Wellspring Issue #59

PostBaby Fitness

6 moves to get you back in shape

The Chanukah Issue DECEMBER 2020 // KISLEV 5781 // ISSUE 59

The Most Common Condition You’ve Never Heard Of

“The average patient suffers without diagnosis for four years.

Apparently, I was one of them.”

Cold, Long Nights Are for Sleeping Tight

But What about Baby?

Reignite the Spark How to brighten the glow in your marriage

Seasoned Goes Sizzling Which oil is healthiest for frying?

Ask Laura Recently diagnosed with celiac disease, how can I get my nutrient fill on a gluten-free diet?

An enlightening conversation on sleep training

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The Wellspring Magazine is published monthly by Wellspring Magazine Inc. All rights are reserved.

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From the Editor shiffy@wellspringmagazine.com

This Way or That Way I found it ironic to be reviewing this issue’s feature on sleep after having been awake all night.

Having recently returned from a beautiful trip overseas together with my family, I was up from dusk to dawn — and beyond — with jet lag, clocking in as many hours as possible to get this issue off the ground and ready for print. So yes, sleep is certainly important and I’m no advocate for messing with one’s circadian rhythm, but when there’s no other choice in the matter, my approach is to go with the flow. The kids want breakfast before sunrise? Let’s go for it. (“Mommy, I’m so in the mood of schnitzel.” That’s my daughter at 4:30 a.m., still sniffing the faint scent of dinner served just a few hours earlier.)

But the child who is most adamantly dictating the odd schedule in our household these days is, not surprisingly, the baby. Not surprisingly, because her track record of solid sleep isn’t, shall we say, that stellar. This delicious bundle of joy is actually the inspiration behind “Good Night, Sleep Tight,” which I assigned to the writer after having given the Ferber method a shot, and a very unsuccessful one at that. I’d never sleep trained any of my kids, and somehow, none of them emerged from their infant stage like sleep-deprived zombies. This one, however, as some of the women in the article relate, did appear to be taking herself — and me — down that untrodden path. As the sleep consultants concur, it’s not only about the baby, but also about the sanity of the entire family.

And so, I decided to give sleep training a try. Admittedly, it was a very wary one, especially when the experienced mom who guided me through the process told me, “You’ll notice how your baby will stop crying after a while because she’ll realize that her cries don’t bring the results she wants — for you to come get her.” “But I don’t want her to feel that way!” I countered. Standing outside my

Well-Put!

baby’s room and listening to her heartrending hollering, I whispered into the phone, “I can’t do this!” Why would I want my baby to lose faith in me? Why would I want her to give up calling for the one person in the world whom she relies upon for her every need? If there’s anything I want ingrained in her heart and mind, it’s that Mommy’s always there for her.

I’m neurotic (and rebellious!) like that. So on some nights I sneak into her room when I “shouldn’t” and naughtily feed her to sleep. On other blessed nights, she’s tired enough to drift off on her own.

I do wonder if I might be mistaken about the process, though, especially when I hear from dedicated and loving moms who do stick it through — and afterwards too — as well as when reading this issue’s feature. But for now, I’ve accepted that the “go with the flow” approach works best for both me and my daughter, who is gradually giving us longer and longer stretches. As Riki Taubenfeld points out in the article, as long as what you’re doing works for you, go with it. So thanks, Riki, for your nod of approval.

Sleep training is not the only area in our lives where different strokes work for different folks. It’s a theme we often encounter in these pages, especially in terms of health, noting that what works for one body does not necessarily work for another and vice versa. While there are some hard-and-fast rules, there’s also large areas of gray, where we are meant to explore according to the dynamics of the particular circumstances we’re in. This is also true in all relationships, especially marriage, as this issue’s Wellbeing feature explores. Expressing appreciation, for example, is an important facet of the relationship.

But the details of how to go about it may vary depending on your own character, that of your spouse, and other dynamics involved. When we keep an open mind and heart, and nurture our desire to give it our all, we find the way to keep the spark alive.

Wishing you a freilichen, lichtigen Chanukah,

Shiffy Friedman

“The foods we eat and the activities we do or don’t engage in are all rooted in our emotions.”

Liba Yoffe, founder of Spirit Fit Life, Cup of Tea

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 13

Contents

DECEMBER 2020 KISLEV 5781 ISSUE 59 Our next issue will appear on Wednesday, December 30th iy"H.

WELL INFORMED

LIVING WELL

22 SPIRITUAL EATING

By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS

28 IN GOOD SHAPE Post- Baby Workout

By Tova Jeremias, PFC

24 HEALTH UPDATES IN THE NEWS

By Esther Retek 26 WELLSPRING COMMUNITY Treating Hair Loss

30 ASK Celiac Disease

By Laura Shammah, MS, RDN

Torah Wellspring will return next month.

32 MEDICAL SAGA POTS

By Rina Auerbach and Leah Stein

WELLBEING

38 FEATURE Good Night, Sleep Tight

By Roizy Baum 46 CUP OF TEA Liba Yoffe

By Esther Retek

58 EMOTIONAL EATING

By Shira Savit 60 COVER FEATURE Igniting the Spark

By Wellspring Staff

50 AT THE DIETITIAN Constipation

By Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE

68 CHILD DEVELOPMENT 53 DIY The Scent Connection Cleaner Hair

By Friedy Singer & Roizy Guttmann, OTR/L

By Miriam Schweid 72 BYE, DIET. HELLO, LIFE. 54 HEALTHY-ISH Chapter 6: What Do I Need?

By Aryeh Leib

By Gila Glassberg, MS, RD, CDN

60 ISSUE 59

DECEMBER ‘20 KISLEV 5781

Flavored to a Crisp A nutritional spin on the traditional latke

75 14 Wellspring | December 2020

38

Cauliflower "Tater Tots" The perfect Chanukah side dish

Kick of Nutrition 8 herbs that are good for you

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Springboard

Letters

On Thyroid Cancer, Constipation, Recipe Reviews, and More

A More Effective Alternative to T4 Medication invites readers to submit letters and comments via regular mail or email to info@ wellspringmagazine. com. 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.

Issue #58: Medical Saga

In the article in which a thyroid cancer survivor recounts her story, she writes that after her thyroid was removed, she was put on synthetic T4 medication (Synthroid/ Levothyroxine) and is now suffering from constant fatigue, difficulty losing weight, and perhaps some emotional issues as well.

Those symptoms (among many, many other physical and emotional symptoms) are extremely common when taking synthetic T4 medication. A healthy thyroid produces five hormones (most importantly direct T3), and T4 is just one of the hormones the body needs in order to function properly.

B’ezras Hashem, there is help out there.

16 Wellspring | December 2020

There are better alternatives, most notably Dessicated thyroid, that can be substituted, or used in conjunction with synthetic T4 meds. Tens of thousands who have made the switch have witnessed a complete reversal, or significant improvement, of hypothyroid symptoms.

For more information, please read Stop the Thyroid Madness by Janie A. Bowthorpe.

Best,

F. S.

15 Minutes Start to Finish Issue #58: Seasoned

I’m not good at following complicated recipes and I don't like to buy ingredients that I’ll use only once. When we saw your peanut chew recipe using pantry basics,

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Q

Quick Question

I am a 60-year-old woman and have recently developed shingles. The condition is very itchy and painful. My doctor gave me medication but I am still suffering greatly. Any natural treatments that you can offer to help alleviate the discomfort?

A

Shingles causes a painful rash. In addition to the pain-relieving and anti-viral medication which you should be on, you may want to try the following alternative treatment to speed up your recovery and help you feel better quickly: *L-Lysine *vitamin B complex *homeopathic remedy combinations that include ranunculus bulbosos and rhus tox *essential oils like lavender and geranium Take care, Miriam Schweid, kinesiologist

Leah P.

More Than About What the Child Presents

As the author wisely notes, parenting is so much more than about what the child is presenting. It’s about what the child’s behavior and traits bring up for us. It is our ability to face our “unfinished emotional business” — which can be arduous — and that determines, with the help of Hashem, the kind of children we raise as well as the kind of people we become.

With much appreciation and wishes for continued success,

Perele J.

I particularly appreciated last issue’s thought-provoking column on parenting.

18 Wellspring | December 2020

4 cups oats

½ cup ground flax seeds ½ cup wheat germ

½ cup oat bran (especially good for constipation) ½ cup sunflower seeds ¼ cup hemp seeds ¼ cup chia seeds ½ cup honey

Issue #58: Wellbeing Feature

As someone who has only recently started reading Wellspring (and has been a fan since), I would like to thank you for content that caters to the mind, body, and soul.

I’d like to share my favorite granola recipe that does all of the above and more. It’s a great brain food, as well.

My Quick-and-Easy Lunch Issue #58: My Table

I enjoyed the nutritionists’ input and recipes for food they eat during the day that keeps them full, energized, and healthy.

½ cup oil

1 Tbsp vanilla extract Combine in a bowl, mix well, and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

Refrigerate in ziplock portion-sized bags or containers.

Any health information, advice, or suggestions published here are the opinions of the letter writers and are not independently investigated, endorsed, or validated by Wellspring. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional or medical practitioner regarding any medical advice, condition, or treatment.

we immediately got to work to prepare it for Shabbos. It took less than 15 minutes from start to finish. Enjoying them also took less than 15 minutes, especially with our impressed guests. Thanks for printing easy recipes for people like me.

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Pediatric Quick Question

Q

My child is constipated. Which changes can I make to her diet to help her out?

A

Common cures include increasing fiber, supplementing with a probiotic, drinking prune or pear juice, avoiding dairy, and avoiding foods on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast).

But this might not be the best first step.

Constipation is also caused by dehydration, lack of physical movement, lack of magnesium, stress, change in daily routines, and certain medications. It’s best to find the root of

the problem.

I'm a big fan of moving daily. Ensuring joyful physical activity can help in two ways. First, the movement itself may stimulate bowel movement. Also, it also helps decrease stress, which is another potential cause of the problem.

To increase hydration, try adding chunks of fruit to your water or enjoy some tasty watermelon.

Magnesium is also helpful, and it can be found in leafy greens, as well as in Epsom salts or other forms of supplementation. Discuss this with your doctor before implementing.

Nutrition is important, but it may or may not be the cause — or cure — of this issue.

Yaff i Lvova, RDN, pediatric dietitian

A dietitian and food enjoyment activist, Yaff i Lvova, RDN, encourages positive nutrition through writing, speaking, and Nap Time Nutrition, her video blog and podcast. Find out more at Babybloomnutrition.com.

The Conversation Continues: Constipation Cures Issue #58: Wellspring Community

The company Qualitease makes a product called Digestive Tea. Its taste is delicious and it helps cleanse easily within 24 hours. This is not addictive and gives the digestive system a great boost. __

Rachel Halberg

Magnesium was the best supplement I ever used to help with constipation. A quarter to a half a teaspoon twice a day did the job for me.

__

S. Leshkowitz

My baby was suffering from reflux. He kept vomiting and was terribly uncomfortable. The pediatrician prescribed reflux

20 Wellspring | December 2020

medication. He became constipated and only glycerin suppositories helped him. A nutritionist explained that some of the medications used for reflux in babies can cause constipation. I switched to a natural supplement called Reflux Relief, which promotes digestive health as well, and baruch Hashem my baby experienced relief in both areas.

__

Fraidy K.

Following the Fit for Life Diet was my best solution for constipation. The fresh fruit juices and fresh fruit all morning was the best thing for my constipation issues. It helped increase my energy levels as well, and I felt clean and free.

Rena H.

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Well Informed

Spiritual Eating By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS

I

Chanukah

Getting Our Hearts Back In It

In the beginning of the laws of Chanukah, the Bach explains why the Greeks were given the opportunity to rule over Klal Yisrael, nullifying the daily Korban Tamid, and rendering the oil for the menorah unfit for use.

He says it’s because the Yidden were lax in their in their performance and appreciation of mitzvos. As a result, they lost their simchah and enthusiasm, especially in the continual, everyday commandments, such as the Korban Tamid and the daily lighting of the Menorah (Ner Tamid). Their observance became rote; their hearts weren’t in it.

Therefore, Hashem responded by removing these particular privileges through the vehicle of the Greek subjugation — measure for measure.

Chazal tell us that the Greeks tried to make the Yidden forget the Torah by prohibiting Torah study. They made a seemingly bizarre decree that the Jews should write on the horn of an ox that they have no cheilek in Hashem — that they possess no unique and precious relationship with the Creator of the Universe, that they are just like everyone else. The Maharal teaches that the Greeks were reminding the Jews of the sin of Cheit Ha’eigel. But why was it necessary to bring up an episode that happened centuries earlier?

When Moshe descended the mountain and saw the transgression of Cheit Ha’ei-

22 Wellspring | December 2020

gel, he threw down and broke the Luchos he had received from Hashem, in a sense erasing the Torah he just received. This incident instituted the capacity for Torah to be forgotten amongst the Yidden for future generations. Moshe, after having received atonement for the nation, had to spend another 40 days on top of Har Sinai “relearning” the Torah that was lost and forgotten as a result of this sin.

So, what were the Greeks trying to prove? The Sifri explains that writing this deflating pronouncement on the horn of an ox was a stark reminder of the distancing of the relationship the Jewish People had created between themselves and Hashem just 40 days after receiving the Torah on Har Sinai — since Torah is the glue that bonds us with the Almighty.

This breakdown manifested itself again during the time of Chanukah. The Greeks were attempting to drive a wedge in the connection between Klal Yisrael and the Almighty — an opening that was created by the nation’s lack of enthusiasm in their avodas Hashem.

The Sifri comments that there’s anoth-

er commonality between these two tragic episodes: that the Yidden separated themselves from Hashem and spirituality by indulging in excess physical gratification.

In the second paragraph of Krias Shema, we say, “And you will eat and be satisfied.

Beware, lest your heart be seduced and you turn astray and serve other gods and bow down to them” (Devarim 11:15–16). If a person engrosses himself in the excesses of this world, says the Sifri, it takes him away from Torah. “Yeshurun (the Jewish People) became fat and kicked,” (Devarim 32:15).

Because of indulgent eating and drinking, the Sifri comments, their hearts were displaced. When Yidden distance themselves from Hashem and His Torah, they may find themselves incorporating false ideologies and improper perspectives as to what is important in life, and making poor choices about which values we should prioritize and what pleasures we should pursue. This, concludes the Sifri, leads to idol worship.

By stuffing up our hearts with gashmiyus, we prevent it from being able to be filled with ruchniyus. “Open my heart to your Torah, then my soul will pursue Your commandments,” we say at the end of every Shemoneh Esrei. The Vilna Gaon explains that yearning after indulgences of food clogs our spiritual arteries — in addition to those in our body. Therefore, he says, we have to ask Hashem to open up our hearts so we can be receptive to His Torah and blessings, and not to be busy pursuing our taavos.

The Yidden did teshuvah at the time of

the Chashmonaim by regaining their excitement and chashivus for mitzvos. Then HaKadosh Baruch Hu allowed the service of the Menorah and the avodah of the daily offerings to resume in the Beis Hamikdash. Chazal instituted the Yom Tov of Chanukah as an expression of “praise and thanks — which is [sincere] service of the heart.”

The only required physical action Chazal commanded us to take on Chanukah is to kindle a light for eight consecutive nights. The focus of the chag is to praise, to thank, and to develop a sincere appreciation in our hearts for the incredible opportunities Hashem has given us through Torah and mitzvos — transforming rote and mundane routine into excitement and enthusiasm.

When a Yid’s heart becomes used to extravagant physical pleasures, specifically indulgent eating, it loses the feeling for ruchniyus, for Torah or avodas Hashem, warns the navi Yeshayahu. There are few things we do more frequently than eat — yet this daily activity has the capacity to either cause great physical and spiritual harm or provide us the essential nourishment for a healthy life.

This was the tikkun of Chanukah. That’s why our commemoration is concentrated primarily on service of the heart — for it was the heart that turned back toward Hashem, allowing us to “remember” our learning and regain our connection and conviction with Torah and mitzvos.

Let’s keep this in mind as the plethora of jelly donuts and deep-fried latkes are suddenly found in abundance in our homes and shuls. Let’s ask ourselves if this is truly the way to access the awesome opportunity we have in our hands — to strengthen our connection with HaKadosh Baruch Hu and illuminate our journey of avodas Hashem through the bright lights of Chanukah.

Based on a shiur by Rav Yitzchak Sorotzkin, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Telz and Mesivta of Lakewood Rabbi Eli Glaser is the founder and Director of Soveya. He is certified as a Nutrition/Wellness Consultant and Weight Management Specialist, with 25 years of coaching and counseling experience, and is maintaining a 130-pound weight loss for more than 16 years.

Soveya has offices in Lakewood and Brooklyn, and works with clients via phone and Skype around the world. For more information or to make an appointment, contact Soveya at 732-578-8800, info@soveya.com, or www.soveya.com.

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Well Informed

Updates in the News By Esther Retek

WANT TO LIVE LONGER? Become an optimist, studies suggest A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that men and women with the highest levels of optimism had an 11–15% longer life span on average than those who practiced little positive thinking. The highest-scoring optimists also had the greatest odds of living to age 85 or beyond. These results held true even when taking into account factors such as socioeconomic status, health conditions, depression, smoking, social engagement, poor diet, and alcohol use.

“This was the first study to look at the impact of optimism on exceptional longevity, which is defined as living to age 85 or more,” says lead author Lewina Lee, assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University’s School of Medicine.

The study found women with the highest levels of optimism had 1.5 greater odds of living to 85 or beyond, compared to those with the lowest levels of optimism. The odds were even greater for highly optimistic men, who were 1.7 times more likely to live to that age than their more pessimistic counterparts.

Why would an optimistic attitude help one live a significantly longer life?

“Optimistic individuals tend to have goals and the confidence to reach them,” Lee says. “Those goals could include healthy habits that contribute to a longer life.” And even if we can’t control the length of our lives, living our days with optimism will certainly impact their quality.

WELL-SPENT

How to lead a healthy lifestyle on a budget, one tip at a time

BREAKFAST Of all meals, breakfast is probably the easiest one to keep within a budget. Of course there are many pricier breakfast options such as protein powders, healthy cereals, and cheeses, but there are plenty of alternatives, too. Here are some affordable ideas you can incorporate to get your day off to a nutritious start. ⇒Oats: This breakfast staple is not only cheap but also a great source of complex carbohydrates and fiber. Buy whole oats in bulk and store in the refrigerator. ⇒Eggs: An excellent source of protein, eggs are another cheap option. Enjoy them hard-boiled, semi-cooked, or scrambled.

24 Wellspring | December 2020

⇒Avocados: At the peak of their season, avocados make a cheap option for a wholesome breakfast.

Pair them with homemade crackers (always better and cheaper than store-bought) or a slice of bread and you’re good to go.

⇒Chickpeas: Load your breakfast salad with this cheap yet wholesome protein. Chickpeas are so versatile and make a great protein in place of fish, cheese, or eggs.

