Wellspring Issue #62

M I R U P SUE IS

MARCH 2021 // ADAR 5781 // ISSUE 62

I’ll Take a Double Dose

Mishloach Manos They’ll Actually Eat Give (and enjoy!) the healthiest chocolate around

6 secrets to instant simchah

Since her voice finally made a comeback, Shaindy Plotzker has been spreading joy through song

Ask the Nutritionist How can I maintain a healthy diet on Shabbos?

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Is Deli Roll a Good Food?

What About Fish?

Five self-proclaimed experts offer their unsolicited, contrarian perspectives

Toxic!

Fill 8healthiest wines The tale of a ’Er for your relationship gone drinking starring eerily Up pleasure sour, familiar characters

When Purim Falls on Erev Shabbos Three varieties of homemade herring

“Non-Diet Dietitian”

Aliza Wallach-Abish, BS, RDN, on eating disorders

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I Did Not Expect That!

What induces laughter? I once read an interesting explanation as to why humor is sparked by incongruity.

When an outcome or punchline is least anticipated, we experience a sense of discomfort — I wasn’t expecting that! — and to assuage that fear, the brain resorts to laughter.

Whether the incongruity elicits a smile or a doubling-over-in-laughter response, the common denominator is that we get caught off guard. Like the Yidden in the era of the Purim miracle, we expect one outcome and are met with an entirely other. Of course, the surprise factor is even stronger when the joke comes at us from out of nowhere, like an undercover cop. Gifted writer Rena Nathan does an incredible job at inducing this kind of laughter in her two pieces in this issue. With one focused on food (what else?!) and the other on relationships, she treats us to a healthy dose of the best medicine in honor of Purim.

While laughter can occur as an instinctive reaction when we’re caught by surprise, there are times when the unexpected makes attaining joy seem like an insurmountable challenge. When one is suddenly hit by a diagnosis they hadn’t seen coming, or when our lives are upended from one moment to the next by a pandemic, finding simchah in the midst of a nisayon is not a natural

10 Wellspring | March 2021

reaction at all. It takes work — a lot of work. In this issue’s cover feature, Shaindy Plotzker courageously invites us to observe her personal journey, the recent period in her life when she was virtually voiceless. With incredible clarity and faith, she baruch Hashem emerged from the challenge, with a deepened desire to bring joy into the hearts of her fellow Jewish sisters through her music and song.

As part of sharing her G-d-given talent, Shaindy lifts up the broken spirits of women stricken with illness or who are enduring other challenges and are in desperate need of light, fun respite.

For Shani Waldman and Breindy Halberstam, the incredible women behind Samchainu, the support they provide to widows as they process their excruciating pain and learn to live their new existence lifts their spirits and allows them to find joy despite the darkness. In this issue’s Dedicated to Health, Esther Retek speaks with them about the incredible work they do to bring simchah into the hearts of their members, as their name implies. *** In Ask the Nutritionist, Shani Taub discusses how one can maintain healthy eating habits over Shabbos, answering a question we’ve received multiple times. As she notes, for many of us, healthful food seems entirely incongruous at a Shabbos or Yom Tov table. If we’ve been brought up to associate Shabbos strictly with traditional foods like challah, kugel, farfel, and kishke, which also hap-

pen to score high on sugar and simple carbs, we may find the sight of salad on the white-bedecked table to be sorely out of place, almost inappropriate. If we view it from a certain mentality, it may make us feel uncomfortable, as if we’re introducing a weekday concept into a day that is otherworldly and of a different realm.

I remember hosting a friend and her family for a Shabbos meal a while back. When I brought out the various salads I’d prepared for the first course, she exclaimed, “I’m so happy I don’t have to wait for the squash and carrots to eat a vegetable!” She was so accustomed to serving her traditional meal, it simply hadn’t occurred to her that she could incorporate vegetables into the first course too. I understood her, because I probably ate salad at the Shabbos seudah for the first time when I first got married. In my childhood home, we consumed a steady fare of vegetables throughout the week. (My mother makes the most superb vegetable soup, by the way.) But at the Shabbos seudah it was, as my friend expressed, only in the chicken soup (unless tomato dip counts as a vegetable!).

My mother-in-law, on the other hand, although she still serves a very traditional Shabbos menu,

also puts out a delicious, colorful array of salads at every meal. At our own Shabbos table, following her example, I’ve been doing the same. There’s all the familiar Shabbos fare, which we consider important for the upkeep of our mesorah, and also the foods that contribute to more energy and a lighter feel so all of us — including those with a delicate digestive system — can have a true oneg Shabbos.

(Gracious hostess that she is, now when we’re at my parents for Shabbos, my mother prepares salad too!)

And what about Purim? Does a vegetable platter at the seudah, or for breakfast before the torrents of sugar-loaded goodies come pouring in, seem incongruous? Perhaps, but instead of experiencing the sugar high and the inevitable ensuing drop, it may just help us induce the feel-good chemicals that come when we nourish our bodies properly.

No matter what we decide to serve or consume on Purim or Shabbos (and every day), may we merit feeling the joy inherent in these days, now and always.

Simchas Purim!

Shiffy Friedman

Well-Put! Purim directs us to focus on our ruchniyus and to moderate our gashmiyus, thereby identifying ourselves as a distinct and holy nation.

Rabbi Eli Glaser, Spiritual Eating

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 11

Contents

MARCH 2021 ADAR 5781 ISSUE 62 Our expanded Pesach issue will appear on Monday, March 22 iy"H.

WELL INFORMED

LIVING WELL

20 TORAH WELLSPRING

By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

34 IN GOOD SHAPE The Night Owl's Workout

By Tova Jeremias, PFC

24 SPIRITUAL EATING

By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS 26 HEALTH UPDATES IN THE NEWS

By Esther Retek 29 DEDICATED TO HEALTH Samchainu

By Esther Retek

WELLBEING 62 EMOTIONAL EATING Punctuation Reframe

By Shira Savit 64 FEATURE A Dose a Day

By Shiffy Friedman 70 HUMOR Toxic

By Rena Nathan BYE, DIET. HELLO, LIFE. Chapter 9: How It's Been

By Gila Glassberg, MS, RD, CDN

Mazel Tov!

76

36 ASK Real Oneg

By Shani Taub, CDC 38 COVER FEATURE Spreading Joy, Love, and Music As told to Libby Kasten

by Shaindy Plotzker 46 AT THE DIETITIAN Hashimoto's

By Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE 48 HUMOR The Food Panel

By Rena Nathan 52 HEALTH PERSONALITY Aliza Wallach-Abish, BS, RDN

By Esther Retek

AND FAMILY ON THE BIRTH OF A BABY GIRL

12 Wellspring | March 2021

64

58 HEALTHY-ISH

By Aryeh Leib

79 ISSUE 62

MARCH ‘21 ADAR 5781

WELLSPRING EXTENDS WARMEST WISHES TO

SARAH SACKS

44

My Table What's your favorite nut?

Purim, ErevShabbos Style Charnie's homemade herring

Treats They'll Actually Eat This year, it's real chocolate

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Springboard

Letters

On Raynaud’s Syndrome, Sinus Headaches, Bach Remedies, and More

“Frosties,” Beware Issue #60: Cover Feature

In reference to your article on keeping warm internally and your sidebar on cold hands, I would like to make your readers aware of a condition of cold hands and feet, where putting them in a bucket of cold water would be hazardous. The condition is called Raynaud’s syndrome, and is relatively common. 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.

14 Wellspring | March 2021

If your fingertips, toes or any other extremity become painful when exposed to cold temperatures, you might be suffering from Raynaud’s phenomenon. If holding an iced drink or putting your hands in the freezer causes your fingers to turn blue (or white), you could be one of an estimated 28 million people in the US who have the condition. If air conditioning often triggers pain in your fingers or toes, you might be experiencing a Raynaud’s spasm.

The disease causes an interruption of blood flow to the fingers, toes, nose, and/ or ears when a spasm occurs in the blood vessels of these areas. Spasms are caused by exposure to cold or emotional stress.

Typically, the affected area turns white, then blue, then bright red over the course of the attack. There may be associated

tingling, swelling, or painful throbbing.

The attacks may last from minutes to hours. In severe cases, the area may develop ulcerations and infections, which can lead to gangrene.

Raynaud’s can occur as a “primary” disease; that is, with no associated disorder. It can also occur as a “secondary” condition related to other diseases, such as scleroderma, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The solution to Raynaud’s is to keep your extremities very warm through heated gloves, heating pads, etc. For more info visit Raynauds.org.

Thank you for letting me spread the word, A Fellow “Frostie” Rochel Gordon responds: Thank you for your letter. I don’t have personal experience with the condition you describe, but I am aware that Wim Hof does recommend this method specifically for individuals who have it.

This is not an endorsement for or against the treatment, only an avenue that is worthy of exploration.

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Q

Quick Question

My four-year-old son snores in his sleep. I’m concerned about him and it also disturbs the other kids sleeping in his room. I’ve discussed this issue with my pediatrician and he gave me the go-ahead to try to help this naturally before seeing a sleep specialist. Do you have any advice for me?

My Bach Experience Issue #61: Cover Feature

Thank you for an excellent feature on Bach remedies. I appreciate that you presented both angles of the intervention — both negative and positive — to allow readers to come to their own conclusions.

In my case, the remedies have done wonders to help out with small issues that did not have a clear treatment path. In particular, they have helped me with a child who had a hard time falling asleep. Although I would never use such remedies in place of medication, for these kinds of issues they have proven to be of great help.

Thanks for an amazing publication,

A

There are several ideas you can implement that may help your child stop snoring.

First, use pillows to prop his head so that he’s not lying flat on his back.

Alternatively, make sure he sleeps on his side.

The next step is to eliminate dairy, chocolate, nuts, and white flour from his diet. Congestion is a common cause of snoring, and these are all foods that can cause mucus buildup.

Use an essential oil containing eucalyptus and peppermint in a diffuser, vaporizer, or as a room spray to purify the air and support easy breathing.

With these interventions, you should notice a change within several days.

Keep well, Miriam Schweid, kinesiologist and health consultant

the USA and different countries who have been trained by Dr. Aron and are using this regimen. All the information can be found on his website, draron.com.

Sarita L.

Eczema Treatment Issue #60: Springboard

In reference to the letter by a grandmother who asked for help for her granddaughter with severe eczema, I want to recommend that she reach out to Dr. Richard Aron. Two of my children were successfully treated by him a few years ago.

Dr. Aron is a dermatologist in the UK who has developed a regimen to treat eczema using a combination of steroid, antibiotic, and moisturizing creams specifically prescribed for the patient. The steroid works to reduce the inflammation, the antibiotics works to eliminate the bacterial infection and its itch, and the moisturizing component allows dilution of the steroid so that the positive outcome does not depend on steroid potency. He does not recommend bleach baths. There are doctors all over

16 Wellspring | March 2021

C. Segal

Sinus Relief

infection since.

There is a green spray (regular strength) for daily use, as well as a red one (labeled “max”) for occasional use. I use the green one on a daily basis, and the red one when I begin to feel the headaches coming on and want instant relief.

I hope this is helpful to anyone out there struggling with sinus pain/infections.

Issue #61: Community

First, thank you for this forum, where so many helpful, healthful tips can be shared. I used to read magazines just for entertainment — until I found Wellspring. As much as I enjoy the reading, I’ve also implemented many practical tips (like swapping sugar and flour for more healthful substitutes) that I’ve found in your pages.

I'd like to add to the sinus discussion by saying that, after struggling for many years with sinus infections and subsequently nosebleeds, I found the XLear xylitol nasal spray in the health food store around three years ago, and began using it daily, especially during change of weather seasons.

Baruch Hashem, I have not had a sinus

Thanks again, LK

Well-Informed, Please Issue #61: Cover Feature

I sincerely enjoyed reading your beautiful, picturesque Tu B’Shevat issue.

Wellspring is truly a wellspring of information and so much more! Kudos to the ten women who shared their remarkable stories. Even if they found themselves planted under some concrete, they looked for the crack in the concrete to find their

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Pediatric Quick Question

Q

I’m scared that my child will completely overindulge on candy this Purim. What can I do about it?

Since one of the sections of the magazine is called “Well-Informed,” I thought it would be important for me to add some information to the article covering the healing powers of Bach remedies, directly quoting the sefer Shulchan Halevi:

“Bach derived his solutions intuitively, basing them on his perceived ‘psychic’ connections to the plants, rather than using research based on scientific methods.

If Bach felt a negative emotion, he would hold his hand over different plants, and if one alleviated the emotion, he would ascribe the power to heal that emotional problem to the plant. He imagined that early morning sunlight passing through the dew drops on flower petals transferred the healing power of the flower onto the water. He would collect the dew drops from the plants and preserve the dew with brandy to produce a mother tincture, which would be further diluted. Later he found that amount of dew he could collect was not sufficient, so he would suspend flowers in spring water and allow the sun’s rays to pass through them.”

To make a long story short: Bach flower remedies do not contain any physical substance of the flower and therefore cannot be understood to work in any biochemical way. They do not contain any material derived from the flowers; they carry only the energetic information of each flower.

The above is to keep your readers in the loop and for Wellspring readers to stay Well-Informed (not ill-informed!)

G-d forbid someone feels they don’t have to work on their middos — it’s just a tinkle and a winkle from some drops.

18 Wellspring | March 2021

A

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.

Finally, there is a cure for every trouble: faith, hope, trust, sincere prayer and acts of goodness and kindness.

We must aspire to grow through what we are going through, regally and with confidence.

Esther Gross

a child’s extreme apparent physical hunger really stems from emotional hunger.

As a mother and pre-K teacher for two decades, I’ve seen this time and again. It’s something worth exploring for parents who are at a loss with their child’s curious behavior.

Malka P.

Author of You Are Not Alone

Explore the Emotional Angle Issue #61: Ask the Nutritionist

Thank you for an incredible publication from which I glean new information month after month. I would like to add something regarding Laura Shammah’s response to the mother of a child who keeps looking for food and eating all day — and even night. I understand that Laura answered it from a dietitian’s perspective, which was highly informative and eye-opening, and perhaps for this particular child, the issue is actually more nutritional. However, I believe it’s important to add that very often,

Welcome Back Issue #61: Torah Wellspring

Just writing to let you know how happy I was to see that Rabbi Ezra Friedman’s column has returned after its short hiatus.

I look forward to each of them and draw much chizuk and clarity from his positive, encouraging, emes’dig approach. If only our high school girls and yeshiva boys would hear more of these messages in the conventional chinuch system.

With much appreciation, Nomi L.

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.

way out. And despite all odds, they chose to bloom.

Enjoy it with them! By sitting down to enjoy the Yom Tov — including the sweets — with your children, you let them know that the love of sweets isn’t something to hide. Or hoard. Or sneak. When we enjoy candy with our children, we send the message that food is not to be feared. It’s something to be enjoyed together; sweet just like the four other flavors: savory (umami), salty, bitter, and sour.

More tips: • Have a balanced lunch before Purim festivities begin.

• Watch for choking hazards.

• When candy time is over, put it out of sight until the next family party (maybe a few days later).

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Well Informed

Torah Wellspring: Spiritual Health By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

Who’s Behind It All? Knowing the underlying reason makes us calm‒ and happy

F

For most of us, it is now a full year since we first heard of the virus that has upended our lives in unimaginable ways.

Just one year ago, we were first introduced to a new era, a new way of living, one that is still deeply impacting us and may continue to have an effect on us forever. So much has changed since last Adar.

In mainstream media, and even, l’havdil, within our community, there’s a great focus on analyzing the ramifications of COVID-19. What was before, what is now, how things would have been different had the virus not happened, and so on. We look at the meteoric damage it has caused, most prominently in the massive death toll, as well as the financial, emotional, spiritual, and other havoc it has unleashed, and we may find ourselves thinking, “If not for this virus, how different things would have been…”

If not for the virus, people posit, another president would have been sitting in the Oval Office. If not for the virus, our economy would look dramatically better. Wasn’t it heading upward by leaps

20 Wellspring | March 2021

If not for the virus, people posit, another president would have been sitting in the Oval Office.

and bounds before the pandemic struck?

If not for the virus, how many families would have still been intact, how many Yidden would have still been in our midst. If not for the virus, the chinuch of our children would look so different, we’d be less anxious, and life would just be so much more pleasant.

While all of this may be true—that through COVID-19 untold changes went into effect—the element that can easily get sidelined in this train of thought is the reality that it is not coronavirus at the core of all that has happened. While it may appear like everything starts and ends with the virus, the most critical Element in all of this is the Almighty G-d who sent this virus, with a plan and perfect precision. COVID is like the staff in the hands of Hashem.

To get blinded by the pandemonium and attribute the current reality to a virus is, first of all, incorrect from a ruchniyus perspective. It is in direct contrast to our fundamental belief that there’s a Creator who runs this world, who does not remove His Hashgachah for even a split

Besides for the hashkaf ic questionability of viewing COVID itself as the creator of our current reality, this perspective is also detrimental to our emotional well-being.

second, and whose every single deed is for our good. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is a tov u’meitiv, who is merachem al habriyos, has mercy on His creatures. Not always can we see how circumstances are for our good, and not always do we feel that way, but we believe and know that it is so. Thus, there’s no such thing as a virus just accidentally happened through some error in a lab and swept through the world, wreaking unchecked havoc in its midst.

Security Brings Joy Besides for the hashkafic questionability of viewing COVID itself as the creator of our current reality, this perspective is also detrimental to our emotional well-being. When we get lost in the blame as opposed to seeing the hashgachah elyonah behind it, we end up suffering acutely. How painful it is to live under the assumption that such a microscopic creature could generate such unfathomable destruction. How frightening to consider that a tiny virus could just show up from one day to the next and upend our lives, leav-

ing us feeling utterly defenseless. How painful it is to think that because of COVID, so many precious, irreplaceable lives have been lost and businesses built with sweat and blood have gone under.

It is all devastating only as long as we’re blinded by the erroneous assumption that COVID-19 is at fault.

When we realize that behind it all there’s a Ribbono Shel Olam who sent it—and who orchestrates every facet of our lives, down to the most minute detail—we feel the pain decreasing and our sense of security increasing. When we live with the belief that we are in the hands of Hashem, we’re filled with a great joy and a sense of comfort. We know that we’re safe and that nothing will happen “on its own”; only if Hashem wills it so for our good.

It’s not because of COVID that political, economic, social, and emotional matters currently look the way they do.

It’s because this is exactly the way the Ribbono Shel Olam planned for them to be, to the T. Not only is every single sweeping change perfectly planned, but also every detail of their ramifications.

Not an iota of the effects we are feeling at this moment is by happenstance.

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 97a) tells us that in the times of Mashiach, “the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog.” The Beis HaLevi famously notes that the comparison was drawn to a dog in particular, as opposed to another animal, because when a rock is thrown at a dog, instead of chasing after the perpetrator, the dog pounces on the rock.

Says the Beis HaLevi, when something unpleasant happens to a person, instead of thinking more deeply into it—Why did this happen? Who caused this to happen?—he is compelled to blame the immediate cause. Especially in the times of Mashiach, when the world will be enveloped in such hastaras panim, the Sages foresaw that the hashgachah elyonah will be so obscured that the people will start chasing after the rock, losing sight of the cause. Yes, due to the coronavirus this happened and that happened, but Who is behind all of this?

Why did He send it?

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 21

Well Informed

Torah Wellspring: Spiritual Health

The name of the Purim story’s heroine, Esther, alludes to the hester that permeated in her days.

When a person realizes that there’s a master plan behind all of this and that everything Hashem does is for his good, he is filled with a sense of serenity.

The Essence of Purim

It’s no coincidence that we Yidden started feeling the ramifications of the virus right after Purim of last year.

After all, the entire essence of Purim alludes specifically to this concept.

Although we are all familiar with the basic storyline of Megillas Esther, having learned it since our very early youth, when we take a look at the deeper layers of meaning in the sequence of events, we notice how they highlight this important point. In the times of the first Beis Hamikdash, the Yidden were privy to an incredible gilui Shechinah. They felt the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu intensely, and they basked in the deep connection and love they experienced. Those were the best of days for Klal Yisrael, when they were at their pinnacle.

Then, when Nevuchadnetzar led them in chains to their bitter exile, they were dealt an excruciating blow.

