Confessions of a Dr. Oz fan

The first time I ever meditated was while watching The Dr. Oz Show.

Don’t laugh.

I mean it. Stop laughing.

I had recently given birth to my second son, Benjamin, and I was feeling a little overwhelmed (you can read all about it in this month’s Natural Mom column). I was nursing Ben when Deepak Chopra, who was a guest that day on the show, began leading Dr. Oz’s audience in some deep breathing exercises and then meditation.

I followed along and afterward felt lighter, more relaxed — peaceful even. It led me to further explore meditation, something I hadn’t ever considered before (and you can read more about that in April’s Natural Mom column).

I’ve always loved Dr. Oz. I started reading his books years ago, and I loved catching his appearances on Oprah. And here’s why I love him: He takes holistic health practices to the masses. Stuff that many Americans would normally deem radical or extreme — like meditation, for instance, or organic food — is suddenly accesssible to them because Dr. Oz says it is.

It’s the same with Oprah. I loved the episode of her show when she challenged the employees of Harpo Studios to go vegan for one week. A lot of people who watch her show might otherwise roll their eyes or laugh at the word “vegan,” but because Oprah promoted it as a healthy, conscientious — and, believe it or not, accessible — lifestyle, they can relate to it. And though they might not change their entire diets, they’re moved to really think about decisions they make, the food they put into their mouths — because Oprah said so. When you think about it, everyone wins.

So yay for Dr. Oz and Oprah. And yay for DVR, or I’d never get to watch either of their shows.