Bergen January 2023

The finest minds in cardiac care.

And the kindest hearts.

Everything medicine can do. A few things medicine

can’t. Valley Health System understands that elite cardiac care requires many things. Heart surgery performed by nationally acclaimed surgeons. Advanced treatments for atrial fibrillation. The latest techniques in heart imaging. Breakthrough procedures for valve replacement. And, a team approach to care that always includes you. To make an appointment with our heart care team, call 1-800-VALLEY 1 or visit ValleyHealth.com/Heart

Features Know Your

Breast Cancer Risk | 30 A Valley Hospital oncologist urges women to learn more about their bodies—and families—to guard against this disease.

Your Mind Matters | 32 Mental health affects physical health. You always figured that, but—as a recent women’s wellness event revealed—you didn’t know the half of it.

Women’s Health Q&A

| 34 From vitamin D to menopause, no health topic was off limits for a panel of clinical professionals at BERGEN’s recent Women’s Health & Wellness Event.

What

Our

Survey Found | 36 Results of a BERGEN questionnaire suggest that area women have wellness much in mind.

Left to Right: EVAN BAIRD, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Mount Sinai Medical Center; RAFAEL LEVIN, M.D., M.S.C., Chief of Spine, HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley; JONATHAN LESTER, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; NOMAAN ASHRAF, M.D., M.B.A., Assistant Clinical Professor, Mount Sinai Medical Center

Bergen Buzz |

13

Our guide to new ideas, tips, trends and things we love in the county.

Style Watch |

20

Is it yellow? Is it orange? Either way, saffron is the burst of flavor your winter wardrobe craves.

Home Front | 22

Embrace the new year with sleek, geometric pieces that pay homage to the 1920s.

Escapes |

42

Now Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has a nearby five-star luxury hotel worthy of its stellar skiing and eye-popping vistas.

Tastes |

44

Nothing says winter like the smell of homemade soup wafting from the stove. These three are healthy, flavorful and hearty enough to stand as the whole meal.

Bar Tab | 50

When the weather outside is frightful, a Jack Frost cocktail is an island-inspired sip that provides a much-needed taste of a tropical paradise.

Restaurant Review | 57

In Englewood’s newest eatery, CZEN, two great cuisines collide with tasty results.

Gatherings | 62

Bergenites always show up to support their friends and neighbors—especially when help is needed most.

A Bergen Moment | 64

A Ramsey father captures his three kids enjoying the great outdoors, as they join other children in a pick-up hockey game at Celery Farm Nature Preserve in Allendale.

Here’s To A Year Of Good Health!

It’s an occupational hazard. We magazine editors tend to imagine that we know just what you need. Right about now, for instance, we visualize readers as exhausted from the holiday whirl, taking stock of things with the calendar’s annual date change, making earnest selfimprovement resolutions for the New Year and sometimes—yup— quickly falling short. (Maybe it’s because we ourselves are subject to the same experiences, hopes and stumbles.)

One antidote to editorial hubris of this kind is to listen to our readers’ voices, and we try to do that whenever we can. For example, in more than 100 categories of Bergen businesses, from doggie day cares to donut shops, we list the “best” in our September issue each year. But we don’t just pick names out of a hat or play favorites on our own. Instead, we ask that you, our readers, do the choosing. (Cast your votes online for this year’s listing at bergenmag.com/votereaderschoice2023!)

We listened, too, to the readers who came to our Women’s Health & Wellness Event in November at Englewood Country Club in River Vale. A panel of five experts there answered attendees’ questions on their key health concerns, and if you missed the event, don’t worry—just turn to page 34. A health survey taken that day (page 36) tallied women’s answers to personal questions where anonymity permitted candor. And a presentation by two mental health clinicians emphasized that reaching out for help with stress or emotional problems need carry no stigma. Instead, it can be a very positive step for you and the people you love (page 32).

Whether or not you’re really into New Year’s resolutions, I know there will be much in this issue to interest you—because health concerns us all. Does someone in your life have an eating disorder? See our Special Report on page 38. Want to know about your risk of breast cancer (either sex can develop it!) and how to protect yourself with timely screening? (Page 30.) Is it time to de-stress with meditation or yoga (page 14), buy new fitness gear (page 15) or take up trail running or a triathlon (page 16)? Ready for a relaxing vacation? (Page 42.)

January can be a challenge—and also a joy. Whatever you’re up to as this new year begins, I wish you a happy, healthy one, and I hope BERGEN in its small way can help.

To your health!

Guarna Editor in Chief editor@wainscotmedia.com

Rita

HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

MORE NATIONALLY-RANKED SPECIALTIES THAN ANY NEW JERSERY HOSPITAL.

At Hackensack University Medical Center, it’s our honor that U.S. News & World Report has nationally ranked more of our specialties than any hospital in New Jersey. We’re proud to be home to the state’s only nationally ranked Urology and Neurology & Neurosurgery programs, as well as nationally ranked and the best Cardiology & Heart Surgery program. We also offer our patients nationally ranked Orthopedic care, as well as one of the state’s premier Cancer Centers at John Theurer Cancer Center. Earning such high praise proves that we’re ready whenever New Jersey needs us.

To learn more about these rankings and find a doctor, visit HackensackMeridianHealth.org.

Editor in Chief RITA GUARNA

Creative Director

STEPHEN M. VITARBO

Senior Associate Editor

DARIUS AMOS

Lifestyle Editor HALEY LONGMAN

Contributing Editors

LESLIE GARISTO PFAFF PAUL RANCE JR. DONNA ROLANDO

Contributing Photographer CHRIS MARKSBURY

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

Production Manager FERN E. MESHULAM

Production Artist CHRIS FERRANTE

BE SOCIAL

Join our online community! LIKE us on Facebook: BergenMag FOLLOW us on Twitter: @BergenMag SEE our photos on Instagram: @BergenMagNJ VIEW our boards on Pinterest: HealthandLife

SEND YOUR FEEDBACK AND IDEAS TO:

Editor, BERGEN, 1 Maynard Dr., Park Ridge, NJ 07656; fax 201.746.8650; email editor@wainscotmedia.com.

BERGEN assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or art materials.

BERGEN is published 12 times a year by Wainscot Media, 1 Maynard Dr., Park Ridge, NJ 07656. This is Volume 22, Issue 1. © 2023 by Wainscot Media LLC. All rights reserved. Subscriptions in U.S. outside of Bergen County: $14 for one year. Single copies: $3.95. Material contained herein is intended for informational purposes only. If you have medical concerns, seek the guidance of a healthcare professional.

Publisher THOMAS FLANNERY

Associate Publisher

MARY MASCIALE

MARKETING,

Director of Operations CATHERINE ROSARIO

Director of Advertising Services JACQUELYNN FISCHER

Chief Finance Officer STEVEN RESNICK

Assistant Controller URSZULA JANECZKO

Accounts Receivable Manager KASIE CARLETON

Accounts

SUBSCRIPTION

James W. Geuder, M.D.

VEIN SPECIALISTS

Dr. James Geuder is a board certified vascular surgeon with over 25 years of experience treating vascular and vein problems in Bergen County. At The Vein Center of Oradell, Dr. Geuder personally examines, educates and treats all patients. The Vein Center of Oradell has an ICAVL-approved vascular lab, and they became the first vein center in New Jersey to be certified by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission. Castle Connolly and New York Magazine consistently include Dr. Geuder on their “Best Doctor” list and he also has the Patients Choice Award which is based on patients’ experience. The Vein Center of Oradell makes every effort to offer patients the most comfortable and friendly environment as they receive the best medical care. Please see our reviews on Facebook from the Bergen County Moms.

WHAT YOU CAN FIND ON BERGENMAG.COM RIGHT NOW

BERGEN’S GOT TALENT

We all know Bergenites are a talented bunch, and BERGEN is proud to spotlight some of our friends and neighbors in print and online. Below are two gifted individuals recently featured in our Bergen Buzz e-newsletter.

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTES

Music is a universal language that everyone speaks, and certain songs can have special meaning to people. For River Edge’s Justin Lazaro, a professional saxophonist and music teacher, “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys hits the right notes.

“It’s a song that talks about how love is so much more important than material things,” he says. “I truly believe it’s an ideology that everyone should adopt.” To help spread the message, Lazaro posted a video of himself playing a jazz rendition of Keys’ Grammy Award-winning hit. It’s one of several tunes that he has shared with his Instagram followers @jlazza.music. “Posting on social media is great, as it’s allowed me to reach out to people and communities all over the world,” he says. “I play music because I want to inspire people in the same way my favorite songs/artists have inspired me. I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember, and I’ve enjoyed it so much that I made it my career.” Visit bergenmag.com/bergens-got-talent to see the video.

COOKING UP SOMETHING GOOD

Cooking is hard work, whether you’re preparing a big holiday feast or dinner for the immediate family. The task is a bit easier when you have a skillful assistant by your side. Bergenfield’s Gladys Bunquin-Non is lucky to have her 3-year-old daughter, Lara, to help out. For their Thanksgiving dinner, “Chef Lala” helped with the garlic roasted chicken with veggies dish. Bunquin-Non posted a video of Lara from Thanksgiving eve. “Lara loves to help out in our home, especially in the kitchen,” Mom says. “When she was about a year old, we got a kitchen tower so she can observe me and my husband when we’re cooking and baking. It started with simple pouring and mixing, and now she can follow instructions and make delicious meals with us!” Now that’s a family dinner! Check out the video at bergenmag.com/kids-cooking-up-something-good.

Want to see more content like this every week? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, delivered to inboxes every Friday, at bergenmag.com.

{ BERGEN BUZZ

OUR GUIDE TO NEW IDEAS, TIPS, TRENDS AND THINGS WE LOVE IN OUR COUNTY.

WORK OUT, EAT OUT

Trying to exercise more and eat healthier in ’23? Kill both birds with one visit at these Bergen locations, where a nutritious meal or snack is steps away from exercise equipment:

• Drop Fitness (2 Chestnut Ridge Rd., Montvale) opened last year where The Gym used to be, boasting a highintensity-interval-training and strengthtraining studio and studios for yoga, elite running and barre. Worked up an appetite? Drop by Wellness Café, with smoothies, sandwiches, bites and bowls to maintain your healthy trajectory. Pro tip: If you download the app, you can order ahead for pickup.

• Marketplace (400 Frank W. Burr Blvd., Teaneck) opened within the Glenpointe Hotel late last year, with made-to-order and grab-and-go items prepared by chefs. Its hearty line of burritos, wraps, bagels and quiches is available until 3 p.m. There’s kosher food too, and locally roasted coffee. And the hotel’s 26,000-square-foot fitness center features cardio equipment, strength training machines, free weights and much more.

• LifeCafe (10 Van Riper Rd., Montvale) is located within LifeTime Fitness, a luxe facility with indoor and outdoor pools, weights, yoga classes and the like. LifeCafe’s chef works closely with nutritionists and trainers to create healthy snacks and meals—options include breakfast bowls, salads, sandwiches and even a grassfed beef or turkey burger.

• The Spring yoga studio (91 W. Clinton Ave., Tenafly) last fall opened a cafe with a “plant-forward” menu (it’s about 80 percent vegan) that changes seasonally. The Spring has egg dishes, sandwiches, bowls and create-your-own options, as well as smoothies and coffee. Namaste!

DID YOU KNOW? More than 141 million cards are sent for Mother’s Day in the U.S., according to the folks at Hallmark. But the holiday only ranks third on the list of top greeting card holidays. Christmas tops the list with 1.6 billion cards, followed by Valentine’s Day (151 million).

DID YOU KNOW? Of the 47,746 runners who finished the 2022 New York City Marathon in November, 2,972 are from the Garden State. Cole Dailey, 39, of Rutherford was the top Bergen runner. He crossed the finish line with a time of 2 hours, 58 minutes and 32 seconds.

WHERE WILL YOU GO?

National Plan for Vacation Day, says the U.S. Travel Association, is the last Tuesday in January—the 31st this year. But actually, any day this month is a good time to book a trip, as airlines, cruise lines and hotels offer discounts at the top of the calendar year. “Airline credits, resort credits, complimentary meal plans and kids-stay-free are all promotions I’ve seen in January,” says Jaime Garcia, a travel advisor with Once Upon a Vacation in Ridgewood. “Many locations are looking to attract new and returning clientele, so they offer great post-holiday sales.” Garcia shares travelplanning tips:

• Book early. Solidifying your trip months in advance can do wonders for both the getaway and your wallet. Garcia says the sooner you book, the better your selection of hotels, room types and destinations. Besides enjoying top-ofthe-year promotions, you can sometimes pay in increments rather than all at once if you need to.

• Try the tropics. How does a pina colada on the beach sound right about now? The travel industry knows just how you feel. “Tropical locations usually have the best promotions to offer because bundled-up deals offer the best savings,” says our expert. “Bundled-up deals” means you’ll save if you buy hotel, airfare and transportation to and from the airport all at once.

• Read the fine print. Many travel suppliers advertise web specials, coupons and bundled deals in January, but make sure you can live with

the caveats. “For example,” Garcia says, “are the flights nonstop? Are the seats standard economy or basic? I also always recommend making sure the terms of the promotion are something you feel comfortable with. A nonrefundable rate may be enticing, but the terms are super-strict.”

• Know that you can (probably) cancel if need be. Pre-pandemic, airlines and travel suppliers had stricter cancellation and refund policies, but they have since loosened, says our agent.

“Many wholesalers have eliminated change fees, cancellation fees and offer flexible terms,” she explains. Still, she always recommends purchasing travel insurance in case unexpected issues arise, such as inclement weather, illness or a family emergency that prevents you from taking the trip. Expect to pay $75 to $100 per person for a travel credit or upwards of $200 per person for an insurance policy with a cash refund, she notes.