From the highest pinnacle they plummeted down to the lowest of the low.

As Yidden who were born into gener22 Wellspring | March 2021

ations of galus, it is hard for us to fathom the anticlimax our brethren endured then. They were dragged away from the epicenter of their lives, from the height of their glory, to a life of torment and loneliness away from the clear presence of the Shechinah they and their ancestors had relished in for four hundred years.

Seventy years later and still in Bavel, the Yidden had had an ample amount of time to become accustomed to their unfortunate status of galus. Seventy years was enough time for the despair to sink in, for the new reality of hester panim to become “the norm.” And then, when they were hit with the terrifying decree of their upcoming annihilation, their fear knew no bounds.

Here they were at the mercy of an uber-powerful, narcissistic king, leader of the world’s superpower, and his control-hungry advisor.

Indeed, the pompous affair to which Achashveirosh invited all of his constituents, the Yidden included, was to celebrate his relief that the time for the Yidden to be emancipated from under his rule had passed—that Hakadosh Baruch Hu had, k’vayachol, forgotten about them and the promise He had made to redeem them after seventy years. (This was a miscalculation on his part because he started counting

from when the first Yidden were taken into exile, not the correct calculation from when the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed.)

When Achashveirosh came to the conclusion that the nevuah was just a hoax, chas v’shalom, and subsequently decided to throw a party to celebrate that, can we begin to fathom the fear the Yidden must have experienced during that time; the despair and loss of all hope that their redemption would ever materialize? This was a party to celebrate the cessation of their relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And the fact that they chose to attend is a glaring indication of their state of despair, the bitterness they felt at having conceded to their unfortunate plight.

In fact, the Gemara tells us that the prophecy, “V’estarti panai bayom hahu—I will conceal My face on that day,” alludes to that time period in history. It was a time when the hastaras panim was at its height.

Today, we recount with the relief the providential sequence of events that culminated in Haman’s astonishing downfall, but a mere few days before, a few months before, this vicious anti-Semite was at the apex of control.

The Yidden were at the mercy of this radical Jew-hater who yielded power even over the king and was a direct de-

scendant of the infamous Amalek. To make a comparison to a modern-day government, it was as if the closest advisor and influencer to the US president was a grandson of Hitler himself, yemach shemo, unashamedly loyal to his grandfather’s vision and carrying the legacy of his bitter hatred. Can we begin to fathom Klal Yisrael’s state of despair at that time?

And then, at the great ball, when Achashveirosh grew infuriated over Vashti’s absence and subsequent impudence, Haman’s advice to execute her was followed by his recommendation of his own daughter as the new queen. B’derech hateva, it looked like a sequence of political events: First the queen was executed, then the king’s heart became set on Esther, in spite of Haman’s intentions to offer his daughter as queen. Not long after, the Yidden heard that Haman was back in the way. It was politics as usual, and now he was on to their gadol hador and wanted to get rid of him. They saw no miracles, no gilui Shechinah; just a frightening sequence of events that escalated their fears from second to second. Later, when Bigson and Seresh plotted to kill Achashveirosh, it also looked like politics as usual.

Every monarch, every leader, faces assassination threats. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, like there was a specific hashgachah elyonah deliberately orchestrating these events.

Indeed, our Yom Tov is named for the pur, the goral that Haman threw

to determine which day of the year he and his cronies would exterminate all of Klal Yisrael, because this was exactly what Haman desired to impart to us: You think you’re above nature? No, no, no, everything runs by nature, including you. It “just so” happened that Vashti was killed, that Esther replaced her as queen, and that this was chosen as the day when your end will come.

The conclusion of the story, however, clearly showed us otherwise.

Just when it seemed like nature was running its course, the Ribbono Shel Olam turned the plot on its head.

And what did the Yidden realize?

Not only had Hashem been helping them throughout; He had intentionally plotted out the story, down to every exquisite detail. The Gemara tells us that the name of the Purim story’s heroine, Esther, alludes to the hester that permeated in her days. Not only did Klal Yisrael realize through her, after the hester, that Hashem had been with them at all times, but that the hester in itself was Esther: what had appeared to be a source of despair to Klal Yisrael—the tzarah that the king chose to marry a bas Yisrael—was indeed their salvation. The hester is the Esther—what appears to be frightening may in fact be the source of our yeshuah.

When we realize that every single facet of our lives is run by Hashem—be it politics, the stock market, our health, and everything else—and that He is intentionally maneuvering

all the wheels in a way that is good for us, we can lead a life of simchah, a life of inner peace.

In our day-to-day lives, our fears inhibit us from relying completely on Hakadosh Baruch Hu. It’s hard for us to see beyond the present moment, beyond whatever darkness or concern we face. Our nature is that we have to understand, with our rational minds, how what we’re experiencing is good for us.

If we can’t grasp that—if logic tells us that all is not well—we’re afraid to raise our hands in surrender and say, “Ribbono Shel Olam, I’m relying on You.” On Purim, however, in our state of inebriation, all logic dissipates. As our logic crumbles, so do our fears. Our mind takes a break from weaving concerning thoughts nonstop. And in that fearless state, even the arur Haman, what we thought was devastating, is transformed into the baruch Haman; we see the blessing in disguise. In our state of faith in Hashem, we grasp how every circumstance in our lives is planned with precision to bring us toward our yeshuah. It was through Haman that our nation experienced their incredible miracle. When we let go of our logic-driven fears—when we let go of the thoughts that keep predicting the worst—and we choose to raise our hands up in surrender to the will of Hashem, we merit experiencing true simchah, on Purim and all year long.

Simchas Purim and simchas tamid to all.

Rabbi Ezra Friedman welcomes questions and comments on this column. Please write to rabbiefriedman@wellspringmagazine.com.

Well Informed

Spiritual Eating By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS

Feasting at the Banquet of Achashveirosh

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The Gemara in maseches Megillah presents a conversation between Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his talmidim discussing the reasons behind Hashem’s decree, “l’hashmid l’harog ul’abeid es kol hayehudim—to destroy, kill, and exterminate all of the Jews.” The Gemara offers two explanations: the Jews served avodah zarah and they enjoyed themselves at the banquet of Achashveirosh.

Rashi, in his commentary on Megillas Esther, explains the passage, “Mordechai yada es kol asher naaseh—Mordechai understood everything that was happening,” to mean that Mordechai grasped that the two serious sins Klal Yisrael transgressed would bring about their destruction.

We can understand the severity of idol worship. However, even if enjoying themselves at the seudah of a rasha involved some type of aveirah, did it really warrant such a harsh decree?

Chazal tell us that in the times of Mordechai and Esther, the generation was very poor; they were an “am dal.” They weren’t poor financially, but poor spiritually. They were lacking in their Torah study, mitzvah observance, and their connection to the Ribbono Shel Olam. What was the source of their spiritual poverty?

The Gemara in Megillah responds that

24 Wellspring | March 2021

when it came to learning and mitzvos, they had atzlus, laziness. The Mesilas Yesharim explains that laziness is the result of a person who wants to take it easy and live a relaxed, comfortable lifestyle; a person consumed with and submerged in the physical pleasures of Olam Hazeh.

Because Mordechai’s generation craved Olam Hazeh, they were lazy when it came to their spirituality. They hungered for the taavos of this world. They feasted at the banquet of Achashveirosh, immersing themselves in the immediate gratifications and indulgences of a lavish meal. And when an individual is engrossed in Olam Hazeh, he has no room for spirituality in his life.

When Klal Yisrael is void of Torah and ruchniyus, Mordechai understood, they lose their zechus hakiyum, their merit for existing. The zechus hakiyum of Klal Yisra-

el is Torah and mitzvos: “Ki heim chayeinu v’orech yameinu.” To live as Am Yisrael means striving toward holiness.

In his commentary on Megillas Esther, the Vilna Gaon mentions that the Yidden had two redeemers, Mordechai and Esther, and each played a unique role. Mordechai redeemed the people for the sin of avodah zarah. He didn’t bow down to the evil Haman, and through his teaching and leadership, he brought Klal Yisrael back from the transgression of idol worship.

Esther, on the other hand, redeemed the people for the aveirah of eating at the seudah of Achashveirosh. She was the one who instituted the unprecedented threeday fast as a tikkun for their indulgence.

“Go assemble all the Yidden and fast for me for three days,” she ordered. Why did she enact such an overwhelming decree?

Never in our history was there a requirement to fast for three consecutive days.

In order to eradicate the taavah for Olam Hazeh, Esther had to move the nation to the other extreme, and this way, they would end up in the right place when it came to their attitude toward gashmiyus in this world. This, in turn, would also address the issue of avodah zarah. The Sifri on Parshas Eikev explains the connection of the verses we say in Krias Shema: “You will eat and be satisfied. Beware, lest your heart be seduced and you turn away and serve other gods and bow down to them.”

The sequence of events progresses from physical indulgence (overeating, as the Sifri learns from this verse) to turning away

from Hashem, to turning toward other gods. We feel comfortable and our heart forgets.

The miracle of Purim was that the Yidden came to realize—in the face of impending annihilation—that they were a treasured nation. They came to understand that their purpose in the world was to overcome physical cravings and strive for higher, spiritual pursuits. They saw that the only true light was that of Torah, and that lasting happiness and joy come from mitzvos and a connection to the Ribbono Shel Olam.

When they came to this understanding, “laYehudim haysah orah v’simchah v’sasson v’yikar—the Yidden had light and gladness and joy and honor.”

Purim directs us to focus on our ruchniyus and to moderate our gashmiyus, thereby identifying ourselves as a distinct and holy nation.

The mitzvah of mishloach manos is a wonderful opportunity to express our unity and love for our fellow Jews, while still maintaining our priorities as a spiritual people. What could be better than sending a beautiful basket of treats to our family and friends? But let us pay attention to the foods we include and ensure they are healthy and wholesome and do not involve undue homage to the gashmiyus and taavos that are the antithesis of Purim. Why should we indulge ourselves, our friends, and family in the plethora of candy and junk food that has unfortunately become so part and parcel of this joyous time? Hashem has provided us with an abundance of tasty and nourishing foods, fruits, and nuts. Why not send our loved ones healthful and homemade delicacies?

For our sake and the sake of our children, let’s make an effort to have unbounded simchah and sasson, and educate our families about the miracle of Purim and the incredible teshuvah our nation achieved. And let’s do so by the example of our actions, so we too can merit these great spiritual heights—kein tehiyeh lanu.

A freilichen Purim.

RESTORE! your sense of smell & taste enjoy your food once again

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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for ANY questions or comments: releafhealing@gmail.com

Well Informed

Updates in the News By Esther Retek

DEEP SLEEP FOR DEEP CLEAN

Shut-eye is crucial for waste clearance When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep? With late bedtimes and constant interruptions, this type of sleep may be a faraway dream. But deep slumber is not just crucial to regain strength and relax brain activity. A new study published in Science Advances indicates other vital consequences, as well.

Researchers at Northwestern University examined proboscis extension sleep (PES), a deep-sleep stage in fruit flies, which is similar to deep, slow-wave sleep in humans. The researchers discovered that during this stage, fruit flies repeatedly extend and retract their proboscis (or snout). This pumping motion may move fluids to the “fly version” of the kidneys, which facilitates waste clearance. In other words, the flies demonstrated that this deep sleep has an innate, restorative power to clear waste from the brain. Waste cleared by the brain includes toxic proteins that may lead to neurodegenerative disease.

On the other hand, when the team impaired the flies’ deep sleep, the flies were less able to clear an injected dye from their systems and were more susceptible to injuries.

“Our finding that deep sleep serves a role in waste clearance in the fruit fly indicates that waste clearance is a core function of deep sleep,” the co-authors write.

Furthermore, “Waste clearance may occur during wake and sleep but is substantially enhanced during deep sleep,” says Dr. Ravi Allada, senior author of the study.

With deep cleaning on our mind as we inch closer toward Pesach, an earlier bedtime may be a good start.

WELL-SPENT

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

The Yogurt Solution If you’re a conscious consumer, you may have noticed that dairy significantly rakes up the grocery bill. Yogurt, especially in families with young children, is a hot item, and can amount to a hefty monthly expense.

Considering the amount of yogurt I use—and the amount yogurts cost—I experimented with a homemade version. The results? Easy to make once you get the hang of it, much richer in texture and flavor, healthier, and costs less than half the price than store-brought ones.

Here’s an easy recipe. If you don’t go for plain, be creative with the flavoring and feel free to add them to the yogurt at any point in the preparation process, or before eating.

1. Heat a half a gallon of milk to right before boiling. Stir the milk gently as it heats to make sure the bottom doesn’t scorch.

2. Let the milk cool until it is just warm to the touch. Continue stirring.

3. Scoop out about one cup of warm milk into a bowl. Add half a cup of yogurt (if you’re using store-brought, make sure to use one that has live, active cultures) and whisk together. The yogurt serves as a starter. While whisking gently, pour the thinned yogurt into the milk.

26 Wellspring | March 2021

4. Cover and wrap the pot in towels and place in a turned-off oven with the light on. Alternatively, you can make the yogurt in a dehydrator left at 110°F or using a yogurt maker.

5. Let the yogurt set for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight—the exact time will depend on the cultures used, the temperature of the yogurt, and your yogurt preferences. The longer yogurt sits, the thicker and more tart it becomes. If this is your first time making yogurt, start checking it after 4 hours and stop when it reaches a flavor and consistency you like. Avoid jostling or stirring the yogurt until it has fully set.

6. Once the yogurt has set, remove it from the oven. If you see any watery whey on the surface of the yogurt, you can either drain it or whisk it back into the yogurt before transferring to containers. Transfer to storage containers and refrigerate. Homemade yogurt will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

You can use some of each batch to culture your next batch. Just save half a cup to use for this purpose. If, after a few batches, you notice an odd flavor in your yogurt or that it’s not culturing quite as quickly, discard and use store-bought yogurt for your next batch.

MICROWAVE MAKEOVER

A safer device for kids

If your kids have become pros at using the microwave oven (especially with pre-Pesach takeout), you’re of the majority. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 90 percent of Americans own a microwave, and in most households, children can easily handle the oven on their own. However, each year hundreds of children under the age of five suffer from severe microwave-related burns because of how easily manageable the oven is.

Now, according to a write-up in Pediatrics, a 15-year research and advocacy effort to make microwave ovens safer has led to a change in national manufacturing standards that will make microwaves more difficult for young children to open, protecting them from injury.

In 2023, manufacturers will be required to incorporate two distinct actions into opening the door of a microwave oven.

“We believed that if young children were less able to open microwave oven doors, they would be less likely to be able to remove the heated items, such as liquids and noodle soups, and they would therefore be less at risk for severe burns,” says Kyran Quinlan MD, MPH, the director of the Division of General Pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center, who conducted the research. “These burns are terribly painful, require burn unit care, and can be life-changing because of the permanent scarring that often results.”

According to the American Burn Association, 22.5 percent of the patients in burn units across the United States are children, and most of the children are admitted for scalds rather than burns suffered in fires. In 2008, the researchers published an analysis of three years of burn unit data that found that a significant percentage of burns involved young children opening a microwave themselves and removing and spilling the oven’s heated contents. In that report, nearly half of the cases required skin grafts.

The researchers then evaluated and documented the abilities of healthy young children aged 15 months to 4 years to use microwave ovens. They recorded whether the children could open the microwave oven door with either a push mechanism or a pull mechanism, turn on the microwave, and remove its contents.

The study revealed that children as young as 17 months could open both a push- and a pull-open microwave oven door, remove what was in the microwave, and even turn it on. Nearly all children were able to perform each of these tasks by the age of 2.

The researchers then worked to submit a proposed change in the design requirements of microwave-oven doors to make them more difficult for young children to

open.

Subsequently, Quinlan and Marla Robinson MSc, OTR/L, assistant director of therapy services at University of Chicago Medical Center, became voting members of the Underwriters Laboratories Standards Technical Panel for microwave ovens, which sets the standards required for any microwave sold in the United States.

The new microwave ovens also will be required to include labels warning families of the risk of severe scalds to young children.

Until then, it’s important to be careful that young children don’t handle the microwave oven on their own.

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Well Informed

Dedicated to Health By Esther Retek

TEN QUESTIONS FOR Mrs. Shani Waldman Samchainu Mrs. Breindy Halberstam

Samchainu in a Nutshell: Founded in 2007, Samchainu is a support group for widows. Their programs include retreats, Chanukah and Purim parties, midweek winter and summer trips for different age groups, and a Shabbaton. Samchainu’s mission is to connect women to others who understand their situation and to give them the opportunity to enjoy themselves and be treated as they deserve.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 29

Well Informed

1. What motivated you to launch Samchainu?

I was just 37 years old when I lost my first husband, a”h. Young and innocent, I was suddenly thrown into the world of widowhood, while providing for my fledgling family of six girls, aged 15 years down to 16 months. Particularly, there were two incidents that propelled me to launch the organization.

My mother, at the time, connected me with several friends who had also lost their husbands. However, I was very bothered after spending time with them, because their messages were all somber and negative.

“Don’t ever remarry,” said one. Another said, “Don’t ever expect to see your husband in a dream,” while all of them highlighted what a difficult life lay ahead of me. I craved to connect with people who would offer more positivity and simultaneously understand where I was.

At that time, we were also the recipients of packages on numerous occasions. I would open the door and find elaborate gift arrangements, filled with toys for my children, bathroom accessories, kitchen gadgets, chocolates, or flowers. In the beginning, my children and I would cry when we received them, not ready to view ourselves as recipients of such gifts because of our circumstances. After a while, when I began sorting out my thoughts and feelings, I realized that I could change my attitude.

I could let those packages make me feel good, make me feel that someone is thinking about me and my family. I taught my family to see those packages as gifts from Hashem.

Those two experiences eventually gave birth to the idea of launching an organization that would allow women in the same situation to connect with each other, encourage one another by conveying positive messages, and at the same time be pampered in a dignified manner.

2. As the founder of the organization, tell us about your daily schedule.

Mrs. Breindy Halberstam, the cofounder, and I are involved on every level—down to the microscopic details. We don’t outsource any of the work, which leaves us taking care of the 2,500 participating widows on our own. I usually begin my day returning the previous day’s calls and answering last night’s emails. Then there are the details of upcoming events— or the 2020 version of that, Zoom conferences—of which we manage every part. We are busy sending packages, flower arrangements, and gifts to our members on different occasions; a large chunk of my day is spent on the phone speaking with tens of widows, calling those women on their birthdays and husband’s yahrzeit, welcoming new widows, and answering inquiries. Before Pesach and Rosh Hashanah, we also provide financial assistance to some members in need.

3. What is the greatest challenge in running Samchainu?

Although fundraising is likely the biggest challenge for any organization, the challenge becomes even more exacerbated considering our unique PR—or lack thereof—principle. When we were first starting out, a fundraiser, trying to assist us, created an image of a young child with a tear-streaked face, to use as an advertisement. Instinctively, I knew that this was not the way I wanted to go about fundraising, and the image was definitely not what I wanted to portray about the organization. Together, we visited Rav Matisyahu Salomon, Samchainu’s spiritual advisor and leading force, to hear his take. I passionately explained what I had in mind—to build up these widows, all the while protecting their dignity and honor. He agreed, reassured me I should go ahead, and gave me a berachah that we would manage without public fundraising.

And that is the way we continue to work. There are no online campaigns, Chinese auctions, dinners, or any other forms of marketing. Why? Because Samchainu members will receive those booklets or those email blasts, and I don’t want them to see my fundraising efforts; I don’t want to add salt to their already agonizing wounds. How are they supposed to feel? Someone once asked in jest, “You want your members to think that money comes from Shamayim? They know you need money.” And my answer was, “Yes, I want our members to think that the money comes to me just like that, without massive fundraising.” As I mentioned earlier, I received packages, and I know what it felt to be a nitzrach. Funding comes from the humble efforts Breindy and I invest, slowly building a network of benevolent contacts to reach out to. Despite allocating every dollar to the organization, the fact that Breindy and I don’t take a salary, nor are any commissions paid for, we still face an annual budget of over $1 million.

With fundraising efforts done clandestinely, covering our expenses is by far the greatest challenge.

