Wellspring issue #3 by The Wellspring

Well of Youth: Teens, there’s something in the potato your body really needs!

SPRING WITHOUT THE FEVER There’s hope for sufferers

Kids’ p ullo sectio ut n page 2 7

POTATO STARCH ALL YEAR How gluten can wreak havoc in your body

Me Time: from bud to blossom

Why you should try your hand at gardening

CAN CALORIES TELL TIME?

GOOD FOOD inside

Nutritionist Shani Taub on nighttime eating

issue 3 APRiL 2016 NissAN 5776

issue 3 APRIL 2016 NISSAN 5776

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Editor’s Letter Dear Readers,

Editor In Chief Shiffy Friedman, CNWC

Everyone gets there, the question is how. For American kollel couples living in Eretz Yisrael, life’s transience is especially glaring. Every half a year or so, when bein hazmanim comes around, most of us take wing— kids, suitcases and an endless supply of pacifiers in tow. Today, in the days when most of my friends are set to take off for Pesach, we enjoyed a rare impromptu meet at the local ice cream place. Over spoonsful of goodness (frozen bio yogurt with date syrup), we talked about… Pesach cleaning. “When I clean for Pesach,” said one friend, “I must do it all the way. I start early so I can turn over every drawer in the house and scrub every mattress. My husband just doesn’t understand why I’m overdoing it like that.” Another friend, from the more chilled school, only starts to clean after Purim. “Why bother before?” she voiced her opinion, “it just makes me an uptight mother.” I sat there, nodding my head. As the daughter of a balabusta who starts scrubbing soon after Chanukah, I’ve found myself gravitating toward the wait-till-after-Purim camp. I find that this is my way of maintaining the calm environment we want to have in our home (or am I just rationalizing?). What works for one is a recipe for disaster for another, but when it comes to that magical evening on the first night of Pesach, we all stand at the yom tov candles, basking in the glow of pristine holiness. The multitude of weight-loss and health-promoting programs out there is proof that there is no one right prescription for good health either. A whole-grain diet works wonders for some people. For those with gluten sensitivity, even the tiniest trace of wheat spurs on a host of negative symptoms. In Tilly Steiner’s excellent feature on gluten, you’ll discover why some people trade in wheat flour for potato starch (or other flours) all year round in order to maintain their health and sanity. What is beneficial for one body may wreak havoc in the next. On a recent Friday night, I went to visit my dear mentor, Mrs. Tammy Karmel, for Kabbalas Shabbos. Thanks to my colorful career as a writer, I had the zechus to get intimately acquainted with this larger-than-life woman. From when she was diagnosed with the degenerative disease of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) less than two years ago, she’s inspired thousands of women around the world through her video lectures. Despite her paralysis and inability to speak, Tammy radiates emunah and bitachon. Her notable quality is no doubt her simchah, which is probably why I and her thousands of fans gravitate toward her. When I was with her, Tammy’s sister, who was visiting from London, shared what the world-renowned mashpiah Rav Elimelech Biederman shlit”a, had told Tammy the night before. (He comes often on Thursday night to share words of chizuk.) “Who says the mouth can only serve Hashem through talking?” Reb Meilech said to Tammy, an extraordinary orator before ALS struck. “Your mouth, Mrs. Karmel, serves Hashem through smiling.” Whether it’s reaching Pesach in peace, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, or, the ultimate aspiration of serving Hashem, the goal is the same for all of us. May you enjoy your personal journey in getting there. Wishing you a chag kasher vesameiach,

Shiffy Friedman

shiffy@wellspringmagazine.com

Well-Put!

In his interview with The Wellspring, Rabbi Eli Glaser of Soveya says he wishes you would know that “the mitzvah of taking care of our bodies through proper nutrition is just as important as the other mitzvos regarding food.” Something to think about! Check out what else he has to say on page 58.

Nutritional Advisory Board Jack Friedman, PhD Moshe Weinberger Fitness Advisor LR Wilen, PFC Managing Editor Esty Cinner Feature Editors Rochel Gordon Liba Solomon, CNWC Copy Editor Gila Zemmel Food Editor Levia Joseph Creative Director Miriam Bluming Rivky Schwartz Art Director Chavy Shwartz Digital Marketing Goldi Feldman Simcha Nunez Write To Us: 694 Myrtle Ave. Suite 389 Brooklyn, NY 11205 info@wellspringmagazine.com wellspringmagazine.com The Wellspring Magazine is published monthly by MaxiHealth 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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Content

wellness platform By Rabbi Hirsh Meisels

torah wellspring By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

health tidbits in the news By Liba Solomon, CNWC

figures By Miriam Katz

welcome to the lab By Judy Appel

Well Informed

Ask the Nutritionist By Shani Taub, CDC

in good shape By Syma Kranz, AAAI

cover feature: Potato Starch All Year By Tilly Steiner

healthy home habits By Batsheva FIne

monthly dose Spring Without the Fever By Dina Mendlowitz

Living Well

Children’s Section By Dina

Well of youth SEASONED: Feast of freedom By Shiffy Friedman

nutrition facts in a shell By Devorah Isaacson

Eat Well clean slate By Shiffy Friedman, CNWC

Health Personality Rabbi Eli Glaser, CWMC, CNWC By Miri Davis

ME-time By Batsheva Fine

Wellbeing diary As Told To Rochel Gordon

inkwell

food for thought

fare well

54 8 The Wellspring | April 2016

Teens’ Section By Raizy Kleinman

18 16

zy things a r e c ople do h T pe o get t

Springboard

Letters to the Editor

Our Purim Table Talk The credit is yours Issue #2: Healthy Home Habits

A Natural Relaxant Now I know what to recommend! Issue #2: Keep Calm and Carry On Dear Staff: I came across your magazine at my in-laws this weekend, and I just wanted to let you know how impressed I was. The content is so informative and presented in a very engaging, well-written style. I literally finished it cover to cover! As a makeup artist, I find that women often unburden to me while I work on their faces. Very often, they complain about the stresses in their lives, usually very normal ones. I hear that the ba’alei simchah especially are under much stress. Sometimes, they ask me if I have any ideas for them. Now I have a natural suggestion! Relax to the Max sounds like it could really do the work. Thanks for bringing this product to my attention. Another issue that many women bring up is varicose veins. Do you have any product for that? I look forward to seeing your next issue! Shira K. Circumax is a very effective supplement for varicose veins. Since it contains herbs and is therefore not recommended for during pregnancy, Circu E and Pure C Bio are recommended. 10 The Wellspring | April 2016

To the Editor at The Wellspring, I would like to fill you in on what the discussion at our family Purim table was about. (I’m actually writing these words on Motzaei Purim in my leggings and sneakers because I got so motivated to do it right once and for all!) The topic of discussion between my sisters and sisters-in-law was your Healthy Home Habits column on how to get kids to eat less sugar.Thanks for giving us some constructive suggestions. We watched as the kids who had eaten a good breakfast were much more content than the ones who weren’t as lucky (and chasing after junk all day), so we had our own little experiment right there! And what were we women munching on? Seasoned’s heavenly granola bars that my sister kindly prepared for the family! What a wholesome treat. Thanks for raising awareness regarding health in the community! Rochela R.

Not Only Better Than Chips More on the benefits of Almonds Issue #2: Snack Right! To the Editor: This might be long in coming, but I guess it’s never too late to throw in a good word. As a student in nutrition school, I am thoroughly enjoying the well-researched articles in The Wellspring. I find that you have created a balance of solid information with fun facts and tips. In Issue 2’s “Well Informed,” you wrote about research regarding al-

monds – that choosing them over chips is a good idea. I’d like to add that although people are somehow cautious about nuts, almonds aren’t only better than chips,they’re better than a lot of other foods around, as I’ve discovered in my research on this superfood. Five large human epidemiological studies, including the Nurses Health Study, the Iowa Health Study, the Adventist Health Study, and the Physicians Health Study, all found that almond consumption is linked to a lower risk of heart disease. They also contain magnesium and Vitamin E, both vital for the body’s healthy functioning. Thanks again for a wonderful publication, E. Gluck, aspiring R.D. Lakewood, New Jersey

Seeking Advice Loving exercise, but not the backaches Issue #2: Time to Get Moving Dear Editor: I’m enjoying the magazine immensely. This is something our community has been waiting for for years! The first column I turn to is the one on fitness as I naturally enjoy doing exercise and playing sports, so it makes me feel good to know that I’m earning points toward my health. The fitness instructor writes in the article that one of the benefits of exercise is that it’s good for the posture. I’m wondering why certain exercises actually give me backaches. Does that make sense at all? Thanks in advance, Tzivia G.

Dear Tzivia G. I am happy to hear that you enjoy the magazine and articles. I’d like preface the responses to your question by mentioning that everybody is different, and your question does not give me enough basis to guarantee the exact cause of your backaches. That said, here are a few basic reasons a person may experience backaches before or after exercising. The first one is poor form while doing specific exercises, or doing the exercising incorrectly. Even if you exercise all the time, if the form is off, or you aren’t exercising correctly, you might feel it in your back. A second possibility may be that you have a weak back or core. If that is the case, you should focus on individual exercises that will help strengthen the core. (A good exercise for this is a plank.) Often, a stronger core leads to less backaches. A third option may be a lack of post-exercise stretching, which can trigger the pain. Unfortunately backaches are a very common issue, and I will be addressing this topic more in depth in an upcoming article. For now, stay strong and keep up the workouts! Best of Luck! LR

The Melatonin Discourse Is it really safe to use? Issue #2: Peace, At Last

women, so I figured I would let you know that as a man, I found the articles to be very interesting and helpful. I especially enjoyed the Torah Wellspring column. Very solid information! A special thanks for bringing out how effective Mel-OChews are. As a father, I can attest to how it brings seder into the house! When our four kids came home from their friends and/or aunts after my wife had a baby, we put it to good use to put everyone back on schedule. I hope more families make use of this! E. Davidson Brooklyn Dear editor: I read your recent issue with much pleasure. The articles are very informative and gave me a lot of food for thought. I could say I went into Purim with a different mindset on all the sugar around me thanks to you! I read about Mel-OChews with intrigue because I’ve heard so much about them from friends and family. I already heard that they’re effective, but what I would really like to know is if they’re safe. It sounds weird to me to give something to make my child fall asleep. How is it different than giving a three-year-old a sleeping pill? Please clarify this for me. Thanks so much, D. Lieber

To the Editor: I just want to let you know how much I enjoyed the magazine. I’m sure that most of your readers are

Moshe Weinberger, nutritional advisor at Maxi Health Research, responds:

Melatonin has an extraordinarily safe record with children who have received appropriate dosages. As a matter of fact, some hospitals even use low dosages for newborn infants. Of course, there are many other reasons for insomnia, which should be looked into, such as anemia and other deficiencies, such as calcium. In healthy children, melatonin merely brings the time clock and sleep rhythm back to normal in a couple of days or weeks, to a point at which they don’t need it anymore. Contrary to unsupported claims of the dangers of youthful melatonin usage, sleep deprivation can be extremely harmful, especially to kids with Attention Deficit Disorder and other learning disabilities, putting them at risk by lowering immune functions, etc. Many cases have been reported of children who accidentally chewed 50 or more tablets and the only result was that they were sleepy for 12 hours. An in-depth scientific study on melatonin that was published in 2010 in the Journal of Pineal Research found that “there is general agreement that melatonin therapy has a remarkably benign safety profile, even when children are treated with pharmacological doses. Moreover, severe complications with longterm melatonin therapy in children or adults have not been reported.” For more information and to learn more about the many benefits of melatonin (besides combating insomnia) you can read The Melatonin Miracle by Dr. Walter Pierpaoli, M.D., PhD and William Regelson, M.D. The key to use is common sense. Just use as needed and keep the dosages low, as found in on directions label for use on Mel-O-Chews™ or Mel-O-Drops™.

The next issue of The Wellspring will appear on May 25th. 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. April 2016 | The Wellspring 11

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Well Informed

Wellness Platform By Rabbi Hirsh Meisels

Is There a Way to Prevent Illness?

