Introduction to Longevity and the New Book

You know, we're all You know, we're all looking for ways to live looking for ways to live a little longer, but more a little longer, but more importantly, be importantly, be healthier as we age.

healthier as we age. Here is a new book out, "The Nutrient of, "The Nutrient of Longevity." It Longevity." It looks at looks at looks at essential fat, essential fat, found in found in foods such as foods such as whole milk and whole milk and fatty fish, and its fatty fish, and its role in our role in our health. The author, health. The author, Dr. Stephanie Wen Dr.

Ricki Lake Joins the Conversation

Stephanie Wen Watson, is with Watson, is with us today along with her us today along with her friend Ricki Lake, friend Ricki Lake, who we all know and who we all know and love. Ricky says love. Ricky says this book is part of this book is part of her own journey to her own journey to health. They health. They share simple share simple things that each of things that each of us can implement into us can implement into our lives. Good to our lives. Good to see you here, see you here, Doctor, Ricky.

Doctor, Ricky. Nice to see you. It's Nice to see you. It's so nice to see so nice to see you both. A lot of time has passed you both. A lot of time has passed.

.. I know. So, how did you I know. So, how did you meet? meet? meet? How did we meet? I do How did we meet? I do n't even know. But her n't even know. But her book…that is, her and book…that is, her and her husband, Eric. They her husband, Eric. They really tell us what is really tell us what is missing from missing from our diet—C15. And our diet—C15. And all of this is in this book, "The Nutrient of Nutrient of Longevity," and I care Longevity," and I care about my well-being about my well-being and want to feel and want to feel as good as possible at as good as possible at my age. And she my age. And she played an important played an important role in my own role in my own recovery.

recovery. recovery.

What C15 Is and Why It Matters

So, what is C15, So, what is C15, doctor? doctor? doctor? Yes. It's an Yes. It's an odd-chain odd-chain odd-chain saturated fatty saturated fatty acid, and the big acid, and the big surprise is that surprise is that it's found in it's found in butter and whole butter and whole milk.

milk. milk. I love I love butter. Are you giving us an butter. Are you giving us an excuse? excuse? excuse? I give. That's right. We know, we have eliminated fatty, we have eliminated fatty dairy products from dairy products from our diet. And our diet. And now this is a strong now this is a strong argument why we argument why we should bring them should bring them back.

back. back. So it's only in oil, So it's only in oil, or can't it be or can't it be obtained from salmon or obtained from salmon or something like that?

something like that? Quite a few. We, Quite a few.

Ricki's Health Journey and Lifestyle Changes

We, you know, discovered this by you know, discovered this by initially taking care initially taking care of dolphins. They of dolphins. They got it from got it from some types of fish, but some types of fish, but for us the main for us the main source source source is definitely milk fat. So this is, you know, a great, you know, a great opportunity to spread opportunity to spread some butter on your some butter on your bread.

bread. bread. Oh, we like that. Oh, we like that. Ricky, what inspired Ricky, what inspired you to pay so much you to pay so much attention to your health attention to your health and seek out and seek out things like this?

things like this? I fell in love with my I fell in love with my third, last, third, last, and most beloved and most beloved husband when I husband when I was in my 50s, and we was in my 50s, and we decided to start this decided to start this journey to health in journey to health in 2023, long before 2023, long before I met I met you, Steph. And we you, Steph. And we started going hiking every day started going hiking every day. I. I followed a followed a followed a mostly keto diet mostly keto diet and lost 40 pounds and lost 40 pounds naturally, without naturally, without the use of the use of the use of pharmaceuticals. And we pharmaceuticals. And we want to live as long want to live as long and as well as possible. And this is all-encompassing. This is. And this is all-encompassing. This is awareness. This is awareness. This is quality sleep. I wear an quality sleep. I wear an Oura ring. I Oura ring. I track everything. And, track everything. And, you know, it's just you know, it's just incredible. People incredible. People say I look say I look better than ever. I better than ever. I feel Thank you.

feel Thank you. Thank you. And I, you know, it all Thank you. And I, you know, it all works. And I'm 58. works. And I'm 58.

Sleep as the Foundation of Longevity

I I I turned 58 last week. And I'm turned 58 last week. And I'm also talking about having the best best facelift in the world. So I'm facelift in the world. So I'm very frank. I'm very frank. I'm not hiding anything, not hiding anything, but Steph has but Steph has helped me a lot on helped me a lot on my journey and I my journey and I feel great.

feel great. Doctor, sleep, Doctor, sleep, nutrition, nutrition, nutrition, exercise, stress. Which of exercise, stress. Which of these do we these do we underestimate the underestimate the underestimate the most?

most? most? Oh my God. They are all very Oh my God. They are all very important. If I important. If I had to choose had to choose one thing, it would probably be sleep.

one thing, it would probably be sleep. We all know that, right We all know that, right? And I knew it. I? And I knew it. I hear this morning hear this morning that you're falling short in that you're falling short in this area, but this area, but there's actually there's actually a lot of scientific a lot of scientific evidence about sleep not only evidence about sleep not only for health but also for for health but also for longevity, to live longevity, to live longer and healthier lives.

longer and healthier lives. Last year, a study came out Last year, a study came out that that that showed that sleep is a showed that sleep is a period of anti-oxidation. We know that. We know that oxidative stress oxidative stress is a major factor in is a major factor in aging, and now aging, and now we understand that when we we understand that when we sleep, antioxidant processes occur in our bodies sleep, antioxidant processes occur in our bodies. So we. So we need to sleep need to sleep consistently. Are you ready consistently. Are you ready for 7 hours of sleep to for 7 hours of sleep to allow our allow our body body body to calm down and to calm down and reboot?

reboot? reboot? Is it normal if Is it normal if sleep is interrupted? You sleep is interrupted? You get up, you get up, you I assume you I assume you probably haven't slept for seven probably haven't slept for seven hours.

hours. hours. No, I'm trying. I'm No, I'm trying. I'm trying. Not last trying. Not last night, but I'm trying. night, but I'm trying. OK. Ideally, this is a OK. Ideally, this is a complete deep sleep.

complete deep sleep. You need that You need that deep REM phase, but deep REM phase, but if you wake up, you if you wake up, you hopefully fall back hopefully fall back asleep quickly asleep quickly. This should be the. This should be the goal.

goal. goal. I need to breathe I need to breathe when I try to when I try to do this. How about do this.