30 Wellspring | March 2021

4. Tell us a story that highlights the work Samchainu does.

5. Can you share an incident that reflects the hashgachah you see in running the organization?

I can share an endless amount of stories. We just hosted a beautiful retreat for 50 women, under the guidance of rabbanim and doctors, with necessary health precautions in place. The event was truly uplifting and encouraging, with speakers, entertainment, great food, and much more.

Every time I think back to our humble beginnings, I am awed how the organization’s evolution was such hashgachah pratis and so clearly guided by yad Hashem. There wasn’t an official meeting to establish the organization, but rather a host of small events that led to it.

After the event, we received a heartwarming letter from a woman who had lost her husband to COVID-19. “I have a huge support system of family and friends, but no one understands me as much as these women I met at the retreat did. It was such a special event, meeting women of a wide spectrum of different cultures and ages. While I was crying, one woman held my hand and another one gave me her shoulder. I finally felt that people really understood my plight, without sharing even one word. Thank you, Samchainu!” This is our mission and our hope, to bring women’s hearts together, no matter their background.

Women feel understood on so many levels without saying a word, despite their circumstances being fairly different. A big factor in any nisayon is the feeling of being alone, misunderstood and judged. That’s where we step in—creating a loving and supportive environment. That being said, a Samchainu event is fun and entertaining, not somber like some envision it.

When I went to Eretz Yisrael, I had the opportunity to meet Rebbetzin Raizy Rottenberg, the director of Zeh LaZeh, an organization in Eretz Yisrael that supports widows and their children. I told her about the great need there was for such an organization in America, expecting to hear that she would try to arrange something. Instead, she turned to me and said, “So do it!”

Another incident that led to the establishment was when I attended a small, beautiful gathering of almanos, hosted by Sara Faigy Wertzberger in Williamsburg. Since I was driving in, she asked me if I could pick up Mrs. Breindy Halberstam, who ended up becoming my partner in founding Samchainu.

Breindy later phoned me and suggested we start such a gathering in Flatbush, which ended up taking place in the house of Mrs. Baila Miller. Thirty women were present at the first event and each subsequent event brought more women as word spread from one widow to another. Soon, these events mushroomed into bigger ones, ultimately leading to our current database of 2,492 women.

6. What do you wish people would know about widowhood?

An almanah’s loss will always be there. I’ve heard people express sentiments toward an almanah in their neighborhood, “Why is she still sad? Her husband passed away over 10 years ago and she’s still grieving!” The reality is however, that Mashiach didn’t come yet, and she’s still alone. It is not natural for a woman to be alone. “Lo tov heyos ha’adam levado—It is not good for man to be alone,” the pasuk tells us. The teva of the world is that man and woman should be together. Therefore, no matter how upbeat she might seem, it will never be natural. It can’t be natural. The years don’t matter, for as long as she’s alone, she’s not in her ideal state. Women will move forward, get a life, continue working, but life will never be the same for them. Appropriately, the mitzvos that obligate us in how to treat an almanah never expire. Klal Yisrael has a tremendous responsibility to go out and treat the almanos in their community with respect and honor, to think about their needs, and assist them in whatever way they can.

At times, the mitzvah might be difficult. It’s hard to know what the woman needs, and even among us we often disagree about what we would want to hear or say. Some of us may want our husbands to be mentioned all the time, and others not. Try your best and daven for siyata d’Shmaya. Send over something on Erev Shabbos, visit on Yom Tov, make a phone call—most importantly, tune in to their needs and think about them.

I remember standing at the bus stop one day together with a group of neighbors. They were probably thinking, She’s the same as us, except that she, nebach, lost her husband. But, standing there, I remember feeling that although my life might appear similar, there’s not one cell in my body that is the same as theirs. My whole life is a completely different story than theirs. We live on a different planet.

Thank Hashem if you are not in this position; but be less judgmental and more thoughtful toward those who unfortunately are.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 31

Well Informed

7. Can you share an interesting request you received?

A very heartrending request we receive is from women who want to join our retreats and ask if they can bring along nursing babies. A woman recently asked us if she could bring along a three-month-old infant. It’s heartbreaking to receive these requests. The comforting thing is to watch these babies become a mascot—passed around from woman to woman, each one vying for the opportunity to hold the little infant, thereby giving the exhausted mom a chance to relax and have a good time.

An interesting phone conversation I recently had was when I phoned a member to wish her happy birthday, and she excitedly, in full cognizance, related to me that this one was a special birthday—her 100th one!

8. What’s the toughest part of the work you do?

Watching the pain of these women is undoubtedly the toughest part of my job. When I welcome a new member, I sometimes wish I could press a fast-forward button and move her two years ahead. I watch her suffer, knowing that this is a journey she and her family will need to travel.

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9. How did COVID-19 impact the organization’s programming?

Since our organization thrives on person-to-person contact and forming an intimate community, we were sorely impacted by the pandemic. Our last gathering was our Purim party last year.

Widows in particular have been profoundly affected during the months of lockdown. The isolation many of them have experienced is indescribable. Imagine the pain and loneliness of these widows, who now had to entertain their family and provide much-needed structure all on their own. Hundreds of women needed to perform the Pesach Seder themselves, an emotionally challenging task for an almanah, which many have never done before.

After Pesach we had a follow-up conference to give women an opportunity to share their experiences. A widowed Holocaust survivor shared that she unfortunately needed to conduct a Pesach Seder all alone. Every year, surrounded by her family, she would share a story of the war, but she would stop at one so as not to dampen the beautiful, joyous atmosphere. This year, being all alone, she poured out all her previous pains and stories to the only one listening—Hashem.

On the other hand, we learned to use Zoom, allowing us to reach out to many more people than events with otherwise-limited capacity.

Samchainu also arranged speakers to share an inspiring message each day, and it was sent out to all our members.

10. With the heavy load you carry, what keeps you going?

Being there for women in their time of need, supporting them, and helping them see a ray of light in this darkness is very rewarding.

These women are an inspiration. I watch them grow and live on, cope, and overcome their challenges, and this gives me koach to continue with the work.

Living Well

In Good Shape By Tova Jeremias, PFC

THE NIGHT OWL’S WORKOUT 7 BEST NIGHTTIME EXERCISES

For many, the Erev Pesach season translates into busier days (unless you’re one of those who started cleaning in October) and less time to work out. When you can’t squeeze in any exercise earlier in the day, a pre-bedtime workout routine may be your solution.

But first, doesn’t working out before bed give you a burst of energy, making a good night’s sleep hard to come by? That used to be the belief, but recent studies suggest otherwise. One review, published in Sports Medicine, found that the claim that exercise before bed negatively affects sleep is not supported, unless one engages in very vigorous exercise. On the contrary, exercise that doesn’t considerably raise adrenaline actually supports more restful, calmer sleep.

So, what type of workout should you do before bed? A few low-impact moves, plus some full body stretches, will be just the type of activity your body needs before you call it a day. Here are six great moves that make the perfect bedtime exercise routine.

Do three sets of each exercise, and then move on to the next one. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds to a minute.

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PLANK One of the most effective full-body exercises, the plank primarily requires a strong core. Although your heart rate may increase mid-plank, focus on your breathing to gain some restorative benefits as well.

• Get into a plank position on either your forearms or your hands. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels, making sure your lower back and hips aren’t sagging. Roll your shoulders down and back and keep your gaze on your fingers.

• Hold, focusing on your breathing and maintaining that straight line, for 30 seconds to a minute.

GLUTE BRIDGE Another low-impact option, the glute bridge targets your core and glutes to help strengthen your posterior chain (all those muscles on the back of your body). Move slowly and with control to reap all the benefits.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Your arms should be down at your sides.

• Inhale and begin to lift your hips, pushing through your heels, squeezing your glutes and core. At the top, your body should form a straight line from upper back to knees.

• Pause for 1–2 seconds at the top, and then return to the starting position.

PILATES The roll-down move is perfect for decompressing in the evening. Pilates aims to strengthen muscles while improving postural alignment and flexibility, all the while targeting the core.

• Stand tall with feet hips-width apart, hands against your sides. Relax your shoulders.

• Using your abdominal muscles, slowly bend forward. Let your arms dangle toward the floor and hang, while you breathe deeply.

• Try to touch the ground and then hold the pose for a second or two.

• Next, reverse and roll up slowly, keeping the abdominal muscles engaged.

BIRD-DOG An exercise in stability and core strength, the birddog is surprisingly challenging. The real focus is on maintaining a stable back, particularly your lower back, throughout the movement. Do the steps slowly for best results.

• Start on all fours, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, with a straight back. Roll your shoulders down and back and engage your core.

• Begin to straighten and raise your left leg and right arm at the same time, keeping your hips and shoulders square to the floor. Keep your head in a neutral position and stop when your limbs are parallel to the floor. Hold for 2–3 seconds, focusing on your stability.

• Slowly return to the starting position, and then raise your right leg and left arm in the same way.

• Repeat ten times.

CHILD’S POSE This stretch provides a great release to your lower back and hips, which can hold quite a bit of tension, especially after a day of sitting too much. As you inhale and exhale, think about sinking lower into the stretch.

• Kneel on the floor with your feet under your glutes.

Spread your knees apart.

• Inhale and fold forward, allowing your torso to fall between your thighs and extending your arms overhead.

Place your palms on the floor.

• Breathe slowly and deeply here for 30–60 seconds, letting your hips sink lower as you fold deeper forward.

FIGURE-4 STRETCH Another stretch for your hips, glutes, and lower back, the figure-4 is a great way to end this gentle routine. You can also do this move while standing on one leg—either way, you’ll feel good afterward.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.

• Cross your right ankle over your left knee and pull back on your left side, feeling a stretch in your right hip.

Hold here for 30 seconds.

• Release, and then repeat on the other side.

RELAXATION EXERCISE One of the best ways to unwind and wrap up a hectic day is by giving your body a chance to release the day’s built-up tension. Here’s a quick relaxation exercise you might want to try before you dose off— if you can still keep your eyes open as you hit the pillow!

• While lying in bed, curl your toes and hold them in that position for a few seconds. Then uncurl them so they’re completely relaxed.

• Next, tense up your calf muscles in your legs and hold them in that position for a few seconds. Then release them.

• Follow that pattern and work your way up the body, tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. There are many muscles in the body that you may have been tensing all day without noticing, such as your shoulders, so move slowly from one muscle group to the other, releasing the tension from all of them.

Please consult with your healthcare provider before starting a fitness routine.

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Living Well

Ask By Shani Taub, CDC

Real Oneg

How to Stick to a Healthy Diet on Shabbos

Question: Generally speaking, I lead a balanced and healthy lifestyle. During the week, I eat proper meals, nutritious foods, and even manage to squeeze in some exercise. However, comes Shabbos and I completely lose it. I’m not sure if it’s the different foods, the different mealtime schedule, or the relaxed tone of the day that sets me off. How can I stick to my healthy habits without detracting from my oneg Shabbos?

Shani's response: I get this question all the time, from men and women alike.

The answer is very individual, based on the individual’s struggles and what aspect of Shabbos sets them off. Here, I’ll touch upon several angles.

The biggest trigger is our mindset. Ba Shabbos ba menuchah is true, but we need to change the connotation we have with menuchah. Serenity and comfort don’t have to go hand in hand with lots of cake. If you primarily associate relaxing with food, you may want to change that mindset first. There are so many other ways to uplift your Shabbos other than with food. Whether it’s saying more Tehillim, visiting a friend or family member, reading a devar Torah, or a few pages of a book that’s begging for your time, explore what else puts you into a calm, pleasant state.

unhealthy foods or eat more than we normally do, so that come Motzaei Shabbos or Sunday morning, we feel horrible. Good foods are foods that nourish our bodies and energize us, and not vice versa.

I tell my clients to save their treats for Shabbos, and to eat them mindfully. Enjoy a slice of cheesecake or a wholesome muffin Shabbos morning. Save that new salad for Shabbos or make yourself a special fish lekavod Shabbos.

Many people are also set back on Shabbos because they skip breakfast. In this column, I’ve often highlighted the importance of eating a proper meal in the morning. Because our mealtimes are different on Shabbos, many people wait until the seudah to jumpstart their day. Don’t. You always want to eat before the hunger kicks in so that you don’t end up eating excessively. You can keep your breakfast lighter than every day, but start with something, be it a muffin, cheesecake, yogurt, or fruit.

We can also accustom our children to enjoy Shabbos, not because of the sugar-filled Shabbos snacks, but because they can have a good time singing zemiros at the meal or playing a family board game after the meal.

For the meal itself, try to incorporate as many healthy dishes as possible. Personally, my Shabbos menu is chock full of vegetables — grilled vegetables alongside the fish, salads as sides, and more of them with soup. I keep the other dishes as nutritious as possible.

This is not to say that food doesn’t play a central role in our lives — especially on Shabbos. We mention good (fattening!) foods in the zemiros many times, and we would want to save our favorite foods for Shabbos. But that doesn’t mean we need to indulge in

I call challah Jewish cake. It’s delicious, for sure, but you have to know yourself. If it’s hard for you to stop at one slice, you may want to stick with whole grain matzah. Focus on filling up on protein and vegetables instead.

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Eat slowly, savoring the food, thus giving it proper time to digest.

Divert the attention from the food during the meals; focus instead on having pleasant discussions, enjoying the children’s achievements, and so on.

Keep water on the table throughout the meal (instead of sugar-loaded beverages!) so that you and your family can drink adequately.

The lack of structure in the day can also lead to overeating, such as during the long Shabbos afternoons. Making a schedule and organizing the day in advance can be helpful on that end. Meet with a friend or relative, take your children to the park, organize a Tehillim group or

parshah shiur. Entertaining yourself can dramatically transform your Shabbos — and add deeper meaning to it as well.

People tend to justify their Shabbos habits saying that since we have a neshamah yeseirah, we need to eat more on Shabbos. Yes, Shabbos is a time to enjoy foods, but overeating won’t make you enjoy the foods. On the contrary, it may make you regret what you ate, and even dread the coming Shabbos. Consuming the right amount of foods (including a Shabbos treat you set aside for yourself and enjoy mindfully) will make you look forward to another uplifting, yet composed and disciplined Shabbos.

Within Tradition For many of us, the Shabbos menu is set in stone. In circles that are very particular with the traditional foods, individuals may find it harder to incorporate more vegetables and prepare healthier dishes. If your family’s menu consists of potato kugel, lukshen kugel, and kishke, here are some tips that you may want to incorporate while sticking to the traditional menu.

Fish Baked is better than cooked since most cooked fish requires sugar. Even if you stick with cooked, try to add some vegetables such as carrots, so that you get your vegetables too.

Dips In general, I don’t recommend dips since they often increase challah/matzah consumption. If you enjoy them with your fish, keep away from mayo-based dips. Even better, make your own vegetable-based dips such as a blend of olives, eggplant, and/or tomatoes, and keep the oil minimal.

Soup Instead of the lukshen and kneidlach, load your plate with

vegetables — both raw, such as radishes, and cooked, like squash and carrots. You can add chickpeas for additional protein.

Chicken Sit down to a proper portion of chicken or meat, instead of nibbling from everyone’s leftovers. This will help you stay away from carb-heavy sides such as kugel and farfel.

Eggs If you’ve been using mayonnaise, swap it for olive oil. Load your plate with vegetables.

Cholent Reserve a nice piece of chicken/meat for yourself so that you don’t need to fill up on cholent. If you particularly like cholent, keep the ingredients as healthy as possible, omitting sauces, condiments, and brown sugar.

Dessert Fresh or frozen fruits are a nutritious, refreshing, and sweet option.

Please send your questions to the nutritionist to info@wellspringmagazine.com.

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

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Living Well

Cover Feature

SPREADING JOY, LOVE, AND MUSIC

"

The journey to my musical career was not without challenge.

"

As told to Libby Kasten by Shaindy Plotzker

Living Well

Cover Feature

IT BEGAN WITH NO DRUMROLL,

ONLY SILENCE. As a teacher and vocalist, as well as a social fun-lover, it would be safe to say that my voice is one of my most important tools. Imagine my shock, then, when I awoke one morning in late September of 2019 to discover that my voice was gone.

Throughout my life, I have often experienced periods of temporary hoarseness, but now, my voice was simply gone.

Hard to imagine, I know.

On that first day, I emailed the principal at the school where I teach and let him know that I would need assistance in the classroom. We all assumed this would be temporary, and I focused on resting my voice and myself, as well as drinking lots of fluid. Yet the days blurred into weeks, and still, my voice was literally nowhere to be found. There were days when my voice would start to resurface and I would naively think it was coming back. But then, it would be gone again within a day or two.

My first-grade students proved to be incredibly cooperative as I resorted to innovative communication methods in the classroom. We welcomed “Jojo” the technological assistant, an app that would speak for me through the computer, by reading aloud the text I entered. Hand motions and lip reading became the usual sight as we forged ahead, trying to resume normal learning with a Morah who could not speak.

Aside from the challenge of teaching with little to no voice, I was also forced to close my studio, and cancel or postpone all upcoming singing jobs.

The trees were soon bare and the first snowflakes flurried about. Friends and family members mentioned visiting a doctor, but each time my voice would begin to make a slight

40 Wellspring | March 2021

comeback, I assuaged my fears with the hope that, this time, it would really return; this time, the saga would end.

As we rounded the corner into November, I began researching doctors specializing in vocal disorders such as the one I was experiencing, and I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Woo, one of the top ENTs (ear, nose, and throat specialists) in the United States. Dr. Woo specializes in voice diagnosis, and I therefore hoped he would be the right shaliach to help me get to the root of my problem.

Although there was a two-week wait until the next available appointment, we grabbed it. A few days prior to the scheduled appointment, my voice suddenly returned, stronger than it had in the past two months. Terrified of facing whatever diagnosis was behind my mysterious vocal loss, and assuming that hopefully the issue was somehow resolved, I cancelled the appointment. For a day or two, I hoped that the saga was over. However, when just three days later, my voice once again disappeared completely, I finally understood that this was not just a matter of rest and relaxation.

There was a real issue with my voice. And I had to take steps, if there were any possible, to fix it.

Normal life resumed as I waited for the next available appointment, which was only in January. With another two months of silent waiting, the frustration started to mount.

Challenges cropped up in situations I had so taken for granted. Simple things like looking for a specific item in a store was a humiliating experience, as I resorted to typing the request on my phone and motioning to a salesperson to read

VOCAL CORD LESIONS the text and help me. The looks were incredulous. What is with this young woman? Can’t she speak?

I shared their bewilderment. I, too, wished to understand this phenomenon.

My phone would ring endlessly, but answering it with no voice was pointless. Sometimes, my sisters would be around to answer. The caller would be told that “Shaindy can’t speak, but you can tell her whatever you’d like on speakerphone. She can hear you, she just can’t respond.” I’d motion or mouth the answers for them to convey to the caller on the other end.

My every interaction was like climbing a mountain of ice.

Unpredictable. Frustrating. Impossible.

Shabbos, the long, beautiful meals our family enjoys each week, replete with divrei Torah and pleasant discussions, stands out in my mind as a tremendous struggle. Since I taught all week, I chose to be on full vocal rest throughout the entire weekend, including Shabbos, so that I’d at least have somewhat of a voice on Monday. That meant sitting through the beautiful meals I’d always been a vivacious part of, clapping my hands, drumming on the table, snapping my fingers, or waving my palms to catch my family’s attention whenever I wanted to add to the conversation. Gone, of course, were the three-part harmonies. Conveying my thoughts was another battle. Over time, we became expertly skilled at lip reading and even developed our own sign language, including a single clap for “yes” and double clap for “no.” Many times, I simply bit my lip in silence. The words unspoken performing a maddening dance within me. Singing, my passion, had become impossible, and speaking, a necessary, nearly so.

I suddenly realized how often I speak, and how much I had taken communication, and singing, for granted. Gone was my social life. Friends would come to visit, and we’d sit there having a one-way conversation. As I’d listen to how their day was, I would feel the frustration and loneliness pent

aka nodules, polyps and cysts benign (non-cancerous) growths on the vocal cords Causes include: Vocal trauma, overuse, or misuse, often caused by: A allergies A smoking A tense muscles A singing A coaching A cheerleading A talking loudly A drinking caffeine and alcohol, which dries out the throat and vocal folds Symptoms include: A hoarseness/loss of voice A breathiness A multiple tones A loss of vocal range Treatment: Depending on the cause of the nodules or polyps, their size, and any additional problems present, treatment may include: A surgery for removal of the growth A treatment of allergies, reflux, and thyroid problems A voice therapy by an SLP A smoking, stress, and tension control

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 41

Living Well

Cover Feature

I saw how people would turn gifted individuals into celebrities, idolizing them for G-dgiven talents, and I wanted to direct this compliment to Hashem, reaffirming the true Source of all that we have.

up inside me as I’d try my best to motion my side of the conversation. I usually couldn’t get any message across.

