Pina LoGiudice - The Little Book of Healthy Beauty

M y mom, Carmela, seventy-one years old as of this writing, is my inspiration to keep healthy and defy aging. She is an active gardener and artistshe started watercolor painting in her early sixtiesand as a grandmother of seven, she gets down and dirty, giving hugs, chasing kids, and laughing with love. Born in Sicily, she lives the Mediterranean diet (with no short supply of olive oil, garlic, and fresh vegetables every day) and has been a marvel to her prescribing doctors by using exercise and supplements, instead of pharmaceuticals, to work her way out of osteoporosis. Her skin looks great, and her mind is sharp. She really exemplifies matriarchal wisdom and strong, supportive love (and she makes the best cannoli on the planet).

In comparison, some patients I work with come in for their first visit using a walker, barely making it out of the car and to the door of my office. By age seventy, they look like they are in their eighties. Why is it that some people age gracefully and stay strong while others look twice their age, even at forty?

Welcome! Im Dr. Pina LoGiudice (pronounced lo-JUDY-chay). Im honored that youre letting me guide you to your most vibrant health and glow. You are reading this book possibly because you are interested in learning about health and want to create a healthier and more vibrant you. Or it could be because you are facing some health challenges and would like a practical guide to helping your body begin to heal itself. Either way, this will be a great place for you to start.

Many of you may have seen me as one of the go-to natural doctors on The Dr. Oz Show but have wondered who I am and what my background is. Well, in short, Im a naturopathic doctor and a licensed acupuncturist. I studied at the National Institutes of Health, where I researched stress and the mind-body connection before going to a medical school that focuses on holistic and integrative care. If you havent heard of a naturopathic doctor, you will. Were the doctors of the future. The philosophy of naturopathic medicine is to combine excellent science-based care with the most natural methods to help the body heal itself. I believe all medicine has its place, and that the best doctors know how to properly integrate (but not overuse) conventional medicine such as drugs and surgery with natural healing for the best patient care possible.

After medical school, I started my practice in New York with my husband, Dr. Peter Bongiorno, where we have been working with patients for the past eleven years, using the principles that you and I are going to go over together in this book. One thing Peter and I learned in medical school is that the word doctor comes from the Latin verb docere, which means to teach. It is every doctors job (and my privilege) to do just that.

And now it is my honor to teach you how to reach your best health. You and I will spend our time together understanding sleep, foods, lifestyle, exercise, and natural remedies such as vitamins and herbs. Having come into natural medicine due to my own health crisis, I understand the circuitous journey to health. Thank God pioneering doctors introduced me to natural medicine and to some of the concepts in this book. Those concepts turned my life around and made a major challenge a learning triumph. I am so glad to have the opportunity to share this work with you.

So, what does it mean to glow? When I talk about glow, Im really just trying to articulate that almost indescribable but obvious radiance, beauty, and energetic vitality exuded by people who are truly healthy and happy. This kind of glow cant be created with makeup, and it isnt born in a plastic surgeons office.

The glow I have in mind is undeniable. It is the kind of radiance that naturally emanates from a young child. It is the look that communicates vitality, essence, and energy. It is also what a gracious and elegant senior exudes if she is vital and vibrant. Glow doesnt have an age limitthat is, unless you fail to nurture and nourish it.