he made in his parenting or marriage, such as keeping his children in an institution that doesn’t enable their growth or conducting himself in a manner that doesn’t allow him to develop a relationship, rather than admitting that he made a mistake and undertaking to correct it. If a person involved in a feud would take the difficult albeit liberating step and say, “I made a mistake, but the past is the past and from this second on, because I did teshuva, I’m a new person,” how much heartache would they he for himself and others? How many things do we do just because we made that one mistake a while back that we still need to protect? Instead of retracting on it, we live with the consequences of that error, many of which are so, so painful. We can go through living a whole year with fear, anxiety, bad moods, rage, and/or seclusion only because we can’t admit that we’ve made a mistake. We’re tangled up in our quest to buffer our ego. Because I once did it this way, or said I don’t or do like or believe in something, I’m bound to that mistake for the rest of my life. Ironically, the more we try to protect our mistake, the more guilt we experience because we’re still subconsciously connected to our wrongdoing. Every time it comes up for us, we need to protect it again. This phenomenon is especially true when it comes to aveiros. If a Yid would stop and say, “What I did for the past twenty years/last month/yesterday/right now was a mistake,” what a different life he would lead. He would absolve himself of the heavy baggage of guilt, along with the constant need to rationalize and justify the wrongs. Hashem waits with open arms to accept our teshuvah. If we would stop at least once a day and say, “All the aveiros I did until today were wrong,” put our ego aside, and stop protecting our wrongdoing, we would live a happy life. We would finally be okay with ourselves. The concept that a Jew has an opportunity to start from scratch every second of his life, even if he already did so thousands of times, is a common theme in the sefarim of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. It is perhaps the greatest chizuk I’ve heard in my life as a means for a Yid to be emotionally secure and to hold himself in high esteem. Now, when we are granted a fresh chance to start all over again, is the time to make a choice. Is it worth it for me to keep protecting my mistakes, to carry around the guilty feelings, or would I rather say, “Hashem, I’m ready to start from scratch. I admit I did something wrong,” and to be happy all year long? May we merit doing a teshuvah sheleimah, a teshuvah from ahavah. As a result, may we all be blessed with a true simchas Yom Tov and a simchas tamid.

Is it worth it for me to keep protecting my mistakes, to carry around the guilty feelings, or would I rather say, “Hashem, I’m ready to start from scratch. I admit I did something wrong,” and to be happy all year long? Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 13

Wellness Platform By Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

PASS THE SALT

An interesting correlation between zinc and weight loss

part 2

In the first installment, we established that when zinc was administered to patients with taste disorders, they reported an increased ability to experience taste. Indeed, researchers have found that zinc has a prominent influence on taste because taste and olfactory (smell) function is derived from particular enzymes that are secreted when adequate zinc is present in the body. Thus, zinc deficiency impedes messages regarding taste and smell from reaching the brain. Since zinc deficiency is correlated to loss or decrease of the sense of taste, perhaps it is the factor that causes one person to need more salt or sugar in his food than others eating the same food. While the person with ad-

equate zinc is satiated with less sugar, the one with the deficiency needs more. We can compare this to a telephone with a deficient sound system. In order for the listener to be able to hear the speaker on the other end of the line, he may have to raise the volume. Had the sound system been working effectively, he would have been able to hear without doing so. So too, the zinc-deficient body requires a greater amount of salt or sugar to experience the sensation of salty or sweet that another person can experience without upping the intake. Incidentally, I came across the correlation between zinc and taste years ago, when a person with asthma asked me an interesting question. He wanted to understand why, when he’s on the medication albuterol, he needs a lot more salt in his food. He shared that when his family ate chicken soup at the Shabbos seudah, even when everyone would complain there was too much salt, he still had to add more. In order to answer this fellow, I did research and discovered that albuterol causes zinc deficiency. That’s when the puzzle came together for me. It’s not surprising that zinc deficiency and obesity are correlated. I’ve had many overweight and obese people tell me that they need a lot of spice in their food. Since the number one cause for obesity is overeating, perhaps their tendency to over-

eat comes as a result of their need for a stronger sensation of taste. For example, when the brain of an individual with adequate zinc needs a certain level of sweetness, one cookie may be enough for the brain to attain that sensation, and that will be the end of the meal. The zinc-deficient person, on the other hand, may still be craving more sugar. He needs another cookie and another, until the brain gets enough of the sweetness it’s craving. The brain expects a certain level of sweetness and as long as that quota is unmet, it’ll need more sugar, which leads to obesity. People who are overweight and observe that they need more flavoring in their food than the norm could gain by taking a zinc supplement. In fact, the first ingredient in Maxi Health’s Chromium Supreme™, which was formulated to control blood sugar and provide diet support, is zinc—because it helps. If someone contacts me to say that he took zinc and lost weight, it wouldn’t be surprising, as many existing studies already indicate this correlation. So too, if a reader tells me that thanks to zinc supplementation he feels a stronger taste in foods, it would also not be surprising. But, if amongst the thousands of readers, there is someone who is overweight or obese and has taste issues, and through supplementation his taste issues decrease and he loses weight, I would love to hear from him.

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.

14 The Wellspring | September 2018

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

Well Informed

Of all the simanim for a good year, Ezra’s new location is a good sign for a healthy 5779.

Because at Ezra, you’re a Big Deal.

Schedule your appointment! 718.741.7100 13 12 3 8 T H S T REE T B R O O K LY N N Y 112 18

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Well Informed

Research-Based Recommendations By Beth Warren, RDN

SECRETS OF A KOSHER DIETITIAN “The world can live without wine, but it cannot live without water…”

- (Jerusalem Talmud, Horayos 3:5)

and vegetables. As a good rule of thumb, you should always drink water when you’re thirsty, and drink We know that drinking water is imenough to quench your thirst. If you feel you are portant, but we don’t do it as often as we never thirsty, the color of urine indicates hydration should. Hydration is a key factor that afstatus, and it should be a pale yellow. If you find you fects weight, and inadequate fluid intake have a headache, are in a bad mood, are constantis a common reason why people plateau ly hungry, or have trouble concentrating, then you in or fail to achieve weight loss. may suffer from mild dehydration. Based on studies, drinking 1-2 liters (or 34-67 oz) of Fluids can stimulate water per day should be sufficient faster weight loss. In DON’T LET to help with weight loss. adults, metabolism has

SECRET #6: DRINK UP

been shown to increase by 24–30% within 10 minutes of drinking water. This lasts at least one hour. Another study found overweight and obese children had a 25% increase in metabolism after drinking cold water.

DEHYDRATION OR INADEQUATE FLUID INTAKE PREVENT YOU FROM BEING SUCCESSFUL IN MEETING YOUR WEIGHT-LOSS GOALS.

A study of overweight women examined the effects of only increasing water intake to over 1 liter (34 oz) per day. They found that over a 12-month period, this resulted in an extra 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of weight loss. Practically, these findings show that drinking 0.5 liters (17 oz) of water per day results in an extra 23 calories burned. Per year, that adds up to roughly 17,000 calories — or over 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of fat. The amount of water every person needs is subjective. For example, people who sweat a lot or exercise regularly, older people, and breast-feeding mothers may need more water. Keep in mind that you also get water from many foods and beverages, such as coffee (it is a misconception that coffee dehydrates the body), tea, meat, fish, milk, and especially fruits

I recommend drinking water as opposed to other beverages. People who drink mostly water have up to a 9% (or 200 calories) lower calorie intake, on average. My obvious tip to ensure you keep drinking is to have a water bottle with you at all times. I enjoy using an infuser to add lemon and mint to the water, or what I call the “Kosher Cleanse Elixir.” You can also schedule drinking times around your meals and snacks to reach your recommended fluid intake. Ideally, drink throughout the day, because your body needs fluids as you burn energy. If you choose to drink a lot of water in one shot at night, for example, bear in mind that this may necessitate multiple visits to the bathroom, and to lose weight you need your sleep, too.

Don’t let dehydration or inadequate fluid intake prevent you from being successful in meeting your weight-loss goals. Adequate fluid intake is one of the easier aspects of weight loss to regulate.

To schedule a nutrition appointment with Beth in the Brooklyn, NYC, NJ locations or virtually, or book an appearance, email beth@ bethwarrennutrition.com or call 347-292-1725. Most insurances accepted. You can also follow her Instagram for healthy eating motivation and recipes @beth_warren

16 The Wellspring | September 2018

This succos, experience the joy of your family gathered together, celebrating health and a good year ahead.

Because at Ezra, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Big Deal.

Schedule your appointment! 718.741.7100 13 12 3 8 T H S T R EE T B R O O K LY N N Y 112 18

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Well Informed

Health Updates in the News By Rikki Samson

KEEP AN EYE

When was your child’s last vision exam?

exams for their kids a priority.

According to the American Optometric Association, 25 percent of children already wear or need glasses by the time they enter kindergarten. Doctors are urging parents to make eye

Dr. Tamiesha Frempong, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Mount Sinai in New York, recently discussed the warning signs for children’s vision problems and why it’s important to address them early. “Obvious things would be eyes that don’t stay straight, eyes that shake, eyes that wander, poor fixation, poor tracking. And then things as simple as squinting. If your child is constantly squinting when they’re looking at things far away, that could indicate they need glasses,” she said. Frempong shared an example of how issues with her vision as a child impacted her performance in school. When she was in third grade, she started failing her spelling tests, and her teacher alerted her parents, advising them to get her vision checked. “Imagine if they hadn’t. I could have been labelled a bad student, not focused, not serious, and I didn’t even know I had a problem because the vision I experienced was normal for me. And that’s when I started wearing glasses,” she said. Frempong recommends parents take their child for a comprehensive eye exam when they are between three and five years old. “Even things like misalignment of the eye could impact the ability to focus and read. So those things do require a comprehensive eye exam.”

KIDS’ TALK

Back-and-forth conversation speeds up your child’s language development We know that cooing to Baby or telling a story to Toddler fosters their emotional development, but, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, making the conversation two-sided is what will speed up the child’s language development. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard discovered that back-and forth conversations with kids help them develop better language and comprehension skills, regardless of the family’s socioeconomic status. “We found that the most relevant component of children’s language exposure is not the sheer number of words they hear, but the amount of back-andforth adult-child conversation they experience,” concludes lead study author Rachel Romeo, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The researchers recruited 40 children ranging in ages 4 to 6 and their parents and recorded their conversation over the course of two days. They studied the amount of words the children heard adults speak, how many words the kids spoke, and the number of turns they took in back-and-forth adultchild conversations. The researchers then took MRIs of the children to examine their brain pathways. The kids who engaged in more conversational turn-taking with adults had stronger connections in the Wernicke’s area and Broca’s area—the regions of the brain responsible for the comprehension and production of speech.

18 The Wellspring | September 2018

The researchers have found it’s crucial to not only talk to children, but to talk with them, because while talking to children can help them build a rich vocabulary, carrying on a dynamic conversation with them can teach them the importance of listening and turntaking. “The act of turn-taking is one of the most basic components of human communication,” notes Ayelet Marinovich, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. “When you break down a conversation, it’s the act of sending a message to another person, the receipt of that message, and the return of a message.” According to Marinovich, turn-taking can set up a child for success, especially when it comes to long-term social and emotional development. Young children learn through observation, interaction, and imitation, and turn-taking in conversations provides them with all of this. “The great news is that parents can do things that promote turn-taking each and every day, with little to no materials, and with just a few moments of their time,” Marinovich explained. She recommends making a point to pause after you speak or ask a question to give your child the opportunity to respond. So, while it may feel instinctual to dole out the one-sided I love yous, it may be time to step it up a notch and start engaging your child in a back-and-forth conversation.

WEIGHT GAIN OVER SMOKING The lesser of the two evils

You may know a smoker or two who, when told to give up the hazardous habit, points to his cigarette and says, “It’s my food.” Well, if he thought he was doing his body a favor by cutting down on his food intake in exchange for some nicotine, this research proves him wrong. Gaining weight as a result of quitting smoking may seem like trading one set of health problems for another, but a new Harvard-led study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the non-smoking weight gainers are still better off in the long run. The nicotine in cigarettes can suppress appetite and boost metabolism. Many smokers who quit and don’t step up their exercise find they eat more and gain weight, typically less than 10 pounds, but in some cases three times that much. In the study, researchers tracked more than 170,000 men and women over roughly 20 years, reviewing health questionnaires they were given every two years. The people enrolled in the studies were all health professionals and did not mirror current smokers in the general population, who are disproportionately low-income, less-educated, and more likely to smoke heavily.

The researchers checked which study participants quit smoking and followed whether they gained weight and developed diabetes, heart disease, or other conditions. Compared with smokers, even the quitters who gained the most weight had at least a 50 percent lower risk of dying prematurely from heart disease and other causes, the study found. Impressive in its size and scope, this study puts to rest any myth that there are prohibitive weightrelated health consequences to quitting cigarettes, said Dr. William Dietz, a public health expert at George Washington University. “The paper makes pretty clear that your health improves, even if you gain weight,” said Dietz, who was not involved in the research. “I don’t think we knew that with the assurance that this paper provides.”

REAR-FACING CAR SEAT, EVEN FOR YOUR PRE-SCHOOLER Experts agree it’s the safest position keeps their head and their neck safe,” she said. The American Academy of Pediatrics used to recommend rearfacing seats for children until at least age two. Now the organization is updating its guidelines and wants parents to keep their children in rear-facing seats until they reach the seat’s maximum height and weight limit—even if they’re older than two. Under the new guidelines, most kids would keep using rear-facing seats until they’re about four years old. “It’s really important to keep them rear-facing as long as possible,” says Natasha Young, a certified technician for the non-profit organization Safe Kids Worldwide.

Young said that parents often make the mistake of turning their kids around too soon. “A lot of times they like to see and entertain their child, especially if the child is a little more fussy,” she said. A little fussing, she added, is better than putting a child at risk of being injured in a crash. The new policy also recommends that older kids stay in forward-facing safety seats and booster seats until they reach the maximum height and weight recommended by the manufacturer.

“Even if the children’s legs are longer than the car seat, they can easily fold their legs up into the car seat, and it’s actually much safer for their legs,” she said.

“The most dangerous thing that U.S. children do as part of daily life is ride in a car,” writes Benjamin Hoffman, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention Executive Committee. “Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for children four years and older.”

Young, who teaches parents how to properly install a car seat, said it’s vital to keep young children in a rear-facing seat “because it helps to protect them in the incident of a crash. It

The organization says using the correct car safety seat or booster seat can help decrease a child’s risk of death or serious injury by over 70 percent.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 19

Well Informed

Figures By Miriam Katz

Fiber Figures

In reference to Cup of Tea with Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD(pg 66) Less than

of Americans meet the recommended intake of fiber consumption

grams of fiber recommended daily fiber intake for men

grams of fiber recommended daily fiber intake for women

13.2 16.3 15.6 1 7 6.7 g

grams of fiber in

in 1 cup cooked lentils

CUP

in 1 cup cooked lima beans

cooked split peas

in 1 cup bran flakes

in Â˝ avocado

20 The Wellspring | September 2018

6.3 5.1 g

in 1 cup whole-wheat pasta

in 1 cup broccoli

5.5

in 1 medium-sized pear

in 1 mango

4.5 4-5

in 1 slice whole grain bread

in 1 medium baked sweet potato

4.4 3.6 g

in 1 medium apple

in 1 cup blueberries

Well Informed

Wealth of Health By Sarah Weinberger

conference with: MENDY AND SURI HIRSCH PROPRIETORS OF 0’S JUICES AND SALADS

PRODUCT: Natural juices and salads SINCE: 2017 LOCATION: Brooklyn, New York MOTTO: Purely wholesome As the proprietors of the kosher market’s only freshly-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices delivered directly to the consumer’s door just in time for breakfast, Mendy and Suri Hirsch are filling a unique need in the kosher heath food niche. As Suri relates in this “Conference,” the greatest proof of the community’s demand is the exponential growth in sales they’re seeing despite the company’s youth.

TO THE DELIGHT OF KOSHER HEALTH-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS, THE KOSHER HEALTH FOOD INDUSTRY IS CONSTANTLY EXPANDING TO INCLUDE MORE PRODUCTS AND A GREATER VARIETY OF SIMILAR PRODUCTS. AS FAR AS WE’RE AWARE, FRESHLYSQUEEZED NATURAL VEGETABLE JUICE IS A FIRST. WHAT LED YOU TO LAUNCH YOUR BUSINESS? Over the past few years, I’ve gravitated toward a healthy lifestyle, not as a result of a dramatic health incident, but because I came to the realization that the alternative was just not working for me. Once I started appreciating healthy living, I realized that the ideal way to do so is through consuming foods in their natural state, whenever possible. Naturally, I became interested in juicing. Immediately after I started juicing for myself and my family, we started selling the juices to the public, as well.

HOW DID YOUR PERSONAL ENDEAVOR INSTANTLY TURN INTO A BUSINESS? I’ve built a network of like-minded, health-conscious friends. As soon as they heard I was juicing fruits and vegetables and enjoying the combinations I was trying, they wanted in. We also got the word out through social media. And from the very first day we started selling, the numbers have kept climbing, Baruch Hashem. Already on the second day, our orders tripled.