• Consider using a travel agent. Most travel agents don’t charge a fee for their services; they get paid by the hotels and airlines they book. Many agencies have longstanding relationships with select resorts and carriers and can book these places for their clients at a better-thanaverage price. “Some deals are exclusive to the travel-agent community and the wholesalers we use,” Garcia says. “I love to pass that savings along to my clients.” Using an agent also means you can talk to a real human

PUPPY LOVE

Dogs: Millie, 4-year-old Labrador retreiver/greyhound mix

Owners: Genna and Craig Weintraub of Mahwah

While Genna and Craig worked from home during the height of the pandemic, they took breaks during the day by walking around their neighborhood. “Doing it with a dog would make it more exciting,” Genna recalls thinking during more than one of those strolls. So the couple searched and found the perfect pup at a shelter in Rockland County, N.Y. “Millie seemed so scared in her pen but was so friendly with us. We immediately knew she was ‘the one’.” And the pup quickly made herself at home, where she has a large yard to “chase squirrels and run her heart out” or dig holes like she’s “searching for buried treasure,” Mom says. When Millie’s inside, she’s a big mush and lays in her very own spot on the living room couch. There, Genna says, the pup—who’s full size and about 100 pounds now—watches her owners’ every move and makes demands for jerky treats, Milkbones or a game of tug o’ war with one of her dozen rope toys. Outside of their home, Millie enjoys hikes at the Ramapo Valley Reservation or burning energy at the Ridgewood dog park. “She’s two breeds that love activity,” Genna notes, “so we do our best to keep up!” Want to see your cat or dog in an upcoming issue? Email your pet’s photo and brief details to rita.guarna@wainscotmedia.com.

STRESS? IT’S

Want to unwind, de-stress and holiday season? The world of The classes below are professionally though registration is required. comfortable clothes! • Meditation with Lenna and Leena Unnikrishnan and Nirmal have more than two decades Sahaja meditation, can help relieve pain and recharge the Library, Tuesdays and Thursdays • Sahaja Yoga Meditation. learn, and all ages or cultural welcome. Attendees can sit on the floor and should wear clothing for the hour-long sessions. Library, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. • Yoga Workshop. This open-level class will help you breathe deeper, get stronger and feel more relaxed. Taught by certified instructor James Mokarry. Sign up for five sessions. Johnson Library in Hackensack 10 a.m. for five consecutive Fridays, starting Jan. 13.

GEAR HERE!

Working out isn’t easy, but there’s a fun part to that resolution: getting new gear!

Below is a collection of items that, while they won’t do the work for you, will make you feel tip-top while you’re sweating away at the gym.

• Fitbit Charge 5 Advanced. A userfriendly interface and reliability make this one of the leading fitness trackers. It records all your stats— steps, distance, heart rate, sleep pattern, etc.

• On Cloud X. Whether you’re running outdoors or high-stepping in an aerobics class, these lightweight trainers provide plenty of support and stability.

• Bose Sport Earbuds. These Bluetoothenabled buds are comfortable, sweat-resistant and secure, so you can enjoy your tunes without worry or distraction.

• Athleta Salutation Tights. These leggings are made of lightweight fabric that not only allows unrestricted movement and has two dropin pockets for your phone, but also passes the squat test.

• Lululemon Pack It Down Vest. Layer this vest over a running jacket for your outdoor jog or simply over a tee during the drive to the gym. It’s lightweight but filled with down material to keep your core warm.

HELP FOLKS BUNDLE

UP

Coats piling up in your closet that you don’t wear anymore but don’t know what to do with? Donate them! Most coat drives will accept coats that are newish or gently used (still wearable, no holes or stains), and several Bergen locations—including some mall stores you may be visiting anyway—will gladly give your garment to someone for whom a new winter coat wasn’t in the budget:

• 2nd Annual LJC III Legacy Coat Drive, Fair Lawn. Leo J. Czekalski III, a Realtor at Keller Williams in Fair Lawn, donates coats to a dropoff point for the national nonprofit One Warm Coat, then they’re distributed to people in need. To make it even easier to give, he’ll pick them up from your home— just sign up for a pickup slot. Visit facebook.com/listingleo for more info.

• Garden State Plaza, Paramus. Stores here that are taking part in winter coat drives during mall hours include Aero, Forever 21, J. Crew, Eddie Bauer and Lucky. As an extra incentive, whenever you donate a coat, you’ll get 10 percent off (or $10 off, depending on the retailer) your outerwear purchase made that day.

• John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, Wallington. Collection hours: Monday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday 12 to 8 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• National Honor Society Coat Drive, Ridgefield Park. In 2020, students in the Ridgefield Park school district’s NHS collected more than 200 coats; can they hit 300 this year? Drop-off at Ozzie Nelson Drive Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

VOTE FOR LOCAL FAVES

BERGEN’s annual Readers’ Choice Poll is officially open online—it’s a chance to honor your favorite Bergen businesses. From doggie daycare to donut shops, boutiques to bars, vote in more than 100 categories on our website—bergenmag.com/ votereaderschoice2023. We’ll reveal the winners in our September issue, so stay tuned.

KUDOS

A round of applause for Old Tappan’s Cara Boyce, Cresskill’s Isabella Kim and Wyckoff’s Gina Certo, three of the five high school sophomores selected to represent the Academy of the Holy Angels at the 2023 Hugh O’Brian

SHOP ON!

So done with buying things after the holidays? So’s everyone else—that’s why January can be a great time for bargains as merchants try to move remaining inventory. Depending on what you want, here are places to try:

• Holiday décor and wrapping paper, for the same reason Halloween candy is half off on Nov. 1. Christmas Tree Shops, Paramus, 201.291.1340.

• Linens and “soft home goods,” which have been discounted in January since the first “white sale” in 1878: Don’t panic if you missed that year’s sale—you can still get bedding, duvets, pillows and towels. And not just whites—colors too! Avanti Home, Moonachie, 201.641.7766.

• Toys. (Birthdays coming up?) Tons of Toys, Westwood, 201.641.7766.

• Video games. New releases are timed to the end of the year, but they’re just as much fun to play in January. The Game Zone, Hillsdale, 201.358.6800.

• Exercise equipment, treadmills, etc.—just in case you really meant that New Year’s resolution. Fitness Showrooms of New Jersey, Paramus, 201.262.1670.

• Winter clothing and sports gear such as ski and snowboarding equipment, boots, hats and goggles. (Alas, most of winter still lies ahead.) Ramsey Outdoor, Ramsey, 201.327.8141.

• Flooring and carpeting, in case you’ll want to improve the look of your home in ’23. Floor & Décor, Paramus, 201.477.6044.

• TVs. The Super Bowl is just weeks away. Best Buy, Paramus, 201.556.1321

• Suits and formalwear for those special occasions in the new year. Sal Lauretta for Men, Midland Park, 201.444.1666.

CULINARY CORNER

Italy times 3

Fans of Cork & Crust in Harrington Park are rejoicing at the arrival of sister restaurant Augie’s Trattoria. This BYOB Italian eatery features assorted classic and specialty pasta dishes as well as traditional chicken, veal, seafood and vegetarian entrées. A full gluten-free menu featuring gluten-free pasta and a tempting twin lobster-tail dish is also available.

• Augie’s Trattoria, 112 La Roche Ave., Harrington Park, 201.660.7865

Another Italian restaurant, Verana, is now open in Norwood. The brainchild of former Del Posto chef Giuseppe Agostino, it boasts upscale selections such as tagliatelle in black truffle butter, whole lobster in a spicy tomato sauce and whole grilled branzino. Oh, and we can’t forget dessert—the budino (milk and dark chocolate custard) sounds amazing!

• Verana, 530 Livingston St., Norwood, 201.347.6759

A third Italian eatery recently joined Bergen’s dining landscape: Da Mimmo is now open in Dumont. Created by a TikTok-famous trio (the Gigante brothers), it specializes in brick-oven pizzas and paninis. We can’t wait to try (and post photos of) the Cheesesteak Da Mimmo!

• Da Mimmo, 132 Veterans Plaza, Dumont, 201.367.9648; damimmonj.com

REACH YOUR SUMMIT IN ’23

The new year is a perfect time to diversify your get-in-shape agenda and set a new goal. Here are some possibilities:

• Spring goal: If you’ve been racking up miles on the roads and treadmills, maybe change it up and take on trail running. Sign up for the Lost Brook Trail Race Sunday, March 26. There are 5- and 10-mile options that take runners through the Lost Brook Preserve forest, which is maintained by the Tenafly Nature Center.

The trio will be joined by classmates Xenaya

of Clifton and Molly Doherty of New City, N.Y., at the three-day

conference in June.

Speaking of leaders, raise a glass to Sunmerry Bakery and Café in Fort Lee, which Food & Wine magazine rates as one of the state’s top breakfast spots. The foodie publication raves about the café’s “airy brioche filled with cream.” Give it a try at 2024 Center Ave. or check out SunMerry’s menu at sunmerryus.com.

Two Bergen-based businesses picked up honors at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s Inaugural Awards in November. Hackensack Meridian Health earned the DE&I Trailblazer Award in “Workforce Diversity,” while Columbia Bank, based in Fair Lawn, received the prize in the “Board Diversity” category.

• Summer goal: Treadmills, pools, bikes—use each of them to train for the 41st Annual Wyckoff Franklin Lakes Triathlon, which takes place (final date not available at press time) at the Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes. Individual and relay options are available, so you can have more fun by making it a team effort.

• Anytime goal: If you’re not ready for a racer’s pace, perhaps a hike is more your speed. Download an app such as AllTrails and follow it up Bald Mountain in the Ramapos. At 1,152 feet, it’s Bergen County’s highest peak. And if the trek up the trail doesn’t take your breath away, the view at the summit just may.

Youth Leadership Seminar.

Medina

student leadership

Livvy’n The Life

Gymnast Livvy Dunne is the most followed student athlete on social media, the top-valued female college athlete, and—not to brag, but—she hails from right here in the Pascack Valley.

You’re the most followed student athlete on social media. How do you strike that balance between being an athlete, an influencer, as well as a student?

It can be a lot to balance it all, but I try to prioritize what I have to do each day and I stick to a pretty tight schedule. Most of my day is at the gym or in class and doing schoolwork. Then, I carve out an hour or two in the evening to work on social media.

I also make sure to work with brands that understand my schedule and will work with me so that I have the flexibility I need. What did your schedule look like when you were homeschooling and training? Tell us a bit more about your childhood in Bergen.

always made me feel like I was talented enough to go as far as I wanted to in gymnastics. We are still very close. I call my ENA coach, Craig Zappa, when I have a hard day to get advice or on a good day to share those moments as well. It means a lot that the coaches at ENA are proud of everything I’m accomplishing. They’re still some of my biggest supporters. How did you grow your social following so quickly?

I actually love social media! I like the whole process of looking at trends—planning what to post, even watching the analytics after I post something. I think the more you enjoy something the better you get at it. I started TikTok before it was super popular and that really helped me build up a following fast. But, I take it very seriously and work hard to post consistently.

How would you describe your personal brand? I think my followers enjoy seeing all the different sides to my personality. I like showing what it’s like to do a college sport, go to school and also be involved in social media. I think it’s important to realize that you are more than just your sport. I try to focus my brand and everything I do on always being myself and being authentic with my audience, and to show younger girls that being a gymnast is just one part of who I am.

Have you had any pinch me moments lately? Any celeb followers or any notable interactions?

Fun fact: The most followed student athlete on social media is from Bergen County. Her name is Olivia Dunne, known personally and professionally as “Livvy,” and she’s a college gymnast competing for Louisiana State University in the NCAA. LSU is a far cry literally and figuratively from her hometown of Hillsdale, but it was here in North Jersey that she learned just about everything she knows about the sport. Livvy was homeschooled starting in sixth grade, and trained since she was 4 years old at ENA Gymnastics in Paramus. And this 20-year-old is doing just fine out on her own in the South. Dunne has amassed more than 8 million followers combined on TikTok and Instagram, landing her that coveted title of most followed student athlete, brand partnership deals with brands like Forever21 and Vuori, as well as the clout—and money—that comes with being a social media influencer. BERGEN asked Livvy via an email interview how she balances sports, school and “internet fame,” her coach’s best advice and her favorite spots to visit when she’s back home in Jerz.

Being homeschooled allowed me to go to the gym during the day and do my schoolwork at night. I’d do around five hours a day in the gym with breaks for lunch and school. During the time when I was training at the elite level, I was in the gym around 30 hours a week and we traveled monthly to the USA National Training Center in Texas. It was an intense schedule, but that’s not unusual in elite gymnastics. I often also did physical therapy after practice and then would go home to work on school for 3 or 4 hours.

Do you feel you missed out on the regular school experience?

I did miss out on a lot of “normal” things, and that was really hard at times. I was lucky to have my sister Julz one grade ahead of me. She would include me in things she did, like high school football games. But you do have to give up a lot to train at that level. What’s one thing your coaches at ENA taught you that still sticks with you today? They taught me how to dream big. They saw something in me when I was really young, and they

Yes! I got to have dinner with Joe Burrow [of the Cincinnati Bengals] who is an amazing quarterback and LSU legend. I got to go to the ESPY Awards and meet all kinds of professional and Olympic athletes. I was also in a Walker Hayes music video which was very cool!

What do you miss most about Bergen County when you’re in Louisiana? The lifestyle seems very different there…

I miss pizza and bagels and the food from home. I also miss the seasons. I love warm weather, but I do miss the fall leaves or the feeling you get when it’s snowing outside.

Where are some of your favorite places to hang out when you’re home?

I love to go to the Ridge Diner in Park Ridge, Brooklyn Pizza in Ridgewood and Houston’s at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack. I shop the local stores at Tice’s Corner a lot. I feel very lucky to have grown up in Bergen County. There’s no place like home.

What are your goals for 2023, personally or professionally?

I’d love to keep growing my brand and maybe start working on my own merchandise or products. I hope LSU gymnastics has a great season and gets to compete for a national title too!

—Haley Longman PHOTO COURTESY OF LIVVY DUNNE

STATISTICS SUGGEST that one in four individuals experience some type of mental distress. Kimberly and Nancé Agresta of Agresta Psychotherapy Group believe proper treatment can help patients lead better lives. Advocates of eliminating the stigma of seeking help for mental illness, Kimberly and Nancé offer a nurturing environment for adults, families and children of all ages, including those with special needs. In addition to working with couples on relationship issues, they treat anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, grief, eating disorders, addictions, sexual abuse, gender identity and PMAD’s. Therapeutic services include weekend couples’ groups, parenting groups, art therapy and Nancé’s work as a certified Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Agresta Psychotherapy Group now offers treatment via telehealth as well as in office. In times of crisis, having support is vitally important. Agresta Psychotherapy Group provides that support and guidance to those struggling with all mental health issues including those stemming from the pandemic.

SATIN SMOCKEDCUFF BLOUSE Chico’s, Paramus, 201.262.1844

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EXERCISE TO STAY SMART

Researchers have found that the brains of folks who exercise regularly shrink less than the brains of those who don’t. That will help decrease the risk of memory loss and will aid cognitive function. Any physical exercise will do as long as it’s done regularly.

