Lazer Brody's Blog, page 3

Community

Before I explain who we are, I want to tell you a story about my allegorical spiritual guide Old Isaac, who really is a composite image of all my spiritual guides from King David, to Maimonides, to the Baal Shem Tov and all the way to my esteemed contemporary mentors.

We are conditioned to fear mountain lions and cougars. Up in the Rocky Mountains, they are reputed to have attacked bikers and knocked climbers off ledges. Old Isaac was once up in the mountains near his inn when he heard a mountain lion growling horribly. Anybody else would have been terrified, but Old Isaac understood that the critter was in severe pain. The mountain lion approached Old Isaac in a menacing manner as if it was about to rip the old man into pieces. But then Isaac noticed something odd. The mountain lion's gait was out of balance ��� the animal lacked the customary finesse of a mountain lion and was even limping slightly. What's more, running down the lion���s fierce-looking face was a large tear. Isaac sensed that the lion was suffering terribly and soon noticed why: a nasty large thorn was deeply embedded in the lion's paw causing it excruciating pain. The growls and snarls were merely expressions of pain and frustration, when the animal didn't understand what was torturing him or how to articulate his anguish. Old Isaac didn't think of the danger he might be in but only of how he could help one of G-d's creations. He carefully approached the lion, taking a prodigious risk. He gently stroked the back of its neck and slowly bent down to remove the thorn from its paw. The lion instantly became gentle, licked Old Isaac's hand and became his life-long friend.

There's a moral to this story. The snarling and growling mountain lion is that part of all of us when we are in pain without knowing why; in other words, when we lack spiritual awareness. If we don't connect to the Almighty, we can't understand what is the matter with us or why we are suffering. That way, we cannot communicate our distress to ourselves, much less to others. As such, we all need a spiritual guide like Old Isaac who sees everything through eyes of emuna without letting his own self-interest get in the way. We need others to interpret us charitably, to hold on to the idea that we are not intrinsically flawed or evil, Heaven forbid, but that something must be ailing us severely - whether body, soul or both - to account for our difficultly in life and sometimes unacceptable behavior. Those others are a community of people who grow together in emuna, learning that they themselves as well as the rest of the Creator's children are intrinsically good. The members of the community help each other in removing that individual sharp thorn.

Anyone, regardless of sex, race, color or nationality is cordially welcome to the Lazer Beams Community. Our goal is to improve spiritual and physical health and wellness by nurturing our individual relationship with the Creator, since both body and soul are gifts from Him. We strive to love every human being. We adhere to the Ten Commandments and to the time-tested wisdom of the Torah. There is no fad spirituality here. Our methods are trench-tested. Our community doesn't tolerate hate and dissension. We are neither right or left, Democrats or Republicans, Labor or Conservative. We don't proselytize and we certainly don't push any religious or political agenda. Here, it's all about emuna and loving yourself, your fellow human and God. We believe a personal connection to the Creator as well as health and wellbeing are the birthright of all of humanity and not just the privileged few. Even more so, we strive to help people who think they're poor orphans and show them that they have a very rich and loving Father in Heaven.

In our community, a Pilates instructor from Singapore and a journalist from Hong Kong mingle with a fireplace builder from Wales, an optometrist from London and a cab driver from Brooklyn. Everyone is a cherished individual, whether it's a mother with ten children in Los Angeles or animal lover with ten pet racoons in the Canadian outback. We learn from one another and we help each other.

As a member of our community, you enjoy all the resources of this website for free. Not only that, but you receive weekly access to Rabbi Lazer through our live Zoom classes. All you have to do is to sign up for our newsletter, here. You'll get weekly personal invitation links to our classes and important updates for health and wellness of body and spirit. We are honored to welcome you and we're more than delighted to see you. Blessings for everything good, LB

Brodie Meets Brody, Episode 2: Maintaining a Healthy Lower Back

This is the second functional fitness film of the "Brodie meets Brody" series, where world-class exercise physiologist, strength and cycling coach Menachem Brodie (NSCA-CSCS, USAC-PBT) teams up with Senior Fitness Trainer, Health Coach and Nutritionist Rabbi Lazer Brody (CHC, CPT, CHN) to show how both women and men can maintain a healthy lower back at any age. Most important, we learn how to avoid the day-to-day back injuries the come from improper lifting and learn the right way how to pick up a baby. A must-see:

Brodie Meets Brody, Episode 1: Maintaining Muscle Mass

We are delighted to present our debut functional fitness film of the new "Brodie meets Brody" series, where world-class exercise physiologist, strength and cycling coach Menachem Brodie (NSCA-CSCS, USAC-PBT) teams up with Senior Fitness Trainer, Health Coach and Nutritionist Rabbi Lazer Brody (CHC, CPT, CHN) to show how both women and men can maintain muscle mass at any age, whether they're in their thirties or in their eighties.

