In my year in review post, I mentioned that I listened in on a conference call with Dr. Oz right before Christmas. It was chock full of information on healthy living. The purpose of the call was to introduce his new 11 Weeks to Move It and Lose It weight loss program, which debuts tomorrow, January 3rd, on the first show of the season.

I learned a ton of great information from Dr. Oz and was even able to ask him a question of my own. I'd love to share every word of the teleconference, but that would take a dozen posts. So here's a highlight of the most useful information on weight loss for families from Dr. Oz that I took away from the call, along with some fun anecdotes I think are just too neat not to share.

His Kids Interrupt Him, Too

One of the cutest things about this phone call is that Dr. Oz was working from home and was interrupted by one of his kids toward the beginning of the teleconference. I try to schedule phone calls and interviews for when the kids are at school and day care, but sometimes doing this type of work when the kids are at home just can't be avoided. It was refreshing to know that even a high powered celebrity such as Dr. Oz deals with these issues as well!

The Best Toys Involve Doing Something With Someone Else

My question for Dr. Oz had to do with the game systems that were sure to be under the Christmas tree, like Wii, XBOX Kinect and PlayStation Move. I wanted to know what kinds of precautions Dr. Oz had for inactive and sedentary families such as mine who would be engaging in physical activities with these systems. He didn't actually answer my question directly, but he did go into the kinds of toys and games he recommends. In fact, he joked about quibbling with his wife about the kinds of presents she was buying for the kids. He says, "I think we should rethink the fact that we don't let our kids play as much...and kids learn a lot from playing." He goes on to mention that such skills learned during play are stress management, as well as formation of bonds and teams, and that play has historically been a very adaptive social tool.

He says,"So I try to buy the kids games where they are forced to play with other kids or with me. God forbid, they want to play with me!" And guess what one of the presents Dr. Oz bought his kids for Christmas was? It was Twister! He likes this game because it becomes an interactive tool to get them active as a family. In terms of the kinds of toys and games his kids play with, he keep one thing in the back of his mind - "Could they do this by themselves with nobody else around? If that's the case, I'd rather them not have it.

Make Changes That Are Lifelong

Dr. Oz was asked why the program is eleven weeks long. His answer was, "I think it takes three months for us to be able to meausre that you will live longer if you've made a lifestyle change." He goes on to say that approximately three months is the time it takes to train the brain to stick with and make a lasting change, though the synaptic junctions and neurons in the brain can reconfigure themselves in two to four weeks. "You don't measure life expectancy impvement in a month. It usually takes about three months for that to happen." Dr. Oz says.

Dr. Oz Has His Food Weaknesses, Too

Finally, I have to tell you that Dr. Oz shared a couple of his food weaknesses with us. He gives into temptation when it comes to baklava and chocolate covered nuts! He says, "Between baklava and chocolate covered nuts, that's like the one-two punch that puts me over the edge. I could just rifle through a pound of this stuff!" He recommends that you just taste a small portion, then drink some water to cleanse the palate. This is a way of keeping a check on overindulging.

So there you have it. Dr. Oz is just as human as the rest of us. He has his weaknesses in terms of food cravings, and his kids come first when it comes to work/life balance. Tune in to his show tomorrow, Monday, January 11th to learn more about the 11 Weeks to Move It and Lose It program.

What are your health and fitness goals for the new year?

• 7 Red Flags Your Body is Aging Too Fast
  1. Ring Finger Length - If your ring finger is longer than your index finger, it could be a red flag for women that they are more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
  2. Bra Size – Women who are a size D or larger by age 20 are one and a half times more likely than someone with smaller breasts to develop diabetes.
  3. Back of Your Knees Hurt When Coughing/Sneezing - If the back of your knees hurt during coughing or sneezing, it could indicate that you have deep vein thrombosis.
  4. Jean Size – Adults who have larger abdomens in their 40’s are up to 3 and a half times more likely to develop dementia in their 70’s.
  5. Balance – Poor balance can be a sign of cerebellum deterioration and instability (falling is a common cause of death for the elderly).
  6. Dry Mouth – Dry mouth causes gum and tooth decay which puts you at risk for heart disease.
  7. Crease on Earlobe – A linear earlobe crease is a sign of a potential heart attack.  A loss of elastic fibers causes crease and hardening of arteries.
• 6 Worst Meals in America
  1. Breakfast Sandwich (Eggs, sausage and cheese, wrapped in a giant pancake. Plus butter, syrup, ketchup) - 973 mg of cholesterol
  2. Chicken Burrito and Chips – Nearly 1,700 Calories.
  3. Fish Encrusted in Parmesan Cheese with Side of Spicy Rice – 3,300 mg of sodium.
  4. Pepperoni and Meatball Pizza – Full pizza approximately 953 grams of fat.
  5. Pasta with Breaded Shrimp – 196 Grams of Carbs.
  6. Ice Cream with Mix-Ins (candy, brownie, sprinkles, sauce) – 1,344 Grams of Sugar.
• 5 Cures From Around The World
  1. Bitter Melon (Japan) - Used for regulating blood sugar in diabetics.
  2. Noni (Polynesia) – Used to treat respiratory conditions as it lowers inflammation.
  3. Cordyceps (Tibet, China) - Shown to fight cancer by shrinking tumor sizes (particularly with lung or skin cancers).
  4. Elderberry (Austria) – Powerful immune booster for cold and flu.
  5. Durian (Malaysia) – Used as a fever reducer.
• 4 Libido Booster Super Foods
  1. Ginger
  2. Halibut
  3. Pumpkin Seeds
  4. Asparagus
• 3 Things To Give You More Energy
  1. Use an astringent
  2. Try one minute of exercise
  3. Increase Magnesium Intake
• 2 Alternative Treatments
  1. Equine Assisted Therapy – Used to treat anxiety, depression, and even Autism.
  2. Honeybee Therapy – Patients purposely get stung because venom has enzymes that can help reduce pain, especially for arthritis.
• 1 Supplement Dr. Oz Wants You To Take
  1. Vitamin D – Recommended daily does is 1,000 mg/day.
  
  

I wrote an article on the importance of vitamin D in cognition not too long ago, and my question to Dr. Oz was actually related to the topic. So it's interesting to see that he recommends 1000 mg per day. I'll definitely be tuning in to this episode, as there are several of these items I need to pay attention to. Check back soon for my interview with Dr. Oz!

A new survey from the American Pain Foundation was released recently indicating that there is a significant relationship between the economic recession and Americans' acute pain, particularly parents with children under 18. We all know that stress can lead to muscle aches and soreness. When we're in pain, enjoying our families and taking care of our kids can become quite difficult.

That's why Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer of the Cleveland Clinic and chief medical director of The Dr. Oz Show shares tips and advice on dealing with this kind of pain on the website RealAge.com.  Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz are also the authors of the You series of health books. I love those books, and I watch The Dr. Oz show regularly, so I was very interested when I received information about the RealAge.com website.

The site is a comprehensive, one-stop shop for all your health needs. You can learn what your real biological age is in comparison with your calendar age and find tons of resources to improve your health and your life. I've only seen a portion of what RealAge.com has to offer. I'm off to explore and learn more. I highly recommend that you check it out as well!