OFF TO A SMOOTHER START Hospital nurses linked to feeding success for new mothers Much has been written about the factors contributing to successful breastfeeding. But here’s another interesting one: A report published in The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing indicates that when hospital nurses are focused on ensuring new moms get top-notch care, it can make all the difference.

Hospitals with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding also staffed nurses who provided more specialized care after childbirth, including helping moms have skin-to-skin contact with their babies and encouraging them to nurse within an hour of giving birth. Nurses also provided education and guidance, made referrals to lactation consultants, and kept healthy birth parents and babies together.

“Nurses make substantial, often unrecognized, contributions to public health during and following birth,” says study author Audrey Lyndon, assistant dean for clinical research at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. “Our research provides a great example of how supportive nursing care can have longer-term effects on maternal and infant health.”

For the study, a team surveyed 512 nurses from 36 hospitals in three US states. The researchers found that hospitals with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding had fewer incidents of missed nursing care.

Practical advice? Don’t forget to include a nice box of chocolates when packing your hospital bag. Your nurse deserves appreciation for ensuring you the best hospital care and a great start to your feeding success.

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Living Well

Waiting Room

In this space, we feature a health-related question or predicament submitted by a Wellspring reader. Fellow readers are invited to participate in the conversation by sharing their tried-and-true advice and suggestions. Join the community!

Since he had the coronavirus six months ago, my son’s hair (and peyos) has been thinning. This is very upsetting to him to and us, his parents. I would love to hear from fellow Wellspring community members about a solution that has worked for them.

I switched my children’s regular hair care to a more natural shampoo and conditioner called Cantu. (I get them on Amazon or from Walmart.) Besides smelling delicious, the shampoo — made of shea butter — is a unique formula that has a rich lather and reduces breakage. I’ve heard of others using Cantu Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment, which is supposed to strengthen weak hair and encourage strong growth. It also leaves the hair with a very natural shine.

- Shevy Gross

26 Wellspring | December 2020

Providentially, about five years ago, I was trying to help a child who had developed bald patches on his head and his hair was thinning drastically. He had seen prominent dermatologists who prescribed Minoxidil, but it was to no avail. They tried many shampoos and products available but saw little or no change. After months of research I came across information on the benefits of myrtle to strengthen the roots and scalp. With further research, I created a myrtle spray for the hair. I then combined myrtle with essential oils and flower remedies to calm the roots that were overreacting to stress or were shedding due to a deficiency or autoimmune disease. The spray was an immediate hit.

I got many requests from bar mitzvah boys who had just started using the mikveh and were reacting to the chlorine. They would spray the hair twice each day and slowly the new hairs would grow in, thicker than before. The spray is easy and pleasant to use for people of all ages.

Now, during COVID, people have been losing their hair due to the severity of the virus. The roots were obviously affected or in some cases the body was drained of certain nutrients that give strength for hair to grow.

Lavenluv sells a Myrtle Spray and a shampoo that is very beneficial for hair growth. Both are a hundred percent safe for everyday use.

- Miriam Schweid, health consultant and kinesiologist

Hair is made up of a protein called keratin. A highprotein diet is critical to hair growth, and a lack of protein can quickly lead to hair loss. Make sure to consume a highprotein diet to provide your hair with much-needed strength.

- Y. Gold

After trying many different hair care products that weren’t helping, a nutritionist recommended upping my daughter’s vitamin intake, especially vitamin K. I’m not one of those people who try something and then are convinced that this is what helped them, but I have to admit that I see a major difference already. If you don’t want to try the vitamin K supplements, you can simply try to consume foods that contain a lot of vitamin K such as spinach, kale, Brussel sprouts, and other green leafy vegetables.

- A Wellspring fan

Wellspring does not take responsibility for the kashrus of products recommended in this space. Please consult with your Rabbinic authority.

coming up next month: I keep suffering from recurring yeast infections. If you’ve experienced success with a particular treatment route, please share it in this space.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 27

Any health information, advice, or suggestions published here are the opinion of the contributor and are not independently investigated, endorsed, or validated by Wellspring. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional or medical practitioner regarding any medical advice, condition, or treatment.

I’ve been getting many calls from frantic parents for ideas that can help with COVID-related hair loss.

Living Well

In Good Shape By Tova Jeremias, PFC

Post-Baby Workout Six Moves to Get You Back into Shape after Giving Birth

While post-birth moms may have more pressing matters to deal with than getting back into shape (think roundthe-clock feedings, and an endless list of baby-related tasks), research shows that starting a regular exercise program soon after giving birth is not only good for overall health but may also help reduce the risk of postpartum depression.

Every pregnancy and delivery is different, so check with your doctor before engaging in any workout program after giving birth. If you experience any heavy bleeding, excessive soreness, headaches, or other unusual symptoms during or right after exercising, stop immediately and call your doctor for further guidance.

Here are some moves that will help get your body ready for regular exercise.

28 Wellspring | December 2020

KEGELS Ranked as most important, this classic exercise will help you tone bladder muscles, as well as aid in reducing risks of incontinence associated with childbirth. The more Kegels you do and the longer you hold them, the better control you’ll have over your bladder.

Your goal is to contract and hold the muscles that control the flow from the bladder. Contract, hold, and release those muscles. Aim to do 10 repetitions at a time, three times a day.

WALKING

It may not sound like much of a workout, but walking is one of the simplest ways to ease into a fitness routine after giving birth.

Start with an easy stroll. Eventually, you’ll work your way up to a pumped-up power walk. But a gentle walk can still do wonders for you and your body, especially in the beginning. For a variation, try walking backward or walking in a zigzag pattern to help keep your muscles guessing.

DEEP BREATHING WITH ABDOMINAL CONTRACTION This exercise is so easy, you can practically do it an hour after giving birth. It helps relax muscles, and it starts the process of strengthening and toning the stomach.

Sit upright and breathe deeply, drawing air from the diaphragm upward. Contract and hold your abs tight while inhaling, and relax them while exhaling. Gradually increase the amount of time you can contract and hold your abs.

HEAD LIFTS, SHOULDER LIFTS, AND CURL-UPS

These three movements help strengthen back muscles. They also tone the tummy and abs, as well as burn calories.

1 Head lifts: Lie on your back with your arms along your sides. Keeping your lower back flush to the floor, bend your knees with your soles flat on the floor. Relax as you inhale. As you exhale, slowly lift your head and neck off the floor. Inhale as you lower your head back down.

1 Shoulder lifts: When you can do 10 head lifts with ease, try this move. Get into the same position as for head lifts. Inhale and relax your tummy. As you exhale, raise your head and your shoulders off the floor, reaching your arms and hands toward your knees. If this strains your neck, fold both hands behind your head, but don’t pull on your neck. Inhale as you lower your head and shoulders back down.

1 Curl-ups: When you can do 10 shoulder lifts with ease, move on to this. Start in the same position on the floor. Lift your torso until it’s about halfway between your knees and the floor behind you. Reach toward your knees and hold for 2 to 5 seconds. Then, slowly lower yourself down.

Don’t forget to breathe. Exhale when you exert. Inhale when you relax.

KNEELING PELVIC TILT This exercise helps tone the tummy and can help relieve back pain.

Start on all fours, toes touching the floor behind you, arms straight down from your shoulder line, palms touching the floor. Your back should be relaxed and straight, not curved or arched. As you inhale, pull your glutes forward, tilting your pelvis and rotating your pubic bone upward. Hold for a count of three, and release.

FOR BABY AND MOM It can be hard to find time away from Baby in the early months, so try these exercises that you can do along with your infant (once she is at least 10 to 12 weeks old).

You may want to practice first using a doll or a rolledup blanket or towel that’s approximately the same size as your baby. Do the moves full-out only when you’re certain there’s no danger of dropping your baby. Make sure you’re fit enough, and have a good enough sense of balance, to ensure the safety of both you and your baby.

1 Baby glider: Holding your baby close to your chest with both hands, do a forward lunge with your left leg (take a big step forward and bend your knee). Don’t let your toes go past your knee. Then return to starting position and lunge with the opposite leg. This will help strengthen your legs, back muscles, and core. Repeat 8–10 times on each side.

1 Baby bouncer: This move is similar to the baby glider, but instead of forward lunges, do side lunges — stepping to the side instead of to the front — and do a squat. Reach back with your glutes as if you’re sitting into a chair, keeping your knees over your ankles. Repeat 8–10 times on each side.

1 Rock-a-baby squats and curls: Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Hold your baby tight and close to your chest and squat down. As you rise up, bring the baby closer to your chest. Repeat 15 times.

Please consult with a medical practitioner before starting an exercise regimen, especially after birth.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 29

Living Well

Ask By Laura Shammah, MS, RDN

I Was Recently Diagnosed with Celiac Disease How can I get my nutrition fill?

Question: Some of my family members have been diagnosed with celiac disease. Recently, I was also diagnosed with it. I’m aware that following a gluten-free diet is now crucial for all of us, but can you tell me about how to meet my nutritional requirements on a gluten-free diet? And precisely how will gluten damage my system?

Laura's response: I would like to commend you for taking the initiative to educate yourself on your new diagnosis. Learning that you have celiac disease is not easy, but doing what you can to tailor your diet and lifestyle accordingly goes a long way in making life more pleasant and manageable with this condition.

From my experience, one of the biggest hurdles when receiving a celiac diagnosis is the emotional aspect. Despite it being liberating to receive a diagnosis after weeks or months of struggling with various symptoms, most people don’t find it simple to just take such a diagnosis in stride, considering the lifestyle changes it necessitates.

For readers who are not familiar with celiac disease, it is an autoimmune condition that causes severe damage to the lining of the small intestine. Gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye — triggers its symptoms. When people 30 Wellspring | December 2020

with celiac disease eat gluten, their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption.

Unfortunately, there’s currently no known cure for celiac disease. A strict gluten-free diet — also known as the celiac disease diet — must be followed to allow your body to heal.

According to the severity of the diagnosis, you will have to keep away from gluten on different levels. For some people that means not consuming any traces of gluten, while for others, it can be necessary to refrain from consuming a food that was cut using a knife that previously cut a food containing gluten. Gluten cross-contamination, when gluten is unintentionally transferred to non-gluten foods can be very harmful for people who are severely sensitive.

Although a gluten-free diet will not cure you of celiac disease, and it’s a lifetime companion, bear in mind that maintaining a gluten-free diet will drastically improve the

symptoms that come along with celiac such as diarrhea, indigestion, and fatigue.

Nowadays the shelves are bursting with gluten-free options. Cutting out gluten is not nearly as limiting as it used to be. These processed gluten-free items, however, usually don’t contain too much nutritional value. Therefore, an individual going off gluten may lose out on various vitamins and minerals in their daily diet—especially iron, calcium, zinc, copper, and vitamins B, D, A, E, and K. To counteract this, make sure to fill up on fruits, vegetables, and gluten-free grains (depending on the severity of your diagnosis, you will be able to consume different grains) in order to consume your daily vitamin and mineral quota. Just because you aren’t having whole-grain bread, for example, doesn’t mean you can’t get your adequate fill of fiber. Many fruits and vegeta-

bles are rich in these nutritional elements, too.

It’s also imperative to eat adequate amounts of animal protein, fats, legumes, nuts, herbs, and spices. These foods are naturally gluten-free and provide much more nutritional benefits than unnatural gluten-free products.

As a side note, I would like to remind readers that unless you have celiac disease or are allergic to gluten, going gluten-free will not benefit your health. By cutting out gluten you lose out on the many nutritional benefits found in foods with gluten such as B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium and fiber.

If you’re trying to lose weight, the key is to make conscious choices about eating whole and real foods-- not about eliminating food groups. If you think you need to go gluten-free, let that be determined by your doctor.

FAQ: Celiac Disease What are some common symptoms of celiac disease?

The classic symptom is diarrhea. Other common symptoms include bloating, gas, fatigue, low blood count, abdominal pain, indigestion, headaches, weight loss, slow growth, and skin rashes.

Is celiac disease genetic?

Celiac disease tends to cluster in families, although there isn’t solid evidence that it’s hereditary. If you have a family member with celiac disease, you may want to be on the lookout for early symptoms so that you can adjust your diet and lifestyle as soon as needed.

How does one receive a celiac diagnosis?

If you experience any of the above listed symptoms, see an gastroenterologist who will properly test you for celiac disease. The usual process includes an endoscopy, in which the practitioner uses an endoscope to take tiny samples of the small intestine.

If I don’t experience the celiac symptoms so severely, why is it good for me to still follow a gluten-free diet?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive from clients trying to avoid implementing the

strict diet. And here’s just a small list of health reasons why it’s crucial to be vigilant about going off gluten.

1. As mentioned above, for people with celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine, where nutrients are absorbed. Avoiding gluten prevents this autoimmune process, and the small intestine can heal and return to normal function.

2. Nutrient deficiencies are prevalent in people with celiac disease due to poor absorption in the damaged small intestine. Following a gluten-free diet has been shown to repair the intestines and allow proper absorption to take place.

3. Women with celiac disease have higher rates of infertility and may be at a greater risk of miscarriage than women without this condition. However, following a strict gluten-free diet has been found to improve fertility and reduce miscarriage rates.

4. Up to 75% of people with untreated celiac disease have lower bone density and a higher risk of osteoporosis. This may be due to poor calcium and vitamin D absorption, as well as increased inflammation that interferes with the bone-building process. Starting a gluten-free diet early can help stop bone loss and reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Laura Shammah MS, RDN, has been operating a private practice in New York and New Jersey for over 20 years. Her clientele runs the gamut from people with eating disorders to those dealing with hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer. She also helps clients who run in marathons or are looking to lose or gain weight in a healthy way. Her nutritional guidance is published in MaryAnne Cohen’s book Lasagna for Lunch: Declaring Peace With Emotional Eating. Laura can be reached at 718-376-0062 or Laurashammah@aol.com.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 31

Living Well

Medical Saga

32 Wellspring | December 2020

THE MOST COMMON CONDITION YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF What It’s Like to Live with POTS

By Rina Auerbach and Leah Stein Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 33

Living Well

Medical Saga

A

At 35 years old, Malka was expecting her fifth child. With the hope of preventing yet another premature delivery, Malka's OBGYN prescribed bed rest for the last month of her pregnancy.

Thankfully, Malka delivered at full term, but when she tried to stand up several hours after the delivery, she was too dizzy to do so. The nurses were not concerned. “You just gave birth,” they reminded her. “Get some rest and you’ll feel better.”

Malka took a nap, but when she woke up to use the restroom, she was hit with a wave of dizziness. “I’m fine. I just had a baby,” she whispered as she pushed herself to stand up.

The next thing Malka remembers is waking up and finding herself lying on the floor. As an immediate response, the doctors ordered cardiac tests. All of them came back normal. The OB-GYN also wasn’t concerned and told Malka, “Just give your body time to heal.”

And so, Malka went home and tried to rest, but instead of getting better, her symptoms only escalated. She started experiencing daily migraine headaches, and was fainting so often that she stopped standing up in front of her children for fear of fainting in front of their eyes. She called her primary care doctor and tried to explain that this was more than postpartum weakness, but she was reassured, once again, “Just give yourself some time to fully recover.”

Certain that something was wrong with her, Malka turned to Google for answers. After hours spent reading through pages about various disorders, she landed on a website about POTS. As she read through the list of symptoms, the thought that kept going through her mind was, “Oh my, this is me!”

What Is POTS?

POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. This system controls all of the automatic functions in the body like heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating. In POTS, the autonomic nervous system does not regulate some of these automatic functions the way it should.

When a typical person stands up, gravity pulls their blood downward. Within seconds, the brain senses the loss of blood, and sends messages to the blood vessels to constrict and send the extra blood back up to the upper body where it belongs. In someone with POTS, that messaging is flawed. When some-

34 Wellspring | December 2020

one with POTS stands up, their blood pools in their legs and their brain does not get as much blood as it needs.

What happens is similar to a melted half-full freeze pop in its plastic wrapper. When the freeze pop is flat on a table, the whole wrapper is full of melted popsicle. But when set back upright, the top half is empty. When someone with POTS stands up, since their blood pools in the lower half of the body and the brain and organs are deprived of blood, as the brain detects the loss of blood, it tries to compensate by instructing the heart to beat faster. This is why people with this disease often have a normal heart rate when sitting or lying down, but have a fast heart rate (tachycardia) when standing up.

Because POTS is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, there are many other symptoms that can come along with it. The most common symptoms are dizziness, lightheadedness, feeling like you’re going to faint (although only 40% of people with POTS actually faint), fatigue, headaches, palpitations, sweating too much or too little, nausea, feeling full early, diarrhea, and constipation.

The Search

Malka put her hand on her wrist and took her pulse as she stood up. Her pulse began to race as she started feeling faint, and she quickly sat down. “This is it,” Malka thought through a daze. At her next follow-up appointment with her OB-GYN, Malka mentioned her findings. The doctor looked at the heart rate the medical assistant had taken when Malka had been sitting on the exam table and declared, “You don’t have POTS. That’s a rare condition — so rare that I've never seen it and neither has anyone I know. You’re just deconditioned. You need to get moving again.”

Malka stumbled out of the office in tears before collapsing in her car. “How am I supposed to get moving again if I can’t even walk more than two minutes without getting dizzy?” She

again consulted her primary care doctor, whose response was, “This is why I tell my patients not to look up their symptoms online. Here’s a prescription for physical therapy (PT) to help you get moving.”

Desperate for someone to actually help her, Malka made appointments with a neurologist and a cardiologist in the hope that one of them would actually treat her for her suspected POTS. The former said that he didn’t treat the condition. The latter’s response: “Even if you do have POTS, it’s all due to deconditioning,” and told her to go to PT as well.

Malka tried a couple of sessions with the PT because she had nothing else to try. But despite doing some exercises daily, she found herself no better off than when she had started.

“Just give it more time,” her doctor and physical therapist advised. “You’re probably one of those people who takes longer to respond to therapy.” But Malka couldn’t even complete the exercises her physical therapist gave her. Within a couple of minutes, she’d have a migraine and get so dizzy that she was sure she’d faint again if she didn’t stop.

In desperation, Malka called up her cousin and said, “Isn’t your neighbor a cardiologist? Can you ask him if he knows about POTS?” A week later, she got a call from her cousin’s neighbor. After asking her a slew of questions, he finally advised Malka to see a colleague of his. “Tell him that I sent you for a POTS evaluation,” he concluded. Two weeks later, the cardiologist put a heart monitor on Malka and had her stand up. Malka finally heard the words she’d been longing to hear: “This is POTS all right. Let’s get you treated.”

Why So Long?

While it took Malka a long time to get diagnosed with POTS, many wait a whole lot longer to finally get this diagnosis. It typically takes four years from the onset of symptoms until diagnosis with POTS. Despite this, the condition is not rare at all. POTS is incredibly common, affecting an estimated 500,000 to 3 million people in the United States alone.