22 The Wellspring | September 2018

WHAT’S THE CONCEPT BEHIND YOUR UNIQUE BRAND NAME? First, O is for organic. The 0 also alludes to our specialty: there’s zero in our products other than pure fruits and vegetables. No preservatives or chemicals added. You get what you see. Another interesting detail is that all elements in nature, including produce, are round. Our juices are nature in a bottle.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST BLEND YOU CREATED? The green juice, which is made of spinach, kale, sprouts—pea shoots and sunflower sprouts, apples, celery, and cucumbers, with a bit of lemon and ginger. With its sales in the thousands, it’s our most popular juice until today.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE HAS MADE CONSUMERS SO RECEPTIVE TO THESE JUICES? I would say it’s the energy you get when drinking them. Also, when people drink juice and eat healthy it translates into emotional health, too. The feeling of calmness it gives them is a great draw. Sometimes, when you eat a certain food for a while, it gets boring, but every time I drink one of my juices, I literally feel the energy that the abundance of nutrients provides. Vegetables are a piece of vitality, especially in juiced form.

WHY IS THE JUICED FORM ESPECIALLY ENERGIZING? The body needs both whole vegetables and juices, which is why we expanded to include a salad line, but the benefit of juice is

that it doesn’t require digestion. The nutrient-dense liquid bypasses the stomach straight into the blood, and from there it reaches the cells throughout the body in no time. Also, the concentration of vitamins and minerals that a juice provides is exponentially greater than in a vegetable in whole form. It’s hard to eat three carrots in one sitting, but drinking three carrots in a juice is effortless.

tein. Vegetarians get a lot of their protein from vegetables like broccoli and sprouts. For example, when you combine one cup of sprouts, which contains 9.2 grams of protein, with one cup of spinach, which has 5.3 grams of protein, you get more protein than the 13 grams in an egg.

ACCORDING TO YOUR EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH, CAN EVERYONE BENEFIT FROM A JUICE CLEANSE?

It’s certainly not a recommended diet for life, but for a few days up to a week, it’s perfectly doable for a healthy individual. I’m not a nutritionist or dietitian, but based on the research I’ve done and the experiences of myself and my health-conscious community, it gives the body a chance to reboot, especially for someone who would like to start a healthy lifestyle and get rid of cravings.

While freshly-squeezed vegetable juices, in conjunction with a healthy diet, are beneficial for everyone, doing a juice-only cleanse for several days has proven to be especially helpful for certain individuals. If someone’s in need of an energy boost, or for someone who wants to detoxify their body or lose weight, a juice cleanse gives the body a break from digestion for a few days.

DOESN’T THE BODY NEED PROTEIN AND CARBS FOR OPTIMAL FUNCTIONING? It does, but these nutrients aren’t found only in the foods we generally associate them with. Fruits, for example, are an excellent source of carbohydrates. Our vegetable juices all contain some fruit too. And some vegetables are high in pro-

SO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND A JUICE CLEANSE?

We always tell our customers to listen to their body. If they’re getting a message that it’s too much for them, they should definitely eat solid food. We work with a naturopath, who guides people in incorporating juices into their diet.

WHAT OTHER FRUIT AND VEGETABLE COMBINATIONS DO YOU CURRENTLY OFFER? Our second most popular drink, beet juice, is made of beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, apples, lemon, and ginger. In addi-

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 23

Well Informed

Wealth of Health By Sarah Weinberger

tion to its cleansing properties, the high iron content in beets gives people who are low in iron the energy boost they’re looking for.

WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR TARGET MARKET? The majority of our customers are healthy-conscious individuals who appreciate the burst of energy and boost of nutrition the juices provide. We’ve also sold our juices to people who wanted to achieve weight loss and people with health issues, such as hypertension and low iron, as well as patients on chemotherapy.

IS THE TASTE OF VEGETABLES PALATABLE IN JUICE FORM? Vegetables can be enjoyed in many different forms, and juicing is one of them. Drinking pure kale juice is probably not very tastebud-friendly, but when combined with our unique blend of vegetables and fruits, it makes for a great drink, not only health-wise but also from the flavor perspective.

WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND CHALLENGING IN LAUNCHING AND GROWING YOUR BUSINESS? Since this particular line has a short shelf life, we have to produce everything fresh every day. The juices last for one week in the fridge, but since we want to provide only the freshest product, we juice every evening to fill orders for the next morning. This could sometimes pose a problem, but as we expanded, we’ve found a way to make it work. Adjusting to our rapid expansion, Baruch Hashem, has also been a challenge. We thought we would start out as a small mom-and-pop store, but we ended up expanding much faster. We had to run after our tail, so to speak. When we first started, we didn’t realize how great the demand is in the community. So many people are already aware about juices and their benefits that we can’t fill orders fast enough.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT PRODUCTION RATE? About 500 juices per week.

only the freshest vegetables. We use sprouts for extra crunch and extra health benefits, and lots of grilled peppers, zucchini, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, etc., for an array of flavors. We also make a delicious quinoa salad. Another unique characteristic is our pure dressings. They’re made of organic honey, organic mayonnaise, and/or olive oil.

YOU STARTED OUT PREPARING THE JUICES AT HOME. ARE YOU STILL OPERATING YOUR BUSINESS FROM THERE? We’re currently transitioning to a commercial facility, which is nice, but I’ll miss having the abundance of fruits and vegetables in the house. Right now, our house smells like a garden. Whenever people come in, they want to know what we have that creates this incredible, refreshing aroma.

HOW DO YOUR CUSTOMERS GET TO ENJOY YOUR JUICES FOR BREAKFAST? Our goal is to make healthy eating as easy and convenient as it is to go to the supermarket and get a box of cereal and a bottle of milk. For this reason, another specialty of 0’s Juices is that our customers get them at their door in the morning. At 8:00, even before they’re ready for their coffee, they have the juice that jumpstarts their day. Since our inception, we’ve always done direct delivery. In the beginning, when we still did the delivery on our own, we only provided the service to local customers. Today, we offer daily delivery service throughout the tri-state area, including Brooklyn, Monroe, Monsey, and Lakewood.

SO 0’S JUICES AREN’T SOLD IN STORES? At this point, only Supreme Health Food Center stores carry our products. Our goal is to expand to all health food stores, but it’ll be a process due to the juices’ short shelf life, which we won’t alter since we don’t want to compromise on the freshness of our products.

WHAT IS THE COST PER JUICE? $10 for a 16-ounce bottle.

NOW THAT YOU’RE REVVED UP WITH THE REMARKABLE RECEPTION OF YOUR JUICE LINE, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION? In the juice line, we have a new combination coming up. This one will be more of a shake than a juice. And we’ve recently expanded our product line to include salads.

YOU FILLED A VOID IN INTRODUCING THE FIRST LINE OF FRESHLY-SQUEEZED VEGETABLE JUICES TO THE KOSHER CONSUMER. DO YOU SEE A NEED FOR MORE SALADS ON THE MARKET? Everything we sell is part of our passion. The things we enjoy in our journey of health are the things we want to share with others. Just like our juices, our salads adhere to our “purely wholesome” motto. They’re made from mostly organic and

24 The Wellspring | September 2018

HOW DO YOU SPREAD THE WORD REGARDING YOUR PRODUCT LINE? Throughout the summer, we hosted what we called “0’s Parties” for women in various bungalow colonies. I brought down juices and salads and offered a demo on their benefits. In this way, the attendees got to feel the effects on the spot. One thing I loved about doing these demos was that women realized they don’t have to be that into health to enjoy Hashem’s gifts in nature. Even women who showed no interest in health at all ended up enjoying the juices so much. I find that people, especially busy women, get overwhelmed with having to do more than they’re already doing, but 0’s makes living the health life and giving it to our kids so doable. The Hirsches can be contacted via The Wellspring.

Well Informed

Health Ed By Laura Shammah, MS, RDN

Type 2 Diabetes

A whopping 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes, a disease in which the body’s ability to respond to the hormone insulin is impaired, but 8.1 million may be undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. That’s more than 1 in every 10 adults who are 20 years or older living with this condition. While many more may be living with prediabetes (research suggests 1 in 3), the good news is that almost all diabetes complications can be prevented or delayed with a healthy, balanced diet, weight management, and exercise. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about a disease that doesn’t have to be the infamous silent killer.

True or False: High blood pressure increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Answer: True. Other risks include: • Weight: The more fatty tissue there is in the body, the more resistant the cells become to insulin. • Inactivity: The less active you are, the greater the risk. Physical activity helps control weight because it burns glucose as energy and makes cells more sensitive to insulin. • Family history: The risk increases if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes. • Abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels. • Age: The risk increases with age. This may be because people tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass, and gain weight as they age. However, perhaps due to lifestyle factors, type 2 diabetes is also increasing among children, adolescents, and younger adults. Two additional risk factors for women are: • Gestational diabetes: If a woman developed gestational diabetes during a pregnancy, her risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life increases. • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This common condition, characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth, and obesity, increases the risk of diabetes.

What’s the difference? While all types of diabetes have something in common—an impairment concerning insulin, the glucose-regulating hormone, in type 1 diabetes (diabetes mellitus), an autoimmune condition that often begins in childhood, the pancreas does not produce insulin altogether, whereas in the more common form of this disease, type 2 diabetes (diabetes insipidus), the body doesn’t produce insulin properly. At first, the pancreas produces extra insulin to make up for the insulin resistance. But over time it isn’t able to keep up and can’t make enough insulin to keep the blood glucose at normal levels, which leads to a buildup of glucose in the blood.

Which of these is a symptom of type 2 diabetes? A. Frequent urination

D. Nerve pain or numbness

B. Increased thirst or dry mouth

E. Slow-healing wounds

C. Unexplained weight loss

F. All of the above

Answer: F. Frequent urination occurs as a result of the excess glucose in the blood, which causes the kidneys to flush it out of the blood and into the urine. This causes an increased risk of frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in men and women. Frequent urination may lead to dehydration, which can cause a person with high glucose levels to develop a dry mouth and feel thirsty more often. The reason for unexplained weight loss is that when the body has type 2 diabetes, the cells don’t get enough glucose, which may cause weight loss. Frequent urination may contribute to caloric and water loss, also resulting in weight loss. Intense hunger, another symptom, may be an early warning sign of diabetes. The body uses sugar in the blood to feed the cells. When the cells can’t absorb the sugar because of a lack of insulin, the body seeks more sources of fuel, which leads to constant hunger. Poor circulation from the effects of high blood sugar on blood vessels, and immunodeficiency are just some of the reasons for the slow healing of wounds. Other symptoms include blurred vision; dark skin patches, usually on armpits, neck, and groin regions; and fatigue. Since glucose is the body’s main source of energy, when cells can’t absorb sugar, the body becomes fatigued and exhausted.

26 The Wellspring | September 2018

True or False: Dried fruit is a recommended snack for diabetics.

Answer: False. Dried fruits become more concentrated in sugar and may contain more than three times as many carbs as fresh fruits. Diabetics should therefore avoid dried fruit and choose fruits low in sugar. Other foods to avoid include sugar, of course; juices; sweetened drinks, including sugared coffee drinks and vitamin water; honey, agave, and maple syrup (although they are less processed than white table sugar, they may have similar effects on blood sugar, insulin, and inflammatory markers); alcohol; fried foods; baked goods and packaged snack foods, including pretzels, pastries, and cakes; sugared low fiber cereal and sweetened oatmeals; fruited yogurts; fruit smoothies at a restaurant—even green smoothies; white bread, rice, pasta, and flour; full-fat dairy; fatty cuts of meat; diet soda and diet drinks; artificial sweeteners; jams and jellies; ice cream and frozen yogurts.

Which of these foods should be omitted from a diabetic’s diet? A. Vegetables C. Fish (such as wild salmon, sardines, and flounder)

B. Avocado, nuts, and seeds D. Simple carbohydrates E. Complex carbohydrates

Answer: D. Simple carbohydrates, which are mostly found in processed and refined sugars such as candy, table sugar, syrups, and soft drinks, are broken down quickly by the body to be used as energy (which explains the “sugar rush” or “sugar high”). While complex carbs are also turned into glucose, which is why they should be consumed in portioned quantities combined with protein and heart-healthy fats, the digestion process is slower and thus more beneficial to the body. Complex carbs are found in foods such as peas, whole grains, beans, and starchy vegetables. Other recommended foods include flax and chia seed, lean protein, and portioned fruits eaten with protein. Cinnamon lowers both fasting and postprandial (after meals) blood sugar levels. For diabetics, a healthy, portioned diet may be the best medicine. It will not only control blood sugar but also lower the risk for serious health conditions like heart disease and cancer. It’s important to eat a balance of macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrates) in a meal to support stable blood sugar levels. The combination of these nutrients slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and allows time for a slower, lower insulin release and a steady transport of glucose out of the blood and into the target tissues. I advise diabetics to eat a balance of protein, complex carbohydrates, and fat every 2-3 hours to keep blood sugar stable. If you suspect you may be experiencing any of the symptoms of diabetes, talk to your doctor right away.Note: Certain medications can trigger or worsen heartburn. If you’re taking medication, check its label for side effects.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 27

Well Informed

Dedicated to Health by Chana Dunner

10 QUESTIONS FOR LEAH KRAUSZ

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF VAAD REFUAH

VAAD REFUAH IN A NUTSHELL:

Dedicated to monitor, report to, and inform the community regarding the quality of health and preventive care provided at local hospitals and health care organizations.

WHAT MOTIVATED THE FOUNDERS TO LAUNCH THE ORGANIZATION?

I joined the organization soon after it was launched by two trailblazers, Yossi Goldburd and Leah Gelernter, who had respectively been involved with their parents’ hospital stays. While there, they saw the need for better care. Both of them started working to advocate for patients individually, and they later joined together as a team toward this worthy cause. The two founders gathered a board of likeminded people who wanted to improve certain aspects of hospital care. Soon after we started out, when people heard that we’d partnered with several hospitals in order to help the patients as much as possible, we started getting phone calls from patients’ families regarding their concerns. We find that often the reason patients are treated in a certain way is simply due to a lack of awareness. Once we bring that awareness to the hospital staff and/or the patient’s family, we’ve already solved a large part of the problem. At first, when we reached out to the top administrators in various hospitals, they were wary of us, but it didn’t take long for them to realize that we have the same goal: to provide excellent care for patients all over.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE AT VAAD REFUAH?

As executive director, I take calls from patients and try to resolve their issues or to refer them further. I also supervise the training of the volunteers and delegate work. Together with our board members, I developed a curriculum that I teach to our volunteers, offering patients and their families important information regarding their hospital stay, such as how to speak to the medical team and what to look out for to ensure the patient is getting the best possible care. We often get phone calls from people we’ve helped in the past with a family member, who now needs other medical services, such as referrals or funds. In such cases, we refer the caller to the organization that’s dedicated to fulfill their current need. If we discern that someone isn’t capable of making those calls, we provide them the information they need and advise them how to reach out to the organization, what to write, how to approach them, etc. The many phone calls we get regarding medical issues unrelated to our work have led us to set up a database that some individuals later turned into a valuable website, chessedspot.org, which provides any resources a patient’s family might need. I work closely with Leah Gelernter, one of our board members and founders, who’s in the hospital every single day. We either go together or separately. She visits patients and helps them with whatever needs be done. We collaborate at all hours of the day and night to ensure that every patient whose family reaches out to us gets the care they deserve. In addition to speaking to the patients and their families, we also offer advice regarding the medical team. Even when the patient has an excellent doctor who is doing the best he can, some cases need a specialist. Also, very often the various doctors treating one patient don’t get a chance to talk to one another. We step in to suggest that they work together.

WHAT IS ONE GREAT CHALLENGE YOU FACE IN RUNNING THE ORGANIZATION? The lack of awareness about what Vaad Refuah does. People often tell us, “If only we would have known what you do… We needed help desperately.”

28 The Wellspring | September 2018

CAN YOU SHARE A STORY THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE WORK YOU DO?

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

We constantly get phone calls such as “I’m in the emergency room with my mother/father/son/daughter. They ordered a CAT scan six hours ago, but nothing has happened since then,” or, “ It’s been 18 hours since we came in, and we still weren’t given a room.” This happens in all hospitals.

The family of a young woman reached out to us, reporting that while the patient had been quite sick, she was now hospitalized for an unrelated matter for which the medical team put her on a respirator. Her husband and parents were distressed because the doctors were contemplating doing a tracheostomy, which would involve complicated procedures and, in the case where it wouldn’t be permanent, would significantly delay the recovery process.

One issue that came up at the very beginning was regarding the frequent incidences of bedsores, even in prestigious hospitals. A woman called to ask us if there was any way we could help her husband, who was experiencing terrible bedsores. When we did our research, we learned that in order to prevent bedsores in bed-bound patients, the patient has to be turned every two hours. Upon further research, we discovered that the medical staff at that hospital wasn’t doing that, and the same was true for hospitals throughout the city, in varying degrees.

As we always do, we advised them to call in another highly qualified doctor for a second opinion. Incredibly, the second doctor noticed that the patient no longer needed to be on a respirator. He had her removed from it, and she recovered soon after. Had she gone through the trach route, the process would have been exponentially more complicated.