—Columbia

JUST REACH OUT

Calling, texting or emailing friends and family is good for your mental health and has a positive effect on recipients. A recent study found that we underestimate how much others appreciate hearing from us.

—Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

RAISING GOOD CHOLESTEROL

University

BEWARE SNIFFLES, SORE THROAT

It could be COVID-19. A recent study found that 56 percent of asymptomatic people who tested positive for the virus during the Omicron surge had no idea they had the virus. So if you have even mild symptoms, test yourself to avoid spreading the virus to others.

—JAMA Open Network

CYCLE AID

Want to lower risk of heart

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, also known as “good” cholesterol, helps remove other forms of cholesterol from your bloodstream. That’s why higher levels are good for your heart. One way to boost HDL: eating a lower carb diet. Research has shown that a diet consisting of less than 50 grams of carbs a day and one that’s high in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fats will help do the trick.

—American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

ROAD TO A RAW DIET

Eating plant foods is good for you, but go easy, say experts. If you’re not used to eating this way, your gut needs time to adjust. A study found that twothirds of Americans have gastrointestinal issues that include bloating, constipation and heartburn, which raw foods can exacerbate.

—American Journal of Gastroenterology

JAVA WOES

Single-serve coffee pods are handy. But research has shown that the brewing process can cause chemicals, such as benzophenone, an estrogenic chemical, to be part of your daily brew. Levels of the chemicals were well below safety limits, however, the effects of long-term exposure are yet to be determined. This class of chemical has been linked to cancer and endocrine disruption.

—Toxicology Reports

SENIORS NEED THEIR SLEEP

Contrary to myth, people age 50 and older do not need less sleep than younger folks. In fact, those older adults who slept five hours or less increased their risk of chronic illnesses—arthritis, diabetes, cancer, depression, heart disease and others—by 30 percent compared with people who slept seven hours.

—PLOS Medicine

A

GUIDE

YOUR BODY

By Leslie Garisto Pfaff

Your body is an intricate assemblage of parts designed to work seamlessly together. And while it’s critically important to take care of the whole, it’s equally essential to make sure all those parts are in peak shape. We’ve combed through the research—and asked the experts— for info to help you maintain your body, part by part, so you can function like a well-oiled machine, throughout the new year and many years to follow.

SKIN: Cuts and scrapes are inevitable, but often scarring isn’t. Tamar Zapolanski, M.D., a dermatologist at Valley Health, advises that “when healing cuts and scrapes, keeping wounds moist has been proven to work better than letting them dry out.” Our instinct, she says, is to allow them to scab, but she warns that “airing out” wounds results in more scarring than covering them. “Good old Vaseline and a bandage is the best medicine,” Dr. Zapolanski notes. Change both daily after washing with soap and water.

HEAD: To avoid tension headaches, you don’t have to retire to an ashram. But do make sure that you’re getting sufficient vitamin D. Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland discovered that chronic headache sufferers had levels of vitamin D below the threshold for deficiency. Your primary care doctor can measure your D levels through a simple blood test. If yours is low, he or she may suggest you take a supplement.

BRAIN: If you’re looking for a way to amp up your ability to commit facts to memory, look no further than your kitchen coffeemaker (or your neighborhood barista). Neuroscientists have long known that caffeine, in moderate amounts, can improve brain function overall, but a new study out of Johns Hopkins University found that participants who were given 200-milligram tablets of caffeine (roughly equivalent to two cups of brewed coffee) after looking at a series of images were significantly better at remembering those images than their noncaffeinated counterparts. Just make sure that your daily intake doesn’t exceed 400 milligrams, the amount deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

*TEETH:

Teeth need healthy gums to stay healthy themselves, and an analysis of eight recent studies published in the journal Clinical Oral Investigations showed that omega-3 fatty acids can help keep gums in the pink. You’ll find omega-3s in supplement form, as well as in fish such as mackerel, wildcaught salmon, herring, bluefin and albacore tuna, lake trout, whitefish, bluefish, halibut and sea bass.

HAIR: These days, everyone is talking about the gut microbiome—the microscopic flora and fauna that live in the intestines and, in balance, promote good health and overall immunity. Turns out our scalp is home to a microbiome of its own, and, according to a American College of can supply the vitamins necessary to keep that py—which, in turn, itch, dry scalp and dandruff healthier hair in the

EYES: To protect against macular degeneration, the leading cause of age-related blindness, go for the goji. Researchers at the University of California–Davis found that eating a handful of goji berries five times a week increased the pigments that ward same wasn’t true for an ounce or so of gojis in your cereal, smoothie or yogurt parfait to perfect those pigments.

EARS: If you’re like most Americans, you’ve never had a baseline hearing test. But the folks at the American Academy of Audiology say it’s the best way to monitor the health of your hearing, now and over time. You needn’t see an audiologist unless you suspect you’ve suffered significant hearing loss; just ask your family doctor to perform the test at your next checkup.

SHOULDERS: To avoid those all-too-common shoulder injuries, Rami Alrabaa, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with the Englewood Health Physician Network, cautions against “going from zero to 100.” “Tendon injuries and tears often occur in ‘weekend warriors,’ people who are not accustomed to regular exercise or those who pick up an aggressive activity without an appropriate warmup,” he says. “For example, lifting excessively heavy weights during shoulder abduction exercises can place significant strain on the rotator cuff.” Besides taking it slow, the best way to avoid this kind of injury is to stay active and maintain a consistent exercise routine, says the doctor.

NECK: Sitting is a pain in the neck—literally. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Alrabaa advises those of us with sedentary jobs to take frequent breaks to stand up and walk around. And, he notes, when we’re seated, especially when facing a computer monitor, “it’s easy to slouch and forget about engaging your back and abdominal muscles. You can avoid strains in the musculature around the neck and shoulder area by maintaining a good posture. Engage your abdominal and back mus-

cles when seated for prolonged periods of time to ensure that you are in an upright position while sitting.” Sleeping can be just as hard on your neck as sitting. Dr. Alrabaa cautions against using a pillow that’s too large or rigid, which can cause excessive strain on the neck.

think of strength don’t envision your study published in Strength and Conditionshowed that building up muscles of the wrist protected against the development of common disorders such wrist tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Yes, you pump iron—two small dumbbells—to develop your wrist muscles. Ask your docfor recommended light weights and extension, flexion, supina-

HEART: Want to boost heart health? Get to bed on time. For years, the American Heart Association maintained a list of seven lifestyle factors associated with heart health: nicotine diet, physical cholesterol and added an eighth healthy heart, between seven more for kids, on age).

GUT: Boosting good bugs in gut and banishing the bad ones more than promote gastrointestinal health; it also up immunity; protects against inflammation, cancer and diabetes; helps with weight loss; delays the onset of Crohn’s disease; and extends life. recent studies journal Gut found of the best ways the health of your microbiome is Mediterranean fresh fruits and legumes, whole

*SPINE: A surprising study out of Berlin’s Humboldt University found that elite athletes suffer from lower back pain as often as the rest of us, most likely because they, too, have weak lower back muscles. To strengthen these muscles and gain greater control of the spine, the study’s lead author, Maria Moreno Catala, recommends incorporating Pilates into your fitness routine. In another study, Catala found that adding some instability to your workout, like trying to balance on a workout ball, actually relieved lower back pain. (As with any exercise regimen, consult your doctor before trying this.)

LEG MUSCLES: If you experience spasms or cramps after a workout, you may be dehydrated, pushing yourself too hard or doing something incorrectly, warns J. Christopher Mendler, M.D., director of the sports medicine program at Holy Name Medical Center. “Be sure to properly hydrate, try easing up next time you work out and make sure you’re using the correct techniques,” he advises. If you do cramp up, he suggests using a cold pack on the affected area and gently stretching sage and compression can also help. to check in with your medical team any additional concerns.

LIVER: From 2012 to 2019, the annual hepatitis C cases in the U.S. doubled, from to 24,700 to 57,500. untreated hep C, a viral inflammation disease and its early Centers for Disease recommended tested at least and that during each KIDNEYS: stones? Andrew Siegel, urologist in Teaneck, notes hydration greatest factor to ment of condition. Kidney Foundation recommends ing at least of liquid form, including tea, soup, you’ve lot—in during exercise yoga, in a should drink A bonus: drated helps against infections addition, too much tal vitamin body, C into calcium he notes, key component kidney stones.”

COLON: Want to do your colon a favor? Forget cleanses (research shows that they do little good and could even be harmful) and eat yogurt instead to keep your colon clean— of the polyps that can be precursors to cancer. A recent analysis of data from the famous Nurses Study revealed that regular consumption of yogurt—one or more servings per week—was associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer. (And if you want another fected nails.

*KNEES: Walking has often been touted as the perfect exercise, and if your knees could talk, they’d almost certainly agree. A British study published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research indicated that walking 6,000 steps a day could stave off the development of osteoarthritis in the knee—a cause of knee pain and disability in 27 million Americans and 250 million people worldwide. In addition, recent research out of Northwestern University’s Northwestern Medicine suggested that just one hour a week of rapid walking—the kind you do when you’re late for an important appointment—can decrease the chance of disability in people already suffering from knee osteoarthritis. If you don’t have a solid hour free for brisk walking, don’t worry—researchers say you can break those 60 minutes into six 10-minute intervals per week.

KNOW YOUR BREASTCANCER RISK

A Valley Hospital oncologist urges women to learn more about their bodies—and families—to guard against this disease.

Except for skin cancers, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In fact, it’s estimated that 30 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in women last year were breast-cancer cases—approximately 287,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women were reported last year in the U.S., according to breastcancer.org. The numbers would be even more staggering if it weren’t for the efforts of awareness campaigns and advocates like Eleonora Teplinsky, M.D., head of breast medical oncology at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. Dr. Teplinsky was one of the featured speakers and a panelist at BERGEN’s Women’s Health & Wellness Event, which took place this past November at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. There she stressed to an audience of about 175 women the importance of screening and knowing breast-cancer risk factors.

“Risk assessment should start at age 25 and be updated periodically thereafter,” she advises. A risk assessment typically includes an examination of family history to determine if someone either has a genetic predisposition or should get genetic testing. And specialists don’t simply look at a patient’s maternal history.

“It’s from Mom’s side and Dad’s side,” says Dr. Teplinsky.

“We have to keep in mind the family history from the father’s side. A lot of times we speak of BRCA from Mom, but men too can have the BRCA gene.”

About 1 in 833 men will develop breast cancer,

she notes, and BRCA2 mutations are associated with a lifetime breast-cancer risk in men of about 6.8 percent, according to breastcancer.org.

For patients who are unable to trace their family’s health lineage, such as those who are adopted and don’t know their biological parents, Dr. Teplinsky still recommends a risk assessment.

“If you don’t know family history, we’re really limited,” she says. “But we’ll err on the side of caution and start screening at age 40. We’ll do genetic testing even though you don’t have a family history because it’s really important for testing for genetic mutation.”

A breast-cancer risk assessment also weighs other factors such as breast density, any prior radiation to the chest and any prior breast biopsies. “If you’re considered to be of average risk—which means you don’t have any of those factors—then we recommend starting screening at age 40 with a mammogram once a year,” says the doctor. “If you have dense breasts, which is information you get on your mammogram, then you would also want to add a supplemental breast screening ultrasound.”

About half of the U.S. female population has dense breasts, a risk factor that “is not meant to be a bad thing,” Dr. Teplinsky says. “Density can change over time: Breasts can be dense when we’re younger and turn fatty when we get older. You just need to be aware of it so you can advocate and get that ultrasound. It’s one extra tool that can help risk assessment, and you can be proactive in taking the next steps.”

Patients whose assessments suggest they’re at high risk—through factors such as family history and genetic mutation—may “be getting mammograms and MRIs, and may start screening earlier depending on what their risk is. If you have a first-degree relative who’s been diagnosed with breast cancer, you want to start screening at either 10 years before the age when they were diagnosed or at age 40, whichever comes first,” she recommends.

Below is a recommended timeline for risk assessment and screenings for women, according to the American Cancer Society:

• Age 25: Begin doing a risk assessment to determine when to start regular mammograms.

• 40 to 44: You have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year.

• 45 to 54: You should get mammograms annually.

• 55 and older: You can switch to a mammogram every other year or choose to continue yearly mammograms. Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live at least 10 more years.

All women should understand what to expect when getting a mammogram for breast cancer screening— what the test can and cannot do.

YOUR MIND MATTERS

Mental health affects physical health. You always figured that, but—as a recent women’s wellness event revealed—you didn’t know the half of it.

By Haley Longman

If you still think seeking treatment for mental health issues is something to be ashamed of, you’re crazy.

That’s an indelicate way of putting an insight expressed more tactfully at BERGEN’s Women’s Health & Wellness Event, held in November, at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. There, 175 women of all ages heard from two clinicians from the Paramusbased Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. They heard that the stigma once popularly associated with mental or emotional illness is melting away as surely as a warm-day snow flurry. And they learned about something called “integrated care.”

That term has many meanings in today’s complex world of health care delivery. One of them, the one the American Psychiatric Association uses, is “any attempt to fully or partially blend mental health services with general and/or specialty medical services.”

So, what does that mean for you?

It means “we understand that we’re not just treating the presenting problem; we’re treating the whole patient,” says Darian Eletto, a licensed professional counselor and program director at the Acute Partial Hospitalization Program and the LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness Center of Bergen New Bridge. “This requires collaboration from all providers, resulting in a multidisciplinary approach to wellness. By educating our patients on how they can implement a more holistic approach to their wellness, they can identify realistic ways in which they can improve self-care in multiple areas of their life.”

Eletto notes that the lifespans of people with severe mental illnesses—bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc.—are shorter than average, and that these sufferers are less likely to receive preventive care. “These people often only seek medical or mental health services when their symptoms have become so severe, they require emergency care,” she says, “at which point their health concerns could have been more easily managed through regular check-ups rather than with acute interventions.”

Common comorbidities of those with severe mental illnesses include nicotine use, increased heart rate, heart disease, obesity, gastrointestinal issues and a compromised immune system. “Mental health really does impact all the major parts of our bodies.”

Even for those with

less severe but still significant depressive or anxiety disorders, leaving these conditions untreated can lead to digestive disorders, heart disease and life-threatening problems such as stroke or a heart attack, or their precursors, diabetes or hypertension. Eletto adds that those who suffer from chronic pain are at an increased risk of depression, and those with depression are more prone to obesity since they’re not motivated to engage in day to day activities, which could in turn lead to obesity.