In last month’s article, I addressed the question that people often ask: “Can vitamins really cure?” adding that I find it amusing that they wouldn’t wonder “Can medications really cure?” In addition to the fact that vitamins tackle the root of the problem as opposed to the superficial symptoms, vitamins have no side effects. Yes, I agree that medications don’t always have side effects, but there’s a reason why we’re warned about taking them. When someone takes vitamins in their recommended dose, he will not experience negative side effects. Conversely, when people take medications, they usually take more than one, multiplying the chances of experiencing side effects. Researchers have found that it’s impossible for a person to be on three medications without experiencing some sort of side effect. Even if each medication on its own wouldn’t generate side effects, the interaction of the various medications will lead to a negative effect of some kind. Another glaring difference between medications and supplements is that while medications are only administered retroactively, once the problem is detected, vitamins can be taken to promote health, as well as to treat issues proactively. In order to take medication, the person must first experience an ailment. If he’s already feeling symptoms but has not been given a clear diagnosis, he won’t be given medication. In other words, a person only takes medication once he’s experiencing full-fledged, usually painful, issues. Nutritional supplements, on the

other hand, are known as preventive medicine. These vitamins can and should be taken when the person feels healthy and strong. They are the vehicle through which he can drive away illness. Especially if a person has a family history of a specific issue, such as hypertension, by taking nutritional supplements on a steady basis, his chances for suffering from that issue diminish greatly. Even once the dis-

Medications don’t always have side effects, but there’s a reason why we’re warned about taking them.

ease is already in his body, the intervention of nutritional supplements can still serve to drive it away, be’ezras Hashem. It is important to note, however, that people should not commit the perilous mistake of ignoring their symptoms. One should never tell himself, “I’m taking vitamins, so I’ll let it fly.” When a person feels ill, he is obligated according to the Torah and the

dictates of common sense, to take action. Only when he isn’t in immediate danger may a person experiment with nutritional supplements to observe their effects on his body. The bottom line is that our end goal is to be healthy. To ignore progressive symptoms because of an antagonistic approach to medication is not a solution. For example, in regards to diabetes, many diabetics have successfully controlled their insulin levels through alternative methods. However, if a diabetic finds that his body doesn’t respond effectively to the alternative solution, he is obligated to take medication to treat his issue. His argument that medication isn’t healthy, which may be true, is comical, because being sick is of course unhealthy. When a person is interested in maintaining his good health, or he’s experiencing uncomfortable symptoms, he could make the decision to choose nutritional supplements. It is the option that has no side effects, treats issues proactively, and tackles the root of the problem rather than the presenting symptom. 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.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 13

KOSHER DAIRY

Pesach on-the-go

J&J. For all your Chol Hamoed adventures. ‫חג כשר ושמח‬

Well Informed

Torah Wellspring By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

Why is the Torah sO CONCERNED ABOUT your physical health? Many frum Jews are used to thinking that a yid is composed of two parts: the guf and the neshamah, body and soul. In this vein, we tend to compartmentalize our deeds as either ruchnius or gashmius, depending on which part of us we think they’re serving. For instance, when we’re sleeping, which seems to us like an action pertaining to the body, we’re involved in a gashmius activity, and when we’re davening, we see it as an obviously ruchnius activity. Because of this error in thinking, we make the mistake of writing off health and wellness, which includes exercise, sleeping right, eating right, etc., as a physical domain unrelated to the neshamah. We see things pertaining to the guf as strictly gashmius. However, if we look into the words of Chazal, we find something illuminating. Entire pages in the Gemara, in which every word is counted and measured, are dedicated toward the subject of health. The Rambam, too, devoted several chapters in his sefarim to expound on issues related to the guf. But first, let’s look into the source of all sources, to find the very first mention of the sacred mitzvah of maintaining our physical health. We have a clear and direct pasuk in the Torah: Venishmartem me’od lenafshoseichem (Devarim 4:15). The Pele Yoetz notes that the Torah doesn’t use the adjective “me’od” by any other mitzvah in the Torah—not even by the three most severe ones! In this vein, our Sages remark: Chamira sekanta mei’isura, a danger is more chamur than a prohibition. According to the Sefer HaChinuch, the many mitzvos pertaining to food, such as the prohibition of not eating treifus, cheilev, and blood from kosher animals; of eating sheratzim, tamei animals, and even perhaps food that was touched by a tamei person, were commanded for one reason: the Torah knows how harmful these foods are to the human body. In other words, we have tens of mitzvos that forbid us from consuming certain foods solely because the Torah is concerned about our physical health! In addition to the prohibitions against certain foods, the Torah forbids various acts also in order to ensure our physical health and wellbeing. For instance, the mitzvah of ma’akeh commands that one must build a fence on his roof in order to prevent someone falling from it. When understood in a literal context, Lo sa’amod al dam reyecha is also a prohibition against causing another person physical harm. We also have an issur that if something in our home has the potential to cause someone bodily harm we’re required to dispose of it. Even the mitzvah of simchah (which

we discussed in depth in the last article), says the Chinuch, was given only because it’s so crucial for the body. In order to achieve optimal health, notes the Chinuch, a person must be in a state of happiness, which is why the Torah gave us this mitzvah. So, not only does the Torah forbid various harmful foods, but even simchah, a positive influence on the body, is a mitzvah, in order to ensure our physical health. (Furthermore, the Torah is so makpid on a yid’s body that even after he dies, he must be buried properly.) The Rambam’s every written word contains volumes of meaning. Indeed, the Brisker Rav authored Chiddushei HaGra”ch just to explain the concise words of the Rambam, whose every written letter has a purpose. This same Rambam wrote an entire chapter (perek 4) in Hilchos Deios where he lists and explains the various foods that can cause harm to a person’s body. The reason, he notes, is because a “person must be makpid about his health.” Even with the sources cited above, which are a drop in the bucket in relation to the countless references to health we find in the Torah, we could establish the irrefutable reality that our physical health is not just a gashmius concern. It is clearly a spiritual obligation. Why is the Torah so concerned about our physical health? We find the answer in the Sefer HaChinuch. When expounding on the reason the Torah forbids certain foods (mitzvah 73), he offers an enlightening parable. Hashem gave the guf as a wrench in the hands of the handyman. The soul was sent into this world in order to be repaired by the handyman, Hashem. Our guf is the wrench, the tool with which the neshamah can achieve its tikkun, explains the Chinuch. With this mashal, we understand that a yid’s body is a lot more than a mere physical being. It plays a vital role in bringing the neshamah to perfection! In this vein, the Ropshitzer Rebbe offers a brilliant interpretation of the words in Tehillim (11:3), Ki hashasos yehareisin tzaddik ma pa’ul? Shasos refers to the guf, the Rebbe explains. If the guf is broken, what can a tzaddik, the neshamah, do? Only when the body is whole—healthy and well-maintained, can the neshamah perform its duties toward its tikkun. Only when we fulfill Hashem’s direct command of maintaining our physical health are we able to serve him properly. April 2016 | The Wellspring 15

Well Informed

Health Tidbits in the News By Liba Solomon, CNWC

Good News to Mom’s Ears— And Her Infant’s Ear infections are becoming less common A recent study published in Pediatrics shows that although painful ear infections remain a scourge in childhood, fewer American babies are getting them now compared to 20 years ago. The study found that 46% of the 367 babies they followed from 2008 to 2014 had a middle ear infection by the time they were one year old. Although this rate isn’t especially low, it is lower when compared against US studies from the 1980s and 1990s, when 60% of babies suffered an ear infection by their first birthday. Some experts credit the rising rates of breastfeeding for this improvement. Dr. Joseph Bernstein, a pediatric otolaryngologist at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in New York City says that the data “really do suggest that breastfeeding—particularly exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life—helps reduce the risk of ear infections.” The reason for this, he says, is that mother’s milk contains antibodies that can help protect babies against infections. Also, he notes, when babies drink from a bottle while lying flat, they are more susceptible to ear infections than nursing babies, who lie in a different position. In this study, the breastfed babies had a 60% lower chance of developing an ear infection in their first six months.

Golden Page Updates for the rich in years Resveratrol to the Rescue According to a news report from the University of Giessen published in Genomics & Genetics Weekly, the natural compound resveratrol has the capability of directly interfering with the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. By reducing A[beta] induced toxicity in the brain, it targets specific proteins involved in the development of the disease. Findings from published scientific literature indicate that resveratrol may be the most effective compound for maintaining optimal health and promoting longevity. Red wines contain resveratrol, a compound which is produced as a response to attack by molds, but the quantity they contain varies depending on where the grapes are grown, the time of harvest, and other factors. In fact, usually one to three mg of resveratrol per liter of red wine is currently found even in the most robust red wines. Research shows that 20mg or more of resveratrol may be needed in order for the body to obtain all the positive benefits of the compound, including healthy insulin sensitivity, enhanced mitochondrial function, reduced expression of inflammatory factors, protection against the effects of a high-fat diet, and, as the new research shows, the prevention of the onset of Alzheimer’s. It’s obviously inconcievable to put a stop to the aging process and stay youthful for ever but many scientists believe that Resveratrol could help slow down the aging process.

16 The Wellspring | April 2016

Want to boost your brain power? Here’s how! According to David O. Kennedy, biological psychology professor at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, multivitamins containing a full range of water-soluble vitamins, including vitamin B and C, contribute to boosting brainpower. In his recent study, which was presented at the Fifth International Symposium on Vitamin C, he measured the changes in body metabolism of 97 healthy females aged 25 to 49 for eight weeks. He discovered that the intake of multivitamins improved brain function, psychological function, and cerebral bloodflow. Kennedy notes that humans require 30 vitamins including A, D, E, and K, as well as nine water-soluble vitamins, such as B and C, in order to function at optimal levels.

More Pounds May Equal More Sadness Even with higher education, obese women run a greater risk of depression Research has already shown a link between obesity and depression in the general female population. However, a study published this month in Obesity Research and Clinical Practice shows an association between depression and obesity even in women who went to institutions of higher education. The lead author of the study, sociologist Dr. Ashley Kranjac of Rice University, said she was surprised by the finding. She assumed that higher education is associated with “all the good things, like higher income, better neighborhoods, greater access to health care, and better overall health. You’d never think education and obesity combined could have this effect on mental health.” Well, Dr. Kranjac was in for a surprise. In the study, which involved a random sample of 1,928 healthy, highly-educated women between the ages of 38 and 80, the participants were measured for body-mass index and interviewed regarding their medical history, diet, and emotional health. The results indicate that even with higher education, women with a body-mass index (BMI) of 30-34.9 have double the risk of depression compared to women with normal weight and the same educational attainment.

Just Juice, That’s AllOr maybe not even that? A new study on the sugar content in fruit drinks Many commercially sold fruit drinks and juices give kids a full day’s worth of sugar in a single serving, a new BMJ Open study shows. In the research led by Simon Capewell, a professor at the Institute of Psychology, Health, and Society at the University of Liverpool, the research team calculated the total of added sugars in 7-ounce bottles of 203 fruit drinks, 100 percent natural juices, and smoothies marketed specifically to children. Nearly half of the children’s products in the study contained the entire daily recommended maximum sugar intake of 19 grams (five teaspoons) for a child, if not more, the researchers report. Even the natural fruit juices tested had an unacceptably high sugar content! In the university news release, Capewell said that as parents learn more about the high sugar content of sodas and other sweetened drinks, many “opt for seemingly healthier fruit juice and smoothie alternatives.” The solution? Think Pesach! Whenever possible, give your children fresh fruit instead of fruit juice, suggests Capewell. When giving children fruit juice, choose unsweetened juice, dilute it with water, only serve it during meals, and limit the amount to about five ounces a day.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 17

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

Ounce of Well

Well Informed

Figures By Miriam Katz

years

6-10

MORE THAN

numbers on Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance

Million people in the United States suffer from celiac disease

the average time a person waits to be correctly diagnosed

83% 40% of celiac patients have osteoporosis

of Americans who have celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed

$3,694 how much more medical care for people with undiagnosed celiac disease costs per year than for healthy people 18â&#x20AC;&#x201A; The Wellspring | April 2016

the amount of pharmaceutical treatments available for celiac disease

100%

of people with celiac disease have an immediate family member who also has celiac disease

300

5-22% or more the amount of conditions gluten can cause in the body of an individual with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity

242% on average, the rate of how much more expensive glutenfree products are than their non-gluten-free counterparts

$2.6

gluten-free diet, is the only existing treatment for celiac disease

billion revenues from glutenfree sales in 2010 April 2016 | The Wellspringâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; 19

Living Well

Ask the Nutritionist By Shani Taub, CDC

Can Calories Tell Time? The facts about nighttime eating

My husband comes home after eight every evening, and I always have the dilemma of whether to eat dinner with him, or with the kids at six. On the one hand, I think eating together gives us nice quality time, but I’m concerned about nighttime eating. Is it true that those calories tend to stick? I’m trying to lose a few pounds, and I don’t want this to get in the way. Especially now that Pesach is coming up, which means we’ll be eating several meals close to midnight, I would like to hear your take on this.

Shani answers:

I commend you for wanting to eat dinner with your husband. It’s definitely a nice way to connect, and I’m sure he appreciates this gesture.

Busting the Myth I find that there are various opinions out there about nighttime eating. Some researchers say that digestion is the same throughout the day, while others find that just as the body slows down and

The Wellspring | April 2016 20

gets tired, the metabolism follows a similar pattern. My take is that it’s more about what you eat than when you eat it. If you eat late at night and weigh yourself the next morning, it only makes sense for you to see a higher number than you’ll see had you eaten earlier. That’s only because it takes time for the body to digest the food; it is not necessarily a result of the time of day that you ingested it. In other words, you’re not really gaining more or losing less; it’s just that the body hasn’t yet fully done its thing by the time you stepped on the scale. For this reason, when someone joins my program, I monitor the losses early on. If I observe that her

It’s more about what you eat than when you eat it. loss is in the average range, I tell her to eat her three balanced meals per day whenever it works for her. But I advise her to eat earlier on the night before her weigh-in, so she can see how much weight she has lost. However, if I see that someone’s following the plan and still not reaching the goals we set, I recommend that she eat more of her food earlier in the day. Before I take away, I pull away. I tell her to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper. Do I think that the Israeli way of living is best? Yes, I do. Ideally, our main meal should be early in the day, just so that our body has the proper energy to function. However, drastic changes usually backfire. The best way to lose weight is to continue eating at the times you’re used to. You don’t want to change your schedule in a drastic way if you want the changes to last. It’s important to note that the reason why nighttime eating may seem to cause weight gain, or slow down the weight loss process, is because at night, when we’re exhausted, our food choices may be poor. We’re more likely to high-fat or highsugar foods that our bodies store as fat when we’re wiped out. For this reason, many people prefer staying out of the kitchen altogether after their early dinner, which is a good idea. However, you only asked about when it is better to eat your dinner, so I assume you would be eating the same portion of food, independent of the time. Accordingly, I would recommend that if you’re seeing slow and steady weight loss, which tells you that your metabolism is in a good range, continue eating dinner with your husband even after eight. As long as your meal is balanced, you will do just fine—and get to wrap up your busy day with a calm meal with your husband!

