Yeshiva World News

Just a week ago, on Chanukah, a strange feeling overcame me.  With 5 of our children now married and out of the house, a sixth engaged, and our youngest son studying in a Yeshiva out of town, when we lit our menorah on the first night of Chanukah, it stood there all alone.  I quickly remembered times when we needed a large table for all of the menorahs, how candle-lighting took a long time as each child recited the brachos (blessings) and we sang Haneiros Hallalu and Maoz Tur afterwards. I realized that even though there was less light being generated from Chanukah menorahs in my home these days, it is because less was now more.  There was only one menorah burning in our home because in the homes of my married children, there were many more menorahs burning – those of my children and grandchildren.   

A Rabbi who was a personal training client of mine years ago once said to me that when he travels back to the United States from Eretz Yisrael (he has been in Israel for more than 40 years now), he notices that the word “better” in America seems to go hand and hand with the “bigger and more.”  Success is translated as more money, more cars, bigger cars, bigger homes, bigger weddings, more food for your money in a restaurant and longer vacations. We strive to build bigger airliners and larger sports stadiums.  Yet, it hit me this past Chanukah, that bigger and more are not necessarily really better.  Many times, less is indeed more.  And then I realized that my entire profession is based on that concept.  

We all know and understand that when it comes to weight, more is harmful and less is best.  Less translates into good health and a happy life.  As the co-director of the Lose It! Weight Loss Center and Lose It! Online, I spend my days working with people who want more out of life, and need to learn how to do with less in order to achieve their goals.   

Carrying too much weight causes an array of life-threatening health problems such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease.  In addition, problems that affect our quality of life such as osteoarthritis, digestive issues, depression and problems of self-esteem, depression and self-confidence are prevalent in the overweight and obese.  However, having seen success after success in my clinic, I also see how less is more.  I watch week after week as people come in with new blood tests showing better sugar numbers and lower cholesterol.  They ask me to check their blood pressure just to make sure they heard their doctor right, they are shocked that for the first time in years they are not hypertensive.  And just as important, the clinic staff watches people transform over the three months they are with us in terms of attitude and stress.  The same techniques we use to get people to lose weight – a proper food program, proper exercise and behavioral changes – are easily applied in other aspects of their life.   

Less is indeed more, but it can’t happen in one day or one week.  This learning process takes time – months for most people.  But the rewards you gain (and the weight you lose!), both in terms of physical health and mental well-being, are the “more” here.  Those who succeed find it hard to believe that they were ever in the “more and bigger is better” mode. 

There is a great sense of accomplishment that you feel at the end of this road. Here are a few tips for you to consider to get started on your weight loss journey to good health: 

1. Diets are not good. They  initiate a fleeting process at best, only to be abandoned ultimately. The better option is to learn how to eat healthfully, control your portion sizes and don’t let yourself get hungry. Also, maintain good hydration with water. 
2. Learn the difference between real hunger and desiring food for other reasons.
3. Exercise must be part of your life, and a priority.  Learn what a balanced exercise program is and fit it into you day.
4. Learn how to prioritize.  Don’t be afraid to put yourself first when you have to.  It is a great mitzvah to help others, but helping yourself is crucial too.
5. Write it all down!  Track your food and your exercise and even your sabotaging thoughts.  And when you do something great, write that down too!  Giving yourself credit for your accomplishments is just as important.

Remember that in spite of what we see around us, LESS is indeed MORE, just like the menorah burning in your home or your scale trending down.  And when it comes to your health, losing weight in a careful and healthy manner is without a doubt much, much MORE. 

Decade ago, oncologists and dermatologists advised us to avoid exposure to the sun because of the risk of skin cancer. But like most things, we may have gone a little overboard in our compliance, and that has been to our detriment. In recent years, numerous studies have shown that having adequate amounts of Vitamin D in our bodies prevents many cancers, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. In fact, the latest research seems to connect low levels of Vitamin D with a higher risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis.

Vitamin D aids in bone and tooth formation and also helps maintain heart action and proper functioning of the nervous system. It is present in sunlight, fortified milk and orange juice, fish, eggs and butter. The single best way to get a proper dose of D is to absorb some good old sunshine, as it is produced when ultraviolet rays hit the skin. It is often difficult to get sufficient amounts from food alone, and supplements are available to help you meet this goal. However, it is important to understand that supplements must be taken in exactly the proper dose for your size, age and skin type, and that taking too much D can cause a dangerous build-up of calcium in the body. But how much is enough and how much is too much?