Fortunately, the way practitioners approach mental health and mental illness is changing. Now, whenever you visit your primary care provider, you’ll probably fill out a PHQ-9 form, a brief patient healthcare questionnaire (thus the initials) that has become standard across many disciplines. It screens for depression and monitors changes in your mood. “After you fill out this form, we have someone in the clinic who does the patient navigation set you up with a therapist or psychiatrist if need be,” says Mellie Belvis, an advanced nurse practitioner in addiction medicine and primary care at Bergen New Bridge. “We want to educate the community that it’s OK to seek professional help for mental health issues.”

4 WAYS WOMEN SHOULD PROTECT MENTAL HEALTH

Something fancy, perhaps? Nope. The key things you can do to keep your mental and emotional balance are almost embarrassingly simple. But they’re easy to lose track of as the years go by and immediate responsibilities fill your days:

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle. This includes “eating a healthy diet, staying active, practicing good sleep hygiene and not smoking,” says licensed professional counselor Darian Eletto.

• Engage in an activity you enjoy. This, says advanced nurse practitioner Mellie Belvis, can involve volunteering locally to help people in need, going to a weekly Zumba class or getting together with friends to get your mind off work and stressful topics. “Committing just a little time to ourselves each day will help in alleviating stress, create time for self-care and recharge our emotional batteries,” Eletto says.

• Stay up-to-date with doctors’ appointments. Women tend to put family members’ needs before their own, but they should prioritize their own preventive healthcare screenings as much as they do their kids’. “Schedule your routine physical, go to the gynecologist for a Pap smear, schedule your mammogram, get your colonoscopy and stay up-to-date on your vaccines,” says Belvis. “The earlier we detect a problem [through screening], the better.”

• Seek help when you need it. “If you’re just not feeling like yourself, it’s OK to seek help and talk to somebody,” Eletto stresses. “It’s important to be in tune with our minds and bodies, and not brush off any kind of discomfort.”

Eleonora Teplinsky, M.D., head of breast medical oncology at The Valley Hospital

Mellie Belvis, A.P.N., advanced nurse practitioner in addiction medicine and primary care at New Bridge Medical Center

Cristina Giambalvo, director of the midwifery program at The Valley Hospital

Darian Eletto, L.P.C., program director at the Acute Partial Hospitalization Program and the LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness Center of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center

Mary C. Collins, M.S.N., A.C.N.P., director of cardiac surgery and cardiac specialty programs at The Valley Hospital

WOMEN’S HEALTH Q&A

From vitamin D to menopause, no health topic was off limits for a panel of clinical professionals at BERGEN’s recent Women’s Health & Wellness Event.

We all hunger for information about what’s happening with our bodies—and what could happen. But doctors are busy, the Internet can be contradictory and the health news we hear from our neighbor may be spiked with myth. So imagine the good fortune of the 175 attendees at BERGEN’s Women’s Health & Wellness Event, held in November at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. They got to pepper a panel of female health experts with questions about health issues they had on their minds—and get the straight dope. Here are highlights:

Q: At what age should we start assessing our risk for cardiovascular issues?

Collins : We advise that both men and women get their first assessment of their cholesterol profile at age 20 and continue to do so yearly. We want to know your risk factors throughout your entire lifespan.

It’s important to know your traditional risk factors—high blood pressure, smoking, an unhealthy diet, inactivity—but we want to know your personal history that can put you at an increased risk.

Q: What are some risk factors that put women in particular at risk?

Collins: We really try to focus on genderspecific factors. For example, if you had preeclampsia, preterm labor or gestational diabetes during pregnancy, or if you have an autoimmune disease, your overall risk is higher. Some people might not realize that cardiovascular disease is a major health threat to women through our lifetime, and women outpace men in cardiovascular deaths. You know your dress size, right? You should know some of these other important things too.

Q: How can we raise awareness about this?

Belvis: We have to start at home, teach our children to eat healthy and exercise.

Teplinsky : In order to teach teens and kids, you need to go where they are, and that’s social media. They’re on TikTok, Instagram; they’re not coming to these events. I’ll only speak for oncology, but that’s why it’s so important for physicians to be engaged on social media and educating. That’s how we get the message across.

Q: I recently found out that if you had an eating disorder when you were younger, it increases your risk of osteoporosis. What else does it put you at higher risk of?

Eletto : Eating disorders are the secondhighest mortality rate of any mental health diagnosis, second to opioid use disorder. We recognize that eating is part of our day-to-day life, so eating disorders can cause many challenges and long-term damage such as osteoporosis, damage to our throat and teeth from bingeing or purging, cardiovascular health, dietary restrictions or unhealthy eating habits that can impact our digestive systems. Eating disorders are very difficult to get treatment for. It’s much more obtainable if you have private insurance or if you can pay out of pocket. We recently cut the ribbon at The Center for Eating Disorders & Body Positivity at Bergen New Bridge, and we accept Medicare and Medicaid patients, so anybody with an eating disorder can be served. It’s so important to have early intervention with eating disorders because the mortality rate is so high. It’s very much unrecognized, so thank you for asking about it.

Q: Why are we all so low in Vitamin D?

Collins : A source of Vitamin D is sunshine—that’s why it’s called the sunshine vitamin. So some of it is the climate that we live in, because here in the Northeast we spend many of our months inside. Vitamin D is also hard to get from the foods that we eat. But at Valley Hospital’s heart screening program, we test women for D because normal levels of this vitamin have been associated with a better risk profile in terms of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.

Q: Do all women need to take Vitamin D supplements?

Collins : We recommend that women have a blood test to determine what their [Vitamin D] level is. That should be a part of your primary care evaluation. If it isn’t, you should ask your PCP to do that.

Q: Should we be taking other supplements in addition to Vitamin D? What about multi-vitamins?

Giambalvo : As we age, age 40 and over, we don’t absorb nutrients as well from the foods that we eat, so taking a multivitamin rarely does harm. There’s also good data now that Vitamin K2 helps bone health. We hear a lot about calcium and Vitamin C, but not Vitamin K2. Studies have found that it works almost as well as bisphosphonates, medicines that we take to help maintain bone health.

Q: If we don’t want to take hormones, what are some more natural things that can help alleviate symptoms of menopause?

Giambalvo : The symptoms are quite similar for perimenopause and menopause: show of hands of how many of us can run somebody off a road at any given time! You’re irritable, shorttempered, sweating at night, having hot flashes, your periods are getting longer and shorter. But there are some things you can do. There’s very good evidence in the use of acupuncture for almost everything I just noted. There are certain supplements that 50 percent of the time work and are not harmful for the vast majority of people, including red raspberry leaf tea and primrose oil. Vitamin D is also a good added supplement to help with night sweats and to improve memory, along with CoQ10.

Q: Is there a correlation between uterine fibroids and breast cancer?

Giambalvo : I am not aware of a correlation between myomas and breast cancer. I think they are two independent events. But I know that breast cancer, ovarian cancer and colon cancer tend to be the triad, meaning that if you have one of those cancers, you’re at increased risk for developing the other two. Two things to know about fibroids are that they get smaller during menopause, and they don’t increase your risk for uterine cancer. They make periods more uncomfortable and heavy, but they are benign growths and don’t put you at a higher risk.

WHAT OUR SURVEY FOUND

Results of a BERGEN questionnaire suggest that area women have wellness much in mind.

Ever wanted to probe your neighbors with personal questions about their health and how they protect it? Taking a survey is the next best thing. It folds intimate realities into the discreet impersonality of math, and we can all relate to the juicy truths tucked inside the numbers. After all, we all have bodies aging every day and subject to illness, and we all have our fears, hopes and ways of taking care of ourselves. A scientific sample? Well, no. The 125 women who recently answered our questions constitute a demographic more than typically inclined to come to health events—because, uh, they came to BERGEN’s health event. The Women’s Health & Wellness Event at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale in November was the scene of the voluntary survey, and our five-question, multiple-choice evaluation was designed to assess respondents’ personal health concerns. Question by question, here’s what we learned:

Heart disease (46 votes) and cancer (41) are the two issues our survey responders say are most concerning. Women also suggest that mental health (34) and gynecologic health (30) are among their worries. Not listed in our question as a multiple-choice selection but written in by several responders are concerns about arthritis, weight and obesity, and diabetes.

Our event attendees are keeping up with their appointments: 115 women say they stay regular with dental cleanings, 110 of them note that they have their annual physical exams and 108 say they’re up-to-date with gyn checkups. Regular flu shots (100 votes) and mammograms (98) are also routine for many of our respondents. Not listed as questionnaire selections, bone density and dermatology exams were the top write-in preventivecare items.

Ninety women who took our poll say better nutrition and eating habits top their list of 2023 priorities, while another 73 report that getting in shape is part of their plan for the year. Improving balance between work and life also receives votes here (49), as does making preventive care appointments (29).

How would you rate your health?”

Out of the 125 responses, 33 women say they are in “excellent” health while another 76 rate their health as “good.” Fifteen women report their health is “fair,” and only one says she’s in “poor” condition.

Results show that women believe “wellness” equally suggests keeping fit/eating healthy and making time for self-care—those choices garner 109 votes each. Staying on top of regular screenings and well visits also bespeaks wellness for many in our group (92), as does having access to topnotch care (73).

Three Things to Know About The Valley Hospital in Paramus

More Than Just a Hospital

The new hospital will be the heart of a 40-acre health and wellness campus – a one-stop destination for inpatient care, outpatient procedures, and appointments with many Valley doctors.

Single-Patient Rooms

Everyone admitted to The Valley Hospital in Paramus will receive their own room, enhancing patient privacy and providing a superior environment for your loved ones to spend time with you.

Sustainable, Beautiful

More than 30 percent of hospital grounds will be green space. Gardens, lawns, and walking paths will provide a beautiful, park-like setting. Best practices for energy efficiency, space utilization, water consumption, and use of natural light will be incorporated.

ValleyHealth.com/NewHospital

Care Like No Other ® is Coming to Paramus in 2023!

View from 140 East Ridgewood Avenue.

HUNGRY FOR PERFECTION

Eating disorders were on the rise—then the pandemic made the problem worse. But therapy and family support can help. By Leslie Garisto Pfaff

It was January 2021, almost a year into the pandemic, when Nora Green first noticed the change in her daughter Sarah. (Both names are aliases to protect their identities.) Gone was the effervescent 12-year-old, replaced by a moody preteen who looked haggard and drawn. Then her older sister discovered a log Sarah had been keeping, in which she noted everything she ate along with its calorie count, as well as total calories for the day. In a matter of months, those totals had plummeted from 900 to 90.

“I was overwhelmed and lost,” her mother says. “I saw this bright, bubbly girl turn into a zombie in front of my eyes.”

Alarmed, Green took her daughter to an adolescent specialist at Hackensack University Medical Center, who diagnosed Sarah with anorexia, the eating disorder characterized by severe food self-restriction, and referred the family to Gila Cohen Davidovsky, a Teaneck-based therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Even as Sarah fought to overcome the disorder, she evidenced many of the typical effects of anorexia: Her hair was falling out; her menstrual cycle was irregular; and twice she had to be rushed to the ER with chest pains.

THE COVID CONNECTION

In Bergen County and elsewhere, eating disorders rose dramatically during the

pandemic. Calls to the National Eating Disorders Association helpline increased by 40 percent, and in a study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, some 70 percent of patients surveyed reported that their concerns about eating and weight had also increased during the pandemic. Adrienne Mariano, senior director of Behavioral Health Services at the Center for Eating Disorders and Body Positivity at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, attributes that rise, in part, to pandemic isolation.

“We didn’t have our support systems readily available; things that we normally use as coping mechanisms, like traveling or going to the gym, were suddenly taken away; we were sitting for hours in front of a computer and not exercising; many of us were bingeing on comfort foods; and we were getting bombarded with negative messages on social media about how our bodies should look,” she says. As it happens, Sarah Green was inspired to keep her calorie log by an onslaught of TikTok videos in which impossibly thin young women recommended the technique as a way to keep oneself on the straight and narrow.

The Center for Eating Disorders was founded in November 2022 as a response to the burgeoning numbers of county and state residents suffering from anorexia, bulimia— characterized by bingeing and purging—and

other forms of disordered eating. The center estimates that some 375,000 New Jersey residents currently have an eating disorder and nearly a million more will suffer from one at some point.

“Eating disorders are one of the deadliest mental illnesses, second only to opioid addiction,” Mariano says. “We have so much awareness of and so many programs addressing the opioid epidemic, but we’re not talking about eating disorders.” In the U.S. alone, she says, someone dies as a direct result of an eating disorder every 52 minutes.

WHO’S AT RISK?

While the term “eating disorder” conjures images of rail-thin young women, there really is no typical patient. “I see more clients who are in a healthy weight range, but they’re still exhibiting disordered eating and it still can be just as life-threatening,” says Lisa Shohen, a Midland Park therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders. A study out of Stanford University School of Medicine compared patients with typical and atypical anorexia (the latter defined as anorexia in those of normal weight). People in both groups evidenced severely restricted eating habits. Although the atypical patients were still in the normal weight range at the end of a year, they exhibited the same potentially deadly symptoms as

Adrienne Mariano, senior director, Behavioral Health Services at the Center for Eating Disorders and Body Positivity, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center

“Eating disorders are one of the deadliest mental illnesses, second only to opioid addiction. We have so much awareness of and so many programs addressing the opioid epidemic, but we’re not talking about eating disorders.”

those in the typical group, including slow Although the majority of Shohen’s patients are female, she’s seeing a growing number of boys and men. In fact, one in four sufferers are male, and they have a greater chance of dying from an eating disorder because they tend to be diagnosed later in the course of the disease.

According to the nonprofit National Eating Disorders Association, more than one-third of male athletes in sports that emphasize appearance—including wrestling, rowing, bodybuilding, gymnastics and swimming—suffer from disordered eating. (The comparable proportion is 62 percent in women athletes in similar so-called weight and aesthetic sports.) And whatever their gender, members of the LGBTQ+ community are at greater risk for eating disorders—most likely, experts suggest, as a result of the unique stresses they experience, especially in adolescence.