Less Is More Pesach tips for weight loss and maintenance

Eat Right to Feel Right

A woman walked into my office today and told me that due to the pre-Pesach rush, she skipped lunch. I said to her, “You’ll be glad you joined the program— not for the weight loss, but for the change you’ll see in your day.” When we eat properly, we literally feel a burst of energy. Pesach cleaning, or any other chore, just becomes so much more enjoyable, pleasant, and doable. I remember a client who came to her postPesach session last year after spending the yom tov with her extended family. She said proudly, “I was the only one who got dressed at every meal—and also the only one who had the energy to clean up!”

No Excuses

I always tell my clients that nobody ever gains weight from keeping a mitzvah. They actually see wonderful results over Pesach, even with eating the required amounts of matzah and grape juice (preferably light). I was a guest at the KMR Pesach getaway last year, and I returned without having gained an ounce. Trust me, the desserts looked good, but there was plenty of lettuce and proteins for me to fill up on. Wherever you go, if you look for the vegetables and proteins, you’ll find them. If you only eat vegetables that can be peeled, fill up on cucumbers. Lettuce is also a good option. Even if your meals won’t be that tasty, we’re only talking about one week.

Dress Your Best

One very important tip is not to wear a robe at the meals. By getting dressed, you will not only feel better about yourself, but you will be reminded to keep your portions in check. After you’ve finished cleaning up (which you’ll have so much energy for!), take a walk— even just around the block. And don’t forget that you’ll be getting dressed again for the next meal!

Please send your questions to the nutritionist to nutrition@wellspringmagazine.com. Shani Taub, CDC, has been practicing as a certified nutritionist in Lakewood for almost a decade, meeting with clients in person and on the phone. She also owns the highly popular Shani Taub food line, which carries healthy, approved, pre-measured foods and delicacies sold at supermarkets and restaurants.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 21

Living Well

In Good Shape By Syma Kranz, AAAI

The Ultimate At-Home Workout This Pesach, turn your home into a gym She’s in the tiny Pesach kitchen, contemplating whether or not to indulge in another slice of potato kugel. After all, she wasn’t at the gym all week anyway, so these few calories won’t make a difference to the added pileup. If this sounds like you, it’s a good thing you’re reading this now. You don’t need a gym to get an intense cardio workout. It’s actually possible for you to keep your metabolism stoked throughout yom tov from the comfort of your home! Follow these tips to burn calories and rev up your spirit— even while supervising the soup on your stove.

Maximize Your Daily Habits. Change a few daily habits to incorporate movement into your life. Slip into your sneakers and turn up the music to get yourself into the right mindset. Because you want to be more active, choose to do the chores you’d usually pass up to your cleaning help. Whether you’re washing the windows, vacuum cleaning the floors, or scrubbing a tub, give it your all. By exerting physical energy and using as many muscles as possible, you’ll put your body into active mode. When you’re done, you may want to do some push-ups or squats until the end of the song!

Merry Sunshine Now that we’re welcoming the season of pleasant weather, take advantage of the opportunity to be active outdoors. Go for a brisk walk around the block—even if you have only ten minutes until the next meal. And if you have to stay inside, you can easily get an effective walking workout done at home. If there’s a flight of stairs in your house, walk up and down several times. (Grab that basket of laundry on the way up!) This will help tone your legs and give you a low-impact aerobic session. Even walking briskly on a flat surface for ten minutes will do the job.

Rev it Up If you’re in the mood of a higher intensity workout, here’s what you should do. To start, go for the jumping jacks. They’re great cardio exercises and help warm up your muscles. When you’re done with 100 of them, move on to pushups. These are probably not the most favorite exercise for most people, but that’s exactly why they’re super-effective, especially for the arm and chest area. Do 20 of them in a way that works for you— on your knees, or against a wall. Next, do 20 leg lifts. Lying flat on your back with your legs stretched out in front of you, lift both legs up together, bending your knees if it’s too hard for you. This exercise really gets your abs working! Squats are a wonderful exercise for your lower body. Try doing 25 of them next. You can even do these by sitting down and standing up from a chair if it’s too difficult for you to do them in the air. As long as you’re able to do a few repetitions, you’ll be providing your body with some benefits. The Wellspring | April 2016 22

Anything Goes If you want to do weight exercises and don’t have weights at home, get creative! Start with something light in your pantry, like a can of beets, and work your way upward. Now you know why you have so many extra grape juice bottles in the storage closet.

Make It a Choice. If you make a determined resolution to be more active, you will find the opportunities to do so even when the gym is closed. Choices like using the stairs instead of the elevator and walking instead of getting a ride will end up making you feel much lighter, happier, and refreshed.

Family Fitness Turn your physical activity into a family activity. Turn up the music and dance with your kids. How about taking them to the park and playing tag with them? These activities are not only an alternate workout, they also provide you and your family with an excellent bonding experience. If you focus on not neglecting your fitness even on days when you’re too busy to get to the gym, you’ll realize that in only a few minutes, you can give yourself an excellent at-home workout. And when it comes to climbing up to the attic with your Pesach countertops after this beautiful yom tov, you’ll be the one to run up those stairs without losing your breath.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS: Although calorie-burning is only a side benefit of exercise, here may be another reason why you should maintain some kind of fitness regimen when you can’t hit the gym. Amount of calories a 130-pound woman burns when doing the following exercise for 10 minutes: aerobics, low impact aerobics, high impact bicycling cleaning, vigorous dancing, fast jumping jacks

49 69 29 29 54 82

jumping rope, fast jogging (10 mph) push-ups running, in place running, up stairs sit-ups

118 157 79 79 147 79

swimming, vigorous effort volleyball walking, with stroller yoga,

98 29 29 25

Syma Kranz, AAAI, 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.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 23

Living Well

â&#x20AC;&#x201A; The Wellspring | April 2016 24

Cover Feature By Tilly Steiner

Potato Starch All Year

How Gluten Can Wreak Havoc in the Body For most people, one week is quite enough time for the consumption of potato starch. As soon as Pesach is over, they embrace the thought of returning to their favorite foods and treats made with wheat flour. But for a sizeable chunk of the population, wheat flour is never an option. Because of their sensitivity to the gluten it contains, they lead a restricted diet all year long.

hen Perel’s second child was eight weeks old, this usually healthy young woman suddenly started experiencing intensely uncomfortable symptoms. She felt bloated, gassy, and had constant diarrhea. “With a newborn baby around, I automatically attributed the way I was feeling to stress,” relates Perel. “When it wasn’t getting better even after I took it easy, I wondered if perhaps food poisoning was causing the problem.” After three days of discomfort, Perel landed in bed, sick and exhausted. On day four, she fainted. When the Hatzolah members that were summoned to the scene couldn’t revive her, they whisked her off to the hospital. Even after Perel was brought to, the symptoms persisted, so she remained in the hospital to undergo a battery of tests. The results of Perel’s endoscopy and colonoscopy came back perfect (except for confirming her hemorrhoids). Baffled, the medical team tested her for colitis and Crohn’s disease, and then tried every kind of blood test. No answers came up. Perel spent five agonizing days in the hospital, desperate to discover the root of her incessant problems. Four times a day, her baby was brought to her for feedings because he refused to take bottles.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 25

Living Well

Cover Feature

“I remember walking around the halls with my husband on Shabbos, the IV pole dragging along, feeling horribly sick,” Perel recounts. “I was so afraid of what the diagnosis would be that I remember begging him that if we get a serious diagnosis he should take good care of our two babies and find someone who would give them the motherly love and warmth they need.” The discomfort and pain she experienced kept Perel up at night, thinking the worst. On Shabbos morning, the doctor and gastroenterologist (GI) entered Perel’s room and confirmed that they had no answers. Their last option, they said, was to perform the gall test, for which Perel would either remain in the hospital for another two days or return as an outpatient. Of course, desperate to be reunited with her children, Perel opted for the latter. After consulting with da’as Torah, who advised that they were allowed to leave because she had a nursing baby at home, Perel and her husband immediately left the hospital and headed to her mother’s house. Because her mother had taken her clothes home to be laundered, Perel showed up at her mother’s door in her morning robe, but very excited to be with her family. Perel experienced another few long days of intense pain and fear, desperate to get to the bottom of her undiagnosed condition. While doing her own research, she received a lead from a friend that led her to finally unearth the baffling mystery. Upon her friend’s suggestion, she went to see Michelle Klein, a medical nutritionist, whom she credits as “the miracle in my life.” “At my first visit, Michelle tested my body for stresses and the supplements it was lacking,” Perel relates about that pivotal visit. “She adjusted my body cranially and through

the back and gave me a diet to follow.” Under Michelle’s observation, a weak part in Perel’s gall was found. “It was kind of reassuring to know that my problems were coming from somewhere,” says Perel. Her body also tested positive for stress in glu-

Relieved to have received a clue to the cause of her suffering, Perel grabbed onto the string of hope and immediately implemented a restriction diet. ten, milk, and sugar. It was primarily the gluten sensitivity, which sometimes develops later in life, which had wreaked such havoc on her otherwise healthy body. Relieved to have received a clue to the cause of her suffering, Perel grabbed onto the string of hope and immediately implemented a restricted diet. “Today, two years later, I’m a new person,” she says. “I weigh sixty pounds less than I did at that point, and I feel energized and healthy.”

What is Gluten? The word gluten is used often nowadays. Going gluten-free has become a popular choice people make for various reasons. What is gluten exactly? A naturally occurring protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and related grains, gluten nourishes plant embryos during germination and later affects the elasticity of the dough (which is why gluten products are chewy). Gluten also traps carbon dioxide produced during dough fermentation before baking, helping dough rise before it is baked. Additionally, it traps gases during the baking process, helping baked goods rise even more while baked. This capacity to trap gas also helps provide the light, flaky quality of some baked goods. When dough is baked, gluten coagulates to help that bread, muffin or cake retain its shape. This is why early attempts at gluten-free bread and gluten-free baking in general tend to result in baked goods that crumble or collapse more compared to gluten-containing baked goods. Heavier, chewier baked products feature higher concentrations of gluten while lighter pastry products feature a lower concentration. The food industry uses gluten, wheat gluten in particular, in many ways because it is so easy and inexpensive to isolate gluten from starches. As it is a concentrated protein source and an absorbent substance, it is often used as a food additive, a protein supplement or even as a food by itself. Perhaps most insidiously, gluten’s capacity to bind and provide thickness makes it common in flavorings and sauces. This is why gluten exists in many more food products than just the obvious baked products and why it is more pervasive in the western diet than most people realize. Gluten isn’t necessarily bad for continued on page 39

The Wellspring | April 2016 26

Dear Readers,

of Y uth the health magazine for youngsters

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

Does the spring mean more outdoor activity time for you? If you’re one of those girls who spends Pesach afternoons playing machanayim in the backyard, there’s something you may want to know about this affects your body. When we sweat, the body loses important minerals, and one of them is potassium. How can you make sure that you have enough of it even while you’re having fun? Check out Teen Feature for a surprising answer! Whether you’re inside or outside, keeping active or relaxing, remember to stay safe and take care of yourself. Wishing you a happy and healthy Pesach,

Raizy _____________________________ Dear editor, I am 15 years old and an avid reader of your magazine. When I first looked through it, I knew I’d love it. I am always looking for new ideas for a healthier diet (although I crave junk food!) and this magazine inspires me to do so. I was relieved to see that chocolate is not the reason for acne. I have been kind of avoiding it ever since my fellow classmates said it’s the #1 danger for the skin! So, thank you again for this wonderful magazine! Keep it up! A fan

Teens otatoes? P y n a M o o T : re tu 28 Fea

30 Teen Talk: Tzivia’s Pesach

Serial Diary

issue 3 APRIL 2016 NISSAN 5776

Kids 33 Just Wonderi ng 34 Body Language 36

Activities

37 Science Experiment Brought to you by:

Well of Youth

Teen Feature By Raizy Kleinman

Too Many Potatoes? At least you’re getting something vital there! One potato, two potato, three potato, four… This is the chant we kids used to sing on Pesach when my mother would dish out one side dish after another, all made from the very same ingredient: potatoes. Between the potato latkes, french fries, kugel, and baked cubes, we filled up on this starchy plant tuber for eight days straight (except for the time we raided the freezer and made off with two pans of brownies). At one point during yom tov, I would start wondering if the roundness I felt all over had something to do with the original shape of what I was consuming all week long… Complaints about roundness effects aside, potatoes actually do have some health benefits for you. For one, they are an excellent source of potassium, a mineral you want your body to have. Points for Potassium What is potassium and why does your body need it? Potassium is a mineral that has many important functions. Your body needs this mineral to build proteins, break down and use carbohydrates, and maintain normal growth. Potassium plays a role in every heartbeat. A hundred thousand times a day, it helps trigger your heart to squeeze blood through your body. It also helps your muscles to move, your nerves to work, and your kidneys to filter blood.

The Wellspring | April 2016 28

A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that teenagers who eat a diet high in potassium are protected from high blood pressure in adulthood. The study tracked the eating habits and blood pressure of 2,185 nine- and ten-year-old girls for up to ten years. The results found that the girls who ate diets high in potassium or took potassium supplements throughout adolescence had lower blood pressure than girls who ate few potassium-rich foods. Dr. Lynn Moore, the director of the study, says, “Kids need to focus on increasing potassium intake, which will be beneficial for them in adulthood.” Potassium is an electrolyte, which is a kind of mineral that has an electric charge. This doesn’t mean that you’ll turn into an electric device when you fill up on it! It conducts electricity in the body to establish an electric potential across cells. This allows the transportation of nutrition and the absorption of water. Sounds like something your body wants, doesn’t it?

Potato Ponderation The average American eats 140 pounds of potatoes a year, or the equivalent of one large baked potato each day. In general, however, Americans tend to consume potatoes mostly in the form of fries or chips.