In order to tackle this issue, we worked with the hospitals to bring awareness to their staff, sending down experts to give them guidance. It took a long time until changes were implemented, but eventually we came through, for the good of our patients all over. After that awareness was sown, every hospital applied it to a different degree. One hospital went so far as to purchase better quality mattresses for the gurneys in the emergency rooms. This particular issue brought to our attention the lack of awareness not only in the hospitals, but also in family members of patients in our community. These families sit with the patient for days, holding their hand and keeping them company, but they may be unaware of basic important needs that they can and should request from the medical staff on behalf of their family member. A big part of our advocacy work was also to enlighten the families of patients, which we did through an organized event. The issue of bedsores, for example, was so foreign to many that a woman I met after the event said to me, “I heard you spoke about bedbugs.”

A short while later, this woman’s daughter got engaged, and she was able to be there for her daughter, helping her prepare for the wedding and, most beautifully, walking her down to her chuppah.

WHAT IS ONE WAY THAT FAMILY MEMBERS CAN BE INSTRUMENTAL IN THEIR RELATIVE’S HEALING OR ENSURE A MORE PLEASANT HOSPITAL STAY?

The number one thing is the importance of helping prevent infection. Hospitals are a breeding ground for germs. If the room your relative is in doesn’t have a can of disinfectant wipes nearby, go out and buy a box of Clorox® wipes. Once an hour, wipe down every surface in the room. While members of the medical staff put on gloves and wash their hands, germs can be found in so many places, including the curtains and clothing. Even when a family member places a bag of food on the floor and then puts it on the patient’s table, germs get transferred to a surface with which the patient comes into contact. Many years ago, I was in touch with an elderly couple who lived near our home. Once, soon after the husband was discharged from the hospital due to age-related ailments, I heard that his wife was taken into the hospital because she’d contracted an infection, from which she ended up losing her eyesight. It turned out that she’d contracted an infection while spending time at her husband’s bedside. I tell our volunteers that this is probably the most important topic to discuss with family members of a patient.

WHAT WAS AN INTERESTING REQUEST YOU RECEIVED ON BEHALF OF A PATIENT?

This one wasn’t from the family member of a patient, but from a very kind therapy intern. I once got a call from a young girl who was doing her internship in speech and swallowing therapy at a veterans’ hospital in Long Island. Since the facility wasn’t kosher, the only meal option for one of her patients, who was Jewish, was the packaged airline food. However, since the patient couldn’t eat solids, the intern wanted to know if I could

help her obtain blended meals on his behalf. At first, I wondered how I would be able to make it work. How would I prepare all this food and get it over to the patient on a steady basis? Then I pulled out my networking card, which comes in handy often in my field of work. I was gratified to connect this young woman to the women at Satmar Bikur Cholim, who gladly offered to prepare a weekly stock of blended food for this patient. And incredibly, the intern would drive down once a week to Williamsburg to pick up the package.

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8 9

Well Informed

Dedicated to Health

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF YOUR WORK? The only calls we like getting at 3:00 am are from women in labor who are in immediate need of an anesthesiologist. These calls generally end up with a Mazel Tov and a healthy baby. We wish these women would be the only patients we would need to visit.

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

It is very stressful. Sometimes I’m so exhausted at the end of day that I don’t have the energy to unwind. When I do have a few minutes, I read inspirational material. I feel that my family loses out because spend I so much time helping others, so I take off from work every now and then to spend a chunk of time with them. Just the other day, I took five young granddaughters who haven’t yet started the school year on a trip. I gave them a great time while helping their mothers, my daughters and daughters-in-law, in the process. It ended up being a great stress-buster for me.

WHAT WAS A POWERFUL FEEDBACK MESSAGE YOU RECEIVED ABOUT YOUR WORK?

Five bulletin boards filled with cards and letters grace our office walls. Because our work is highly confidential, my family isn’t aware of the identities of the patients or their families, unless the recipients of our services make our involvement known. In one such case, my father went to pay a shivah visit to a family. When he entered the shivah home, he was bombarded by family members of the patient, all of whom were expressing their gratitude and admiration for our work. My father had no idea that I even knew these people, and here they were, telling him how much I’d helped them. Making my parents proud was very gratifying for me.

“A SAFER HOSPITAL STAY” THE VAAD REFUAH HANDBOOK As part of her patient advocacy work, Leah, in conjunction with the Vaad Refuah board members, developed the “Friends and Care” training program. “Based on the complaints and comments we received from patients and their families over the years that we’ve spent in hospitals, we compiled a curriculum of everything a patient’s family member can do to make the hospital stay safer and more pleasant,” says Leah. While Vaad Refuah volunteers actually go down to hospitals to teach the program to families upon request, they also distribute a 19-page handbook that offers a comprehensive step-by-step guide to hospital planning, etiquette, and care. “We train people over the phone in different states,” says Leah of the program. “Because they see the importance of patient advocacy, Bikur Cholim organizations across the country have asked us to replicate this program in their state.” The handbook provides pointers for the emergency room, an overall description of hospital structure, including definitions of terms such as “attending physician,” and “fellow,” and explains how to be an effective patient advocate, surgery procedures, things to be aware of, and discharge planning. “In the list of things to take along to the emergency room,” Leah points out, “we included not only a list of the patient’s medications, but also a pain reliever for the family member who will be with the patient. The emergency room is a very stressful place, and the hospital won’t dispense medication for anyone but the patient. A phone recharger is on the list too.”

Of note, the handbook has a special final chapter on working with Holocaust survivor patients. “Hospitals are replete with potential triggers that can adversely affect the survivor,” Leah notes. “Over the time we spent in the hospitals, we realized that certain traumas come up when requests are made from these patients, such as when they’re told to change into a dressing gown.” In addition to providing the family with the space to record the patient’s entire medical history, which helps prevent medication errors, the pamphlet offers advice on how to communicate effectively with the medical staff. “When a family comes into the emergency room and is told that the patient needs emergency surgery right now, it’s normal for them to get flustered. Instead of saying, ‘No, we don’t want it,’ we offer suggestions on how to express hesitation appropriately. Perhaps the surgery is crucial at that time. Instead, family members can ask, ‘How urgent is it?’ Or ‘What happens if we don’t proceed with it?’ Another example of when respectful interference may be necessary is when the family member sees that the patient is not getting the medication he needs. This often happens when a certain medication is discontinued for a few hours. In such cases, we advise the family members to remind the staff sensitively to administer the medication. The hospitals are mostly receptive because they don’t want mistakes to happen either. Through offering more effective communication options, we empower the family members to be a better patient advocate for their loved one.”

Living Well

Ask the Nutritionist By Shani Taub, CDC

Sensitive to Sugar Why do I feel ill after having a treat?

For the past few years, I have become more health conscious, especially in terms of my sugar intake and cutting out added sugars from my diet. Every once in a while, I treat myself to something sweet, but immediately get a headache. As a case in point, I recently had a caramel shake when I went out with some friends. After I came home, I felt dizzy and retired early for the night. On a different day, when I ate cheese cake, I had the same reaction. I left some work undone and fell asleep easily. Why does occasional sugar have such a strong effect on my body? Is this more common for individuals who eat mostly healthy over people who follow the standard American diet? Please explain what causes this.

I commend you for adopting a healthier lifestyle. Added sugar can be detrimental to our health, especially when consumed on a regular basis in significant

will understandably experience the effects in a more pronounced way, similar to the way someone who isn’t accustomed to drinking alcohol feels when he has a cup of wine. In the same way that a person who had a stomach virus and hasn’t been eating properly introduces food slowly into the system, it makes sense that a body that hasn’t been exposed to sugar for a while would need to be introduced to it gradually, as well. However, while sugar does have a negative effect on the body, especially if it hasn’t been consumed for a while, having sugar in moderation should not cause dizziness, headaches, or extreme tiredness. It’s true that natural sugar is not digested in the same way as added sugar, but the response you describe sounds extreme.

quantities. When the body has been weaned off sugar, it does become more sensitive to its effects. While added sugar is not healthy for anyone, someone who limits their sugar intake for a considerable amount of time

32 The Wellspring | September 2018

There are two reasons you may be feeling the way you do. For someone who is super-sensitive to sugar or has a medical condition, even a minute amount of sugar may cause an alarming reaction. The second reason a person may experience an extreme reaction is when sugar is consumed in

abundance, eliciting a response that is similar to an overdose. A healthy person doesn’t get dizzy after eating one lollipop, but would feel after-effects subsequent to eating a dozen lollipops. Perhaps, when you now choose to eat a food that contains sugar, you overdo the quantity of sugar. This often happens when a person follows a toorestrictive diet. If the body isn’t used to having sugar and is suddenly exposed to overwhelming amounts, there will be an extreme reaction. The body is literally experiencing a trauma. You may be surprised to hear that one caramel shake is enough to generate the response you describe. Sugar is present in many foods, and in especially high quantities in drinks that

Never an Excuse for Overeating Overeating is never a good idea, even for people who don’t lead a restrictive lifestyle. Especially during the Yom Tov season, when we’re exposed to a wider variety and greater selection of delicacies, staying in control is key to enjoying family time while remaining healthy throughout. If you find it hard to focus on portion control, fill your plate once instead of choosing a bit at a time. When a client of mine recently went out to her favorite restaurant, she wanted to have her favorite dish, the one she always used to order and finish on her own. While the ideal situation would be for someone to eat a healthy amount and leave over the rest, this woman was honest with herself—she knew how hard it would be for her not to finish the plate. So she told the waiter that she would pay in full but that she only wanted half the amount they usually serve. When she got her dish, she ate it slowly, enjoying every bite. She felt great when she left the restaurant, with no headaches or dizziness or bloat. When she came to see me that week, I expressed my admiration to her. She deserved it.

can be consumed in a matter of minutes. A can of Coke or a milkshake can have more sugar than the amount a person should consume in a week. If a medical condition has been ruled out and you’re experiencing extreme symptoms as a result of sugar consumption, I would advise you to pay attention to the sugar content in the foods you eat. You may be surprised to learn that many contain sugar in dangerously high amounts. Do your research, or work with a professional to choose treats that leave you feeling happy and healthy.

How Sweet Is This? According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day is: Men 37.5 grams/9 tsp Women 25 grams/6 tsp Here are the alarming amounts of added sugars (in grams) in some sweet foods: 12 oz can of Coke 39 (9⅓ tsp) 10 oz milkshake 50 ½ cup vanilla ice cream 14 1 bag of Klik chocolate 40 1 regular marshmallow 4.1 4 Twizzlers twists 18 1 tsp granulated sugar 4 1 Tbsp light corn syrup 17 2 Tbsp regular peanut butter 3 1 bite-sized Dubble Bubble 4

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, pre-measured foods and delicacies sold at supermarkets and restaurants.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 33

Living Well

In Good Shape By Syma Kranz, PFC

No Excuses

Staying Fit Over Yom Tov With our Yom Tov days revolving around elaborate meals and lots of leisure family time, the extra poundage can come on quite easily. But that doesn’t have to be the rule. Think you have no time for fitness during the hectic pre- and post-Yom Tov rush? Even if you can’t fit in your regular workout routine, it’s possible to squeeze in a few moments of exercise to keep yourself on track.

KIDS’ PLAY Train your core as you play on the floor with your kids or grandkids. Start in a V-hold position. Lean back 10 degrees. Back straight, core engaged. Rotate right to pick up a toy. Then place it to your left. Repeat in opposite direction. Or try the transfer in a plank. Start in a plank from your knees or toes, leaning on your forearms. Keep your pelvis stable as you pick your right arm up off the floor to pick up the toy. Transfer the toy to the left hand. Then pick up your left arm and put the toy down to the left of your body. Keep your core engaged. Then place the toy next to your left elbow. Switch direction.

34 The Wellspring | September 2018

THE HOME CIRCUIT Can’t get to the gym? No problem, strength train at home. You can get a full-body workout with only your own body weight. Try the following circuit: Do 15 step-ups on a kitchen chair, 15 push-ups, 15 squats, 15 lunges, and a front plank. Or invest in a resistance band and a door-frame attachment for about $20. The attachment allows you to anchor the band to a door to simulate the exercises you would do with a cable machine.

JUST 10 MINUTES When you don’t want to exercise use the “10-minute rule.” I love this rule. Tell yourself that you have to do something for a minimum of 10 minutes, but that if you want to stop after 10 minutes, you can. Go for a 10-minute walk or jog, or do some body-weight exercises in your living room. Ten minutes of exercise is better than nothing, and usually once you’ve done 10 minutes, you’ll continue and finish the workout.

STRENGTHEN YOUR GLUTES Do this as you wash dishes, brush your teeth, or wait for the microwave to beep! Stand on one leg. Engage the glute muscles of the leg you’re standing on. Make sure the weight in your support foot is even. Don’t lean. Stay straight as your other leg kicks out to the side 10 times. Then kick on a diagonal. Finally, kick backward 10 times. For an added challenge, stand on an unstable surface, such as on a pillow.

CARDIO AT HOME Who needs a treadmill or StairMaster®? Get your cardio in by running or walking outside. Or run up and down the stairs in your building. After a gentle five-minute warm-up, try this pyramid set of jumping jacks and stair running: Do five jumping jacks, run up and down the stairs once, do 10 jumping jacks, run the stairs twice, do 15 jumping jacks, run the stairs three times. Repeat the cycle for 10 to 20 minutes then cool down for five minutes.

WORK YOUR CORE Do this at your office desk, or even at the breakfast table. Sit on the edge of your chair or sofa. Lean back roughly 10 degrees, back straight. Hold for 10 seconds. If this is easy, try one of these variations. Backstroke: Maintain the above position as you alternate “swimming” your arms backward. Tucks: Keep your upper back straight as you tuck your hip bones to your ribs so your lower spine tucks. Use your lower abdominals to do the tuck.

While these workouts are obviously not as effective as a proper 45-minute or one-hour class at the gym, they’ll help give your heart rate a boost, and/or keep your muscles under relative control until you can give them the attention they deserve.

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.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 35

Living Well

Cover Feature

36 The Wellspring | September 2018

The Personal Story Behind the Professional Glory A candid conversation with four women in the health and wellness field Behind every impassioned professional is a human being with a storyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a series of events that left the protagonist with a conviction: I will be the help to others that my younger self needed. Here, four brave women in the health and wellness field share how their past obstacles led to their present success. In every story, we feel their pain. But from every story, we gather hope.

By Shiffy Friedman

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Living Well

Cover Feature

Jill Friedbauer

Physical therapist, integrative health coach, author of Heal Your Soul, Heal Your Gut Teaneck, New Jersey 39 years old

Shani Taub

Nutritionist, owner of Shani Taub food line, co-author of Secrets of Skinny Cooking Lakewood, New Jersey 35 years old

Mother of 3

Mother of 4

Miriam Raskin

Yaffi Lvova

Nutritionist and mental health coach Monsey, New York 29 years old Mother of 3

Stepping Stones As a child growing up in New Jersey, Jill Friedbauer had boundless energy—with lots of headaches. “I saw a lot of doctors,” she recalls of her youth, “and they mostly concluded that my headaches were the result of a genetic component.” Over time, Jill found that her headaches were triggered if she was out in the sun too much, if she didn’t drink enough, or if she played too much sports. When Jill was about ten years old, one doctor had her try an elimination diet. “I did get some headaches after reintroducing certain foods,” she says, “but no one made the connection.” It didn’t help that in their close-knit New Jersey town, Jill’s mother, a chocoholic, was renowned for her chocolate chip cookies, which became famous as “Mommy’s Cookies.” “When I had a reaction to chocolate, everyone said, ‘It can’t be,’ and I simply continued to get lots of headaches. In middle school, I started experiencing seasonal allergies and sinus infections. I was constantly on antibiotics. Looking back, I can imagine that being on all that medication, plus pain relievers like Tylenol® and Advil®, most likely had an effect on my stomach and immune system.” At the end of her high school years, Jill came down with a severe case of mono and Epstein-Barr virus. She was out of school for six weeks. What she didn’t know at the time, and developing research keeps indicating this correlation, is that Epstein-Barr, along with multiple factors, can be a trigger for autoimmune disorders in people with a genetic predisposition. She also didn’t know that her fa-

