An Interview with Dr. Jerry Kartzinel by Zack Gonzalez
PART 1

So, it's the holiday season. Basically, the time of year where we all eat just about twelve-times more than we promised ourselves we would. Goodbye Weight Watchers. It's time to dig in to the meals we've been starving ourselves all year around for. And although it’s winter, and it’s easy to hide our love handles under giant coats and jackets, digesting all the crap we're gonna eat is not going to be easy. Well, I say down for Dr. Jerry Kartzinel. The big-dawg MD, himself. And he gives me the TRUTH about enzymes and how they can help us out this month.

Consider it an early Christmas gift:

ZACK: Alright Doc, first off, it's the holiday season and with that holiday season comes a whole lot of holiday grubbing. Now, I heard that digestive enzymes help, not only to digest all that heavy food, but also help beat the holiday belly bloat. True or false? 

DR JERRY: I’m afraid the answer is false. While enzymes do help break down food, they don’t do anything to help with all of those excess calories! I will add that they may help with the holiday belly bloat if its because you’re eating foods you’re a little sensitive to, but if you know you’re sensitive to those foods, it’s best not to eat them.

ZACK: What other products might be helpful this holiday season? For those with autism and for those without? And what makes them helpful? 

DR JERRY: Overall, we have to treat the holiday season the same way as we do the rest of the year. Healthy living is always in season. That being said, it can’t hurt to add some fiber to your diet to help your body stay regular if you’re eating more than usual of foods that may not be best for you. A multivitamin will always help with good nutrition, especially since the traditional favorite holiday foods aren’t usually vegetables. Finally, a probiotic might be a great idea to help those gut flora stay in balance with the additional sugar some people may be consuming.

ZACK: Now, clearly there's gonna be little weight gain post-holiday season, but I read something online that says that enzymes can actually help you lose weight. True or false? If they do help, how so? If not, what might be a common misinterpretation? 

DR JERRY: Once again, this one’s false. Enzymes will help you breakdown food, but they don’t make the calories go away. This misinterpretation probably comes from a misunderstanding of how the digestive system works, and what our food does in our body. Put simply, the process of digestion involves the breakdown of foods to produce energy usable by the body. Enzymes help with the breakdown of the foods. The catch is, if you are consuming more energy than your body is using, your body will store it. So, when I eat a little more than I usually do (and more than my body needs), and especially if what I’m eating is simple carbohydrates and sugar, I’m getting a lot of extra energy that my body is going to store up for a rainy day. Really, moderation and limitation of those simple carbohydrates and sugar consumption will go a long way towards minimizing your holiday weight gain and help you a lot more than any enzyme will.

ZACK: Alright, so clearly enzymes aren’t magic weight loss pills. Now, with individuals with autism, their food sensitivities are more known than those of us without autism. So would enzymes be a good idea for all of us to have handy this holiday season? Primarily those of us who aren’t very familiar with their personal food sensitivities. Like me. I eat a lot during the holidays. But I don’t know anything about my own food sensitivities.

Screw it. Basically what I’m trying to say is, they don’t get rid of the calories, why should someone like me take them? You’re the car salesman. I don’t know why I NEED the car. Sell me the car, Doc. (And you know I want the car-fax.)

To find out the answer to this question and more, stay tuned for Part 2! (COMING SOON!)

You can watch Zack and Dr. Jerry on the all new season of it's on with Zack!

You be sure get your hands on Dr. Jerry’s line of supplements, Kartzinel Health.

For allergy-friendly holiday recipes, be sure to check out GFCF Done Easy!

 Here are the Forewords for my new book Charity Bites!: The Untold Stories of the Dog-Eat-Dog World of Autism Activism.

Enjoy!

Zack

Foreword

Reading Charity Bites! is like having the key to Zack Gonzalez’s journal and reading his innermost thoughts on what it’s like to be a young adult navigating the charity world. I learned that sometimes there isn’t a lot of charity to be found. And like any business, fundraisers aren’t always (often?) much fun for the planners.

As a Mom to three daughters with autism, I’ve been watching the sibling brigade as I call the brothers and sisters of the kids of the autism epidemic. I am convinced that it’s the siblings who’ve seen their own childhoods turned inside out by virtue of having a brother or sister with autism who will make the most impact on the future of treatment, prevention and care for autism. Few start as early as Zack though.

While some siblings become angry, resentful and may even turn their back on their sib, Zack is a very cool example of a young man who has stepped up and stepped into the limelight to help his family. How many teens do you know who would start a radio program, run charity events, and generally make themselves well known for a disability for a sibling? Few, I assume. Zack is something special.