It is estimated that over 50% of both the adult and child populations are deficient in Vitamin D. The recommended daily dosage of Vitamin D currently stands at 200-600 IU (International Units) per day. However, the Canadian Cancer Society says we should be getting at least 1,000 IU per day. Many researchers, including Dr. Bruce Hollis, Professor of Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina recommends 2,000 IU per day. But too much Vitamin D in the form of a supplement isn’t good either, as it can lead to a build-up of calcium, which causes blood toxicity – a serious problem. Dizziness, vomiting, incredible pain in your head and/or pain in your bones are all indications that you have too much Vitamin D in your system, and that the amount you are taking needs to be adjusted and in some instances, eliminated completely.

Contrary to years of warnings to stay out of the sun, more recent research indicates that getting a little too much sunshine is better than not getting enough and that in fact, one’s risk of cancer increases from not getting enough sunshine. We now know that getting as little as 15 minutes of natural sunlight 3 or 4 times a week – WITHOUT SUNSCREEN – can play a major role in helping to prevent cancer and other diseases.

A paper regarding the many factors influencing Vitamin D levels appeared in 2011 in Acta Dermato-Venerologica, a Swedish medical journal. Here are nine interesting factors as identified in the paper:

1. The latitude where you live. At higher latitudes, the amount of vitamin D-producing UVB light reaching the earth’s surface decreases in the winter because of the low angle of the sun. In Boston, for example, little if any of the vitamin is produced in people’s skin tissue from November through February. Short days and clothing that covers legs and arms also limit UVB exposure.

2. The air pollution where you live. Carbon particulates in the air from the burning of fossil fuels, wood, and other materials scatter and absorb UVB rays. Ozone absorbs UVB radiation, so holes in the ozone layer could be a pollution problem that winds up enhancing vitamin D levels.

3. Your use of sunscreen — in theory. Sunscreen prevents sunburn by blocking UVB light, so theoretically, sunscreen use lowers vitamin D levels. But as a practical matter, very few people put on enough sunscreen to block all UVB light, or they use sunscreen irregularly, so sunscreen’s effects on our vitamin D levels might not be that important. An Australian study that’s often cited showed no difference in Vitamin D between adults randomly assigned to use sunscreen one summer and those assigned a placebo cream.

4. The color of your skin. Melanin is the substance in skin that makes it dark. It “competes” for UVB with the substance in the skin that kick-starts the body’s vitamin D production. As a result, dark-skinned people tend to require more UVB exposure than light-skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D.

5. The temperature of your skin. Warm skin is a more efficient producer of vitamin D than cool skin. So, on a sunny, hot summer day, you’ll make more vitamin D than on a cool one.

6. Your weight. Fat tissue sops up vitamin D, so it’s been proposed that it might be a vitamin D rainy-day fund: a source of the vitamin when intake is low or production is reduced. But studies have also shown that being obese is correlated with low Vitamin D levels and that being overweight may affect the bioavailability of Vitamin D.

7. Your age. Compared with younger people, older people have lower levels of the substance in the skin that UVB light converts into the Vitamin D precursor, and experimental evidence indicates that older people are less efficient Vitamin D producers than younger people. Yet, the National Center for Health Statistics’ data on Vitamin D levels fly in the face of the conventional wisdom that Vitamin D inadequacy is a big problem among older people. They don’t show a major drop-off in levels between middle-aged people and older folks.

8. The health of your gut. The Vitamin D that is consumed in food or as a supplement is absorbed in the part of the small intestine immediately downstream from the stomach. Stomach juices, pancreatic secretions, bile from the liver, the integrity of the wall of the intestine — these all influence the amount of the vitamin is absorbed. Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like Celiac Disease, Chronic Pancreatitis, Crohn’s Disease and Cystic Fibrosis, can reduce Vitamin D absorption.

9. The health of your liver and kidneys. Some types of liver disease can reduce absorption of Vitamin D, as the ailing liver isn’t producing normal amounts of bile. With other types, steps essential to Vitamin D metabolism can’t occur — or occur incompletely. Levels of the bioactive form of Vitamin D tend to track with the health of the kidneys, so in someone with kidney disease, bioactive Vitamin D levels decrease as the disease gets worse, and in end-stage kidney disease, the level is undetectable.