That means that POTS affects more people than Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis put together. Since POTS only

POTS Treatment Once an individual has been diagnosed with POTS, there are many effective treatments. Each person has a different treatment plan based on which subtype of POTS they have, as well as other personal factors. A physician works with the patient to figure out which treatments will work best for them.

A mainstay of POTS treatment is adding water and salt to the diet. Patients are told to drink 2 to 3 liters (8 to 12 cups) of water a day, as well as to ingest 3,000 to 10,000 milligrams of salt a day, depending on the severity of their condition. While these quantities of salt are usually discouraged because it raises blood pressure, these levels are essential for POTS patients to maintain their blood pressure at normal levels.

Another pillar of POTS treatment is an exercise protocol. There are multiple forms of POTS exercise protocols, but they’re all based on the same basic principle. They start with exercises that are done while lying down or sitting, and then are built up over the course of many months to more upright exercises. Telling someone with POTS to “Go take a walk” because “You have to keep moving” will likely only make them feel worse.

The point of the POTS exercise protocol is to get people with POTS to exercise safely, effectively, and regularly.

The reason this is so important is that regular exercise increases blood volume and the amount of blood pumped with each heartbeat (including to the brain), thus decreasing the elevated heart rate.

While there are no medications that can "cure" POTS, there are medications that can treat the symptoms to lower the heart rate, regulate blood pressure when standing, and increase blood volume. Another intervention that helps with POTS is wearing compression stockings. Just as in pregnancy, the compression stockings help push blood that is pooling in the legs back to the upper body where it is needed.

People with POTS are also encouraged to make other lifestyle modifications to ease their symptoms — standing up more gradually, avoiding standing in one place for too long, and practicing muscle clenching. These simple interventions can help a person function more normally.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 35

Living Well

Medical Saga

became an official diagnosis in 1993, many doctors are not very familiar with it. The combination of the condition being so common, while also highly unrecognized, has rightfully gained POTS the description of “the most common condition you’ve never heard of.”

Most Common Condition

Simi was a 20-year-old girl who had a really rough year.

Soon after arriving home from seminary, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After six months of treatment, she was finally in remission. However, ever since a new drug was added to her last round of chemo, Simi had developed some new symptoms. She started feeling a burning sensation in her hands and feet, and was feeling dizzy and lightheaded all the time. Because she was also experiencing low grade fevers, fatigue, and was out of breath, her oncologist checked for some sort of infection. Nothing came up.

The combination of all of the symptoms stumped the oncologist, so he sent Simi to a neurologist. The neurologist tested for various forms of neuropathy, but again, Simi tested negative for them all. She was anxious to get her life back in order. Now months after being a “cancer patient,” everyone was expecting her to bounce back to her old self. Meanwhile, Simi needed a two-hour nap every morning, after only showering and davening. Her friends were all working and getting married. Some of them even had babies, while Simi was still struggling to put in one hour of online college work a day.

Shidduchim wasn’t even on her radar. “I’m such a failure,” she thought.

It was a full year after treatment when an askan in the community suggested she get tested for small fiber neuropathy (SFN), which is detected in a test separate from regular neuropathy. When Simi finally saw a SFN specialist, the doctor told her, “Not only am I convinced that you have SFN, I’m pretty sure you have autonomic neuropathy and something called POTS as well.” After testing positive for these conditions, Simi’s oncologist was speechless and ashamed that he hadn’t thought of this obvious explanation, which fit all of her symptoms to a T.

Like with Simi’s case, in addition to the many symptoms that the POTS itself can cause, the disease is often accompanied by one or more other conditions such as small fiber neuropathy, chronic fatigue syndrome (a disorder of extreme fatigue that does not improve with rest), hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (a disorder with overly flexible joints), gastroparesis (a disorder where the digestive muscles don’t push food through the digestive system properly), mast cell activation syndrome (a disorder which causes overactive allergic cells), and autoimmune disorders such as Sjogren’s, Hashimoto’s, and others.

POTS can be a result of an autoimmune condition or genetic disorder. It can also be triggered by physical trauma, pregnancy, or infection. Other times, the cause remains un-

36 Wellspring | December 2020

known. Recently, there have been reports of people who have developed POTS after recovering from COVID-19.

Elusive but Diagnosable

Chavie was a healthy tenth grader who enjoyed brisk walking around the neighborhood with her friends. During the first week of school, she came down with a stomach virus, but she was back to herself within a few days. Two weeks later, while out getting smoothies with her friends, she suddenly felt dizzy and slid to the ground. With her friends shrieking in the background, the store owner summoned Hatzolah.

The emergency room doctors performed multiple tests, all of which were negative, before declaring Chavie completely healthy. They declared, “Teenagers sometimes just faint out of nowhere.” Chavie’s relieved parents took her home as she frantically called one of her classmates to study for the next day’s history quiz.

Within a couple of days, though, Chavie started to feel fatigued, dizzy, and lightheaded again. At the Shabbos meal, she was too nauseous to eat anything but challah and soup.

In her first period Chumash class on Monday, she suddenly found herself completely drenched in sweat. She left class to go to the bathroom and dashed to the office, where the secretary graciously let her call her mother. “Mommy, something’s wrong with me!” she sobbed. She noticed herself squinting from the light coming from the ceiling. “These lights never bothered me before. What’s going on?”

After another overwhelming bout of dizziness for which she had to hug the wall to prevent herself from falling, Chavie’s pediatrician sent her to an ENT to check out her balance. Thus started her journey from doctor to doctor who suggested diagnosis after diagnosis, none of which really fit her symptoms: chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, panic attacks, etc. “Why can’t anyone figure out what’s wrong with me?” Chavie cried as she sat on the floor, copying over notes from the classes she missed while seeing yet another doctor who had suggested that she see a therapist.

After two years of living like this, Chavie fell, cutting herself while hitting the ground, and she needed stitches. As she performed the suturing, the doctor at the urgent care center asked how the injury had happened. In tears, Chavie related the entire story. The doctor paused and said, “I know a cardiologist who specializes in helping patients who faint often.

I’ll give you his information.” Chavie looked at the card the urgent care doctor gave her skeptically. “Do I really want to go to yet another doctor who will tell me that I’m perfectly healthy and I’m only getting dizzy because I’m so worried about getting dizzy?” she thought. “Just one last doctor,” she promised herself. “If this doctor tells me that it’s all in my head, I’m done.” And she picked up her phone to dial the office number.

A few months later, Chavie was in the cardiologist’s office

Criteria for Diagnosis The diagnostic criteria for POTS are:

1. More than six months of symptoms when standing up, including dizziness, feeling lightheaded, palpitations, feeling faint, and/or fainting.

2. A heart rate increase of 30 BPM or more (e.g. from 70 to 100 BPM, 80 to 110 BPM) or a rate above 120 BPM within the first 10 minutes of moving from lying down to standing. For children under the age of 18, this difference must be 40 BPM or more (from 70 to 110 BPM or more, from 75 to 115 BPM or more, etc.).

3. The change in heart rate must happen without a fall in blood pressure. (This is because falling blood pressure can cause a person’s heart rate to rise and make them dizzy, even if they don’t have POTS.)

Screening for POTS is straightforward: A doctor can simply test the patient's heart rate and blood pressure when lying down and standing up in the office. If the heart rate goes up by 30 BPM or more (40 or more for children) or rises above 120 BPM and the blood pressure doesn’t go down, then that’s sufficient to diagnose a person with the disease. If the patient's heart rate goes up but their blood pressure goes down, they will need other testing such as a tilt table test or more advanced autonomic testing to confirm whether they have POTS.

Some people with POTS pass the office POTS screening because many people with the disease do not have symptoms every single time they stand up.

A tilt table test or more advanced autonomic testing will identify those people as still having POTS.

relating her story once more. The cardiologist put a heart rate monitor on her and had her stand up. Chavie's heart rate immediately jumped from 95 to an astounding 180 beats per minute (BPM). “You have a disorder called POTS. I’m going to order a tilt table test to confirm the diagnosis, but I’m confident that you have it.”

It took a year for Chavie to find the right combination of treatments (see sidebar for treatment information), but now she walks all over Yerushalayim like any other seminary girl.

Her friends have nicknamed her “the camel” because of her frequent water-chugging sessions; she eats slightly more than her share of Bissli and potato chips; she leads a group of her friends in a daily power-walk to “keep in shape;” and, every morning she takes medication to expand her blood volume.

She still sometimes gets breakthrough bouts of dizziness if she stands in one place for too long, but overall her biggest

worry right now is how to finish the massive parshah paper that Rebbetzin Weiss assigned in the next two weeks.

Moving Forward

When Simi was finally put on medication for her neuropathy she cried tears of joy: for the first time in close to a year, her pain was under control. She started an exercise program, carries a water bottle everywhere, and adds extra salt to everything she eats. After a year of treatment, Simi is almost finished with her college degree, and is applying to speech therapy programs. She has also taken a job as a preschool assistant in an after-school program, and has even started shidduchim. After two long years, Simi feels that she has finally moved on from being “that girl with cancer.”

Malka was started on multiple medications to lower her heart rate, raise her blood pressure, and expand her blood volume. She also went back to her pregnancy habit of snacking on pickles throughout the day. Getting herself to drink 12 cups of water a day as a busy mother of five took time to figure out, but Malka now has water bottles stashed on top of cabinets and bookcases around the house to make sure she gets enough to drink.

The biggest change for Malka was in her exercise program. Her physical therapist was sent a copy of a POTS exercise protocol, and after starting with a single lap across the swimming pool, Malka worked her way up to a recumbent exercise bike and jogging on the treadmill. At home, she’s doing her own laundry, cooking her own meals, and chasing after her own kids again. She and her husband even took the kids to an amusement park for a Chol Hamoed trip.

Malka got a note from her doctor for a disability pass so that she wouldn’t have to stand in one place in line for too long. As they walked up the exit ramp to the roller coaster instead of waiting in the heat, Malka’s five-year-old turned to her and exclaimed, “Your POTS-thing isn’t all bad!”

POTS symptoms can be debilitating, but once the cause has been identified as POTS and a treatment strategy is found, the syndrome usually becomes far more manageable.

Once treated, many people with POTS describe “getting their life back.” Even for those who never get back to the way they were before POTS symptoms came into their lives, their lives with treatment are happy, functional, productive, and meaningful.

While more and more doctors are learning about POTS, unfortunately many doctors are still unfamiliar with the disease and may be working with outdated information. To find a doctor near you that is knowledgeable in POTS and other similar conditions, go to www.dysautonomiainternatial.org.

MyTEAM provides a support network for frum teenage girls and young women with POTS and other chronic illnesses. For more information, reach out to MyTEAM at info@myteamcares.co.

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Living Well

Feature By Roizy Baum

Good Night, During this season of long, dark nights, there’s nothing more tempting than curling up early quiet in the nursery. Is that asking for too much? According to the sleep coaches featured in

38 Wellspring | December 2020

Sleep Tight and settling in for a solid stretch of sleep. For parents of little ones, that first requires peace and this article, it’s never too late to teach your baby healthy sleep habits. Here’s how.

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Chaya Shifra Sadoff thought she knew

everything there was to know about babies.

The third of nine children, she could hardly be uninformed of the nuances of raising them, right? Wrong.

When her twins made their appearance, they taught her a thing or two that her many years as an older sibling had simply not prepared her for. And it quickly became clear that the most important thing Chaya Shifra needed to figure out was their sleeping and eating needs.

“That’s when my journey began,” Chaya Shifra says, referring to the incredible yet hectic time after her twins were born, “and it’s been an ever-evolving journey since.”

Chaya Shifra, today the popular founder of Kinderwink Sleep Consulting, does not appreciate the term “sleep training.” “When I say I don’t believe in sleep training, many people raise an eyebrow. As mothers, we want to make sure we’re meeting the needs of our children, as well our own needs, so that we can best help our children.”

Chaya Shifra clarifies that sleep-training questions tend not to be about sleep training. Typically, the first question is “How do I get my baby to sleep?” and this usually comes along with, “I’m falling apart due to sleep deprivation.”

In most cases, parents need to first figure out how to get the baby or child to sleep. This involves teaching the foundations of what is needed for this to happen, and how those needs can be met. “Sleep training may be a piece of the puzzle,” Chaya Shifra stresses, “but it’s definitely not everything.”

While many people refer to sleep consultants as sleep trainers, Riki Taubenblat, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, also shies away from this term. “Training has a bad reputation,” she says. “I use the term ‘teaching’ instead. I guide and help parents ‘teach’ their babies new habits.” Her method? Only with soothing.

Knowing that the various sleep-training methods appear overwhelming to most mothers, Riki explains that no

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matter the promises, every method boils down to the same three steps: bedtime routine, eliminating the baby’s sleep dependency, and following up with soothing. The third step, Riki points out, is where sleep-training methods vary.

“Parents must choose the training method that suits their parenting style. The choice has to come from them.”

When asked which method she leans toward, Riki admits that the older she gets the more she leans towards gentler methods. “Years back, I was a big fan of ‘time check.’ Today, though, I’m simply softening in my own heart.”

Like Chaya Shifra, Riki is blessed with twins. Before their arrival, she recalls, she was warned to expect a life overhaul.

“I thought those who commented were being pessimists, but the work that came along with those babies was beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined.”

Early on, Riki realized she had a mission. In order to be a functional human being, she had to ease her twins into some sort of schedule. From the various sleep-training methods, Riki chose one that worked best for her. But after a while, she realized that the exact method wasn’t working for her; a customized method was necessary. “And when my tweaked method was successful, I realized I have an instinct for tweaking.” For a sleep trainer, this instinct, coupled with teaching experience, is a great combination.

And the ongoing nudging from satisfied family members and friends who were helped by her methods pushed Riki to get certified. The rest, as they say, is history.

Desperate situations call for desperate measures. Sleep consultants admit that very few of their clients are from the well-rested breed. It is usually after months of agonizing sleepless nights that people agree to get the help they desperately need.

Can You Please Fall Asleep?

Every mother has her sleep-training story. Some recount their tales triumphantly, while others still feel the aching tiredness in their bones.

For Devorah, a mother of five, getting into the grooves of the sleep-training process only happened further along the motherhood journey. “None of my children were amazing sleepers,” she shares. “Still, none of them were as impossible

as my fifth child. He simply had no idea how to self soothe.

For him to fall asleep, he needed to be rocked in a stroller or nursed. Bedtime was a nightmare as he screamed and screamed until my mercy got the better of me and he found his way into my arms again.”

Batsheva’s story, on the other hand, followed a different plot than the average fed-up mom who turns to a sleep consultant in a time of serious crisis. Her baby, actually, was a dream sleeper from birth. He had regular naps during the day and all it took for him to fall asleep at night was a bottle.

Until she traveled abroad for a simchah, that is, when he was eight months old.

“The traveling sent my baby’s sleep habits completely out of whack, by day and by night. It was as if the semblance of sleep routine dropped into the ocean midflight,” shares Batsheva.

When Malky welcomed Leah, her sixth child, into her family, she was blissfully unaware of the ride she was about to be taken on. A tiny, gorgeous newborn with an opinion belying her size, Leah was entirely in control. Life, the way Malky knew it, completely derailed upon her baby’s arrival.

“I did not feel like a human being. All day I was filling bottles. Leah would drink three ounces, then promptly fall asleep for 45 minutes. This crazy cycle repeated itself almost 30 times in 24 hours. Knowing she was still hungry when she awoke from her catnap, I’d rush to prepare her another bottle. And then…after consuming three ounces, she was fast asleep again. My percolator was constantly being refilled, and whenever I looked at my hands, a bottle was there.

“If that would’ve been my full-time job,” laughs Malky, “it would have been somehow feasible. But the chores of a mother of six extend beyond warming and feeding bottles every 45 minutes.”

It took Malky six long months, a lot of well-meaning advice from friends and family on hiring a sleep trainer, and a good look in the mirror (is that worn-out woman really me?) for her to decide that she had to do something.

Making Sense of Sleep Chaya Shifra explains the importance of knowing a baby’s

abilities and limitations. To illustrate, she brings examples of how parents emphatically tell her that newborns can stay awake until sleep eventually overtakes them. With her method of waketime limits, a newborn should not be up longer than 45 minutes. And once a baby’s needs are met, they can actually sleep independently.

All experts agree that eliminating a baby’s sleep dependency is very important. You want your baby to nod off independently — sans rocking, a pacifier, or a feeding — because otherwise they’re going to wake up during the night in search of the “crutches” they used to fall asleep at bedtime. Though a pacifier is fine, says Riki, as long as the baby can put it back into her mouth independently.

It was after a particularly hard night that Batsheva’s husband unburdened to his chavrusa about their sleepless nights, and a solution was finally suggested. “You never heard of Dr. Ferber’s method?” the chavrusa asked, stunned.

When his surprise was met with a positive no, he urged Batsheva’s husband to procure the book and have her read it cover to cover.

Batsheva read the book and found the ideas very appealing. “What I liked about it was that it gave you a few options. The book also puts a strong emphasis on not sending mixed messages, so even when I regretted my decision of how to handle a particular scenario, I had to be consistent — I couldn’t just stop in the middle.”

The method Batsheva followed was based on Dr. Ferber’s, with some tweaking. It worked for her because she wasn’t required to leave the baby whimpering for an extended period of time. In fact, it was never longer than ten minutes.

The parent puts the baby into bed, says goodnight, and lets the baby cry. The parent decides beforehand how long the baby will cry, for example, for three minutes. After three minutes of leaving the baby alone, she could go in, talk to the baby, and soothe her, as long as the baby remained in bed.

The next night, the parent increases the number of minutes they stay out of the room by two minutes. Every night they add two more minutes, until ten minutes are reached. This method is also known as “graduated extinction.”

“The idea,” says Batsheva, “is that the baby should know you’re there and not feel abandoned.” Still, the minutes of waiting were torturous for Batsheva. She felt like an abusive mom, and is literally traumatized when she recalls those Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 41

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nights, “I fought with my conscience outside that door, and obviously did not move away from there.”

When Devorah was told by her sleep trainer that babies are supposed to sleep for 12 hours straight, she was quick to dismiss what she viewed as unrealistic expectations. But all it took was one month until she was convincing everyone — from her daughter’s teacher to the woman in the queue at the grocery and her seven sisters-in-law — to get on the sleep-training bandwagon.

Devorah was taught that a baby should not be kept awake for longer than a certain amount of time. Once babies miss the boat, their brains begin producing hormones for survival mode, and there goes the easy bedtime. The importance of solid day naps was stressed as well, because day naps reflect sleep at night. An overtired baby does not make a better sleeper. On the contrary, consistent and timely naps ensure a smoother night.

“We literally trained him like a puppy. I was taught that when he cried it was his way of getting his message across.

‘Mommy, I don’t know what you want from me.’ It took a full month, but he eventually learned that his crib was not a cage, only a place to recharge in peace. Bedtime is now a calm experience,” she reports.

“Following the self-soothing method changed our life!