38 The Wellspring | September 2018

Pediatric registered dietitian Chandler, Arizona 36 years old Mother of 3

ther had Epstein-Barr in his teens, as well, and that he later developed ulcerative colitis. After getting married at 22, Jill became pregnant with her son. At 16 weeks, she started experiencing intestinal distress. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I was developing ulcerative colitis. There were lots of gastrointestinal (GI) issues in the family; three members had ulcerative colitis, and a cousin had such a severe case that she had her large intestines removed.” When Jill reported her uncomfortable symptoms, including diarrhea and blood in her stool, to her doctor, he waved off her concerns, saying, “Pregnancy brings strange symptoms.” But when she reported those same symptoms to her parents, the confidence with which they replied put all her concerns to rest. “Oh, you must have what Dad has—ulcerative colitis.” Despite the heaviness of the diagnosis, Jill shares, “It was comforting to know what was wrong with me. I was living in Boston at the time, and I got my final diagnosis and my first dose of medication at a hospital there.” When Jill went to consult with the GI doctor her other family members were seeing in New York City, she found her to be very compassionate. “However, any time I would bring up diet as a means for managing the condition,” Jill recalls, “she rebuffed the notion. To me, this didn’t make any sense. I had always appreciated natural healing. Even in high school, I read books on aromatherapy. It just didn’t click with me that diet couldn’t affect a disease in an organ that was so much related to food.” Incredibly, the doctors were telling Jill to drink milk-

shakes because she was so emaciated. “I was eating baby food because that was the only thing I could digest. They ended up putting me on steroids, a typical medication for many people with an autoimmune disease. It works very well but has a ton of horrific side effects, such as abnormal hair growth, joint pain, stretch marks, and elevated levels of blood sugar and blood pressure.” While these symptoms are always a problem, they’re exacerbated during pregnancy. Before long, Jill was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. And she ended up with pre-eclampsia, giving birth two months early. Miraculously, because Jill was on the steroid prednisone, the baby’s lungs were fully developed at birth. After another health saga concerning the baby’s intestines, Jill returned from the hospital, spent and in desperate need of assistance. Her stress only intensified when her mother, who officially came to help, ended up showing perturbing signs of early-onset dementia. While Jill was in remission of her colitis through the birth of her second child, the symptoms flared up violently when she was expecting her third. At 30, she gave birth to her daughter, who was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease—the only person in the world with this particular chromosomal combination. As a caregiver to her mother and children, Jill had little time left to take care of her own needs. At that point, her colitis got so out of control that even the medication wasn’t working. “In 2010, when I had to go back on steroids, I had my Aha! moment. It was then that I realized that I have to get my life back.” Right around the time of her daughter’s diagnosis, Jill’s paternal grandmother passed away at 88, in great health. “She was the epitome of health,” Jill recalls fondly. “When I thought of her, I suddenly thought to myself, ‘Where am I going to be in the future?’ It scared me. I was 32 and listless, stuffing my body with garbage. ‘Where am I going to be one day, if my health is this poor now?’ I thought. Despite the doctor’s constant reminders that diet had no effect on colitis, I started looking into making dietary changes. It didn’t sit right with me that diet can’t affect disease, especially disease of the gut, even more so since I knew that certain foods were making me feel worse.” The first food group Jill eliminated from her diet was dairy. “I couldn’t believe the reaction I had after I took dairy out of my diet. And when I reintroduced it, the best word to describe my symptoms is ‘violent.’ Dairy is probably my biggest sensitivity.” Jill continued doing her own research, experimenting with eliminating other foods, but she was on the lookout for clear guidance. When Gila Guzman, an integrative health coach down her Teaneck street, offered a free consultation, Jill went for it. “She was the person who finally told me that I’m not crazy, that dairy and gluten are indeed poisonous for bodies like mine.” Since Jill isn’t a believer in extremes, she initially had

a hard time embracing the paleo approach. “I thought it was insane because I had to eliminate pretty much everything, including corn, grains, and beans. But when Gila introduced me to Danielle Walker’s recipe book, Against All Grain, and I read how the author was thriving despite living with ulcerative colitis, I was ready to give it a try.” In a mere two months, Jill started feeling alive again. “My goal at that time was just getting off the harsh medications,” Jill admits. “They made me sick and tired. But within a year and a half of leading a healthy diet, I was able to get off the immunosuppressant, with my doctor’s support.” Today, nine years after she first started playing around with the diet approach to healing her colitis, the only medication Jill does take is one suppository to prevent inflammation. She currently has no inflammation in her body and her cholesterol levels are completely transformed, all thanks to her changed diet. “An individual could have some level of inflammation in the body that’s still considered normal, but I have zero on the inflammatory marker test. I went from being a pre-diabetic to having blood sugar levels at the level of a 20-year-old,” says Jill, who turns 40 in October. For Miriam Raskin, the seeds of her current career were planted in her early youth, as well. At twelve years old, just after her bas mitzvah, she started limiting her food intake. “I didn’t even know then that I was suffering from an eating disorder,” Miriam recalls. For three years, she continued severely limiting her food intake, eventually experiencing some of the frightening repercussions, including hair loss, tingling, and irregular menstrual cycles. “Around the time of my fifteenth birthday, one of my family members who was attending medical school, sat me down for a talk. He told me that if I didn’t start eating like I should, I would struggle with lifelong health issues. I didn’t think I was officially anorexic. I thought I was just dieting strictly. But when he said that to me, and because I had started experiencing some perturbing symptoms, it scared me enough that I started eating again.” Despite her relative youth, Miriam appreciated that her illness had been caught in time. When choosing a career path after graduation, therefore, opting for the field of nutrition and dietetics came as no surprise to her or those who knew her. While Shani Taub also ended up choosing to pursue a career in nutrition, she came to it from an externally opposite perspective. “I always wondered why, as a child, I had to struggle so much with my weight,” says Shani Taub as an introduction to her personal story. “We were seven

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 39

Living Well

Cover Feature

sisters, all healthy-looking and thin, except for me. When my mother would take us shopping, she always found beautiful matching clothes for all six of them, but I didn’t fit into children’s clothing long before I graduated childhood.”

but looked and felt good,” she says. “Only after I became a nutritionist and put my own plan into practice did I reach the weight point that I’ve been maintaining for over a decade—through pregnancies and nursing.”

Strangers, Shani recalls, would pinch her cheek in jest and comment on how cute and pudgy she was, but young Shani didn’t find it cute at all. “I remember that one sister would stand at the mirror and complain that she was too skinny. I couldn’t fathom what her problem was.”

For pediatric registered dietitian Yaffi Lvova, choosing a career in the field of nutrition was less about giving people food plans and more about empowering them to make their own choices.

Because she realized how challenging it was for her daughter to carry around all that extra poundage, in addition to the effects her size was having on her social and emotional wellbeing, Shani’s mother tried to encourage her to lose weight. “But until I was ready, there was nothing she could do,” Shani recalls. “If my mother would tell me not to eat a cookie, the minute she would turn around, I would grab two. The desire for weight loss has to come from within. It’s a very difficult struggle that requires internal motivation before all else.” Right after her bas mitzvah, at which she wore a ladies’ size dress, Shani finally decided that she wanted to see a nutritionist. “I lost about 40 pounds,” she says. “That’s a lot of weight for a child. I remember my mother taking me shopping then. She was so proud. She bought me a beautiful three-piece outfit at Tuesday’s Child—I still remember every detail of it, and I wore it to all my friends’ bas mitzvahs. I felt so good in it.” But young Shani’s conviction didn’t last for too long. Over the next few months, she gained back 25 of the 40 pounds. The culprit? “I started indulging in fat-free food,” Shani remembers. “What I failed to realize is that fat-free isn’t calorie-free. I gained back weight on fat-free ices and things like that. Before long, I told my mother I was ready to see a nutritionist again.” This time, as an adolescent, Shani lost most of her weight— weight that she’s b e e n keeping d ow n e v e r since. “I wasn’t at my thinnest healthy weight,

40 The Wellspring | September 2018

“I initially became a dietitian,” Yaffi shares, “because I wanted to put my family first. This seemed like a good opportunity for me to help people from home at the times that worked for me.” Yaffi’s original career choice was not pediatrics, but after she gave birth to her twins, everything changed. “From the first moment after their birth,” Yaffi recalls, “there were obstacles. I didn’t know what type of nutrition they needed, especially the baby with colic. I had trouble nursing, and they were both tongue tied.” It was thanks to these difficult learning experiences that Yaffi shaped her practice. “Because of my own challenges in motherhood, I have the ability to give women the necessary knowledge and support.” Yaffi faced another challenge as a nursing mother, when two of her children couldn’t tolerate dairy or gluten. “I know it’s not for everyone, but I cut both food groups out of my diet. The doctor would say, ‘Let them scream. It’s just gas; it’s fine. They’ll get over it,’ but I wouldn’t hear that.” When one of the twins developed a herniated belly button as a result of his discomfort, doctors told her it would require corrective surgery. “I massaged the area and started doing more babywearing,” says Yaffi, “and the problem was corrected. There was no need for surgery.” I became a pediatric dietitian because I want to help other women be more comfortable with the choices they’re making. It’s hard to find this kind of support.”

From Personal to Professional When these women finally learned to navigate what they saw as obstacles in their personal past, they were eager to step onto a professional platform to share their findings and successes with others. Thanks to her infectious enthusiasm for life, and having followed a healthy diet for the past nine years, Jill Friedbauer has what it takes to guide others toward their own healing. Having gone from 19 pills a day to one suppository, she understands how food plays a role in healing the gut. “I’m not anti-medication,” she notes, “and I’m aware that there’s no cure for autoimmune diseases, but being on guard is the best we can do to lead productive, energized lives.” As an integrative health coach, Jill teaches her clients

to become their own detective in figuring out what works for their own body. “At first, I started helping people as a favor. I cared deeply for anyone who was going through what I had endured, and I was excited to help them along the path toward healing. As I got busier with it, I realized that I could make it a career, so I pursued certification as an integrative health coach.” When Jill guides her clients toward healing, and as she notes in her recently published book, Heal Your Gut, Heal Your Soul, she clarifies that most foods in their original form are not damaging. Rather, it’s what’s done to foods that makes them so harmful to our health. “Every person must learn what their body can tolerate, and in what form. Today, I can have cheese and butter. The only issue I have is with milk. It’s a matter of figuring out what’s good for our own body.” “When I graduated school,” Miriam Raskin shares, “I wanted to pursue a degree in dietetics. I wanted to know the science behind nutrition—why some people are heavy and others are thin, how food affects us, etc. This education helped me to completely separate the emotional part of food from the science part. In the classes I was taking, I came to understand that the purpose of food is to give me energy. From a scientific perspective, I was taught what each food group contributes to the body and why each is important.” The emotional piece, however, was left largely unaddressed in the curriculum. This was the essential part Miriam came to absorb when she finally started working— the part that has led her to dive into the waters of mental health to become the Freedom Dancer she is today.

Then, when Miriam started working with adults, she paid close attention to the contrast. “I would give the clients a balanced, doable plan. For two weeks, they’d be doing great. Afterward, though, they started reporting fallouts. I had to be blind not to realize that there was something greater at play here. It wasn’t at all about the plan, but everything about their emotional world. Only once I introduced them to intuitive eating did they start seeing long-term results.” A few months into her job, Miriam ended up moving from Brooklyn to Monsey. It was there that she had a chance to truly uncover the gifts her rough adolescence had given her. While Miriam had learned to separate food from emotions, she soon realized that she hadn’t actually dealt with the difficult emotions of her past, only swept them aside and pretended they weren’t there. When city-centered distractions and junk food weren’t available to distract her from it, the pain finally surfaced, full-force. “When we moved to Monsey, I was expecting my third child. The lifestyle was so different from what I was used to, and I was feeling too ill to keep busy, so I had a lot of time to be with myself. In my sixth month, I fell into a deep depression. I was crying for a few weeks straight. Desperate for help, I went to see a psychotherapist. I knew that not using food to numb my emotions was only part of my journey toward healing, and now, the emotions I hadn’t dealt with suddenly came out. “In the city, where life is busy, we’re distracted all the time. Now that I was away from it all, I realized I wasn’t at peace with myself, plus I couldn’t distract myself with food either.”

“The emotional piece, which I learned on the job, was that anyone can follow any diet. People may know what to eat even better than the nutritionist they’re seeing, but when emotions get in the way, sticking to the plan becomes arduous.”

Getting it all out, Miriam admits, was difficult, but when she got over the hump, she suddenly had a lot of energy. “I was very at peace with myself, and I wanted do something with my energy. I started doing what I love, dancing, and I would send short videos to my mother, to give her nachas. I saw how much it lifted her spirits.”

After completing her studies toward her bachelor’s degree, the impending arrival of her baby led Miriam to take a break before starting her clinical internship—an internship she never ended up pursuing after making her eye-opening discovery regarding the relationship between emotions and food.

While she was doing one of her dances, an idea came to Miriam: to share her story with high school students, to teach them not only how to separate food from emotions, but also how to deal with their emotions in a healthy way. In her interactive sessions, Miriam, aka the Freedom Dancer, does just that.

“Upon graduating with a B.S. in nutrition and dietetics, I started working as a pediatric nutritionist in a doctor’s office in Brooklyn. I got to see lot of kids around the ages of eight and nine who were already struggling with food. The way their parents were dealing with them looked like they were almost begging for an eating disorder to happen. I was appalled at the emphasis on the externals.”

“I recently paired up with an organization called Neshama,” Miriam shares. “They’re setting up a curriculum for schools, through which they plan to teach girls about the role Hashem plays in their life from an emotional and spiritual angle. It’s not enough for our children to just keep Torah and mitzvos by rote. If the neshama is not alive, we’re not getting anywhere. An emotional block doesn’t let anyone live. Because I know what it means to feel that way, my message to the girls is so powerful.”

Interestingly, Miriam noted, the young clients were right on board with implementing intuitive eating. “Because children are more connected to their intuition than adults,” she explains, “they were not so involved with the emotional part of eating.”

In the same vein, Shani Taub feels that her success as a nutritionist today is largely due to her personal histo-

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 41

Living Well

Cover Feature

ry. “I don’t think I’d be such a successful nutritionist if I hadn’t lived my entire life with the challenge most of my clients are going through,” Shani admits. “I got certified as a nutritionist over a decade ago because I wanted to guide people toward doing what makes them feel good. I know what it’s like to struggle, and I know what it’s like to finally make it.”

ing of what they’re going through. “I see how easy it is to get lost with nutrition,” she says. “The idea of introducing solids, for example, can be quite overwhelming. I address all of this in my practice. I started a family meal planning program, in which I guide parents toward planning the meals for their family. I believe if you plan right, you eliminate a lot of the difficulties revolving around food.”

According to Shani, knowing that weight loss doesn’t come easy makes her conviction steel-strong. “I never liked the feeling of eating now and then having to lose weight later. It’s a feeling of being bloated and out of control. I simply don’t like it. When clients ask me, ‘You don’t get to enjoy chocolate?’ I tell them that I get my chocolate, but in a small amount every day. And after I finish that square, I need the same self-control to stop as someone who’s just finished a bar.”

While Yaffi guides parents with their menus, she is vehemently opposed toward giving exact food plans. “As a dietitian, I have found that creating a meal plan for someone else isn’t effective. It doesn’t take into account the flavors they like, or their cooking style. I guide people toward thinking about it for themselves, to make sure that their children get the nutrition they need, in their family’s style.”

Despite restricting her intake on a daily basis, though, Shani is quick to add, “But I do enjoy what I eat. I wake up every morning excited to eat my wholesome breakfast. And if there’s something I don’t like, I won’t eat it.” As a popular Lakewood-based nutritionist, Shani not only has her own health and wellbeing in mind when she sticks to her plan, but she is also mindful of her role as a model for others. “If I weren’t a nutritionist,” Shani admits, “I’d be looking for one. I need that watchlady to keep me in control. But since I am a nutritionist, my job is to practice what I preach. And I do, but it’s not easy.” In addition to her practice as a certified nutritional consultant and a columnist at The Wellspring, Shani’s professional influence also includes her Shani Taub food line, as well as her cookbook, Secrets of Skinny Cooking, which she co-authored with Victoria Dwek. “All credit goes to Hakadosh Baruch Hu,” says Shani in reference to the expansion of her business. “Before the food line part of my business was developed, I wasn’t pursuing any advancements. I was fine with seeing clients and helping them lose weight. But I kept getting requests from clients who really wanted ready food. One was so adamant that she actually arranged the “shidduch” between me and the very first store that carried my line, Shloimy’s Kosher World. We started with diet vegetable kugel, and then added muffins and dressings.” Once one store introduced Shani’s line to their customers, the domino effect took over. Today, the line has expanded to include pizza, sushi, wraps, and salads provided to various restaurants. A similar string of events led to the publication of Shani’s cookbook. “Many people reached out to me over the years, wanting to do a healthy cookbook together. A friend of mine connected me to Victoria, and with one email the deal was done. It’s gratifying to hear from people all over the world how much they and their families are enjoying the recipes.” As a mother of two kindergarteners and a baby, Yaffi offers her clients something invaluable: her understand-

42 The Wellspring | September 2018

Working with parents gives Yaffi a unique perspective on how nutrition plays out in their family life. Often, Yaffi finds, young parents are so busy taking care of their children that they don’t take care of themselves. “If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of our children. So I address these issues with parents, as well. On that note, a lot of body image issues come up for women when they’re in their childbearing years, not only during pregnancy when the body changes, but also post-birth. Coming to grips with who we are in our body is a big obstacle at this stage. On that end, I support women with building their self-esteem, so they can be there for themselves and their family.” As a pediatric dietitian, Yaffi is often contacted by parents whose child has been diagnosed with allergies or food sensitivities. “They’re initially confused, because they don’t know what they can and what they can’t give their kids. I help them build a list of options of what they could have. We can’t live with lists of cant’s, only with cans.” Another aspect of pediatric nutrition that Yaffi deals with in her practice is colic. “I’m definitely a lactation advocate,” she says, “but a mother may choose to feed or supplement with formula for various reasons, and I respect that. We talk about which formula choice is best for her baby, and I help the mother feel more confident with her choices. We need to see ourselves in a positive light in order be confident with our parenting.” How does Yaffi achieve this important goal? “I help women tap into their gut instinct. We talk about how much insight she really has, especially with dealing with the child she brought into this world. Talking about what she feels is going on is part of the process that helps build her confidence in her parenting.” A big part of Yaffi’s business is teaching a cooking class, which she calls the Toddler Test Kitchen. “I give a cooking class for children between the ages of two and six. We have a really fun time while they learn how to experiment with different health foods, to try foods that look unfamiliar to them. It’s simply logic. The more positive associations children have with healthy food, the more they’ll want to eat it.” Yaffi advises that parents look at recipes together with their young children and involve them in

the shopping. “My baby is almost two, and we’re already chopping vegetables together,” she says.

