Health Currents

The foods are plenty yummy for low-cal, low-cholesterol offerings, and the operating mind belongs to Hackensack, N.J., cardiac surgeon Peter Praeger, who thought his patients, following their heart attacks, could be eating a little — a lot — better. His company is considered a leader in the natural frozen food industry. We caught up with Dr. Praeger recently.

Jewish Week: When was Dr. Praeger’s started and why?

Dr. Praeger: I found that my patients, after cardiac surgery and subsequent rehab, complained they were unable to find low-fat, low-calorie foods that tasted good and were easy to make. So, together with a partner, we founded Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods in 1994.

What concerned you most?

I was concerned that people wanted to eat healthy, but had few choices to do so. And the choices that were available had little taste, so it was difficult for people to stay on track. I hoped that with a new product that tasted as good as it was healthy, people would be able to stay on a sensible living regimen.

How do you design the foods? With a partner/chef?

I design the foods myself by looking at what’s on the market, evaluating all the best attributes, and combining these traits to make a great tasting sensible product. So far it has worked wonders and we continue to grow.

What’s the criteria — how much fat, sodium, etc?

We try and keep all of our products low in saturated fat, sodium and sugar, and high in protein and fiber. They must be all natural, containing the finest ingredients. We try to keep the saturated fat between 0-1gram per serving. We create products that help people maintain a low-sodium diet by consuming less than two grams a day.

Is there a Dr. Praeger’s diet?

No, but I’m working on it! No matter what, we want to promote the idea that the key to living healthy is sensible eating and exercise. Strict diets and eight-hour workouts are not a reasonable solution. Watching what you eat, letting yourself indulge once in a while and staying active translate into future healthy success.

What’s in the works with regard to new products?

"We will be launching a Kid’s line very soon."

What do you hear from users? Have they recommended any changes?

"They love it! They have also asked for more gluten free products, some of which are already on the market.

Haddasah Hosptial
To Get New Patient Tower

eaded to Hadassah’s Ein Kerem campus to see the Chagall windows this summer? Pay attention to the construction. It’s the start of a new 14-story tower expected to be completed in 2010, funded in part by a $75 million gift from American philanthropist William Davidson, in memory of his mother Sarah Wetsman Davidson.

The original cornerstone for Hadassah’s Mt. Scopus campus was laid in 1934, and the hospital opened in 1939. In April of 1948 a staff convoy was ambushed by Arab forces and 77 doctors, nurses, medical students and other staff members were killed. Shortly after, the Mt. Scopus campus closed, and a new hospital was built in the Ein Kerem section of Jerusalem. The Mt. Scopus campus reopened in 1975.

The new, tower will cost about $210 million, according to Hadassah and will include 500 beds, 20 operating rooms and 50 intensive care beds. It will be a boon to the local economy as well; Hadassah is Israel’s second largest employer, second only to the Israeli government.

"I feel privileged to be the third generation to support Hadassah’s goals and achievements. In 1917, Hadassah’s founder Henrietta Szold spent a week in my family’s home," said Davidson in a statement. "In 1921 my grandparents purchased a parcel of land on Mt. Scopus. Today I proudly follow in my forebears’ footsteps."

The tower will provide a huge boost to Hadassah’s capabilities in a wide range of fields, such as cardiology, telemedicine and laparoscopic surgery, and will facilitate the use of advanced robotics and computers. In turn, these will enrich the research and teaching conducted at Hadassah.

Davidson is president and CEO of Guardian Industries, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of float glass and fabricated glass products for the architectural and automotive industries. In addition, Davidson is the owner of several sport teams: the Detroit Pistons (NBA), the Detroit Shock (WNBA) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL). A major philanthropist, Davidson has been generous to a number of institutions, including the University of Michigan, which houses the William Davidson Institute within its Ross School of Business, and the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, whose Graduate School of Jewish Education bears William Davidson’s name

New Center for Humanistic Medicine Opens At Shaare
Zedek Hospital

ong known as the "hospital with a heart," Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem has just grown that heart a little bigger with the opening of the Norman Levan Center for Humanistic Medicine. While the hospital has always been known for its caring approach, the new center brings together some specific services aimed at treating the more intangible needs of a patient, such as pastoral care, helping a patient look better during treatment, and helping a patient to cope with the stress of an illness, or, a lifetime.

In particular, the Levan Center plans to give special attention to patients who have been through the Holocaust and made need assistance not only coping with a current illness but with bad dreams and horrific memories. The center is the gift of Norman Levan, 93, a retired ophthalmologist from Bakersfield, Calif.

Amalia Oren, head of the social work department at Shaare Zedek, remembers that an elderly patient refused to dress in pajamas provided by the hospital. Once the issue became clear, the staff was able to help the patient.

"Our department is regularly involved with working with survivors so that they can understand that even while their stay in the hospital might not be overly enjoyable and even at times frightening, we are there to offer a reassuring voice to talk to and let them know that they are not alone."

All elderly patients display similar symptoms of advanced ages, but Holocaust survivors suffer from more acute anxiety and psychological problems in addition to physical deterioration caused by their horrific experiences,’’ says professor Jonathan HaLevy, director general of Shaare Zedek. n