Research in the area of Vitamin D is ongoing, and Vitamin D continues to look very, very promising as a tool in the prevention of numerous ailments and diseases. In addition to heart disease, many cancers and immune system diseases like MS, it seems to help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, infectious diseases such as the flu and perhaps mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia and Depression. So it seems that a little sunshine can go a long, long way, and indeed can “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il, www.loseit.co.il USA Line 1-516-568-5027.

(Alan Freishtat – YWN)

This is the fourth and final article in 4-part series focusing on Depression, Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Panic Disorder, and how exercise can be effective in their treatment. 

Panic Disorder 

Panic Disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurring severe panic attacks. It may also include significant behavioral changes lasting at least a month, and ongoing worry about the implications or concern about having other attacks. The latter are called anticipatory attacks (DSM-IVR). Panic disorder is not the same as agoraphobia (fear of crowded places and awkward social settings), although many with panic disorder also suffer from agoraphobia. Panic attacks cannot be predicted; therefore, an individual may become stressed, anxious or worried wondering when the next panic attack will occur. (There are other schools of thought that panic disorder is differentiated as a medical condition or chemical imbalance).  

Panic Disorder and Anxiety are different. Panic attacks have a sudden or out-of-the-blue cause, and are short in duration but with more intense symptoms. Anxiety attacks have stressors that build to less severe reactions that can last for weeks or months. Panic attacks can occur in children as well as adults. Panic in young people may be particularly distressing because the child has less insight as to what is happening, and his/her parent is also likely to experience distress when attacks occur. Some of the symptoms of Panic Disorder that last for one minute or more are:

• Intentional hyperventilation – creates lightheadedness, derealization, blurred vision, dizziness
• Spinning in a chair – creates dizziness, disorientation
• Straw breathing – creates dyspnea, airway constriction
• Breath holding – creates sensation of being out of breath
• Running in place – creates increased heart rate, respiration, perspiration
• Body tensing – creates feelings of being tense and over alert

The common treatment for Panic Disorder is the identification of treatments that engender as full a response as possible, and at the same time, minimize relapse; this is imperative. CBT is the treatment of choice for panic disorder. When CBT is not an option, pharmacotherapy can be used. SSRIs (antidepressants) are considered a first-line medication option.

Here also, we see that exercise is helpful.  In a study that appeared in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 1998, 46outpatients suffering from moderate to severe panic disorderwith or without agoraphobia were randomlyassigned to a 10-week treatment protocol of regular aerobicexercise (running), the drug clomipramine or placebos.In comparison to the group which received the placebos, both exercise and clomipramine ledto a significant decrease in symptoms, according to all criteria of the study. A direct comparison of exerciseand clomipramine revealed that the drug treatment improved anxietysymptoms significantly earlier and more effectively. Depressivesymptoms were also significantly improved by exercise and clomipraminetreatment. These results suggest that regular aerobicexercise alone, as opposed to placebos, is associated withsignificant clinical improvement in patients suffering frompanic disorder, but that it is less effective than treatmentwith clomipramine. Either way, it is clear that a well-rounded and balanced program of exercise can aid in treatment and cure. 

In Conclusion:  It wasn’t very long ago that society would write off the mentally ill.  Today, people with all types of mental health disorders are functioning members of society.  They can do well in school, university, and in every single field of the workplace one can imagine.  Therapies and drugs now exist to help those who need help.  And now, we also know that exercise has yet again begun to prove itself as the one thing that really can never hurt and can only help.  Exercise not only helps us physiologically, but psychologically as well.  Whether you have depression, anxiety, OCD, ADD, or panic disorder, incorporating a balanced exercise program into your life will help you improve the quality of your life – perhaps even significantly.   

ALAN FREISHTAT is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 15 years of professional experience. He is the Co-Director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress management center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. They are available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. They have begun working with Dr. Michael Bunzel, M.D., a psychologist in Bnei Brak, Israel on incorporating exercise as a therapy for several mental health disorders.  Alan can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il. You can also visit the Lose It! website at www.loseit.co.il 

U.S. Line 516-568-5027 

This is the third article in 4-part series focusing on Depression, Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Panic Disorder, and how exercise can be effective in their treatment. 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear or worry, and is characterized by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms of the disorder include excessive washing or cleaning, repeated checking, extreme hoarding, preoccupation with religious thought, aversion to particular numbers, and nervous rituals such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room. These symptoms can be alienating and time-consuming, and often cause severe emotional and financial distress. The actions of those who have OCD may appear paranoid and potentially psychotic. (OCD sufferers generally recognize that their obsessions and compulsions are irrational; however, they may become further distressed by this realization.)