Veggies Versus Vitamin Capsules

Vegetable farmers are actually the Creator's pharmacists. That's because the Creator put the most effective nutrients in the foods He created. Big Pharma can't compete with the Creator; if you eat right - naturally, and stay away from processed foods and sugar in any shape or form - then you can save all the money you spend on vitamins. Use it to buy yourself a new pair of walking or running shoes...

I don't believe in the concept of "nutrition in a pill." I do believe that we maintain health by doing Hashem's will, which includes eating as natural as possible as the Rambam teaches us and avoiding dangerous substances, like the many that are found in processed foods.

Here's why healthy food beats vitamin pills and supplements any day of the week:

Greater nutrition - whole foods are complex containing a variety of the nutrients your body needs, in a way your body can best absorb them. Synthetic vitamins lack the micronutrients and phytochemicals that facilitate bio-absorption. For example, a citrus fruit, in addition to Vitamin C, contains beta carotene, calcium and other nutrients that work together in a synergistic effect to keep the body healthy in a way that no Vitamin C pill can do.
No harmful substances - foods that Hashem created are wonderful for the body. Big Pharma vitamins are likely to contain - for profit reasons - harmful additives that do your body more harm than good.
Protective chemicals - the antioxidants and phytochemicals of whole, natural foods protect your body against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. The antioxidants that fruit, veggies, seeds, nuts and dry red wine are full of are substances that slow down oxidation, a natural process that leads to cell and tissue damage.
Essential fiber - dietary fiber, as part of a healthy diet, can help prevent certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and it can also improve digestion. You won't find that in those vitamin pills. Also, the synthetic fibers that food processors add top processed foods are just designed to bulk up their profits, and not to keep you healthy.

What about pregnant women and nursing mothers? Don't they need supplements of iron, calcium and folic acid?

Yes, they need a boatload of iron, calcium and folic acid. That's why I tell them to eat liver, beets, leafy greens like kale and spinach (be sure to check for bugs as Halacha requires), almonds and sardines. And like everyone else, they should stay away from soft drinks and manufactured foods that bleed the body of nutrients.

Eat healthy and put the pill money to better use by buying fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts, natural fish and meats and a fine bottle of dry red wine for Shabbat. I strongly recommend the Land of Israel variety.

G-d willing, we'll have lots more on healthy eating in the near future. Meanwhile, exercise, eat right and stay healthy!

Keep on Walkin'

The worlds #1 fitness exercise, walking, does just as much for soul as it does for body. This is the only fitness activity that the whole family can participate in together, from 2-year-old toddler Mikey to 102-year-old great grandfather Morris. This is an activity that's joint-and-muscle friendly as well as fantastic for your heart and lungs. It's walking. If we add the technique of brisker strides and more vigorous hand and arm motion, we move up to the power walking category and burn all the more calories, just like we do in any other cardio exercise.

If you want to maximize the benefits of walking and prevent injuries, then your form and posture must be proper. Like in any other exercise, the better the form, the more beneficial the exercise. Use this form & posture checklist to evaluate yourself:

Proper Walking Form

1. Keep your head upright and eyes forward. Texting or looking at your smartphone destroys this important element of good walking form.

2. Engage your core by pulling your navel in as if you're trying to make it touch your spine.

3. Imagine that a string from heaven is linked to the crown of your skull pulling your head up and extending your neck. This method is a strong remedy to the kyphosis that people develop from sitting at a desk all day long.

4. Drop your shoulders and enable the back of your neck to touch the collar of your shirt. Your neck muscles should be relaxed.

5. Don't slump forward; if you feel like you are slumping, readjust your body position so that you conform to the above four points.

6. Swing your arms gently; the more you add arm motion, the faster you'll walk and the more calories you'll burn in a particular time period. Don't go crazy though - your hands shouldn't rise higher than your collarbone.

7. Walk with feet aligned in a straight manner rather than waddling from side to side. To do this, make sure your hips are moving forward rather than side to side.

