The Frum Health Club Podcast

What It Really Means to Be a Healthy Jew – Rabbi Shmuel Chaim Naiman

Mendel Krashunsky

B’’H
Welcome to the Frum Health Club Podcast — where health, fitness, and Torah come together to help us live stronger, happier lives as frum Yidden.

In this episode, I sit down with Rabbi Shmuel Chaim Naiman — foraging guide, certified health counselor, and mashgiach ruchani at Yeshivat Lev HaTorah in Ramat Beit Shemesh, where he teaches a daily Healthy Jew class. He is the author of Land of Health: Israel’s War for Wellness and writes the Healthy Jew newsletter. Recently, Rabbi Naiman completed IDF training and joined the Israel Defense Forces as a reservist, reflecting his belief that true Jewish health includes physical readiness, emotional resilience, and spiritual strength.

We discuss:
✅ His journey into foraging, health counseling, and Torah-based wellness
✅ What “Israel’s War for Wellness” really means today
✅ How Torah guides nutrition, movement, sleep, and daily routines
✅ Practical ways to spot real food vs food-like substances
✅ Foraging in Eretz Yisroel and reconnecting to the land for body and soul
✅ Simple first steps for busy people to feel more energy and vitality
✅ Balancing family, learning, parnassah, and health without guilt
✅ How communities and yeshivos can champion health as a Torah value
✅ The Rambam’s view of guarding your health as avodas Hashem
✅ Mindset tools for calm, discipline, and long term consistency

Whether you are already active or just starting, this conversation gives clear, doable steps to live as a Healthy Jew in body, mind, and soul.

📲 Join the Frum Health Club to get inspired, stay motivated, and keep yourself accountable:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/EnelwCB486l73fbKlaHGl9

🔗 Learn more about Rabbi Naiman’s work, book, and newsletter:
https://healthyjew.org/
Rabbi Naimans newsletter: https://thehealthyjew.substack.com/p/welcome-to-healthy-jew

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with a friend who could use some chizuk in health.