I’m saying ‘our,’ because the entire family — my husband, I, and all our other children — were affected by his messed-up sleep patterns.”

For Malky, it was very important to break the eat-andsleep cycle. Sleep and eat should not be associated, her sleep trainer reiterated again and again. “The method I followed,” says Malky, “is basically eat-play-sleep.” This enabled her to shush, pat, rock, and sing, as long as she didn’t take the baby out of her crib.

Interestingly, along with the sleep training, Malky noticed an improvement in her baby’s digestive issues. “Since she adapted to the new sleeping schedule, she began spitting up much less. Many other mothers have told me they saw a difference in this area, too.”

By six months old, Malky’s baby was up for 3 hours at a time and then napping for 2 to 2.5 hours. Night was from 7:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m.

When asked if there’s any point in postponing bedtime in order to facilitate a later wakeup time, the concurrent

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response from our sleep consultants is an emphatic no. A baby’s inner clock, they posit, is programmed to wake up at 7:00 a.m.

When Batsheva traveled again for another family simchah, her baby’s sleep routine was once again disrupted.

This time, though, she selected a different method from the book, which she is quick to endorse. “I found this method so much easier for my personality because I never felt like I abandoned my baby.”

This technique advised Batsheva to stay in the room with the baby but to distance herself from the baby’s bed. She was able to sit on a chair, from which the baby could see her, and move closer and further away as the baby needed.

When to Sleep Train The ideal time to sleep train infants is somewhere between four and six months — early enough so they’re not fully used to nursing and rocking and late enough that they are developmentally ready to learn the skill of falling asleep independently.

With her focus being primarily on newborns (although she recently guided a family from newborn up, all the way to the parents!), Chaya Shifra starts with her clients before the baby is even born. “I help them from as early as possible because it is about meeting the baby’s needs,” she notes. But when it comes to the actual sleep training, Chaya Shifra agrees on the recommendation of starting sleep training at four to six months.

“Don’t worry,” says Riki, “if your baby passed the sixmonth mark, it’s still not too late to develop good sleeping habits.” And indeed, Batsheva successfully sleep-trained her baby at eight months of age.

However, the age of your baby may determine what kind of sleep-training method you choose. Gentle shushing and patting can work for a five-month-old but will be a disaster for toddlers. Not a fan of crying it out? Chaya Shifra reminds us, “Although crying it out is not encouraged, that doesn’t mean there won’t be crying at all. Nobody likes change, and your baby is no different. They will protest that change.”

Malky, now an experienced traveler on the road of sleep training, sleep trained one child at six months and her next as a newborn. “Obviously, the setup was different, but the routine I followed was very similar. I bathed the baby, took

Sleep consultants admit that very few of

their clients are from the well-rested breed. the baby into a dark room — but not too dark so the baby shouldn’t fall asleep on the bottle — then sang a little and removed all the props from the crib. When I placed the baby in the crib, the room was already entirely dark.” Falling asleep on the bottle is a big no-no because Malky had learned of the importance of avoiding the eatand-sleep habit. Babies should not associate eat and sleep.

Another difference, Malky notes, is that when she trained her six-month-old, he was in a separate room, while her newborn remained in her room.

It is usually after months of agonizing sleepless nights that people agree to get the help they desperately need.

put his hands behind him and waited to be covered with his blanket. This may sound unrealistic, but it’s no anomaly in the world of sleep-trained babies.

Would You Recommend Sleep Training?

The Technicalities In our fast-filling abodes, where every inch of space is precious, how do you give up an entire room for the baby being trained?

“It was my oldest, so sparing a bedroom was no big deal,” Batsheva says of her experience.

Devorah was in the Catskills when she embarked on the sleep-training journey. Although her bungalow is smaller than her year-round home, she was determined to make it work. And she did. Her husband, though, was thrilled to be off the hook. “He’s such a softie that he wouldn’t tolerate a baby crying. Ever. He gave me the go ahead on sleep training while rejoicing that he was two hours away from any sobbing or whimpering.”

Malky admits it wasn’t so easy. “My older kids camped out in the dining room for two weeks.” It’s an experience they’ll always remember.

What about when there’s a change in the environment?

If babies are so dependent on their properly planned sleep schedules, won’t a thrown-off schedule take its toll on them?

Surprisingly, Malky says it’s not like that. When her youngest was four months old, Malky vacationed in Florida and left her baby at a babysitter for the week. “I never had such an easy time leaving a baby behind. I was able to tell the babysitter exactly how to put my baby to sleep.”

From the song she sings to him to how dark she makes the room, Malky practically relayed every step of the process. Her babysitter had never seen something like it. At the sound of the song, this four-month-old near-prodigy

Batsheva is candid with her opinion on sleep training.

“With my oldest, I was left without a choice. Nothing, absolutely nothing, got him to fall asleep. My second, though, was different. His sleeping patterns weren’t amazing, he refused bottles, and was literally tied to his mother but made for a great bed-sharer. He co-slept for two full years, and it worked for me! As effective as the sleep-training methods are, I am not strong enough emotionally to let my babies cry. And, as a by the way, when my husband voiced his opinion against co-sleeping, I generously gave him the option of training the baby. The memories of a tortured me glued to the door, my baby’s cries emanating from the room, turned him off.”

Before embarking on the road, parents must ascertain that they are strong enough emotionally to follow through.

When asked what she would do if faced with a sleep predicament again, Batsheva is quick to reply, “If cosleeping works, let it be!”

Malky and Devorah, though, are effusive in their enthusiasm for sleep training, and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Riki shares a recent example of a 16-month-old baby who had never before slept in a crib — neither for naps nor for nights. The mother reached out to Riki at near-breaking point, describing the situation as akin to having “an octopus” in her bed. “We know our case is totally hopeless, but is there something, at least something, we can try?”

At their initial meeting, the sleep-deprived father blurted out, “If this is what children are like, I can’t see myself ever managing with a family.”

Although the father suggested placing the toddler in

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the crib and letting him cry it out until he learned how to fall asleep himself, Riki knew better. In this specific case, a very gentle approach was needed. The attachment between the mother and baby was too deep to sever it so harshly. Together with the parents, Riki recommended a plan. For the first few nights, the mother slept on a mattress in the baby’s room. Yes, the baby cried at first, but it was an expression of unhappiness with the new setup. Slowly, slowly, with guidance and tips, she cut the time with him until after two weeks he slept through the night — in his own crib!

“If this is what raising children involves,” the parents laughed at the follow-up meeting, “we’re so ready to build a large family.” They never knew life could be this good.

When parents are emotionally and physically rested, they start living again.

A big believer in fixing only what’s broken, Riki is an anomaly in the world of sleep consultants. “I believe that if you don’t mind working on it, waking up to give a pacifier or a feeding, then live and let live. Not everyone must sleep train. And I admit it to my clients. It’s only when it reaches a level of dysfunction that one should reach out for help.”

Don’t Forget to Sleep “There’s loads of judgement and opinion in the world of sleep training,” Riki adds. “People need to mind their own business and respect that there are various ways to raise happy children. It’s very individual. What works for some will not work for others. Just stay in your own lane and do what works for you.

Indeed, when Malky started sleep training her baby three years ago, her mother vehemently opposed the whole idea. “But listen to this,” Malky says, not without a tinge of triumph. “When I gave birth six months ago, the first thing my mother did after inquiring about the gender was offer to pay for a sleep trainer.”

Did she accept the offer? “Nah, there was no need!

Once you have the tools, you’re good to go. Instead, I used the money for my Florida trip I told you about.”

Chaya Shifra strongly encourages mothers to tune into themselves and discriminate between fear and intuition.

She urges passionately, “It should not be about ‘eat, drink, exercise, and sleep.’ Swap that exercise for sleep.

Yes, exercise is important, but we often forget that sleep is a crucial need. Sleep is vital! You literally cannot live without it.” Once Baby is sound asleep, it’s bedtime for you too, Mom.

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Step-by-step guidance, personalized sleeping plans, and the reassurance that someone will cheer you on until the finish line are just a few reasons people consider a sleep consultant. Other parents have seen success in sleep training independently through books.

Dr. Ferber’s Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems and Tracy Hogg’s Secrets of the Baby Whisperer rank as most popular in the field. Here’s a basic summary of these two approaches.

Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems

Replete with priceless advice and concrete help for frustrated and overtired parents, Dr. Ferber’s Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems has become a go-to book for many.

The Ferber method is actually a variant of a sleeptraining program called “extinction.” Based on the assumption that children have sleep problems because they depend on parental soothing to put them to sleep, the goal of extinction sleep training is to cut the dependence. According to this assumption, kids may cry, plead, or throw tantrums when the parental soothing is denied, and parents who “capitulate” to their children’s demands for attention are reinforcing the problematic behaviors.

What, then, is the solution? Parents are instructed to put their children to bed while they are still awake and then leave them alone. Parents should ignore the child and refrain from checking on the child again unless absolutely necessary.

The Ferber method departs from extinction training in one key respect: It permits parents to check on their children, but only briefly and according to a strict schedule.

“First of all, Ferber is not a monster who lets babies cry themselves to sleep,” says Ruchy, a first-time mom who independently sleep trained her baby. “He’s a genius! I had the wrong idea about the Ferber method before I read this book. After reading the book and understanding — thanks to Dr. Ferber’s explanation — exactly how sleep works and what the wrong sleep associations do for a child, I was relieved to discover that it’s not about just letting your baby cry for an hour by themselves.”

Ruchy claims that people who talk this method down don’t really understand it. Thrilled with her purchase,

she recommends the book to any new parent attempting to sleep train.

There are several keys to successfully implementing Dr. Ferber’s techniques. First and foremost, the husband and wife must both be on the same page and on board. Failing to practice the disciplinary techniques in the book will result in failure. The second key is consistency. Don’t stop too soon thinking your baby’s issues have resolved, for the baby will regress. And finally, a combination of the first two keys, maintaining the same schedule every day is very important.

But some parents — disturbed by the notion of ignoring their children and concerned about the potentially harmful effects of training — drop out before they see any improvements in their children’s behavior. Ferber advises parents to stick to the

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer

By dispelling the deceptive myth that parents must go sleepless for the first year of a baby’s life, Tracy Hogg turned Secrets of the Baby Whisperer into a bestseller. Her belief is that a happy baby sleeps through the night.

According to Tracy, letting babies cry themselves to sleep and providing too much attention at bedtime are both extremes to be avoided. She developed her own method, a moderate middle ground between extreme cry-it-out methods and extreme attachment parenting.

The Baby Whisperer Sleep Method involves a strict day and nighttime routine for babies so that their bodies naturally adjust to bedtime at the right time. It also involves learning the baby’s cues and how to communicate with the baby so that the parent can recognize when the baby is tired.

The method must be adapted depending on the age of the baby, and should not be used until the baby is at least three months old.

Readers learn to follow the acronym EASY, which represents the stages of a strictly structured routine — the basis of this sleep method. Easy stands for Eat, Activities, Sleep, and You. Another acronym is SLOW — Stop, Listen, Observe, and What’s up? — and it teaches you how to interpret what your baby is trying to tell you. Enough with feeding when all he wants is a nap!

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer promises parents a healthier, happier baby and a more relaxed and happy household as well.

Miriam, a mom of many, is a big believer in Tracy’s method.

“Tracy’s mantra is ‘Start as you mean to go on.’ If you want your nine-month-old baby to sleep only in mommy’s bed, do it when they’re a week old. But if you want to be able to put

routine even if the child cries to the point of vomiting. In this event, parents should clean up the mess quickly and then leave the room and continue training.

Zissy, troubled by the psychology behind this method, believes it’s totally inhumane. “This is so not for me or for my baby. After 45 minutes, there was no way I was going to allow my baby or myself to get even more distressed. And then, when I read the part about how some babies even vomit because they’re so distraught by what’s happening, I found it hard to believe that anyone would go this far.”

Zissy felt compelled to quit early on despite being advised to continue and reassurances that her baby’s reaction was normal. “How is allowing your beloved child to think that you’re abandoning her a good method?”

your baby down in a crib and let them fall asleep peacefully for naps and bedtime, you’ve got to get them used to it from the start.” Miriam loves that there’s no crying it out or heartless rigid schedules, and yet your baby isn’t running the show while mom is surviving on two hours of sleep. In just a few days of following this method consistently, Miriam says, the baby requires less and less of the steps Tracy mentions in the book until they contentedly soothe themselves to sleep in their own crib.

The structural framework in which the sleep method itself must exist is the EASY routine, but the core of the method itself is the philosophy behind “pick up/put down.” When a baby is placed in her bed for naptime or bedtime, she sometimes talks to herself, falls asleep, or cries. If she cries, the parent picks her up and practices a number of “Four S” techniques meant to soothe the baby. These include: set the stage (a bedtime routine), swaddling, sitting quietly with the baby, and shush-pat (patting accompanied by a “shhhh”).

Once the baby is calmed, the baby is placed in the crib and the parent leaves the room. The process (pick up, soothe, put down) is repeated as needed to encourage sleep.

Kayla, however, did not find the book helpful. She agrees there’s great advice for new parents but not for someone seeking help in a specific situation. “The advice is too broad.

Other than a very short section on the ‘pick up/put down’ method, the book didn’t talk about teaching your baby how to fall asleep alone. You can only try this method if the baby is soothed when you pick him up. If he doesn’t stop crying, you can’t try this method and no other alternatives are presented.

“More importantly,” says Kayla, “I’m wary of any book that makes hard-and-fast rules and generalizations about what is right for all babies.”

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Health Personality By Esther Retek

Cup of Tea With:

L

Liba Yoffe is everything you’d imagine you’d find in the founder of a program called Spirit Fit Life (SFL). Her spirited, dynamic approach toward not only fitness, but life in general, emerges even in our distanced correspondence. The SpiritFitness Mama, as she calls herself, wears many hats. In addition to working as the CEO of her company, a doula, and a fitness trainer, she is also a childbirth educator — and that’s not all. More than her career paths and titles, Liba’s emotional and physical strength serves as a guide to the many women she comes in contact with, and her own family as well. Embodying her life’s motto, “Strong, inside and out,” she has been supporting others — and herself — in forging through whatever life sends their way.

Already in her teenage years, Liba’s heart led her to exercise. “We had some fitness equipment in our basement that I would run to as an outlet. Some people journal when they’re under stress; I lifted weights. I quickly turned my passion into a career and became a personal trainer at the age of 18.” However, Liba admits that her “outlet” — weightlifting — was

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Liba Yoffe OCCUPATION: Mom of four, founder of Spirit Fit Life, doula, certified childbirth educator

LOCATION: Arizona (formerly New York)

PASSION: Helping moms feel strong, both inside and out

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kept under covers. She reveals, “I was embarrassed at my interesting obsession. I felt awkward, as if something was wrong with me, and repeatedly questioned the femininity of strength-training.

This fear — of enjoying an activity deemed in my head as inappropriate — led me to quit heavy weightlifting for close to twenty years! I suppressed my passion for muscle workouts because the critic within me wouldn’t allow it.” But after years of stifling her desire, Liba, with the help of a fitness coach, was able to debunk these doubts, and rediscover her aptitude for her pastime sport.

When Liba recognized her talent, she instinctively knew there was something waiting for her. Her modest attire precluding her from joining national weightlifting competitions, Liba knew that compromising on her values was not an option. Rather, she opted to use her skills to help the frum community. For Liba, that meant starting to educate women about their ability to be strong both physically and mentally. “Frum women, being brought up with different values, are often not accustomed to think of femininity in terms of strength or power. The concept is rarely spoken about, hence the stigma surrounding it. The typical image we have of the Jewish woman is exhausted, harried, aching bones, headaches — and she’s all of 29! Supermoms are idealized and we are expected to stretch ourselves in unimaginable ways despite it making a mess out of us.” These contorted values, fueled by her own life experiences, propelled Liba to spread awareness and education.

Spirit Fit Life

Liba initially started out as a personal fitness trainer, but quickly realized that there’s much more to health. “Fitness is just one variable of the equation. I always believed in permanent change, not some quick-fix weight loss program that you will inevitably revisit each year.” Liba’s passion led her on some interesting paths too.

“One summer, I ran a six-week camp program for teens-at-risk, helping them find their inner voice and strength via workouts and physical activity.”

Then, things sped up. Although she currently resides in Arizona, having grown up in the heart of New York, Liba is no stranger to the heavy emphasis on body image that generates such stress for too many. “I was bred with the New York values and perspectives that centered on body image, being thin, and of course, food getting the bad rap — all of those unhealthy values.” Trying to combat and debunk the beauty and diet culture, Liba created Spirit Fit Life. Her program, intense and all-encompassing, 48 Wellspring | December 2020

was designed to empower women both emotionally and physically, which, according to Liba, go hand-in-hand. The program is grounded in three distinct fundamentals, and that sets it apart from any other fitness program.

“First and foremost is customization. Our acceptance process is grueling. We comb through many personal details, such as potential clients’ lifestyle, goals, and habits. We only accept those who we feel are truly seeking to make a life change. If I sense an applicant is simply looking to lose 20 pounds, I would direct her to any weight-loss program. This process allows us to create a plan meticulously designed to fit the needs of the individual. With the help of a large team ranging from social workers to professional holistic practitioners, we create the perfect outline that will catapult real growth.” Liba notes that many seemingly unrelated factors can deeply impact overall health, such as past experiences, childhood, friendships, and even the size of the house one lives in.

With these variables in mind, SFL creates a plan, and constantly tweaks the plan as time moves on.

“We also have a very intense support and accountability aspect.

Having a rapport with a coach and daily accountability can make the ultimate difference in achieving success. I strongly encourage anyone seeking to make real changes to connect with a mentor as they go along, in order to ensure continuous progress.” For support, the program boasts an active chat group, where clients support one another daily, sharing success, inspiration, and encouragement.

And lastly is the focus on mindset. Liba reiterates once again the importance our mindset plays with regard to our health and wellbeing. “The foods we eat and the activity we do or don’t engage in, are all rooted in our emotions, hence the need to work on a mindset prior to working on any strategies or diet plans.” The program seeks to liberate women from the diet culture they’re familiar with and teach them to be strong and wholesome. With inspirational lectures and retreats, Liba helps women find a healthy balance and a strong, positive mindset.

Empower Yourself!

“When I first ventured out to establish SFL, I didn’t envision something of this magnitude,” Liba admits. “The whole thing blew up so fast because the program was filling a real need in the frum world.”

When I ask Liba with which women she sees the most tangible success, she’s quick to answer: “With those who are the most committed.” But then she narrows down her reply to the group of women she most enjoys working with: pregnant and postpartum moms. In fact, SFL employs an entirely different program geared specifically for pregnant women.

“My profession as a doula led me to realize the vital role strength plays in childbearing. Birth is a strenuous process and challenging on many levels. However, for strong women, birthing can be a most beautiful experience. Think about it: What can be more inspiring than perpetuating life in this world?” Having witnessed various birthing experiences, some more beautiful than others, Liba’s intuition immediately differentiated between births of strong and weak women. The result? The evolution of a new program to empower women as they move along in the pregnancy, teaching them to find their inner strength so that they can ultimately emerge strong from their birthing experiences.

