3 Souvenirs from My Trip to Oz

I am crazy about Dr. Mehmet Oz! A handsome heart surgeon, author, speaker, and the star of his own TV show, he has become the gold standard for accurate, trustworthy advice from the medical world.

Dr. Oz was one of the medical experts who spoke at the Integrative Health Symposium earlier this month. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom he shared, along with some ways I would recommend integrating his advice into your own wellness goals.

1) Remember your endurance level at 17 years old?
Dr. Oz says you should be at that same level when you're 65! Really? Even though you may have less strength as you age, you substantially extend your "lifetime warranty" as long as you maintain your physical activity. What ultimately leads to poor health is frailty, the inability to bounce back. What robs us of that resilience? Sedentary lifestyles and lack of muscle mass (especially for women in estrogen declining years). But exercise helps reverse the loss.

Your take-away
"Exercise" doesn't mean the continuous-intensity cardio that was popular in the past. If you don't want to run a marathon anymore, fine...just keep moving! Strength training and interval training (you only need to speed up one out of 10 minutes) and yoga are preferable. That is doable--for a lifetime.

Perhaps it's not ability but your mind block that's standing in your way, the thinking that says "I'm too old" or "It's too late" or "That's impossible." Not at all--you just need to know where to start. Endurance is not immediate; it builds up over time. That's what we are looking for.

I've seen this in my own practice. We are far more capable than we often believe, and I hear the pride and energy in client's voices when they share their latest efforts to move to the next level.

2) Without a good night's sleep, trouble awaits.
During night time sleep, the body restores depleted function and repairs daily wear and tear. Take away that quality sleep, and your body craves sweets to keep up flagging energy. A sleep-deprived body also stores extra fat and produces hormones that make you feel hungrier. Lack of sleep increases your risk for heart disease and immune challenges. There's no way around it: Sleep is indispensable.

Your take-awayr
Good sleep is restorative, and it also helps your body maintain a healthy weight. Give yourself optimal sleep conditions by adopting some of Dr. Oz's Sleep Toolkit tips:
- Dim lights early to mimic sunset and encourage your body's natural release of melatonin.
- Wear loose clothing.
- Reduce ambient noise.
- Keep your room temperature around 68F.

3) If you slip, get right back on!
We will slip up; that's human. The trick is not giving up. Whether your goal is exercise, a new eating plan, or a business strategy, difficulties are inevitable but not insurmountable. Acknowledge them, and get right back onto your plan.

Your take-awayr
Think of your plan as a GPS. Make a wrong turn? Notice the voice doesn't berate you for your mistake. Rather, it recalibrates or offers an alte
ate route. You may have to make a U-turn, but soon you're on your way again. No judgment--just helpful guidance.

Reading these sensible tips, it seems finding wellness should be simple. Yes, it's still a challenge, but change is possible when you have a plan that works for you. Is there something in the tips above you can adopt right now? Commit to it. Even if it's a small step, it's a step in the right direction.