Disclosure – I am not a doctor or medical expert. The following is my personal interpretation of Dr. Oz’s advice at O You! 2011
First, I have to start out by saying Dr. Oz is a great speaker. If you ever get the chance to see him live, DO IT! His genuine care for the health of our nation and each individual is very evident. The empowering and positive energy he exudes is contagious.
The biggest message I walked away with from Dr. Oz at O You! was that we can take control of our health and aging.
“70% of how you age is lifestyle.” ~Dr. Oz.
That means only 1/3 is genes. The way we live has a huge impact on whether or not we turn on certain genes that influence our health. So the next time you are starting to feel down about your health, remember your lifestyle- which you can control, is the biggest factor to turning your health around.
5 Important Factors to Aging
1. Blood Pressure – know your numbers!
2. Abuses to your body- what are you doing that harms your body? The #1 example here is smoking. Make changes in lifestyle to cut out abuses to your body.
3. Diet that you love, crave & adore. Basically it comes down to this – if you don’t love your diet you’ll never stick with it.
4. Physically Activity – vigorous physical activity is what keeps your body going strong. For example, if you go for a walk, do it with some speed so you’re breathing heavier and your heart is pumping.
5. Stress – how you cope with stress has a big impact on your health. Stress is a part of all our lives and how we deal with it makes a difference. When feeling stressed try deep belly breaths. What is important is that you find a way to deal with and calm stress that works for you, whether that is meditation, breathing techniques, yoga, or walks.
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Tips for Connecting with Your Doctor
Dr. Oz highly recommends having a strong connection with your doctor. This enables you to feel comfortable talking with them about all kinds of health concerns. Here are Dr. Oz’s suggestions for connecting with your doctor:
1. Write down questions before going into the appointment. Give your doctor a copy of the questions so he/she can make sure to go through them with you.
2. Push back against medical advice. This makes the system better. Ask questions. Especially, what medicine can I get off of? With 3 pills there is a 30% chance of an interaction complication. With 5 pills there is a more than 50% chance!
3. Bring a tape recorder. Doctors know that half of what they tell you is forgotten by the time you leave. If you record your doctor’s advice and instructions they will most likely speak more clearly and slower for you to understand.
*One interesting fact that Dr. Oz shared with us that stood out to me was that obesity leads to 100,000 cancer deaths per year. He believes for 90% of Americans loosing waist size is the way to go. For example, too much belly fat squeezes the organs such as the kidneys.
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5 Life Saving Numbers You Should Know!
1. Blood Pressure
2. Cholesterol
3. Blood sugar
4. Waist Size – “Your risk of dying prematurely nearly doubles if you have a large waist line…belly fat is the most dangerous fat.” Hear more about waist size from Dr. Oz here: Why Waist Size is Important
5. BMI – calculate your BMI here: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/calculate-your-body-mass-index
The take away message from Dr. Oz is that you have tremendous power and control over your health! It’s never too late to get started and make changes for the better. Your lifestyle accounts by far (70%) for your health. You can do it!
What one change can you make today to positively impact your health in order to live your best life?