“Strength training, both emotional and physical, is key during pregnancy for a healthy birth, both for mom and baby,” Liba asserts.

Having invested her all in empowering women to embrace their childrearing experiences, as well as their own needs, Liba keeps receiving the feedback she deserves.

One woman who joined the program when her baby was just four months old reports that she had been taking care of the needs of everyone else in the family, but there was no time carved out for her in the ways she truly needed. “I was eating sporadically and not working out regularly either, and I hadn’t recovered from my difficult birthing experience. I wanted to feel strong — physically and emotionally.” Now, three months later, she reports being in a much better place. “I haven’t lost much weight on the scale, but I feel stronger. I’m choosing better, more wholesome foods. I’m also working out more consistently, four times a week, and sometimes even more. I’m not perfect, but then I remember that perfect isn’t the goal.”

Another woman shares, “Honestly, I feel happier, less attached to the superficial struggles of simply gaining or losing weight. It’s about the journey and the focus, namely, the mindset — and not the number on a scale — that I appreciate most. I still have so far to go but I love that I have hope and a plan for how to get there.”

Such messages, says Liba, are what fill her with a drive to keep spreading her vision. “This is my message. This is my goal.

I would love to create a network at least as large as all of those weight-loss programs I so strongly oppose.”

Liba herself diligently practices what she preaches. Her routine day begins at 5:00 a.m., latest at 5:30. “That gives me a good hour for myself before my children wake up. That hour is so precious to me. I start with my daily workouts, enjoy a good run, and think about the day ahead.” With that, Liba implores readers to find time in their day to spend with themselves. “You need it and so do your children. They want parents who are wholesome and balanced.”

To Liba, being strong is a lot more than exercising the ability to lift heavy weights. It’s about tapping into our inner fount of confidence, finding internal courage to embrace who we are and who we’re meant to be. To prove her point, or rather “strengthen it,” as Liba employs her favorite term, she talks about her daughter Tehila, who is living with alopecia, an autoimmune disease which attacks hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. “My daughter starting losing her hair when she was around two-and-a-half years old. Of course, it was difficult for us, but we quickly realized that it’s up to us, as parents, to empower our little girl, to accept her and love her no matter how she looks, and thereby allowing our positive mindset to trickle down to her.” And, oh, how it did! Today, Tehila walks around bald, and proudly so.

She’s strong, confident, and exudes positivity, epitomizing her mother’s attitudes. Liba has also fundraised for alopecia and helped tens of other women dealing with such diagnoses.

As a mother of a rambunctious crew whose petite frame belies the fountain of strength she pumps forward to others, Liba is passionate about her goal. “We need to empower ourselves and our children, to help them become strong inside out. They need to realize that how we appear on the outside is not the most important.” One great way to do so, advises Liba, is by using words like strength, strong, and I can, in our vernacular, in place of the more common mantras of “I need to be thin,” or “weight loss” or “This makes me pretty” — which undermine the concept of inside out. “The words we use impact our mindset, which in turn, affects our children’s mindsets.” She stresses that strength, both physical and emotional — which inevitably go hand in hand — begins with having strong parents as groundwork.

Whether she’s utilizing her strength at work, creating SFL, during birth, as a hobby, or at home, Liba’s womanly valor has inspired and continues to inspire hundreds of women.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 49

Living Well

At the Dietitian By Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE

Constipation: A Case Study on a Common Condition Rivka was in her early thirties, after the birth of her fourth child, when she consulted with me due to constipation. While she had always been prone to mild constipation from her teen years and on, it had progressively worsened, and was now severely impacting her quality of life. She used Miralax daily, but still required three to four bathroom trips every morning with an accompanying sensation of incomplete emptying. She had also recently started occasionally taking an herbal laxative containing senna that a relative had recommended, and she was concerned about becoming dependent on it.

She was tired of wasting so much time in the bathroom, and fed up with her constant bloated, painful belly and aggravated hemorrhoids from all the straining. In her words, “I need to fix this issue so I can free up time and headspace for more important things.”

Initial Assessment Findings: → Typical dietary intake is low to moderate in fiber, and low in fat.

Breakfast: whole wheat toast and eggs or Cheerios and milk Lunch: tuna and rice cakes with a cut-up vegetable or a yogurt with granola and a muffin Snacks: snack bags, pretzels, apples, yogurts

50 Wellspring | December 2020

Dinner: chicken with rice, potatoes, or farfel and a soup or salad → Sedentary lifestyle → Insufficient fluid intake → Bloating and gassiness relieved after bowel movements and not worsened post-meal Rivka was trying to lose her baby weight, but she was misguidedly trying to cut her fat intake very low, using fat-free salad dressings and excluding oils and nuts from her diet. She also had very little time to exercise and disliked drinking water, both of which are poor lifestyle factors for an individual with constipation. The fact that her bloating and gassiness was not particularly worsened after meals led me to believe that she wasn’t suffering from SIBO, a condition that can be a cause for constipation and is accompanied by excessive post-meal gas.

Our treatment plan addressed the main factors that contribute to constipation: → Increasing fiber intake I provided Rivka with a chart of the fiber content of foods, and she was instructed to count her fiber grams and reach a total of

35 grams per day. This required a concerted effort on her part and entailed a significant increase above her previous diet. I recommended avoiding processed grains as much as possible, as they can also be constipating. → Increasing fluid and fat intake

While Rivka was aware that increasing fluid intake would assist in softening and moistening her stool for easier transit, she wasn’t aware of the importance of sufficient fat intake to lubricate stool as well. I recommended that she incorporate 8–9 cups of water and 5–6 servings of healthy fats into her daily meal plan. → Movement/Exercise

We set a starting goal of 15 minutes of brisk walking every morning. Walking and gravity exercises cause peristalsis, or the contractions of the intestinal muscles to move contents downward. → Supplements and healing foods were added to Rivka’s diet, and the dosage was tailored specifically to her, based on her symptoms and bodyweight. ✧ Buffered vitamin C powder every morning, taken on an empty stomach, to stimulate intestinal contractions ✧ Magnesium citrate to act as a muscle relaxant for the intes-

tinal muscles

✧ Citrucel fiber to add additional bulking fiber ✧ Flax and chia seeds for fiber and fat

✧ 3–4 prunes daily — nature’s laxative

✧ Shirataki noodles or a glucomannan supplement ✧ High quality probiotic

I also advised Rivka to initially continue taking Miralax, with the eventual goal of weaning slowly off as her condition improved.

While constipation can sometimes take up to six to eight weeks to resolve, Rivka’s improvement was startlingly drastic. At her two-week follow up, she reported already spending half the previous amount of time she’d spent in the bathroom, so we were able to cut her Miralax dosage in half. At the-two month mark, she was weaned off the Miralax completely, and was able to have completely normal bowel habits — so long as she maintained a high-fiber diet with sufficient fats and fluids, engaged in daily movement, and took magnesium and probiotic supplements.

At our final session, Rivka reported our interventions as life-changing, with her schedule no longer dominated by her bathroom habits. As a plus, refraining from eating processed food and eating quality high-fiber foods had allowed her to slowly but surely lose all her baby weight without dieting.

Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE, is a highly acclaimed and experienced registered dietitian/nutritionist and certified diabetes educator. She maintains a busy nutrition practice with offices in Lakewood and Edison, and via phone/Skype to numerous international clients. She specializes in balanced and sustainable weight loss and nutrition therapy for autoimmune, hormonal, and gastrointestinal issues. She can be reached at 732-364-0064 or through her website www.thegutdietitian.com.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 51

Making your hair stronger.

Find it in your local Health Food Stores and Pharmacies.

Shop on Amazon or Walmart.com, Lavenluv.com

Living Well

Home Lab By Miriam Schweid

DIY

recipes for natural living

For Cleaner Hair If you’ve spent too many hours ensuring that your kids’ hair is liceand nit-free, you probably want to keep it that way. Here’s a highly effective natural blend that will keep hair free of those pesky creatures, and tangle-free as well.

1 oz vinegar 1 oz water 10 drops tea tree oil 5 drops rosemary oil

Combine and store in a spray bottle.

Shake well before each use. Spray hair well and comb through to remove nits and prevent re-infestation.

The essential oils combined with vinegar have been proven to keep lice from laying their eggs (nits) in hair. You can use a blow dryer to kill the lice and then spray the vinegar/oil combination to remove the lice and nits. The mixture is safe and does not damage the roots or hair, even with frequent use.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 53

Living Well

Journal

Healthy-Ish How I Lead a Healthy Lifestyle, with Some Help from My Wife

By Aryeh Leib

So what happened on that fateful Tuesday morning that led to a complete revamp in my life?

The evening before was like many others in the past. I probably had too many potato chips after dinner, coupled with lots of cherry bites and some frozen Italian ice pops thrown in for good measure. It was a calm, relaxing fall night. But before long, I realized that I probably wouldn’t be sleeping much. Not only was my heartburn through the roof, I felt an extremely uncomfortable sensation in my intestines, as if my body was working much too hard to digest what I’d just stuffed it with.

It turned out to be a long, long night, and it was enough to compel me to vow that I would do what I had to so I could feel human again. There was no major story for me, no massive health scare like so many others I know went through.

No warnings about diabetes and high blood pressure, which I’d probably been at great risk for. My wakeup call was more subtle, but for me, that was enough. I felt horrible enough to know that I couldn’t carry on this way.

Tuesday morning couldn’t come soon enough. After having

endured an all-nighter, all I wanted was to see the sun already, to have human company to converse with. By then, I was exhausted — and feeling hungry again. But what would I have for breakfast now that I did not want to repeat my mistakes again? I had no idea. In my past life, I usually didn’t eat much early in the day. I subsisted on a few coffees with sugar until my early lunch. Now, I wanted to do things differently. The first person I turned to for advice was my wife, Simi.

“What do you think I should have for breakfast?” I asked her as she was preparing her own coffee. On a usual morning, I was out of the house at that time. But today, things were different. Today was the morning after I had been up all night.

And today would also be the first day that I wouldn’t be making the mistakes I’d made until then.

My wife looked surprised when I asked her that question.

This was a first, the first of many more firsts.

To be continued...

Vegetable Latkes Yes, I will still be frying on Chanukah. Of course, not as often as I used to, but I still love a good latke. Since I don’t want to only be filling up on potatoes, I’ll also be preparing this mixture, which tastes really good.

1 32-oz pkg Bodek California Mix, fully defrosted

½ cup breadcrumbs (can be made from leftover whole-grain challah) 2 eggs

salt and pepper, to taste onion powder, to taste

olive oil or cooking spray Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Use an immersion blender to blend and form a smooth batter.

To fry latkes, heat oil in a frying pan. Use a scoop to create perfect round balls and fry on both sides until fully cooked.

To bake latkes, preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place scoops on the sheet and then spray generously with cooking spray.

Bake for 20 minutes on each side, until golden.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 55

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Light Home in the

Don't Label Yourself Name the behavior instead

The Scent Connection How the sense of smell impacts your child

5 Marriage Coaches on how to reignite the spark

Wellbeing

Emotional Eating By Shira Savit

��

This Is Not Working For Me

��

My Would-Be Response to Sari A few weeks ago, I received an email from Sari*, after her third session with me. It read: Dear Shira, This approach is not working for me. I am a binge eater and have no self-control. For people like me, who are compulsive overeaters, it is utterly impossible to have a healthy relationship with food. I have to be honest with you. A very strict diet is the only way to keep me in line. Thank you for trying to help me. I just won’t lose the weight this way. All the best.

I felt sad for Sari’s struggles, and with complete respect for her choices, I wished her hatzlachah.

Had Sari asked for my feedback and input, I would have written the following: Dear Sari, I feel for you that you have been struggling with emotional eating as well as the belief that you have no self-control.

I would like to share a thought that might help you improve your 58 Wellspring | December 2020

relationship with food. Yes, I understand you might choose to quit carbs, restrict calories, and eliminate sugar and sweets. However, while you are ridding yourself of the forbidden foods, I encourage you to also rid yourself of the self-labeling.

Sari, from what you have described in our sessions, you do, indeed, struggle with emotional eating, and perhaps, at times, binge eating. Yet this does not define who you are. You are a capable, talented, kind, and wise woman who is facing struggles with your relationship with food. Sometimes you eat because you’re stressed, sometimes because you’re lonely, sometimes because you don’t even know how you feel, or even because you don’t want to feel.

You have also described eating to the extent that you become sick to your stomach from the amount of food you have consumed.

However, Sari, these experiences do not define you, rather, they are behaviors.

While you are ridding yourself of Let me give you a parallel so you can better understand this important concept. Since you mentioned that you have young children at home, you certainly encounter incidents in which your kids “misbehave.” If you were to see your son pinching his sister because she was playing with his new toy, how would you react? I doubt you would you call him a “bad boy” or “a selfish child.” In parenting, we strive to apply the important principle: “Don’t label the child, identify the behavior.”

the forbidden foods, I encourage you to also rid yourself of the selflabeling.

With this in mind, you might respond: “Chaim, I see you are having a hard time right now, but hitting is not a way to show this.” Possibly, “Chaim, I see you feel angry that your sister is playing with your toy;” or, “Even though you feel upset right now, hurting your sister is not acceptable.” Instead of characterizing Chaim negatively (which would likely harm his self-esteem and create a self-fulfilling prophecy), as an enlightened parent, you would choose instead to speak about his feelings and describe his behavior.

You would probably try to tune in to how Chaim feels, perhaps recognizing that he had a hard day in school, or he is overtired or overly hungry, and is therefore acting out more intensely than usual. The more you’re able to identify his behavior, the better equipped you are to help him learn healthier coping skills.

(For example, you can model a different way of responding to anger, or ask him how you can best help him address his needs at the time.) When you choose not to label your child, you are choosing a relationship based on acceptance, love, and empathy.

Sari, I challenge you to “parent yourself ” with regard your re-

lationship with food, showing yourself the acceptance and empathy you also deserve. Instead of labeling yourself as an emotional eater, try to pinpoint a situation in which you find yourself emotionally eating, and describe how you are feeling.

Here’s a trick to help you do this.

Instead of using “—er,” switch to “— ing.” That is, instead of considering yourself a “compulsive overeatER”, you can say, “Right now I am compulsively overeatING.” Similarly, instead of calling yourself “an emotional eatER,” you can identify the times you are “emotionally eatING.”

Better yet, use the —ing to recognize what you are feel-ING. Instead of saying, “I have no self-control,” you can ask yourself, “What am I feel-ING? How am I feel-ING? Do I feel sad? Do I feel lonely? Am I eating because I’m stressed? Am I eating for comfort? What’s the feel-ING I’m experiencing right now?”

Perhaps, just like Chaim, you might be behaving in a way you’d rather not because you’re overtired or extremely hungry. When you identify and describe your feeling, you can gently ask yourself how you can best address your needs. In this manner, you’ll be giving yourself hugs full of empathy and self-acceptance rather than demoralizing and limiting labels.

So Sari, along with your carrot sticks, cucumbers, and collards, please remember to add in the ING to your eating experience.

You may be surprised how much you can accomplish by leaving aside negative labels and sticking with describing behaviors and feelings. I wish you the best of luck, and am here for you should you choose to explore these concepts together. *Identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.

Shira Savit, MA, MHC, INHC, is a mental health counselor with multiple certifications in nutrition and health. She specializes in weight loss, emotional eating, and binge eating. Shira incorporates both nutritional and emotional components in helping her clients reach their goals.

Shira has a private practice in Yerushalayim and works with women in any location via phone call or video session. She can be contacted at 516-9787800, shira@cucumbersandchocolate.com, or via her website: cucumbersandchocolate.com.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 59

Wellbeing

Cover Feature

Igniting the Spark The coziness and warmth that Chanukah brings into our lives — in the dead of the dark, cold winter — characterizes the light and glow we desire to experience in all areas of life. Here, five marriage coaches address how we can spark renewed excitement in our marriage.

Compiled by Wellspring Staff

Cover Feature

panelists:

Wellbeing

62 Wellspring | December 2020

Mrs. Miriam Davidson: A psychotherapist and marriage educator, Miriam Davidson is the creator of Closer Connections, an online course on marriage for women.

Mrs. Gila Levitt: Gila Levitt has been teaching kallahs, women, and kallah teachers for the past 20 years under the Center for Taharas Hamishpacha in Eretz Yisrael. Gila is also the founder of Hearts of Marriage: Soul Satisfying Oneness, an organization providing classes, teleconferences and courses on marriage.

Mrs. Chana Eisenstein: Chana Eisenstein, MS, CPC, is a highly experienced marriage coach, as well as a popular workshop leader and inspirational speaker.

Mrs. Leah Richeimer: A relationships expert and host of the popular weekly live video show, The Ladies Talk Show, Leah Richeimer is the author of Marriage Secrets (Artscroll), and founder of The Marriage Campaign, a non-profit global charity dedicated to teaching marriage success tools that have a 3,000-year-old track record of success.

Mrs. Chaya Reich Chaya Reich is a kallah teacher, marriage mentor, and speaker for Torah Anytime, Gateways, and Keiravtuni seminars, among other sites. Chaya is also the author of the popular Cozy Rosy book series for children.

At any stage in life, how can we ignite the spark in our marriage?

Miriam: I don’t think anything I tell you will be groundbreaking, but marriage is about revisiting and reviewing the basic principles that lead to a better marriage. I believe that so much of our relationship starts with our own inner lens, how we view our spouses. Are you seeing shortcomings and annoyances, or are you consciously looking for the inspiring and beautiful parts in your spouse? One of the great tools I use with my clients to rekindle their marriages and help them rewire their inner viewpoint is writing. I have them start a list of wonderful qualities, actions, and characteristics they see in their spouse. It may sound juvenile and trite, but the tool is very powerful. Whenever you can, write down one nice thing you appreciate about your spouse.

I encourage you to continuously add to the list, and it’s best if it’s done on a daily basis. It could be things that seem trivial like she made eye contact when greeting me; he took out the trash without me asking; he put away his Shabbos shoes.

Most of us are wired to see the negative in our spouses, but it’s the positive view that will fuel and nurture the relationship.

Chana: Revitalizing the spark in marriage or keeping that spark aflame requires both a proper mindset and action. Often, the speed of life has us forget our values and priorities. Therefore, they need to be revisited. Take the time to reflect upon your values and attitudes, and reframe your perspective towards your husband. Doing so will inevitably motivate you to work on your marriage and rekindle the spark.

Practically, as life gets more hectic, the time we spend with our spouse decreases. But in order to keep the flame in your marriage ablaze, connection time must happen every day. And that doesn’t necessarily mean date night or vacationing. Rather, it means a few minutes of talking to one another, completely focused, without distractions. Connection time can be a few minutes of pleasant conversation, a few minutes before your spouse leaves to work, or a quick walk after dinner. And for those of you thinking, “No way I can put this too into my schedule,” remember that it’s all about priorities. Yes, in the beginning it might be hard to make a conscious effort to spend time together, but it will eventually become something you look forward to.

