Everything you need to know in 10 steps? We're big fans of Dr. Oz on the radio show, and his ultimate health checklist is bound to get you thinking! Dr. Oz says that the first key is to find the right doctor for you, which you can get some help with by checking out The American Medical Association's Doctor Finder.
During your first visit, there are key questions to consider. "When you
go to their office, do the other patients … look like you? Are they
board certified? Do they get along with the staff?" Dr. Oz says. "If
you get along with them, that person becomes your health coach.
Because, remember, the word 'doctor' means 'teacher,' so it's a two-way
street. If you come up with the right person, you're on the right path."
Even
if you're one of 50 million Americans without health insurance, Dr. Oz
says it's important to take this step. "There are free clinics. There
are community health plans. If you really don't have enough money to
afford a doctor, usually you'll qualify for Medicaid," he says. "But …
I don't want to let people off the hook either. Half the people in
America who don't have health insurance have some money. They just make
the economic decision to not buy it because it's so expensive."
To make your diet more healthy, Dr. Oz says to remember his "rule of
fives." Look at the labels of the foods you eat. If you see one of
these five ingredients listed as one of the first five things used to
make it, don't eat it.
High fructose corn syrup
"We
most commonly get this in soft drinks," Dr. Oz says. "It's an
inexpensive sugar, which means we're getting a lot of it in our diet."
Sugar
Dr.
Oz says when you eat sweets, your brain receives schizophrenic
messages. "It says: 'I got calories, but I didn't get any nutrients,'"
he says. Your body will keep craving food until it gets those nutrients.
"Enriched"
Also
watch out for products made with "enriched" flour, like white bread.
"Why would they take bread and have to enrich it? Because they take all
the important vitamins out of it, and they sprinkle just a little bit
back in there," Dr. Oz says.
Trans fat
Also
known as hydrogenated fat, these are fats that were once in liquid form
but have hydrogen added to make them solid at room temperature. "It
extends the shelf life of the product," Dr. Oz says. "But it shortens
the human life."
Saturated fats
These fats come from four-legged animals like pigs and cows.
Instead?
Dr. Oz suggests starting with foods that don't need a label, like fresh
fruits and vegetables. "If they're coming out of the ground looking the
way they look when you eat them, they're good for you in general," he
says.
Antioxidants
You should also fill your
grocery cart with items that are high in antioxidants, such as
tomatoes, broccoli, kidney beans, blueberries, artichokes and prunes.
"Whatever has that deep color like a blueberry, you know it's rich in
antioxidants," he says. Try to eat five to seven servings of these
foods every day.
Omega-3 Fats
Increase your
intake of omega-3 fats to 3 grams a day. "Remember, 80 percent of our
brain is fat," Dr. Oz says. "We need to have the right kinds of fats in
our body to make sure our brain is the most resilient to stress and can
learn the fastest." Some good sources include ground flaxseeds,
walnuts, salmon, scallops, soybeans and squash.
Fiber
Dr.
Oz says the average American gets about 12 grams of fiber a day, but he
recommends double that amount. Oatmeal, 100 percent whole grain bread,
lentils, pine nuts, peas and raspberries are all great sources of this
nutrient.
Olive Oil
The last item to add to
your shopping list is virgin or extra-virgin olive oil. Ideally, Dr. Oz
says you should consume about a tablespoon every day. One
nutritious—and delicious—way to eat olive oil is with tomatoes, made
into a pasta sauce. "If you get that into your diet a couple times a
week, you're getting these nutrients naturally."
If you need more nutrients beyond your daily diet? Let's look to vitamins.
With so many variations to choose from, how do you what vitamin is right for you?
If
you're a young, premenopausal woman, Dr. Oz says to look for a
multivitamin that contains iron. "If you're menstruating, you'll need
the iron to make new red blood cells," he says. "And you don't want
more than 5,000 units of vitamin A."
If you're a postmenopausal
woman or a man, Dr. Oz suggests a multivitamin without iron and no more
than 2,500 units of vitamin A. "You don't need the iron, because you're
not bleeding every month," he says.
Before you add this step
to your daily routine, consult with your doctor. Dr. Oz says people who
are taking medication to lower their cholesterol may need a different
dosage.
And the rest:
Waist Size
Suck in and measure your waist at your
belly button. It should ideally be less than half your height—about 40
inches for men, 37 inches for women.