As a person with a very social and vivacious nature, this aspect of loneliness was one of my biggest difficulties.

When Chanukah came around, after several frustrating, voiceless weeks, I was excited to join my friends at our annual Chanukah party. As usual, we embraced one another, and sat down to enjoy the company. But, once again, I was stuck outside the bubble of conversation. The chatter rose and fell around me, as I repeatedly opened my mouth to exclaim my thoughts. Each time, I heard the silence. Every time my words bounced back and, despite being surrounded by people, I felt so alone.

During times like that, when the lonely frustration was overwhelming, the fears would resurface. When will this end?

Will I ever get my voice back?

I thought about my teenage self a lot, pondering the irony of the situation Hashem had put me in.

AAA

As a young girl, I honestly used to think that everybody knew how to sing. It took me a while and many compliments to realize that my talent was unique. Along with the awareness of my musical abilities, though, there was also the awareness of stars and celebrities out there who allowed their talent and capabilities to become their identity, replacing their very selves.

As I matured and my talent was noted by relatives, peers and acquaintances, I pondered upon this concept a lot. The realization that everything one has is from Hashem and is completely in His power also means that talents are a gift that can be taken back at any time.

I made it a point that whenever I would be complimented for my musical talent, I’d say, “Thank you very much, I so appreciate your kind words.” And then I’d always be sure to add, “It’s all from Hashem.”

I said this for myself as much as I said it for the other person.

42 Wellspring | March 2021

Each night, as I’d wind down and head to bed, I would take a moment to remind myself that my gift of music was something from Above and that it could be taken away in an instant. Having this gift did not make me any greater than the person next to me. Looking back, I am so grateful to Hashem for giving me the siyatta diShmaya to work on this in advance.

I believe that my dear parents, who are the most incredible role models of humility, are to thank for the fact that I realized and internalized this message from a young age.

As a teen, I had my own recording studio, where I spent a lot of time. I was doing a lot of musical work, but always behind the scenes. I never thought I’d go public with my music or songs. I wasn’t so comfortable with the idea of publicity, and I was really content just from playing and singing for myself and my close family and friends. My first professional gig was brought about in 2013, when I met a woman who is now one of my closest friends, Shimi Adar. We met at Oorah’s camp, The Zone, and spent a lot of our summer singing together. When the summer was over, Shimi mentioned that she wanted me to be one of the vocalists in the theme song for the upcoming year. I was thrilled and honored to be part of such a high-caliber production. For several years afterward, I was part of the theme song production, and eventually, I found myself leading it.

Until 2019, I continued working on Oorah's production, alongside many other projects for various organizations. Still, my name and face never appeared on any of my songs or music. I was comfortable behind the scenes, and behind the scenes I would stay. Or so I thought. I created and worked on some meaningful songs, some with inspirational messages, and I often thought about sharing them, but I was convinced that there was no right way to do so.

Many of my close friends, specifically Shimi Adar and Bracha Jaffe, tried at various points to persuade me to share my music. Around two-and-a-half years ago, sometime close to Pesach, Shimi and I had an intense conversation about sharing my talent, which I believe was the first push that led me to what I’m doing today.

AAA

As we waited for the appointment date to arrive, the desperation to get my voice back increased. My mother kept calling the doctor’s office to try and obtain an earlier appointment. Each time, she’d ask if there were any

cancellations, and they’d repeat that there were none available that week.

overshadowed by immense relief that there was a chance that I’d be able to speak and sing again.

My mother and I worked in the same school, and I’d often visit her during recess break and remind her, with the wave of my phone, to try the doctor’s office. On one particularly challenging morning, I came to my mother, as usual, and motioned to ask her if she could try the doctor.

And then, we finally got a diagnosis. My relentless problem had a name. Vocal cord nodules.

By nature, I always see the world with rose colored glasses and try my best to find the silver lining in overcast moments.

It was overwhelming to be in a situation of such frustration.

It had been a difficult day teaching with no voice, and I felt like I was reaching the end of my rope.

My mother called the office on speakerphone, and I clearly heard the secretary’s response: “There are no cancellations this week, I’m sorry.”

These words punctured the already-weak dam inside of me, and I burst into tears. I stood there, in my mother’s office, trembling with the intensity of my silent cries. There I was, hot tears streaming down my face, shoulders heaving, but there was no sound in the room.

My mother begged the secretary to try and find something, but the doctor was out of town. We waited until the date of the original appointment arrived, and then finally I underwent the laryngoscopy. I recall being terrified of the cameras being sent down the back of my nose, but it turned out to be only mildly uncomfortable.

There was a large growth on each of my vocal cords.

This meant that rather than the cords rubbing against each other and producing a sound, the growths were rubbing against each other, making it pretty hard for my vocal cords to produce sound. To remove the growths, a very delicate surgery is necessary, and Dr. Woo quite frankly told me that, if the surgery can be avoided, he’d highly suggest it. Surgery on the vocal cords can often impair the voice, and if he did perform the surgery, he could not promise that it would not affect my voice negatively. In fact, there was a chance that if I did have the surgery, I’d never sing properly again.

I SUDDENLY REALIZED HOW OFTEN I SPEAK, AND HOW MUCH I HAD TAKEN COMMUNICATION, AND SINGING, FOR GRANTED. GONE WAS MY SOCIAL LIFE.

The night prior to the appointment, I had a long conversation with Shimi Adar. My voice was very weak at that point, but it was one of those days when it was possible for me to communicate. We discussed my situation over the past few months and how challenging it had been. I verbalized how I felt that this entire ordeal was an eerie confirmation of what I always believed: that Hashem can always take anything away from you, and a person should therefore not only not define themselves by their talents and abilities, but not feel haughty in any way. Because how can you, if all you have is G-d-given?

Still pondering these ideas, I sat in the doctor’s office, awaiting his diagnosis. When it came, the fear was

Desperate to avoid this surgery and preserve my voice, I asked him what was behind door #2. He explained that the second option would be to do everything possible to shrink the nodules on their own, without surgical intervention.

But it wouldn't be simple. It would require a lot of hard work and some drastic changes in my life.

“You name it, I’ll do it!” I said.

And so, Dr. Woo introduced plan B. The first and most important part of the recommended treatment was rigorous voice therapy.

Furthermore, in addition to the growths, there were other factors aggravating the issue. First, my entire throat cavity was very swollen due to environmental allergies. There was also a lot of silent acid present, and my adenoids are exceptionally large in size. Additionally, the structure of my nose, being very narrow inside, caused me to breathe through my mouth, further drying out the throat cavity.

After a long discussion about risks, treatment options, and follow-up measures, we finally left the office, a long list of next-steps in hand. I was to begin voice therapy immediately, obtain allergy sprays and shots to reduce the swelling, cut acid out of my diet, and schedule surgery to restructure and passages of my nose.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 43

Living Well

Cover Feature

When we returned after The Visit, I was a mess of emotions. Though the plan of action seemed insurmountable, I was so grateful to Hashem that there did exist a possibility of getting my voice back! I closed my eyes, and made a promise to Hashem.

Dear Hashem. I don’t know what will be. But I promise you this: If I get my voice back and I’m healthy and well, I will put my music out, with a focus on kiddush Sheim Shamayim. I will be sure to put out music with meaning, hopefully inspire people to come closer to Hashem, and encourage and uplift fellow Yidden. I will also take up every opportunity to do chesed and give to others with my gift.

I plunged right into weekly voice therapy sessions with my incredible voice therapist, Dr. Linda Caroll, and scheduled surgery for Friday, March 20, 2020. Dr. Caroll’s work has been amazing. In just a few weeks, my voice made a comeback. In mid-March, I returned to Dr. Woo and he confirmed that the nodules had already began to shrink.

I was very nervous to undergo the surgery, the first surgical procedure in my life. As the date approached, New York closed down due to COVID-19, and on Tuesday, March 17, just three days before my surgery was scheduled to take place, all elective surgeries, including mine, were cancelled.

Despite that, by the beginning of March, although my voice was still weak, it was strong enough for me to begin fulfilling my promise. With the hadracha and brachos from our rav, I began taking tiny steps and started to share my music with the frum female public. I was given some very special opportunities, such as performing live for Ezer Mizion in April, Neve Yerushalayim’s Virtually Limitless in June, and Bonei Olam in December, alongside others. I truly feel blessed to be given such special opportunities and I feel the Yad Hashem guiding me at all times.

I make a conscious effort to put out music with inspirational or uplifting messages, in line with my goal of inspiring and uplifting frum women. It’s important to me to bring music that both inspires and uplifts. “Zachreinu” was one project that carried the message of inspiration before Rosh Hashanah, while “Ah-Yay,” a music video I produced together with my close friend Bracha Jaffe, brought unity and joy to many during lockdown. It moved me to tears to hear that women who hadn’t opened a siddur in years were joining me for my monthly musical Hallel. Bringing smiles to the faces of sick women and girls through music is a big part of fulfilling my promise and I do my best to do so whenever an opportunity presents itself. It’s always a brachah to get beautiful feedback, as it is confirmation of the fact that my music is spreading the joy and inspiration of Yiddishkeit in Hashem’s world, one song at a time.

To have functioning vocal cords is such a blessing and gift that I value and appreciate in ways I haven’t before. It is a true joy, and I’m thrilled to share this joy—and the joy of being a Yid—with others.

Reflecting on the year gone by, I am awed at the whirlwind of brachah it’s been. I am so grateful to all those who continue to help me fulfill my promise, for the opportunities I’m given to share my music, and I daven that I remain worthy of the gift of my voice. For it’s all His to take, and His to give.

44 Wellspring | March 2021

Living Well

At the Dietitian By Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE

Hashimoto’s: Nutritional Strategies to Optimize Thyroid Function

I can likely speak for numerous practitioners when I say that Hashimoto’s, or autoimmune hypothyroidism, is at epidemic proportions. It seems that every day I meet a new client who reports this common condition when we review their medical history, and I would venture to say that levothyroxine (prescription thyroid medication) is one of the most commonly used medications in my practice. At some point in my development as a practitioner, I started to wonder: Why? Why is it so common for the body to start to attack and destroy the thyroid gland, necessitating the use of supplemental thyroid hormone drugs? What is it about our lifestyle, diet, and/or environmental exposure that is contributing to this epidemic, and is there anything we can do to prevent it?

The good news is that yes, there is plenty the average individual can do to prevent the development of Hashimoto’s if at risk, and to optimize natural function and prevent further progression once the autoimmune attack has already started to occur.

Remove Gluten Gluten sensitivity and undiagnosed celiac disease are high contributing factors to the development of leaky gut, which is a precursor to almost all autoimmune diseases, Hashimoto’s

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included. A strict gluten-free diet is the first step in a functional medicine approach to managing Hashimoto’s.

Reduce Stress The adrenal stress hormone cortisol can cause inflammation and promote autoimmune disease when elevated for chronic periods of time. Although easier said than done, learning how to manage or reduce stress is critical for healing of almost any health condition, including autoimmune hypothyroidism. I am often open to the use of adaptogenic herbs to mediate the body’s stress response, in addition to other stress management tactics.

Reduce Exposure to Environmental Toxins and Pesticides Use organic skincare products as much as possible, store food in glass rather than plastic, and avoid eating hot food on plastic plates. Choose organic food products as often as possible; at least for the “dirty dozen” heavily contaminated food list, as well as for grain products. Minimizing your exposure to pesticides, plastic chemicals, and other dangerous toxins and endocrine disruptors is a pivotal foundation to good health, including thyroid health.

Optimize Nutrient Status Many people with autoimmunity are deficient in basic nutrients to regulate the immune system, such as glutathione, omega 3s, and vitamin D3. Additionally, the thyroid gland needs good levels of specific nutrients in order to perform well, including iodine, zinc, selenium, tyrosine, and more.

Reduce Oxidation Oxidation of iodine in the thyroid gland has been implicated as one of the causes for the body attacking the thyroid gland. A plant-based diet, antioxidants such as glutathione, selenium and Vitamin C, and antioxidant nutraceuticals such as curcumin and resveratrol can be tremendously helpful in mitigating this oxidative stress.

Regulate blood sugar Blood sugar spikes with the accompanying insulin surges are pro-inflammatory. Elevated blood sugars over a chronic period of time can lead to a low-grade inflammation in the body that can trigger autoimmune thyroid disease. A

good-quality diet with minimal processed carbohydrates is the foundation for good thyroid health.

Address Chronic Infections

Gut infections such as SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), parasites, and disease-causing gut microbes can contribute to the development of autoimmune disease. Many of these infections can be addressed by improving gut bacterial balance through adapting diet, using herbs, and when needed, the select use of a short-term, targeted antibiotic.

Long-term viral infections can also be a contributing factor to autoimmune disease, so improving immune function to allow the body to tame the viral response is also key to healing.

Following the steps outlined above will improve almost all cases of autoimmunity, and specifically autoimmune thyroid disease. Consult with a competent dietitian to tailor supplement and diet recommendations to your particular needs based on your history and lab testing. A professional can also help you with practical tips to implement these changes easily into your daily life, with menu ideas, recipes, product recommendations, and shopping lists. With the right tools, you will be fast on the road to better health.

Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE is registered dietitian/nutritionist and certified diabetes educator with advanced training in functional medicine.

She maintains a busy nutrition practice in Lakewood, Edison, and via phone/videoconference to numerous international clients. She specializes in sustainable weight loss and nutrition therapy for autoimmune disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and female hormone imbalances. She can be reached at 732-364-0064 or through her website, www.thegutdietitian.com.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 47

Living Well

Humor By Rena Nathan

THE FOOD PANEL

We know our stuff, although you might not agree We are what we eat, the old saying proclaims. While many things can apply to a broad swathe of the millions of humans inhabiting Earth, our investigative team was determined to find out the answer to one pressing question: Could the frum community, united by so many basic precepts and concepts, be defined in the same way? That is, by what they eat?

MEET OUR PANELISTS:

Never deterred by a daunting challenge, we assembled a panel of five articulate, wise, and diverse people to share their opinion on the fare presented. With Purim upcoming, and on a Friday no less, we tailored the food choices to items you could find at any Purim or Shabbos seudah. Our goal was to determine if there is one food that can unite us all, define us all, and provide us with a blueprint toward a unified future.

48 Wellspring | March 2021

Newlywed: Chana Shira Goldman just got married and has moved to Eretz Yisrael. She is living a life of histapkus b’muat in her 22-square-meter apartment and is mastering the art of cooking for two. Truth be told, there may be a learning curve in the near future, as her husband, a self-proclaimed tzaddik and baal middos, is still vacillating daily over whether to share with her how much he abhors tuna fish.

Yeshiva Bachur: Millman. It doesn’t seem like any of the guys in his dirah know his first name, which is either evidence that he has yet to receive an aliyah, or that there are yet to be witnesses present when he davens Shacharis.

Regardless, he has a reputation as the ultimate food connoisseur, with a range of talents including the pairing of whiskey to petel, and the creation of liver with a reputation unchallenged by any takeout or delicatessen in the greater Jerusalem area.

Intuitive Eater: Shaindel Scheiner is a 46-year-old mother of seven. After spending years on the ups of the diet roller coaster, and decades on the downs, she has recently embraced the Intuitive Eating” trend. Simply put, this routine is a rejection of diet culture, instead embracing lifestyle changes and personal well-being decisions that will lead to long-term good health. So far, this has included a morning routine of responding to her body’s beckon for carnauba wax and calcium, in the form of gummy bears and coffee, respectively.

On the Market: Name Withheld. I mean, I’m okay with disclosing my identity, but only if you promise you won’t be forwarding this to another 500 potential shadchanim without my express permission. I know—I’ve been burnt before. Until I don’t hear from you (as has been the case with too many shadchanim over the past few days) let’s call me Sarala. I’m 21, in OT school, looking to marry a 2.5-year learner (about, I’m flexible like that), and heavily immersed in the parshah. (That heavy was no pun and should not be taken that way. I’m slaving away to maintain my size two because… well, shidduchim.)

Health Nut: Nutrition by Chaim. After earning his master’s degree in nutrition, Chaim discovered the world of frum Judaism and joined the Orthodox community. A beloved and good-natured member of his shul, he is best known for the delightful vegan cholent he insists on preparing for the oilem every Thursday night. Participants in the Leil Shishi event are treated to a range of informative subjects, including but not limited to: how many calories the average bowl of cholent contains; why one should only eat produce and beef from local, personally inspected farms; and the average lifespan of the average cholent eater. Suffice to say, it’s always standing room only.

Wine

Wine and other alcoholic beverages play a pivotal role in our weekly, yearly, and milestone events. “Nichnas yayin, yotzeh sod—When wine is imbibed, the secrets come out.” Our panelists share their deepest thoughts and firsthand experiences of beverages whose names they can pronounce, and those they think they can.

Chana Shira: NO

My husband doesn’t drink. I know we have Purim coming up, but I’m pretty sure that he never drank, he was always the “driver” in yeshivah when the guys went collecting. He did tell me that they were supposed to go to Flatbush one year and ended up in Patchogue, Long Island; but I’m pretty sure that was mainly a kiruv opportunity he had planned all along.

I don’t think he’s ever as much as touched a cigarette, in fact. To the best of my knowledge, it’s been him and his Gemara since he was five. I’ve even heard people refer to him as “Reb…” which is a major status signal of chashivus.

In the two months we’ve been married, he hasn’t shown anything but derision for alcohol; in fact, he basically refuses to drink the Israeli-brand grape juice I buy for Shabbos.

What? Yeah, he comes home very late Shabbos mornings. He likes to stay and be mesame’ach and share divrei Torah at all the kiddushim in town. He’s that kind of guy.

Millman: Avada

Sarala: Not really

Unless you like your calories in liquid form, which I’ve heard is not a good idea, why would you waste your daily measly allowance on something this bitter? You’re better off with a salad. For the high, there’s always exercise. It raises your dopamine level and things like that (plus offers much-needed toning too).

Works amazing for me before and after every bad date (which, given my still-single status, is all of them).

Shaindel: No, and yes

Our bodies crave balance and harmony. Alcohol intake disrupts the status quo and is toxic for our bodily systems. The only time your body might be asking for alcoholic intake is perhaps with a platter of good rumballs. Exceptions are made for the bottle of vanilla liquor after your child’s teacher calls for the fifth time in one week. In that case, rest assured that your psyche is downright demanding a way to numb the headache, lest you opt for something more rash—like attempting to discuss with said son why his math education plays a critical role in his high school experience.

All bachurim drink l’sheim Shamayim, always with a gevisser hecherkeit.

Is beer just beer?! Beer is a part of a seudas mitzvah, a shalom zachor in the dirah Friday night. Without it, there’s just a bunch of random guys who can’t think of anything to talk about besides for who is out of the Broom Closet in Brisk, and who has already made it into the Hallway. With beer, it’s a different ballpark. There’s a matzav, there’s singing, there’s random guys that you brought in from the street.

As far as wine, it’s a great thing, but only if you know how to drink it.

Too many times, I’ve seen those guys trying to swish around their stuff in a plastic cup, and then wait for all the admiring stares and applause. I bring my own wine glass to Shabbos seudos, and then give step-by-step demonstrations on how to hold, swish, and drink. There’s an art involved.

You have to think about it, move it in the right direction, be mekayem all the shitos, especially a Chazon Ish shiur.

Chaim: NO

I think the dangers of alcoholism have largely been ignored by the frum community. Each year, a month before Purim, I write to the inbox of every popular magazine, advising about blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, stroke, and of course, chillul Hashem. I think I’ve convinced three quarters of the population. This year I’m marketing a popular alternative to alcohol called Kombucha—black tea with a sprinkling of homegrown bacteria. People tell me that if they are ad d’lo yada, they can barely tell the difference.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 49

Living Well

Humor

Deli Roll

An imperative choice at any function worth its nitrates, deli roll is an easy and most adaptable food, making it a favorite of balabustas everywhere. With its immense popularity among all age groups, we were curious to see how our panel would react.