You may be at risk for potassium deficiency if you’re very active and involved in several types of sports. Now that the summer’s coming up, that’s something you should be aware of. You lose potassium through your skin when you sweat. Prolonged periods of illness involving diarrhea and vomiting also contribute to potassium loss. In these cases, you can quickly replenish your potassium levels with sports drinks, which are commonly high in electrolytes, or take potassium supplements. Potassium deficiency, called hypokalemia, leads to fatigue and muscle weakness. In severe cases, a potassium imbalance causes intestinal problems, such as bloating, cramping, and constipation.

Fill Up On Potassium

Although you’ll still get a significant amount of potassium from either of these foods, they also give you far more fat, sodium, and calories than baked or boiled potatoes. One small serving of french fries provides about 12% of the recommended daily value for potassium, or slightly more than the amount contained in a serving of half a small baked potato with skin. The serving of fries is about 99% higher in fat, 94% higher in sodium, and 70% higher in calories than the baked potato serving. So what should you go for? Try eating potatoes in their baked form (and with their skin). Relatively low in calories, fat, and sodium, baked potatoes are actually an ideal high-potassium food choice. Whole potatoes, even small ones, contain more than 20% of the nutrient’s daily value! They also provide significant amounts of protein, dietary fiber, iron, B vitamins, and vitamin C. One medium-sized baked potato with skin delivers about 4.6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, as well as 31% of the daily value of vitamin B-6, 24% of that of vitamin C, and 10% of the daily value of iron.

smart solution

Which other foods contain this mineral? You may be surprised how many teenager-friendly foods are good sources of potassium. A banana has 420 mg of potassium, and a snack-sized box of raisins has about 350 mg. One avocado has about 900 mg of potassium! A serving of low-fat yogurt has more than 500 mg of potassium, and if you add fruit, you’ll increase the potassium even more. If you go for leafy vegetables, lettuce and spinach are packed with 800 to 900 mg of potassium per serving. Kiwi, nectarines, and papayas all have nice amounts of this mineral as well. Too much of a good thing is not good either, though, so be careful with your intake!

Maxi Potassium magnesium The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends that all healthy adults, irrespective of age or gender, consume at least 4,700 mg of potassium per day. During pre-teen years, you need at least 4,500 mg. Dietary surveys indicate that the average American gets roughly half that amount! Now’s a good time for you to start filling up on this all-important nutrient. If blood test results show that you’re low on potassium, try Maxi Potassium Magnesium, a supplement that contains a fair amount of this all-important mineral.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 29

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

Are You a Sport?

Well of Youth

nth:

This mo

Teen Talk By Miri Davis

A Peek into Tzivia’s Pesach Miri: What’s your family’s attitude toward a healthy lifestyle? Tzivia: My mother’s very into health all year round.

Meet: Tzivia F. Age: 16 Location: Boro Park, New York Favorite exercise: Biking Favorite junk food: fruit leather Favorite healthy food: kani salad

Miri: Tell me about that. Tzivia: First, my mother prepares very healthy and tasty breakfasts and dinners every day. She stays away from additives, white four, and unnatural sauces. She makes sure to have dinner ready and served as soon as we come home from school so that we don’t fill up on snacks. I try to take Maxi Biotic every morning and I really feel a difference on the days that I miss it. Baruch Hashem, I never had to be treated with antibiotics or other medications. The prevention provided by the supplements really makes a difference. When I’m under the weather, my mother treats me to a reflexology session, which I love. My earliest memory of sweets is of vitamin C, which I loved even as a young child. Being that none of my friends leads such a healthy lifestyle, it definitely makes me feel unique. Miri: How does Pesach look in a health-minded house like yours? Tzivia: On Pesach, my family eats a very limited amount of foods. We use only organic eggs and sugar. We don’t have any store-bought candy, cake, or snacks. Everything is homemade including candy, brittle, and ice cream. We drink only freshly squeezed juices, which we prepare in huge quantities because it’s so refreshing. Miri: What kind of matzah do you eat? Tzivia: We used to eat matzah that was imported from Israel because the taste was amazing. The year that spelt matzah came onto the market, we tried it, and we’ve been hooked ever since. It’s so flavorful and light! Miri: What’s your favorite Pesach food? Tzivia: Pesach “cholent” wins hands down. Pesach lokshen comes in as a close second! I snack on nuts, fruits, and homemade organic nut candy. Tzivia’s Mother: I’d like to chime in to your discussion! Tzivia is really a role model in healthy eating for teens. She’s very conscious about her food intake and tries to stay off sugar, white flour, and sweet drinks. She eats mainly proteins and lots of salads and cooked vegetables. I’m proud of her smart choices!

The Wellspring | April 2016 30

The Nutritionist Weighs In: Liba Solomon, CNWC Tzivia’s lifestyle sounds quite ideal for a teenager. I didn’t hear about how she does in the fitness arena, but from a nutritional perspective, she seems to have it right. Instead of focusing on how she can improve her diet, we’ll talk about the foods she does eat.

What does “organic” mean? Organic foods are foods produced by methods that comply with the standards of organic farming. The standards vary worldwide, but in general the kinds of fertilizer and pesticides used in farming are restricted in organic food production. Organic foods are not processed with chemicals, food additives, or hormones. For example, because people in the egg market want to

make as much profit as possible, they inject a hormone in the chickens which leads to an increase in egg production, thereby passing the hormone into the egg. Organic eggs aren’t produced that way.

When it comes to organic sugar, things are different. Contrary to what most people think, the label organic doesn’t mean unprocessed when it comes to sugar. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration labels pure raw sugar as unfit for direct consumption because of the impurities it often contains, so even organic sugar must undergo some sort of processing before you can eat it. In the case of sugar, the term organic is used to indicate the farming methods used to grow the sugarcane or sugar beets from which the sugar is obtained. White sugar, in addition to being processed in a way

that removes all traces of its natural molasses content, is usually obtained from sugarcane or sugar beets grown in fields that utilize commercial pesticides and herbicides. So, the sugar that undergoes the least amount of processing is organic, or “raw” sugar. Your Pesach can be just as sweet with it!

Liba Solomon is a certified nutrition and wellness consultant, who specializes in guiding teens toward leading a healthy lifestyle. She can be contacted through The Wellspring Magazine. To be interviewed for this column about your lifestyle patterns and to hear from an expert on how you can maximize your adolescent health choices in order to develop into a healthy adult, please email us at teentalk@wellspringmagazine.com.

Tzivia’s Recipe for Organic Nut Candy This is a simple recipe that gives you something delicious to snack on! Because it does have sugar after all, I eat it in limited quantities. Ingredients: nuts, your favorite ones (like almonds or filberts) organic sugar Instructions: Roast the nuts in the oven and then chop them into small pieces. Set aside. Melt organic sugar in a saucepan on the gas. Sugar will first lump and then turn to syrup. Mix in chopped nuts and immediately spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool. Break to desired size. If you work quickly, you can make candy drops instead. To make brittle, put some pieces into the blender with the s blade. It tastes great as a topping for ice cream or fruit cups.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 31

Well of Youth

Serial Diary By Sheva Berger

Dear Diary, Wednesday, March 21, 2007 On Monday, I went with Totty and Mommy on a big bus to Manhattan. I felt very big and special to be the only one to be going with them. I was also so curious to hear what the doctor would say. Why was I so tired? And why was I suddenly not interested in eating? I had a lot of questions. On the bus, my mother sat next to me. “Sheva,” she told me, “I’m very proud of you.” I didn’t know what she was proud of, but she told me that she thinks I’m a very big girl and that even when I’m not so happy I still try to be happy. I felt very good. When we arrived at the doctor, I sat quietly while my mother explained how I was feeling to the doctor. I felt a little scared of the doctor when I saw her. She has grey hair that she ties back in a tight bun, like a teacher in the plays. She didn’t look at me too much, only when she wanted to ask me a question. When she finished filling out the papers about me, she said that she’s going to take a test. My mother told me that the nurse will prick me in my finger but it will only hurt for one second. It wasn’t comfortable but I sat nicely. Then she said she’s going to give me an injection, so I squeezed my eyes shut because I was afraid. The doctor also asked me to give urine because they wanted to check everything to find out what’s going on in my body. When we were all done, I felt exhausted. I was ready to go home! On the bus ride home, I asked my mother when we’ll finally find out what is happening to me. It makes me so uncomfortable not to know! She said that we would be going back to the doctor the next day to find out the results. The next day, I didn’t go to school again. Usually, I don’t mind missing school. It’s fun to stay home and spend time with my mother. When she lets me stay home, sometimes

A Different Kind of Sweet: Living with Juvenile Diabetes we bake cookies together or go for pizza. But this time, it wasn’t fun. I just wanted to get medicine already, finish with my problems, and become a normal third grader again. We’re learning how to multiply by 8 now and I really love the activities Miss. Samuels does when we do math. When we finally came at the scary doctor again, she told my parents and me to sit down. “We have the results,” she told my parents. My heart started to dance around inside my chest. I felt tiny little jumps every few seconds. When we learned how to identify emotions in first grade, my teacher taught us the word “relieved.” It’s when you’re nervous or anxious about something and then something happens to make you calm. That’s how I started to feel now! The doctor would finally give me medicine and then I will be the same old Sheva again. “Her blood sugar levels are high,” the doctor said in a stern voice. I think even my parents felt like they were back in school again. “Sheva has juvenile diabetes,” she said. My parents looked at each other and then they looked at me. I didn’t understand one word that the doctor said, but for then, I was relieved. Finally, my problems had a name. “I will tell you all about it,” my mother reassured me right away. Right then, the doctor took a book out from her drawer and walked over to me. “Here,” she said. The title of the book is “It’s Time to Learn about Diabetes” and the author is Jean Betschart. In the next entry, I will tell you all about it. Love you, Sheva

In this column, Sheva Berger, today a mother of two, tells about her life with juvenile diabetes. to be continued

The Wellspring | April 2016 32

Dear Readers

When you en ter the Pesac h kitchen, wh Is it the smell at hits you firs of the frying t? lukshen or th in the oven? e potato kug Your nose giv el es you the o know what’s c pportunity to ooking even b efore you che side the pots ck what’s in. When the a ro ma of brown the house, yo ie cake fills u know just w hat’s coming nose a most up! Isn’t the amazing gift? In this month you’ll learn all ’s feature, about the wo nders of this b and also som ody part, e interesting facts that will you apprecia m te the import ant sense of sm ake ell. A happy, hea lthy Pesach to all of you, Dina

JUST WONDERING

Tzipora Landa, age 8, asks: I love to eat hard-boiled eggs for breakfast every morning, but we just learned in school that kids shouldn’t be eating eggs too often. Can you tell me how many eggs I can have and how often because I want to keep my body healthy but I also like eating them, especially on Pesach when I can’t have a lot of other foods? It’s a good thing you like to eat eggs, Tzipora, because they’re from a very important food group called proteins. Your body gets very excited when you fill it with proteins because they give it a lot of energy to function and carry out all the necessary tasks to keep you healthy and strong. Especially when you consume proteins for breakfast, they give you lasting energy for the day and help you retain focus throughout the school day. A large egg provides your body with 6 grams of protein, which is a little less than the amount of protein in a cup of milk. Eggs eaten in moderation are also a valuable source of vitamins and minerals, especially the B-complex vitamins, which are great for your metabolism. They have a nice amount of vitamin A, which helps you see even in dim light and helps fight against viruses and bacteria. However, it may not be the best idea for you to eat eggs every day. The main hazard of eating eggs daily is their high cholesterol level, which means that your blood gets filled with fat

and that makes it hard for your heart to pump it. According to the American Heart Association, the buildup of plaque, the fatty part of your blood, begins in childhood, so kids who take in too much cholesterol are at risk of developing heart disease as adults. The Cleveland Clinic recommends that kids take in no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day. A large cooked egg has 169 mg of cholesterol, so if you eat 2 eggs for breakfast, you’ve already exceeded the recommended limit. Even if you eat one egg every day, when it’s combined with the other cholesterol foods you’ll be eating throughout the day, the total can also be in the unhealthy range.

So what’s my answer to you? Continue enjoying one egg for breakfast, but do that about four times a week. On the other mornings, try out other foods that are rich in protein, like yogurt, nuts, fish, or cottage cheese. Also, because all of the egg’s cholesterol is in the yolk (yellow part), how about eating egg whites? Most kids like them even more than the yellow! The whites don’t have much of a vitamin or mineral content, but they have no cholesterol either, so if you’re really in the mood for eggs, eat just the whites twice a week. Have a health or science question you’ve been wondering about? Send it in to us to get an enlightening answer. April 2016 | The Wellspring 33

Well of Youth

Body Language By Dina

Let's Explore Your... NOSE MAKING SCENTS OF THE WORLD AROUND YOU.

When you’re walking on the street and you smell something foul, like the stench of rotten fish, what’s your immediate reaction? Eww! You pinch your nose shut. It’s one of those times when you’d rather not use your amazing sense of smell. But did you know that one of the most important reasons for the sense of smell is particularly for times when you’d prefer not to use it? In His wisdom, Hashem gifted you with a sense that can alert you to danger. What happens when you smell smoke? You know to check the vicinity to make sure

you’re safe. When you poke your nose into the carton of milk and it smells rotten, you know not to drink it. If the cookies in the oven smell like they’re about to burn, you hurry over to shut it. Identifying smells is your brain’s way of telling you about your environment. But, of course, the sense of smell also gives you the ability to appreciate the world’s natural beauty. When you enter a garden, you’re able to revel in the scent of the blossoms and the freshly cut grass thanks to your sense of smell. When the aroma of fresh babka wafts through the bakery air, you take a deep breath and your mouth starts to water. Your sense of smell enhances your life at every moment!

