This morning, after teaching my 6am spinning class, I spent the morning at University School’s Wellness Program Health Fair. It was an amazing event that was well-planned, motivating and promoted every type of healthy and well being.

The morning started off with the keynote speaker: Dr. Michael Roizen

201204021331.jpg

Michael F. Roizen, MD, is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Williams College and Alpha Omega Alpha graduate of the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. He performed his residency in internal medicine at Harvard’s Beth Israel Hospital and completed Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health in the laboratory of Irv Kopin and Nobel Prize winner Julius Axelrod. He is certified by both the American Boards of Internal Medicine and of Anesthesiology. Dr. Roizen is the Cofounder and Chair of the RealAge, Inc., Scientific Advisory Board. He is 62 calendar years of age, but his RealAge is 42.8

His first general-audience book, RealAge: Are You as Young as You Can Be? (HarperCollins Publishers) became a #1 New York Times bestseller and was awarded the Best Wellness Book of 1999 by the Books for a Better Life Awards. RealAge has been translated into more than 20 languages and was #1 in four other countries, displacing Harry Potter for 7 days as #1 on Amazon. Other books include the New York Times bestseller The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger With What You Eat (HarperCollins), written with Dr. John La Puma, Cooking the RealAge Way (Harper Collins), also with Dr. La Puma., and The RealAge Makeover (HarperCollins). His book, YOU: The Owner’s Manual (HarperCollins), written with Health Corps founder Dr. Mehmet Oz, debuted in May 2005 and became a #1 New York Times bestseller (sold more than 2.7 million hardcover copies worldwide; was the #2 best-selling book published in 2005 in 2005– displacing Harry Potter for 35 days as #1 on Amazon and BN.com.). It was followed by the New York Times bestseller, YOU: The Smart Patient. Their next book, YOU: On A Diet, the Owner’s Manual for Waist Management, debuted at #1 on the New York Times list (11 consecutive weeks at #1 and 17 consecutive weeks in top 3 as of now) with 21 printings totaling over 2.4 million copies in the first three weeks (it was the #2 best-selling book published in 2006 in 2006). Their latest book, YOU Staying Young, the Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty also debuted at #1 on the New York Times list, and is listed by People magazine as the #3 selling book in the world in 2007.
Dr. Roizen has given over 1,400 lectures to professional medical groups and has been recognized with over 20 professional lectureships. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show 13 times, Today 17 times, 20/20 (3 times), CBN (15 times), CNN, CBS, Good Morning America (24 times), Canada AM (28 times), The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live, and has four PBS fundraising specials (his fundraising special The RealAge Makeover was one of the top two PBS special fundraisers in 2006, now with well over 5,000 showings in 100 TV markets). His most recent two PBS specials: YOU On A Diet, and Longevity Factors, have both received acclaim, and widespread distribution as well. He and Mehmet Oz write a monthly column for Reader’s Digest, and a quarterly column for the nursing magazine, Every Woman, and a daily newspaper column syndicated by King syndication. He and Mehmet also record 1 hour a day of radio for Oprah and Friends, on satellite radio and a cable network. He also has a 2-hour 26-station Terrestrial show entitled: YOU The Owner’s Manual Radio Show, live every Saturday. He has been featured in Fortune, O, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Ladies’ Home Journal, Biography, People, US, Men’s Health, and Prevention. source

He is a pretty impressive guy and what he had to say was just as impressive. Here are just a few of the points he made today. I am excited to post more on his work and his plan for the country.

Did you know:

You are able to control what genes produce proteins that cause chronic disease.

There are 4 main factors that cause chronic disease

  1. Tobacco
  2. Stress
  3. Food choices and portion size
  4. Physical inactivity

Each one of the factors can be changed by each individual person.

From 1990 – 2008 we went from 6.9% obese to 27.9% obese. While all countries are getting more obese, we are doing it the fastest. This has resulted in an increase in percentage of GDP  (Gross domestic product) spending.

How does this affect us?

In 1970, we spent 7.2% of GDP on health care and in 2010, we spent 18.3% of GDP on health care. This money that is being spent on health care is being taken away from education and growth in our country and is increasing the national debt.

Currently, over $6,032 per year per person is the average amount spent on health care by the government. Because as a whole our country is getting more unhealthy, we are all paying for it.

What can you/we do about it?

Dr. Roizen gave us his rules for changing yourself and becoming more healthy:

  1. Avoid: simple carbs, added sugars, added syrups, saturated fats and trans fats. He says, if any one of these things is in the first 5 ingredients of the food you are eating – don’t eat it.
  2. Walk 10,000 steps a day. This number is the magic number he says. Put on a pedometer and get out there!
  3. Call a buddy. Make it a girl. Girls are typically better at communicating, asking questions and helping you stay accountable to your health goals.
  4. Add fun foods: coffee, 1/2 oz. of chocolate, yellow mustard (with tumeric) and walnuts to your diet.
  5. Avoid toxins: tobacco and second hand smoke
  6. Get physical. Aside from walking during daily life(10,00 steps) – exercise. To gain health benefits (not to look a certain way, necessarily) you must do 30 min. of resistance training/week, 21 minutes of cardio 3x/week.
  7. Manage stress through meditation, calls and fun with friends, laughing and yoga.
  8. Add in a few supplements: DHA, Vitamin D 1000 IU, Multivitamin, Calcium with Magnesium, Probiotic and CoQ10.
  9. Take prenatal vitamins
  10. Sleep 6.5-8 hours a day
  11. Floss and see a dentist regularly
  12. Know your blood pressure – it should be 115/75
  13. Know your CRP and keep it under 1.0
  14. Love something you do and do it daily.

We all need to get on board with these simple things that can change lives.

If you are looking for other ideas on how to improve your own wellness – let me know! 

If you do develop a chronic disease such as cancer, there are number of options available to you at a private hospital in Liverpool, which includes extensive chemotherapy treatment to help you fight the cancer and recover.