Most people interested in good health know the names of Dr. Michael Roisen, Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, popular host of the Dr. Oz TV show and an accomplished cardiothoracic surgeon, lecturer and author.
The two doctors together have appeared on every major network television show and have co-authored five New York Times best-selling “YOU” books, including: You: The Owner’s Manual; You: The Smart Patient; You: On a Diet; You: Staying Young; You: Being Beautiful, and one other, Healing from the Heart. Both doctors are considered to be globe-trotting geniuses, each contributing to the wellness of us all in different ways.
Dr. Oz continues his message of getting and staying in optimum health through his daily television show, thanks in great part to a nod from Oprah Winfrey who hired him as a health expert on her show for five seasons before helping him launch his own Dr. Oz Show on TV and a weekly talk show on Sirius XM radio.
Dr. Roisen, an anesthesiologist and internist, has to his credit 14 US patents, has served on the Food and Drug Administration advisory committee for 16 years, and co-invented a drug called Methylnaltrexone, which relieved those having to take opioid drugs from debilitating side effects of constipation and withdrawal.
In this decade, Dr. Roisen has come to the attention of millions for developing the Real Age concept, encouraging Americans to eat nutritionally and exercise their way to healthier (younger) lives. (You can go online and find and take the Real Age test and see how you do.) And he has come under scrutiny for predicting that by following the laws of nutrition and exercise, the human species might live to 160, but with the same quality of life as a 40 year old.
So, that said, how do the two doctors lead their lives so that they walk the walk? From various sources on the Internet, we present the good doctors life styles:
Dr. Michael Roisen (from Spryliving.com)
Health philosophy: “Your choices in food, exercise, stress management and exposure to toxins controls whether each of your genes is turned on our not; you might as well take advantage of that.”
Vitamins/supplements: Roizen takes what he’s dubbed “The Fab 5”: A combination calcium/magnesium supplement (600 mg/400 mg); 2000 IU vitamin D3; 800 mg DHA (fish oil) on even days/1000 mg on odd days; a probiotic capsule (Culterelle); and a multivitamin (half of one pill in the morning, half in the evening.)
Favorite workout: Competitive squash.
Favorite healthy dish: Walnut-crusted salmon.
Secret weapon: A buddy. “Someone you can confide in, be vulnerable with, talk things over with. Stress is the leading cause of aging; talking releases stress.”
Favorite brown-bag lunch: A big smoothie. Roizen suggests tossing in any vegetables you have on hand – spinach, celery, kale – plus fresh apple slices, frozen blueberries, a few nuts or a scoop of why protein powder, psyllium husks (or Metamucil) for fiber, plus water and ice. Blend, pour in a thermos, and go!
Dr. Mehmet OZ
Stretch first thing in the morning
“Stretching for 10 minutes every morning has a variety of benefits, including decreasing risk of heart attack, alleviating stress, and improving circulation. You can feel the effects in just 10 days. My morning stretch starts with my hips. If I can’t touch my toes, I know I’m too stiff. Then I loosen up my neck, because that’s where I store tension…A lot of times I’ll think, I’m too tired to do my sit-ups today. But after stretching for 15 seconds, I have the energy for them.”
Show up early
“Being 5 minutes late is a small thing that creates big stress, which in turn can cause chronic inflammation and high blood pressure. So many of us are hypertensive, but it comes from external stressors we place on ourselves, and those are adjustable…So the mantra should be ‘If you’re not 5 minutes early, you’re late.’ That way, when unexpected things happen, you have a cushion.”
Harness your energy
“I have a lot of natural energy. In the classic Ayurvedic approach to healing, there are three categories, or doshas—vata [characteristics include a tendency toward overexertion, enthusiasm, easily tired], pitta [medium energy, enterprising, sharp intellect], and kapha [solid, calm, steady energy]—and many are a mixture of all three. I’m overwhelmingly pitta, which means I’m the kind of person who likes to move. But sometimes that urge borders on being unproductive because it turns frenetic. That’s when my wife, Lisa, will pull me back and say, ‘No, do these 10 things right and leave the 11th alone.’ “
Be a balanced eater
“If you’re really craving a specific food, practice portion control. Acknowledge to yourself that the first taste is the best taste. Have a few bites, and then wash them down with a big glass of water. Get the taste out of your mouth, or else that drive to have more will continue.”
Increase intimacy
“So many of us run from intimacy by using hobbies, a job, or events that, on the larger scale, you know deep in your heart aren’t nearly as important. Instead, try a new habit that links you. Write a thank-you note every night to someone—a teacher, a coworker, a doctor, a friend, or your spouse.”