Daily Health Center

Dr. Sinatra's Personal Longevity Plan

Whenever I lecture to subscribers or patients, I frequently am asked about my own personal health regimen and longevity strategy. My interest in sharing this with you is to offer insight to what helps me balance the demanding (yet fulfilling) schedule I love with the healthy lifestyle I need.

You see, like so many people today (probably you, too!), my lifestyle early on in my career was leaving me extremely vulnerable to the culprits of aging. For many years, I subjected both my body and mind to the rigors of athletics, medical school, post-graduate training, and an 80-hour-a-week cardiology practice. So, while I've put some pretty tough demands on my body, I've also tried to compensate for them where I could.

You may find that not all of my personal guidelines will suit you—they shouldn't necessarily—and you'll want to customize your own. My thought here is to outline a simple approach to looking at your overall health and evaluating where it is today.

Next, ask yourself where you want your health to be—which areas are you already happy with, and which would you like to improve upon?

To get you started, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• As you read through my personal plan, look at this as an exercise to open your mind to the areas in your life that you might want to improve and to any attitudes or habits you wish to let go of.
• Try not to be too rigid. For example, I occasionally have a brownie, a small slice of pizza, or maybe even more red meat than I should, but I don't "beat myself up" over it. It's okay to enjoy an occasional splurge, but try to center your thinking on doing right by your physical, emotional, and spiritual body.
• It takes time to develop habits and time to change them, so be patient with yourself.
• See the overall lifestyle you want for yourself as healthy and mindful. If you're not completely there yet, remember that it's a process. Savor the process and look forward to its rewards!

This is my personal longevity program:

Basic eating plan: based on the way Mediterranean cultures eat. Through this approach and selection of food, my diet centers on:

• High fiber—greater than 30 grams a day.
• Fat—30 to 60 grams healthy fat a day from olive oil, nuts, seeds, and protein sources.
• Protein from cold-water fish, shellfish, eggs, low-fat dairy, and soy products.
• Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (with lots of garlic, onions, and fresh herbs).
• Whole grains and cereals.

Water intake: 8 to 10 glasses of filtered water daily.

Sleep: 5 to 6 hours a night.

Exercise: 40 minutes, 5 times a week of aerobic, fast walking with my arms swinging; back and abdominal strengthening exercises; light resistance training with dumbbells (10 pounds for upper body strength); fly fishing, snow skiing, and walking my dogs.

Supplements: A good multivitamin and mineral formula that contains, among other nutrients, significant levels of antioxidants, calcium (one chewable at bedtime), magnesium, and folic acid. Other supplements I use are CoQ10 (I up my dose when I know I'm going to be out in the sun), L-carnitine, fish oil, quercetin (especially during allergy season), and additional vitamin E. I also take prostate and memory formulas. Also, consider my NattoPlus formula.

Herbs: Green tea daily; garlic (1 to 2 cloves a day) to support healthy cholesterol; ginger (500 mg a day) & cayenne pepper (250 mg a day) to boost my digestion and immunity.

Relaxation: Prayer, cooking, reading, fly fishing, listening to soft classical music, petting my dogs, and walking with my partner.

Stress reliever: Playing with the dogs. I find emotional release through laughter, expressing anger, and by giving myself permission to cry any time it surfaces.

Mental exercise: Writing books, newsletters, articles, developing healthy products, and trying to outsmart fish.

Best habit: Being able to "surrender" and listen to my body. When I experience fatigue, I rest. Also, I remember to listen to the "spiritual messengers" around me.

Worst habit: "Shutting down" emotionally when I'm exhausted or overwhelmed with work or tasks.

Personal secrets: Keeping my heart open to love. Also, avoiding negative thinking, creating emotional support systems, and maintaining connections with people I care about and who genuinely care about me.

Environmental health: Whenever possible, I avoid exposure to heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead, and toxic chemicals in cleaning and lawn care products. I use water filters, air filters, and full-spectrum lighting in the home and office. I also avoid prolonged exposure to microwave ovens, TV, radiation, and any electromagnetic fields that I can. When I know I'm going to be out in the sun, I take extra CoQ10, wear a hat and sunglasses, and use the highest SPF sunblock I can find.

Once you map out a realistic plan of action for increasing your own health, longevity, and well-being, check in with this Web site and stay tuned to Dr. Sinatra's Heart, Health & Nutrition for helpful tips along the way. Enjoy your journey!

To learn more about Dr. Sinatra's top recommendation for daily health, click here.

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