Body & Soul with Gail Harris

Optimal Aging: Slowing Down the Clock
The Ageless Woman
Serafina Corsello, M.D., is a renowned physician and an expert in longevity, women's health, endocrinological disorders and natural hormone therapy. She oversees the Corsello Centers for Integrative Medicine, which are dedicated to assisting women and men in maintaining optimal health. Located in New York City and Long Island, NY, the professional staff includes medical doctors, registered nurses, stress management therapists, biofeedback specialists and acupuncturists. Series creator Gail Harris spoke with Dr. Corsello in her Manhattan office. The following are excerpts from that interview.

Gail Harris: If you were to write a prescription for healthy aging, what would be on the pad?

Serafina Corsello: 1. Try to smile. 2. Take care of your intestine and watch your liver. 3. If you can, change your attitude from negative to positive. And 4. If you feel you're beginning to have problems, go and look for a doctor who is capable of assisting you.

GH: What about this whole thing about attitude? Because if you're a happy person, doesn't that show on your face?

SC: Of course, of course, Gail. I go around singing. This is my defense. I maintain a joyous attitude and I use myself as an example. Because I don't want to say this comes easily. I try to train other people: when in doubt, smile. First of all, if you always have your face downward, you're going to get those ugly, downward wrinkles. I tell my patients, you want to be ageless, learn to smile. Learn to be positive. I'll do the chemistry. I'll teach you, but I can't make you smile, and I can't teach you to be an optimist if you don't try very hard to become one.

GH: What if you have always been able to eat well and had no problem, and all of a sudden, you start having problems digesting food. What does that tell you?

SC: The digestive tract is one of the major components in anti-aging. It's the biggest step in my anti-aging pyramid. As long as the digestive functions and the intestine are well defended, we have very little to fear.

GH: So, is that one of the busiest parts of your body? Is that why it's so important? Because you're eating all the time?

SC: Not only one of the busiest parts of the body, yes, but because the body has delegated many of the immunological functions to the intestine… So as soon as you have a sense of poor digestion, immediately you have to consider that a warning sign, because 60-70% of the immune resources reside in the intestine. We're bombarded by infectious agents all the time. It is a balance of power between them and us.

Body & Soul is currently airing Monday-Friday at 7:00pm and 8:30pm on PBS YOU.

Program Description
A New Way of Seeing
Modern Aging
The Ageless Woman
Help YourSelf
Tell Me More

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