A Quick One:

How You SMELL THINGS The nose allows

you to “make scents” of what’s going on in the world around you. Just as your eyes give you information by seeing, and your ears help you out by hearing, the nose lets you figure out what’s happening by smelling. It does this with help from many parts hidden deep inside your nasal cavity and head. Up on the roof of the nasal cavity (the space behind your nose) is the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory is a fancy word that has to do with smelling. The olfactory epithelium contains special receptors that are sensitive to odor molecules that travel through the air. These receptors are very small—there are about 10 million of them in your nose! There are hundreds of different odor receptors, each with the ability to sense certain odor molecules. Research has shown that an odor can stimulate several different kinds of receptors. The brain interprets the combination of receptors to recognize any one of about 10,000 different smells. When you breathe in air through your nostrils, the smell receptors get stimulated. This stimulation causes signals to travel along the olfactory nerve to the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb is underneath the front of your brain just above the nasal cavity. Signals are sent from the olfactory bulb to other parts of the brain to be interpreted as a smell you may recognize, like apple pie fresh from the oven. Yum!

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10 Things to Think About:

Ever wonder what the wiggly thing in your nose is? Inside the nose, you have a long bone called the septum that divides the nasal cavity into two sections, the nostrils. The soft material that protects it is called cartilage. It’s a firm, flexible tissue that’s stiffer than muscle but more flexible than bone.

Do you get alarmed by a nosebleed? Most nosebleeds look worse than they are. Nosebleeds are messy, a little uncomfortable, and sometimes even scary, but they’re usually no big deal. Most nosebleeds happen when the little blood vessels that line the inside of the nose break and bleed. These blood vessels are very fragile and lie very close to the surface, which makes them easy targets for injury. What would you do if your friend approaches you and presses her nose to yours? Get away! The Maori people in New Zealand actually have a tradition to press noses in greeting! The floor of the nasal cavity is also the roof of your mouth!

Who figured out how the nose smells all the smells it smells? Two American scientists, Richard Axel and Linda B. Buck, did some very important research on this subject. In 2004, they won the Nobel Prize for their work. In addition to a prized trophy, they received $1.3 million!

On average, men have larger noses than women. In women, the nose grows until the age of 15 to 17, and for men, from age 17 to 19. With allergy season ahead, you may wonder what makes your nose run. When you have a cold or a flu, or your body reacts to an allergen and treats it as a germ, your mucus-making membranes go into overdrive. Although this may be uncomfortable and unpleasant, they’re doing this to protect you! Did you know that there are various conditions related to the sense of smell? Anosmia is the inability to smell; dysosmia is when things don’t smell as they should; and hyperosmia is when the person has a very strong sense of smell.

Think you’re able to smell so many different smells? Dogs and other animals can smell even more! Wonder what they do with that…

Your nose is a prominent facial feature. A recent survey in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery identified 14 human nose shapes. When Israeli professor Abraham Tamir surveyed images of 1,793 noses, he determined that they all fell into these basic types, ranging from the Greek nose (straight) to the hawk nose (sharp and “downward hooking”). Most common is the “fleshy nose.”

Take a deep breath Let’s not forget that a primary purpose of the nose is that it serves as a passage for air to enter and exit our bodies! When you inhale air through your nostrils, the air enters the nasal passages and travels into your nasal cavity. The air then passes down the back of your throat into the trachea, or windpipe, on its way to the lungs. Your nose is also a two-way street. When you exhale the old air from your lungs, the nose is the main way for the air to leave your body. But your nose is more than a passageway for air. The nose also warms, moistens, and filters the air before it goes to the lungs. It’s the best air filter in the world! Something to sneeze at! Ever wondered why we sneeze? The inside of your nose is lined with a moist, thin layer of tissue called a mucous membrane. This membrane warms up the air and moistens it. Mucus captures dust, germs, and other small particles that could irritate your lungs. If you look inside your nose, you will also see hairs that can trap large particles, like dirt or pollen. If something does get trapped in there, you can probably guess what happens next. You sneeze! Sneezes can send those unwelcome particles speeding out of your nose at 100 mph!

April 2016 | The Wellspring 35

Well of Youth

Children‘s Activities By Chavy

Win $

For a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at Toys 4 U, write your name on your completed colored activity and send it in to: Maxi Health Win 694 Myrtle Ave, Suite 389 Brooklyn, NY 11205

The Wellspring | April 2016 36

Last Month’s Winners: Shaina Sarah Shapiro, Boro Park Leah Rivky & Mordechai Apel, Monsey

Science Experiment By Leah Brach

Most people just think of the tongue when they think about taste. But you couldn’t taste anything without some help from the nose! The ability to smell and taste go together, because odors from foods allow us to taste more fully. Want to amaze yourself and your friends about the power of smell?

What you need: • A grown-up to help • A friend or two • A scarf for blindfolding • Foods to taste, such as different flavored jelly beans, different fruit and vegetable slices, or a variety of yogurts and puddings • Spoons, if necessary • A cup of drinking water for everyone

What you’ll do:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Blindfold a friend. Ask your friend to pinch his or her nose. Offer your friend one flavor of the food at a time. Can he or she identify it? (Your friend might want a drink of water between the different foods.) Offer the same food and tell your friend to unpinch his or her nose. Now does your friend know what it is?

This fun experiment will give you a peek into the work your nose does to help you enjoy the foods you eat. Isn’t the sense of smell just wonderful?

smart solution When you have a cold, or your nose is stuffed due to viruses and bacteria that cause your mucus membranes to go into overdrive, you can’t enjoy your sense of smell. Want to get rid of the cold asap? Or do you want to prevent it from happening in the first place? Try Kiddie Boost! It’s a delicious supplement that fills your body with vitamins and minerals to help keep you strong against infections—so that you can feel good and have a perfect sense of smell all year long!

April 2016 | The Wellspring 37

continued from page 26 the average person, but for those who are intolerant to continued from page 26 it, it causes significant damage. For this reason, doctors recommend removing all traces of gluten from their diet.

Is Matzah Making You Sick?

Although living gluten-free has become a recent trend, for some people, going off gluten is a must. People who suffer from the autoimmune condition of celiac disease fall squarely into this category. When someone with celiac disorder, which affects one in every 141 people in the United States, consumes gluten, it triggers an immune response that attacks the small intestine and subsequently damages the villi, the small hair-like projections found on the walls of the small intestine. The villi become flat and can no longer absorb the nutrients found in the bloodstream. Other people choose to stay away from gluten due to gluten sensitivity. Even if they don’t test positive for celiac disease, their body has on ongoing negative immune reaction to gluten in their diet, namely inflammation in the gut. The villi lining in the small intestine is not completely damaged; there is still some absorption of nutrients taking place, but the symptoms are very similar to those of celiac disease. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity has become prevalent in the world at large. Over the last ten years, there has been an increase in education and awareness of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease in our community. Physicians and dieticians know what symptoms to look out for. Additionally, studies have proven a correlation between stress and gluten sensitivity. Stressful situations, in any stage of life, can trigger a newfound sensitivity towards gluten in those that have a genetic predisposition to it. Contrary to what doctors used to believe, gluten has the potential to not only cause digestive problems, but can wreak havoc in the entire body, since the partially-digested protein fragments it leaves in the intestine move through the bloodstream to other organs. Gluten can cause inflammation in the brain, nervous system, and skin. As a response to gluten, the immune system creates antibodies to attack it because is sees it as a toxin. These antibodies can in turn mistakenly attack other organs in a way that causes autoimmune diseas-

es to develop. While each person reacts differently to gluten, common symptoms of celiac disease and/or gluten sensitivity in adults include anemia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, tingling in the fingers and toes, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, infertility issues, and digestive issues, such as cramping, bloating, chronic diarrhea and/or constipation. Children with celiac disease tend to present more gastro-intestinal symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, cramping pain, and weight loss. Even learning disabilities, behavioral issues, autism, and diabetes can occur as an outcome of gluten sensitivity. Once a doctor confirms gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, he will create a gluten-free diet plan that will help reduce the symptoms of intestinal damage. Because this is a drastic step to take, it’s important to do so under the guidance of a licensed practitioner. A dietician can also guide the person in how to read product labels to learn which foods to avoid. Living a gluten-free life today is not what it was like in the past. Although it takes time to get used to the changes, and having to abstain from certain foods is never easy, as Perel relates, most people end up figuring out what works for them. Today, almost every item that contains gluten can be substituted with a non-gluten counterpart. Potato starch is only one of the many options available. There are all-purpose gluten-free flour mixes, such as almond flour, oat flour, and rice flour, that can be substituted a cup for a cup in all your recipes. It is essential to supplement a gluten-free diet with vitamins and probiotics. Carbohydrates are very important for brain function, and people on a gluten-free diet are missing those nutrients. Additionally, people with gluten sensitivity and/or celiac disease have inflamed and damaged intestines. Supplements provide the vital nutrients that the body needs to heal. The bright side of living a gluten-free life is that in order to supplement for the satiation gluten provides, people who go off gluten learn to fill up on proteins and incorporate new grains into their diets, such as quinoa, kasha, and millet.This new lifestyle usually helps them lose a couple of pounds. It’s never easy to say goodbye to favorite foods, but for those who must do that, at least there’s some comfort in it as well.

Stressful situations, in any stage of life, can trigger a newfound sensitivity towards gluten.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 39

Living Well

Cover Feature

An Inside View Q&A with Ellen Samuels Nutritional Consultant on Gluten-Free Living

Ellen Samuels, a gluten-free mother of eleven and nutritional consultant, has successfully coached many women in their quest to go off gluten while teaching them how to live a healthy lifestyle. In the process, she helped her husband build a website, Gluten Free Palace, where she sells gluten-free products and acts as a nutritional consultant to clients around the world. How did you get interested in the field of nutrition? When I got married, I was very conscious of eating healthfully and building up a strong immune system. This health-mindedness only intensified when I had my first child. I began taking supplements so that I would have rich milk. I also read up on nutrition to learn what foods were beneficial to both my child and me. My baby was gaining weight very nicely, and people would ask me what I was doing that gave him such beautiful skin and a healthy look. I explained that I was taking supplements and would offer advice to others on what to take, so that they could benefit as well. Around this time, I became very tuned in to my body and realized that I had several health concerns. I was teaching at that time, and I’d come home with severe sinus headaches and collapse into bed. Because I understood that my diet was affecting the way that I felt, I started researching nutrition – which foods are beneficial for the body and why. I attended seminars, learned about the different components of blood, hormones, vitamin D deficiencies, and gluten sensitivity. I did a round of blood work and came to the conclusion that I had inflammation in my gut (gluten sensitivity) even though I did not test positive for celiac disease. Under the guidance of my RN/NP, I began following a gluten-free diet. I removed gluten and dairy from my diet and supplemented with vitamins to ensure that I was getting the nutrients my body needed to function properly. I saw a drastic change in the way I was feeling. I finally had more energy and felt amazing!

The Wellspring | April 2016 40

So discovering your gluten sensitivity was the catalyst for you to become a nutritional coach? By nature, I’m a very social person. I have a passion for helping others, and people find it easy to confide in me. When people spoke to me, I was able to discern their health issues and assist them in feeling better. Those that I had helped convinced me to go into the nutritional coaching field, which I did under the guidance of a licensed practitioner. You researched all about vitamin deficiencies, blood components, and hormones. Why did you specifically choose to work with the gluten free population? I felt that people were very overwhelmed when they got a gluten free diagnosis. This was over ten years ago and there was very little information available. They would hear from their gastroenterologists that they must remove gluten from their diet, and they’d become hysterical. I started coaching people and taught them how to go gluten free. I gave them easy menu ideas, what to cook for Shabbos, and figured out how to convert their favorite recipes. At this point in time, my husband was looking to grow a business. Since I had a passion to help others and saw the demand in the gluten free community, my husband chose to open up a an online onestop-shop where consumers could find substitutions for their favorite foods – all gluten free!

You’ve been coaching clients for over ten years now. Have you observed any changes over the years? Absolutely! There’s a lot more understanding now.Ten years ago, doctors, GPs, NPs, and nutritionists did not know that much about celiac disease, especially about gluten sensitivity. They tested for celiac only if a person had classical celiac symptoms of anemia, mal-absorption, stunt of growth, and/or severe digestive issues. There was also a stigma surrounding celiac disease – people felt as if they were labeled negatively. Today, there’s a lot more education out there. Food is being labeled properly. The rubbery, bland gluten-free products of old were replaced with a huge variety of tasty foods. Doctors and nutritionists are also aware that gluten sensitivity can be linked to almost any disease. Many more people are being helped! Any tips you could offer for someone who just found out about a gluten sensitivity, or for those who are already living gluten free? Eliminate the foods from your diet gradually, under the guidance of your nutritional practitioner and with plenty of emotional support.Yes, it is challenging, but today delicious gluten-free products are readily available. Join a support group if you want the sense of community and encouragement if offers. Make sure to supplement your diet with vitamins and probiotics. These provide the vital nutrients that the body needs to heal the inflamed gut. It’s like someone who has a burn. If he does not rub or irritate the burn, it will not bother him. But, the burn is still there. The burn needs to heal. Going off gluten is like not rubbing the burn – you won’t irritate your gut. But you still need essential supplements to help your body heal. For parents of children who are off gluten, it is helpful to find out the school lunch menus so that they can match up with the cook. For example, a parent can send brown rice pasta on the days that pasta is served. Sending the same treats that will be served at a class party will help the child feel like everyone else. But, it’s important to be cautious of the carbs.A parent could feel pity for the child and thus constantly give him gluten-free cakes, muffins, and treats.That’ll overdo the sugar and could possibly do more damage. Always look for alternatives – use almond and other nut flours, bean flours, and garfava flour. Most importantly, you should learn how to read labels. Today manufacturers display all the ingredients included in their products, so that makes it easier for you to know what the product contains and if it’s okay for you or not.