Of course, there’s some truth to the stereotype: Eating disorders are most prevalent among girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 25. Jessica Kashammer, a 39-year-old resident of Hillsdale, is in treatment for what she describes as “a disordered and incredibly unhealthy relationship with food, body and weight that manifests itself in an extreme version of yo-yo dieting,” which began when she was nine. She explains that she was predisposed toward the disorder by her sensitivity and perfectionism. Dieting, she says, “was the most immediate, easiest thing for my brain to use to cope with life.”

In fact, perfectionism is one aspect of what Shohen calls the eating disorders personality type, especially among those with anorexia. “They’re also obedient rule-followers,” she says, “and they tend to suppress their emotions. They may have low self-esteem or lack a sense of identity.” Those who suffer from bulimia, on the other hand, tend to be more volatile and impulsive.

There can be a predisposition to develop an eating disorder among people with mental or emotional difficulties—including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Add to any one of these maladies the stress of the pandemic and the chance of feeling out of control increases exponentially. And when you feel that you have little control over your life, one thing you can control—or so the disordered thinking goes—is what you do or don’t eat.

Tova, a 36-year-old resident of Englewood who asked that we withhold her last name, grew up in a highly religious family that disapproved of her outspokenness. At 15, the stress of her home situation, coupled with the normal stresses of burgeoning adolescence, played into the development of anorexia.

“I landed on dieting as a way to have some control over my life,” she says, “because so many elements felt out of my control. And then it got worse from there.” When her diet started to yield visible results and compliments, she says, “it made me feel like I was doing something right, and it was a very heady feeling.”

A CULTURE OF BODY-SHAMING

One condition shared by virtually everyone who suffers from an eating disorder is the culture we live in, with its stress on looking, getting and staying thin. While there’s been a recent trend to celebrate people with larger body types, Shohen notes that we have years and years of negative messaging about weight to overcome, and those messages are still coming at us fast and furiously, exacerbated by social media and apps that can make you look thinner and fitter online. (Want an instant six-pack? There’s an app for that.) “You can scroll through Instagram and see hundreds of images and messages offering a very narrow definition of what beauty is,” Shohen says.

A DEADLY DISORDER

Every year in America, nearly 7,000 people die as the result of an eating disorder. Starvation, bingeing and purging and extreme dieting all take a massive toll on the body. Restricting calories (and the nutrients that go with them) can result in the loss of muscle mass. (After the body burns all of its fat stores, it turns to the muscles for energy.) “And,” says Mariano, “the largest muscle in the body is the heart, so an eating disorder can lead to an irregular heartbeat and other cardiac issues, including stroke.”

Malnutrition can also precipitate a drop in estrogen and a concurrent loss of menstruation, as well as osteoporosis and a deadly imbalance of electrolytes. And when you lose fat, you don’t just lose it in the obvious places: Neurons in the brain can be stripped of the fat that allows them to function, potentially leading to seizures. Because of her anorexia, Tova stopped getting her periods, and poor circulation kept her fingers blue no matter what the temperature. Like many people with anorexia, she started to grow extra body hair, her body’s attempt to keep her warm.

GETTING BETTER

If you or someone you love suffers from an eating disorder, the only way to treat it is through professional therapy. One of the most important things that Nora Green learned during her daughter’s treatment for anorexia was that, as much as she wanted to “fix it,” she couldn’t. “But I was very lucky to find a therapist and a nutritionist who clicked with my daughter, and she’s in such a better place now,” she says.

Cohen Davidovsky agrees that professional help is needed. Because of the inherent complexity of eating disorders, with their multifarious causes and the involvement of both mind and body, “working for the best course of action isn’t something a parent can navigate without assistance,” she says. A therapist can help decide between inpatient and outpatient treatment, the latter often a necessity for patients whose vital signs have been severely compromised by an eating disorder. For these patients, “refeeding”—gradually upping their intake of calories—requires expert medical supervision. Mariano notes that overfeeding a patient can sometimes be lethal.

For all patients, nutritional therapy must be coupled with behavioral therapy, which seeks to identify and change unhealthy behaviors; dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), which focuses on teaching core skills for healthier living; or other forms of psychotherapy. Family members are often included in therapy, as the family situation can both feed into the problem and, once treatment has begun, help the patient overcome it. “While it’s not right for everyone,” says Cohen Davidovsky, “familybased treatment can be very effective.”

For Tova, as for many patients, therapy has been a long-term proposition. Eating disorders are notoriously stubborn, and relapses are common. But Tova finally believes that her agony is behind her. “I remember thinking, as a teenager, that there was no hope,” she confesses. “But I’ve seen plenty of people recover, and I’ve recovered, and I know now that, outside of an eating disorder, there’s a very full and meaningful life to be had.”

HOW PARENTS CAN HELP WITH EATING DISORDERS

Children who grow up with a healthy attitude toward food and weight are far less likely to develop a disorder in the first place. To help foster that attitude, therapist Gila Cohen Davidovsky advises:

• Don’t praise your child for dieting.

• Model healthy eating habits—eat nutritious foods, allow hunger to dictate when and how much you eat, forgo extreme dieting.

• Don’t comment on your own weight or the weight of others (including your child).

If you suspect an eating disorder, therapist Adrienne Mariano suggests:

• Be aware of worrying signs, including withdrawal from social/ family life, eating less, running to the bathroom after a meal (to purge), drastic weight loss in a short period of time, swollen glands underneath the ears or jawline (a sign of purging), development of extremely fine body hair, fatigue, dizziness, irritability and problems with menstruation.

PEAK LUXURY

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming, is one of the grand prizes of American skiing, an adventure that begins with a jaw-dropping view. Set at the base of the Teton Mountains, these jagged spires of rock are arguably the most scenic stretch of the Rocky Mountains range.

Jackson Hole has long attracted the big dogs of the skiing and snowboarding world, who come here for so-called Big Mountain skiing. If you’re unfamiliar with that term, it means what it says. Jackson Hole is a behemoth, with a vertical drop of more than 4,000 feet and 2,500 acres of in-bounds terrain, on a 10,400-foot mountain. While there are easier green and blue runs, you don’t head to Jackson for easy turns. It gives fresh meaning to the term “challenging.”

The out-of-bounds terrain is more than 3,000 acres and, basically, if you can see it, you can ski it—but only those with avalanche gear and training are encouraged to head past the ropes. In-bounds has challenges aplenty. There are runs with enormous moguls and chutes, the most famous being Corbet’s Couloir. It starts with a fear-inducing vertical drop, a double black-diamond entry into a narrow chute where you need to start making turns instantly. I count myself among those who’ve peered over the edge, only to retreat while a braver soul gamely takes the plunge down what looks like a sheer vertical wall. Just ride the tram from the base to get a drone’s-eye view of the action as you near the top of the mountain.

But hardcore skiing is only part of the story. Jackson Hole has slowly evolved over the past 20 years, and while it still attracts plenty of 20and 30-somethings eager for a steep and deep experience, it long ago recognized that a wellheeled crowd would come for better hotels and fine dining, make a few turns and admire the dramatic vistas over cocktails. Thus Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole, Hotel Terra and Caldera House came to town, the leading edge of the luxury options at the base of the mountain, where also there are restaurants, shops and neighborhoods with CEO-level homes

that routinely sell well into mid-eight figures. The ultra-chic Amangani Resort lies a couple of miles away.

At Jackson Hole, you can still have a frosty après ski beer with the cliff jumpers at the Mangy Moose bar, with Warren Miller movies playing in an endless loop. But your dining choices are more like those found in Los Angeles or New York and trend to upscale steakhouses, sushi bars and Italian trattorias.

Staying at the base of the mountain is great. But you’re in Jackson Hole. Twelve miles down the road lies the town of Jackson itself, an upscale cowboy town, centered on a town square whose four corners are ringed by inventive clusters of elk antlers that had been shed and collected.

Surrounding the square are wooden sidewalks a la the old West, roofed over against the elements. There’s also a range of restaurants, shops and bars, the most colorful being the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, whose neon sign shows a rider on a bronco. There’s even another ski mountain in town, Snow King, that is beloved by locals.

And with the opening of The Cloudveil in May 2021, Jackson finally got what it had long been missing: a five-star luxury hotel. Part of the Autograph Collection of hotels owned by Marriott, it takes its name from the Cloudveil Dome, a peak within the Grand Tetons.

It’s the first major building project on the town square since 1997—and a game changer. From Cloudveil you can walk to the restaurants and shops, and you’re directly across from the town square. Skiing or riding? There’s a shuttle to slopes, so you can leave the often gnarly winter driving to the pros.

The design was a group effort by three firms: TruexCullins, CLB Architects and IBI Group. There was clearly an attempt to invoke rugged local elements, so they used materials such as stone, metal and wood throughout, as well as huge windows.

The lobby has a giant, 3,000-pound boulder that functions as the front desk, and the lobby fireplace is a welcome touch. A three-story

granite wall is a reminder that you’re in the heart of climbing country.

The hotel has 100 rooms and suites, and the décor has accent walls of wood, banquettes, wrought iron touches and neo-midcentury-modern chairs. Some of the rooms have corner fireplaces and balconies. There are smart TVs, and the bathrooms are stocked with Grown Alchemist products. On a sensible riff on the mini-bar, each floor of the hotel has a pantry stocked with complimentary local snacks and drinks.

If you need to get your heart rate up before tackling the moguls on Jackson Hole, it’s good to know that there’s a gym with weights and Peloton equipment and, for après ski, a heated outdoor pool and Jacuzzi.

The hotel’s 5,000-square-foot terrace is the only rooftop space of its kind in Jackson and is designed for summertime yoga and meditation. It’s expected to be open to the community as well for music performances and stargazing. Given Jackson’s proximity to both Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, the latter about 60 miles away, there’s little question that summer and fall will be big here as well.

Nor do you need to wander far for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Bistro, a French-inspired restaurant in the hotel, is the brainchild of the Fine Dining Restaurant Group, led by Gavin Fine and Roger Freedman. Fine is the Danny Meyer of Jackson, a savvy restaurateur who has put the town on the culinary map with such acclaimed eateries as Bin22, The Kitchen, II Villaggio Osteria, Bar Enoteca, Bodega, Cream & Sugar and Bovine + Swine. It offers outdoor café dining, a zinc bar, an oyster bar and a newly established reputation as a dining destination itself.

So the sage advice is to come to Jackson Hole prepared for challenges and stay for the deep creature comforts of the new Cloudveil. It’s the newly crowned cool kid on the block, perfectly positioned to offer the ultimate in Western chic in the hippest ski town in the West. Enjoy the vibe, even if you can’t quite bring yourself to leap into Corbet’s Couloir.

Now Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has a nearby five-star luxury hotel worthy of its stellar skiing and eye-popping vistas. By Everett Potter

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Jackson Hole has many moguls and chutes, including the legendary Corbet’s Couloir; the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is a must-visit location in the town of Jackson; the ski resort is set at the base of the Teton Mountains; dishes like duck confit are served at The Bistro restaurant; the five-star Cloudveil hotel opened in May 2021; a cluster of elk antlers greets visitors.

SOUP’S ON!

CASHEW-CREAM QUINOA SOUP

Yields 4-6 servings as a main course

INGREDIENTS:

n ▢For the soup: n ▢2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil n ▢3 shallots, diced n ▢4 carrots, shredded n ▢1 rib celery, diced n ▢1 tsp. kosher salt n ▢1 tsp. freshly ground black peppe n ▢4 cloves garlic, minced n ▢6 cups chicken or vegetable stock n ▢1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed n ▢1 cup quinoa, rinsed n ▢1 14.5-ounce can finely chopped tomatoes, preferably Mutti n ▢1 tsp. dried basil n ▢2 tsp. dried thyme n ▢½ teaspoon red pepper flakes n ▢3 cups baby spinach n ▢½ cup Cashew Cream (see below) n ▢¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving

For the cashew cream: n ▢1cup raw cashews n ▢2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil n ▢2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice n ▢1 clove garlic n ▢½ tsp. sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the shallots, carrots and celery. Season with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the stock, chickpeas, quinoa, tomatoes and spices. Stir to combine. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook for 25 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cashew cream. Allow the spinach to wilt. Divide among bowls and top with the grated cheese.

For the cashew cream, place the cashews and ½ cup water in a small bowl. Let sit in a warm area for at least 8 hours. Drain. With a high-speed blender, blend the cashews, oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt until smooth. Store the cashew cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Quinoa has long been known as a super food. It contains more protein than any other grain, and is a complete protein, which means it contains all of the amino acids, both essential (our body must get it from the foods we eat) and nonessential. Quinoa is also a great source of fiber, which is good for both our waistlines and digestive systems.”

—Stephanie Greenspan, registered dietitian nutritionist, Stephanie Greenspan Nutrition, Teaneck

Nothing says winter like the smell of homemade soup wafting from the stovetop. These three soups are healthy, flavorful and hearty enough to stand as the whole meal.

RUSTIC PARMESAN AND POLENTA CHICKEN SOUP

Yields 4-6 servings as a main course

INGREDIENTS:

n ▢1 tbps. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling n ▢1 shallot, diced n ▢2 medium cloves garlic, minced n ▢6 cups chicken stock n ▢½ cup stoneground yellow cornmeal n ▢1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano n ▢8 oz. baby spinach leaves n ▢2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken n ▢½ tsp. kosher salt n ▢½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes until tender.

Add the stock to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Add the cornmeal to the stock in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Whisk in the cheese and simmer for 1 additional minute. Stir in the spinach and chicken.

Simmer until the spinach is wilted and the chicken is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with olive oil.

Rotisserie chicken is a quick, versatile and budget-friendly lean protein that packs a variety of other important nutrients. It boosts an impressive 21 grams of protein which is important for building and maintain muscles, regulating hormones and controlling blood sugar. Protein is slowly digested, so eating adequate protein at each meal will slow digestion and keep you full for hours.”

—Lynette Hem-Lee, registered dietitian, ShopRite of Jersey City/ ShopRite of New Milford

HARISSA-SPICED MOROCCAN CAULIFLOWER AND ALMOND SOUP

Yields 2 servings as a main course

INGREDIENTS: n ▢2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil n ▢1 small yellow onion, finely diced n ▢½ tsp. ground cinnamon n ▢½ tsp. ground cumin n ▢½ tsp. ground coriander n ▢1 Tbs. harissa paste n ▢1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets n ▢1½ cups vegetable or chicken stock n ▢1¼ cups almond flakes, toasted n ▢¼ cup half-and-half n ▢1 small baguette, cut into ¾-inch cubes and toasted n ▢freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until very soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cumin, coriander and harissa paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets, stock, and 1 cup of the toasted almond flakes. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can let the soup cool, then purée the solids in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and return them to the pot). Reheat the soup in the stockpot. Add the half-and-half and mix thoroughly.