Gila: One of my favorite techniques to revamp a marriage relationship is scheduling — scheduling time to be with one another. Scheduling doesn’t mean you’re locked in, since there can always be something unexpected that comes up and needs your attention. Scheduling does mean, however, that from when you wake up, you know that something very important is coming up today, and inevitably your entire day will revolve around that. In this way, both partners are more prepped for the time they’ll be spending together.

On an emotional level, here’s another crucial idea: Our daily schedules are so rushed. We’re so stressed, so pressured. It’s not built into our frum lifestyle to spend hours with our spouses daily. And we don’t have to, because essentially what fortifies our connection, and this has been documented by John Gottman, is not the vacation or candlelit dinners, but moment-to-moment connection. When your spouse talks to you, look him in the eye, show him you’re there, fully present and attentive. If there’s something going on in your spouse’s life, it’s a good idea to follow up with a phone call or a quick message, “How did the speech work out? How was the business meeting?” These things are not time-consuming but require us to be creative and resourceful.

Chiddush is another critical factor in igniting the flame in a marriage. Human beings crave chiddush, and we’re always looking out for something new and different. Get those creative juices flowing.

On a different level, when you’re experiencing any chiddush in your personal growth, it will revive you, and in turn, overflow to your marriage. Learning a new skill, discovering a new concept, or taking a course can make you feel so invigorated and renewed.

Leah: The most effective way to revive the spark in your marriage is by discovering what’s blocking the spark in the first place. Analyzing which issues stand in the way of your closeness is the secret to a deeper connection. This takes some introspection, but ultimately gives you the clearest plan of action. Typical blocks in a marriage are resentment from past hurts, lack of forgiveness, inability to get over annoying habits, high expectations, and emotional traumas from childhood. Taking the time to explore these areas will uncover your obstacles and help you overcome them. Talking about it to your spouse or a trusted confidant or professional will help you get over these hurdles and allow that spark and joy to come alive in your marriage.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 63

Wellbeing

Cover Feature

Spending quality time with our spouse is one of the best tools we can use to ignite the spark in a marriage. How can I use that sacred time to foster a deeper connection?

Miriam: When you finally do get to spend some time together, spouses often feel very pressured to “connect,” to have a deep conversation and discuss heart and soul topics. All of a sudden, date night becomes “pressure night.”

When we have an agenda, it really puts pressure on both spouses, and often causes the other spouse to freeze and retreat.

Truthfully though, the ability to connect and schmooze even on a superficial level can be incredibly liberating and productive. A 15-minute stroll, or even going to the supermarket together, with only banter talk (not centered on the kids), is a great way to connect. Over time, these conversations are very nurturing and can lead to real connection.

Chaya: Get to know each other! It’s so sad when I mentor a couple married for 30 years or more and the wife does not know her husband’s favorite cake or color or dreams! Start out with basic likes and dislikes (my Cozy Rosy Book has a great get-to-knowme game in the back, perfect for couples) and slowly explore deeper levels in one another. One of the best techniques I teach couples who need to develop their relationship is the dream-hope-wish technique. I teach them to share with each other a dream, a hope, and a wish they have.

Chana: As a relationship develops, you would want the conversations to become deeper. The key to deeper connection is safety. The safer you feel with each other, the easier it will to be tread on deeper territory, to discuss hashkafos, philosophy, values, etc. In order to get that level, safety must be established between the two of you. You need to be comfortable to be yourself, say what you want to say, and be okay with disagreement.

Leah: One big pitfall I notice couples struggle with is lack of conversational boundaries. For example, they could be driving home from a pleasant shopping excursion and the wife will suddenly drop a bomb about how upset she is about the comment her husband made in front of his mother. Or, straightening up after dinner, the husband will suddenly blurt out his frustration about how messy the house is. While it’s important to discuss concerns, the timing is often dreadful, leaving both sides in a constant state of fear of when the next bomb will drop. We all need to feel safe in our home, with our family. The solution is to bite your tongue and plan the best way to communicate difficult information, and more importantly, when to say it. When you’re out having some fun, don’t hijack the conversation by broaching a stressful topic. Deeper conversations are very important for a relationship to flourish, but managing how and when you discuss them is the key to making everyone feel safe.

In the beginning, it might be difficult to get past shallow conversation. I found that card games such as Ungame and Conversation Starters, which provide you with a list of interesting conversation starters, can be great incentives for couples struggling in this aspect.

64 Wellspring | December 2020

On a different note, couples often confess that they don’t have what to share when they spend quality time together because they have shared all the day’s events via text or email as they day went by. An easy way to avoid this problem is refraining to share on a minute-to-minute basis. Instead, allow the excitement of the day’s events to bubble within you until you sit down for some quality time.

In many relationships, one spouse is more forthcoming and seeking to connect than the other. How can both spouses bridge the gap?

Chaya: Connection is about meeting the other spouse at their point, where they are. I’m referring to the seven love languages (I established these seven quite some time before Gary Chapman’s five love languages became popular, hence the two additional ones I offer). Each of us experience love in a distinct, primary way, which will usually be reflected in the way we express love towards others. Here’s an abridged version of some of them.

Words of Affirmation: Although we all thrive on words of affirmation, for some people, this is their chief way of expressing love.

Love notes, cards, and sincere compliments are some ways you might want to express your love if your spouse appreciates words of affirmation.

Time: Many people need quality time in order to feel loved.

That is, no folding laundry, doing the dishes, or tending to the children while you spend time with your spouse. Short walks, a coffee together, a night out, etc. are some ways to give your spouse quality time.

Acts of chesed: Some spouses appreciate any act of service you do for them. If that personifies your spouse, try to have their requests done on time. Take his suit to the cleaners when he asks, bring home the laptop when she needs it, or send that email to the billing company. It will mean a lot to them.

Food: In the frum world, food deserves a category of its own.

With food playing such a central role in our life, it’s another medium with which to express love. Is that your spouse’s language?

A hot, ready meal on a nicely set table (like we all did the first few weeks of marriage!) with delicious dessert or freshly baked cookies will convey your feelings.

Empathy: This is another love language Gary Chapman doesn’t include, but I find it to be a very prevalent. Some spouses need you to show genuine listening, alone with gentle nodding, understanding questions, and sincere empathy. It can at first be hard to implement, but you’ll find it becoming more natural as time goes on.

Gifts: A fairly straightforward way to express love, gifts can mean anything from an expensive watch to a small keychain. Your spouse doesn’t assess the gift’s price tag, but rather the appreciation behind it.

Chana: Be honest with yourself. Sometimes you might inadvertently turn your connection time into “stressful” time. Are you bombarding your spouse with criticism, heavy talk, or complaints?

Tune into your next conversation and make a mental note if you’re doing anything to distance your spouse. Set an intention to use connecting time for positive, enjoyable conversations only.

Miriam: In most marriages, there will be phases when either you or your spouse has more time or emotional availability to invest in the relationship. Either position can be uncomfortable or painful.

If you and your spouse don’t seem to be on the same page, it might take intuition as well as a lot of patience and understanding to properly connect. There are times when you need to be honest about your needs and express them to your spouse. Other times, you need to realize that your spouse might have a different way of connecting.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 65

Wellbeing

Cover Feature

The Kedushas Levi states that anything we start on Chanukah will merit success. That renders it the perfect time to revitalize our marriages. What would you suggest as the one habit that can make a profound difference on one’s relationship?

Miriam: I like comparing the technique I’m about to share to a video that you press pause on. When we do that, we notice details that otherwise go unseen.

In our marriages too, we need to learn to pause and slow down; I call these moments “the pause moment.” Habituate yourself into pausing for just a minute in your day, then look around and observe, taking note of one positive deed your spouse did for you, a nice word he said to you, or any beautiful aspect of your spouse. Pause.

Cherish the moment. Pause moments can truly transform a marriage and allow your relationship to flourish.

Chana: Everything is rooted in our mindset.

And the mindset I feel every spouse needs to recognize is that your spouse is there for you, to make you happy. You and your spouse are a team. When you think of marriage as a team, everything appears different. It’s not about who’s stronger, wiser, or whose opinion is the right one, but rather about joining forces and using the skills of both to build a beautiful home. You are a team. Make that your new marriage mantra.

Chaya: Stop the negativity. Stop the criticism.

Negativity destroys a marriage. It’s hard work but every time a negative comment is on the tip of your tongue, think of that irksome character trait in the positive sense.

Your husband left his plate on the table again? That same husband doesn’t mind if the floor is a mess when he walks into the house. Your wife forgot again to send out the check? That same wife is okay when you forget to take out the garbage. Learn to see the positive angle in your spouse’s traits that bother you, and refrain from criticizing as much as possible.

66 Wellspring | December 2020

Gila: I know you asked for one, but I dare say two. First and foremost, three compliments a day is minimum, no matter what. And I’ll repeat that, no matter what. A day cannot go by without them.

Of course, there’s an art to complimenting, but even without learning it, you’ll find yourself quickly becoming better at it.

The second habit I suggest is to make eye contact with your spouse when they speak with you. It’s a basic in social skills, but too often forgotten in marriage. No clearing dishes, checking emails, or tending the baby if your spouse is speaking to you. And if something needs to get done, you look him in the eye and ask if the conversation can continue later.

Leah: There is one guaranteed way that a woman can bring more blessings into her life.

Rav Moshe Cordovero zt”l teaches that brachah is brought into the home through the husband. The Gemara teaches us that the husband is the giver, and the wife is the receiver. What this means for us is that the more we receive, the more brachah Hashem gives to our husband to give to us. In practical terms to receive means to say “thank you” for every single thing your husband gives you. Whether it’s carrying his plate to the sink, bringing in the groceries from the car, giving you a compliment, or paying the bills. Showing appreciation for every little thing is the ultimate secret for bringing blessings into your home. This is our shalom bayis mesorah that has a 3,000-year-old track record of success. It is absolutely guaranteed. It may take time and it may be difficult to witness the difference, but blessings often come in hidden ways. The more appreciation you show to your husband, the more Shechinah you’re inviting into your home.

Wellbeing

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

THE SCENT CONNECTION Facilitated by Libby Silberman

How the Sense of Smell Impacts Your Child in Ways You’ve Never Imagined

I

n the past, most of us haven’t paid much attention to the essential sense of smell. With the advent coronavirus and its aftereffects, the olfactory organ has finally demanded its rightful place in the center of the face and our lives.

If, like many, you’ve lost your sense of smell as a result of contracting COVID-19, you probably realized just how much your sense of smell contributes to your life. The interconnection between smell and taste cannot be denied, and one’s experiential memories leave an imprint in the brain that is hard to forget.

Many have been asking us how they will once again be able to enjoy a cup of coffee, to experience the scent of good cooking, to discern a spoiled bottle of milk, and catch the cookies before they go up in ashes in the oven. (See sidebar on regaining sense of smell post-COVID.)

Now that we’re all more aware of our olfactory sense, there is some more mind-blowing information you should really know.

This may change your life.

When you experience any kind of sensory input, be it touch or sight or sound, the stimulus gets interpreted through the transmission of several neuronal pathways up to your cerebral cortex which, in turn, instructs the body how to react.

Your sense of smell skips all of these steps. The message jumps directly to your prefrontal cortex, which is involved in modulating emotions, and elicits an instantaneous response.

In other words, smells can evoke emotions and physical/physiological responses without “permission” from your intelligence at all. So your sense of smell can trigger all sorts of behaviors, negative and positive, as well as emotions and memories.

Smells will trigger your memories and emotions:

✿ This dress’s smell reminds me of Bubby cooking in her kitchen.

✿ It smells just like the cigarette the superintendent smoked in the apartment building of my youth. ✿ This perfume makes me think of Mommy, a”h.

Smells will trigger you physiologically: ✿ The milk is spoiled; you get queasy. ✿ You pass the bakery and salivate.

Smells can trigger your behaviors:

✿ Pleasant-smelling stores will make you buy more.

✿ Other scents can trigger impulsive and wild behavior.

What? Impulsive and wild behavior? The short answer is yes, your child’s impulsive behavior may be stemming from smells that are triggering him. We are extremely passionate about this subject, especially since it’s not well-known to most people. We believe that much negativity can be avoided with greater awareness of this connection.

Just like some children are hypersensitive to touch, others are hypersensitive to smell. Just like a child may act out when wearing an itchy sweater, a child can act out when smelling something that’s offensive to him.

Say you’re going shopping with your hypersensitive son Avrumi. He’s excited to spend time with you and is on his best behavior.

You enter a home goods store. He starts acting up. He becomes anxious and upset.

Babies and Scented Products We are big proponents of using scent-free products for babies. Good-smelling lotions, shampoos, and baby perfumes are all there for the mommy’s pleasure, but not the baby’s. A baby is very sensitive to smell, and it’s a shame to expose kids to these smells early on.

As an aside, exposing babies (that are predisposed to various issues) under thirty months old to peppermint oil can potentially cause seizures.

In general, when using oils with children, always consult with a professional. Many essential oils should not be used on children until they are of a certain age.

Based on a child’s age, a professional will recommend how to dilute an oil if used directly on the skin, as well as the appropriate dosage. Many are used to treat a variety of physiological symptoms, however, depending on one’s olfactory sensitivities, the use may cause more harm than therapeutic benefits if not handled with care.

✿ You use aromatic soaps in the bath and feel relaxed.

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Wellbeing

Child Development

Case Study “Avrumi, stop kvetching right this minute.”

“Avrumi, stand right over here and stop running around. You’re bound to knock something over.”

“If you don’t stop screaming right now, I’m not going buying you the flashlight I’d said I’d get for you.”

It’s too easy to fall into the pattern of punishing Avrumi for his impulsive behavior, while, in reality, the issue isn’t behavioral at all. His reaction is completely reflexive with zero cognition. Poor Avrumi!

We like to think of home goods stores as a minefield for hypersensitive kids. There’s the potpourri, the soaps, the candles, and all things smelly. A child’s hypersensitive olfactory cells are being assaulted by smells that are triggering him. These are not noxious smells that are alerting him to danger. These are pleasant aromas that, without any logic on Avrumi’s part, are setting him off to behave impulsively. And it’s simply not his fault.

That’s what we call a “scentsory” child.

If you’ve ever experienced first-trimester hypersensitivity to smells, you can understand what your hypersensitive child is going through every day. Pregnant women logically know that chicken soup smells — and it even smells good — but this knowledge will do nothing to quell the nausea.

Similarly, smells bypass every shred of logic the child can have, and it dictates behaviors. The child is not in control. If one does not consider that a child’s impulsivity and behavioral issues may be attributed to issues with the olfactory sense, many times these presentations are bundled with other symptoms and lead to an inaccurate diagnosis and consequently medication.

We see kids who suffer from this all day long. They can’t stand the smell of someone’s lunch. They can’t handle their teacher’s perfume.

They’re in the classroom all day with nowhere to escape. Consequently, they can’t focus during class because the smell is looping through their minds constantly, preventing concentration and prompting poor behavior. Understand that if smells are triggering your child, his/her impulsive behaviors are literally involuntary, and not his/her fault.

Now, for the big question: How do we deal with it?

Step #1: Discovery and Awareness

The first step is to identify the issue. How do we source a child’s impulsivity to a hypersensitive sense of smell? Investigation can include asking your child how they feel about specific smells you have isolated.

We do a thorough intake, in which we analyze if the child has gone through any environmental shift recently, along with the occasions on which the child becomes hyperactive, so we can inspect potential exposure to new smells.

It’s also important to keep in mind that children with underlying disorders such as SPD or anxiety-linked behavior (such as OCD) may have co-existing olfactory issues that may warrant further evaluation and treatment.

70 Wellspring | December 2020

Moishy is a cooperative and well-behaved little boy all morning at school. In the afternoon, he acts up in his English class. He is disruptive and rowdy. His teachers are confused. How is it that he behaves well in the morning but loses his patience every single afternoon, after lunch hour? Simply put, Moishy may be hypersensitive to smells. The smells in the school lunchroom (think ketchup, tuna, eggs) may have triggered him.

An OT evaluates Moishy. After ruling out different potential issues, the OT has him eat his lunch (brought from home) in his classroom instead of the lunchroom. Consequently, Moishy is calm and well-behaved in the afternoon.

Yes, he was being triggered by the smells in the lunchroom. Being empowered by this knowledge is a huge first step. Now what? Should he avoid the lunchroom for the rest of his life? Not very practical.

There are a couple of suggestions Moishy and his parents and teachers can try.

When we work in specialized settings or with very young kids, we can divide the class based on their food choices for the day. The kids having tuna sits with tuna, eggs with eggs, and grilled cheese with grilled cheese. No one smells another’s food and all’s good. Of course, this is not practical for older kids in a regular school setting.

Therefore, under the guidance of a qualified OT, Moishy can be desensitized to lower his reactivity to smells. Exposing him to various specific essential oils with a guided regimen, Moishy’s hypersensitivity can be regulated.

Step #2: Desensitization In cases in which the child is identified as hypersensitive, we do a desensitization protocol using essential oils.

We figure out the exact oils needed for the particular child based on the child’s profile. We employ various methods such as dabbing a drop of oil on the child’s collar every day and slowly adding more every day. With time, the child adjusts to new smells and his/her ability to handle the smells.

Note: Do not experiment with essential oils on your own. For children with a chemical imbalance such as ADD, anxiety, or sensory processing disorder, the wrong smells can trigger them terribly. (Additionally, lavender oil is unsafe for boys over the age of nine. It can hinder development in certain areas.) You must consult with a professional before using any essential oils.

COVID-19 Fringe Benefits What if my child dislikes the smell of certain foods, but it isn’t serious enough to warrant professional intervention?

If your child has aversions to certain smells, and that affects their eating, here’s what you can do.

Identify: Help your child identify which smells bother them. You can do this by keeping a food journal to target the smells that are setting them off.

Communicate: How do these smells make him feel?

How can you take advantage of your child’s loss of smell?

First, it’s important to note that the coronavirus hasn’t actually affected anyone’s actual neurons, only how the smells actually get transmitted to the brain. That’s really good news, considering that olfactory cells are unable to regenerate.

Children who have lost their sense of smell due to COVID-19 present a unique opportunity to work on various issues. For starters, it’s a great time for your picky eaters to try new foods. If the smells of the foods were bothering them previously, you can work on getting them used to foods’ textures only.

Additionally, it’s a good opportunity for speech therapists and feeding therapists to discern issues from behavioral to sensory. Now that smells are safely out of the way, they can help children who are tactile defensive, pocket their food, and have texture issues. Who knows? Maybe it was the smell bothering them all along?

Validate: It’s okay not to like certain smells.

It’s okay for the child to cover their nose, but teach your child how to handle social settings where covering one’s nose would be inappropriate. The main thing is not to downplay or to make a big deal about it. (“Don’t be ridiculous, this is perfectly good chicken salad!”)