Chana Shira: YES

I make deli roll every Shabbos. Since we only eat one hechsher, and besides, deli meat is super expensive, I invented my own version using leftover chicken from the soup. First, I do a layer of smushed chicken, and then top it with a layer of the fatty stuff from the top; it really adds extra flavor. Add onions, roll, and bake.

My husband never finishes his on Shabbos. He says he likes to save the leftovers for the week and brings it with him to yeshivah. I imagine they must be crazy over it there, cuz every week he asks to put aside more and more.

Shaindel: YES

Our body is made up of countless layers, from the blood and organs to the muscle tissue and skin. When we eat food in layers, it is responding to our natural instinct to replicate what we are familiar with. Puff pastry is a layered dough, similar to skin, especially after a three-day Yom Tov. Mayonnaise, onions, pastrami, turkey—these can all be readily equated with whatever you like. Be creative. I mean, my 17-year-old told me yesterday that my chin is starting to sag, which fulfills the turkey analogy just fine.

Remember, we have to respond to our bodies, and that means knowing our bodies. Nowadays, I have a name for each and every varicose vein.

Millman: YES

The best type of deli roll is the type a guy makes in his dirah.

We’ve got a George Foreman, and at least half a fleishig radiator (the other half alternates between milchig, pareve, and Ask a Sh’eilah). I have “in” with the guy from Yoeli’s—basically taught him how to say “Ani lo medaber Ivris” like a seminary girl—and he is in eternal debt to me. He saves me all the extra cold cuts, the ends that are perfect and juicy, and also the pieces that people breathe on but don’t actually end up eating.

Chevreh, take notes; this is the only way to make deli roll, v’kol hamarbeh, harei zeh meshubach. Ershte is, deep-fry everything you’ve got on the radiator until it looks like a heart attack. Then, layer it on puff pastry, cover that with beer, and then do the weekly challenge of adding a makolet ingredient that is unidentifiable. This week’s was soda l’shtiyah…which turns out is baking soda. Klein said he thought it was confectionary sugar, and that it tasted sweet to him—which I guess is what happens when you smoke a pack a day. Take pictures on yenne guy’s phone, so that you can never show your mother. Can be eaten hot, cold, and seven days old.

Sarala: How could you???

What’s the oneg Shabbos in knowing you’ll be four ounces more on the scale just a few hours later? Beats me. I’m better off with what I call “deconstructed deli roll.” It’s basically cabbage in raw form, with mustard as the dressing, in case you’re wondering how I’m the only girl still wearing her belt at shalosh seudos.

Chaim: NO

When we first starting hosting for Shabbos, my wife wanted our meal to resemble the fare of any other table in the community. She insisted on cooking all sorts of things we would never otherwise let into our house—white challah in place of whole spelt, potato kugel instead of zucchini-kohlrabi, and of course the infamous deli roll. I pleaded with her ad nauseum, delivering inspiring talks over the sizzle of onions about saturated fat, nitrates, and some other things I invented to try and stir some Jewish guilt.

It was not to be, however, and that Shabbos day, she proudly emerged from the kitchen bearing a tray of oversized deli roll that she spent 25 minutes slicing, since apparently, deli doesn’t lend itself to neat plating. I was prepared for the challenge, however, with a centerpiece of my own. Our Shabbos table that day was complete with an untouched deli roll, and three cups: one filled with the amount of margarine one consumes per serving, one with the amount of salt, and of course, one with the amount of sugar. A great conversation piece, if you ask me.

Which is ironic, because my wife didn’t speak to me for a month afterward.

50 Wellspring | March 2021

Fish

Every heimishe home has fish at their Shabbos seudah, regardless of whether or not people actually like it. It’s the ultimate appetizer, whether presented as gefilte, salmon, or some elaborate stacked variation of both. In our final round, we await with “baited” breath; perhaps mazal Adar will swing all five votes in the affirmative this time.

Chana Shira: YES

Fish is a favorite of my husband’s. I think it’s because of the famous mashal from Rabbi Akiva, about a fish in water, and a Yid learning Torah. When I was in seminary, I ate by an Israeli family who served fish with a silver tint—turns out they ground the scales up with the fish to give it that color! I thought that was beautiful, especially since it keeps with the theme of “Tov li Toras picha mei’alfei zahav v’chesef.” I serve it every Shabbos, while humming “Ki haTorah koleles,” as I lay it on the table.

Happens to be that I don’t eat it myself, since I’m not such a fish person…but my husband loves it. He has a special drink that he saves to drink it with; it looks like water, but he says “Ahhhh” after he swallows. Says it’s good for the throat. Hmmm, I need to find that old water bottle he keeps it in, my throat’s been itching today; maybe it has some lemon extract or something that will soothe it.

Oh, and he loooves tuna fish. I make it every single day for lunch.

You should see his face when he walks in and smells it; he even says the first few lines of Mesilas Yesharim out loud, so as not to be overcome by his taavas achilah. I may have to start saving it for special occasions only; I don’t want him to get bored of it.

Shaindy: YES Intuitive eating is about responding to your body, being aware of and acknowledging what you need at any given moment. Now, I think it’s fair to take it a step further, not only in terms of food itself, but as applies to food preparation. For example, your body never craves any food that requires more than 30 minutes of your time to assemble. That’s why, in the olden days, people were much thinner—they had to take all the factors of food preparation into account, including shlepping water from the well, collecting eggs, killing chickens…the allure just dies when you take all that into consideration.

Which is why, although I’m not the biggest fish fan myself, I am giving this an emphatic “yes.” Any recipe that only requires me to drop a frozen roll of something into water with a few carrots has my approval. In the same “add water and cook” category is Tradition soups, cocoa, pudding, and the kid who scissored my sheitel yesterday.

Millman: YES

Crazy story, but I was in Tzfas the other Shabbos, and I ate by this random guy; the fellow said he was either the Baal Shem Tov or the Gaon, I forget. He served a fish that he somehow found and caught in the Arizal’s mikvah. Oilem, can I tell you; I’ve never tasted such a fish before. I don’t know exactly what was in it, but we left that house on such a high…We spent the night dancing and doing other things I don’t remember in the Carlebach shul.

I’ve been trying to call him to get the recipe, but it seems like he doesn’t carry a phone, and you can only reach him via telegraph. I’ll be happy to share with you once I receive it. Stay tuned for breaking news.

Sarala: My nutritionist says yes

So I used to eat at least one serving of cooked salmon every day, even if it meant having to eat my lunch in solitude in the college hallway. But then I went through a period of abstinence—I heard that salmon was high in fat! With much convincing of my nutritionist, who swore that fish has nutrients with weight loss properties, and that certain fats actually don’t make us fat, I’m back at it. Meet you in the hallway!

Chaim: YES, but no

Finally, a food I can get on board with (well, almost). Fish is a crucial part of our diet. Sardines for breakfast, tuna for lunch, and occasionally, flounder for supper. I think there is an unexplored market out there in terms of fish-related delicacies— omega-3 ice cream, tilapia turnovers…the options are endless.

I would, however, like to make a critical point here about creamed herring (sorry, seasoned recipe developer). This is not a healthy food. I have personally replaced all the herring options at my shul’s kiddush with my famous vegan cholent containing high-in-protein tofu and enough lima beans, lentils, and chia to pack a real punch. The old-timers love smearing it all over their kichel. Those congregants who can see…not so much. But they’ll come around, I’m sure.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 51

Living Well

Health Personality By Malka Sharman

Cup of Tea With:

A

As a “non-diet dietitian,” Lakewood-based Aliza Wallach-Abish’s mission is clear: “My focus is on helping you eat better, rather than helping you shed pounds.” With this mindset, Aliza helps her clients focus on learning how to eat by listening to their bodies. But Aliza doesn’t only know how important this is; she’s also aware of the resistance many have toward the concept. “If you’re rolling your eyes, thinking, ‘These nice concepts don’t work for me in real life,’ you’re not alone,” she says. “Almost every individual I work with is incredulous when we start the journey, but after working with individuals with many different body types and lifestyles, I can assure you that everyone can follow through with this mindset on a very practical level.”

Much has been written, including in the pages of this magazine, on the upand-coming science of intuitive eating.

The concept, most agree, sounds ideal— listen to your body and you’ll know what it needs. Sounds rosy enough, but what does this look like in real life?

“Intuitive eating looks different for each person,” Aliza points out. “I help people learn how to eat intuitively and listen to what their body needs, learn to tell when they’re hungry, when they’re satisfied, and which foods will nourish them physically and physiologically.

When we rely on the scale to tell us how to eat it disrupts the natural way of eating and confuses the body.”

Innately a people’s person, Aliza had her heart set on a career that would allow her to work with people and make a dif-

52 Wellspring | March 2021

Aliza WallachAbish, BS, RDN OCCUPATION: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

LOCATION: Lakewood, NJ

PASSION: Helping others improve their physical and emotional well-being through nutrition

SHE WISHES YOU WOULD KNOW: There’s more to life than dieting

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 53

Living Well

Health Personality

ference in their lives. Her affinity toward emotional and physical well-being, combined with her family’s longstanding healthy lifestyle, guided Aliza to her dietetics practice. Her instinctive ability to connect with others comes as a valuable asset in making her clients feel at ease and understood around her.

Originally from Montreal, Aliza is currently running a private practice in Lakewood, specializing in eating disorders. Additionally, she works part-time in a partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient program in Paramus, where she counsels patients with eating disorders.

In the field of dietetics, Aliza encounters many misconceptions around dieting on a daily basis.

“In China, various methods were employed to shrink or lengthen the foot to achieve the ‘ideal’ shoe size. To us, this mindset seems ludicrous, but we’re not all that different when we try that with our bodies. Some people will never be a certain size, simply because their physique is not meant to be that. Going to extreme lengths in order to become or look the figure you would like can be dangerous and as ludicrous as trying to change a shoe size.”

Aliza points out another distorted concept she meets in her practice. “Carbs get an awfully bad rap. When this comes up in discussions with my clients—which is quite often, I explain that the body, particularly the brain, relies heavily on carbohydrates as their main source of energy. Subsequently, the brain is wired to seek them, especially when it’s not receiving them in adequate amounts, or if it fears it won’t be getting enough, like when you consciously decide to cut them out of your food plan.

“Carbohydrates are also essential to keep the blood sugar from dropping too low. If that happens—as it often does in a low-carb diet, the brain will actually release neurotransmitters that trigger the senses to seek out any high-carb foods available, making them look way more enticing. A classic example of this phenomenon occurs on fast days. The brain sees more food than it probably sees on a regular day and the food looks way more appealing than it did the other day, because it’s not receiving enough carbs. A woman once told me, ‘When my children come home from school, I eat their leftover wafers that sat in a bag on the bottom of their briefcase, soggy and squished. And I don’t even like wafers!’ Ironically, people who attempt to cut carbs end up feeling out of control around those very foods, without realizing that this is actually their body’s way of protecting them.”

To steer clear of this vicious cycle—restricting and bingeing, Aliza advises people not to cut carbohydrates out of their diets.

“Instead, learn to eat them in a way that feels good to your body.

Trusting oneself around all foods is something we work on extensively at my practice and it is amazing to see women learn to do 54 Wellspring | March 2021

that, which ultimately empowers them to make food choices that are healthy for them. A woman once came to a session looking ecstatic. She happily shared that she was able to keep a fresh cake on her counter all week long, enjoying but not overeating from it.

That’s what happens when we stock our body properly.”

The Three Factors

In her year of intense internship, Aliza had the opportunity to work with and observe others who worked with eating disorders. “Seeking to make a difference, something about this field appealed to me,” she relates. Inspired by the work she observed others engage in with such passion and success, Aliza embarked upon her own career path in helping individuals dealing with eating disorders and disordered eating. “The ability to provide support and step-by-step guidance toward healthy eating, as well as the empathy I can extend toward others are what I love about my work.”

The three main eating disorders Aliza deals with are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. “These are the primary eating disorders, and when the eating habits don’t fit under these three categories, the diagnosis is usually referred to as an ‘unspecified eating disorder.’ I also work with gastrointestinal disorders or other digestive discomforts since ninety-eight percent of people suffering from an eating disorder will experience these disorders too.

“Interestingly, when I tell people that I work in the eating disorder field, what often comes to mind is a frail, emaciated teenager who avoids food, induces vomiting, and is discernibly malnourished. Honestly, that’s what I thought as well before I began working with eating disorders. But contrary to this notion, eating disorders can hide in all sizes, bodies, and figures,” Aliza remarks.

She meets this fixed, wrong perception in her office daily. “After properly assessing an eating disorder, I frequently face resistance when trying to convey the diagnosis. Often a client will challenge me, ‘How can I have an eating disorder if I do eat?’ or ‘I’m not thin enough to have an eating disorder.’ Here’s the catch: if you are not nourishing your body adequately, it’s harming your body and mind regardless of your size or weight. Some bodies are genetically able to hold onto body fat easier than others, which means that the body is good at protecting itself from starvation and from losing too much weight. For this reason, neither weight nor body size can be an indicative factor for an eating disorder diagnosis.

“That being said, many people with an eating disorder do display very obvious signs. It’s critical to know these symptoms so you can help them get the proper help. You never want to take those symptoms lightly.

“Eating disorders are multifaceted; they’re biopsychosocial,

which implies the different factors. Bio refers to the biological aspect of the disorder since there are genetic components at play.

It has been proven that individuals may have a predisposition to develop an eating disorder due to genetics—though it is not a given.” says Aliza. “People get alarmed when I share this, but similar to any mental illness that may have genetic factors, an eating disorder could too.”

Eating disorders can also be the result of psychological issues.

“Perfectionists, people who are more rigid thinking, people who suffer from higher stress and anxiety levels, and a myriad of other psychological factors can set you up for an unhealthy relationship with food,” Aliza notes. “In addition, a traumatic event in one’s life that impacts the overall emotional and psychological well-being can also catapult an eating disorder.”

To illustrate how anxiety can disrupt regular eating habits, Aliza employs a metaphor. “Suppose you were having a picnic outside and along came a tiger. Would you continue eating or run for your life? Obviously, your body will quickly turn to panic mode, and you will run, leaving all the food behind. This is why I often have clients tell me they are just not hungry, or even feel nauseous from food. Some people have such high anxiety that the body perceives it as danger and enables the fight-or-flight response. The body will activate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which is the same reaction used for actual threats and emergencies. Consequently, you will not be thinking of food or eating. On the same note, because your body is using so much energy to give you adrenaline (fight-or-flight response) an inadequate amount of energy will be directed toward digestion, making it even harder for your body to be properly nourished.”

Then there’s the social element. “We live in an unprecedented culture where body image, thinness, and weight loss are getting way too much focus and attention. For some, being surrounded by these values can cause them to become abnormally obsessed and trigger an eating disorder. Even those of us who aren’t obsessed with the ‘diet culture’ fall to it when it comes to shidduchim, simchos, or anything pertaining to public life. Sometimes we don’t even realize how strongly we are affected by the culture, and how much these values have infiltrated internally.”

Those are the factors, but what actually happens to someone who has fallen into the traps of an eating disorder? “There are many emotional or psychological issues an individual with an eating disorder will develop because they are not feeding their body—especially the brain—with proper nutrition. Every part of our body malfunctions when it’s undernourished, including the mind. Needless to say, an eating disorder quickly turns into a medical problem as well, since the body does not receive the nutrients it desperately needs.”

The Road to Recovery While the effects are grim, Aliza has some relieving data to share: “Once properly diagnosed, most clients want to recover.

They don’t want to be stuck in their vicious eating cycle. It can be tough, and the work requires a tremendous amount of resilience, perseverance, and commitment, but I’ve seen many clients turn their unhealthy relationship with food into a beautiful, nurturing experience.”

Referring to one of the more severe cases she’s treated, Aliza shares, “A young woman came to me for a consultation, but due to the severity of the disorder and time that had gone by without treatment I immediately sent her to the emergency room for an urgent medical evaluation. The client was admitted to the hospital due to grave medical complications and concerns. She needed to be medically monitored through the initial refeeding process, because her body was so malnourished. After two weeks of hospitalization, the client was considered medically stable and was discharged. Upon her discharge, she came back to see me and asked to continue working together. In our sessions she confided how she had tried to avoid being hospitalized at all costs, but now that she was on her way to recovery, she was glad I’d forced her to go because that step got her started on her recovery process. Baruch Hashem, the client is out of the woods, eating properly, and enjoying a healthy relationship with food.”

Aliza collaborates with a group of medical professionals to properly help her clients. Many people are not ready to see a dietitian as their first step in recovery, but rather need medical attention, such as hospitalization, before beginning the process.

Aliza is trained to distinguish between the different degrees of an eating disorder so that she can properly assess where a patient needs to begin her recovery when she is evaluated.

“The work is taxing but so rewarding. I get to meet the most amazing individuals who are ready to invest so much energy into making this major shift. For a person with an eating disorder, seeing a dietitian can be life-altering in every aspect. My clients inspire me daily as they recount their struggles and triumphs. This is what keeps me going despite the emotional and physical hard work my job requires.”

While learning new habits and developing new thinking patterns takes time and work, the earlier a disorder is nipped in the bud, the better the chances for recovery. And so, Aliza implores, “Eating disorders can have serious medical complications and can be fatal. The good thing is that they do not manifest overnight. Therefore, if you are concerned about your or a loved one’s eating habits seek help immediately. Early intervention is proven to give the best prognosis and full recovery.”

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 55

Living Well

Health Personality

Eating Disorder Red Flags An eating disorder is generally defined as a range of psychological conditions that cause an unhealthy relationship with food to develop. Because the definition is so broad, and there are several different eating disorders—with almost contradictory symptoms for each—it’s hard to outline general red flags. Here are just some that can point to one eating disorder or the other. Eating disorders can manifest in physical symptoms and/or emotional symptoms.

Physical Symptoms

• Rapid, extreme weight loss or gain is generally the most apparent indication of an underlying eating disorder. Although weight loss can be a symptom of other medical conditions, and not necessarily an eating disorder, extreme weight loss is never a good sign and requires immediate medical attention. (The point at which unexplained weight loss becomes a medical concern is not exact. But according to Mayo Clinic, if unexplained loss of more than 5 percent of body weight occurs within six months to a year, a medical evaluation is in order.)

• Extreme fatigue

• Dizziness, especially when standing • Loss of menstruation cycle

• Evidence of binge eating, including disappearance of large amounts of food in a short time, or finding lots of empty food wrappers or containers • Scarred knuckles from repeatedly inducing vomiting

• Irregular body temperature, feeling colder than usual Behavioral Symptoms

• Abnormal fear of weight gain. People who suffer from an eating disorder will generally display an extreme fear of gaining weight. They will often go to extreme lengths to avoid weight gain, such as exercising relentlessly, misusing laxatives, inducing vomiting, or dieting to the point of starvation.

• Wearing loose-fitting, bulky clothes to hide body • Avoiding mealtimes or eating in front of others • Denying that extreme thinness is a problem • Overly preoccupied with food

• Cutting out a lot of foods from one’s diet

• Obsession with body image. Many of us are obsessed to some extent, but an individual with an eating disorder will exhibit the obsession to a much higher degree.

Emotional Symptoms • Lack of emotion • Flat moods

56 Wellspring | March 2021

Living Well

Journal

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

By Aryeh Leib

So at first, I decided to not even touch sugar. It sounds like “just one commitment,” but boy, did I get myself into a tight boundary with that one.

I told myself I wouldn’t consume any added sugar at all.

So now, not only did I have to look carefully at every single food label, I learned that sugar was hiding in many foods I would’ve never imagined.

Of course, I knew there was sugar in ice cream and cake.

But what I didn’t know was that sugar lurks in the most unlikely places too. I found sugar on the ingredient list of my favorite snack, which I didn’t think needed sugar at all.

And there was sugar in yogurt, in fruit juices, and even in applesauce. There’s sugar in (regular) peanut butter, in many cooking sauces, and in too many savory recipes, including salads and chicken. If I wanted to seriously cut sugar out of my diet, I realized, I would have to start eating much less store-bought food, even what would have passed as “healthy” before my commitment, and to start preparing much more food at home (or rely on the kindness of my wife, Simi, to do so!).