To serve, ladle the warm soup into bowls and top with the remaining toasted almonds and the toasted bread cubes. Season with pepper as needed.

Being the daughter of a born and bred Moroccan, I naturally gravitate toward both harissa and cumin while cooking. They both have extreme depth of flavors and many health benefits. Harissa can help to boost the metabolism, improve hypertension, fight free radicals and contains iron and vitamin K. Meanwhile, cumin can help to lower blood sugar, prevent cancer, enhance immunity and aid digestion.”

—Stephanie Greenspan, registered dietitian nutritionist, Stephanie Greenspan Nutrition, Teaneck

All photos and recipes are reprinted with permission from The Art of Pantry Cooking

by Ronda Carman. Photos by Matthew Mead. Rizzoli 2022.

A Winter Wonder

When the weather outside is frightful, this island-inspired sip provides a much-needed taste of a tropical paradise.

JACK FROST

Add ingredients to blender with 3-4 cups of ice as well as glitter, if using. Blend until you have a slushy consistency, adding more ice if needed. Dip rim of glass in coconut cream, then dip rim in coconut flakes. Allow to dry. Pour blended drink into your prepared glass.

It may be winter, but you can add a splash or two of mango infused tequila for a tropical summer twist and to kick the 'boozy' up a notch!"

—Evangelos "V" Farmakis, mixologist, bar manager, Aura Restaurant & Bar, Hackensack

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Jason M. Auerbach, DDS Riverside Oral Surgery

Undoubtedly, the human body is an extremely complex machine whose systems work together to allow a person to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. When one system fails, our bodies are susceptible to disease and a variety of health problems.

Founded in 2007 by Dr. Jason M. Auerbach, Riverside Oral Surgery is redefining the relationship between the dental and medical communities by paying close attention to the whole person and the interconnected systems of the human body. Unique in this approach to healthcare, the practice, now with 10 locations, is the largest oral and maxillofacial platform in the northeast, bringing together a diverse team of esteemed surgical and multi-specialists who understand that the benefits of good oral health extend far beyond just the mouth. With specialized training in the fields of head and neck traumas and cancers, TMJ disorders, oral cancers and facial cosmetic surgery, the physicians delve deep into their patients whole health history and recognize their vital role in the connection between a patient’s oral and general health in the management and screening of chronic diseases. After all, poor oral health is much more than a tooth problem. Oral health problems can contribute to a variety of issues including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, difficulty managing diabetes, a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and even pregnancy complications. Oral pain can result in setbacks at work and school and poor self-esteem. Understanding that optimal health starts from both the top down and the bottom up, Riverside Oral Surgery integrates dental medicine into primary care and behavioral health for overall good health and wellness.

At the forefront of clinical and scientific innovations in oral and maxillofacial surgery, Riverside Oral Surgery’s preeminent care includes the investment in and use of the most progressive laser, digital and CT guided technologies. Comprised of a clinical practice, a world-renowned training program and a team of distinguished practitioners, Riverside Oral Surgery is leading the way in the integration of medical and dental health, while always focusing on the optimal patient experience.

River Edge | Westwood | Englewood | Livingston | Edison | Chatham | West Orange | West Caldwell | Warren

Diana Gasperoni, LCSW-R, Founder Be.WELL.

Psychotherapy

36-42 Newark St., Suite 201, Hoboken, NJ 07030 80 5th Ave., Room 902, New York, NY 10011 646.480.1987 | www.bewellpsychotherapy.com

Be.WELL. is an integrative psychotherapy practice that focuses on four pillars of comprehensive mental health wellness including Talk Therapy, Holistic Psychiatry, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Mind/Body Coaching. These services, offered in combination or individually, are tailored to the emotional, mental and overall well-being of each patient.

After years as a solo practitioner, Diana Gasperoni founded Be.WELL., an allfemale, culturally diverse group practice with 25 therapists and a psychiatrist to help patients understand how they want to live and to see a clear way to get there.

Attention to mental health is a priority in and out of the workplace. BeWELL At Work is a new initiative aimed to help employers address and support the mental health wellness needs of their employees for greater fulfillment, longevity and overall satisfaction in the workplace.

Tracy Verrico, DO Bona Dea Gynecology

481 Kinderkamack Rd., Oradell, NJ 07649 551.278.5898 | www.bonadeagynecology.com

From her first day practicing medicine 20 years ago, Dr. Tracy Verrico knew she would offer her patients much more than routine gynecological care. For Dr. Verrico, the key virtue of a good physician is getting back to the basics of tried and true medical care. Known for her compassionate, refined approach, Dr. Verrico dedicates extended appointment times for a relaxed, positive experience to dispel any doubts or fears and to take a deep dive into a patient’s entire health history and unique needs.

Dr. Verrico aspires to provide superior healthcare solutions applying traditional and alternative approaches using world-class medical and surgical techniques. She strongly believes it’s essential to listen to her patients to get their health goals and concerns met and to design a personalized plan for their gynecological and overall well-being.

James W. Cahill, M.D. Paul E. Kovatis, M.D. Michael C. Distefano, M.D., FAAOS

Cahill Orthopedic Sports Medicine & Joint Replacement

87 Summit Ave., Hackensack, NJ 07601

140 North State Route 17, Suite 255, Paramus, NJ 07652 111 Dean Dr., Suite 1 North, Tenafly, NJ 07670 201.489.0022 | www.cahillorthopedic.com

Cahill Orthopedic Sports Medicine and Joint Replacement is a comprehensive award-winning orthopedic practice. We specialize in sports medicine joint replacement and foot and ankle operative and nonoperative treatment. We routinely perform arthroscopic knee and shoulder surgeries including ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, and shoulder dislocation repair. We also have extensive experience in knee, hip, and shoulder replacement. We routinely perform outpatient joint replacement as well as robotic-assisted surgery. Our practice is proudly affiliated with the best hospitals in Bergen County: Hackensack Meridian Medical Center, Valley Hospital, and Holy Name Medical Center. We have office locations in Hackensack, Paramus, and Tenafly.

Our Surgeons:

James W Cahill, MD, is senior orthopedic attending at Hackensack Meridian Medical Center and Director of Sports Medicine at St. Peter’s University. Dr. Cahill has particular experience and interest in minimally invasive arthroscopic and joint replacement surgeries utilizing the latest techniques, including Mako robotics. He received his undergraduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University, his medical degree from Columbia University and his sports medicine fellowship from NYU Medical Center. Dr. Cahill was selected as Top Doctor from Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.

Dr. Paul Kovatis is a fellowship trained orthopedic leg, foot, and ankle surgeon and specializes in the treatment of a variety of foot and ankle conditions. He received his medical degree from UMDNJ and his undergraduate degree from Upsala College. His hospital affiliations are with Hackensack Meridian Health and Hospital for Special Surgery. Given his training in Level 1 trauma hospitals, as well as his work with elite clientele, patients whose injuries are beyond the scope of other practitioners who perform ankle and foot surgery are often referred to him.

Dr. Michael Distefano is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in providing the most technologically advanced treatments to patients suffering from disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

James W. Cahill, M.D. Paul E. Kovatis, M.D. Michael C. Distefano, M.D., FAAOS

Be There

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Meet some locals with similar interests and brush up on your skills at the MAH JONGG MEET-UP hosted by Mah Jongg for Rockland and Bergen at Panera Bread on Route 17 in Ramsey. This free event meets Wednesdays at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and is recommended intermediate

Bring your Learn more at

JAN.

15

JAN. 14

Check off one of your New Year’s resolutions as the second January at DECLUTTERING NUTSHELL

Jean Marie the Mahwah this presentation, the organizational expert share small yet significant changes can make organizing and that’ll make Admission is free, registration required. Don’t want to attend in person? It’ll be streaming on Zoom too. Register for tickets or the Zoom link at mahwahlibrary.org.

JAN. 14 & 15

Tired of watching big dudes in uniforms throw a football? Spend your weekend instead watching some ladies kick butt with the METROPOLITAN RIVETERS (yes, as in Rosie), the women’s professional hockey team based at The Rink at American Dream in East Rutherford. The Saturday home game against the Minnesota Whitecaps is at 3 p.m., and Sunday’s is at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $20. Get yours at riveters. universitytickets.com.

Start a brandnew Bergen birdwatching tradition at MEADOWLANDS BALD EAGLE FESTIVAL Hosted by both Bergen County Audubon Society and New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the inaugural event at River Barge Park in Carlstadt will celebrate the return of bald eagles to the Meadowlands. Expect indoor and outdoor activities, including crafts for the kids, a concert, nature walks, demonstrations and refreshments. Bring your binoculars for the best view! Learn more—including timing, ticketing info, etc.—at njsea.com/bald-eagle-festival/.

JAN.

20 & 21

Get ready for an evening of laughter with funnyman ANDY WOODHULL, who’s performing three shows over two nights at Bananas Comedy Club in Rutherford. Woodhull was the first comedian to make his television debut on Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and he’s since appeared on Conan on TBS and The Half Hour on Comedy Central. The Friday show is set for 8 p.m., and two Saturday performances start at 7:30 and 10 p.m. General admission is $25. For tickets and more details, visit bananascomedyclub.com.

JAN.

22

Enjoy a night of live classical music when the All Seasons Chamber Players performs MUSICAL TASTINGS: DELIGHTS FROM VIVALDI TO PRICE, their first concert of year at Englewood Public Library. This in its 42nd season and has been performing at Englewood Library since 1984. The begins at 7 p.m., and admission is free. Allseasonschamberplayers.org has more information.

JAN. 26

Bergen brides and their ‘maids can an evening of planning done when the ELEGANT BRIDAL PRODUCTIONS show comes to Bergen County. While you tour the renovated rooms at the Hilton Hotel Hasbrouck Heights and envision your big day, you and your girls can enjoy tastings, photo ops, giveaways and more from local wedding vendors. The expo is from 7 to 9:30 p.m.; register online at elegantbridal.com.

Renaissance Child’s Robotics preparing since September LEAGUE EXPLORE TEAM why not show these kiddos

From 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Fort Lee location, these 6-10-year-olds will show off the LEGOs and robots they’ve programmed for months. While you’re there, check out the class offerings for the upcoming season to see if any of them may be a good fit for your STEM-loving child. Learn more at therchild.com.

JAN. 29

Winter is well underway, but it’s never too soon to get into the summer spirit. The Wyckoff Y is doing just that with its Summer in WINTER POOL PARTY, where you’ll hardly know the weather outside is frightful. Bring your suits, your towels and splash (indoor) two p.m. p.m. Admission is free and open to all! wyckoffymca.org/events/.

music—and, OK, give the music—at the THURNAUER OF

MUSIC’S

MUSIC CONCERT p.m. performance Bergen County Academies auditorium Hackensack features professional and cellists, pianists, a string and more. concert raises scholarship funds children to study music but whose families lack the financial resources. get your tickets and out how to donate, email Alyssa at aschiffman@ jccotp.org.

Whether the action’s on ice or on stage, in air in water— there’s something for everyone this month in Bergen County.

Asian Meets Caribbean

In Englewood’s newest eatery, two great cuisines collide with tasty results.

Englewood is home to a healthy mix of eclectic restaurants, but the latest to open in the city’s bustling downtown boasts perhaps the most distinctive offerings. Czen, pronounced “season,” is a mashup of Caribbean and Asian cuisines, combining the distinct flavors of the West Indies with those found in the Far East. Ever wonder how the smokiness of Jamaican jerk would taste when combined with the sweet-and-spiciness of Chinese Szechuan? Now you can live out such culinary dreams.

I was excited to score a reservation at Czen last month, at a time when the dining room was being rented out for private and holiday events almost nightly. The space is located next to BergenPAC, making it the perfect place for pre- and post-show parties as well as pop-in dining after a concert. When my friend and I went it was a packed weekend, with both small and large groups occupying the tables. Though busy, the frontof-house staff went out of its way to give customers plenty of attention.

Our server, Carlos, quickly went through the creative cocktail menu, giving us his personal favorites as well as the selections popular with other diners. I’d frequented a number of Jamaican kitchens during the pandemic and developed a liking for Scotch bonnet peppers, so the Scotch bonnet mango margarita was a nobrainer for me. It wasn’t fiery as I initially thought it would be (Scotch bonnets are considered one of the world’s hottest peppers); instead it was a pleasing combo of hot and sweet, with the mango purée and lime cutting much of the heat. My friend, meanwhile, had the Instagram-friendly pineapple crush, a sweet concoction with flavored Ciroc, schnapps, fresh fruit juices—all served inside a hollowed-out pineapple.

With show-stopping drinks and a lively bar area, Czen is an ideal spot for a night out with friends and libations, but let’s face it: The food here is the main event. Every table receives a bottomless bowl of fried plantains and seasoned wonton chips, a clever introduction to the

fusion of cuisines. We polished off two small bowls before Carlos arrived with our first appetizer, Czen roll topped with oxtail. It’s a plate of five sushi pieces filled with a mix of California roll-type veggies and topped with shredded oxtail. While the meat was tender, it was short of the richness (read: fattiness) that you taste when it’s served on the bone. Our second app, however—saki butter mussels—was bursting with flavor. The buttery broth (sake, jerk butter and veggies) seemed to bring each of the sautéed mussels to life, and a generous piece of garlic bread helped us soak up the excess goodness. My recommendation: Skip the spicy mayo on top of the bread—let your taste buds appreciate every ounce of the savory broth.

Our entrées arrived just as we finished the starters. I went for something light as my main: five-spice salmon instead of a meatier option such as jerk short rib or the “Reggae Ribeye.” The fish comes seasoned with Chinese five spice and covered with a Thai chili glaze—flavors that appeal to my Asian upbringing. The accompanying garlic mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables were the perfect complement to the sweetand-spicy salmon filet. My dining companion was more adventurous: She had never ordered a whole fish, so the Thai red snapper would be her first. I helped her navigate past the head and into the fried skin and fleshy parts, both of which picked up the immense flavor of the red Thai sauce and peppers. The side of white rice also absorbed the sauce, and it was easy to sneak a couple of forkfuls onto my plate.

Completely stuffed, we passed on desserts and sipped what remained of our cocktails. We decided that both of us would’ve ordered matcha fried ice cream had we saved room in our bellies. “Next time,” Carlos implored, to which I agreed with a friendly fistbump and handshake.