From Personal to Personal These women’s personal pasts haven’t played a role only in their professional lives; in their personal lives, too, they reflect how what they went through has molded them into the people they are today. As a wife and mother of three, Jill is enjoying the new lease on life she got as a result of her changed diet. “I don’t believe a person has to stay on a restrictive diet forever,” she notes. “In addition to eliminating specific food groups, fermented foods and probiotics played a role in my healing, as well. It’s all about healing the gut through anti-inflammatory foods. Bone broth was fabulous for me, too. It’s a staple in our home. If I’m ever not feeling well, that’s the first thing I go to. Eating healthy really works. It would be nice if someone would have told that to me thirty years ago!” Today, Jill is also able to eat some grains and sourdough bread. “Studies show that even people with celiac can have authentic sourdough bread. One of my goals is to make it myself at home. That’s what the original challah was made of.” Jill’s journey toward physical healing has also helped her emerge as a stronger, more connected person. “Food is one piece of healing,” she says. “In order to really heal, we have to work on all aspects of life. Work on the things that are causing you pain. The foundation of self-care is to learn how to love yourself. When you take care of yourself, you can be an example for your children, give to other people around you, and give over to the world what it is Hashem wants you to do.” Miriam is grateful that hashgacha pratis prevented her from doing her internship in dietetics, which led her to the path she’s on today. “I feel that with my work right now, I’m influencing girls in a real way,” she says. “I thank Hashem for that decision.” For years, Miriam felt what it means to experience an emotional block. “I was dead for too long,” she says. “Even on down days today, I’m still better off than I was then. Today, I can feel. I know what it means to love my husband and children, to feel joy in living. This is what I’m excited to share with the girls I teach.”

For Shani, a childhood of well-meaning restriction has given her insight regarding children who have a healthy relationship with food. “My children are growing up in a home with a variety of foods. I serve plenty of healthy food, but we also stock regular chocolate chip cookies in our pantry. When a kid asks for a double dessert, I say tomorrow’s another day. I buy the mini pastries-to-go, not the big ones, so they get to eat normal-sized portions. And I make sure that we have enough of all types of food, so they never feel deprived. I like to believe that our home is well balanced between healthy and non-healthy.” None of Shani’s children have weight issues, she reports, and she’s grateful for that. Despite having once gained back most of the weight she had lost, Shani doesn’t entertain a fear of a repeat occurrence. “I’m in control as much as possible,” she says. “And when I’m pregnant, I work even harder because I don’t want to have the battle afterward.” What does working harder mean? She makes sure to use her treadmill daily, as opposed to her usual 20-minute brisk walk. And she’s more careful with her cheats. As a pediatric dietitian who works with mothers of young children, one of Yaffi’s focuses is helping women with postpartum depression—because she’s been there too, and she sees the void. “Although this can’t be helped with nutrition alone, I’m passionate about anything I can do to help women not feel the way I felt. When I was depressed after the birth of my twins,” she shares, “I thought I was just very tired. No one told me, ‘You should talk to your doctor about that.’ People are afraid to talk about it, to get help. I have a weekly live segment on social media called Naptime Nutrition, which is a free resource that already has 19-20 hours of solid information. In this segment, I covered postpartum depression from a number of angles. I feel very good to have an open conversation of what it looks like and when to get help. When the symptoms came up again after my next birth, I knew what it was.” According to Yaffi, her career in pediatric nutrition helps her be a more mindful parent, as well. “I know about the importance of giving my children options, of letting them enjoy their meals. When I hear from my clients how my guidance has helped them, I realize what a gift I’m giving not only them, but also my own family.”

For Shani Taub, too, the past plays a role in her current personal life. As the former odd one out of the bunch, is Shani now the slimmest of all her sisters? “I am one of the thinnest today. I definitely fit right in,” she says, not without a trace of pride. “People look at me today and say, ‘You’re so narrow. You must be naturally thin,’ and I tell them, ‘No! I looked like a football player. I loved to eat everything I saw!’ When I got rid of the padding, I narrowed down completely.”

Tishrei 5779 5778 | The Wellspring 43

Living Well

Cover Feature

My most painful moment:

One statement I would tell the younger me:

Jill: When my son was born early. I expected that perfect timely birth, to nurse my baby, to bring him home right away. It was the first time in my life that things came to an unexpected halt.

Jill: Listen to your intuition. Your body will let you know if something is harmful. It will send a message to you.

Miriam: Going for therapy. It was painful to go through the process of looking into past and present painful emotions and going through them instead of over them.

Shani: Nothing tastes as good as the taste of being thin. I would encourage myself to get to a healthy weight. When you want to eat something unhealthy, give yourself something that you want more.

Shani: When I was bullied because of my size. I remember developing before all of my friends and feeling embarrassed and self-conscious with my figure. Yaffi: The despair that came with the realization that my entire identity had shifted and not knowing what that meant, or where to go with it. That’s what postpartum depression was for me.

One of my most positive childhood memories: Jill: (That’s a question I’ve never been asked!) I didn’t grow up religious, but the Pesach sedarim were my happiest childhood memories. If it wasn’t for those sedarim, I don’t know if I would be frum today. They had such an influence on my desire to raise my children as Jews. Miriam: Lazy summer days, when time stood still. Those days were filled with walks to the parks and library, and loads of reading. Shani: Reaching my weight loss goal. Yaffi: When I was six years old, my parents signed me up for a cooking class. One week, I cooked my own fried rice, and my brother ate the entire plate on our way home. Was I proud!

Miriam: You have a voice. What is it? Let it sing.

Yaffi: Relax. It’s going to be okay.

What it takes to grow from challenges: Jill: I believe you must recognize that Hashem is guiding your path. This is the foundation. If you don’t recognize this, you get angry and think, “This isn’t supposed to happen.” But if you do recognize that first, you’ll see that these events are playing a role in your life to put you where you’re supposed to be. This doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to feel pain, but if you understand there’s a purpose to the pain you have in your life, it helps heal the pain. Miriam: Bravery and strength—the kind that takes us toward our emotions, which leads us forward in our challenges. Shani: Self-control. If there’s a will there’s a way, with encouragement and guidance. Yaffi: Confidence. You have to know that you’ve made it through the challenge in order to grow from it.

A watershed moment in my career: Jill: I saw people doing health coaching as a profession. I used to coach people and guide them as a favor. I thought, “If I’m already doing it, why am I not doing that?” So I got certified. Miriam: Seeing that meal plans weren’t working changed the entire course of my career. I got all my dietitian friends on board.

One thing that kept me going: Jill: Having a supportive husband is what has always kept me going, and continues to keep me going, on my journey.

Shani: My first client, a young child, was my first success story. I wanted to specialize in pediatric nutrition when I started out because I knew what it felt like to be there. This client was the same age I was when I started watching my diet. When she got to her goal, I knew I could do this. I was able to relive my story, to enjoy the progress together with her.

Miriam: It was challenging for me to get my program into schools, because I wasn’t the type to speak up for so many years. But because I had such a strong desire for others to feel the aliveness I reached, I pushed myself. Even on my down days, I know it’s better to be here than not ever feeling at all, than feeling dead and numb.

Yaffi: Becoming a mother and realizing the gravity of being in charge of someone else’s life shifted everything for me. Initially, I didn’t have an appreciation for pediatrics. My internship was hospital-focused and I didn’t feel strong enough to work in a children’s hospital. For the most part, I’m helping mothers become the mothers they want to be, which is very different from helping the mother of a sick child.

Yaffi: My little boys’ faces. When I have a difficult day, these kids are here with love and a smile. They’re not like us adults; they don’t require a lot to be happy.

44 The Wellspring | September 2018

Shani: Success breeds success. Don’t focus on failure. Engage in constant encouragement and positivity.

One memorable client:

One person who had a positive influence on my journey: Jill: My health coach, Gila Guzman of Teaneck, New Jersey, had the most positive influence on my health journey. Gila provided a caring environment without judgement, in which she validated my concerns about my food sensitivities, provided me with a solid direction toward healing through food, and also guided me toward addressing my emotional eating. Miriam: My husband. It may sound cliché, but he is the one person who has helped me from beginning and throughout. He was the one who called the therapist when I didn’t have the strength, and the one who gives words of encouragement when I get pre-speaking nerves and doubts. Shani: Me. I had to come to the realization that this was something I had to want enough to do it, and that no one was able to do it for me. Yaffi: My mother. She tells it like it is, which is refreshing. When so many people were repeating well-meaning clichés, she always left room for me to cry on her shoulder. She understood the reality of my motherhood experience and pushed me to build my practice, both for my own well-being and to help impact other women.

My favorite nutritious food: Jill: Chopped kale massaged with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, topped with toasted sunflower seeds, roasted beets, and sea salt. It’s my staple salad, and I eat it daily with a variation of toppings to keep it interesting. Miriam: Layers of plain yogurt with loads of different textures and flavors thrown inside, such as dried fruit bits, fresh/frozen fruit, nuts, and granola. Shani: Grilled vegetables. Yaffi: A good peach.

Jill: I am always impressed and inspired by the clients who have on their own investigated their health conditions and have embarked on the path to healing before stepping foot in my door. One of my clients suspected she had Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, a condition many doctors are unfamiliar with. She found a mast cell expert in New York City, who confirmed her suspicions. On her own, she intuitively listened to her body and started eliminating foods she suspected were contributing to her condition. Her doctor confirmed what her intuition had been telling her all along. Listening to our body is a very powerful tool. Miriam: When I worked as a nutritionist in the doctor’s office, one of the first adult patients he gave me was an individual on the autistic spectrum with various disabilities. She literally had every digestion-related health problem under the sun, including diabetes and high blood pressure. The doctor didn’t believe she would change, but decided to give her a chance. When this client sat down to talk with me, she was very receptive to my suggestions. When I told her that salad was good for her health, she said, ‘Oh yes? Then I’ll have salad.’ She ended up sticking to the plan, and her numbers straightened out. She was such a simple case that I thought, ‘If this is supposed to be a challenging patient, helping the other clients will be a joke.’ But when I started working with them, and I saw how hard it was for them to stick to their plans because of their capacity to experience emotions, which this client didn’t have, I realized what an impact emotional baggage has on our eating patterns. This client taught me how simple weight loss and healthy eating could be, and how simple it is not—because of our emotions. Shani: In the early days of my career, a very overweight woman came to see me. When she returned for her first weigh-in, not only hadn’t she lost weight, but she had actually gained half a pound. I remember the disappointment so clearly; I had to persuade her to keep it up. The next week, she lost seven pounds. It’s very hard to continue doing something with no results. Her commitment despite the disappointment impressed me. Yaffi: One of my first clients was the mother of a baby who was showing symptoms of colic. When I helped the baby get to a place where he was comfortable, that was special and gratifying for me, because my goal is to help women through the struggles that I had.

One takeaway message from my story: Jill: The foundation of self-care is to learn how to love yourself. Miriam: When you give up your mode of control— for me it was food, for others it may be anxiety or addiction—you will find a part of you that is infinite. Give up the feigned control to Hashem and begin to truly live. Shani: Each of us has the ability to succeed. Hard work pays off. Never give up. Yaffi: Take care of yourself in order to be a good wife, a good mother, and a good community member. Don’t lose sight of you who are. Know what makes you happy, so that you can take care of yourself properly and be the strongest wife and mother you could be.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 45

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Dear Cooks, When I witnessed fellow homemakers swapping Yom Tov recipes in early July, I made no comment. Not because I thought them nuts, but because I knew where they were coming from. Only two years ago, I was there too, filling up my freezer with multilayered desserts and roasts, well before the shiny red apple ads appeared to alert us that the new school year was on the horizon (as if our kids would let us forget!). As long as it worked for me, things were great. I spent hours upon hours in the kitchen, and I felt good serving dishes that combined foods from my freezer stash with fresh additions. I was busy before and busy during, but that’s what I needed. And then, it stopped working. I no longer wanted to spend so much time in the kitchen before Yom Tov, when I would anyway be standing over pots throughout the Yom Tov season. I realized that while I was probably saving myself some time by prepping in advance, the benefits were not outweighing the drawbacks. It was time for me to spend July and August in the sun and September in the kitchen. Still, I understand that although this works for me, others find that advance prep gives them the peace of mind they need as they enter this hectic, demanding season. Whether your meats have been in the freezer since August, and you just need a fresh new salad or two to go with them, or you’re just about to get your pot out to prepare this issue’s fabulous French Roast for tonight’s meal, we’ve got you all covered here at Seasoned. When you do what works for you, you get what’s most important—a happy home. To a festive, joyous Succos, Esther

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 49

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Recipes, Styling & Photography By Yossi & Malky Levine

Spiralized Beet-Carrotand-Apple Salad This unique recipe serves up some of our favorite Tishrei foods in a fabulously flavorful combo. Although the vegetables look best when spiralized in a spiralizer, a julienne peeler can also be used to create a similar effect. 2 red beets, peeled and spiralized 3 carrots, peeled and spiralized 1 red apple, cut to thin matchstick 1 Granny Smith apple, cut to thin matchsticks ¼ cup roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Dressing: 1 orange, squeezed 1 lemon, squeezed 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp honey 1 tsp Dijon mustard ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper

For the dressing, add all ingredients to a small container and mix until well combined. Combine all salad ingredients and toss with dressing. Note: You can spiralize the veggies ahead of time and keep them in separate containers. Submerge cut up apples in a bowl of water and lemon juice to keep them from browning. For the marinated version, add the salad, excluding the pepitas, and dressing to a sealed container and refrigerate overnight. Yield: 6-8 servings

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 51

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Eat Well

Recipes

Marinated Olive and Tomato Salad I’ve always been a fan of marinated stuff, but was wary due to their sugar content. Now I’ve finally created a recipe that’s not only delectable but also perfectly nutritious. 10 oz. assorted olives 2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced 1 small red onion, diced ½ tsp salt dash of black pepper Place all ingredients in a 2 lb airtight container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Yield: 2 lb container

FIVE-STAR DINING

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Eat Well

Recipes

CucumberRadish Slaw This salad makes for a great, crunchy addition to your first or main course. 3 cucumbers, thinly sliced 8 small round radishes, thinly sliced 1 small red pepper, diced 1 tsp salt Dressing: 1Âź cup water 3 Tbsp sweetener (xylitol, stevia, etc.) 4-5 Tbsp organic white vinegar Place cucumbers, radishes, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the salt, toss so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evenly distributed, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Add water, sugar, and vinegar and refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: 6 servings

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 55

Eat Well

Recipe and styling by Shiffy Friedman, photo by Ruchy Lebovits

Thyme for Dinner Note: You can omit the barley to make this dish grain-free, but the sauce will lack thickness and richness.

56 The Wellspring | September 2018

French Roast in a Good-for-You Gravy The concept of “Thyme for Dinner” came to be when I realized how hard it is to find tasty wholesome dinner recipes that don’t call for brown sugar, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and the likes. If that’s true for recipes using chicken, how much more so for meat. Find me a meatin-gravy recipe that’s good for you and I’ll be glad to be proven wrong. When I prepare meat for a weeknight dinner (usually on Tuesdays), I do it goulash-style—with lots of sautéed onions and garlic, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and spices (plus a chicken bottom for Baby). But for Yom Tov, when I want to serve a more elaborate dish with a gravy, this is my recipe. I’ve served this meat to many guests over the years, guests who were not necessarily interested in healthy dishes, and the reviews were great every time. While this dish does take longer to prepare than the usual “Thyme for Dinner” recipe, the results are well worth it. You’ll get to serve meat that is not only completely natural and nutritious, but also soft and flavorful. The starchy vegetables take the place of sugar to give the dish not only a sweet flavor but also a richer, creamy texture. Sweet potato is actually the secret ingredient in my cholent—it lends a subtle sweetness and thickens the sauce. Sauce: 2 large onions, thinly sliced 8 cloves garlic 3 Tbsp oil 4 carrots 2 large sweet potatoes 1 butternut squash 5 cups water ½ cup barley 1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp paprika Roast: 1 large onion 2 Tbsp oil 1 (3-5 lb) French roast Preheat oven to 325°.