8. Don't tiptoe; with every step, land on your heel and roll your foot forward. Comfortable shoes are a must!

Benefits of Walking

1. Great for burning belly fat.

2. Anyone can do it!

3. Lowers risk of hip fracture, especially with women.

4. Great for heart and lung health.

5. Wonderful for those who cannot or may not engage in more strenuous activities.

6. Fantastic for mental functioning, especially concentration, decision-making, self-composure and memory.

7. Wards off anxiety and depression while improving self-esteem.

8. Retards aging and increases longevity.

If we add personal prayer to our walking routine, and speak to the Almighty while sharing everything that's on our heart with Him, we have the greatest body-mind-soul health enhancer on earth. Try it; although we recommend 60-minutes a day, there are huge benefits for 30 minutes daily on up. KEEP ON WALKING - you'll love it. Every blessing, LB

Creative Exercise: Breaking Exercise Phobia

Why do people shy away from exercise? Maybe they have PTSD from having been forced to do all kinds of strenuous and unpleasant things in PhysEd class in junior high school, like running until their lungs were on fire or showing up all sweaty afterwards to Trigonometry class because there was no hot water in the gym showers. Or maybe they hated the forced marches and the constant "drop down, get ten" from military basic training. Or, like so many others of the  cyber generation, they feel much happier gripping a game-boy joystick than gripping a lacrosse stick or baseball bat. What's more, regularly-scheduled exercise requires self-regiment (ugh - get outa here!).  Or, maybe they did try exercise and they hurt themselves, or they went to the gym and felt self-conscious. People have more excuses to avoid exercise than pigeons in the park...

That's a shame, because nothing makes you feel so vibrant as the post-exercise feeling of accomplishment and the exhilaration of endorphin, the feel-good hormone triggered by exercise, which is the world's best natural anti-depressant.

Here's how I crack my clients' exercise phobia - I teach them how to exercise creatively. The principle of creative exercise is simply to create an activity that you love, where you can move your body in the process. Here are a few examples:

Walking along the beach, in sand, or up the sand dunes: this is a cardiovascular exercise that equals or even surpasses wind sprints because of the effort your lungs and legs have to exert to move forward in the sand, especially where there's incline. The waves and the sea air are so invigorating that one totally forgets the he or she is exercising.
Walk in the park, along the riverbank, out in the pasture, in the woods or in your favorite environment. Relish G-d's gifts in nature while you're doing it; enjoy the trees, the plants, the birds, the flowers and the animals. Listen to the melody of a babbling brook - you'll love it.
While you're alone with nature, commune with your Creator. This adds pleasure to soul as well as to body.
Mark your periodic time slot of creative exercise in your calendar, just as you would an important meeting.
Treat yourself to good exercise gear - comfortable shoes and garb that you wear especially for your creative exercise session.
Try to do an minimum of 30 minutes at least 3 times per week.
If you love company, exercise with you spouse or a best buddy.

You get the idea - now use your imagination. Maybe you'll get your bike or your roller skates out from under the pile of junk in the garage. The key is to do something enjoyable; don't let it become a dread or routine.

Once you get used to exercising, and you begin to feel great and look your best, you won't know how you ever lived without exercising. Go for it! Start slow, and enjoy it, just like you enjoy a favorite meal. The difference between the exercise and the meal is that the former burns calories and doesn't cost you a cent. There is a life of fitness outside the gyms. G-d bless for good health, LB

Rebbe Oshiya Ish Tiria

One of the greatest things a person can do to benefit his/her own body-soul health and well-being is to visit and pray by the holy gravesites of the great tzaddikim, especially here in the Land of Israel. One such tzaddik - not so well-known but where those in-the-know go to pray for astounding salvations - is Rebbe Oshiya Ish Tiria, whose place of eternal rest is in the north of Israel, slightly east of Meron in the Upper Galilee and near the village of Peki'in, overlooking the gorgeous Tiria Valley.

