Dr. Oz came to Town

Dr. Mehmet Oz came to Loveland, Colorado last week.

We have come to know him for his knowledge and his affable manner--showcased on the Oprah Winfrey show.

A lot of what he said was pretty basic--if you watched him on Oprah or read his book "You on a Diet" you will be familiar with his message.

A couple points especially bear repeating: remember you are in control of your health and health care. "Health care is personal", that includes taking responsibility for how you eat, exercise, asking questions of your doctor and getting second opinions! You are your best health advocate--don't leave it to someone else to take care of--"If you don't do it, no one is going to."

Dr. Oz suggests making transitions from your old habits to new, healthier ones over a period of at least two weeks. Good advice--that helps it seem like a progression rather than a "diet" or hardship! If it takes longer than 2 weeks, that's okay. Don't try to make all the changes at once--that just adds stress to your life.

What else--read labels and avoid if any of these are in the first 5 ingredients: sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, enriched flour, trans fats or saturated fats.

Keep water and a handful of nuts handy. Get plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

And remember to breathe!