By Michelle Newman
The Pritikin Longevity Center in Aventura, Florida draws guests from all over the world. An alumni association has been coming back to the center for nearly 20 years to ‘detox,’ get a check up and get back on the right track.
I knew I needed to take control of my life and do something drastic to change my lifestyle and get into shape. Most importantly, I needed to start taking better care of myself and deal with my weight issues. I gained nearly twenty pounds in just one year from stress and emotional eating.
Upon checking in to ‘boot camp,’ the concierge gave me an orientation tour while explaining the daily schedule as he showed me around the facilities before taking me to my
spacious suite with a Jacuzzi and
private balcony overlooking the Intercoastal waterway.
While I was in this controlled cocoon without sugar, coffee, nicotine and very little fat or salt, I was given the tools necessary to make better choices for a healthier lifestyle by the expert medical and nutritional team.
I attended daily lectures given by physicians, nutritionists and dieticians on nutrition, food label reading, hormone replacement therapy, diabetes, high blood pressure, vitamin supplements and other topics. Private
consultations with physical thera-pists and registered dieticians also were available.
It took at least three days for my taste buds and stomach to adjust to the high fiber diet. It was a sensory realignment process and a whole new way of eating. Some guests were cranky going through withdrawal symptoms. I survived the dreaded detox and it wasn’t as bad as the warnings I got. Surprisingly, I didn’t have any sugar cravings.
Chef Anthony Stewart and Food and Beverages Director Drew Rosen prepared mouthwatering meals using only the finest and freshest ingredients for our six daily meals. The food was prepared with little salt and no sugar, fat or oil. Fruit juices, fresh herbs and spices were substituted for those ingredients.
My day began at 7:00 a.m. with poolside stretches, followed by a buffet breakfast with hot cereal, an omelet station and tons of fresh fruit. The rest of the morning was spent in a regimented exercise program. Our daily schedules were filled with exercise classes, lectures, snack time, cooking classes, cocktail hour, evening movies and an occasional field trip.
I underwent a stress test and lab work before being given the green light by Thomas Rice, MD to participate in the exercise program. “You’re going to become as close to a vegetarian as possible,” said Dr. Rice after evaluating my test results. This was not the news a Texas carnivore who lives on rib eyes wanted to hear! Yoga, salsa line dancing, aquatics, core, cardio, resistance and weights were some of my daily exercise choices.
According to Dr. Rice, my cholesterol levels dropped about 25 percent in just 11 days. With the new tools and skills acquired during my 2-week stay, I feel equipped to make healthier lifestyle choices. I’m striving for better, not perfection…why set myself up for failure?
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