Special to KT by Louise Rachlis on behalf of the Jewish Youth Library –
So many of us treasure our dog-eared, food-stained, copies of Second Helpings, Please!
That milestone 1960s cookbook was the first one edited by Norene Gilletz, who will be the keynote speaker at the Seniors’ Health & Wellness Conference on November 18.
Second Helpings is now out of print, but the popular kosher cookbook author went on to publish many other cookbooks and cuisine-related projects with her company Gourmania Inc. She follows her motto: “Food that’s good for you should taste good.”
A project of the Jewish Youth Library, the conference is co-sponsored by the Soloway JCC.
“It will promote education and learning related to seniors’ personal health and well-being,” says Devora Caytak of the Jewish Youth Library.
Gilletz’ cooking demo called “Fast…Fabulous…Healthy” will last most of the morning.
“Some of what passes for food today is basically dreck,” says Gilletz. “The old recipes are still some of the best recipes. When it comes to holiday time, people go back to recipes they remember. Don’t swap the menu when it comes to the holidays. But if you have family on a regular basis, that’s different. Figure out quantities and make sure you’re not wasting your food.”
Her latest cookbook is The Silver Platter; Simple to Spectacular, published by Artscroll. Copies will be for sale at the wellness conference.
“Older adults are a unique group, since for many of them preserving health and wellness is synonymous with preserving independence,” says featured speaker Stacy Goldstein, Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine.
Fall prevention is a crucial aspect of working with older adults, she says. “In my presentation we will look at easy exercises that people can do at home… This goes hand in hand with advice on how to stay active, especially in the winter months. We will also discuss the common causes of back pain and how to avoid letting back and neck pain creep up on you.”
Her practice at the Hampton Wellness Centre in Westboro focuses on overall health and functional wellness and she sees patients of all ages from newborn babies to the elderly.
Also speaking will be Diane Koven, certified health insurance specialist; Ashley Kowalski, naturopathic doctor, and Gloria Schwartz, author and personal trainer who will discuss “secrets to getting strong, lean and fit after 50.”
“Whether you’re 50, 70, 90 or beyond, you can improve your fitness and enjoy a better quality of life,” says Schwartz, a personal trainer at the Soloway JCC and fitness columnist for the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.
Schwartz will give tips and best practices from her book Personal Best: Train Your Brain and Transform Your Body for Life.
The presentation by Diane Koven, “Financial Health Matters,” will deal with the current state of Canadian health care. She will present an overview of “what our needs are – and will be in the future – and how we may best prepare to meet these needs.”
She will discuss what responsibilities we have as individuals with respect to our own health care, especially as we age.
“In many cases, we will have to use our investments to fund our health care needs so it is important to plan ahead and to accumulate/allocate funds for that purpose,” says Koven.
The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, November 18. A kosher lunch will be provided. Fee is $18 for seniors (60 plus) and $50 for adults.
For information, please contact Devora Caytak at 613-729-7712 or email office.jewishyouthlibrary@gmail.com. You can register for the conference at jewishyouthlibrary.com.