Going Off Gluten? Only if you must. In recent years, many people without gluten intolerance have taken up gluten-free diets. Experts worry, however, that going on these diets without explicitly needing to could be detrimental to a person’s health, as gluten-free foods are often nutrient-deficient. Peter H. R. Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University says, “The market for gluten-free products is exploding, and we don’t know why. Many people may just perceive that a gluten-free diet is healthier.” In fact he claims, it isn’t. Because of the lack of vitamins, minerals, and fiber in gluten-free foods, leading a gluten-free life is only beneficial if the diet is heavily supplemented with nutritional supplements. If living gluten free works for you, make sure to fill up on all the good stuff for optimal health.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 41

Living Well

Healthy Home Habits By Batsheva Fine

Tried and True

Sparkling and Strong: On motivating kids to brush their teeth I know that ensuring dental hygiene in childhood is important and every time I go to the dentist and see all the posters promoting it, my inner voice of guilt perks up. I want my children to have strong, healthy teeth but what can I do if they just abhor the toothbrushing process? The other day, when I took out the brushes before bedtime, my four-year-old literally ran to hide under his blanket. How can I make this into an activity that he’ll be interested in doing?

Channa, Monsey, mother of four: Because my kids are not old enough to rebel against my militant tooth brushing, I’m using these years to instill healthy oral hygiene habits. I had my first filling three years ago, at the age of 35. I make sure to explain the trauma I went through in gory detail: the horrendous zzzing of the drill, the pain when it hit the nerve, etc. I empower them by allowing them to brush their own teeth in the mornings, but the rule in our house is that Mommy brushes the teeth at night, and no one argues. (They argue about plenty of other things, just not this!) They tell me they don’t want any cavities the next time we visit the dentist, and that they don’t want the silver teeth their friends have. The dentist looks stunned the minute they open their mouths at the biannual checkup!

Gitty, Williamsburg, mother of six: When my oldest child, who’s twelve today, was a toddler, I found it amusing that he wanted to brush his teeth when he watched me do it. So, like a good first-time mother, I went out and got him a toothbrush and we were all set. Later, brushing teeth wasn’t that much fun for him anymore, but it had already become a habit. With my next children, I already knew the trick: to have them watch me do it. Kids love imitating everything their Mommy does, so why not use this to ensure their dental hygiene? Sheva, Montreal, mother of three: I think the simple answer is that even if kids don’t enjoy brushing their teeth, they should be forced to do so. We learned this the hard way when our eldest had his two front teeth extracted at four years old. And I’m still considered a mother who gives her kids healthy treats! The sugar that enters their teeth and doesn’t get brushed away just bores holes and causes damage. It pays to bribe them into brushing their teeth in order to prevent irrevocable damage.

The Wellspring | April 2016 42

We go on a shopping spree quite often to buy cute, attractive toothbrushes for the kids. It also becomes more exciting when we try different flavors of toothpaste. I find that kids are easily excited about a project. Just bringing colorful fun into the process of brushing teeth does the trick in our house. Every morning (when we’re not rushing!) and evening, they can choose one brush from their collection and do the job.

Nechama, Far Rockaway, mother of four: In our house, we have a toothbrushing contest. Every kid has her own mouth-shaped chart that gets filled up with tooth stickers whenever she brushes her teeth. I introduced the contest by first talking to the kids about what happens when sugar stays stuck inside the teeth overnight. They went into the contest very motivated to brush their teeth daily. The competition works wonders, especially for the two oldest ones! They know that when they’re done, they’ll get to go with Mommy to the toy store and choose something special (no candy, of course!).

Chava Leah, Lakewood, mother of three: When I read your question, I thought to myself that I should really find out what makes the kids brush their teeth so beautifully when my husband is around. That night, I took my five-year-old son to the sink and gave him his toothbrush. He asked me, “Can you put me on the counter like Totty always does?” I lifted him up and let him brush at the mirror. “I like to see how my mouth gets pink,” he told me. So there’s a suggestion to self— and your readers! Kids love observing themselves in the mirror, so letting them do that while brushing their teeth sure helps to get them in the mood.

Next up: Good sleeping patterns are crucial for children. How do you get your kids to sleep when it’s still light outside? Please submit your tips to info@wellspringmagazine.com. Is there a healthy habit you’d love to enforce in your home? Let us know what it is and we’ll do our work to get the conversation rolling in your favor!

Smart Solution Maxi Health Joins the Conversation The primary goal of toothbrushing is to ensure that your child has strong, healthy teeth. A great way to ensure healthy teeth is to make sure that your child fills up on calcium, possibly the most vital of all nutrients, especially pertaining to bone, tooth, and muscle health. A 2010 study published by the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen, Denmark found that low calcium intake is related to an increased risk of tooth loss. The researchers studied a population of 1,602 adults and found that those who reported a greater intake of calcium, primarily through supplements, had less incidences of tooth loss. Because calcium loss is inevitable, it’s crucial for the body to constantly replenish this nutrient in order to continue maintaining and strengthening the bones, teeth, and muscles. And because calcium strengthens the bones, it stops bone loss around the teeth, limiting bacterial access to tooth surfaces. CalciYum is a vanilla-flavored chewable supplement that combines both calcium and magnesium. You’ll be glad to learn that it contains 100% of the recommended daily intake of calcium (and 50% of magnesium) that your child’s body needs for optimal functioning.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 43

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

Esti, Flatbush, mother of five:

Living Well

Monthly Dose By Dina Mendlowitz

SPRING WITHOUT THE FEVER How you can finally enjoy the loveliest season of the year The clocks have leaped forward, the evenings are growing lighter, and across the world, doctors and alternative practitioners are bracing themselves for an influx of sneezing, sniveling patients begging for help with hay fever. The solution may be simpler than you think.

or 17.6 million adults, and 6.6 children around the world, spring heralds more than the blooming trees and glorious weather. For sufferers of allergic rhinitis (hay fever’s official name), spring is a season of discomfort. As with every allergy, their body’s immune system overreacts to a harmless substance in the environment. In the case of hay fever, the symptoms occur when the nose and/or eyes come into contact with environmental allergens, namely pollen, the powdery substance discharged from blooming trees.

Allergic Rhinitis 101 People who

are sensitive to these allergens may experience a runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing, and/or itchy, watery eyes. For some, spring fever even brings about a congested nose and snoring. While the symptoms may seem similar to those caused by a cold or flu,

The Wellspring | April 2016 44

in which case you might eat a bowl of soup and head to bed, these are allergy symptoms, which means that they’ll persist unless they’re treated properly. The latter part of the twentieth century has seen an explosion in the incidence of airborne allergies, one of which is hay fever. The exact reason for the astronomic rise is unclear, but one thing is certain: many people are ignorant of how debilitating the symptoms can be. A study published in The Guardian reports that students suffering from hay fever have a 70 percent chance of having a worse exam grade than during the previous season. And young people aren’t the only ones suffering. Studies show that increasing numbers of adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are developing hay fever. According to the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, half a million new cases of hay fever in this age group are predicted in

the next decade. Of these, many never even suspect their symptoms indicate an allergy, instead attributing them to what they believe to be a permanent cold. Many go to the doctor complaining of sinus problems and end up on antibiotics, when they really have hay fever and need to build up the proper immunity to fight it.

Maxi Allergy Support Although there is no cure for allergies, you can build up your immune system to protect your body against the symptoms. Maxi Allergy Support ™ is a unique product formulated to help people with allergies. It contains pantothenic acid, vitamin C, MSM, citrus bioflavonoid, and bifidobacterium bifidum to create the most powerful allergy protection. Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) supports the body’s natural cortisone, the hormone produced by the adrenal cortex that counteracts allergens and

alleviates allergic symptoms. According to Biochemical Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition, the single most important nutrient for adrenal gland function is pantothenic acid. Thus, insufficient levels of pantothenic acid reduce the necessary amounts of cortisone from being secreted, thereby preventing the body from fighting allergens.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) supports the blocking of allergens from mucous membrane receptor sites. MSM also softens the cell walls, allowing allergens, foreign proteins, and free radicals to be moved out of your system. According to a study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, subjects who took 2600 mg of MSM found that their upper and total respiratory symptoms were significantly reduced within seven days, and improvement continued for all thirty days of the study. MSM is 30% sulfur, which the body requires in order to detoxify itself. It also helps produce glutathione, an important antioxidant.

Vitamin C and bioflavonoids both

support histamine reduction. When the histamine levels in your body increase, the symptoms increase, so your goal is to reduce them. Most of the time, histamine comes from mast cells, which are a type of white blood cells. Mast cells release histamine to stimulate inflammation, increasing blood flow to a site of infection or the region surrounding allergens so your immune system can engulf the offending particle. According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, adequate Vitamin C consumption maintains relatively low levels of histamine in your system, while a vitamin C deficiency can raise the body’s levels of histamine. Because Maxi Allergy Support is geared toward protecting your body against all kinds of allergic reactions, it also contains Probiotic bifidobacterium bifidum, which supports improved gut flora to help reduce food allergies. When you take this all-encompassing supplement geared toward protecting your body from hay fever and its uncomfortable symptoms, you give yourself a chance to experience the true beauty of the spring.

Is it hay fever or another kind of allergy? Hay fever is on the rise, but is often misdiagnosed. How do you know if you have it? The difference between a cold and hay fever may seem minor, but the implications are very different. Here’s how you can know which one you’re suffering from:

Itchiness While hay fever and cold symptoms often overlap, there is one manifestation of pollen allergies that is never caused by colds—itchiness. If your eyes, ears, mouth, or throat are itchy, it’s probably hay fever. The only exception to the rule is the itchy nose, which can precede a sneeze in both hay fever and a cold.

Sore Throat Hay fever rarely comes with a sore throat, a frequent precursor to the common cold. If you have cold-like symptoms and a sore throat or have had one in the last few days, your condition is more likely to be a cold.

Time and Place Grass pollen is in the air in May and mid-July, so if the symptoms appear then, the chances that you have hay fever are high. Also, if you’re in a city, which is where pollen sticks to the more polluted air, the chances of hay fever are even higher.

Other Than a Box of Tissues More tips for hay fever sufferers

Take a shower and wash your hair after being outside. “Hair is a pollen magnet,” says allergist Dr. Jeffrey Culp.

Refrain from touching or rubbing your eyes, because the allergens enter the body through them. Wear sunglasses to reduce the amount of pollen getting into your eyes.

Avoid being outside on high pollen-count days and keep the windows closed. Pollen counts are highest in the morning and rain helps to lower pollen counts, so keep these factors in mind when planning outdoor activities. April 2016 | The Wellspring 45

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

Many go to the doctor complaining of sinus problems and end up on antibiotics, when they really have hay fever and need to build up the proper immunity against it.

HIGHER STANDARDS

Feast of Freedom Dear cooks, “So what do you eat?” is the question you get if your family's food choices are minimal on Pesach. It‘s also what you get all year round if you choose to follow a nutritionally sound plan that works for you and your body. Ever since I made the decision to drop sugar, flour, processed foods, and some other stuff from my daily diet, I‘ve been answering this question with an added line of reassurance. Lest my concerned family (grandmothers, especially) and friends grow anxious over my insipid, hungerinducing menus, I say, ”But don‘t worry! I make sure to cook gourmet meals so we still have variety and flavor!“ Since the food limitations of Pesach and my food plan are quite similar, the recipes you‘ll find in this issue‘s Seasoned are just a sampling of those I use all year round. Even with very restricted ingredients, the variation of dishes is endless! For most of us, Pesach in the kitchen is akin to a staged cooking competition. In a tiny foil-covered kitchen, using few utensils, and even fewer ingredients, what will we manage to concoct? The circumstances warrant utmost admiration to every woman out there who makes it work, who provides for her loved ones dishes that are flavorful, appealing, and wholesome. Here‘s my yom tov gift to you! Happy Cooking,

-Shiffy

issue 3 APRIL 2016 NISSAN 5776

Eat Well

Recipes & Styling By Shiffy Friedman Photography By Malky Levine

*Because usage of spices on Pesach varies according to family custom, I did not specify which ones to add. If you use black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, they work great here. If you‘re limited to salt (as I am), your dishes will come out just fine too! In general, to substitute for the lack of spices on Pesach, sauté lots of diced onions and add them to your dishes. This Pesach Will Be Different Here are some tips from health-minded cooks:

Raizy:

Shani:

During the year, I‘m a big fan of cooking spray. It used to be that when Pesach came around I wasn‘t happy with the amount of oil that entered my food. Even if I was super careful while pouring into the pot or pan, the amount was way more than I would have liked. Last year, my neighbor gave me a tip that really made a difference: to buy an empty spritz bottle at a houseware store and fill it with oil. Even if I‘m still using regular oil, spraying versus pouring dispenses much smaller quantities. This works great all year round, when cooking spray just doesn’t cut it.

As a nutritionist, I tell my clients t dishes as possible beforehand. Sa for those who eat them) make fo of squash and carrots to your soup they must have dessert, I sugges Whip up egg whites with strawbe

The Wellspring | April 2016 48

to prepare as many vegetable autéed squash (with tomatoes, or a tasty ratatouille. Add lots ps. And for those who feel like st a treat that we call “fluff.” erries and enjoy!

