Dr. Oz speaks...

My very favorite speaker at my recent conference was Dr. Mehmet Oz - yes, that Dr. Oz from the Discovery Health show. Yes, the very same Dr. Oz that is always on Oprah's show. His talk was amazing - ultra informative and yet easy to understand. There was enough technical medical information to appease the analytical science geeks like myself, and it was presented in fun, easy to understand terminology with lots of visuals to drive points home. I could have listened to him talk for hours.

I took a lot of notes during the talk about how to better your health emotionally, spiritually and physically. I also purchased his book "You on a Diet" which is just a fascinating read! (Unfortunately I didn't stand in line to have him sign the book since I would have missed most of the conference.) I really recommend this book for everyone interested in losing weight or even better understanding your body.


With this entry I thought I would share some knowledge about ways to improve your physical health.

• Vitamins that he recommended were A, B, C, D & E as well as Calcium, Magnesium, Selenium and Zinc. He stressed B Complex Vitamins as well as Vitamin C: B vitamins are essential for the conversion of glucose into energy. You can find B vitamins in brown rice, dried beans and organ meats. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which circulates in the blood and lymphatic system. It boosts the immune system and aids in healing.
  
• Other very important nutrients stressed were Omega 3 fatty acids, Green Tea extract, Asprin and Probiotics. Essential fatty acids protect against hardening of the arteries by promoting the formation of good prostaglandins, thinning the blood and reducing the stickiness of blood cells. They can be found in coldwater fish like salmon and halibut and flax seeds. They have been found to decrease depression, and they work wonders for your skin!
  
• The supplement Co-enzyme Q10 is essential - it is responsible for energy conversion. In some studies, CoQ10 improved muscular performance by 10%30%. It also helps protect muscles from oxidative stress.
  
• Important anti-oxidents to consume are Lycopene (in tomatoes), Lutein (in leafy green veggies), Quercetin (in apples, onions, and berries), Tumeric (found in mustard and Indian cuisine), Capsaicin (found in chili peppers) and Resveratrol (found in red grape skin and thus red wine!!)
  
• No eating two hours prior to bed.
  
• Consume half your body weight in water ounces. So if you are 160lbs, you need to drink 80 ozs of water just to stay hydrated.
  
• Count to your age prior to indulging in whatever is tempting you. See if the urge goes away when you reach that number.
  
• Weight training is needed to build and maintain your bones. You lose 5% of your muscle mass every ten years after the age of 35 if you don't do anything about it. In addition, adding lean muscle to your body is very beneficial. Muscle burns 50x more calories than fat ever does!
  
• Exercise 30 minutes a day, every day. No excuses. Nothing fancy - walking will do just perfectly.
  
• Have a handful of nuts 30 minutes prior to meals to trick your brain & hormonal system into feeling that you are full. (More on this next blog entry because this is just fascinating. I've been doing this for 2 weeks and it really works!!)
  
• Stop drinking the soda (or as we say round these parts - pop). Even the diet stuff. Fructose in beverages blocks the fat message to your brain and makes you eat at least 125 extra calories a day. Add that up and you'll see in no time how bad that is for you. Not to mention the spikes in blood sugar and insulin.

I hope you find these tips useful. Our bodies are truly fascinating machines and we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to take care of ourselves. Time to start putting YOU first - as Dave likes to remind me, I won't be able to take care of everyone unless I make sure to take care of me too.