For one week straight, I was off sugar completely. It was a self-imposed reset that did wonders for me, but was also kind of challenging. Okay, let’s be honest, very, very challenging. Changing a habit is no simple feat, and I was ac-

customed to eating whatever I saw without giving it a second thought. Cookies in the staff room, yogurt from the fridge, and of course, eating whatever supper Simi prepared, whether it was sesame chicken or sweet-and-sour poppers or homemade pizza. These suppers are still from the better foods, being that they’re homemade and also contain some real food, but still — my commitment was a commitment.

So even if I wasn’t limiting my portions in any way (just yet!), and was munching on fruits and vegetables all day long, I already felt much better. I went through loads of rice cake packets (none of them chocolate-covered, of course), a few eggs at a meal, two chicken bottoms or a balabatish piece of meat for supper along with a heaping serving of fries — but there was no sugar whatsoever.

One morning, I almost dredged my salad in store-bought dressing when I stopped myself to read the label. There was sugar there too! And sugar goes by quite a few names, hiding behind sophisticated-sounding words you’d never know are really the same enemy. I’ll tell you more about that next time — and also about my withdrawal symptoms, which were very, very real.

To be continued...

Healthier Hamantasch This is one of the more involved recipes in my repertoire, but that’s why I don’t make it every day. For me, Purim used to mean literally loading up on food and more food from beginning to end of the Yom Tov. It started with the “I fasted all day!” excuse and kept going and going — and I alternated all the food with constant sips of wine. Today, when I’m not so focused on “What can I eat next?” (though I will admit that my shvigger’s delicacies are hard to resist!) I enjoy so much more of the essence of the Yom Tov.

So how do I make healthier hamantaschen in place of the jam-filled, storebought type that I used to wolf down a box at a time? I don’t really make it, that’s the truth. Simi leaves over a piece of her pre-Purim challah dough for me, and the rest is easy as pie. This way, when I sit down the Purim seudah, I enjoy my hamantasch as my hamotzi, and I’ve fulfilled the minhag too.

olive oil, for sautéing onions, sliced

pulled beef (any cooked meat, separated into small pieces)

spices, including salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder mustard

spelt challah dough (with thanks to my wife) Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sauté onions in a pot with olive oil. Add the beef, spices, and some squirts of mustard.

Roll out dough and cut into circles. Place a tablespoon of beef mixture onto each circle and fold up hamantasch-style. Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, until challah is golden.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 59

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Sparkling with Joy 6 adages to live by

Wellbeing

Emotional Eating By Shira Savit

Punctuation Reframe

Replacing the statement with a question can help you get in touch with yourself When we try to lose weight or improve our nutrition, we are usually focused on making healthier food choices. For example, we might aim to replace processed, refined snacks with healthier whole grain alternatives. We might decide to fill our plate with more vegetables rather than rice and potatoes. We might choose to have spelt matzah at our Shabbos seudah in place of white challah.

While all these choices promote healthier food intake, I encourage my clients to focus just as much on having a healthier mind intake.

In other words, consider the following: What are the messages my mind is telling me? Do they lead me toward a healthier emotional state or do my thoughts leave me feeling down and depleted? We can develop a healthier mind intake by learning to replace judgment with curiosity. I call this the “Punctuation Mark Reframe.”

Instead of a period, punctuate your thoughts with a question mark.

62 Wellspring | March 2021

Elisheva had been working with me for a few weeks when she reported that she was feeling much better about her breakfast and lunch options and was even feeling good about the structure/timing of her meals. However, when 5:00 p.m. hit, she would “lose it.”

She found herself eating foods she knew she didn’t want and was feeling so defeated. In our session, she said, “I completely sabotage myself in the afternoon. I am so good for most of the day and then I just lose control later on. I wish I could just have one normal afternoon without endless overeating. I know I don’t even want the chocolate and other nosh, but I can’t get myself to stop.” I encouraged Elisheva to begin to replace her self-judgment and criticism with some curiosity about her unwanted eating. I suggested she ask herself: What purpose might my binging bash serve?

I asked Elisheva: “Instead of using a period—i.e., making a statement about your eating—can you switch it to a question mark?

Instead of, ‘I sabotage myself in the afternoon,’ ask yourself, ‘Why do I feel like I sabotage my eating in the afternoon?’ Instead of, ‘I was good all day and now I lost control,’ ask yourself, ‘Why is it easier for me to be “good” at breakfast and lunch? Why do I feel like I am losing control in the late afternoons?’ Instead of, ‘I know I don’t want the chocolate,’ ask yourself, ‘What need is this chocolate serving for me right now?

Is it emotional? Physical? Maybe both?’ This is not about ‘figuring it out’ and having the answers. It’s about asking yourself some questions, with gentle curiosity, as opposed to attacking yourself with harsh judgment.”

Would you go up to the child and say, “Here, have some chocolate bars and a box of Oreos. This should solve your problems.”

I like to use an analogy that helps in making the shift from criticism to curiosity and compassion. Suppose you’re at the supermarket and you see a young child who looks lost and is crying. What would you do? Would you go over to the child and say, “Shame on you. You shouldn’t have separated from your mother. You should know that getting lost is very irresponsible. You must not be mature enough to go to the store with your mother.”

Would you go up to the child and say, “Here, have some chocolate bars and a box of Oreos. This should solve your problems.”

Or would you approach the child, with concern and curiosity, and say, “Sweetie, why are you crying? Are you lost? Did you get hurt? Do you know your mother’s phone number? Do you want me to take you to the cashier to make an announcement on the loudspeaker? What can I do to help you?” The same compassionate tone and message that we give this lost child is how we can learn to speak to ourselves when we feel “lost” in our cycle of overeating and emotional eating. Instead of rebuking ourselves for our actions, we can use the question mark to reframe, asking

ourselves questions like: What do you need? What will help you feel better emotionally? How can you connect to yourself ? Maybe you need some down time? Are you looking for validation? By using the Punctuation Reframe we start to become empowered and solution-oriented.

Elisheva was pleased to discover that developing curiosity about her eating behaviors helped her become less engrossed in judgmental thoughts. This freed up negative emotional energy, which, in turn, led her to explore empowering solutions. Elisheva realized that her 5:00 p.m. bingeing was a coping method she had developed in response to the anxiety she felt when her six children walked in the door, all around the same time, who all needed attention in different ways. Like the mother seeking to understand what the lost child needed, Elisheva came to see that questions led to solutions rather than more self-condemnation. A few days later, she admitted that would never have made this connection had she not been encouraged to ask those questions. “When I just stayed annoyed and frustrated at myself, I couldn’t make any changes,” she related. “But now, I can actually begin to think about how to help myself.” By replacing the period with the question mark, Elisheva turned around a specific habitual behavior that had caused her so much distress. She learned different, healthy coping mechanisms to ease her anxiety, and these kept her feeling emotionally supported during those challenging afternoon hours. After a few weeks, Elisheva was curious to know: What happened to all of that afternoon bingeing?

Let us use the v’nahafoch hu energy of Purim to turn our judgments into questions and discover the true royalty that lies within.

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.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 63

Wellbeing

Feature

A Dose a Day ) ! e r o (Or M 64 Wellspring | March 2021

6 secrets to simchah Joy, joy, joy. It’s at the core of everything we seek. Where do we find the sparkles?

Six adages to live by, directly from Torah sources. While maintaining a state of simchah may require constant work, here are six instant injections that can fill your heart with joy right now.

By Shiffy Friedman

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 65

Wellbeing

Feature

My Own Plate “Eizehu ashir? Hasamei’ach b’chelko—Who is rich? He who is happy with his share.”

(Avos 4:1) Rav Yankele Galinsky, the famed maggid from Bnei Brak, would say that his mother taught him how to put this into practice, quite literally, from a very young age. When he would sit at the crowded kitchen table with his siblings and complain that his sister or brother got more pudding or cake, she would answer gently, “Yankele, dear, look into your own plate.”

“This became my mantra for life,” Rav Yankele would later relate. “When I see that others have more than me—and this will always happen—I remind myself gently, ‘Yankele, look into your own plate.’”

This is my lot. My personality, my spouse, my children, my parents. What I have is tailor-made for me. The less I look into others’ plates, the happier I will be.

Dose of Joy: When I find myself sidetracked by what others have or achieved, I can remind myself, “Please look into your own plate.”

So Much Good “V’samachta b’chol hatov—You shall rejoice with all the good that Hashem, your G-d, gave you and your household.”

(Devarim 26:11) As human beings, we have a tendency to always want more. But with this pasuk, commanded to the Yidden upon bringing their first fruit to the Beis Hamikdash, the Torah reminds us to focus on the good we do have. This does not mean we’re denying our pain or lack. It means we’re choosing to be happy. When we focus on the good in our life, we take notice of our blessings, and we invite joy into our hearts.

Dose of Joy: For right now, I’m choosing to see the good in my life. I’m choosing to be happy.

66 Wellspring | March 2021

Solved “Ein simchah k’hataras hasfeikus—There is no joy like the joy of solving a dilemma.”

(Metzudas Dovid, Mishlei 15:30) I still remember the radiant smile of my high school halachah teacher, who first taught me this pasuk, alluding to the joy one feels when they lead their life according to the dictates of the Shulchan Aruch. Being stuck in a predicament and feeling uncertain about which route to take propels us into a state of stress. Living according to the dictates of a guidebook written by our own Creator takes so much angst out of our lives and enables us to feel at peace and content with our decisions.

Dose of Joy: When I’m in a dilemma, I can ask myself, “What does Hashem want from me now?” When the answer isn’t black and white, I can daven for more clarity and consult with a Torah-guided authority.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 67

Wellbeing

Feature

Spiritual Pursuits “Yismach lev mevakshei Hashem—May the heart of those who seek Hashem rejoice.”

(Tehillim 105:3) The Chafetz Chaim would say that not only is every Jew who lives with Hashem happy in his heart, but even a person who seeks Hashem already feels that joy. Contrary to what the yetzer hara attempts to deceive us into believing, joy does not emanate from physical pursuits. True joy comes from spiritual achievement, from connecting to Hashem, from engaging in Torah and mitzvos, from overcoming our inclination, and from doing what is right.

Dose of Joy: Which spiritual deed can I engage in right now?

What Can I Do for You? “Every positive emotion stems from giving.”

(Rav Eliyahu Dessler, Michtav Me’Eliyahu, Kuntres Hachessed 35–38) In his groundbreaking essay on loving-kindness, Rav Dessler notes that every positive emotion “flows outward from us to others, whereas every negative emotion revolves around taking for selfish motives.”

While it may seem counterintuitive, when we feel that we need so much—when we feel depleted and wiped—giving to others will actually fill us with an indescribable joy. We learn this from the word ‫“( ונתנו‬and they shall give”), which reads the same in Hebrew both forward and backward. In addition to the many virtues of giving, when we give, we get back in return.

Dose of Joy: Which chessed can I perform right now? (Charity begins at home, so that’s an opportunity right there.)

State of Joy “Mitzvah gedolah l’hiyos b’simchah tamid—It is a great mitzvah to be in a state of joy, always.”

(Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan 24) Rav Aharon of Karlin was known to say that while simchah in itself is not a mitzvah, it can lead to the greatest mitzvos; while sadness in itself is not an aveirah, it can lead to the greatest aveiros. When we set happiness as a goal, we’re enabling ourselves to lead a more wholesome, fulfilled life. In our desire to attain this goal, we will seek out those pursuits that help us experience this emotion and distance ourselves from anything that inhibits us from reaching that state.

Dose of Joy: Right now, I will do whatever it takes (within the bounds of Torah) to achieve a state of simchah. Right now, I will distance myself from thoughts and environments that bring me down.

68 Wellspring | March 2021

The Happiness Perspective Eradicating Amalek from our hearts As mentioned in the article, one of the Torah’s directives toward leading a life of joy is focusing on the blessings in our life. The villain in the megillah, Haman, exhibited the exact opposite of this trait, as is evident in his famous words, “V’chol zeh eineni shoveh li—All the great things I have in life are not worth anything to me,” because one humble Jew by the name of Mordechai wasn’t bowing down to him. The wealthy Haman had a large family, was the king’s most prominent minister, and every single citizen bowed down to him, extending the greatest level of respect he could have ever wished for. How could he not take note of the many blessings he had in his life?

That is the question a Yid who stops to examine his level of simchah might ask himself.

I’m infinitely blessed. So why is it that I’m not always in good spirits, full of happiness and joy?

What leads me down the “v’chol zeh eineni shoveh li” path even if I know in my mind that it’s wrong?

Why do I constantly keep seeing the dark side of my spouse and/or children? Of myself ?

Let’s trace back Haman’s lineage to his equally villainous ancestor, Amalek, whom Haman personified, to understand what it is that enables the “v’chol zeh eineni shoveh li” perspective, even if it makes no sense. What was Amalek’s endeavor? What did he wish to accomplish in his encounter with Klal Yisrael?

“Asher karcha baderech—Who made cold for you on the way.” Amalek—and by default Haman— knew exactly what it took to live a life of no gratitude and no joy: to live with a cold heart. No one understood the meaning of emotional disconnection as well as they did. Haman had so much going for him but because he lived his life with a cold heart, disconnecting himself from the goodness in his life, he could not feel blessed. Even if Mordechai would have bowed down to him, he wouldn’t have

been happy either.

When we disconnect ourselves from the blessings in our life, we can’t feel simchah, no matter how blessed we are.

What’s the change I can do today to feel more simchah, to move further away from Amalek and closer to Hashem? I can thaw my heart by making a choice: a choice to focus on the blessings in my life.

Whether or not the story of Purim feels relevant to me, the story of my life certainly is. I want to feel happy and I will do what it takes to get there. What can I do right now? I can make a commitment to focus on the good in my life. It’s small, it’s not lofty, but it’s real. And the change it generates is real too.

I can choose to see the good people Hashem surrounds me with. I can choose to see the good in my life, from the small things to the big ones I don’t know how I would live without. I can choose to focus on that one good business deal that turned our lives around, the one amazing friend Hashem sent my way, the one positive attribute in my spouse that enhances my life every day. When my focus is on the good in my life, there’s a one hundred percent chance I will see it everywhere.

The simchah we experience on Purim is not necessarily dependent on how much we connect to the neis that happened thousands of years ago. Rather, it is dependent on how intent we are on seeing the nissim—Hashem’s gifts—we have in our own lives.

When we choose to focus on the kindness Hashem showers us with at every second, not only will we feel more grateful, but we will also feel a real, internal simchah that comes from feeling beloved, taken care of, and cherished.

As Hashem’s beloved children, that’s who we are.

This kind of happiness is not fleeting; no one can take it away from us. And it helps thaw our heart so we can start appreciating others and ourselves, as well.

In her practice as an LMSW, Shiffy Friedman realized that her knowledge in psychology was not helpful in healing the infinitely profound nefesh. An intensive search led her to discover the Torah’s direction toward a more connected life. To sign up to receive Shiffy’s weekly message on this subject, write to emotionalwellnessthroughTorah@gmail.com

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 69

Wellbeing

Humor

T 70 Wellspring | March 2021

! c i x o T , r u o s e on g p i h s n io t a l rs e e r t c a a f r o a The tale erily familiar ch e g n i r r a t s Living our best life means keeping ourselves in a happy and relaxed state. It means making healthy choices, and not just in terms of the foods we eat, but the people we associate with as well.

Negative people with whom we interact can have significant effects on our overall well-being, and we must therefore be forced to examine those toxic relationships and address them.

I interviewed six brave women, each with a tale to tell about a negative relationship they had, whether fleeting or long-term, and the way in which they confronted the karma, and prevailed.

By Rena Nathan

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 71

Wellbeing

Humor

Achashverosh: The Narcissist

Sara* says: It began like an ordinary plane ride. We live in Eretz Yisrael, and our once-a-year visit to the United States is always something the entire family looks forward to. My husband enjoys catching up with random people and taking my credit card before I go to Marshalls. I love getting the chance to see family; my kids have the opportunity to see cousins and grandparents and expand their junk repertoire beyond things like tuffee and popsim. So after a whole three and a half weeks, we shepherded our brood onto the plane to Italy (we’re the stylish type of family that likes to sightsee random airport bathrooms for three hours, instead of flying direct), and took our seats in row 38.

And that’s when we encountered Mister 37B. He noticed us and gave us a very long, very audible groan.

He ushered over a flight attendant and asked for a seat change, gesturing pointedly at us the entire time.

After that didn’t work, he took a few deep breaths, and walking around to face us, informed us that we had the right to remain silent, and any noise we made would be held against us. And that he had a taser he had snuck through security, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use it. And also, he was a secret agent from Uzbekistan, and we would be barred from ever entering or touring

72 Wellspring | March 2021

his country. It was the last threat that really scared me, but I resolved to stay calm and hope for the best. After all, how self-centered can a man be? Surely he has children of his own, and knows the only thing parents can control on a plane is their own tempers?

Alas it was not to be. Every time a child whined, he kicked my seat. Every time a kid needed the bathroom, he kicked my seat. Even when Yanky innocently reached over Yitzy, and got his hand bitten as a result, he kicked my seat.

I had had enough.

The solution: “Balailah hahuuu, nadadah shnas hameeeelleeeech!” (Megillas Esther 6:1) I weaponized the children with a red lollipop, a blue one, and a yellow one. Immediately they started fighting, and since they keep records longer than my taxes, they all knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were entitled to the red one.

I learned a powerful lesson: it is never worthwhile to please a narcissist or enable their entitlement. You must teach them a lesson, even if you will possibly get arrested at the Uzbekistani border in the future.

Haman: The Homicidal Maniac Rivka* retells: I was driving on the Belt Parkway, listening to Uncle Moishy with rapt attention. Few people have gleaned the life’s lessons that I have—and the deep cheshbonei hanefesh that I’ve confronted—when hearing the “Pizza Song” lyrics. Usually, the inspiration hits on the 143rd time. Try it, you’ll thank me.

I heard him before I saw him, the motor revving behind me, as the gleaming red sportscar entered into my rearview mirror. He was weaving in and out of lanes, accelerating as he did so. Cars were scrambling all around, trying to get out of his path of destruction. One by one they veered away from the pounding music that was spilling from his speakers, all but drowning out the haunting lyrics I had been crying over only seconds before.

I had had enough.

The solution: “U’Mordechai lo yichra v’lo yishtachaveh!” (Megillas Esther 3:2) Go against the tide. Be a bulwark in the face of destruction.

My Toyota Camry re m a i n e d indifferent and sputtered along, keeping beat with the “Oy yoy yoyooyoyoyoyoyoyoy vey,” as Uncle Moishy bemoaned the state of society, and also, the fact that his pizza fell on the floor.

Note to the editor: I hope that my submission was legible.

I am in a full body cast so writing is quite the challenge. And I’m sorry that I only had hospital stationary available, but that pink pitcher of hospital apple juice spilled on my notebook, and now it can no longer be touched. Ever.

Vayzasa: Drains You of Your Final Ounce of Energy (Last on the breathless list of Haman’s sons) Zilpah* zugt: For me, there is no person or beast that can drain me the way laundry does.

I have a very unhealthy relationship with my laundry pile, and according to my therapist, it was triggered by the first Purim I was married, when my husband ignored the well-founded rule that men do not drink while in shanah rishonah.

And I ignored the well-founded rule that women do not vomit over laundry while in their ninth month of pregnancy. I went into labor and named my son Shimshon, in the hope that he would never touch fruit of the vine.

Every time I go into the laundry room, and see the

monstrosity awaiting to be sorted, sprayed, rubbed, washed, switched, dried, and hung up, my heart rate accelerates, and my blood pressure rockets.

On the other hand, it’s not something I can avoid doing. I tried that once, and we started getting food packages after my son showed up in cheder with the same ketchup stain on his shirt for four days in a row.

The Solution: “V’es aseres bnei Haman talu” (Megillas Esther 9:14) With my therapist, I learned to confront my situation over and over again, and that led to eventual acceptance and stability.

Nowadays, I just hang it up. Though I don’t procrastinate anymore, I acknowledge my feelings, and say to every shirt as I slip it on the hanger, “I would really like to strangle you.”

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 73

Wellbeing

Humor

Zeresh: The Doomsayer Bilhah* bemoans: I got the phone call at three in the morning. It was my sister, and she was hysterical. She wanted to know if I would take in her children and raise them as my own and also, pay off her mortgage so that her children should have a home to remember her by.