Sarah Leah: I find that the cakes and desserts on Pesach are way more sugar-laden that the ones we make all year. In order to avoid those treats, I fill up on salad at the start of every meal. It helps that I make my own mayonnaise, so the lettuce and cucumbers don’t taste so bland. I whisk together 3 egg yolks with a pinch of salt and sugar. I then add 6 tsp lemon juice and 3 cups oil, a few drops at a time, and whisk them together briskly until they’re emulsified. I leave the mayo at room temperature for 1-2 hours before storing it in the fridge for the week. Tastes great with avocado or eggs! April 2016 | The Wellspring 49

PESACH STANDARDS ALL YEAR ROUND Our meats are uncompromising in both quality and Kashrus. Serve Solomon’s™ on Pesach with confidence. Providing you with a full range of kosher beef & turkey products.

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

KOSHER FOR PASSOVER

‫גלאט כשר‬

‫כשר לפסח‬

Eat Well

Recipes

For the lattice-style cover: 2 white potatoes 2 sweet potatoes salt and pepper, to taste oil Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into medium-sized strips. In a small plate, mix oil with spices and brush over the strips. Bake, covered, for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes.

Lattice-Covered Chewy Beef with Vegetables Beef jerky is all the rage these days. Although I admit that I haven‘t tasted a strip yet, I imagine that what draws people to this food is the chewy texture of the meat, as opposed to the usual soft and tender texture we aim to achieve. This delicious combination of chewy meat and vegetables, topped with thin potato strips, works as a perfect appetizer or side. For the meat and vegetable mixture: 1 lb club or chuck steak, chopped into bite-sized pieces 2 carrots, diced 2 onions, diced oil for sautéing spices* 1 cup water Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and add the bite-sized pieces of meat. Cover, and let sear for about 20 minutes. Add the water and cook for one hour. In a sauté pan, sauté the onions in oil until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots and spices and sauté for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.

Serving suggestion: To achieve the presentation shown in the photo, place a spoonful of the beef and vegetable mixture into a small dish. Using two strips of potatoes and two strips of sweet potatoes, create a lattice-style cover. Yield: 8-10 servings ________________________________________

Delectable Chicken and Meat Bites with Red Onion Sauce It‘s always good to have wholesome finger food around, especially so on Pesach. These bites are sure to make their way out of the pan all too quickly, so make sure to set aside those you‘ll want to use for your meals! 1 lb ground chicken, completely thawed 1 lb ground meat, completely thawed 2 onions, diced and sautéed 1 squash, shredded 1 carrot, shredded 2 eggs 2 Tbsp salt, divided 2 tsp black pepper, divided

April 2016 | The Wellspring 51

Eat Well

Recipes

__________________________

Vegetable Crepe Tower Who says a Pesach table can’t be colorful? This is a stunning variation of the traditional Pesach lokshen. By stacking them with flavorful layers of green and orange, you‘re transforming the crepes into an eye-catching centerpiece. You could serve these as individual squares or leave the crepes whole and let the guests take generous slices for themselves. Crepes: 18 eggs salt, to taste oil for frying In a frying pan greased with oil, make the crepes using one egg at a time.

Preheat oven to 350. Place ground chicken, half of sautéed onions, shredded squash, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Using a spoon, mix well to incorporate all the ingredients. In another medium-sized bowl, place ground beef, half of sautéed onions, shredded carrot, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Using a spoon, mix well to incorporate all the ingredients. From each mixture, use a tablespoon scoop to create balls. Drop the balls into a greased mini-muffin tin. Bake for one hour. To achieve a golden color, thread onto skewers and bake for another half hour, uncovered.

Red Onion Sauce: 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced 2 Tbsp oil 1 cup chicken soup Sauté onions in oil until soft, about 20 minutes. Add chicken soup and cook for 10 minutes. Yield: 12 skewers/48 bites The Wellspring | April 2016 52

Green Layer: 5 zucchini 2 potatoes 2 Tbsp salt 1 Tbsp black pepper 1 onion, diced and sautéed

Peel squash and potatoes and cut them large chunks. Place in a pot, cover with water, and cook until soft (about 45 minutes). Once mixture is cooled, add diced onion.

Orange Layer: 5 carrots 3 sweet potatoes 3 Tbsp salt 1 Tbsp black pepper 1 onion, diced and sautéed Peel carrots and sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. Place in a pot, cover with water, and cook until soft (about 45 minutes). Once mixture is cooled, add diced onion. Once the crepes and mixtures are entirely cooled, create the stacked effect by layering: first a crepe, then the orange mixture, another crepe, the green mixture, creating a total of six layers. In order to create perfect squares, freeze the pies. Once frozen, cut them into squares with a long, sharp knife (I used a bench knife) and allow to defrost before serving. Serve warm.

Topping: 1 zucchini 2 carrots spices* Use a julienne peeler to create stringy strips of zucchini and carrots. Sauté strips in oil until soft, about 10 minutes. Using a fork, place on top of crepe tower. Yield: 3 pies ___________________________________

Deluxe Sweet Potato Chicken Salad I had a dairy version of this salad when I was treated to a fine dining experience upon The Wellspring‘s inauguration. As I savored the delicate flavors of the walnut, apple, and spaghettilike sweet potato in this dish, I thought of Seasoned, of course. What better time to try a new salad than Pesach?

Chicken Nuggets: You‘ll be surprised how tasty these nuggets are sans their chametz coating! 1 lb chicken cutlets, cut into nuggets 2 eggs oil, if frying spices* Marinate chicken in spiced egg batter for about 1 hour. Fry or bake until golden. Sweet Potato Spaghetti: 2 long and narrow sweet potatoes, peeled spices* oil, for sautéing Using a julienne peeler, cut sweet potatoes into spaghetti-like strips. Sprinkle with spices and place in non-stick skillet and sauté until soft, about 15 minutes.

Salad: 6 oz. Romaine lettuce, chopped 1 red onion, thinly sliced 2 oz walnuts 1 green apple, thinly sliced To achieve the presentation shown in the photo, assemble the salad in layers. Start with lettuce and add chicken, red onion, walnuts, and apple strips. Top with sweet potatoes. The oil of the sautéed sweet potatoes and fried chicken nuggets contributes as a tasty dressing. April 2016 | The Wellspring 53

Eat Well

Nutrition Facts in a Shell By Devorah Isaacson

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

This Month:

Mangos

Considered “the king of fruits,” mango is one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruits on the market. Its unique flavor, fragrance, and health-promoting qualities make it an excellent choice for snacking, salads, and juices. In addition to its sumptuous tropical flavor, mango delivers a host of nutrients and makes healthy eating a delightful, sensory experience. Each serving of mango (1 cup, sliced) is just 100 calories, fat free, sodium free, and cholesterol free, making it a satisfyingly sweet treat. This superfood, which contains over 20 different vitamins and minerals, comes into season just in time for your Pesach snacking! Principle Energy Carbohydrates Protein Total Fat Cholesterol Dietary Fiber Vitamins Folates Niacin Pantothenic acid Pyridoxine Riboflavin Thiamin Vitamin A Vitamin C Vitamin E Vitamin K Electrolytes Sodium Potassium Minerals Calcium Copper Iron Magnesium Manganese Zinc

Nutrition Value 70 Kcal 17 g 0.5 g 0.27 g 0 mg 1.80 g

Percentage of RDA 3.5% 13% 1% 1% 0% 4.5%

14 µg 0.584 mg 0.160 mg 0.134 mg 0.057 mg 0.058 mg 765 IU 27.7 mg 1.12 mg 4.2 µg

3.5% 3.5% 1% 10% 4% 5% 46% 25.5% 7.5% 3.5%

2 mg 156 mg

0% 3%

10 mg 0.110 mg 0.13 mg 9 mg 0.027 mg 0.04 mg

1% 12% 1.5% 2% 1% 0%

Mango is an excellent source of Vitamin A and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Only 100 grams of this superfood provides 25 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A! Several trial studies suggest that polyphenolic antioxidant compounds found in mango offer protection against breast, colon, and leukemia cancers. When shopping for that perfect mango, choose the one with intact skin, without cuts or bruises. Mangoes are usually harvested while still green but perfectly matured. So if the one you chose is still green, a sign that it’s unripe, keep it at room temperature for a few days.To speed up the ripening process, keep it in a paper bag. Ripe mangoes should be stored in the refrigerator, but bring them back to room temperature in order to get the full flavor.

In Your Plate!

Mangos taste great just as they are— in their raw state, unseasoned. Cut the fruit lengthwise into three sections in a way that the middle portion is not included. Then, slice through the skin to separate the skin from the pulp. To achieve the pretty cube-like presentation often used by caterers and fruit stores, use a sharp knife to cut through the flesh on either side of the central seed (stone). This way, you get two big halves of mango fruit and a central stone portion. Then, take one-half and score the flesh in a horizontal and vertical pattern, making sure not to cut deep through the skin. Invert the whole half to push out the cubes. Fresh mango cubes are a great addition to fruit salads! Make a mango milk shake by blending mango with a bit of milk. A delicious, creamy way to start your day! Try This! Want to have some healthy fun? Try making mango leather! All you need for this recipe is two ripe mangos. Preheat the oven to 175˚F (80˚C). Cut the mangos into chunks and puree until smooth. Line a cookie sheet with baking paper and pour in the puree, spreading it into a smooth, even layer. Bake at 175˚F (80˚C) for 3-4 hours. After about 2 hours, start checking on your fruit leather every 30 minutes or so. The fruit leather is done when it’s dry to the touch but still pliable. If the edges get done before the center, cut them off and continue baking the rest. If the bottom side is wet and the top looks ready, flip the leather over and continue baking. Let it cool before cutting into strips. Add to the healthy fun by having the kids cut their leather into shapes! Store your fruit leather within a day of making it (if it’s still around!), wrapped tightly in plastic and in a sealed container. When properly wrapped, it remains fresh for up to one month at room temperature. The Wellspring | April 2016 54

Wellbeing

Clean Slate By Shiffy Friedman, CNWC

Freedom, At Last – From Enslavement to Food The key differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger There is no better time to discuss emotional eating than Pesach, when we celebrate our freedom from slavery. For an emotional eater, food is a source of exhilaration at one moment, but very soon after a source of frustration and awareness of her powerlessness. On the one hand, she’s excited to tackle the tub of ice cream after an exhausting day at work. Then, when she finds herself on the couch feeling empty and full all at once, guilt and self-rebuke set in. Essentially, an emotional eater is enslaved to food. Similar to the master who manipulates his drudges to do as he pleases, there’s an element in the food that controls an emotional eater against her logical will. “I was sure I would be able to hold back,” an emotional eater is wont to lament, “but then somehow I just found myself wiping out the contents of my junk bin.” Because emotions and eating are so interconnected for many, I got several e-mails from readers who wanted more clarity on the topic. Some were concerned what the ramifications of their “diagnosis” would be, while others wanted to understand, of course, how to crawl out of the rut. These are among the issues we will tackle in upcoming articles. Before you go ahead and place yourself in the emotional eating category (which I wouldn’t call a “diagnosis” just yet!) because you tend to overeat when you’re anxious, let’s understand the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger. Self-Talk

What you should tell yourself Most people unconsciously engage in self-talk. Why not use this medium to give yourself empowering messages? On the words of Tehillim he’emanti ki adabeir (116:10), the Slonimer Rebbe writes, “I believe because I speak.” The more you tell yourself certain truths, the more you’ll believe them. In this sidebar, I offer a powerful sentence you can tell yourself to break free from emotional eating. The most empowering message you can give yourself is “I can do this.” (There’s a reason why Obama went with the slogan “Yes, we can!”) It sounds simple and elementary, but when you’re struggling, these words can make it or break it for you. When you stand at the cabinet, your fingers wrapped around the knob, tell yourself, “I can do this.” Often, what leads an emotional eater to binge is the belief that she’s not strong enough to overcome the temptation, that she failed so many times in the past so why should this time be different? But if you keep repeating this line, you will find the power within to walk away a winner.

Real or Imagined? How can you know whether you’re eating because you’re really hungry, or you’re eating out of emotional hunger? There are seven main differences between the two kinds of hunger. Let’s start with the first three. The first is that while physical hunger develops slowly, emotional hunger comes on suddenly. Physical hunger begins with a rumble in the tummy, developing into a stronger grumble, and finally evolving into hunger pangs. That’s the way you feel at the end of a fast day. The hunger doesn’t hit you in the face from one moment to the next. Emotional hunger, on the other hand, has a dramatic, sudden onset. You could be feeling full at one moment and then reaching out for more chicken the next. An emotional eater will react to this hunger and go for the food even if she logically understands that there’s no reason for her to consume it. Unlike physical hunger, emotional hunger demands food immediately, and it wants immediate satisfaction. It’s the tough master with a whip over its slave’s head. Physical hunger, on the other hand, is more forgiving. It can wait for food. Back to our fast day example, when you return home from shul on Motzaei Yom Kippur, what are the chances that you’ll raid the refrigerator? On the other hand, what happens when you just spent one tough hour neutralizing a tantrum? Suddenly, the chocolate pie is calling your name with intense urgency. Another difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger involves mindfulness. To satisfy physical hunger, you normally make a deliberate choice about what you want to consume, and you maintain awareness of what you eat. You take a bowl of soup and sit down at the table to enjoy it. You notice how much you put in your mouth so that you can stop when you’re full. When you’re overcome with emotional hunger, in contrast, you rarely notice what’s you’re eating. If you have emotional hunger, you’ll want more food even after you’re stuffed—and you won’t care much about what’s going in your mouth. Confusing emotional hunger with real, biological hunger is what causes people to become emotional eaters. Still, it is not an excuse to fall prey to the negative eating patterns it engenders. Thankfully, as humans with the power of choice, we have the ability to differentiate between the two hungers, learn to recognize the signs of the true one, and lead a life of freedom and satisfaction. In this column on emotional eating, Shiffy Friedman, CNWC, discusses the journey toward a healthy relationship with food from a Torah-based, psychological, and personal perspective. April 2016 | The Wellspring 55

THE BEET!

