To my loyal YWN readers,

Although this column space is used for my weekly columns on health, fitness, and weight loss, I will allow myself the liberty once a year to use this space for a personal message.

Hashem granted us the gift of a healthy body and expects us to do our best to take care of it. This requires healthful eating, exercise, the proper amount of sleep and an active lifestyle. All of us are capable of helping ourselves. When we don’t take care of ourselves and watch over our health, the end result is illness and incapacitation resulting in our inability to perform the will of the Ribono Shel Olam. When we are sick, we can’t do Chesed, learn, daven or take care of our own families. Our Nefesh, our soul,  functions best when our Guf, our body is at its best!

Many years ago, I was not a fitness trainer; I was anything but fit and healthy. I led a sedentary life style, ate whatever I wanted to in whatever amounts I wanted to and was overweight with slightly high blood pressure that became high blood pressure. As a former musician playing the wedding in circuit in the Greater New York area, eating at the smorgasbord at weddings was an activity I greatly looked forward to every evening. A few years after I relocated to Eretz Yisrael, I was fortunate to meet someone who changed my life around. I went from being sedentary with a poor diet to being active and healthy. I began eating right, walking, doing weights and stretching and after a short while, became a runner/jogger. My blood pressure went down, my old clothes fit again and I felt like a new person.

As a personal trainer here in Yerushalayim for the past 12 years, I have been privileged to witness many people who have turned their health around. Even people in desperate straights with all types of health issues have been very successful and no longer have to take medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Their weight is normal, and not only has their physical state of health improved, they feel better about themselves.

Rosh Hashana is a time for thanking Hakadosh Baruch Hu for giving us life and health over the past year and also the time for praying that He will give us good health and long life for the upcoming year. At the same time, we must do our Hishtadlus, our effort, in the area of health. Our non-Jewish brothers approach their secular new year with all kinds of resolutions that are never kept. We do Tshuva. We work hard to actualize real change.  And if there is ever a time we CAN change, it is now.

A few months ago, I began writing a health column for YeshivaWorld (posted every Monday). I never dreamed I would get the responses I have gotten from all over the world and the amount of inquiries and questions about health topics have been abundant. Baruch Hashem, these columns have been able to help and motivate many people to achieve good health and IY”H, will be able to continue to do so for a long time.

After working as a personal trainer for almost 12 years, I have now been able to team up with my associate, Linda Holtz and we have developed a weight loss program that is unique in approach. It deals with nutrition, exercise, activity and just as importantly, behavior. Although we officially opened our doors only 8 weeks ago, we have seen excellent results across the board. With Hashem’s help, this new program, Lose It! will be of assistance to many, many people both here in Eretz Yisrael and in Chutz La’aretz and help people lose weight permanently attain quality of life.

I wish all of you a K’siva V’chasim Tova. May this be a year of health and happiness for Klal Yisrael.

Alan Freishtat – YWN

For previous columns, click HERE.

Alan Freishtat is an ACE-CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER, LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH and WEIGHT LOSS COUNSELOR with over 10 years of professional experience, whose success rate in weight loss exceeds the industry standard. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight reduction clinic “Lose It!” together with Linda Holtz, M.S. Alan is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. He also conducts group lectures, seminars and workshops.

Office: 972-2-651-8502 / Cellular: 972-50-555-7175 / email: [email protected]