Rebbe Oshiya was an Amora, one of the holy sages of our Gemara, mentioned primarily in the Yerushalmi Talmud and in the Midrash for his extreme righteousness, humility and holiness. The Midrash Raba (Kohelet, ch. 1) tells us that the day Rebbe Abin the great of his generation died, Rebbe Oshiya - the tzaddik of his generation - was born. This puts Rebbe Oshiya in the time frame of the 4th generation of Amoras in the Land of Israel, which places him chronologically in the latter half of the 4th century CE, somewhere between the years 360-400, at the time of Rav Pappa and Rabina in Babylon. The Jews in Israel suffered extremely under Roman occupation. This is the setting for a story that the Yerushalmi Talmud in the beginning of tractate Bava Metzia relates, as follows:

A Torah scholar of impeccable piety and character, Rebbe Oshiya eked out his meager living as a launderer, washing people's clothes. To remain above suspicion of any wrongdoing, he wore odd and shabby clothes that no one else wore, to avoid any suspicion that he took unauthorized advantage of the clothes his customers entrusted in his care.  One day, the Roman queen was walking by the river at a spot where Rebbe Oshiya would wash clothes. She lost a packet of rare jewels. Rebbe Oshiya found this priceless packet and returned it to the queen. She said, "Go ahead and keep them - I have plenty of jewels."

Rebbe Oshiya responded, "The Almighty and His Torah require me to return a lost article to its rightful owner. These belong to you, Your Majesty."

The queen, not particularly known for her love of the Jews, to say the least, replied, "Blessed be the G-d of the Jews." This was a phenomenal sanctification of Hashem's Name. The Midrash in Vayikra Raba 30:1 therefore tells us that when Rebbe Oshiya died, his death bed floated in the air and a voice from Heaven declared, "No riches in the world can buy the love that Hashem has for Rebbe Oshiya Ish Tiria!"

I recently visited his gravesite and prayed for something I badly needed. I made a promise if my prayers from this holy gravesite intervene in my behalf, I will tell the whole world about Rebbe Oshiya Ish Tiria, a place here known to invoke big miracles after frequenting it. Rebbe Oshiya kept his part of the deal, and I am now happy to keep my part. I received the big salvation I asked for.

For your convenience, below are 2 maps - larger scale and smaller scale - of how to get there. If you need a big salvation, pass the link to this article on to at least five people you know, and G-d willing, you too will see miracles. 

Tree-Milk Fertility Enhancer

This post is great for vegans as well and those who are lactose-intolerant. In addition, for those who seek a natural and effective fertility enhancer, this is just what you need:

Dates, especially those grown here in Israel, have magical qualities. If you know anyone with a fertility issue - man or woman - the following simple Land-of-Israel fertility enhancer is bound to help them. Why "Land of Israel"? The tree-milk we're about to prepare is based on Israel-grown Medjool dates and raw, non-toasted almonds. If you can get both from Israel, that's optimal, but not an absolute must. You'll enjoy this:

Brody-Health Tree-Milk Fitness and Fertility Enhancer

Variation Number One: Basic almond milk. The Brody recipe is dummy-proof and easy to prepare. All you need are the following three ingredients:

One cup of dried, raw, non-toasted and unsalted almonds (approx. 80 almonds or 225 gr.)
One liter/quart of water
2 Medjool dates, pitted

Soak the almonds overnight in a liter of cool water. The next morning, add the almonds with the water they soaked in and the dates to a blender, preferably with a high-speed capability and strong motor. Blend the ingredients at high-speed for 1.5-2 minutes. strain the mixture in a clean dish towel. Don't discard the the pulp, for it's a great additive to yogurt. At this point, you'll have a wonderful basic almond milk that's great in your coffee and non-dairy as well.

Variation Number Two: Tree-Milk Fitness and Fertility Enhancer

Ingredients:

One cup of dried, raw, non-toasted and unsalted almonds (approx. 80 almonds or 225 gr.)
One liter/quart of water
8 large or 12 medium Medjool dates, pitted
One tablespoon of bee honey (natural unpasteurized with no additives) 
Optional (for supercharged fertility and a berry-milk taste) - 5 tablespoons of Goji berries
6 ice cubes

Soak all the ingredients except for the honey and the ice cubes in a liter of cool water overnight. In the morning, put the water with the soaked almonds, dates and Gojis (optional) in high-speed blender and add the honey and ice cubes. Blend it all together at high speed for two minutes. Both husband and wife should drink at least 250 cc's of the mixture (about 9 ounces) at morning and at early evening. The effects are remarkable.

The above Tree-Milk not only does wonders for fertility, but it enhances stamina as well. I've used it several times in the past about an hour before a strenuous resistance workout. It's the real deal...

Don't forget to send me an invitation to the birth celebration. You can almost set the date...