Exercise, Movement, and Daily Activity

How about discussing five discussing five things you can things you can start doing start doing today to today to integrate them into your integrate them into your lifestyle?

lifestyle? lifestyle? Yes, I think it's worth it. Yes, I think it's worth it. So, the first thing—and everyone So, the first thing—and everyone will be ready for this will be ready for this —is —is —is exercise.

exercise. exercise. But new research is But new research is emerging that emerging that looks at what types of looks at what types of exercise help you exercise help you live longer, and it's live longer, and it's essentially not essentially not sitting. Here's the good sitting. Here's the good news. It's not news. It's not just about training.

just about training. The point is to The point is to just not sit around just not sit around all day. So, all day. So, little things can little things can change everything.

change everything. The greatest improvements in The greatest improvements in life expectancy life expectancy are seen in are seen in people who have moved people who have moved from inactivity to from inactivity to activity. So this activity. So this means that any means that any routine physical routine physical activity you activity you add to your add to your routine is routine is beneficial. Can I beneficial. Can I ask? I'm not a doctor, ask?

Stress Reduction and Positive Mindset

I'm not a doctor, but positive but positive thinking, you know, thinking, you know, waking up with waking up with gratitude, living in gratitude, living in joy, choosing joy, choosing happiness—that's something I happiness—that's something I discovered for myself because I lost my home to lost my home to fires last year. I have been through a fires last year. I have been through a lot of lot of hardships, but I hardships, but I still see the glass as still see the glass as half full, and I half full, and I think that is also think that is also part of my part of my well-being. Did you well-being. Did you move back to move back to New York?

New York? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Congratulations. I Yes. Congratulations. I moved to moved to West Chelsea. It's West Chelsea. It's been a real been a real blessing, blessing, blessing, actually. The fire actually. The fire was so was so traumatic. We traumatic. We lost everything, but lost everything, but now we are on this now we are on this beautiful adventure.

beautiful adventure. New York. Now is a New York. Now is a great time to be great time to be in New York. in New York. This is truly a wonderful This is truly a wonderful time.

time. time. And this, Ricky, is a good And this, Ricky, is a good example of how example of how stress reduction is stress reduction is another element of another element of longevity. Ricky is a longevity. Ricky is a perfect example of how to perfect example of how to handle handle handle stress. And if you stress. And if you can lower your can lower your perception of these perception of these stressful events stressful events that you can't that you can't control, it will also control, it will also help you live help you live longer. Is the book longer. Is the book out yet? Can I out yet? Can I buy it?

buy it? The book is already out. Yes. The book is already out. Yes.

Book Release and Ricky's Current Projects

Yes. Available wherever Yes. Available wherever books are sold. books are sold. Fantasy. Congratulations, Fantasy. Congratulations, Ricky. What do you Ricky. What do you do? What do? What are you working on?

are you working on? Well, I starred in a Well, I starred in a movie that comes out on movie that comes out on January 9th on Lifetime. So I went back to. So I went back to acting, but now acting, but now I'm really I'm really enjoying my free enjoying my free enjoying my free time. I'm time. I'm rebuilding my house in rebuilding my house in Malibu and living every Malibu and living every day to the fullest.

day to the fullest. I loved your talk show so much. show so much. Thank you. Is it possible? Was it a Thank you. Is it possible? Was it a long time ago? Can I long time ago? Can I publicly thank publicly thank Ricky for Ricky for making a wonderful documentary many years ago making a wonderful documentary many years ago about childbirth, about childbirth, the importance of doulas, and the importance of doulas, and natural pregnancy?

natural pregnancy? This was the first child This was the first child for my wife and for my wife and I, and it changed I, and it changed our perspective, it our perspective, it really made a big really made a big difference.

difference. difference. Thank you very much, Thank you very much, goosebumps. It's goosebumps. It's called "The called "The Birth Business," and Birth Business," and we ended up having having having four children because of it. I'm four children because of it. I'm just kidding.

just kidding.

Birth Business, Family, and Closing Remarks

Oh my God. It's all my Oh my God. It's all my fault. fault. fault. Wait, did you Wait, did you give birth in a bathtub give birth in a bathtub like Ricky?

like Ricky? We tried. We We tried. We tried. Yes. Yes. tried. Yes. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Yes. Thank you. I recommend buying the book and I recommend buying the book and watching the watching the watching the documentary documentary.

.. Hooray. Thank you for Hooray. Thank you for inviting us. inviting us. And buy And buy Dr. Stephanie Wynne Dr. Stephanie Wynne Watson's book "The Watson's book "The Longevity Nutrient." Longevity Nutrient." Ricky, it's always nice to Ricky, it's always nice to see you.

see you.

Sharlyne P., MS

Ricki Lake and Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson chat about ways to live healthier for longer on Good Day NY