IT’S A NEW DAY! Start getting healthier now!
Kaley and Johnny are both young and healthy, but they wanted to look and feel even better. So on a brief hiatus recently from shooting their TV show, they visited me in Lenox, Mass. Over a period of three days, we ran tests to check everything from cholesterol to bone density to blood sugar, then gave them advice on health, nutrition, and fitness. Through it all, Kaley and Johnny were great sports. They agreed to share their experiences so that others could benefit from what they learned, too.
As actors living in Hollywood, Kaley and Johnny have pretty similar lifestyles these days. But their childhoods were very different, and their backgrounds continue to shape their health—not just through genetics but also through the lessons they learned from their parents. Many factors affect your physical condition, and family background is one of them.
HANDLE STRESS BETTER
Kaley, 24, grew up in a tight-knit family that valued healthy eating and exercise. When stressed, she’s likely to get active—playing with her dogs or riding one of the horses she’s had since childhood.
Johnny, 34, grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood outside Chicago. At 15, he left home and headed to L.A. on his own. Now when he’s stressed, Johnny tends to reach for a cigarette or an unhealthy snack. To help him learn better ways to cope, we hooked him up to a biofeedback monitor, which works much like a lie-detector test. “Sensors measure a person’s physical reaction to stress, and the results appear on a computer screen in real time,” explains my colleague Dr. Jeff Rossman. “ Johnny’s testing showed a strong physiologic response to stress, but he was able to control it using some simple breathing and visualization exercises.” Johnny says the experience helped him realize that “it’s important to take time for myself and decompress. I like to immerse myself in my work, but I need balance in my life.” Read More
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