Heat oil in a medium-sized pot. Sauté onions and garlic for 15 minutes, until onions are translucent. Meanwhile, peel and cut carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash into chunks. Add them to the pot and sauté for an additional 20 minutes. Add water, barley, and spices, and bring to a boil. Cook for 25 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and barley is fully cooked. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until a smooth and creamy texture is achieved. While the sauce cooks, heat oil in a large sauté pan. Sauté the onion for 15 minutes, then add meat, searing for about 10 minutes on each side. Transfer the sauce and meat to a deep 9-by-13 inch roasting pan. Bake covered for 2-3 hours, until meat is soft.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 57

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Eat Well

Recipe and photography by Naomi Hazan

Build your meal on vegetables

Vegan Baked Avocado Fries with Cilantro Aioli Do you agree with me that these fries deserve a medal in creativity and flavor? They take 15 minutes to prepare and go with everything. Plus, you know you’ll be eating clean, like always. Naomi @onelifetoeat Avocado Fries: 2 semi-ripe avocados ¼ cup non-dairy milk ¼ cup breadcrumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs) ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp oregano ¼ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp paprika ⅛ tsp salt ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional) Aioli: ⅓ cup mayonnaise 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro 1 garlic clove 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp water ¼ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp salt Preheat oven to 400°. Pour the milk into one bowl and the breadcrumbs plus seasoning into another bowl. Cut the avocado into 8 wedges and carefully dip each one into the milk then into the breadcrumbs. Place on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are crispy. Meanwhile combine the aioli ingredients in a blender. Add more water for a thinner consistency.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 59

Eat Well

Nutrition Facts in a Shell By Devorah Isaacson

Here’s the place to check out nutrition labels for the nutrient-dense produce that come in their natural peels-- just so you know what wholesome goodness you’re feeding your family and yourself!

THIS MONTH:

CELERY

Principle

Nutrition Value

Percentage of RDA

Energy

16 Kcal

Carbohydrates

5.5%

Protein

3.46 g

Total Fat

1.12 g

4.5%

Cholesterol

0 mg

Dietary Fiber

2.10 g

5.5%

Folates

36 µg

Niacin

0.320 mg

Pantothenic Acid

0.246 mg

Pyridoxine

0.074 mg

Riboflavin

0.57 mg

Thiamin

0.021 mg

Vitamin A

449 IU

15%

Vitamin E

3.1 mg

Vitamin K

29.3 µg

24%

Sodium

80 mg

Potassium

260 mg

5.5%

Calcium

4 mg

Copper

0.35 mg

Iron

0.20 mg

2.5%

Magnesium

11 mg

Magnesium

0.103 mg

4.5%

Phosphorus

24 mg

Zinc

0.13 mg

<1%

Vitamins

Electrolytes

Minerals

In Your Plate Celery doesn’t only make a great addition to your soups: *Enjoy celery sticks topped with peanut butter. *Add celery to your cut-up veggie tray. It tastes great when paired with a vegetable dip.

60 The Wellspring | September 2018

In our house, this is the season of almost-daily chicken soup consumption. All of us are great fans of this traditional dish, even choosing it over the elaborate creamed soups I labor over year after year. One vegetable that makes our chicken soup so deeply flavorful is the humble celery. While it used to land in the garbage can with the sack of bones, after learning of its health benefits I’ve started enjoying it in the golden liquid. Here’s why celery is not only good for your soup, but also for your health.

IN THE KITCHEN Cream of Celery Soup I tasted a version of this not-your-typical vegetable soup when a friend sent me supper after I gave birth. I couldn’t get enough of it! It has become my go-to Yom Tov soup (after chicken soup, of course) that is both light and flavorful with a thick consistency thanks to the oats. I serve it with whole-wheat matzah balls. 1 bunch celery, cut into chunks 1 large onion, diced ¼ cup oil 2 Tbsp salt black pepper, to taste 1 cup oats 4 cups chicken soup, optional In an 8 qt. soup pot, sauté the onion in oil until translucent. Add celery and continue sautéing until soft. Add water or chicken soup filling the pot ¾ full and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Cook on a medium flame for 1½ hours. Add oats and cook for an additional half hour, mixing occasionally. Blend until smooth.

Lowers Cholesterol

Prevents or Treats High Blood Pressure

Administered as an anti-hypertensive agent in folk medicine for centuries, celery continues to prove its many cardiovascular benefits. In fact, in pharmacological studies, celery demonstrates both antioxidant nutrients and anti-inflammatory activities that help improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as prevent heart disease.

Celery seed extracts have anti-hypertensive properties, containing hexanic, methanolic, and aqueous-ethanolic extracts that improve circulation, lower inflammation, and help lower high blood pressure, one of the important risk factors for coronary heart disease, which is the largest cause of mortality in industrial countries.

Celery also provides dietary fiber, especially when you eat more than one cup, which boosts digestion and weight loss. In addition, celery’s high percentage of water and electrolytes can prevent dehydration, and special compounds help celery act as a diuretic and reduce bloating. As a supplier of antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenol phytonutrients, such as phthalides, other significant benefits of celery include its ability to improve liver, skin, eye, and cognitive health.

When rats were given celery seed extract over a seven-week period in a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, they experienced significant improvements in blood pressure levels compared to rats fed the same diet but not receiving celery extract. It’s believed that celery helps lower high blood pressure by acting as a smooth muscle relaxant and improving the flow of calcium and potassium into and out of cells. Celery extract helps blood vessels expand and contract, improves blood flow, and aids in overall heart health.

Celery also improves and maintains heart health due to its cholesterol-lowering ability. Celery contains a unique compound called 3-n-butylphthalide (BuPh) that has previously been reported to have lipid-lowering action, and researchers believe celery has many other beneficial compounds that are still emerging in research. In a study conducted by the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Singapore, when rats were fed a high-fat diet for eight weeks, a group supplementing with celery extract showed significantly lower levels of lipids in their blood and experienced a beneficial reduction in serum total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) concentrations than the control group. Lowers Inflammation Celery contains antioxidants and polysaccharides that are known to act as anti-inflammatories, especially flavonoid and polyphenol antioxidants. These support overall health, especially as someone ages, by fighting free radical damage (or oxidative stress) that can lead to inflammation, which is often a contributing cause of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and many more. Researchers have identified over a dozen different types of antioxidants that celery contains. This makes celery useful for treating a wide range of conditions that are made worse by inflammation: joint pain (such as from arthritis), gout, kidney and liver infections, skin disorders, IBS, and urinary tract infections, just to name a few.

Helps Prevent Ulcers A lesser-known benefit of celery is that it can help prevent or reduce the formation of painful ulcers. A 2010 study published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Biology found that celery contains a special type of ethanol extract that is useful in protecting the lining of the digestive tract from ulcers. Celery extract has the ability to significantly replenish depleted levels of gastric mucus that is needed in the stomach lining to prevent tiny holes and openings from forming. Benefits for Weight Loss Celery is extremely low in calories and can be a valuable food in aiding weight loss because of its ability to provide vital nutrients and help regulate lipid (fat) metabolism. Celery is nutrient-dense, providing antioxidants, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, B vitamins, and potassium— all with very little calories. Boosts Digestion and Reduces Bloating Celery seeds contain an odorless and oily compound known as NBP that has a diuretic effect and helps the body detox. In a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods mentioned above, urine volume was significantly greater when subjects were given celery extract compared to a control group. Its diuretic effect could also contribute to the anti-hypertensive mechanisms of celery seeds that help lower blood pressure. Because it improves circulation within the intestines, celery also helps relieve bloating. Helps Prevent Urinary Tract Infections Because celery helps to reduce uric acid and stimulates urine production, it’s beneficial in fighting bacterial infections within the digestive tract. Similarly to cranberries that are known for fighting urinary tract infections, celery can help prevent UTIs, as well as bladder disorders and kidney problems.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 61

Living Well

At the Dietitian By Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE

IS IT REALLY JUST IBS?

At 32 years old, Yael started experiencing “stomach issues” after the birth of the second of her four children. Although she had always had somewhat of a sensitive stomach as a teen: “I would pay the price if I would eat pizza, fries, and ice cream all at once, unlike my friends,” her symptoms hadn’t interfered with her life significantly until that point. However, after the birth of her second baby, her symptoms of diarrhea with occasional constipation, post-meal bloating and burping, and fre-

quent heartburn and stomach pain exacerbated to the point of severely interfering with her quality of life.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS

mon factors:

Current Medications/vitamins: None—“Nothing works anyway, I stopped everything.” Past attempted diets: Gluten-free, dairy-free, and low FODMAP (no improvement). Significant findings: Yeast infections on average 2-3x/year, history of mild gallbladder pain diagnosed as gallbladder sludge (tiny gallstones), worse nausea and reflux/burping after protein foods, mild lactose intolerance. Weight History: Mild unintentional weight loss over the past three years due to fear of eating many foods. Yael’s case followed the classic storyline of many individuals who are diagnosed with IBS. Symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, pain, gassiness, and bloating are often lumped under the general umbrella of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which as I tell my clients, is basically a diagnosis of exclusion. Because there is no inflammation, as in Crohn’s or colitis, detectable parasite, or motility issue, the mainstream medical world has little to offer aside from a “Live with it—it’s IBS” attitude. While a few individuals are able to manage their symptoms with fiber supplements and laxatives, most continue to struggle with a reduced quality of life and are frustrated by the lack of solutions offered by their medical providers. The reality is that when looked at from a functional perspective, there are often very real imbalances and deficiencies that are present in IBS cases, which are often even clinically observable through measurable lab testing. After working with hundreds of IBS cases, I almost always end up being able to identify the root cause from one or more of the following com-

Yael was fed up after two GI doctors diagnosed her with IBS, recommended trying Metamucil®, a low FODMAP diet, and medication, with minimal improvement. She consulted with me to see if my expertise on the subject would be able to provide her with relief.

• Insufficient stomach acid • Poor bile quality • Dysbiosis—imbalance in gut bacteria levels, often caused by over-use of antibiotics • Candida/yeast overgrowth • SIBO—Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth, caused by excess bacteria in the small intestine fermenting food and causing severe post-meal gassiness and constipation or diarrhea • Anxiety • Deficiency in digestive enzymes • Gluten, fructose, and/or lactose intolerance The good news is that with testing, trial and error, supplementation and dietary intervention if necessary, and patience, almost all IBS cases can be successfully managed and even cured. In Yael’s case, after we treated her yeast overgrowth, confirmed through stool testing, with supplementation and a special diet, and supplemented her suspected low stomach acid and digestive enzymes with apple cider vinegar and enzyme supplements, she felt a marked and dramatic improvement. She was eventually able to wean off the enzyme and stomach acid support once her gut bacteria and yeast levels returned to balanced levels and her body was able to produce enough digestive products on its own. I still receive an occasional email from her with a question or two, and she is so grateful that she is cured of the “IBS” that once controlled her life. Names and identifying details have been changed.

Tamar Feldman, RDN CDE is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and a Certified Diabetes Educator with over twelve years of experience. She maintains a busy nutrition practice with offices in Lakewood and Edison, and via phone/skype to numerous international clients, specializing in balanced and sustainable weight loss and nutrition therapy for autoimmune and gastrointestinal issues. She can be reached at 732-364-0064 or through her website: www.thegutdietitian.com

62 The Wellspring | September 2018

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For those with higher standards â&#x201E;

Living Well

Monthly Dose By Yaakov Goodman

THE CORNERSTONE OF GOOD HEALTH

NUTRITION PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT The role of nutrition cannot be underestimated when it comes to a child’s health, even before life begins outside the womb. A plethora of evidence-based research indicates that proper maternal nutrient intake affects the health of infants and can follow them into adulthood by carving out a path toward disease prevention. While such studies obviously underline the importance of nutrition in pregnancy, their findings also substan-

stick over the years. A study that tracked 3,714 elementary school children found that health behaviors instilled during elementary school years persisted into early adolescence. How early on can nutrition impact a child’s subsequent health? The most widely-known example is the importance of adequate folic acid and omega-3 intake prior to and during pregnancy in preventing birth defects. From then

tiate the fact that childhood diet lays the foundation for good health throughout our lives. The earlier the pattern of good nutrition is established in a child’s life, the more likely that these healthy habits will

on, the more nutrients the body receives, the greater the chances that the child will grow up to be a healthy, appropriately-developed adult. Unfortunately, a report released during a government hearing on the

64 The Wellspring | September 2018

US dietary guidelines presents dismal dietary habits in children. Of all foods eaten at lunchtime, only 7.5% are vegetables and 8% are fruit. Only 16% of children’s snacks include fruit, and a mere 1% consist of vegetables, while over 50% consist of cookies, desserts, chips, salty snacks, candy, and gum. At the dinner table, fruit makes up just 3% of food eaten, while vegetables add up to 15% of the meal. The US Dietary Guidelines recommends five to nine fruit and vegetable servings per day, as do many health education organizations with disease prevention at heart. As a result, children are poorly undernourished just at the time when crucial development takes place. According to findings from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals (CSFII) presented at an American Health Foundation symposium, 80% of children ages 2 to 11 fell critically short of getting adequate amounts of calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin D, all of which are essential for growth and development. Calcium is important for bone health and muscle movement; iron for the support of brain development and the immune system and to help red blood cells carry oxygen; and zinc for cognitive performance and the immune system. Vitamin D is essential for all the above. Shockingly, half of the children were at levels of serious concern, severely lacking these essential nutrients. Children who encounter stress, are obese, or have

dent), which is linked to obesity. Figures rose from less than 4% of childhood diabetes being Type II in 1990 to 20%, and 85% of those children diagnosed were obese. The vital rule to remember is that more food and calorie consumption doesn’t translate into extra nourishment and that everything you put into your mouth will either help you or hurt you. This cannot be overstated when it comes to growing children. An adequate intake of proper nutrients is not only essential for physical health, but also has significant positive effects on mental health, behavior, and cognitive function. According to the American Dietetic Association, kids who are well nourished are more alert and attentive in class, and more likely to participate in activities. A study that analyzed how an improved diet might help academic performance found that a daily vitamin-mineral supplement raised children’s IQ and non-verbal intelligence, which is closely related to academic performance, In the experiment, 245 children, ages 6 to 12, were given a supplement that met 50% of the US daily recommended allowance (RDA) for three months, or a placebo. Results revealed a significant difference of 2.5 IQ points between the intervention and placebo group. The researchers concluded that “the parents of schoolchildren whose academic performance is substandard would be well advised to seek a nutritionally-oriented physician for assessment of their children’s nutritional status as a possible etiology.” Meanwhile, research that investigated the potential of multivitamin supplements to help mentally-retarded

children showed an increase of average IQ by 5-9.6% over a four-month period in supplement-treated children compared to negligible changes in controls; the supplemented group showed additional gains in IQ during a subsequent fourmonth period. Considering the inevitable patterns of our busy 21st century lifestyle, it’s almost impossible to obtain a perfect diet for children. In fact, it can be very tough getting anywhere close. At Maxi Health, we understand this thoroughly and have thus developed some of the most cutting-edge children’s dietary supplements to fill those badly needed gaps. Painstaking care has been devoted to sourcing raw materials from only the cleanest and highest standards in the industry. For our youngsters, we want to provide only the very best. KiddieMax® Iron™, a patented form of highly-absorbed, non-constipating iron that is vital for children’s health, comes in a gummy bear and liquid form. Maxi Health also offers Vitamin D3-Gummy Bears™, providing this vital nutrient for the overall health of children. Most important is the KiddieMax® Multi Yums™. Loaded with 21 essential everyday vitamins and minerals, in addition to a green vegetable blend, this supplement is available in a hard candy, gummy-bear, and liquid, and is essential to the diet of all children. To order Maxi Health products by phone, call 718645-2266. Mention The Wellspring for an additional discount.

ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION, KIDS WHO ARE WELL NOURISHED ARE MORE ALERT AND ATTENTIVE IN CLASS, AND MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES. Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 65

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

ADHD, a weak immune system, and various other conditions, are far more likely to be severely deficient. Childhood obesity is the most visible consequence of a diet lacking in healthy choices, but its repercussions exceed the teasing and psychological distress of being large in a thin-obsessed society, since obesity is strongly linked to many diseases, including asthma, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and heart disease. The chances of a child growing into an obese adult correlates with the age at which they start to gain weight after shedding their baby fat. Usually, kids are thinnest at age five or six, but how early they reach a turnaround point in weight gain, called adiposity rebound, seems to predict how heavy they will be as adults. If children start putting on weight before their fifth birthday, they are more than twice as likely to be obese adults. And not only are obese kids at risk for adulthood diseases, but they are also at higher risk of diabetes, hypertension, asthma, atherosclerosis, and physical limitations during childhood. That’s all the more reason for parents to leave picky eaters alone, since they will automatically start to eat more as they grow older. Instead, parents should ensure their kids get the right nutrients to see them through the finicky years by offering them a diet with lots of variety to cover the bases. Studies indicate that extremely overweight children are at a greatly-increased risk of high blood pressure and impaired insulin levels. Similarly, an expert panel report from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) indicates that 8-45% (depending on age and racial/ ethnic mix) of new cases of childhood diabetes are Type II (non-insulin-depen-

Wellbeing

Health Personality By Shiffy Friedman

a cup of tea with: TANYA ZUCKERBROT, MS, RD OCCUPATION: Registered dietitian, CEO of F-Factor

LOCATION: New York City AGE: 46 PASSION: Inspiring others to look and feel their very best

WISHES PEOPLE WOULD KNOW THAT: weight loss and healthy eating shouldn’t feel punitive.