• Czen, 36 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood, 201.431.9199; czenrestaurant.com

Where To Eat

Getting three squares a day has never been easier—Bergen County is home to a selection of restaurants diverse enough to satisfy all of your cravings.

IL VILLAGGIO 651 Rte. 17 N. 201.935.7733 ilvillaggio.com

CLIFFSIDE PARK 354 STEAKHOUSE 354 Lawton Ave. 201.941.0499

AVO’S GRILL 720 Anderson Ave. 201.945.9038 orderavos.com

RUDY’S RESTAURANT 591 Anderson Ave. 201.943.9252

SEDONA TAPHOUSE 679 Anderson Ave. 201.943.2300 sedonataphouse.com

VILLA AMALFI 793 Palisade Ave. 201.886.8626 villaamalfi.com

CLOSTER

BRASSERIE MEMERE 107 Vervalen St. 201.660.8822 brasserie-memere.com

THE HILL 252 Schraalenburgh Rd. 201.899.4700 thehillcloster.com

SAMDAN

178 Piermont Rd. 201.816.7343 samdanrestaurant.com

DEMAREST YASOU MYKONOS 134 Hardenburgh Ave. 201.768.8500 yasoumykonos.com

DUMONT FINK’S BBQ SMOKEHOUSE

26 W. Madison Ave. 201.384.3210 finksbbqsmokehouse.com

FOSCHINI’S

21 E. Madison Ave. 201.387.9998 foschinis.com

GRANT STREET CAFÉ

25 Grant Ave. 201.385.1705 thegrantstreetcafe.com

IL MULINO 132 Veterans Plz. 201.384.7767 ilmulinodumont.com

EAST RUTHERFORD AL DI LA 1 Hoboken Rd. 201.939.1128 aldilaitalianbistro.com

BROWNSTONE PANCAKE FACTORY 860 River Rd. 201.945.4800 brownstonepancake factory.com

DE NOVO EUROPEAN PUB 1257 River Rd. 201.496.6161 denovoeuropeanpub.com

EMMA BISTRO 2 Hilliard Ave. 201.402.7719 emmabistronj.com

FLEMING’S STEAKHOUSE 90 The Promenade 201.313.9463 flemingssteakhouse.com

GREEK TAVERNA

55 The Promenade 201.945.8998 greektavernausa.com

HAVEN 2 Main St. 201.943.1900 havenedgewater.com

ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE

15 The Promenade 201.366.4065 ophedgewater.com

*Editor’s note—Patrons are encouraged to confirm individual restaurant policies regarding social distancing and curbside service.

ALLENDALE

ALLENDALE BAR & GRILL

67 W. Allendale Ave. 201.327.3197 allendalebarandgrill.com

ALLENDALE

STEAKHOUSE 95 W. Allendale Ave. 201.962.9797 allendalesteakhousenj.com

MEZZA LUNA 96 W. Allendale Ave. 201.327.6556 mezzalunabistro.com

NIRVANA INDIAN KITCHEN 29 W. Allendale Ave. 201.818.2300 nirvanaindiankitchen.com

SAVINI 168 W. Crescent Ave. 201.760.3700 savinirestaurant.com

ALPINE KIKU 385 Rte. 9 W. 201.767.6322

BERGENFIELD CHAPALA GRILL 52 S. Washington Ave. 201.387.2107 chapalamexican grill.com

NIHON KAI

41 S. Washington Ave. 201.384.3000 nihonkaijapanese.com

TOMMY FOX’S PUBLIC HOUSE 32 S. Washington Ave. 201.384.0900 tommyfoxs.com

BOGOTA

LUKA’S ITALIAN CUISINE 10 River Rd. 201.440.2996 lukasitaliancuisine.com

CARLSTADT BIGGIE’S 430 Rte. 17 S. 201.933.4000 biggies.com

LOCALE CAFÉ AND BAR 208 Piermont Rd. 201.750.3233 locale208closter.com

SEAR HOUSE 411 Piermont Rd. 201.292.4612 searhouse.com

STERN AND BOW 171 Schraalenburgh Rd. 201.750.3350 sternandbowrestaurant.com

CRESSKILL

DELVINA RESTAURANT 172 Piermont Rd. 201.816.0239 delvinarestaurant.com

HANAMI

41 Union Ave. 201.567.8508 hanamirestaurant.com

ANNABELLA’S HOUSE OF MOZZARELLA 900 Paterson Plank Rd. 201.804.0303 annabellasmozz.com

BLARNEY STATION PUB 258 Park Ave. 201.531.0001 blarneystation.com

CAFFÉ CAPRI 119 Park Ave. 201.460.1039 caffecaprirestaurant.com

EDGEWATER BAUMGART’S CAFÉ 59 The Promenade 201.313.3889 baumgartscafe.com

PIER 115 115 River Rd. 201.313.2155 pier115barandgrill.com

REBECCA’S

236 Old River Rd. 201.943.8808 rebeccasedgewater.com

RIVER PALM TERRACE 1416 River Rd. 201.224.2013 riverpalm.com

ROBERTO’S II 936 River Rd. 201.224.2524 robertosii.com

SEAK 725 River Rd., #30 201.402.3400 seaknj.com

Villa Amalfi, Cliffside Park

Photos courtesy of Villa Amalfi, Kuba

ELMWOOD PARK

TAVERNA MYKONOS 238 Broadway 201.703.9200 tavernamykonos.com

ROYAL WARSAW 871 River Dr. 201.794.9277 royalwarsaw.com

EMERSON PIMAAN THAI 79 Kinderkamack Rd. 201.967.0440 pimaanthai.com

ENGLEWOOD AKAI LOUNGE 11 N. Dean St. 201.541.0086 akailounge.com

BAUMGART’S CAFÉ 45 E. Palisade Ave. 201.569.6267 baumgartscafe.com

BENNIE’S 54 E. Palisade Ave. 201.894.5700 benniesofenglewood.com

BLUE MOON CAFÉ 23 E. Palisade Ave. 201.541.0600 bluemoonmexican café.com

CASSIE’S 18 S. Dean St. 201.541.6760 cassiespizzeria.com

CHAT KAEW THAI CUISINE 4 E. Palisade Ave. 201.894.0343

HUMMUS ELITE 39 E. Palisade Ave. 201.569.5600 hummuselite.com

LA FONDA PAISA 95 W. Palisade Ave. 201.871.3544 lafondapaisausa.com

LA’MEZZA 63 Nathaniel Pl. 201.569.2662 lamezzarestaurant.com

LAS MARAVILLAS DE TULCINGO 84 W. Palisade Ave. 201.568.1980

NOCHES DE COLOMBIA 90 W. Palisade Ave. 201.567.4950 nochesdecolombia.com

PINTXO Y TAPAS 47 N. Dean St. 201.569.9999 englewoodtapas.com

ROSE’S OF ENGLEWOOD 126 Engle St. 201.541.0020 rosesplacenj.com

SOFIA 36 Engle St. 201.541.8530 sofiaenglewood.com

TANI SUSHI & ASIAN GRILL 44 E. Palisade Ave. 201.567.7888 taniofenglewood.com

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS

BROWNSTONE PANCAKE FACTORY 717 E. Palisade Ave. 201.945.4800 brownstonepancake factory.com

CAFÉ ITALIANO 14 Sylvan Ave. 201.461.5041 cafeitaliano.net

CLIFFS STEAKHOUSE 18 Sylvan Ave. 201.944.0233 cliffssteakhouse.com

LEFKES ESTIATORIO 495 Sylvan Ave. 201.408.4444 lefkesnj.com

GRISSINI 484 Sylvan Ave. 201.568.3535 grissinirestaurant.com

FAIR LAWN ANTHONY’S COAL FIRED PIZZA 2101 Promenade Blvd. 201.796.2625 acfp.com

EMPRESS DINER 13-48 River Rd. 201.791.2895 empressdinernj.com

OCEANOS OYSTER BAR & SEA GRILL 2-27 Saddle River Rd. 201.796.0546 oceanosrestaurant.com

RIVER PALM TERRACE 41-11 Rte. 4 W. 201.703.3500 riverpalm.com

ROSE’S PLACE 32-01 Broadway 201.475.8800 rosesplacenj.com

SAGE RESTAURANT 17-15 Broadway 201.797.0500 sagefairlawn.com

FAIRVIEW

NOCHES DE COLOMBIA 172 Broad Ave. 201.840.8428 nochesdecolombia.com

PATSY’S 344 Old Bergen Blvd. 201.943.0627 patsysbistro.com

FORT LEE

AQUARIUS 230-234 Main St. 201.592.8338 aquariusrestaurant nj.com

BAGGIOS 212 Main St. 201.585.7979 baggiospizzarestaurant. com

BIG RED TOMATO 1205 Anderson Ave. 201.224.6500 brtnj.com

CAP’T LOUI 210 Main St. 201.461.7080 captloui.com

CHILLERS GRILL 2191 Fletcher Ave. 201.461.0075 chillersgrill.com

KUBA RESTAURANT 2139 Hudson Ter. 201.585.1601 kubarestaurant.com

PHO TODAY 2151 Lemoine Ave. 201.585.8818

POMODORO 795 Abbott Blvd. 201.224.0800 pomodoro1.com

PRIME & BEYOND 501 Main St. 201.461.0033 primeandbeyond.com

PUNTA CANA 2151 Lemoine Ave. 201.849.5556 puntacanarestaurante .com

VENTANA’S 200 Park Ave. 201.583.4777 ventanasatthemodern.com

FRANKLIN LAKES

THE CHEF’S TABLE 754 Franklin Ave. 201.891.6644 tctnj.com

SUSHI COCORO 856 Franklin Ave. 201.560.1333 sushicocoro.com

GARFIELD

THE FIREHOUSE 42 Plauderville Ave. 973.478.2226 firehouse-restaurant.com

GOODFELLAS 661 Midland Ave. 973.478.4000 goodfellasristorante.com

LA CAMBUSA 517 River Dr. 973.272.8739 cambusanj.com

LA FORTALEZA 361 Midland Ave. 973.928.4470 lafortalezamexrestaurant .com

GLEN ROCK

GLEN ROCK INN 222 Rock Rd. 201.445.2362 glenrockinn.com

STONE & RAIL 175 Rock Rd. 201.345.0709 stoneandrail.com

TANI SUSHI & ASIAN GRILL 206 Rock Rd. 201.612.1188 taniofglenrock.com

HACKENSACK

CASUAL HABANA CAFÉ 125 Main St. 201.880.9844 casualhabanacafe.com

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

390 Hackensack Ave. 201.488.0330 thecheesecakefactory.com

THE CROW’S NEST 309 Vincent Ave. 201.342.5445 crowsnest.com

HOT FISH

450 Hackensack Ave. 201.881.0180 hotfishhackensack.com

HOUSTON’S 1 Riverside Sq. 201.488.5667 houstons.com

LIDO RESTAURANT 701 Main St. 201.487.8721 thelidorestaurant.com

LT BAR & GRILL 390 Hackensack Ave. 551.287.6333 ltbarandgrill.com

MAGGIANO’S LITTLE ITALY 70 Riverside Sq. 201.221.2030 maggianos.com

MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE 1 Riverside Sq. 201.487.1303 mortons.com

THE OCEANAIRE 175 Riverside Sq. 201.343.8862 theoceanaire.com

P.F. CHANG’S 390 Hackensack Ave. 201.646.1565 pfchangs.com

THE PICCO TAVERN 160 Prospect Ave. 201.880.8750 piccotavern.com

ROSA MEXICANO 60 Riverside Sq. 201.489.9100 rosamexicano.com

HARRINGTON PARK DONATELLA RISTORANTE 12 Tappan Rd. 201.767.4245 donatellasitalian. restaurant

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS BENSI 459 Rte. 17 S. 201.727.9525 bensihh.com

THE HEIGHTS BAR & GRILL 163 Boulevard 201.288.9338

IVY INN 268 Terrace Ave. 201.393.7699 ivyinn.com

SOFIA’S 220 Boulevard 201.462.0123 sofiasmediterranean grill.com

TOM YUM KOONG 305 Boulevard 201.288.3840 tomyumkoong.net

HAWORTH

ALESSANDRO’S 157 Terrace St. 201.385.8544 alessandrosnj.com

ANDIAMO 23 Hardenburgh Ave. 201.384.1551 andiamorestaurant.net

TERRACE STREET CAFÉ 149 Terrace St. 201.338.4720 terracestreetcafe.com

HILLSDALE

THE CORNERSTONE 84 Broadway 201.666.8688 thecornerstonenj.com

DELLA CUCINA 100 Park Ave. 201.722.8880 dellacucinanj.com

DOMANI 387 Washington Ave. 201.722.8881 domanirestaurants.com

MATSU SUSHI & GRILL 140 Broadway 201.722.9388

Kuba Restaurant, Fort Lee

OSSO BUCO 343 Broadway 201.664.1600 ossobucogrill.com

HO-HO-KUS ALT EATS 622 N. Maple Ave. 201.444.1300 alteatscafe.com

CATCHY CAFÉ 614 N. Maple Ave. 201.445.6400 thecatchycaterer.com

HO-HO-KUS INN 1 E. Franklin Tpke. 201.445.4115 hohokusinn.com

HO-HO-KUS SUSHI CAFÉ 29 Sheridan Ave. 201.670.7677 hohokussushicafe.com

ST. EVE’S 611 N. Maple Ave. 201.857.4717 stevesnj.com

LEONIA CAFÉ MIGNON 332 Broad Ave. 201.292.1992

DANTE’S PLACE 373 Broad Ave. 201.592.9071 dantesplace.com

FONTANA TRITONE 248 Fort Lee Rd. 201.242.9040

LITTLE FERRY SEGOVIA STEAKHOUSE 217 Main St. 201.814.1100 segoviasteakhouse.com

LODI KAYA 334 N. Main St. 973.779.1128 kayalodi.com

REBAR & KITCHEN 132 Essex St. 201.368.8181 rebarkitchen.com

Cenzino, Oakland

MAHWAH BAR & GRILL 2 Island Rd. 201.529.8056 allendalebarandgrill.com

NAGOYA 1007 MacArthur Blvd. 201.818.9933 nagoyacuisine.com

NONNA’S 11 Franklin Tpke. 201.529.1151 nonnasmahwah.com

ROXANNE’S 150 Franklin Tpke. 201.529.0007 roxannes restaurant.com

SANGRIA 1033 MacArthur Blvd. 201.962.3310 sangriamahwah.com

STATE LINE DINER 375 Rte. 17 N. 201.529.3353 statelinediner.com

MAYWOOD ANGELO’S GREEK TAVERNA 245 Maywood Ave. 201.845.4278 angelosgreektavernanj.com