Sometimes Zack has a potty mouth–and he’s magically snarkalicious, I can promise you that. Both attributes endeared him to me and serve to bring the reader fully into his sense of outrage, determination, and love for his brother “Deets.”

Look, autism families need all the support they can get, whether their child is severely or more mildly affected by autism. My husband and I don’t have any neurotypical kids in the family. But most of our friends have “NT” kids and the love and care they provide is pretty amazing. To have the support come from inside the home is a real blessing.

And so is Zack.

Settle back and enjoy the read. I sure did.

KIM

Kim Stagliano, Managing Editor of “Age of Autism” Online Publication, Author of All I Can Handle: I’m No Mother Teresa, Autism Activist/Mother

www.ageofautism.com www.kimstagliano.com

Second Foreword

I met Zack a little over two years ago when his dumbass wanted to volunteer at the special needs summer camp I was running. Now I mean dumbass in the nicest way possible. Wait…is there a nice way? Pretty much this kid didn’t know what he was getting into when he befriended me. I’m a nut job. And I mean that in whatever way you want to take it.

I am a Therapeutic Programs Coordinator. I work with special needs kids in an aquatic setting. I am constantly trying to network with other charities on how we can work together FOR THE SAME CAUSE!!! Farfetched idea, I know. I told you I was a nut job. But it takes one to know one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to listen to Zack tell me about the horror stories of how people will do ANYTHING to screw someone over for a dollar. If I had a dollar for every time I heard a story…I’d be a millionaire. SHAME ON YOOOOOUUUU!!!!

Zack’s brother, Deets (Ethan), was attending my camp for the second year and Zack was bored during his summer vacation and I took him under my wing and we bonded pretty much instantly….over Kendra and the Kardashians, of course. We’ve kept in touch over Facebook and I was lucky enough to help Zack in being a co-host for his “it’s on with Zack” autism-based radio show. I’ve also helped with his charity events and do whatever I can to get the word out about autism.

Back to Zack and this book. First off, I want to congratulate you on purchasing this book. Yeah for You! High five, gold star, pat on the back. Now, I want you to read it. Don’t be like the douches and leave it on your coffee table or bookshelf, just so people think you’re intelligent, or under your broken table to prop it up. Assholes. Zack is an inspiration. How many teenagers do you know, care about something other than themselves? Seriously. I’ll give you a minute.

Can’t do it, huh? This kid by the time he was sixteenyears old, he had written a book, Saving Deets!, started an online radio show, a clothing line, a chain of charity events, and still went to school and helped out his family. I bet you feel a li’l unaccomplished, huh? Sucks, don’t it? Way to rub it in Zack. You make the rest of us look bad. But! It has been the most fun times planning and bitching and goofing around with you.

Fun Zack fact #1: He is by far, one of the most (if not the most) PALEST person of any sort Latin-decent, I know. Be sure to ask him about his botched self-tan experience.

So, to the Kourtney to my Khloe, the Chuy to my Chelsea (that’s right, you’re Chuy!), the up to my down, the LiLo to my Britney (you’re LiLo cuz you know I’d be the one crazy enough to beat someone down then shave my head), the Ross Matthews (you look like him, I’m sorry!) to my Kendra Baskett, and finally, to the Abbot to my Costello, you are an amazing friend and I know that no matter what I do, no matter how dumb it is…you’ll come right back at me with a dumber story. I can count on it.

Thanks kid. Love you!

Oh, Fun Zack fact #2: Zack LOVES to ask who you’d “tap!”

There are kids out there who don’t have a voice. It take the hardworking parents and tough organizations to give them a chance at a “normal” life, whatever that means. They need to be able to have the same opportunities as everyone else. I don’t care who you are, if you are a barrier between us and help for that child, watch out. We gon’ fiiind you! And you can run and tell that, homeboy! That’s right, we’ll go Antoine Dodson on your ass.

To those out there who have ever been involved with a charity, work with a charity organization, or who want to start a charity…don’t be an asshole. Remember the reason you’re helping. It’s not about the money, it’s not about the fame, it’s about helping those we love. If you’re in it for the money and fame, you’re…an ASSHOLE. I hope you get raped by goats and die. Suck on that. AND if you don’t realize why you’re into charity, don’t screw over Zack, he’ll write a book about you and everyone will know how big of a douche bag you are…unless you’re into that kind of thing. Creeper.

P.S. Zack, I can see your Pikachu!

P.P.S This book is so badass it has TWO forewords. Bitch, what?!

Deborah Noonan, Therapeutic Programs Coordinator, Autism Activist, Zack’s Bestfriend

Charity Bites! is on sale June 14, 2011

Pre-order on www.ZackGonzalez.com now!