As the founder of the F-Factor Diet™, which promotes consumption of fiber in conjunction with other macronutrients, Tanya Zuckerbrot’s scientifically-proven approach to weight loss and weight management has won national acclaim. Despite being the icon in the field she is today, however, her claim to fame is a far cry from the career path this internationally-known dietitian had originally envisioned for herself—as a gourmet chef. “First, I stumbled upon a career as a nutritionist, and then, I stumbled upon fiber as a tool for weight management,” shares Tanya, a Manhattan-based mother of three, of the unforeseen twist of events in her professional life. Back in the day, nutrition was not the popular field of study it is today, and as a young student, Zuckerbrot had no intention of studying dietetics. “I wanted to become a chef with a specialty in healthy gourmet dishes. When I looked into the various avenues for continued education, the options I had were the Culinary Institute of America and NYU. Since NYU was closer to home, their food program was more appealing to me. But, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. On the first day of the semester, I was given a list of pre-reqs and led to the classroom. When the instructor started lecturing, I thought I was in the wrong classroom. Instead of a class on culinary arts, I was sitting through a class on biochemistry and anatomy!” But rather than walk out, Tanya chose to stay. She ended up sitting through all science classes to eventually obtain a degree in dietetics. Twenty years ago, when registered dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot opened her private practice, it was clinical in nature. As an RD, she collaborated with her patients’ medical team to provide crucial nutritional guidance to facilitate their recovery or healthier lifestyle. “I was in touch with the cardiol-

66 The Wellspring | September 2018

ogist, endocrinologist, or whatever specialist the patient was seeing to help with their condition or disease, and together, we would help the patient toward leading a healthier life. My job,” says Tanya, “was to create a diet plan that would enhance the patient’s health status and hopefully reverse or manage the condition. Some of my patients had cardiovascular issues, and others were diabetic. Incredibly, the high-fiber diet I prescribed helped many of them get off their medication completely.” Early on in her career, Tanya learned of the incredible health benefits of fiber as a dietary vehicle of healing. “Because fiber acts like a sponge, it has the ability to absorb compounds in the body, such as cholesterol, and usher them out of the body, and so I recommended a high-fiber diet to patients with high cholesterol. For diabetic patients, I was prescribing a high-fiber diet for a different reason. Because fiber isn’t broken down by the body, it has no effect on blood glucose levels. Plus, it helps slow the absorption of sugar in the blood. I thought that I would put my science-steeped career to play in hospitals, working with patients to prescribe food as medicine and orchestrating the drug and nutrient interactions in clinical settings. “However, the more patients I worked with, the more I realized that in prescribing fiber, the patients were receiving not only the main benefit of better health, but also an excellent side benefit of weight loss. They reported feeling fuller for a longer amount of time. Through this clinical work, I was able to identify fiber as a key to healthy weight loss.”

Precisely because Tanya didn’t set out to find the secret to weight loss, her approach offers a unique sense of authenticity and scientific validity. “I didn’t set out to be the next big thing on the weight loss scene,” she admits. “People who know me recognize that. It’s something they appreciate.” Once Tanya observed fiber’s remarkable role in weight loss, she embarked on a research journey to understand how it works in the body to achieve its desired effect. “Despite its zero-calorie content,” she shares, “fiber adds bulk to food. The large portions fill up the stomach, which generates the secretion of cholecystokinin, the hormone that’s important for satiety. So, if you’re on a high-fiber diet, you feel very full on few calories.” Another benefit of fiber, Tanya found in her research review, is that it revs up the metabolism. “On most low-calorie diets,” she says, “weight loss becomes much more difficult when the individual reaches their goal weight, and they gain the weight back because they’ve damaged their metabolism. Eating fiber-rich foods has a thermogenic effect on the body. Thermogenesis is the process of heat production in organisms which results in an increase in metabolism. Fiber has zero calories, but your body expends calories in attempting to digest it. The more fiber you eat, the more your metabolism speeds up.” A third notable benefit of fiber as a weight management tool is that it binds with fattening calories in the other foods you’re combining it with and ushers them out of the body. “Because fiber can’t be broken down,” Tanya clarifies, “it gets evacuated. A peer-reviewed, clinical study found that when subjects doubled their fiber intake, their body failed to absorb 90 calories every day. If you were to duplicate that for a year, it would amount to a loss of approximately 9.6 pounds.” While the science behind most diets is to create caloric

deficit, the process is mostly achieved through omission: eat less so your body will have less calories to burn. Contrarily, in the case of F-Factor, caloric deficit is achieved through addition. “If you’re pairing fiber with cheese or meat or another healthy fat such as olive oil, the more fiber you consume, the less your body will absorb the fattening calories, which get ushered out with the fiber. And, at the same time, because you’re ingesting something your body tries to break down but can’t, you’re also burning calories in the process.” Fiber, Tanya explains, is an indigestible material. “It’s like you’re swallowing a toothpick or a diamond. You can ingest it, but you can’t digest it. Since we don’t digest it, the fiber passes into the intestine and absorbs water. The undigested fiber creates bulk so the muscles in the intestine can push waste out of the body. That’s why people who are deficient in fiber suffer from constipation. They’re missing the element that helps absorb and evacuate other materials.” The recommended daily fiber intake, Tanya notes, differs according to gender. While men should aim for 38 grams, women should aim for 35. How far removed are these numbers from the reality? “The problem is that most people get around 11 grams of fiber per day. We’re in a fiber deficit.” With advantages as compelling as this, the next obvious question is what foods contain this miraculous substance. Carb-phobics will find it surprising to learn that fiber is found only in the food group they erroneously avoid: carbs. “Because we get fiber only from carbs,” Tanya explains, “a high-fiber diet actually allows you to eat carbs without weight gain. It’s the solution to not having to cut carbs out of your diet, which makes you feel tired or cranky. Contrary to what many people believe, carbs don’t make you fat. Carbs are simply used for fuel but the body’s space for storing them is limited. When carbs are consumed in excess of what the body can store, the excess gets converted into fat. Since fiber is the indigestible portion of the carbohydrate, the more fiber a food contains, the less carbs get converted into sugar.” For the fiber-uninitiated, Tanya explains the difference between net and gross carbs. You can be looking at two slices of bread that both contain 15 grams of carb. One, the white bread, will have 15 grams of net carb, while the other, the whole wheat bread, will have only 8. The secret carb sneaker? Fiber. Calculating the net carb content in foods that contain labels is simple: subtract the fiber content from the carb content. More fiber in your food will not only help with satiety, but will also bring down the net carb count. And when your body lacks glucose as a source of energy, which occurs when fiber prevents an excess of carbs from getting digested, it burns fat for fuel. “Fiber can be found in many foods,” says Tanya. “Fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and legumes have abundant fiber content. GG Crackers have 4 grams of fiber per cracker. I just introduced the F-Factor product line, which

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 67

Wellbeing

Health Personality

includes powders and bars that are kosher and non-GMO and provide 20 grams of fiber per serving.” While most fruits are a good source of fiber, Tanya notes, there are some exceptions. “At 8 grams of fiber per serving, berries are a great choice. So are apples, pears, and figs. But melon, for example, has almost no fiber. Fruits are high in other nutrients too, but not all of them offer a significant dose of fiber.” For foods that come with nutrition labels, obtaining the fiber count is simple. But since ascertaining the fiber content in many foods, especially fruits and vegetables, can be difficult, Tanya and her team created a free F-Factor app, in which users enter the food to receive a fiber count. Also, in her bestselling book, The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss (2006, G. P. Putnam & Sons), Tanya provides a list of many foods and their fiber content.

In addition to weight loss and weight management, research indicates that fiber offers myriad other health benefits, all of which are documented and have been rigorously studied. Indeed, in a 2010 research review in Nutrients, researchers conclude that dietary fiber is inversely related to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Studies that observed populations with high-fiber intake, such as the Hadza tribe in Tanzania whose members consume an average of 150 grams of fiber daily, found that their gut contained microflora with thousands of extra strains. An abundance of fiber helps feed the microbes (good bacteria) in the gut, which builds up biodiversity, a crucial element in gut health. “If we eat enough fiber,” Tanya adds, “it serves as a prebiotic, which minimizes the need for a probiotic.” As Tanya observed in her clinical practice, fiber has also been shown to help reduce cholesterol and manage glucose levels. “Incredibly, fiber can reverse type 2 diabetes. I’ve gotten many people off oral insulin through a high-fiber diet.” Indeed, a peer-reviewed study in Clinical Excellence for Nurse Practitioners concludes that the inclusion of sufficient dietary fiber in a meal favorably influences the blood glucose, insulin, and serum lipid levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

"Most people get around 11 grams of fiber per day. We’re in a fiber deficit."

While fiber is certainly the main player in F-Factor’s meal plans, Tanya maintains that pairing it with other macronutrients, especially protein, is crucial. “One of our F-Factor sayings is, ‘Fiber and protein at every meal makes losing weight no big deal.’ Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass as well as regulating the metabolism. ”

The fiber and protein combo, Tanya explains, is especially important for women approaching and/or in their midlife years. Beginning at age 30, she notes, women lose one pound of lean muscle mass per year. “With every pound of muscle you lose, you’re losing another pound of carb storage, which translates into greater fat buildup,” Tanya cautions. “One way to slow down muscle mass loss is through engaging in strength training exercises. But if you’re combining fiber with protein in your meals, you’re also ensuring that you don’t lose muscle mass during the weight loss process.” Interestingly, Tanya explains that the research-proven reason women tend to gain weight as they age is not related to menopause. Instead, it’s the loss of muscle mass that forces the body to store carbs as fat. Whether they’re eating a fruit or dairy, the foods are being converted into glucose, but the body has much less lean muscle mass in which to store the carbs. This decreased muscle mass is also the reason for weakness in the elderly. Despite the many health benefits of high-fiber carbs, Tanya does not recommend their unlimited consumption. “At F-Factor, we developed a formula for optimal weight loss and maintenance. In step 1 of our program, clients eat less than 35 grams of net carbs per day. On step 2 of the plan, the client gets to add in 3 more servings of carbs daily. The fiber/ carb intake can never be so little that it leaves the person feeling weak, tired, shaky, or cranky. We want to ensure that the client has adequate carb intake so she can think straight, be productive at work, and/or manage the household, but also to keep the number low enough so that the body has time during the day to burn fat as a fuel source. If we’re constantly giving it a source of energy, it won’t need to burn fat for fuel, which is the goal.”

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While the correlation between fiber intake and mental health has not been documented, Tanya posits that when people feel their best, they automatically experience an improvement in self-esteem and self-confidence. “My patients see me as a life coach more than a dietitian,” she remarks. “We work on behavior modification together. With empowerment comes improved feelings of self-esteem.” With so much research and anecdotal evidence under her belt, Tanya Zuckerbrot has rightfully earned her position as the fiber guru. “I believe that with knowledge comes change. When I have a new client, I first educate them about the benefits of a high-fiber diet. Then they’re able to make the decisions that leave them looking and feeling their best.” In her role as an educator, both to her patients and at the lectures she holds internationally, part of what Tanya’s message is not related to fiber per se, but rather to how a healthy lifestyle is viewed, in general. “No one should feel burdened to eat a certain way,” she says. “When we hear the word ‘diet,’ we immediately think of caloric restriction. Diet is just a way of eating. There’s the kosher diet and the vegan diet. It’s up to us to choose a diet, a way of eating, that is truly good for us. And what we at F-Factor have found is that combining protein and fiber at every meal is the diet for optimal health.” With so many weight- and health-related benefits, it’s hard to resist upping my fiber intake. Who would have known that one substance can give us so much? “I find it fascinating that G-d granted us a substance that offers so many health benefits, in addition to helping with weight loss and maintenance, in such a sensible way,” Tanya agrees. “I feel blessed to have the opportunity to guide people toward incorporating fiber into their diet to look and feel their best.” Tanya can be contacted via The Wellspring.

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Wellbeing

Clean Slate By Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC

IS EMOTIONAL EATING BAD?

With all the bad rap emotional eating has been getting these days, including in this column, it would be beneficial to take a step back and reevaluate the issue. Is the practice as bad as it’s made out to be? When clients or readers ask me a question like, “What’s the problem with enjoying my coffee with a piece of chocolate?” they ask a very valid question, one that deserves the following detailed response. Before we draw conclusions about emotional eating, let’s first establish what type of eating is included in this category. Every behavior that we engage in is motivated by either logic or emotion. Rational eating means that you’re eating a food because you know it’s good for you. It makes sense for you to eat it because it’s giving you the nutrients you need to function. Any eating that does not fall into the category above is emotional. In other words, any time you find yourself eating or drinking food for a reason other than the nutrients it provides, you’re engaging in emotional eating. You’re eating this food, which is unnecessary for the body, for pleasure. One good way to ascertain whether or not you’re eating emotionally or logically is to ask yourself, “If I would replace this with a slice of bread or a carrot, would I still want it?” If the answer is no, you’re most likely eating for pleasure. Once the definition of emotional eating has been established, here’s the question that begs to be answered: Is eating for pleasure a good thing or a bad thing? Emotional eating is what it is. It’s a fact, a reality. It means I’m eating for a reason other than giving my body sustenance. Whether emotional eating is good or bad depends on other factors. The answer to that is up to only one person to decide— you. Only the one who’s engaging in the behavior can assess whether the behavior is detrimental to their health and wellbeing or not. Am I giving up something to

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IT IS WHAT IT IS

experience this pleasure? Is this harmful to my health? Will it lead to unhealthy weight gain? Will it leave me feeling tired or lethargic? Will I feel guilty afterward? Will I have to spend more money than I can afford to obtain this stuff? If the pleasure is causing you absolutely no harm, go for it. If having that piece of chocolate with your coffee is not detrimental to you in any way, you’re still eating for pleasure, but it’s the kind of emotional eating that comes with no strings attached. And so, the rest of this article is not applicable to you. But, for the individual who assesses that detriment does result from the behavior, logic dictates that, for her, emotional eating is harmful. On the one hand, the individual wants to have pleasure, which is okay. On the other hand, the side effects aren’t good for her. And so, the behavior becomes destructive. It means the emotional eater is choosing this pleasure despite the pain it will engender. Engaging in this practice, then, is irrational. Why would a person be ready to have pleasure now when he knows he will suffer the consequences for it later? It would be easy to understand why an emotional eater would be willing to free herself of this behavior. But is there a solution to this self-sabotaging practice? If a person doesn’t want to end a self-harming practice, there’s no solution to the problem. Nothing in the world can stop a person who isn’t desperate to help herself— including punishment, reward, therapy, intensive dieting, and certainly not an article in The Wellspring, no matter how influential a magazine it is. But, if you are a person who recognizes that emotional eating is problematic for you, plus you have a burning desire to help yourself, you’re ready to get to the root. May I have the merit to guide you toward healing through the following articles in this series.

I would like to preface this series with a very important statement: The price for pleasure is pain. As an emotional eater, you understand that. Until today, you were ready to experience various degrees of pain in order to have the pleasure of eating foods that weren’t good for you. Whether you experienced physical or emotional pain as a result, you still kept up the practice because you were getting physical pleasure. When it comes to the world of emotion, the pleasure we seek—such as happiness, love, and self-esteem—is infinitely greater than the pleasure we obtain from eating a piece of chocolate. And because the emotional pleasure, which we ultimately recognize as the need for spiritual connection above all else, is so much more intense, the pain involved in getting there is greater, too. Simply put, there’s no such thing as an easy way out. In the mainstream world, you may come across shortcuts. You may be given tips or “secrets” to “conquer” or “overcome” the issue. But in our world, the world of emotional healing in order to access our spiritual connection, we know that our goal is not to “conquer” the issue, rather to face it and turn to Hashem for His help in doing so. We are privileged to lead our life according to the ultimate source of guidance toward healing: the Torah, written by the One Who created every part of us, including our emotional world. And in the Torah we’re told: adam la’amal yulad, man was created to toil. So here’s a word to the wise: If someone promises you happiness in five steps, don’t buy it. And if you’re ready to do the work, you’ve come to the right place. In this column on emotional eating, Shiffy Friedman, MSW, CNWC, discusses the journey toward a healthy relationship with food from a Torah-based, emotional, and personal perspective.

markweisz.com

“IN ITALY, WHEN LIFE SERVES LEMONS...

...WE SIP IT.” — O’Papa Verbolitano

Wellbeing

Child Development by Friedy Singer & Roizy Guttmann, OTR/L

The influx of responses to Friedy and Roizy’s interview in Issue #30’s “Cup of Tea” provided insight to the child development issues many parents in the community grapple with and how the research and experience of these neurodevelopmental specialists can play a role in helping these children. In this column, we at The Wellspring are honored to introduce the expertise of these influential sisters to our readers.

When Tantrums Are Crucial Emotional Regulation Mommy walks into the kitchen to find Mindy sprawled on the floor, thrashing, the hairs of her undone ponytail wet against her tear-stained cheeks. Between hysterical cries and moments of holding her breath, the child exclaims, “I want that doll!” While Mommy’s nerves may get frazzled from the heightened noise levels, Mindy’s tantrum may not only be appropriate but also a crucial part of her development. But here’s the question: How old is Mindy? The answer will determine whether Mindy’s behavior is a necessary part of her development or a sign of inappropriate regulation.

himself accordingly, whether he’s happy, sad, satisfied, frustrated, or angry. On the other hand, a child who is not emotionally regulated, which may be exhibited in children on the autistic spectrum, may not even know what he’s feeling and may only identify emotions concretely, with a “black or white” interpretation: he’s either feeling good or bad. Emotional regulation is the foundation that enables all other facets of regulation to occur, which will in turn enable appropriate behaviors. At the core, a child must master the ability to feel appropriate emotions in an appropriate manner.

