Aha. I caught your eye. And apparently this catchy title grabbed the attention of several hundred folks who streamed into the Marriott Hotel recently.

Dr. Stuart Zoll, doctor of Oriental medicine and a licensed acupuncturist here in Boca Raton, addressed this topic but gave us a few revolutionary ideas about self-care at the same time.

“Many so-called aging conditions like arthritis are common in our society—but they’re not normal,” Zoll said. Headaches, fatigue, obesity are all rampant disorders in North America, but in the East these maladies are rare.”

The evening was a joint venture of Zoll, Michael’s Body Scenes and Whole Foods Market. Mary Ann Morgan-Fried of MBS worked long and hard to organize the event.

“Dr. Zoll changed my life,” the pretty membership chairperson says. “I really wanted to get this information out there.”

MBS owner Leslie Glickman is also a Zoll devotee.

“I feel more balanced and healthy since I began seeing him,’ she says.

Here are some highlights of the most successful evening:

1. Stop dieting. Diets don’t work, says Zoll. Balancing your hormones and your metabolism is a crucial key to permanent weight loss. Zoll has a handy little test that tells you if you are a “carb” or “protein” person so you won’t have to guess your way to good health.

“You don’t lose weight by starving yourself because the body adjusts to your energy requirements,” Zoll explains.

2. Eat and drink only those foods and nutrients that are healthy for your body. Eating too much protein can lead to osteoporosis and puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease. Avoid “bad” fats such as trans-fatty acids, imitation mayonnaise and margarine. Many people do not do well eating dairy products, according to several research studies.
    
3. Avoid unnecessary drugs. According to Zoll, there is an epidemic of kidney, stomach and liver disorders due to overuse of pain medication and anti-inflammatory drugs. Zoll says that according to the FDA, somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 deaths occur in the United States as a result of internal bleeding caused by these medications.
    
4. Move. Basically, if you don’t use it—you’ll lose it. Keep active in the most fundamental and mundane things. Andrea Contant addressed this topic. The attractive personal trainer and mother of two talked about a recent client, a grandmother, who wanted to make sure she could interact with a baby and toddler at their level.

She emphasized the idea of “functional fitness” to keep your body healthy and to be patient with yourself. Zoll talked about the fortitude of Lance Armstrong, who despite his battle with cancer, took control of his own life and used holistic means and sensible exercise to get back in the saddle.

5. Get out of pain. You can’t do your best for your body if you are in pain, says Zoll who has been practicing acupuncture for 30 years. “Both physical and emotional pain can hold you back from becoming the best you can be,’ he said, adding that approximately $470 billion a year is spent beating chronic pain.

Zoll mentioned how celebrities like Sandra Bullock, Goldie Hawn and Bill Cosby have used acupuncture for health.

For many of us, the thought of having needles poked into our body can be a little scary, but Zoll says that he’s got a huge pediatric practice.

“When you know what you’re doing, and you use very fine needles, their should be no discomfort,” he says. “And the best part is that there are no side effects.”

To contact Dr. Zoll call the Centre for Preventive Medicine at 561-395-2667.