Get moving with the beet trend. Beets are a wholesome food with an array of proven health benefits and an ability to be incorporated into countless recipes. Gefen brings you this nutrient-packed vegetable peeled, cooked and ready to use. Live again. Thank us later.

OUR BEETS. YOUR IMAGINATION. Find our bags of ready-to-eat beets in your local supermarket.

Well Informed

Vitamin Production Process By Judy Appel

WELCOME TO THE LAB!

The Vitamin Production Process: A sneak peek inside It’s always nice to receive feedback from our readers, especially when it’s positive. At The Wellspring, we also appreciate honest letters, words that give us a feel for what our readers are most interested in and that enlighten as to what the community needs. For this reason, we didn’t take letter writer Suri Gruen lightly. “I’m not a health nut,” are her words to The Wellspring. “I probably never will be,” she adds for emphasis. Then, she cleverly inquires, “But can I ask what goes on behind the scenes? Why should I believe that these vitamins and supplements can actually fulfill their promise? I feel like when it comes to vitamins, I’m totally in the dark. In the house I grew up in, antibiotics were the way to go. For the most part, they did the trick. How is the vitamin production process better, safer, and/or more effective?” To Suri and to readers like her, we present this column. Here’s the place for you to get intimately acquainted with the vitamin production process at Maxi Health Research. Take a step into the light. With this information, you won’t be in the dark any longer.

Step One: Raw Materials The raw materials that make up every capsule, tablet, or powder are first carefully selected. Vitamins are derived from plant or animal products, or produced synthetically in a laboratory. For example, vitamin A is derived from fish oil, and vitamin C from citrus fruits or rose hips. In order to receive these vital materials in large quantities, they are sometimes produced synthetically in a laboratory. So, in the example of vitamin A, the material is synthesized from acetone, and vitamin C from keto acid. There is no chemical difference between the purified vitamins derived from plant or animal sources and those produced synthetically. The large quantities produced through the synthetic process merely enable the supplement to provide the recommended doses to the user. You’d need an awful lot of rose hips to get even a little vitamin C! Once the raw materials are gathered, usually from a quality-controlled laboratory, they are held in designated Maxi Health supervised quarantine area until they are tested, approved for production, and ready for the next stage. Coming up in the next issue: Blending and Compounding When it comes to the vitamin selection, there’s reason for the consumer to be wary. After all, not all vitamins are created equal. The process is complex and necessitates supreme quality control in order to give the consumer the results they anticipate. Maxi Health Research prides itself in providing that—and more, in every single bottle that wears their label. April 2016 | The Wellspring 57

Wellbeing

Health Personality By Miri Davis

A Cup of tea with... Rabbi Eli Glaser, CWMC, CNWC

Place of Residence: Baltimore, Maryland Occupation: Founder and Director of Soveya Passion: To educate the Jewish world about health and wellness and proactively address the obesity epidemic that’s rampant in our community.

he wishes you would know: Geshmak and gezunt don’t have to be in conflict. The mitzvah of taking care of our bodies through proper eating is just as important as the other mitzvos regarding food, such as kashrus and making berachos.

Your organization has enlightened thousands of Jews around the world concerning the importance of proper eating. How did you get into this field? I’m a survivor of morbid obesity. I used to weigh 300 pounds and have been successfully maintaining a 120-pound loss for 13 years now. During the time that I lost the weight, I was a kiruv Rabbi in Boston, Massachusetts. When people saw my transformation, they would ask me for help for themselves, their spouses, or friends. That’s when I realized that there was no organization in the frum world addressing this vital issue, despite the fact that obesity is rampant in the community.

What does Soveya provide to the frum world? We offer two tracks. The first is that we provide nutrition, health, and wellness education programs to communities around the world. Through the groundbreaking educational program SWITCHH (Soveya Wellness Initiative to Create Healthy Habits) we provide seminars and age-appropriate presentations for students. We send out a weekly newsletter to over 10,000 subscribers on topics related to health and wellness. Seventy schools receive the newsletter and The Wellspring | April 2016 58

send home copies with the parashah sheets as a resource for the community. I also lecture at Shabbatons and conventions on this vital topic. Once, when I spoke on the topic in a shul, I did a small survey. Together with the audience, I calculated how much sugar the average kid ingests over the 24-hour period of Shabbos. Including the sweets he gets at avos ubanim as a reward for learning, when he says Tehillim, at the Kiddush, and from the candy man, we reached a total of several hundred grams. I took a ziplock bag and poured in that amount of sugar. It filled over half the bag. “Imagine putting that into your coffee!” I told the fathers. Just having that awareness is so vital. Our second track offers confidential weight loss counseling for Jewish children, adolescents, adults, and families.

What kind of feedback do you get? As the only organization in the frum world that addresses healthy eating, our work is very well-received. I will admit, though, that half of the audience loves what they hear, and the other half runs away, because they don’t want to change. We don’t say that change is easy, but it’s imperative.

Do you find that the community is changing over time regarding the awareness of overeating and unhealthy lifestyle patterns? In the schools, there’s definitely more of an awareness. Our focus is not to impose change on others. It has to come as the result of their own reprioritization. All we want is for people to be open and honest in addressing this issue. In that sense, we’ve made an impact on thousands of communities.

What makes your program different from the mainstream secular programs that promote healthful living?

physical needs. Torah sources such as this elevate the idea of proper eating to a whole new level.

How would you describe your mehalech when advising individuals regarding weight loss? What do you focus on? Successful weight loss is not defined as dropping as many pounds as quickly as possible. Successful weight loss is implementing the necessary tools, establishing proper boundaries and adopting the appropriate attitude toward food that allows you to grow down to your ideal weight and sustain a healthy body size for the rest of your life. Our program is not for someone looking for a quick-fix, 20-pounds-intwo-weeks weight loss rush. It’s for a person who understands he needs to make significant and lasting changes in his relationship with food – and is willing to prioritize that in his daily life style.

It’s so liberating to know that we’re in control over what we put into our mouths instead of enslaved to the food we eat.

The Torah gives us guidance as to how to lead our lives, and eating in a Torah way is a substantial part of our Torah lifestyle. We address this issue from a Torah perspective, highlighting the Torah’s approach to health and wellness. It’s a mitzvah for us to watch what we put into our bodies, and we’re here to bring that message to the frum world’s attention. We find one example in Parashas Vayikra, where the Torah tells us that it’s prohibited to bring honey or flour with a korban. Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 117) notes something fascinating about this mitzvah. He explains that this prohibition illustrates how a Jew should relate to food—particularly sweets. The matter of avoiding honey, he says, is in order to guide and motivate our tender children to understand that a person should minimize his consumption of sweets merely for their taste. He continues that a thinking person should eat not for the sake of the pleasure of the taste he experiences, but should rather focus on the pleasure of meeting his body’s

What do you think brings clients to success?

When they stop focusing on changing their weight and start focusing on changing themselves. It happens when they start turning the burden to say “no” into the freedom to say “no.”

Your missive is very inspiring. What message do you have for The Wellspring readers in regards to Pesach? During Zman Cheiruseinu, it’s important for us to remember that one way to achieve true cheirus is by freeing ourselves from physical indulgence. We don’t want to be slaves to our food. It’s so liberating to know that we’re in control over what we put into our mouths instead of enslaved to the food we eat. From the mitzvah of matzah, we learn how to grow spiritually. Both chametz and matzah are made with flour and water, but in one the flour is inflated and in the other it’s flattened. From the matzah we learn that in order to grow spiritually, we have to put limits on our physicality. Leading a healthful lifestyle is about a lot more than just keeping the pounds down. The pursuit of physical pleasure, in the form of cakes and sweets, prevents us from reaching spiritual heights.

April 2016 | The Wellspring 59

Wellbeing

Me-Time By Batsheva Fine

Program this Month: GARDENING Now that flowers are blossoming all around, don’t you wish you had some of your own? Take up an activity that gives you an opportunity to spend time with yourself as you nurture buds into beautiful blossoms. Gardening has always been recognized as a form of therapy. Indeed, there’s an entire field of psychology called horticultural therapy. Specialists trained in this area generally spend their sessions with clients in what they call therapeutic gardens. In these plant-dominated environments purposefully designed to facilitate interaction with the healing elements of nature, the therapists connect to their clients and help them heal. The therapeutic benefits of garden environments have been documented since ancient times. In the 19th century, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and recognized as the “father of American psychiatry,” drew attention to the positive effects working in a garden has on individuals with mental illness. But even when gardening is not employed in a professional context, it’s a popular hobby that doubles as an outstanding stress reliever. Research has shown that spending time in nature can help restore your attention, relax your body, and revive your mood. Why not give it a try this month? With minimal investment, you can cultivate your creativity, have fun, and revel in your own company.

From Bud to Blossom Natural Stress-Buster How to ensure that gardening doesn’t burden you Keep it a hobby, not a chore. Some people enjoy gardening and others don’t. Even if you’re one of those who do, ask yourself how much time you can devote to this hobby. Once it turns into a chore, it loses the element of quality me-time. Only the plant and you. While you’re tending to your plants, be mindful of what you’re doing. Let it be just you and the plants and nothing else. Leave your phone or computer in the house and, for a change, allow your multi-tasking abilities to fade into the backdrop. Cultivate your creativity. Allow your imagination to take you places. Experiment with various flowers, and see which ones you like most. Make this a project that you’ll look forward to continue!

The Wellspring | April 2016 60

Ready to spend your me-time in the garden? Here’s the way to go! 2

Decide on what type of garden you’d like to grow. Do you want to experiment with vegetables, herbs, or flowers? Start small. It’s better to succeed in one area, and then work your way up to bigger and better.

Improve the soil. If you want your blossoms to make you smile, give them the energy. By adding a layer of organic matter (compost) to the soil, you’re off to a good start.

Time for fun. After you plant what you have chosen in the ground, take the time to appreciate nature and the wonders you’re about to observe.

Pick a place. Almost all vegetables and most flowers need about six hours of sunlight every day. Make sure that the area you choose will provide that. Clear the ground. Get rid of the sod covering the area you plan to plant in. Dig it out so you can get to work!

Start digging. Do this only when the soil is moist enough to form a loose ball in your fist, but dry enough to fall apart when you drop it. Use a spade to gently turn the top 8 to 12 inches of soil, mixing in the organic matter.

Pick your plants. Head over to the nearest nursery and pick the flowers you love. Here are a few easy-to-grow plants for beginners. Flowers: marigolds, impatiens, geraniums, sunflowers. Vegetables: lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Maintenance is key. Use mulch to keep weeds out and water in. Your plants must be watered every day, and also when they wilt slightly in the heat of day. Water slowly and deeply, so the water soaks in instead of running off into the street. To minimize evaporation, water your plants in the early morning. What a beautiful way to start your day!

April 2016 | The Wellspring 61

Inkwell

Diary As told to Rochel Gordon

Brain Defrost How omega-3 fish oil helps me work through the night As a middle-aged woman, my life

took on an interesting course two years ago. Until then, I was basically a stay-at-home mom of eight, tending to the needs of my kids and the home. Because I enjoyed domestic work, I took pleasure in preparing nice meals for my family and maintaining perfect order all around. Because my life was basically on the predictable side, I had an approximate bedtime of 11 p.m., on occasion 12. When the kids started growing up, I did some volunteering for a counseling organization, and the more I got into it, the more I realized that this was a field I had interest in. I found that I was able to connect to the women who shared their issues with me and that I had the potential to build a midlife occupation on this ability. Two years ago, I decided to take the daring step of returning to school. As a student in my forties, lots of interesting things happened. For one, I suddenly found myself sitting on the couch in the evening, studying from my notes together with my teenaged daughters. For probably the first time in many years, I was committed to being in the same place at the same time for most of the year. But probably the most interesting thing of all is what happened to my bedtime. Suddenly, I wasn’t the boss any longer. What used to be my choice—when to call it a day, was not in my hands anymore. I was suddenly bombarded with constant assignments and tests that I couldn’t find the time to prepare for during the day. After all, I was used to spending my day running the house and I wasn’t interested in sacrificing that. So, what ended up happening was that I

ended up working into the night every now and then. Especially during midterm and final season, I pull off several all-nighters, in which I tap away at the computer through the night until I’m all done and ready for class. When I first tried doing this, I was a mess. I would sit at the computer for hours, sometimes even falling asleep there, and my brain would just freeze. By the time the clock struck one, my brain was mush and I couldn’t think straight. One evening, I was looking through some magazines and came across a Maxi Health ad citing the benefits of Omega-3 fish oil. One of the advantages that caught my attention was that it helps with brain function, increasing attention and concentration. I decided to rip the ad out and try this product. What should I tell you? I know this sounds crazy, because middle-aged women shouldn’t be doing all-nighters, let alone discuss how beneficial they are, but literally the night that I took two fish oil capsules for the first time, I was able to concentrate so well that I got two papers done in one sitting—and I hadn’t even slept too well the night before. It was as if my brain had been defrosted! I started taking the capsules every day for my brain and overall health and I really feel a difference on the days I forget to take them. So, no, I am NOT here to recommend staying up late. If my children are reading this, I hope they hear it loud and clear. But when concentration and attention are of the essence, Maxi Health’s Omega-3 fish oil is surely the way to go. I started taking two every day for my overall health, and I find that it literally clears up my brain and lets me think straight no matter how overwhelmed or tired I feel.

How has your health and wellbeing improved thanks to Maxi Health? To receive a free bottle of the supplement that changed your life, send a summary of your story to inkwell@wellspringmagazine.com. We reserve the right to end this promotion at any time, without notice.

The Wellspring | April 2016 62

If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies.

April 2016 | The Wellspringâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; 63

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