It’s also alright to accommodate the child by placing the serving dish containing the offensive food far from the child at the table, or to place a lid on the dish.

food your child has an aversion to.

*If your child does not like fish, start desensitizing by using the least “fishy” of fish.

*Some foods’ smells are altered as they’re cooked; take onions for example. Some kids cannot process this change of smell. Invite your child into the kitchen to help you prepare foods using the foods they dislike to help them process the change of smell.

Again, it’s important to note that these home tips are not how Desensitize: Slowly expose your child to the smell or taste they dislike. we treat hypersensitivity to smells. OTs look at the bigger picture, *Let’s say Leah can’t handle the smell of egg yolks and you’re con- rather than focusing on individual smells. stantly separating the whites for her omelet. Start by adding a drop of a The good news about smell hypersensitivity is that our olfacyolk to her white every day. Up the amount of yolk until Leah is com- tory cells are the only neurons in our body that don’t regenerate fortable smelling and eating egg yolks in her omelet. Try this with any once they’ve reached maximum capacity. This means that as children hit their teens, their sense of smell diminishes slightly.

How to Restore Your Sense of Smell Post-COVID Using Essential Oils The inflammatory effect of COVID-19 on the olfactory system may cause swelling of the tissue and mucosa in the nose resulting in loss of smell.

As the swelling slowly begins to recede and the olfactory pathway is able to be interpreted, for most individuals, their sense of smell will slowly return, with the time varying between individuals.

Clinical trials are being implemented to study the effects of olfactory training using essential oils such as rose, lemon, cloves, and eucalyptus, with each of these particular essential oils targeting a particular category of scents (i.e. floral, citrus). Protocols being utilized have specific frequencies and time periods for their efficacy. We recommend doing due diligence and consulting with a professional before implementing any protocols.

Your 18-year-old son suddenly asking for sushi? Your 12-year-old willing to try tuna?

Yup, your child’s sense of smell (and hence their closely related taste) has weakened and become more sophisticated. Most cases of smell hypersensitivity resolve with time.

Our sense of smell provides us a pleasant addition to experiencing this world, and to alert us to noxious smells for our safety. But our sense of smell is so much more than that.

It impacts us emotionally, physiologically, and physically. It’s an interpretation for our emotions, memories. Smells translate into our ability to focus and live in the moment.

Who would’ve guessed what the humble nose knows?

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

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 71

Living Well

Growth Log By Gila Glassberg, MS, RD, CDN

chapter 6 What Do I Need?

EE DOM FR

BYE, DIET. HELLO, LIFE. At our Session Today: We speak about how Adina has been using food to distract from difficult emotions.

ADINA: Well, this week was…. challenging. I tried hard to write down what I ate, along with my hunger/fullness level. I came to the really hard realization that I do, in fact, treat myself like a martyr. Now I’m perplexed about what’s considered good self-care and what is just being downright selfish.

On some days, I wanted to do your “homework,” so I set aside time to go for a short walk with a friend. When I was out, I was smelling the crisp air, laughing about silly things, and really reawakening the side of me I’d left behind once I had kids. But then, that sinking feeling in my stomach — there it was again, stronger than ever. I envisioned my son crying at the door as I left him at a time I am usually home.

This intense feeling — I think it’s guilt. When I came home, without even thinking, I ran over to the pantry and started stuffing cookies in my face. I was out of control. Remarkably, though, I was still actually highly aware of what I was doing.

I really am out of control, see? There I go again, blaming myself. At the same time, it’s so helpful to see how aware this is making me. Sometimes, I can just pause and ask myself, “Why am I feeling this way?”

72 Wellspring | December 2020

GILA: I’m noticing a pattern: Do self-care. Feel good, which also brings up guilt. Eat and feel more guilt. Or, completely neglect your needs and use food to fill those needs. Then feel horrible guilt and shame towards your eating, and eat even more to help not feel those feelings.

This is all too familiar. It’s so much easier to feel guilt about food than feel guilt about leaving our children crying for us.

This is what I call a transference of pain. It’s subconscious. We don’t do it on purpose, but in so many ways, we lean on food to help us physiologically and emotionally.

Also, for many of us, guilt is a very heavy feeling. Ironically, someone struggling with severe food guilt who does not have the tools to deal with that emotion may turn to the exact trigger that brings up guilt— food — to quiet the feeling.

In his book Healing Back Pain, Dr. John Sarno explains a condition known as Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), which causes muscle constriction and physical pain, but no

GILA: long-term nerve damage. The body does this because it’s trying to get our attention to heal something.

Our emotions get us into motion. Our physical pain also gets us into motion, or at least it tries to.

When you place your hand on a hot object, for example, your reflexes help you stay safe by reacting.

Like we’ve discussed in earlier sessions, sometimes, your body gaining weight is your body saving you.

Sometimes, your body getting you to think about food is your body telling you, “You need food.” You can drown yourself in shame and blame or you can use this behavior as a data point to help you move forward.

When you have the urge to eat and you know you are not physically hungry, set a five-minute timer.

Sit. Just sit with this and see if you notice a strong emotion.

ADINA: I feel betrayed that I was so misguided about myself and my body.

I was not accepted for who I was and I was rejected for being in a larger body. I feel alone and unappreciated.

GILA: Now, what do you need?

ADINA: I want a huge bowl of ice cream.

GILA:

Another way to use this exercise is to ask yourself two vital questions. One, what am I feeling right now? Two, what do I need?

There it is, I have triggered Adina’s usual reaction to pain — eat something comforting.

Suppose the feeling is sadness. You may need to journal those feelings or listen to a sad song to help you cry.

I give Adina the space she needs while she sobs. I have learned in this work that holding space for people, being okay with other people’s emotions, helps them carry the burden of their pain. When you give them space for their pain, they feel less of it.

Suppose the feeling is anger. You may need to scream into a pillow.

ADINA: All of this makes sense, but it feels so foreign to me.

GILA: It was foreign to me too when I first heard this concept. It’s foreign to most of us.

But feelings do not just disappear. As Dr. Sarno explains, unprocessed feelings have a way of snowballing into physical or emotional boulders, which can end up seriously impacting our life. In your case, you’re using food to meet your emotional needs and help you not face painful emotions.

Let’s practice this together. What are you feeling right now, Adina?

Food is comforting to you. But Adina, what do you think you need?

I believe this is where most people don’t expect this work to be so healing.

They think deep down it is another diet. But usually, by the third session, when they feel more comfortable to be open and share, and they know I won’t judge them, they begin to feel a strong sense of healing. They begin to realize how much pain dieting has caused them and how they really do want to reject diet culture.

Over the next two to three weeks, you may experience more emotional pain than you are used to because you’ll notice when you’re using food to numb, distract, or entertain you. But now is when the healing can take place, and we can use kindness to cope with our emotions instead of the usual food.

Now that we’ve practiced differentiating between physical hunger and emotional hunger, this week, whenever you have the urge to eat and you know that you’re not physically hungry, set a five-minute timer and sit (whenever possible). Ask yourself: What am I feeling?

What do I need? And if you can, give yourself what you need. Even if you end up eating, that’s okay too. This process is to help you tap into emotions that have been buried.

to be continued...

Gila Glassberg is a master’s level registered dietitian and a certified intuitive eating counselor located in Woodmere, New York. She uses a non-diet, weight-neutral approach to help growth-oriented women break out of chronic dieting patterns, and regain clarity into what is really important to them. She can be contacted through her website: www.gilaglassberg.com, via email at gilaglassberg18@gmail.com, or via telephone at 570-878-3642. The name of her podcast is Get INTUIT with Gila. Gila accepts some insurances.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 73

B a c k in Stock!

ISSUE 59

DECEMBER ‘20 KISLEV 5781

Flavored to a Crisp A nutritional spin on the traditional latke

Cauliflower "Tater Tots" The perfect Chanukah side dish

Kick of Nutrition 8 herbs that are good for you

Index Page

Flavored to a Crisp

79

A TWIST ON THE LATKE

Page

SWAP

84

CITRUS APPLE CIDER

Page

89

Chanukah WITH CHARNIE KOHN

MY TABLE

CONFERENCE

TIDBITS

ALL THINGS DAIRY

SERIES WITH RORIE WEISBERG

SPICE OF LIFE

P. 94

P. 98

P. 103

Dear Cooks, Before Chanukah last year, I had a conversation with some of

our contributors about how we do donuts. Some said they have a

baked donut recipe using whole grain flour and the like. One said she doesn’t do donuts at all. And some chimed in to say that they like to do it all the way. “I’d rather have one fully loaded donut

with all the toppings and creams than a few whose flavor doesn’t really cut it.”

What do you prefer? I like to play it by ear. Sometimes I’m

in the mood for junky stuff, other times not. But one thing I do know is that if I want to have healthy options when the party

nights arrive, I have to prepare those options first. This issue’s Sea-

soned is a great start. Knowing that delicious onion-and-cheese

latkes are sitting in the fridge or that a cauliflower batter is ready to be fried or baked ups my chances of actually enjoying these

foods as opposed to opting for a carb- and sugar-laden donut.

Mainly, I’m looking forward to enjoying the other beautiful as-

pects of Chanukah, as well. Sure, food certainly makes the mood, but I want to focus on being present during the family time we’ll be spending together and while sitting at the candles and inter-

nalizing the messages about our survival as a nation. Warming up with a mug of apple cider will be nice too.

Wishing you an uplifting, beautiful Chanukah,

Est her Pinch of Health

An amazing way to add flavor to Israeli (or any) salad while also upping its nutritional value is chopping in some fresh herbs. Parsley is my personal favorite. It doesn’t only give a (carb-free) crunch but also adds a fresh, clean kind of taste.

Submitted by Malky Perlman

Thanks, Malky! Have a healthy cooking tip to share with your Wellspring community? Please send it our way at info@wellspringmagazine.com.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 77

J E U N E S S E W I N E S . C O M

Flavored to a Crisp It’s all about the oil. Literally.

How can we incorporate this beloved Chanukah tradition into our menu while still feeding our bodies the right way?

In this feature, we chose to share two entirely different takes on your typical potato latke. We didn’t include any serious deep frying, and even chose to bake one of them; this is Seasoned after all and we want to keep things healthful around here!

Although deep frying has received lots of negative attention, we believe it boils down to which oils are used and how often it’s done. Chanukah may be the one time of year you’ll allow yourself to deep fry or cook with more oil than you usually do, and you may as well do it right.

A healthy cooking oil has a high smoke point and is stable so it doesn’t react with oxygen when heated. Coconut oil is one good choice. It’s high in saturated fats and therefore resistant to heat, and its quality remains even after a few hours of continuous deep frying. However, bear in mind that some varieties may leave a flavor that not everyone will go for.

Olive oil, high in monounsaturated fatty acids, is another great choice. It’s also heat resistant and stable. Avocado oil has a similar composition to olive oil. Refined avocado oil has a high smoke point and is another oil to consider for frying.

Recipes, styling, and photography by Yossi & Malky Levine

BATTERED ONION AND CHEESE LATKES Crispy, light, and incredibly addictive, these onion latkes make the perfect appetizer, side dish, or snack. Prepare them for your Chanukah party and watch them disappear.

These patties last in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you’re ready to eat or serve them, just pop them in a hot oven for 5 minutes. They’ll have gone a bit soft in the fridge but reheating in the oven will help them crisp up again.

You can also prepare them in advance and freeze the batch raw for later. They'll keep well in the freezer for up to three months. Arrange them in a single layer and once they're frozen, transfer to an airtight container.

¾ cup chickpea flour or whole wheat flour ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 1 green chili, deseeded and finely chopped (optional) 2 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley 1 tsp lemon juice 5–6 Tbsp water 2 white onions, spiralized or thinly sliced coconut or olive oil for frying mozzarella cheese cubes (can be made by cutting string cheese)

Place flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, chili (if using), parsley, and lemon juice in a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Add in the water and mix well.

Once you have a thick batter, add onions and stir to coat with the batter. (This step is easiest if you use a gloved hand to mix.)

Heat a large wok or skillet over medium heat and melt enough coconut or olive oil so that you get about a ½-inch layer of oil.

Taking approximately one tablespoon of mixture into the palm of your hand, add a cheese cube to the center and cover with a bit more batter. (Using too much batter may give you a crispy exterior but raw interior.)

Carefully drop into hot oil, cooking about three or four latkes at a time. Fry for about a minute on each side and then flip over and cook until golden. Remove each patty with a slotted spoon and place on a papertowel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Continue until all of the batter is used.

Serve hot with your choice of dipping sauce.

Yield: 16 latkes

FALAFEL LATKE FLATBREAD

Here's a fun and delicious spin on good ol’ falafel! Instead of the usual balls, we decided to try and bake it to a falafel flatbread. Total success story!

You can top this with Israeli salad, techina, fresh herbs, and perhaps a squeeze of lemon. You’ll be wowed at how baked falafel can be so crispy yet so soft and tasty.

2 cups raw chickpeas, soaked in water overnight and drained 2 medium onions, roughly chopped 1 cup freshly chopped parsley 5 cloves garlic 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 2 tsp baking soda 3 Tbsp water 3 Tbsp whole wheat flour olive oil, for greasing techina, for drizzling Israeli salad 2 tomatoes, diced 1 cucumber, diced

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chickpeas, onions, parsley and garlic into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S blade. Process until well combined but still chunky.

Transfer to a large bowl and add cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, baking soda, water, and flour; mix until well combined.

Generously grease a large baking sheet with olive oil. Spread falafel mixture in a long oval flatbread shape.

Bake for 20 minutes. Flip carefully and bake on second side for 10–15 minutes, until golden and crispy on the outside.

Remove from oven; top with chopped Israeli salad and drizzle with techina.

Optional: Cut whole pita to little triangles, spray with oil, sprinkle with spices, and toast them in the oven on 400°F. Serve alongside the falafel flatbread.

1 purple onion, diced parsley or dill, chopped

Yield: 4–6 servings

Eat Well

SWAP By Yossi & Malky Levine

Agave Syrup

SWA P Citrus Apple Cider Warm ciders make me think of fuzzy blankets and cozy nights around the fireplace.

Enjoy this delicious autumn-spiced cider — aside from the amazing taste, the smell of the cinnamon, oranges, and apples simmering away on the stove is just heavenly. Keep the peels of all the fruits on for maximum flavor. Perfect for a cozy Chanukah night with the family gathered around the menorah!

4 Red Delicious apples, sliced 1 orange, sliced 1 lemon, sliced 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tsp whole cloves

Sugar

8 cups water

Place apples, orange, lemon, cinnamon sticks, and cloves in a mesh cooking bag.

In a large pot over high heat, place water, agave, and the cooking bag. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Remove the mesh cooking bag and squeeze as much liquid as possible back into the pot.

1 cup agave syrup (or honey)

84 Wellspring | December 2020

Serve warm.

Yield: 8 servings

your -

your -

for -

MINUTES

chanukah or - less

Yield: 2 Logs

INGREDIENTS:

TOPPINGS:

1 tub Mehadrin Ice Cream 2 packages Mehadrin Mini Sandwich Ice Cream

1 cup cookie crumbs 1/4 cup nut crunch 1 package mini Oreo cookies

1

2

3

4

Slice the Mehadrin ice cream tub (with the carton) down the center.

Cut each of the halves again to create four quarters. Place the ice cream sections in the freezer.

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and lay down six sandwich ice creams in a row.

Lay two ice cream quarters down on the row of sandwich ice creams to create one log. Pull the carton off the ice cream.

5

6

7

8

Arrange six additional sandwich ice creams standing vertically against the ice cream log.

Cut off the parts of the sandwich ice cream that stick out so that it becomes equal in width.

Coat the ice cream with cookie crumbs, sprinkle the nut crunch on top and garnish with mini Oreo cookies.

Repeat steps 3-6 for the second log.

SO MANY OPTIONS. personalize your log Use any of Mehadrin’s vast array of Dairy, Parve & Fit 'n Free ice cream flavors. !

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Garnished Ice Cream Log

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Not So Traditional, but More Nutritional.

When it comes to Chanukah dinners, latkes are the star of the show. On night number one, I’m excited when the crispy, oily latkes are brought to the dinner table. Within seconds there are none left. When night number two rolls around, the joy is still palpable, but I notice that it takes a bit longer for the platter to be emptied. By night number three, we have some leftovers. On day four, the “oil hangover” kicks in. We feel nauseous and lethargic. I vow to never make latkes again. This year we’ll still be having our traditional latkes, but only one night! For the rest of the nights, I created some not so traditional, but more “nutritional” latkes!

Happy Chanukah,

Charnie

Cauliflower “Tater” Tots Make ’em, serve ’em, dip ’em. Garlic mayo, barbecue sauce, and sweet chili sauce are just some of the dressings that would be go perfectly with these heavenly “Tater” Tots.

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Yields: 20

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Total cooking time: 1 hr 35 mins

24 oz cauliflower florets ½ onion ½ cup parmesan cheese 1 tsp salt 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp corn starch 1 egg

Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill a small pot with one inch of water and bring to a boil.

Add cauliflower, lower heat to medium and boil for 12 minutes. Strain and place on a clean towel. Wring out the water from cauliflower. Add onion to food processor and blend until fine. Add cauliflower and pulse approximately seven to ten times until riced. Place mixture in a large bowl.

Add rest of ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Allow mixture to rest for 5 minutes.

Lightly grease a sheet pan. Place one tablespoon of mixture on your hand and form into small logs. Once all logs are laid out on the sheet pan, spray lightly with baking spray. Bake cauliflower for 30 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

90 Wellspring | December 2020

Sweet Potato Nests The best part of this recipe (besides the taste, of course) is that you get a fried taste without actually frying. In addition to the healthier final product, that means no standing for hours over the flame and then having the entire house smell like burnt oil!

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Yields: 6

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Total cooking time: 45 mins

1 sweet potato 7 eggs ¼ cup olive oil 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup 2 tsp corn starch 1 tsp. salt ¹/₈ tsp. black pepper pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Shred or grate the sweet potato. Add one egg and the rest of ingredients except six eggs and oil. Allow mixture to rest for half an hour. Pour oil over a sheet pan. Use a large scooper to measure out six nests. With the back of the scooper, create a well in each nest. Spray tops with baking oil and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Add one yolk to each nest and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

92 Wellspring | December 2020

In the pages of Wellspring, we share expert advice from some of the community’s most popular and competent dietitians and nutritionists. In this column, you get to see how they practice what they preach in their own kitchens. Pull up a chair at “My Table” and join the chat.

This Month:

All Things Dairy What’s one dairy dish you’ll be preparing for yourself this Chanukah?

Compiled by Wellspring Staff

Shani Taub, CDC Every Chanukah, I make vegetable latkes with cauliflower and celery root. I add a helping of cheese to make them dairy and even more delicious.