MAYWOOD INN’S TWIN DOOR TAVERN 122 W. Pleasant Ave. 201.843.8022 twindoortavern.com

MONTVALE

DELPINO RESTAURANT 108 Chestnut Ridge Rd. 201.391.6866 delpinorestaurant.com

BELLISSIMO 12 S. Kinderkamack Rd. 201.746.6669 bellissimonj.com

FIRE & OAK

100 Chestnut Ridge Rd. 201.307.1100 fireandoak.com

GEN SUSHI & HIBACHI

14B Chestnut Ridge Rd. 201.930.9188 gensushimontvale.com

HEARTH & TAP CO. 125 N. Kinderkamack Rd. 201.307.6300 hearthandtap.com

YUKI 2 S. Kinderkamack Rd. 201.391.9877 yukimontvale.com

MOONACHIE

BAZZARELLI 117 Moonachie Rd. 201.641.4010 bazzarellirestaurant.com

BISTRO 107 107 Moonachie Rd. 201.440.3339 bistro107nj.com

SEGOVIA 150 Moonachie Rd. 201.641.4266 segoviarestaurant.com

MADELEINE’S PETIT PARIS 416 Tappan Rd. 201.767.0063 madeleinespetit paris.com

OLAR NOSO 493 Tappan Rd. 201.402.9355

OAKLAND CENZINO 589 Ramapo Valley Rd. 201.337.6693 cenzinos.com

TROVATO’S DUE 4 Barbara Ln. 201.337.0813 trovatosduenj.com

YUKI 350 Ramapo Valley Rd. 201.337.8889 yuki-oakland.com

OLD TAPPAN

PATRIZIA’S 183 Old Tappan Rd. 201.515.2900 patrizias.com

PALISADES PARK

SO MOON NAN JIP 238 Broad Ave. 201.944.3998 so-moon-nan-jip.com

PARAMUS

BIAGIO’S

RISTORANTE 299 Paramus Rd. 201.652.0201 biagios.com

SERGIO’S MISSIONE 2 Mercer St. 973.778.4545 sergiosmissione.com

LYNDHURST ANGELO’S 263 Ridge Rd. 201.939.1922

FOSCHINI’S BRICK OVEN PIZZA 298 Ridge Rd. 201.460.7600 foschinis.com

MICHAEL’S RIVERSIDE 528 Riverside Ave. 201.939.6333 michaelsriverside.com

MAHWAH

JUN LUNG 180 Franklin Tpke. 201.529.9898 junlungnj.com

MAYWOOD PANCAKE HOUSE 92 W. Pleasant Ave. 201.880.7842 maywoodpancake house.com

THE SEAFOOD GOURMET 103 W. Pleasant Ave. 201.843.8558 seafood-gourmet.com

MIDLAND PARK ARTURO’S 41 Central Ave. 201.444.2466 arturos.co

FIONA’S RISTORANTE 118 Godwin Ave. 201.857.5800 fionasristorante.com

ROSARIO’S TRATTORIA 29 Central Ave. 201.445.3335 rosariostrattoriamenu.com

NEW MILFORD BARREL & BREW 872 River Rd. 201.483.3329 barrelandbrews.com

CASUAL HABANA CAFÉ 200 Main St. 201.576.0400 casualhabanacafe.com

SANZARI’S NEW BRIDGE INN 105 Old New Bridge Rd. 201.692.7700 sanzaris.com

NORTHVALE

BIDDY O’MALLEY’S 191 Paris Ave. 201.564.7893 biddyomalleys.com

THE GREEK VILLAGE 254 Livingston St. 201.750.8570 greekvillagenj.com

THE CAPITAL GRILLE

1 Garden State Plz. 201.845.7040 thecapitalgrille.com

GRAND LUX CAFE

1 Garden State Plz. 201.909.0399 grandluxcafe.com

KIKU 365 Rte. 17 S. 201.265.7200

MANTRA 275 Rte. 4 W. 201.342.8868 mantranj.com

SUBURBAN DINER 172 Rte. 17 N. 201.261.2605 suburbandiner17.com

PARK RIDGE

103 PRIME AT VALENTINO’S 103 Spring Valley Rd. 201.391.2220 103prime.com

ESTY STREET 86 Spring Valley Rd. 201.307.1515 estystreet.com

THE PARK STEAKHOUSE 151 Kinderkamack Rd. 201.930.1300 theparksteakhouse.com

PEPPERCORNS 176 Colony Ave. 201.391.2818 peppercorns176.com

RIDGE DINER 125 Kinderkamack Rd. 201.391.4242 ridgediner.com

RAMSEY

ANTHONY FRANCO’S 128 E. Main St. 201.236.8000 afpizza.com

BRADY’S AT THE STATION 5-7 W. Main St. 201.327.9748 bradysatthestation.net

CAFÉ PANACHE 130 E. Main St. 201.934.0030 cafepanachenj.com

KINCHLEY’S TAVERN 586 N. Franklin Tpke. 201.934.7777 kinchleyspizza.com

THE SHANNON ROSE 1200 Rte. 17 201.962.7602 theshannonrose.com

SMYRNA 21 E. Main St. Ramsey 201.934.7990

TAWARA 53 W. Main St. 201.825.8712

VARKA ESTIATORIO 30 N. Spruce St. 201.995.9333 varkarestaurant.com

RIDGEFIELD

CAFÉ TIVOLI 533 Shaler Blvd. 201.941.5561 cafetivoli.com

88 RICE SHOP 88 Rte. 46 W. 201.840.8688 88riceshop.com

RIDGEFIELD PARK

MK VALENCIA 228 Main St. 201.373.0228 mkvalenciarestaurant.com

THAI PALACE 218 E. Main St. 201.441.9119 thaipalacenj.com

RIDGEWOOD

CAFE 37 37 S. Broad Ave. 201.857.0437 cafe-37.com

CRAVINGS TAPAS BISTRO 8 Wilsey Sq. 201.857.8533 cravingstapas.com

DELHI ACCENT 37 Chestnut St. 201.444.4910 delhiaccentnj.com

FELINA 54 E. Ridgewood Ave. 551.276.5454 felinarestaurant.com

GREEN FUSION 22 Oak St. 201.670.7502 greenfusionnj.com

IT’S GREEK TO ME 21 E. Ridgewood Ave. 201.612.2600 itsgreektome.com

LA LANTERNA 29 W. Ridgewood Ave. 201.444.5520 lalanternaof ridgewood.com

LATOUR 6 E. Ridgewood Ave. 201.445.5056 latourridgewood.com

LISA’S MEDITERRANEAN

CUISINE 28 Oak St. 201.251.8686 lisasmediterranean cuisine.net

PARK WEST TAVERN 30 Oak St. 201.445.5400 parkwesttavern.com

PEARL 17 S. Broad St. 201.857.5100 pearlridgewood.com

RAYMOND’S 101 E. Ridgewood Ave. 201.445.5125 raymondsnj.com

ROOTS

17 Chestnut St. 201.444.1922 rootssteakhouse.com

S. EGIDIO 17 N. Broad St. 201.389.3525 segidiopizza.com

STEEL WHEEL TAVERN 51 N. Broad St. 201.882.1800 steelwheeltavern.com

VILLAGE GREEN 36 Prospect St. 201.445.2914 villagegreenrestaurant.com

WHITE MAPLE CAFÉ 47 E. Ridgewood Ave. 201.447.1953 whitemaplecafe.com

RIVER EDGE

MADO RESTAURANT 570 Kinderkamack Rd. 201.265.3629 madorestaurant.business. site

SANDUCCI’S 620 Kinderkamack Rd. 201.599.0600 sanduccis.com

RIVER VALE

AMMATA THAI KITCHEN 184 Rivervale Rd. 201.664.2299 ammata.com

ARMANDO’S GRILL 688 Westwood Ave. 201.722.5820 armandostuscangrill.com

LET’S MEAT

STEAKHOUSE 625 Rivervale Rd. 201.660.7960 letsmeatsteakhouse.com

ROCHELLE PARK NANNI 53 W. Passaic St. 201.843.1250 nanni.com

RUTHERFORD

CAFÉ MATISSE 167 Park Ave. 201.935.2995 cafematisse.com

FINCH’S 801 Rutherford Ave. 201.231.3141 finchsdining.com

PAISANO’S 132 Park Ave. 201.935.5755 paisanos.com

THE RISOTTO HOUSE 88 Park Ave. 201.438.5344 therisottohouse.com

VOLARE’S 7 Station Sq. 201.935.6606 volaresrestaurant.com

SADDLE BROOK

MIDLAND BREW HOUSE 374 N. Midland Ave. 201.797.0070 midlandbrewhouse.com

QUE PASTA 326 Market St. 201.712.1900 qpitalian.com

THE PLANK PIZZA CO. BEER PARLOR 383 Market St. 201.843.2426

SADDLE RIVER

THE SADDLE RIVER INN 2 Barnstable Ct. 201.825.4016 saddleriverinn.com

TEANECK AMARONE 63 Cedar Ln. 201.833.1897 amaroneristorante.net

B V TUSCANY 368 Cedar Ln. 201.287.0404 bvtuscany.com

ETC. STEAKHOUSE 1409 Palisade Ave. 201.357.5677 etcsteakhouse.com

NOAH’S ARK 493 Cedar Ln. 201.692.1200 noahsark.net

REGINA’S 827 Teaneck Rd. 201.862.1996 reginassteakhouse andgrill.com

TENAFLY

AXIA TAVERNA 18 Piermont Rd. 201.569.5999 axiataverna.com

BRASSERIE 4 Washington St. 201.266.6400 tenaflybrasserie.com

SAYOLA 50 Prospect Ter. 201.871.2182 sayolarestaurantnj.com

TPR RESTAURANT 38 W. Railroad Ave. 201.871.0444 tprrest.com

WALDWICK ANDREA’S RISTORANTE 20 E. Prospect St. 201.670.0275 andreasrestaurant nj.com

LIMONCELLO 32 Franklin Tpke. 201.652.5577 limoncellonj.com

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

BACARI GRILL 800 Ridgewood Rd. 201.358.6330 bacarigrill.com

WESTWOOD CAFFÉ ANELLO 11 Madison Ave. 201.786.8137 caffeanello.com

DOWNTOWN DHABA 266 Center Ave. 201.664.0123 dhabadowntown.com

THE IRON HORSE 20 Washington Ave. 201.666.9682 theironhorse.com

KIMCHI SMOKE 301 Center Ave. 201.497.6333 kimchismoke.com

OSTERIA CRESCENDO 36 Jefferson Ave. 201.722.1900 osteriacrescendo.com

PHOENICIAN LOUNGE 284 Center Ave. 201.722.8600 phoenicianlounge.com

WOODCLIFF LAKE SOL RESTAURANT 42 Kinderkamack Rd. 201.746.9363 solrestaurantnj.com

WOOD-RIDGE

AL TORO 187 Hackensack St. 862.243.3850 al-toro-restaurant-bar. negocio.site

WYCKOFF ALDO’S 640 Wyckoff Ave. 201.891.2618 aldosofwyckoff.com

BENARES 327 Franklin Ave. 201.904.2222 benaresnj.com

BLUE MOON CAFÉ 327 Franklin Ave. 201.891.1331 bluemoonmexicancafé.com

T.S. MA CHINESE CUISINE 637 Wyckoff Ave. 201.891.8878 tsmachinesecuisine.com

WYCKOFF THAI 314 Franklin Ave. 201.485.8855 wyckoffthai.com

Etc. Steakhouse, Teaneck

Here’s To Your Health

About 175 people attended BERGEN’s Women’s Health & Wellness Day program at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale.

BERGEN magazine hosted its inaugural Women’s Health & Wellness Day event in November at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale. The program was presented by Valley Health and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center and featured seminars on breast cancer awareness and behavioral and physical health. After a healthy lunch prepared by the country club, guests engaged in a panel discussion with leaders

from Valley Health and Bergen New Bridge Medial Center. BERGEN editor in chief Rita Guarna led the interactive discussion. Proceeds from the event, including door prizes and a silent auction, supported four area nonprofits: Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, Spring Lake Toys Foundation, Table to Table and Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative.

Photos by Chris Marsbury

Advanced Horomone Solutions, Bare Aesthetic MedSpa & Wellness, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, BeWELL Psychotherapy, Bona Dea Gynecology, Brightview Paramus Senior Living, Edible Arrangements Westwood, Englewood Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery, FitVine Wine, Jen Maxfield, Joshua Tal, PhD and Associates, Kessler Rehabilitation, MRCC, Mindful Waters,

Nancy Peak Medical Centers, Smiles by Bergen Dental, Sojo Spa Club, Sole Revival Reflexology Spa & Crystal Shop, The Taylor Lucyk Group, Tenafly Pediatrics, The Beauty Chateau, Tuxedo Park School, Valley Health

“We’re a big hockey family. My children Liam, 16, Charlotte, 14, and Alastair, 8, took advantage of the beautiful day to play pond hockey at Celery Farm Nature Preserve in Allendale, joining in with other children who were playing when we got there. All three of them play hockey for Ramsey, plays Charlotte plays for the Ramapo Saints. The Celery Farm is so close to us and a great way to get out for more time on the ice.”

—Andrew Grubb, Ramsey

Longview

Premier Assisted Living in Wyckoff

At Longview, older adults thrive with personalized care in a secure community that fosters independence. Residents have access to personalized assistance with professional clinical staff, while also enjoying innovative programs and a diverse calendar of activities and events.

For more information about Longview or to schedule a tour, please contact Victoria Durante, CALA, Admissions Director, at vdurante@ChristianHealthNJ.org or (201) 848-4303.

Love MORE TO

VALLEY GETS IT.

Your baby deserves the warmest welcome – and parents deserve extra attention, too. At Valley’s Center for Childbirth, our personalized care, sophisticated surroundings, and thoughtful touches make each birth a special family experience.

• Private labor, delivery, & recovery suites

• Personalized birth consultations

• Family education classes

• Birth doulas

• Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

• Breastfeeding support

• Home care services

Learn more and take a virtual tour of the Center for Childbirth at The Valley Hospital.