Charvonah: The Dual Personality (see the records of Haman’s friends.

And also, the person who suggested that he ultimately be hanged.)

Rochel* relates: My mother-in-law is one of those people. I never really know where I stand with her. I mean, one day, I’m the incredible mother of her beautiful grandchildren, who slaves away at her job, so that her son can sit and learn. The next day, I am an irresponsible parent, who is for some reason responsible for her children’s runny noses, and the fact that one of them went to school in pajamas somehow.

Once, she bought me a designer scarf as a gift and wrote a beautiful letter, calling me the daughter she never had. Another time, she bought me a book called, Wives: What You Are Doing Wrong, and it turned out she had written it herself, and exclusively dedicated it to me as the inspiration behind it.

We live in the same neighborhood, and I really find it hard to reconcile these two sides of her. If I cut her out of my life, who will buy me scarves and such?

The solution: “V’gam Charvonah, zachor latov” (Shoshanas Yaakov) I resolved to maintain a good relationship with her.

Kind, but not good enough that she would ever want to move in with us. Just good enough that we retain the pleasant memories and relegate everything else to the landfill where her book is currently inspiring a new generation of rodent wives and mothers.

74 Wellspring | March 2021

When she was calm enough to speak, I discovered that, according to Google, ingrown toenails had a long-shot side effect of terminal infection, and that my sister had bequeathed me her children, her perfume collection, and her membership to the Bronx Zoo. Now this is not a new thing, and I am already the shareholder of many of the most precious items and heirlooms in my family. My mother calls every time she has a headache; my aunt, whenever she gets a tooth extraction; and my great aunt, whenever she feels rain coming through an ache in her left hip.

It took a while until I learned how to cope with the constant calls, the moaning, the wailing, and of course the tearful goodbyes.

The Solution: “Big Deal, Big Deal” (The Purim Story tape, as quoth Zeresh herself) I equipped myself with a bedside computer, so I could quickly equate the percentage chance of death and doom and relate the statistics to my late-time callers. I used to give credence to their fears, but that quickly escalated into a line-byline dictation of eulogy text, losing me too much sleep.

I learned that they really were calling me to allay their fears, to tell them it was all narishkeiten and that they were gonna live long enough to see social security officially go bankrupt.

I have not, however, forgotten about the Bronx Zoo membership (that is, if lockdowns ever go out of effect).

Vashti: The Queen of Superficial Leah* laments: I thought Soohay would be the one. I really did. Maria started out as a rising sun but reached her zenith after two weeks. Jenny didn’t even last the week. And I found Anabelle with my sheitel curlers in her hair. When Soohay left after that first day, I regarded a spotless, shining house. The beds were all made, the sinks were empty, the laundry room was rid of the long-term squatters. Alas, all joy on Earth is but a fleeting thing, and this moment was as fleeting as my kids when there is meatloaf for supper.

All it took was Chaya to come in complaining about her missing hair iron. Her room had been tidied by the great Soohay herself, and now she couldn’t find it, and it was an emergency of such epic proportions that the entire family was enlisted into the investigative mission.

It was I, her mother, who had the great misfortune of looking beneath the bed; for there, along with the nowrecovered hair iron, was the rest of the mess that had defined Chaya’s room only an hour before.

With growing dread, I opened the kitchen cabinets, and discovered Shaina’s homework, Tzvi’s basketball, and a large pot of crusted macaroni and cheese. And the despair reached an abysmal climax, as piles of dirty laundry tumbled on my head from the laundry detergent cupboard, and I inhaled the sweet, sweet scent of teenage-boy socks, before falling to the floor in an uncomprehending daze.

The solution: “U’malchusah yitein hamelech li’rei’usah hatov mimenah” (Megillas Esther 1:19) Michal next door is always talking about how wonderful her cleaning lady Maritza is. And I know that Michal is a wonderful person. And that deep down, she loves to do chessed. And that the greatest form of chessed is when the giver doesn’t know who the recipient is.

And since I love to enable gemilas chasadim like this, I ambushed Maritza with the chalav stam chocolate I got from work and promised her a chocolate factory of Willy Wonka proportions if she would figure out a way to come work by me, without letting Michal know that I was involved.

Which was a great arrangement, since Martha, who’s on the janitorial team in my office, thinks that somehow, if she sends me enough Hershey chocolate, I can promote her to CEO or something.

*All names are fictional. Who would embarrass themselves like that?

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 75

Living Well

Growth Log By Gila Glassberg, MS, RD, CDN

chapter 9 How It's Been

EE DOM R F

BYE, DIET. HELLO, LIFE. 76 Wellspring | March 2021

At our Session Today: In this session, Adina continues to share about her past week — the ups and downs. She says that noticing her feelings is a new concept for her.

ADINA: My parents were both raised by parents who had survived the Holocaust, and there was an emphasis on how lucky we are to be alive. I think that’s so beautiful but there wasn’t really a lot of space for any negative feelings — and I’ve always had a lot of feelings. Good feelings and bad feelings but lots of feelings overall.

I wasn’t really allowed to cry. I remember going into my room with a stash of chips or a carton of ice cream and for some amount of time, the food would soothe my feelings.

So this week, I sat in the kitchen, with the timer going off, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15, and 20. And I just cried. I let myself feel every emotion in my body. I noticed them in my head. In my heart. In my hands. In my stomach. I felt them pass through me with every teardrop I shed.

I asked myself, “What do I need?” The answer that came up was: “You need to cry.

You need to be human. You need to feel your feelings, you need time with yourself, you need to process your emotions, you need encouragement from a hard day.”

I went to the cabinet. I took out a piece of chocolate. I ate it and walked away.

Later in the evening, I discussed this episode with my husband, and I shared my struggles. His childhood was very different to mine. He had been encouraged to share his feelings as a child; he was also free to choose what foods he wanted for the most part and was never able to relate to my food struggles.

He hadn’t known that I felt resentful after cooking and cleaning up dinner on my own and he said he was willing to help out. And you know what? He did! I noticed that twinge of guilt inside of me as he cleaned up dinner, as I was thinking to myself “I really can technically cook and clean up dinner.” But he’s happily helping me, so why is this guilt here?

But I’ve learned I should ask the guilt why it’s here. If it isn’t helping me, I’ll thank it for trying to help me and ask it to kindly leave.

This work is hard. I am crying more. I am feeling my feelings more. I feel my emotional pain more. But I am finally moving forward in my life. I always thought something was terribly wrong with me.

Now I’m realizing that I don’t have a self-control problem, I had a self-neglect problem.

GILA: Adina. Wow. I’m amazed but I’m not surprised. Around this fifth session, I see a huge shift going on. I see how you really get what intuitive eating is about.

It’s not just: “Eat whatever you want and accept your body even if it’s fat.”

You are now really in touch with your physical and emotional needs.

You see how your emotions are really a smoke alarm. Your emotions are a clue into what you really want or need in life.

I know that for many of us, we’ve been told to neglect ourselves to care for others, but it just doesn’t work. Somewhere along the lines, we will burn out and want to run away from our lives. Why live like that?

ADINA: The craziest thing is that yesterday, I actually craved… a salad! That has never happened to me — am I allowed to eat a salad whenever I want?

GILA: I get this question a lot!

For so many women, the foods they ate on a diet are foods they refuse to eat when they’re not dieting. They may have even developed an aversion to that food. At some point, if you keep up with intuitive eating — when you really have taken the guilt out of eating, you’re listening to what your body is telling you, you know when you're physically hungry versus emotionally hungry — you start to crave foods that not only taste good, but feel good in your body.

Let’s discuss the principle “honor your health with gentle nutrition” and “joyful movement.”

What I would suggest for you to do this week is to make a list of foods you really enjoy eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner — and snacks. I also want you to make a list of exercises you’ve tried and liked, tried and disliked, and those you want to try.

Next week, we’ll create a meal plan and an exercise plan if you feel ready to do so. If at any point this triggers you back into diet culture, please let me know and we will go to different principles.

The authors of Intuitive Eating placed these two principles towards the back of the book and process so that people do not take on intuitive eating as another diet. I strongly encourage you to notice what this brings up for you.

You see, we can meal-plan in a flexible way, as a form of self-care, to automate the eating process — all without using food as self-punishment.

If this feels good to you over the week, let me know at our next session and we will move forward.

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.

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

ISSUE 62

MARCH ‘21 ADAR 5781

My Table What's your favorite nut?

Purim, ErevShabbos Style Charnie's homemade herring

Treats They'll Actually Eat This year, it's real chocolate

Index Page

Purim

83

TREATS THEY'LL ACTUALLY EAT

Page

SWAP

89

HOMEMADE WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS

Page

day by day

93

EREV-SHABBOS PURIM

MY TABLE

CONFERENCE

TIDBITS

MY FAVORITE NUT

SERIES WITH RORIE WEISBERG

TOP EIGHT HEALTHIEST WINES

P. 96

P. 98

P. 103

Dear Cooks, A few years ago, my husband decided he wanted to try making his own chocolate. (As I’ve mentioned in the past, he’s the healthier of the two of us.) He used to buy the 100% chocolate bars — which only contain cacao-based ingredients — in bulk and enjoy a few squares a day as a pick-me-up, but once his stock ran out, he decided to experiment on his own.

Reading the modest list of ingredients on the commercially prepared chocolate, we assumed it would be simple to accomplish. I mean, what could go wrong if you’re only using two or three ingredients? A lot, we can now tell you. But nothing terrible, no worries.

The main issue we (more like he; yours truly mainly served as the taster) kept having was with the consistency. Every time he got the bars to look perfectly beautiful in their molds in the fridge, his joy was short-lived when he decided to take a few squares with him to kollel. Before long, some scientific process happening in his pocket inevitably turned the perfect squares into a liquid gook. So while the taste was still the same (not recommended for anyone who has a sweet tooth), the experiment proved to be too messy and time-consuming, and the bars went right back into my Amazon cart. But seeing the Levines’ recipe now, along with their mouthwatering photos, I may just surprise him in time for Purim.

A healthy, joyous Purim to all,

Est her Pinch of Health My trick to make cooked foods like tongue or liver taste sweet is to add five or six dried apricots instead of sugar. We also end up enjoying the actual apricots, which take on a deeper flavor.

Submitted by Mindy Simon

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

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CREAM OF THE CROP.

HEART.WORKS

LITERALLY.

Get with the grain.

For those with higher standards™

Thick and creamy and 100% dairy-free, this awesome plant-based milk alternative is coming to a grocery near you.

Treats They’ll Actually Eat On Purim, when “wholesome” does not describe most of the fare we’re getting and serving, a healthful mishloach manos is all the more appreciated. Of course, healthful doesn’t mean compromising on the presentation. Personally, I go for classy, neat, and preferably no wrapping. And here’s how you can do it, with health in mind! Homemade kraft chocolate bars are statement-worthy and go neatly in a box.

Pair them with infused vodka and you’re good to go.

Add a personalized label for that finishing touch.

Recipes, styling, and photography by Yossi & Malky Levine Adar 5781 | Wellspring 83

Citrus Pistachio Combo If you're a fruits-and-nuts kind of person, you'll love this. Just the perfect balance of sweet and savory, beautifully presented.

Whether you’re the white-chocolate type or you go for the real-deal dark chocolate, we’ve got you covered.

Play around with the toppings and even have them match a color scheme by using different fruits and nuts.

It’s important to check the measurements of the chocolate bar mold before buying your boxes so you don’t get stuck. A box with a window works best so the beauty of the bars is visible.

Can’t find a chocolate bar mold? We’ll share a little secret. In Israel, during lockdown, we couldn’t find one either, but here’s how we got it done. Buy a few extras of the containers you wish to present your chocolates in and have those serve as your “molds.” Make sure to line them with a strip of parchment paper that extends on two sides (for lifting once they harden) before pouring the chocolate mixture in them. Use the sides of the parchment paper to lift them up once they are fully set and voilà! You’ve got your custom-sized mold.

Citrus Pistachio Chocolate Bar

Dehydrated Citrus

4 oz cocoa butter

Grapefruit/orange/lemon/lime

4 oz coconut butter 4 Tbsp powdered sugar alternative (Swerve, powdered Xylitol, confectioner’s Stevia)

1.Preheat oven to 200°F and place racks on the top and bottom thirds of the oven.

Dash of vanilla extract (optional)

1. Combine cocoa butter, coconut butter, sweetener, and vanilla (if using) in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until liquefied. Don’t let it boil.

2.Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a serrated knife or a mandoline, slice citrus fruits thinly. Arrange slices on lined tray in a single layer, with some space between them.

Bake for 2–2½ hours, periodically rotating baking sheets and flipping slices once, until slices are dry. Watch closely during the last hour to check that slices don’t burn. The smaller slices may be ready earlier.

2. Remove from heat and pour mixture into preferred chocolate bar mold. (Silicone molds work best.)

3. Allow slices to cool completely. Extras can be stored in an airtight container.

Chopped pistachio nuts for garnish

3. Let chocolate set in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the fridge and arrange dehydrated citrus on chocolate bars. (Tip: Think about how you want to design your bar and cut the fruit accordingly prior to placing them onto the chocolate.)

Sprinkle some chopped pistachio.

5. Let chocolate set in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for 2 hours.

6. Once set, carefully remove from mold and place into desired box.

7. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve or send.

Yield: 2 chocolate bars

Citrus-Infused Vodka Infused vodka is not a drink in itself. It’s intended to be added to your cocktail, taking it up a notch from the regular vodka. Here too, you can play around with the flavors to your liking or to match your chocolate bar.

Use a julienne to peel lemon/lime/orange into thin strips. Add citrus strips to a glass bottle and fill with vodka.

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Tropical Chocolate Combo With this tropical-themed arrangement, transport the recipient to a paradise of sunshine and tranquility.

Tropical Chocolate Bar 1 cup cocoa butter ²/₃ cup raw cocoa powder 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup, honey, or agave Pinch of salt Dried pineapple slices Coconut chips Slivered almonds 1. Place cocoa butter in a small saucepan over low heat until melted.

2. Remove from heat. Add cocoa powder, sweetener, and salt, and stir until creamy. Pour into molds.

3. Let chocolate set in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 10 minutes.

4. When partially set, arrange dried pineapple, coconut chips, and slivered almonds on the bar.

5. Let chocolate set in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for 2 hours.

6. Once set, carefully remove chocolate from mold and place into desired box.

7. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve or send.

Yield: 2 chocolate bars

Pineapple-Coconut Infused Vodka Place some dried pineapple and coconut chips into a glass bottle and fill with vodka.

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ENJOY ERETZ YISRAEL’S BESTSELLING WINES AT YOUR PURIM CELEBRATION

Eat Well

SWAP By Yossi & Malky Levine

SWA P Over the past few months, we’ve explored various sugar substitutes and offered recipes incorporating each one. Now, we’re on to flours.

There are many reasons why you may be on the lookout for a white (high-gluten) flour alternative.Whether it’s due to a restricted diet, a need to go gluten-free, or for other health reasons, the question that remains is: Which flour? And how do I choose?

Once you’ve made your choice, you may wonder: Can I simply substitute equal amounts in my usual recipe?

This column will guide you through the various options on the market and how they can be used.

Looking at the supermarket shelves in the flour section used to be simple: there was all-purpose, self-rising, or whole wheat. However, that’s not the way it is anymore, and choosing from today's flour section can be quite daunting. Alternative flours that were once only found in specialty health food shops are now commonplace.These flours were considered just for gluten-free diets or for those with celiac disease, but as we’re becoming more educated and aware, these healthier flours are becoming more and more popular.

So, how do you choose which one is right for you and your recipe?

White High-Gluten Flour Whole wheat flour, as its name indicates, contains the whole grain, including the bran, endosperm, and wheat germ, thus retaining a host of vital nutrients that gets lost in the refinement process (in white flour).

Slightly coarser than white flour because it contains the bran fiber, whole wheat is certainly a healthier alternative.

If it’s healthier, why not substitute white flour for wholewheat flour all the time?

Well, it’s not always that simple. When we use whole wheat flour, the texture of our baking is grainier, which is okay in a recipe like banana bread or a pie crust. However, if you’re going for a light, airy cake, whole wheat flour won’t cut it. It

Whole Wheat Flour boils down to a matter of trial and error with different recipes.

Whole wheat flour is great for dinner rolls, homemade crackers, apple pie, and pancakes. I wouldn’t recommend it to thicken sauces as it’s too gritty.

Most recipes tell you that you can literally swap like for like 1:1. I don’t necessarily agree with this. From my personal experience, you need to add a little more liquid when using whole wheat flour, particularly when making bread (or challah). The bran absorbs more liquid, which yields a drier dough. I would add about 10 percent more liquid than the recipe calls for to get a better texture.

Happy Swapping!

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Homemade Whole Wheat Bagels If you’ve never made bagels before, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. It may seem like a daunting task, but once you try it, you’ll see that bagels really are a satisfying baking project. You’ll love being able to enjoy warm, homemade bagels made from your own hands, and of course there’s nothing like that amazing feeling of pulling out a tray of fresh bagels from your own oven!

Yields 12 bagels

1½ cups warm water 2¼ tsp active dry yeast 4 cups whole wheat flour 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup 2 tsp salt 4 tsp sugar alternative 4 Tbsp olive oil, for coating Optional: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or sea salt for topping Place warm water and yeast in a bowl and allow yeast to dissolve completely. Set aside.

Combine flour, syrup, salt, and sugar alternative in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.

and press to join. Make sure dough is securely joined together before placing on a baking sheet. Cover finished bagels with another damp towel and repeat process with remaining pieces of dough until 12 bagels are formed.

Pour in the yeast mixture, making sure all the yeast gets into the mixing bowl.

Fill up a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low so that the water is at a simmer.

Mix on low until there isn’t much loose flour left and the dough looks shredded (about 2 minutes).

Place 3–4 bagels into the simmering water and let cook on each side for about 30 seconds. They will sink to the bottom of the pot at first and slowly begin to rise over the course of the minute. Don’t forget to flip them over after 30 seconds!

Increase speed to medium and continue mixing until you get a smooth, stiff, elastic dough (about 8–9 minutes).

Form dough into a ball, place in a large bowl, and coat with olive oil. Rotate dough in bowl so that all sides get coated with oil.

Cover bowl with damp towel and set in a warm place for 20 minutes. While rising, the dough will grow slightly larger, but it won’t double in size.

Preheat oven to 425°F and place a rack in the middle. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place dough on dry surface and divide into 12 equal chunks. Cover dough you’re not yet working with using a damp towel so it doesn’t get too dry.

Roll each piece of dough into a 9-inch log. Wet the ends with a bit of water and overlap the ends by about 1 inch

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Use a strainer to remove bagels from the pot, and then place them onto a cooling rack (to allow the bagels to drip off excess water). Press desired topping onto the top of the bagels while they are still wet. Continue until all the bagels have been boiled.

Place bagels onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart and bake for 15 minutes. Then rotate the pans and continue baking the bagels until they are golden brown on top, about 10 more minutes.

Remove bagels from oven and let cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes.

If baking bagels before Pesach is not on your agenda, clip this recipe to try when you’re back into full-swing chametz mode.

@BARTENURABLUE

by day y a d With Charnie Kohn

Purim,

Erev-shabbos style What to give, what to give? Junk food that will land in the trash before Pesach? Nah. Dynamics are different this year, with Purim being on Friday. You want to give something that will be helpful, something healthful that grateful recipients can cross off their Shabbos to-do list or use to enhance their Shabbos menu. How about jars of homemade herring? Each protein-packed recipe yields two 6-ounce jars and can be prepared a week in advance—no need to be busy slicing and dicing on Thursday night. Happy givers and delighted receivers; it’s a win-win!

Simchas Purim, Charnie

Swedish Herring The exotic mix of flavors in this herring make for a really fabulous final product.

2½ oz scallions 2½ oz olives 5 oz Swedish herring Oil, to cover ¹/₈ teaspoon black pepper Slice scallions and layer with olives. Top with fish. Combine the oil with the black pepper and pour over mixture until fully covered.

London Herring A colorful and delicious array of veggies and protein in one compact dish.

