Integrative and functional medicine physician and founder of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center, Dr. Frank Lipman, is one of the country’s top pioneers in the field of integrative medicine. Focused on sustainable health and wellness, he offers patients a customized blend of Western Medicine with acupuncture, nutritional counseling, vitamins and herbs, relaxation techniques, physical therapy, and bodywork. Better yet, he has an informative blog which he himself constantly updates, and a comprehensive line of nutritional supplements and kits. No wonder he's a favorite of everyone from Donna Karan to Gwyneth Paltrow.
Here, Dr. Lipman answers our 21 questions.
1. When getting dressed to go to work I think... what am I going to be comfortable in and also look fairly respectable?
2. When in need of a quick recharge I... lie in Reclining Open Chest pose for 15 minutes.
3. When I'm feeling stressed I... close my office door if I'm at work, sit down, and focus on my breath so that I can get out of my head. If I am at home, I will do some yoga or meditation.
4. When I can't fall asleep I... take my sleep formula.
5. The supplements I make sure to take everyday are... too many to list here. I take a lot of supplements. Here is the short list: a good Multivitamin, Fish oils, Vitamin D, Probiotics, Coenzyme Q10, Curcumin, Adaptogens, and Vitamin K.
6. Every day I make sure to eat... as many vegetables as possible and at least one of my meals is a smoothie – it’s usually breakfast, but sometimes lunch.
7. I think the average New Yorker... is smart, creative, crazy (in a nice way), hard working, generous, sleep deprived, and super stressed out (in my practice anyway). I love working with New Yorkers.
8. My favorite snack is... these gluten-free power bars that my wife makes. She uses this recipe as a base and sometimes changes the nuts up a bit.
9. On a typical Saturday night you'll find me... having dinner with friends.
10. When I hear the word "sugar" I think... addiction!! I wish I didn’t care for it but it’s my weakness.
11. When I hear the word "gluten" I think... the Devil!!
12. What most people don't understand about dairy is... that it is NOT a health food and that you don’t really need it to get your calcium requirements.
13. The problem with most juice cleanses is... they often have a lot of sugar in the juices and they don’t clean out the gut or support liver function, both of which are key components when detoxing.
14. My guilty pleasure is... gelato.
15. I could never go a day without... my Phyto Greens.
16. The best life lesson I ever learned was... Ubuntu, an African term I learned in 1981 when I worked in the “bush” in South Africa. It means, what makes us human is the humanity we show each other – it is kindness, compassion and respect all rolled into one.
17. The beauty products I can't live without are... I can live perfectly well without any beauty products.
18. I wouldn't be caught dead.... in a barre method class.
19. When in need of peace and quiet I... lie in a Restorative Yoga pose, put my iPod on, and listen to some chill-out music.
20. The most relaxing vacation I ever took was... at Chris Blackwell’s Golden Eye Resort in Jamaica.
21. The most gratifying part about my job is... being a part of the Wellness Revolution.
Via: 21 Questions with...Wellness Pioneer Dr. Frank Lipman