Shira Savit, MA, MHC, INHC: I love cottage cheese pizza, made with pita. Slice open and layer the pita with marinara sauce, cottage cheese, basil, garlic, and spinach (and a drop of salt and pepper). Bake in the oven at a high temperature for around 15 minutes.

You can’t go wrong with this. It's healthy, filling, and most importantly, easy.

94 Wellspring | December 2020

Gila Glassberg, RDN, intuitive eating coach: This French onion soup recipe from my mom is amazing. I’ll definitely be serving it for myself and my family.

French Onion Soup olive oil 2 sweet onions, sliced salt and pepper, to taste (be generous) paprika, to taste 2 tomatoes, sliced 2 carrots, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1 sweet potato, diced 2 small onions, diced water, to cover croutons, for garnishing mozzarella cheese, for garnishing Cover the bottom of a pot with a thin layer of olive oil. Add onions and let cook down for about five minutes. Add salt, pepper, and paprika, and stir.

Add tomatoes to onions and let tomatoes stew down, naturally caramelizing the onions. Turn the fire down low and let stew for about an hour, continuously stirring.

Once onion and tomato mixture is done, add carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, and onions.

Add water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then set heat to a simmer and cook for 1½ hours. (The longer it cooks, the better.)

To serve, top with croutons and mozzarella cheese.

Tanya Rosen, MS, CAI, CPT:

I love anything cheesy, especially on Chanukah when there’s a minhag to incorporate dairy foods into our diet.

If it’s not the Greek salad I go for sometimes, I sure love to eat baked eggplant Parmesan. It’s cheesy, saucy, and so flavorful.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan 2 eggplants, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices 1 Tbsp salt, or as needed 1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs (whole wheat is best) 1 egg and 2 egg whites, beaten 1 28-oz can low-sodium tomato sauce 1 16-oz pkg reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese ½ tsp dried basil Place eggplant slices in a strainer. Sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt. Allow to sit for at least 3 hours. Wipe excess moisture from eggplant slices with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet.

Dip eggplant slices into beaten eggs, then coat with bread crumbs. Arrange coated slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.

Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side.

Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish with a layer of tomato sauce, then top with a layer of eggplant slices. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, ending with a cheese layer.

Sprinkle with basil.

Bake until cheese is bubbling and golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Makes 8 servings. Count each serving as a complete meal.

Dr. Rachael Schindler

I love to make a hearts-of-palm lasagna! Hearts-of-palm noodles do not require prior cooking. Layer with tomato sauce, cheese, spinach, and ricotta cheese. It’s low-carb, sugar free, guilt free, and high in fiber. I look forward to enjoying this dish.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 95

Shaindy Oberlander, INHC Being married to a Belgian comes along with many good things. As a bonus perk, we get to enjoy authentic Belgian waffles! However, the original recipes I had were laden with butter and imported pearl sugars — delicious but not the healthiest. This Chanukah, I’m looking forward to a healthier version that I’ll enjoy with my family, with zero guilt feelings. Whip up some heavy cream and add some fresh fruit while you’re at it. I’ll be sharing this recipe with my weight loss clients as well, because we all deserve some goodies on special days.

Authentic Belgian Waffles 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup regular flour ¼ cup coconut sugar 3 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 2 cups milk 3 eggs (organic a plus!)

5 Tbsp coconut oil, melted 1 tsp vanilla extract (preferably real)

In a bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add milk, eggs, and oil to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Preheat waffle maker. Use approximately one-third cup of batter per waffle. Plate with some whipped heavy cream and fresh fruit.

For a healthier alternative, drizzle with silan date syrup.

Yaffi Lvova, RDN

I love dairy! We don’t have any specific dairy traditions in my family, but I do love dipping my latkes in sour cream. A twist on the traditional is to mix in some Everything but the Bagel seasoning into the sour cream for added enjoyment.

96 Wellspring | December 2020

Bashy Halberstam, INHC

I’m actually off dairy, and if you are too, treat yourself to this non-dairy dish. Here's a recipe that includes a pareve cheese sauce, and is delicious and gourmet — perfect for a Chanukah supper.

Roasted Mushroom Risotto with Non-Cheese Sauce Roasted Mushroom Topping 1 pkg fresh mushrooms (or use canned mushrooms, drained well) 2 Tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp olive oil 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced Non-Cheese Sauce ¾ cup raw cashews boiling water, to cover 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk (or coconut yogurt) 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tsp salt sprinkle of garlic powder ½ tsp paprika Cauliflower 2 pkgs riced cauliflower oil, for sautéing Clean mushrooms, cut into slices, then halve each slice.

In a small bowl, mix oils and parsley. Add mushrooms.

Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F until well-roasted, about ½ hour, mixing after 25 minutes.

While mushrooms are roasting, prepare the non-cheese sauce. Split cashews and pour into a bowl. Pour boiling water onto nuts and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

Place milk, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and paprika into a blender. Drain cashews in a strainer and shake to remove water. Add to the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until liquefied.

Sauté 2 packages of riced cauliflower in oil until dry and cooked but not mushy.

To assemble, layer in plate: cauliflower rice, cheese sauce, and mushrooms. Sprinkle basil on top.

Note: These mushrooms make a delicious accompaniment to any salad.

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This easy-peasy recipe combines that irresistible donut taste with the sweet texture of pastry dough for a “seconds, please!â€? avor you’ll love (and don’t have to stress about).

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Go ahead, Take a tasty bite with Mehadrin’s #donuthack this Chanukah.

Eat Well

Conference By Sarah Sacks

SERIES WITH HEALTH COACH RORIE WEISBERG OF FULL ’N FREE PART III What if you want to make challah, but you find the time and effort involved is just so overwhelming? What if you’ve never really hit on a recipe that was foolproof enough to make all that time and effort worth it? What if eating standard challah leaves you feeling bloated and lethargic, but your family won’t touch anything that looks, feels, or smells remotely healthy?

Let’s face it — we serve challah a few times weekly, and it pays to finally get it right! Rorie Weisberg, certified health coach and healthy lifestyle advocate of Kosher.com and Family Table fame, has spent years perfecting her growing line of better-for-you dough mixes and baking essentials called Full ‘N Free. Her line includes mixes that are compatible with diabetes, gluten intolerance, and more.

This time, we’re zooming in on the Full ‘N Free mix that can easily convert the average kitchen to a healthy haven — with some heavenly aromas floating through the air to boot.

Tell us about your miracle spelt challah mix.

My Egg Free Spelt Dough Mix is not just for challah, but it’s probably the number one reason people buy it. What makes this mix so amazing is that it makes baking with spelt a literal no-brainer. My kids go for this challah without even sensing the difference.

I’m still amazed at how this challah stays so fresh for so long. If it doesn’t get finished at a seudah on Shabbos, it will stay moist and fresh-tasting for a few days afterwards. The honey in the recipe does act as a natural preservative, but it’s really thanks to the special properties of the mix. For anyone who knows spelt challah, moistness is hard to come by, certainly after a day or two.

Okay, that’s sure saying something! So what’s the secret ingredient?

Spelt flour is known for being hard to work with when it comes to making a dough. It’s soft and flimsy because it’s lower in gluten than wheat flour, so it doesn’t bind to itself and stretch in that nice, smooth, elastic way that wheat does. You need to be gentle with it and handle it with care.

And the results are infamously dry and crumbly instead of moist and airy.

After years of experimenting with different flours in my kitchen, I realized that combining a specific ratio of coconut flour with spelt flour changed its properties to be much more wheat-like. Coconut flour is extremely absorbent. When you add it to spelt, it works like a sponge and a binder at once, soaking up liquid and holding the dough together. I perfected the ratio until it was foolproof, and then I used the resulting combo to perfect my egg-free spelt challah recipe. Every package of my Egg Free Spelt Dough Mix comes with the recipe.

Now, instead of spelt flour being difficult to handle or unpredictable, you can literally just follow the recipe on the bag and be guaranteed perfect, beautiful, and absolutely delicious challah that is egg-, wheat-, nut-, refined oil- and sugar-free — all without your family blinking twice.

Wow. So my first question would be, what is so much better about spelt? Why is it a healthier choice than standard wheat flour?

Just like spelt is a softer, more “flimsy” flour to work with, it’s also softer on your digestive system. It’s not gluten-free, but it is still far more easily digestible than wheat. Lots of people find that the lethargic post-seudah feeling they usually have on Shabbos disappears when they switch their wheat challah for spelt. If you like it on Shabbos, you can bring it in the rest of your week, too. It’s a healthier alternative that works better for the body. And for a mother who want to up the ante and have her family eat healthier, but knows that her kids won’t touch a brown-colored challah or a dry and crumbly challah, this spelt challah is one that you can feel a hundred percent good about giving to your children, while still being a hundred percent 100% sure that they’ll actually eat it.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 99

Eat Well

Conference

Can’t I just use plain spelt flour in my challah?

You can, but there are three things that make this mix a game changer.

First, it’s just so easy to work with. The dough is beautiful. It stretches, it’s easy to shape, it rises like a dream, it colors to perfection. You don’t get that when you work with straight spelt flour. Second, the recipe I provide is egg-free, which is important to many people; I developed it when I needed to be egg-free for a while.

And third, from what I’m hearing, people are talking about this dough as the Duncan Hines challah. I love it; it’s so true. The process is so simple: you just let the water, honey, and yeast proof for 7-10 minutes, add oil and the flour mix, knead it in a mixer, shape it immediately without allowing to rise, wait 35 minutes, and then bake. No punching down, no double rising, no double kneading, no measuring flour or checking eggs.

It’s probably the easiest challah you’ll ever make!

As a matter of fact, I even use this dough when I do my bas mitzvah challah baking demos. We prepare the dough together while I discuss the mitzvah of challah with the bas mitzvah girl and her friends, and then we can shape it immediately.

As an aside, I do carry a special run of spelt flour in my Full ‘N Free line that has perks over other spelt flours on the market, but more on that another time.

We’ll take the rain check! Who would you say should be using this dough mix?

I’m getting great feedback on this mix from people who need it for health reasons, from people who want to serve healthier foods in general, and from people who never had mastered the art of challah but now feel like total pros because they switched over to my mix.

What are some of the other things your Egg Free Spelt Dough Mix can make?

It’s so easy to shape that you can use it for basically anything — pita, pizza crust, deli roll, challah of all shapes and sizes. Baking pro Naomi Elberg developed a babka/rugelach recipe especially for this mix that is egg- and refined sugar-free, along with a sticky ‘n sweet honey glaze by Esther Black, CHC, my colleague from Yerushalayim. If you’re using it in other recipes, the one change I would recommend is that you leave out the salt that your recipe calls for because the mix already contains salt.

This might be food for thought for another installment, but let me just whet your appetite — this mix also makes spelt sourdough baking a breeze.

The possibilities are endless, and they’re just a grocery trip away. Rorie, we can’t wait to learn more about your Full ‘N Free Organic Spelt Flour next time. In the meantime, we’ll be busy baking up a storm in our own healthy kitchens.

Rorie’s entire Full ‘N Free collection is available on Amazon and in kosher groceries across the United States, and has recently been made available in select stores in Canada. You can find a full list of stores that carry the mix at fullnfree.com/stores.

100 Wellspring | December 2020

Rorie’s Egg-Free Spelt Dough Challah This recipe is printed on the mix’s package and on Rorie’s website, along with step-bystep video tutorials. For videos and recipes, visit www.fullnfree.com/egg-free-spelt-mix.

1 bag Rorie’s Egg Free Spelt Dough Mix 2½ cups warm water ½–²/₃ cup honey 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp dry yeast ¾ cup oil 1 egg, beaten, for brushing (optional) poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook or paddle attachment, combine water, honey, and yeast and allow to proof for 7–10 minutes. Add oil and Rorie’s Egg Free Spelt Dough Mix. Knead on low for 5 minutes. Do not add any additional flour.

To work with the dough, Rorie suggests wearing oiled gloves. Shape immediately without allowing to rise. For rolls, shape dough as desired into knots or twists and place on lightly greased baking sheets at intervals of a few inches. For larger challahs, braid each one as desired and arrange on lightly greased baking sheets or loaf pans.

Brush with egg and sprinkle with seeds, if using. Allow to rise for 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 25–30 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy fresh or freeze for later use. Before freezing, wrap cooled baked goods individually in foil and seal in a freezer bag.

Defrost at room temperature or rewarm before serving.

Nutrition Tidbits in the News By Malka Sharman

SPICE OF LIFE

Eat Well

Eight Herbs and Spices and Their Benefits Throughout history, many herbs and spices were celebrated for their medicinal properties, well before their culinary use was highlighted. Modern science has now shown that many of them do indeed carry remarkable health benefits. Here are eight of the world’s healthiest herbs and spices, supported by research.

Eat Well

Nutrition Tidbits in the News

Cinnamon Cinnamon contains a compound called cinnamaldehyde, which is responsible for much of its medicinal properties. Cinnamon causes potent antioxidant activity, helps fight inflammation, and has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

But where cinnamon really shines is in its effects on blood sugar levels. It can lower blood sugar by several mechanisms, including by slowing the breakdown of carbs in the digestive tract and improving insulin sensitivity — as reported in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. The studies have shown that cinnamon can lower fasting blood sugars by 10–29% in diabetic patients, which is a significant amount.

Peppermint Peppermint has a long history of use in folk medicine and aromatherapy. As is the case with many herbs, it is the oily component that contains the agents responsible for the health effects.

Mymensingh Medical Journal cites many studies that show that peppermint oil can improve pain management in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It appears to work by relaxing the smooth muscles in the colon, which relieves pain experienced during bowel movements.

Turmeric Besides for its distinct flavor, turmeric contains several compounds with medicinal properties, the most important one being curcumin. Curcumin is a remarkably powerful antioxidant, helping to fight oxidative damage and boosting the body’s own antioxidant enzymes.

This is important, because oxidative damage is believed to be one of the key mechanisms behind aging and many diseases.

Cayenne Pepper Cayenne pepper is the go-to spice for those who prefer their dishes hot and spicy, but this fiery addition to food provides more than just a kick of flavor.

Interestingly, cayenne pepper is a common ingredient in many commercial weight loss supplements. This is because its active ingredient, capsaicin, has been shown in many studies to reduce appetite and increase fat burning. One study found that adding one gram of red pepper to meals reduced appetite and increased fat.

104 Wellspring | December 2020

Holy Basil Not to be confused with regular basil, holy basil, whose botanical name is ocimum tenuiflorum, is considered a sacred herb in India, and for good reason. A study conducted in 2003 shows that ocimum tenuiflorum can inhibit the growth of a range of bacteria, yeasts, and molds.

This herb is also linked to reduced blood sugar levels before and after meals, as well having the ability to treat anxiety and anxietyrelated depression, as reported in International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Ginger Ginger is a popular spice used in several forms of alternative medicine. Studies have consistently shown that one gram or more of ginger can successfully treat nausea. This includes nausea caused by morning sickness, chemotherapy, and sea sickness.

Ginger also appears to have strong anti-inflammatory properties, and can help with pain management. Other research found that a mixture of ginger, cinnamon, and sesame oil decreased pain and stiffness experienced by those with osteoarthritis.

Garlic

Rosemary The active substance in rosemary, rosmarinic acid, has been shown to suppress allergic responses and nasal congestion.

Experimental Biology and Medicine published a study in which the control group was given 50 mg doses and the experimental group received 200 mg doses of rosmarinic acid. Subjects in the experimental group exhibited more suppressed allergy symptoms.

Of all spices, garlic’s reputation for its healing powers are most well-known. Throughout ancient history, the main use of garlic was for its medicinal properties. We now know that most of these health effects are due to a compound called allicin, which is also responsible for garlic’s distinct smell.

Most notably, garlic supplementation is known for combatting the common cold. If you often get colds, adding more garlic to your diet may be incredibly helpful. Other studies have shown that garlic has beneficial effects on heart health, reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, and generally boosting the immune system.

Diet Coke? I’ll Pass

Artificially Sweetened Drinks Are Not Heart Healthy Artificially sweetened drinks have long been up for debate. New research published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology once again confirms what we may have known all along, particularly in regards to heart health: they’re no good.

Because of the negative effects sugary drinks can have on cardiovascular healthy, artificially sweetened drinks have been suggested as a healthier alternative, but now researchers are discovering that that might not be the case. Looking at data, the investigators studied the relationship

between the risk of cardiovascular disease and consuming both sugary drinks and artificially sweetened drinks.

Records for 104,760 participants were included. They were asked to fill out three validated web-based 24hour dietary records every six months.

Artificially sweetened beverages were defined as those containing non-nutritive sweeteners. Sugary drinks consisted of all beverages containing 5% or more sugar.

For each beverage category, participants were divided into non-consumers, low

consumers and high consumers.

Researchers looked at first incident cases of cardiovascular disease during follow-up from 2009–2019. The results?

1,379 participants had first incident cases of cardiovascular disease. Compared to non-consumers, higher consumers of sugary drinks and of artificially sweetened beverages had equally increased risks of first incident cardiovascular disease.

Looks like we’re best off with a cold glass of water, or other naturally flavored drinks.

Kislev 5781 | Wellspring 105

Gluten-free?

You Too Can Wash.

While gluten-free foods have long been confined to health food shops, they are increasingly finding their way to mainstream grocery stores. And among the vast array, Shibolim Oat Matzah stands shoulders above the rest.

The high fiber content in oats helps lower cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. The fiber also helps you feel fuller faster by slowing down digestion.

Savor the crunch and flavor of Shibolim’s gluten-free Hamotzi matzah.

Ultra-thin and crispy, Shibolim Oat Matzah’s impeccable taste ensures that you don’t have to compromise on flavor for health.

Made with your health in mind, Shibolim Oat Matzah provides you with beneficial nutrients. Oats are packed with numerous vitamins vital to your health, such as manganese; a vitamin important for development, growth, and metabolism. They also include zinc; a mineral that participates in numerous chemical reactions in your body and is essential for overall health. Other vitamins in oats include magnesium, phosphorus, iron and B1.

It's not all about vitamins, however. Oats also contain potent antioxidants. Avenanthramide, an antioxidant found almost exclusively in oats, has been linked to lower blood pressure and better blood flow.

With all these vitamins and powerful health components, oats are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat.

Shibolim Oat Matzah is also sugar-free, giving health-conscious and diabetic eaters a reprieve from the high-sugar content in countless packaged foods.

The Shibolim name has long been synonymous with premium taste and exceptional quality. With the advantage of being healthy, flavorful and oven-fresh, Shibolim Oat Matzah is the perfect matzah option. Find it at your local grocery store today.

*The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Farewell

Dictionary

POTS Definition: noun

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. This system controls all of the automatic functions in the body like heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating.

“

When someone with POTS stands up, since their blood pools in the lower half of the body and the brain and organs are deprived of blood, as the brain detects the loss of blood, it tries to compensate by instructing the heart to beat faster.

Medical Saga

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Less than 1/2 the calories OF OUR REGULAR APPLE JUICE

NO SUGAR ADDED | NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS OR FLAVORS