1¼ oz diced red pepper

1¼ oz sliced red onion

1¼ oz diced orange pepper

5 oz schmaltz herring fillet

1¼ oz diced yellow pepper

Oil, to cover

Layer all vegetables. Slice fish into 1-inchthick slices.

Layer fish over vegetables and cover with oil.

Creamy Herring This may look like store-bought herring, but trust me, it isn’t. Even the most finicky fish eaters (or non-eaters) will appreciate the depth of flavor and fabulous texture in this dish.

5 oz pickled herring fillet

1¼ oz diced onions

1¼ oz sliced sugar snap peas

1¼ cup vinegar

1¼ oz diced green peppers

¹/₃ cup honey

1¼ oz sliced jalapeño peppers

½ cup lite mayonnaise

Drain brine from pickled herring. Combine all ingredients except mayonnaise. Shake well and refrigerate overnight. Drain 90 percent of liquid, add in the mayonnaise, and shake well until everything is fully combined. Refrigerate for an additional hour to allow all flavors to set.

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:

My Favorite Nut Nuts are a nutrient-dense, unprocessed source of protein that can be enjoyed in myriad forms. What’s your favorite one in the bunch and how do you like to eat them?

Compiled by Wellspring Staff

Shira Savit, MA, MHC, INHC Almonds. They’re a great source of protein, fiber, healthy fat, magnesium, and vitamin E, and there are so many ways to incorporate them into our diet. Interestingly enough, although almonds are my favorite, I rarely eat them plain; instead, I make the most of their versatility. I use almond butter as a spread on rice cakes or toast, I add slivered almonds to a salad, I use ground almonds as a flour for a delicious gluten-free cookie recipe, I throw some whole almonds into a smoothie, and my favorite use of almonds is making homemade almond milk.

It takes some effort, but there is no comparison between homemade almond milk versus the store-bought kind.

Shani Taub, CDC I’m not a great fan of nuts, but if I have to pick one it would be almonds. Of the lower-calorie nuts with lots of health benefits, almonds also increase a nursing mother’s milk.

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Tanya Rosen, MS, CPT I love almonds, raw or dry-roasted. Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, magnesium, fiber, protein, and vitamin E. Some health benefits are lowering blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. I love having them as a snack; they’re crunchy, tasty, and filling!

Shaindy Oberlander, BS, INHC Brazil nuts are nutritional powerhouses, providing healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They’re particularly high in selenium, a powerful mineral that is essential for proper functioning. It plays a critical role in metabolism and thyroid function. I like to have three Brazil nuts daily. By having them, I know I am aiding my thyroid function, which is critical to a healthy metabolism and proper hormone function.

Leah Wolofsky While technically not a nut, but a legume, my favorite type of nuts is peanuts.

Peanuts are a great source of many B-vitamins and vitamin E, and relatively high in protein. They are also a great hit with kids, and versatile and flavorful enough that they feel like a true snack food. I incorporate them either as a stand-alone snack or by using peanut butter, which is a relatively healthy indulgence food. It bothers me that kids these days cannot enjoy peanuts and peanut products in the same way we did as kids due to the prevalence of peanut allergies.

Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE While walnuts pack an unbelievable punch nutritionally, pecans are second-best in my opinion, and also taste better to most individuals. I toast fresh pecans monthly and crush 2–3 pieces into a plain yogurt with fresh blueberries and cinnamon. With that small amount of fat and crunch, all I need is a teaspoon of organic cane sugar to make it taste delicious. Try it!

Below is a family recipe we make every Pesach (using potato starch in place of flour); it’s so delicious, we’ve even adapted it for year-round use.

This cake is not low-calorie. It can be adapted to gluten free. It can also be adapted to the SCD diet by using honey; will need longer baking time due to extra moisture.

Tamar’s Pecan Cake 6 eggs, separated 1 cup organic cane sugar (you can try cutting to ½ sugar and ½ stevia) 3½ cups of ground pecans (use fresh and grind them yourself for better taste) 1 tsp coffee with ½ Tbsp hot water 3 Tbsp flour (can use arrowroot starch or GF baking mix) ¼ tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla In one bowl, beat the egg whites. In another bowl, mix yolks with sugar/ stevia. Add the nuts and the rest of the ingredients. Fold in egg whites.

Pour into round pans. Bake at 350°F for approximately 50 minutes or until firm in the center.

Bashy Halberstam, INHC My favorite nut is the almond.

They can be enjoyed in so many ways.

Delicious plain, I like them roasted and unsalted. They can be turned into almond milk and almond flour, which can be a base for many delicious low-carb treats, as well as breading for chicken cutlets.

My favorite ways of incorporating almonds into my diet is either in a chocolate chip cookie or on breaded chicken cutlets.

Here is one of my favorite recipes: Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 cup coconut sugar 2 eggs 1 cup oil 2 tsp vanilla extract 3¼ cups ground almonds 1 cup arrowroot starch ½ tsp baking soda ¾ cup chocolate chips Mix all ingredients (except the chocolate chips) well. Add the chocolate chips. Freeze for 10 minutes, then roll into balls. Bake on 350°F for 12 minutes.

Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS Natural peanut butter is my staple protein for breakfast. I mix it with whole, raw oats and either pineapple tidbits in their own juice or chilled apple compote to make my own “granola.” It’s absolutely delicious and very filling.

Insider secret: Regarding the oil that collects on the top of the jar of the natural peanut butter, don’t mix it in as suggested on the label. Instead, pour it into a container (I use an empty peanut butter jar). You save all those fat calories (there’s still plenty of oil in the body of the jar; just store it upside down in your pantry), and you can use that saved oil as an occasional alternative to olive oil on salad if you like the taste. A small jar of roasted peanut oil in the store would cost you at least $6—and here you have it for free.

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Eat Well

Conference By Sarah Sacks

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SERIES WITH HEALTH COACH RORIE WEISBERG OF FULL ’N FREE PART VI Rorie’s Grain-Free Flour Blend Potatoes, potatoes, and for Shabbos, potato kugel. It’s the old joke about the shtetl diet. But with Pesach around the corner, it sometimes feels like we’ve gone back in time. Not only do we eat potatoes in their natural form, but half our menu is full of potato starch. Not the healthiest choice—especially for people who need to limit their glycemic load. Almond flour is an option, but it’s dense.

Thankfully, Rorie Weisberg’s on the scene. She’s a certified health coach and a healthy lifestyle advocate and recipe developer whose recipes feature prominently on Kosher.com and in Mishpacha’s Family Table. Rorie is the queen of doughs of all types and stripes.

She’s the founder of Full ‘N Free, a line of better-for-you dough mixes and baking essentials that work for people on all sorts of limited diets. And believe it or not, she has developed a kosher-for-Pesach grain-free flour blend that does not contain even a trace of potato.

Hello, Rorie! How are you doing in this hectic pre-Pesach season?

It’s hard work to make Pesach, but it is actually my favorite Yom Tov! When we get ready for Pesach, we’re cleaning ourselves up on the outside and on the inside, physically and spiritually. There’s this feeling in the air of starting fresh. I love it!

Do you find that it’s a challenge to cook and eat healthy over Pesach?

Pesach is the time when everyone’s thinking out of the box— how to make recipes they make all year with a twist, avoiding certain foods. Lots of us have a whole list of foods we can’t eat, some longer than others. There have been times in my life when it was Pesach all year round for me, so I can’t say it’s a challenge anymore—though it used to be. By now, it’s second nature for me to look at a recipe and automatically think how I can revamp it to make it Full ‘N Free.

Okay, so here’s the real question. What do you do about all the potato starch in Pesach recipes?

Potato starch is not the healthiest choice. It’s high-glycemic, which means that it gives you that sugar rush and crash without ever really filling you up. It doesn’t give you any nutritional bang for your buck. And lots of people are actually sensitive to it. I remember a client of mine once sharing with me how the first Pesach ever she didn’t feel bloated was the year she went off potato starch.

I don’t use potato starch on Pesach. Instead, I use almond flour, arrowroot flour, and coconut flour. Sometimes I use one at a time,

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Eat Well

Conference

Grain-Free Pancakes Topped with Blistering Blueberries Grain-Free Pancakes

Nut and Grain-Free Pancakes

¾ cup Rorie’s Flour Blend

2 Tbsp melted coconut oil or butter

¼ tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp honey (adjust to taste)

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 egg

6 Tbsp milk of choice

1 Tbsp Rorie’s Real & Raw Honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp vanilla extract

Approximately 5 Tbsp (39 grams) Rorie’s Coconut Flour

¼ cup almond milk

Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can whisk by hand (an additional tablespoon of milk might be needed).

Transfer to bowl and allow batter to sit a few minutes to thicken slightly.

Heat a frying pan or griddle to a low flame (make sure it’s low as these pancakes burn easily).

Place 1½ tablespoons of batter on hot pan.

Cook until bubbles form and pancake can lift easily to flip.

Cook on the underside until ready, for less than a minute. Repeat with remaining batter.

1 tsp baking powder

Melt oil or butter. In a bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Sift in baking powder and coconut flour. Mix with a whisk or fork until smooth.

Allow batter to sit and thicken for 10–15 minutes.

Heat a frying pan or griddle to a low flame (make sure it’s low as these pancakes burn easily) Place 1½ tablespoons of batter on hot pan.

Cook until bubbles form and pancake can lift easily to flip.

Cook on the underside until ready, for less than a minute. Repeat with remaining batter.

Blistering Blueberries 2 cups frozen blueberries 2 Tbsp Rorie’s Real & Raw Honey (or to taste)

Place blueberries in a pot or pan and set to a medium to low heat. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes. Add desired amount of honey. Cover again and cook until berries blister.

Serve 4–6 mini pancakes topped with blistering blueberries for an incredible breakfast that will keep you feeling full, free, and fabulous for hours.

Rorie has teamed up with Naomi Elberg to create a mouthwatering grain- and refined sugar-free recipe collection featuring Rorie’s Grain-Free Flour Blend, Coconut Flour, Arrowroot Flour, and Real & Raw Honey, perfect for grain-free baking for Pesach and all year round. Check it out at www.fullnfree.com or follow @fullnfree.

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but most of the time I use my Grain-Free Flour Blend, which is a combination of all three in the ratio that I arrived at after lots and lots of trial and error.

Is your blend a healthier choice than other grain-free options?

Absolutely. Each of the flours in my Grain-Free Flour Blend are low in carbohydrates and high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats. So when you bake with it, your baked goods are actually low-glycemic—they metabolize evenly, without spiking up your blood sugar like other flours and starches. And you know how people always complain that they never fill up on Pesach? This blend helps with that, because when you’re baking with whole-food ingredients, you can actually fill up on it! It’s wholesome, nutritious, and filling.

Aside from their health benefits, why did you decide to make your Grain-Free Flour Blend out of these three flours? And what is unique about the ratio you mentioned?

These three flours are the most wholesome grain-free flours out there, but it’s hard to get a really great outcome when you use any one of them on its own. Almond flour is a popular healthy choice, but baked goods made with almond flour are often pretty dense. Arrowroot flour is really not as known. It works similarly to potato starch and tapioca starch, but it has a lower glycemic impact and is easier to digest. Picture those poofy potato starch sponge cakes you see over Pesach. You know how fluffy and airy they are? The arrowroot flour in my mix contributes that fluffiness and airiness.

Coconut flour is a whole different ballgame. It’s really a unique flour. It’s rarely used on its own, but when you incorporate it into recipes with other flours, it does double duty: it acts as a binder and as a sponge. When you’re dealing with grain-free baking, you want that stiffness that you’re missing from typical flour.

Combining all three flours into one blend took a lot of trial and error, but the results are so worth it. Make one batch of cookies or one cake with my Grain-Free Flour Blend instead of almond flour and you’ll have a hard time looking your almond flour in the eye again.

Tell us about the rest of the products on your Pesach line. Is it true that this is a big

year for Full ‘N Free?

Yes—this year we’ve added three new products to our Pesach line! The first one is coating crumbs. It’s a seasoned takeoff on the Grain-Free Flour Blend—chunkier and more flavorful. I developed the coating crumbs after being asked by so many people for this product. It works amazingly as a binder in meatballs or kugels, or as a coating for breaded chicken, fish, or veggies. Basically, anywhere you’d use panko crumbs, use this instead as a grain-free alternative. I use it all year round in my kitchen.

Then comes the arrowroot flour and coconut flour. My Grain-Free Flour Blend includes them along with almond flour, but there are lots of people out there who are allergic to nuts and either can’t or don’t want to eat potato starch all on Pesach. I’m selling them separately mostly for the nut-free population. I could have made a nut-free mix out of the two, since they work really well together in grain-free baking, but the proportions that you need of both of them is different depending on the recipe.

Aside from being a pretty reliable cup-for-cup replacement for potato starch in most recipes that call for it, arrowroot flour also works really well as a thickener in place of corn starch in stews and sauces. It’s healthier, lower glycemic, and easier to digest than potato and corn starch. And of course, it’s Pesachdig!

I know it’s not officially a Pesach product, but I noticed the KFP certification on your new honey, too!

It sure is kosher for Pesach! This honey is the most delicious honey I have ever tasted, and I am so excited to bring it to the market! When I first sampled it this past Rosh Hashanah with my family, we could barely get past the first course—we were too busy dunking our challah and apples into this unbelievable honey. We actually have two varieties: the light, unfiltered honey, which is thick—it’s not pourable—and has all the medicinal properties of raw honey, like natural vitamins, enzymes, and antibacterial properties; and the dark honey, which is pourable and better for baking. Both of them have this delightful, refreshing sweetness without too much of the cloying honey aftertaste—it’s hard to describe, you have to taste it! I call them Real & Raw because that is what they are—the real thing, straight from the source, carefully handled to get the best of health and flavor to you.

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.

Rorie Weisberg of Full ‘N Free is a healthy lifestyle advocate in the frum community whose creative and simply delicious recipes featured on Kosher.com and in Mishpacha’s Family Table keep thousands of people begging for more. Rorie has also spent years perfecting her growing line of Full ‘N Free betterfor-you dough mixes and baking essentials.

Adar 5781 | Wellspring 101

Gefen_Foods | Heart.works

Eat Well

Nutrition Tidbits in the News By Malka Sharman

L’CH A To a H

IM

ealth y Lif e!

Top Eight Healthiest Wines, Just in Time for Purim

Wine, when consumed in moderation, offers a host of health benefits and has been recommended by reputable health sources like Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Red wine is especially high in phytochemicals, such as resveratrol and quercetin. These powerful antioxidants have been linked to an array of health benefits including heart disease prevention and arthritis pain relief.

Paradoxically, while alcoholic drinks are known to harm the liver, a polyphenol found in red wine has actually been shown to improve liver health. Red wine also contains more potassium, manganese, iron, riboflavin, and niacin compared to white wine. In addition to the benefits of red wine over white wine, the drier the wine, the healthier it is for you. The sweeter variety contains more sugar and isn’t as healthful.

Here’s a list of the eight top-ranking healthier wines.

Eat Well

Nutrition Tidbits in the News

Pinot Noir

Malbec

Pinot Noir is arguably the healthiest red wine and for good reason. Boasting a higher resveratrol concentration—an antioxidant compound that has been shown to improve heart health by lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure—than any other red wine, four ounces of Pinot Noir delivers roughly 640 micrograms of resveratrol, a number that’s unmatched by most other red wines.

Additionally, research suggests that resveratrol may kill cancer cells and improve heart health, the reason red wine is commonly recommended by cardiologists.

Thanks to their unparalleled thick grape skins, Malbec wines are loaded with resveratrol, quercetin, and other antioxidants that are beneficial to cardiovascular and immune health. Malbec wine contains four times the antioxidant content as Merlot and nearly twice as much as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Malbec wine is also high in polyphenols, which act as powerful antioxidants and offer a host of health benefits.

In addition, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published research showing that drinking Pinot Noir can raise levels of omega-3 fatty acids and help balance the gut microbiome.

Pinot Noir also has a lower sugar content and fewer calories than other red wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon This red wine is made from the most planted wine grape in the world. Interestingly, despite red wine’s rap for causing stained teeth, Cabernet Sauvignon actually contains a chemical that kills certain strains of cavitycausing bacteria and protects damage to tooth enamel. This wine choice offers an excellent source of proanthocyanidins, which are potent antioxidants that have been shown to reduce oxidative stress in the body. Additionally, Cabernet Sauvignon contains catechin and epicatechin, plant compounds that protect against the flu and other viral infections.

104 Wellspring | March 2021

Merlot In addition to containing a significant dose of resveratrol, phenolics found in Merlot may prevent the formation of bad cholesterol in the blood, which is a major cause of atherosclerosis. Merlot wine also improves the bacterial lining in the large intestine, consequently enhancing healthy gut benefits. In a study published in Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Merlot proved to be rich in probiotics, which increases the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Another Spanish study suggests that sipping nine ounces of Merlot changes the mix of good and bad bacteria found in the colon and can thereby benefit overall health.

Petite Sirah

Rosé

Petite Sirah wine contains a large number of natural tannins, antioxidants, and resveratrol.

This wine is a great source of polyphenols and other heart-healthy antioxidants that have been linked to the prevention of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and neurological diseases.

The wine is on the bitter side, and more bitterness in wine usually correlates with the level of procyanidin content. So if you go for the taste, this one is an excellent choice.

Made from both red and white grapes, Rosé still boasts antioxidants and polyphenols, though it contains less than red wines. Rosé is a healthier choice than pure white wine since it is a mix, but it contains less benefits than red wine. Rosé is also the perfect option for the weight-conscious because it’s lower in calories than red wines. A five-ounce glass of Rosé wine contains merely 80 calories, rendering it one of the lowest-calorie alcoholic drinks.

Pinot Grigio

Chardonnay

Since Pinot Grigio is a white wine, it has fewer health benefits than the others on the list so far. Unlike red wine, which is fermented with the skins, Pinot Grigio winemakers strain the skins, which means fewer flavonoids, resveratrol, and other beneficial micronutrients. However, this white wine does have some health benefits. For example, research from the University of Buffalo shows that drinking Pinot Grigio can help improve lung function. Also, Pinot Grigio contains the compounds tyrosol and caffeic acid, which act as anti-inflammatories and antioxidants that may help prevent rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.

Chardonnay is considered the world’s most popular white wine.

Even though it is not the healthiest wine choice, Chardonnay may help to improve cholesterol levels. In one small study, which followed 146 participants with mild to moderate risk of cardiovascular disease for a year, those who exercised at least two times per week and drank Chardonnay saw an improvement in their LDL cholesterol levels.

A Cup a Day A surprising benefit to drinking cow’s milk while breastfeeding Having seen a tremendous increase in food allergies over the last few decades, researchers are continuously studying different variables that either trigger or may prevent food allergies in children. One fascinating study, published this month in Nutrients, suggests that what a mother drinks while nursing her baby may impact the baby’s future food allergies, or lack thereof.

The study, conducted by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, is based on a survey of more than 500 Swedish women’s eating habits and the prevalence of allergies in their children at one year of age.

The common factor researchers found in non-allergic oneyear-olds? Their mothers consumed more cow’s milk during breastfeeding than mothers of allergic one-year-olds.

“Though the association is clear, we do not claim that drinking cow’s milk would be a general cure for food allergies,” says Mia Stråvik, doctoral student in the Division of Food Science at Chalmers University of Technology, and first author of the study.

Many factors determine the emergence of a food allergy, not least genetic predisposition. Yet, as Stråvik explains, “It is quite common nowadays for young women to avoid drinking milk, due in part to prevailing trends and concerns, some of which are linked to myths about diet and dairy.”

She points out that allergy to milk protein is uncommon in adults, so most women can consume milk and dairy products themselves without issue, aside for those with lactose intolerance issues. A cup of milk a day may very well be keeping those allergies at bay.

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Dictionary

biopsychosocial Definition: adjective

influenced by biological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors

“

Eating disorders are multifaceted;

”

they’re biopsychosocial, which implies the different factors.

Aliza Wallach-Abish, BS, RDN

SOY-FREE

GLUTEN-FREE

ONLY ONE INGREDIENT.

For those with higher standards

TM

The finest, highest-quality hazelnuts and almonds, crushed and blanched for a smooth, creamy spread. Our conveniently-sized jar is designed to keep your hands butter-free.

But it won’t do much if you dunk your finger in for a taste, which we totally recommend.

Try in sandwiches, cakes, shakes, nut bars, or by the spoonful.