OCD is the fourth most common mental disorder, and is diagnosed nearly as often as asthma and diabetes mellitus. In the United States, one in 50 adults suffers from OCD. It affects children and adolescents as well as adults. Roughly 33-50% of adults with OCD report a childhood onset of the disorder, suggesting the continuum of anxiety disorders across the life span. 

According to a team of Duke University-led psychiatrists, Behavioral Therapy (BT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and medications should all be regarded as first-line treatments for OCD.  Medications include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as paroxetine, sertraline, fluoxetine, escitalopram and fluvoxamine, and the tricyclic antidepressants – in particular, clomipramine.

In a review of three separate meta-analyses, investigators at Arizona State University found that patients who participated in at least 21 minutes daily of aerobic exercise experienced a reduction in anxiety (Petruzzello SJ et al; 1991). A more recent study from Canadian researchers at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg noted that regular exercise may help people who suffer from OCD, phobias and other psychiatric disorders. When the investigators examined studies of anxiety disorder and exercise dating back to 1981, they found that strength training, running, walking, and other forms of aerobic exercise help relieve mild to moderate depression and may also help treat anxiety and substance abuse. 

Part IV in this series will explore the effects of exercise and Panic Disorder. 
 

ALAN FREISHTAT is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 15 years of professional experience. He is the Co-Director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress management center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. They are available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. They have begun working with Dr. Michael Bunzel, M.D., a psychologist in Bnei Brak, Israel on incorporating exercise as a therapy for several mental health disorders.  Alan can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il. You can also visit the Lose It! website at www.loseit.co.il 

U.S. Line 516-568-5027 

This is the first article in 4-part series focusing on Depression, Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Panic Disorder, and how exercise can be effective in their treatment.

Depression 

Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings and physical well-being.  Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable or restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, or have difficulty concentrating, remembering details or making decisions. Additionally, they may contemplate or attempt suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or aches, pains or digestive problems that are resistant to treatment may be present.^[1]

Depressed mood is a normal reaction to certain life events, a symptom of many medical conditions and a feature of certain psychiatric syndromes.  It affects more than 21 million American children and adults annually and is the leading cause of disability in the United States for individuals ages 15 to 44.   Lost revenue due to U.S. workers who are experiencing depression is estimated to be in excess of $31 billion per year.  

Depression frequently co-occurs with a variety of medical illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and chronic pain, and is associated with poor health.

Once you have a diagnosis of depression, your doctor will discuss the different treatment options with you. The treatment that is best for you depends on the type of depression you have. For example, some patients with clinical depression are treated with psychotherapy, and some are prescribed antidepressants. Others may undergo electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also called electroshock therapy. This treatment may be used with patients who do not respond to standard depression treatment options.

Medication can help lift your mood and ease your feelings of sadness and hopelessness. You’ll need to work with your doctor to find the drug that is most effective with the fewest side effects. It is thought that three chemical messengers are involved with depression: norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. These messengers are classified as neurotransmitters, and are responsible for sending electrical signals between brain cells.

Researchers have found a link between depression and chemical imbalance in these neurotransmitters. Antidepressant medications increase the availability of neurotransmitters by changing the sensitivity of the receptors for these chemical messengers. It is believed that modifying these brain chemicals can help improve mood, although the exact way it works is still unclear.

Recent research has shown that exercise can play a significant role in the treatment of depression.  In many people, the amount of serotonin that is manufactured in the brain by moderate to intense exercise is similar to the amount of increase brought about by the popular group of antidepressant drugs known as SSRIs.  

The Harvard Medical School published the results of a study that originally appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999. 156 men and women with depression divided into three groups. One group took part in an aerobic exercise program, another took the SSRI sertraline (Zoloft), and a third did both. At the 16-week mark, depression had eased in all three groups. About 60%–70% of the people in all three groups could no longer be classed as having major depression. In fact, group scores on two rating scales of depression were essentially the same. This suggests that for those who need or wish to avoid drugs, exercise might be an acceptable alternative to antidepressants. Keep in mind, though, that the swiftest response occurred in the group taking antidepressants, and that it can be difficult to stay motivated to exercise when you’re depressed.