Doing What I Want or What the Group Wants?

A vital element in emotional wellness is doing what you want and what you believe is right. Anytime you bend to social pressure, and therefore bend your personal principles, you're sewing the seeds of bitterness. Don't go there. Don't just hang with the flock; do what your heart knows is right and do what you want to do. It's not easy but it sure is conducive to a healthy body, mind and soul.

So how do you learn to buck social pressure, do what you want and not what others want from you? Learn to do what most people hate doing - be alone with yourself.

We attain inner peace by taking a daily timeout, going somewhere where we can be tranquil and collect our thoughts, and honestly assess ourselves. When we take daily stock in ourselves, we review what we did during the past 24 hours while thinking of what we need to improve and what we need to reinforce. If we invite the Almighty to be with us and guide us, then we'll have a daily emotional reboot that is priceless. Once we get used to such a daily session, we can't live without it. By being alone with ourselves and asking help from Above, we can clarify our thoughts and clarify what's true. We can ask ourselves if we are about to make our own choice, or to succumb to outside pressures and to things we don't want to do or don't believe in doing. Only when we're alone and centered, can we ask and candidly answer the four following questions:

Do I want to do this?
Does this make me happy?
Is this the morally and ethically right thing to do?
Will this make me a better person?

If you can answer "yes" to all four of the above, go forward! If the answer is "no" to all four, avoid doing you're being asked to do. If your answer is a combination of yes's and no's, ask Hashem to guide you on the right path. When you ask for help, He'll be glad to give it to you. Just remember, instead of hangin' with the flock, you could be soaring on your own. Blessings always, LB

18 Most-Effective Conditioning and Weight-Loss Tactics

Weight loss without conditioning is liable to be damaging. Try these 18 tactics - all or a segment of them - to put yourself into top shape, lose weight, feel your best and look great.

Eat veggies and protein for breakfast - to build muscle, you need adequate protein. Try an omelette, a chunk of baked salmon or sardines with a green salad that includes leafy veggies and celery. Whereas the cornflakes breakfast leaves you starving by 10 AM, the veggie and protein breakfast will have you satiated well past noon. What's more, good morning fuel boosts metabolism.
Brush your teeth after every meal - it's great for your dental health and curbs appetite.
Cut out both sugary drinks and fruit juices - they add loads of carbs and calories that are the #1 enemy to weight loss.
In continuation of #3 (above), drink plenty of water; cold water especially causes your body to burn calories in order to maintain your 98.6F body temperature, so don't spare the ice.
Lift heavy weights - incorporate resistance training into your workout routine; this can also be such bodyweight exercises as pushups, pullups and squats. The more you build muscle mass, the more you increase your metabolism.
Move more - walk (30 min./day at least, 5 days a week) as much as you can; climb stairs rather than using the elevator (super cardio!), and carry packages home from the store. Be imaginative!
Cut out all white sugar and use only natural sweeteners such as dates and unprocessed honey, sparingly as well.
Substitute all white flour for whole grain flour and whole grain foods - spelt (the king!), whole wheat, oat, rye and barley.
Don't purchase manufactured foods - they're full of substances that the body doesn't know how to process and digest; as a result, the inhibit weight loss.
Cook and eat at home rather than eating at restaurants - you'll be improving your health and saving tons of money.
Maker realistic goals that you can reach, then set the bar higher.
Give yourself incentives - as you reach your interim goals, buy yourself new workout shoes, a new clothing article or a new piece of workout equipment
Track your activity - keep an exercise and weight log, and monitor your progress, particularly weight and percentage of body-fat.
Have a weekly cheat day - on Shabbat, eat what you like and enjoy, then go right back on regiment the next morning. But, don't go crazy and keep white sugar off the cheat list.
Improve posture - by sitting up straight, walking and standing taller, you engage your core and burn more calories, so be conscious of your posture and don't slouch.
Vary your workouts - do different types of exercise on different days, and keep yourself motivated and interested.
Do not look at or compete with anyone else - just as your fingerprints are unique so is your body, and even more so, your soul. Don't compare yourself with anyone else, and certainly don't be jealous of anyone else's do-or-can't-do capabilities.
Get a coach - someone professional and reliable whom you trust is vital in helping you reach your highest potential.

That's my "Chai" (18) for good health. Give it a go and let us know your progress. Feel free to send us your success stories. My blessings for your great health and warmest regards, LB