Regulation, a big word in our practice, is key to healthy child development. Regulation is the ability to manage emotions and behaviors based on the environment and the situation, and to produce an appropriate response. Observing how a child responds to a trigger or stimulus—if he’s able to calm down when he’s upset or to express happiness appropriately, how he deals with changes in his environment, etc.—gives us a clue regarding his ability to regulate. Appropriate regulation is a good predictor for developed social skills, academic performance, and emotional intelligence.

Starting immediately at birth, the sympathetic nervous system triggers a fight or flight response, allowing the infant to start interpreting things in his environment, first on a physiological level. When the infant feels hungry, for example, he starts to cry. When the caregiver feeds the child, he gets gratification from eating, which helps regulate him on a physical level. Simultaneously, social emotional responses are being created through the non-verbal communication of the mother and child. Satiation puts the body in a state of balance until the infant gets hungry again, which triggers his hunger drive, and the process is repeated and thus reinforced.

Regulation does not come automatically. Rather, it’s an evolutionary process that begins with the first and most fundamental category: emotional regulation. Emotional regulation is the child’s ability to express and manage his emotions. It’s the ability to understand what it means to have an emotion and to identify it correctly. An emotionally-regulated child is able to tap in to the actual emotion he’s feeling and express

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As the child advances in infanthood, up until around 18 months to 2 years of age, his emotional regulation continues to develop. In a 2014 peer-reviewed study, researchers found that a baby can tell the differences in their caregiver’s facial expressions faster than an adult. Despite his young age, the infant detects sensors in the environment—including

flecting a smile when the child is happy. Also, even as infants, children benefit from being spoken to. Although the infant can’t yet offer a verbal response, speaking to the child about your emotions, especially making appropriate sounds to convey emotion, such as “Uh oh!” when an egg cracks, or “Hooray!” when the child crawls, exposes him to important cues. As the infant grows into a toddler, verbal communication becomes key. Speak to your child about how you feel, using specific terms to identity your emotion: disappointed, excited, upset, etc. If the child’s babysitter or caregiver is not talkative, have the child listen to music with stories or read books together that build emotional regulation.

2. Deep Breathing When parents who are trying to help their child with emotional regulation consult with us, we discuss the power of deep breathing. Breathing and emotion are interrelated: If an individual doesn’t have good control of their emotions, they’re probably not breathing properly. Holding our breath, which we do when we’re afraid, is a protective response; it helps us preserve energy. When children do this while crying, they’re literally creating more energy to survive.

non-verbal cues and the tone of voice and facial expressions of his caregivers—to make sense of his own emotional world. With regulation comes his understanding of not only which feelings are appropriate to which circumstances, but also how they should be expressed. With the simultaneous development of the nervous system, the child gradually learns to pick up more cues regarding appropriate emotions. Because emotional regulation comes into play at such a young age, we often find that when a child is developmentally delayed, the parents will report having had a gut feeling of this beforehand, based on the child’s lack of emotional awareness in infancy and as a toddler. If a child failed to capture these cues by three years of age, they can be taught later on, but the process is much more difficult because the critical period when these skills are naturally reinforced has already passed. Three ways to foster emotional regulation in children:

When we teach kids about deep breathing, we tell them to visualize a balloon. When you inhale, we explain, you’re filling it up with air. When you breathe out, the air comes out of the balloon and it flies away. We often ask the child’s parents to join us in the exercise because this is something they too might want to practice.

3. Movement Movement is another important component of regulation. Movement in children allows them to get a better sense of space, which enables them to interpret their emotions more accurately. The more active a child is—the less screen time he’s given—the more he will be able to self-regulate.

The 3 categories of regulation we look at in our practice: Emotional—the child’s ability to express and manage their emotions. In appropriate development, this is achieved at 18 months—2 years old.

1. Modeling Because infants unconsciously pick up emotional cues from their environment, parents can do good modeling when they reflect appropriate facial expressions to their infant, such as making a sad face when the child looks uncomfortable, or re-

Behavioral—up next! Cognitive

Friedy Singer and Roizy Guttmann are neurodevelopmental therapists and directors of Hands on OT Rehab Services, Hands on Approaches, and the H.O.P.E. (Hands on Parent Empowerment) Foundation. They are focused on educating and empowering the community to help children with anxiety, processing and learning issues. They can be reached at info@handsonapproaches.com

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 73

Wellbeing

Serial Diary by Zahava List

Unveiled

Life with mental illness If you would have walked into my twelfth grade classroom and been told to pick the student most likely to end up with mental illness, I would have been your last choice. As a child growing up in a small out-of-town Jewish community, I had a relatively pleasant childhood. Externally, I appeared to have it all together—and more. Despite having gone to a more modern school, I managed to catch up with my peers soon after I entered a more heimishe high school, picking up the lingo and almost seamlessly fitting into place. In high school, I was a studious, conscientious student, completing my work as soon as it was assigned. By eleventh and twelfth grade, I was getting mostly A’s. From a physiological perspective, I did experience low thyroid function as an adolescent, but nothing alarming. I was tired all the time, but still within the normal range. It’s not that easy to find a high school kid who isn’t always desperate for a bed, after all. I went to a seminary in Eretz Yisrael that I felt was custom made for me. Having grown up with a twin sister who was always in my class (and with only four kids in a class that made up for quite a percentage), this was finally my chance to be my own person. I invested myself in the classes and the work, and I was the one whose notes everyone copied before an exam. But my friends turned to me for more than that. I had real friends, the type with whom I’d have deep discussions and exchange advice. We would plan Shabbosim together and revel in each other’s company. This was my first opportunity to become an individual, and I excelled at it. My original plan following the seminary

74 The Wellspring | September 2018

year was to attend a special education program in Baltimore, but when I gave a model lesson at seminary, the teacher was so impressed that she said, “If you don’t become a teacher, you’ll be depriving the world of your abilities.” And so, I decided to give a model lesson for a teaching job in my hometown. I was in Tzfas for Shabbos when I got the phone call from the principal. “We want you to teach for us,” she said. And I was ecstatic. As a teacher, I had the opportunity to employ my leadership qualities and connect to my students in a real way. I also served as the student counsel advisor, supporting students privately when the need arose, as well as planning events and programs that highlighted the students’ strengths. Despite having it all together at school, I was intrigued that small talk and social events outside of my work were so challenging for me. In my third year of teaching, the brother of two of my students was suggested as a shidduch for me. Soon after, my husband and I got married and started our life together in Eretz Yisrael. I later discovered that my mother-in-law was so impressed with me as her daughters’ teacher that she wanted me for her son. Little did she imagine what a roller coaster her son and I would be going through together so soon after our marriage. In Hindsight Although, from the outset, I appeared to be cruising through adolescence, my own history can serve as a model for how disassociation in teenagers may appear. I dealt with the inner struggles of my youth that affected my mental, emotional, and physical health by pushing it into my subconscious mind, as if it never took place. I pushed myself hard at school and had a desperate need to excel in all areas. My goal was to live in distraction, consciously ignoring the pain bottled up inside of me. However, looking back, I realize that this coping mechanism only fueled the catastrophe that was waiting to happen. To be continued... Zahava List is the founder and director of Chazkeinu, a peer-led support organization for religious Jewish women who struggle with mental illness and their female family members.

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.

DIGEST TO THE MAX™ Related to Inkwell pg.

MAXI CINNACAPS COMPLEX™ Related to HealthEd pg.

As kinesiologist Miriam Schweid notes, lactose or gluten intolerance puts a strain on the digestive system that in turns saps energy from the body. A daily dose of Digest to the Max™ may be all you need to be able to enjoy these food groups again. This unique formula targets digestion of dairy sugar (lactose) and dairy protein, as well as gluten digestion, by providing the body with the enzymes necessary for the proper breakdown of these foods.

While leading a healthy lifestyle is important for everyone, it’s especially crucial for diabetics. Part of a healthy lifestyle is giving the body the right nutrients for optimal performance. For diabetics, a healthy diet should be supplemented with Maxi Cinnacaps Complex™, which contains a natural combination of diabetes-fighting nutrients, like detoxified cinnamon, fenugreek extract, and guar gum.

KIDDIEMAX MULTI YUMS™ Related to Monthly Dose pg.

NATUREMAX ENERGIZE™ Related to Golden Page pg.

An adequate intake of proper nutrients is not only essential for children’s physical health, but also has significant positive effects on mental health, behavior, and cognitive function. Since healthy eating isn’t a reality for most children, Maxi Health developed some of the most cutting-edge children’s dietary supplements to fill in those badly-needed gaps. Loaded with 21 essential everyday vitamins and minerals, in addition to a green vegetable blend, these are available in a hard candy, gummy-bear, and liquid, and should be given to all children.

An insufficient intake of quality protein in the aging population may lead to loss of muscle mass, reduced strength, decreased bone mass, low immunity, cognitive impairment, and delayed wound and surgery recovery. Low protein intake is a strong independent predictor of mortality in aging people. Maxi Health’s Naturemax Energize™ is a kosher whey protein supplement made from chalav Yisrael. Fortified with vitamins and without any added sugar, and available in chocolate, orange, and vanilla flavors, it is a choice supplement for those looking to fill the protein gap.

CHROMIUM SUPREME™ Related to Health Platform pg. 12 According to the research Rabbi Meisels reviews in his column, the correlation between zinc deficiency and obesity has consistently been established. Especially if you’re experiencing a reduced sense of taste and are overweight, taking a supplement like Maxi Health’s Chromium Supreme™, which contains zinc in addition to other nutrients, may assist you in achieving weight loss. Ask for these products at your local health food store.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 75

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

Selection Guide

Golden Page By Yaakov Goodman

IS YOUR MOTHER’S BODY STARVING?

PROPER NOURISHMENT FOR SENIORS

A staggering 55% of older individuals in the general population, and 84% to 100% in residential care facilities, are not adequately nourished. This results from reduced appetite and food intake, impaired nutrient absorption, and age-related medical and social changes. In particular, an insufficient intake of quality protein can lead to loss of muscle mass, reduced strength, decreased bone mass, low immunity, cognitive impairment, and delayed wound and surgery recovery. Low protein intake is a strong independent predictor of mortality in aging people. This problem leads to the functional decline known as frailty, a recognized geriatric syndrome. A second factor that affects the elderly population is that although calorie restriction (CR) has been shown to have beneficial health-and-longevity effects among the general populace, long-term adherence requires a major commitment of will power. This is difficult for the elderly to maintain, and its potential risks for this group have yet to be determined. Whey provides the benefits of CR without a reduction in food intake, and is thus an excellent nourishment solution for the elderly. First, whey represents a high-quality protein supplement for aging persons, with a rich source of BCAAs to stimulate protein synthesis and inhibit protein breakdown. Second, whey delivers CR benefits, playing a pivotal role in hormone secretion and action, intracellular signaling, and regulation of gene transcription and translation. Let’s review some results of longevity studies to understand further benefits of whey for the elderly. Serotonin levels in the body can decline with age. The rate of the brain’s serotonin synthesis normally depends on its concentration of tryptophan, serotonin’s essential amino acid precursor. Reinforcing this, dietary intake of tryptophan has been found to relieve depression and stress. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study indicated that whey’s alpha-lactalbumin increases the plasma ratio of tryptophan. In subjects assessed as highly vulnerable to stress, this whey fraction raised brain serotonin activity and coping ability, as well as improving mood under stress. Memory performance can decline under chronic stress, believed to result partially from reduced brain serotonin. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, whey significantly improved memory-test performance in stress-vulnerable subjects. Because it boosts glutathione levels, whey may protect against various age-related diseases, including neurocognitive disorders. A 2012 review suggested that the

peptides and alpha-lactalbumin found in whey may help protect against age-related cognitive decline and dementia during aging. Animal studies have demonstrated that whey is superior to other dietary proteins for suppression of cancer development. This benefit is attributed to whey’s high content of cystine/ cysteine and gamma-glutamylcysteine dipeptides, used for synthesis of glutathione, giving whey its rare ability to raise levels of glutathione. Glutathione is well-known to destroy reactive oxygen species, but it also detoxifies carcinogens and ensures a competent immune system. Studies show that whey’s tumor prevention is accompanied by enhanced glutathione levels, spleen lymphocyte proliferation, phagocytosis, and activity of natural killer, T helper, and cytotoxic T cells. The whey component lactoferrin powerfully inhibits tumors by various pathways, including inducing apoptosis, blocking angiogenesis, modulating carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes, and possibly by scavenging iron. Scientists demonstrated that whey may also reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes. In 2013, scientists reviewed many previous studies and concluded that the evidence supports the use of whey as a therapeutic treatment for obesity. Specifically, the study team concluded, “Whey protein, via bioactive peptides and amino acids generated during gastrointestinal digestion, enhances the release of several hormones…that lead to reduced food intake and increased satiety.” Whey protein appears to play a direct role in bone growth. Researchers found that subjects fed whey protein showed increased bone strength and bone protein, such as collagen. This discovery led researchers to test whether or not whey protein directly stimulated osteoblast (bone cell) growth in vitro. Whey protein was found to stimulate, dose dependently, total protein synthesis, DNA content, and increased hydroxyproline contents of bone cells. Finally, over 30% of people aged 60 or over have sarcopenia: age-related muscle-wasting that increases the risk of falls and disability. By sparing and synthesizing muscle, whey blocks this process. These research findings, combined with studies on whey protein conducted over past decades, present a strong case that whey protein concentrate has tremendous lifeextending effects. Maxi Health Naturemax Energize™ is a kosher whey protein supplement made from chalav Yisrael. Fortified with vitamins and without any added sugar, and available in chocolate, orange and vanilla flavors, it is a choice supplement for those looking to fill the protein gap.

Tishrei 5779 | The Wellspring 77

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

Age Well

Memos from a Kinesiologist By Miriam Schweid

Energy Restoration She thought she was doomed to a life of fatigue Perel, a wonderful, hard working woman in her late fifties, works from home as a full-time babysitter. In addition to keeping house and tending to the needs of her extended family, she often takes infants for several days at a time. Despite her demanding schedule, I know her as a friendly, exuberant, talkative type, and we consider ourselves good neighborhood friends. Therefore, when I met her at the supermarket several weeks ago, I found her response to my greeting uncharacteristic. Instead of initiating a conversation, Perel merely smiled and nodded her greeting. I didn’t think much of it, though. A few days later, when I walked past Perel’s house I met her again—this time, resting on a chair on her front lawn. This time, I was concerned. When I greeted her, she opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. Since this was the time when she was usually busy with her babysitting service, I asked if she had no babies to take care of on that day. In response, she confided that she had hired a woman to help her out because she was feeling exceptionally weak and had no energy to tend to the babies’ needs. She expressed concern about her lack of energy, her dejected spirit, and constant fatigue. Later, when we continued the conversation in my home, Perel related that when she had gone to see her general doctor, he ordered blood work to test for thyroid abnormalities, Lyme disease, and mono. Everything came back clear. And so, the doctor was left with nothing to offer. He suggested that Perel take it easy by hiring help and taking frequent naps. But, after two weeks of following his instructions, Perel lamented, everything remained the same: she still experienced the same lack of energy. Even after a ten-hour night of sleep, she did not wake up feeling refreshed. The juiced vegetables and fruits she was ordering, which were very costly and beyond her budget, only provided minimal reprieve. Upon a friend’s

78 The Wellspring | September 2018

suggestion, she had even started baking her own whole wheat bread with added organic nuts. On most nights, to up her protein intake, Perel added beans to her vegetable soup. As soon as Perel offered this tidbit of information, I found what I prayed was a possible direction toward her recovery. When the body’s energy levels are compromised, putting added strain on the digestive system by consuming foods that aren’t appropriate for one’s body only exacerbates the problem. The hard work the system is put through drains the body of all energy. Perhaps, I suggested, Perel was consuming foods that her body couldn’t tolerate. Whole wheat and nuts are especially difficult to digest, as are beans. Whatever energy Perel still had was being diverted toward digesting these foods. I advised Perel to stop eating these foods immediately, and I recommended consumption of spelt grains and cooked vegetables that are more easily digestible. Nuts, bran cereal, seeds, and beans were no longer part of her new diet. As an added boost for a smoother digestion process, I recommended Perel take Maxi Health’s digestive formula Digest to the Max™ with each meal. This professionally-formulated supplement provides the body with much-needed enzymes to break down particularly difficult-to-digest particles in gluten and lactose. After Perel received her prescription from me, she didn’t wait for me to walk past her house to give me feedback. That very same week, she called to share a joke. I could hear the smile in her voice. In our conversation, she confided that she couldn’t believe her digestive system could slow her down to such an extent, but now that she had her energy and smile back, the proof was in the pudding. Or, more appropriately, in her smile. *Names and identifying details have been changed.

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

Inkwell

Farewell

Dictionary

Regulation Definition: noun

the ability to manage emotions and behaviors based on the environment and the situation, and to produce an appropriate response.

“

OBSERVING HOW A CHILD RESPONDS TO A TRIGGER OR STIMULUS -IF HE'S ABLE TO CALM DOWN WHEN HE'S UPSET OR TO EXPRESS HAPPINESS APPROPRIATELY, HOW HE DEALS WITH CHANGES IN HIS ENVIRONMENT, ETC. -GIVES US A CLUE REGARDING HIS ABILITY TO REGULATE.

”

- FRIEDY SINGER & ROIZY GUTTMANN, OTR/L CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Tishrei 5779 | 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.