HEALTH - Dr. Oz's Secrets To Great Health

Dr. Oz's Secrets To Great Health

The Emmy Award-winning host of The Doctor Oz Show shares his own strategies for 

feeling your best at any age.

By Robbie Caploe

The Doctor Is In

There's plenty for Dr. Mehmet Oz to feel good about these days. His TV show, 

The Dr. Oz Show, is an Emmy Award–winning hit, with an average of 3.5 

million viewers daily. His wife, Lisa, and four children (ranging in age from 13 

to 26) are flourishing. But now he has an extra spring in his step. "You're 

happiest at age 50," Dr. Oz says. "You've worked out your issues and gotten 

past worrying. You can just enjoy the bliss of being in the game of life."

Dr. Oz is 52, so he knows what he's talking about. For him, being in the game 

of life means that he remains passionately focused on helping Americans live 

better and longer. We asked Dr. Oz to share what he sees as the eight most 

important health habits to cultivate. Read on for some of his top tips, and get 

the full story in the October 2012 issue of Prevention.

Published September 2012, Prevention

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.