Blood Pressure
The
ideal blood pressure is approximately 115 over 75. "If the systolic or
first number is 140 or above or if your diastolic or second number is
90 or more, alert your doctor," he says.
Cholesterol
This
ratio is the third number you need to know. "You want your LDL, or
lousy cholesterol, to be less than 100," Dr. Oz says. "You want your
HDL, or healthy cholesterol, to be greater than 40."
Resting Heart Rate
Take your pulse when you get out of bed in the morning and strive to get it as close to 60 as possible.
Blood Sugar
A
simple finger stick can help you discover your blood sugar levels.
"When your blood sugar is high, it's like if I take [a] glass and crack
it on the ground and take the glass shards and scrape the insides of
your arteries," he says. "That's what those sugar molecules do inside
of you."
Vitamin D
You should also know your
vitamin D levels—more Americans are deficient in vitamin D than any
other vitamin. Vitamin D can help a person prevent cancer, heart
disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, autoimmune ailments and thyroid
problems. You can get enough through 15 minutes a day of sun exposure
during the summer or a daily vitamin D supplement with 1,000 units.
C-Reactive Protein
This
is a way to tell if your body is full of inflammation and irritation.
"If you've got gingivitis, prostatitis, vaginitis—if you've got any of
these inflammations in your gut—they can elevate the C-reactive
protein," he says. "C-reactive protein tells us how much of a
battleground there is inside of you."
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, or TSH
As
Oprah learned the hard way in 2007. "If you have unexplained weight
gain. If your hair has changed. If you don't have the get up and go. If
your libido's off, the number one thing that we check is thyroid
stimulating hormone," Dr. Oz says. "It tells us whether your thyroid
gland is functioning normally."
Dr. Oz says a health advocate can be anyone—your spouse, child,
relative or friend. "Bring someone who's actually going to pay
attention and understands the process and takes notes," he says.
When
you are under stress from doctors' diagnoses or are too sick to speak
up for yourself, it's crucial to have someone helping you. "Get someone
who you trust and make them your partner in this process."
Make sure you get an updated copy of your medical file before you leave
the doctor's office. In case you need to see another physician, he or
she will be able to make a diagnosis more quickly and accurately.
While
this can be intimidating, Dr. Oz says you need to get over that
intimidation. "Here is the reality. You want to know your family
history. You want to know immunizations. You want to understand what
your doctor's been thinking and doing with you," he says. "Because when
you go to the next doctor, you don't want them being Columbo, trying to
figure out what's going on with you. Why make it hard for them?"
First things first, Dr. Oz says everyone should get an annual checkup,
see their dentist every six months and get an eye exam every two years.
The
rest of your health test schedule depends on your age and gender. Check
with your doctor to find out which tests you may need.
There are four main exercise goals you should be aiming to achieve this year.
Start Walking
Your
goal is to get up to 10,000 steps a day, but Dr. Oz says it's okay to
start by walking for 30 minutes a day. This will make for 3,000 steps.
Get your steps in with a pedometer and simple changes like taking the
stairs instead of the elevator. "Societies that have 10,000 steps under
their belt every day don't have much under their belt," Dr. Oz says.
"It's one of the best ways to stay thin."
Get Your Heart Rate Up
Besides
walking, you need some more strenuous exercise as well. You should work
out hard enough to be sweating for at least 60 minutes a week.
Flexibility
Stretch for at least five minutes a day. "If you're not flexible, you'll get hurt and you'll stop exercising," Dr. Oz says.
Strength Training
You
need to do some kind of weight lifting or resistance training for at
least 30 minutes a week. "If you don't rebuild those muscles, you get
frail," Dr. Oz says. "And that's what aging is all about."
While steps 1 to 9 are important, you could lose all of the benefits if
you skip sleep. "If you don't get sleep, you'll crave other things like
carbohydrates," Dr. Oz says.
7-8 hours a day is what most healthy people need. And while it's true that you can make up some of your sleep loss over the weekend, you're really talking about a short term solution...not so healthy if you're trying to make up for 10 lost hours of work week sleep every single weekend! If you are one of the 70 million Americans who don't get enough sleep, talk to your doctor first.
John
Email John: johnsblog@teshmedia.com
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