A follow-up to that study found that exercise’s effects lasted longer than those of antidepressants. Researchers checked in with 133 of the original patients 6 months after the first study ended. They found that the people who exercised regularly after completing the study, regardless of which treatment they were on originally, were less likely to relapse into depression.

A study published in 2005 found that walking fast for about 35 minutes a day five times a week, or 60 minutes a day three times a week, had a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms. Walking fast for only 15 minutes a day five times a week or doing stretching exercises three times a week did not help as much. (These exercise lengths were calculated for someone who weighs about 150 pounds. If you weigh more, longer exercise times apply, while the opposite is true if you weigh less than 150 pounds.)

Part II in this series will explore the effects of exercise on anxiety and ADD/ADHD. 
 

ALAN FREISHTAT is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 15 years of professional experience. He is the Co-Director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress management center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. They are available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. They have begun working with Dr. Michael Bunzel, M.D., a psychiatrist in Bnei Brak, Israel on incorporating exercise as a therapy for several mental health disorders.  Alan can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il. You can also visit the Lose It! website at www.loseit.co.il 

U.S. Line 516-568-5027

The evidence that using exercise regimens is effective in treating negative emotional and mental states is building. In the last ten years, several review articles have summarized the research in the field, stating a positive correlation between increasing levels of aerobic exercise and the extent to which symptoms of anxiety, depression, and even the most serious psychiatric conditions can be improved by intensive physical activity. 

In my own practice as a psychiatrist in Bnei Brak and Jerusalem, I have begun implementing this new understanding, prescribing intensive physical activity in addition to psychopharmacological intervention even at the earliest visits at the onset of symptoms. It might seem counter-intuitive to encourage people to exercise whose symptoms might include feelings of sluggishness and fatigue in depressive states, for example, or panic symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, and numbness. However, the reality is that often we see that the severity and duration of patients’ conditions can be diminished when prescribed vigorous exercise, especially when it is accompanied by competent practitioners.  

While the field is still young and requires further research to prove these facts unequivocally, many of these findings are starting to be buttressed by more and more trials and analyses in research studies that demonstrate this positive “dose-effect” correlation. That is, the more intensive and prolonged exercise in which a patient can invest, the more positive effect that s/he will see. Because of this, I also encourage my patients that engaging in more intensive exercise will enable them to discontinue their psychiatric medications sooner.  

To this effect, I am happy to team up with competent exercise professionals who are eager to work with those suffering from varied psychological maladies. Alan Freishtat and his team at “Lose It!” in Jerusalem combine psychological counseling, Behavioral Therapy and Exercise coaching along with basic Nutritional Counseling to achieve quicker results in alleviating negative psychological states.  I have had personal experience with them that has yielded positive outcomes.   

Dr. Michael E. Bunzel M.D.

Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatry

Head Psychiatrist, Mayenei Hayeshua Hospital, Bnei Brak 
 
It is commonly known that exercise is considered very good medicine for many physiological problems such as the prevention of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and countless other physical problems.  More and more, exercise is being recommended by doctors and other health providers across the board in place of or and in conjunction with medication for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and even gastrointestinal issues. But one area that has not received much publicity is the increased use of exercise to help those with common mental illnesses.  Mental health disorders affect about 20% of the population in the United States today.  Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability (lost years of productive life) in North America and Europe. By 2020, major depressive illness will be the leading cause of disability in the world for women and children. But the good news is that treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective; between 70 and 90% of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports, of exercise can be a significant component. Some of these disorders are short-term problems while others are classified as severe mental illness.  In any case, exercise is being used more and more as a first-line treatment for many forms of mental illness.   

The definition of mental health describes a state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life. From the perspective of positive psychology or holism, mental health may include an individual’s ability to enjoy life and to strike a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve a sound psychological state. Mental health is an expression of emotions, and signifies a successful adaptation to a range of demands. 

This 4-part series will focus on Depression, Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Panic Disorder. At its conclusion, the reader will have a reasonable understanding of the above conditions, and the role that exercise plays in treatment.  
 

ALAN FREISHTAT is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 15 years of professional experience. He is the Co-Director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress management center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. They are available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. They have begun working with Dr. Michael Bunzel, M.D., a psychologist in Bnei Brak, Israel on incorporating exercise as a therapy for several mental health disorders.  Alan can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@loseit.co.il. You can also visit the Lose It! website at www.loseit.co.il 

U.S. Line 516-568-5027