On Thursday, May 9th, 10 of Canada’s most influential individuals graced the stage of the iconic Winter Garden Theatre for the Top Ten Event, hosted by Stewart Knight and in support of autism Ontario. The idea is simple: each speaker had approximately ten minutes to offer words of advice on the “one thing you should know before you die,” based on their area of expertise. Here are five life tips to live by from health and wellness expert Rose Reisman…
Rose Reisman, health and wellness expert and author of 17 best-selling books, has redefined eating habits for countless Canadians. Reisman said that 10-minute restriction had “thrown her through a loop” and that one piece of advice was too limiting to share. She therefore broke it down into five main tips that lead to a balanced life.
1. Get one thing right in life. “Too many of us have an all or nothing approach,” says Reisman. “This leads to a domino effect when it comes to things like, for example, breaking a diet. It may lead to opening the floodgates and not being able to stop.” Most of us are guilty of this in some aspect of our lives, she tells us. “We want immediate results,” she says, “Diets are not focused on health but numbers on a scale.” She blames food manufacturers for rendering the population addicted to salt, fat and sugar. “This has made us all crazy and totally irrational,” she says. Getting one thing right may be as simple as modifying your daily “double-double” coffee. According to Reisman, if you switch to one cream and one sugar, at the end of 365 days, you will lose 16 pounds (and won’t miss the added fat).
2. Stop blaming your genes. Reisman advises that too many of us view our health as unpredictable, based on “luck of the draw.” This is often used as an excuse for some not to take control of their health. “Stop blaming your genes for your health,” says Reisman. “Genes account for only 25 per cent of health – stop blaming mommy and daddy.” Naturally, she advises to maintain a healthy lifestyle, telling the crowd that having more energy can influence natural disposition of genetic disease and can change it.
3. Have passion. Reisman reiterated the go-to expression and mentality of many entrepreneurs that, “if you love what you’re doing, you’ll never work a day in your life.” For Reisman, she has always been passionate about studying diet and tackling what she calls “globesity,” saying, “if I can save one life, I’ve saved the world.” She says that the food supply is killing our population through diabetes, cancer and other disease.
4. The harder you work, the luckier you get. “You can never be over-prepared,” says Reisman, “It helps in remaining calm, cool and collected.” She speaks of the challenges of her profession, like dealing with off-beat questions from hosts, writing her first book, and early TV appearances, both of which she calls “not nearly as good” as her work today. She reminds the crowd that it “takes years to build a reputation, and a second to sink it.”
5. The recipe for life is balance. “Yes, balance,” she reinforces. Reisman says that all of the important elements in life don’t all have to be in separate compartments in terms of health, family and happiness. “Success is not the key to happiness; happiness is the key to success,” says Reisman. “If you love what you’re doing, you will be successful.”