Is there a doctor in the mall?

I honestly can not remember the last time I was in the mall. I’m almost positive it was probably just a quick run into Macy’s during one of their super sales.

So when I was invited to an event, at the mall, I thought…. really? Do people still go to them? The answer is a resounding yes. Especially when it is for the WPBF 25 Health and Wellness Festival featuring Dr. Oz and celebrity guest Suzanne Somers.

When I first drove up to The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, all my ‘summers in Florida’ memories came rushing back. Of course my hometown had a mall, but nothing as grandiose as what the shopping meccas of the Sunshine State created. Gigantic, well lit, multi storied masterpieces that housed all the best stores under one roof. I immediately felt like a teenager again. Focus Lisa, do not get distracted by… Oh! Forever 21!

Entering the mall the first thing to hit me, besides the blast of air conditioning was the amount of people. They were masses of them everywhere!

Some were shopping, others were eating, but most of them were there to see the man of the hour Dr. Mehmet Oz himself.

Luckily I scored some fantastic VIP seats for me and Mama Maria. Apparently he is to her what Bradley Cooper is to me. Not gonna lie, this physician looks better in person than he does on TV. Crazy but true. And man how the ladies love him.

With Mama Maria seated and very content I decided to check out the various vendors they had throughout the mall. This was after all a Health and Wellness Festival and I wanted to see if there were some new things I needed to learn. Turns out there was tons.

From gels, pills, potions and cool sculpting there was much to learn on how to help improve your skin tone. The smooth operators had a machine that looked like something out of the 1950’s exercise catalog. It’s a special “belt” that is made of a tacky “material” that “sticks” around your butt. When it is hooked to the vibrating machine it heats up the skin under the belt to help melt away the cellulite. They didn’t have the machine set up which was kinda a bummer as who couldn’t use some hot buns?

When they weren’t on stage chatting with Dr. Oz, local doctors were at their booth to meet, greet and answer your health questions. How cool is that? A free medical consultation at the mall. I absolutely love that since it gives you a chance to meet the physician first to see if they are a good fit without having to get a referral before you can go in for an appointment.

To be honest, the most intriguing booth was from Simply Men’s Health where I met and discussed with Dr. Ronald Holzman, M.D. how they treat erectile dysfunction without the use of needles, surgery or pills.

Instead they use the most interesting tool as part of their EPAT® Acoustic Pressure Wave Therapy. Yes, I had them test it out on my arm. It was certainly stimulating to say the least.

After that kind of excitement it was time to find the elements of relaxation. Certainly dinner a trip and a soak in a new tub would help to ease the mind and feed the soul.

It was nice to see a variety of other things dealing with health issues with information on urgent care facilities, hospitals, insurance and mental health and addictions.

Or, if you happen to be looking to get into the medical field, they covered that as well.

And of course there was a spot for the kids (and some young at heart adults) to get balloons, face painting or an airbrush tattoo!

Truth be told, my favorite booth was where I met Vivien Mclean-Bunce. Turns out she is a personal shopper at Macy’s. For no cost at all she offers her service to help me dress myself or prepare all the details in regards to my special occasion. Shut the front door! You mean I can have someone shop with me and plan a party? It’s the perfect one stop shop!

If all that wasn’t enough, there even was a chance to pose with Suzanne at her booth Forever Health 😉

There was some food tasting going on, but by the time I made it to that end of the mall Brio was the only one still offering samples. Hey, you snooze, you loose.

I also missed the cooking demo by Lisa Oz. Mama Maria said she made two dishes that were in her new cookbook. Both featured rice but one had chicken, the other shrimp. I did hear her explain how it can be challenging to cook when everyone in the family has developed different eating habits ( from vegetarian to vegan) But she explained how she manages this by building the dish with the basics everyone eats and then plating the other stuff on the side. So the rice dishes would be made with the meats and sauces separate. I thought that was a good idea since you would be adding things to the dish instead of picking them out.

Finally I was once again seated just in time for Dr. Oz’s interview with Suzanne. While there were lots of things discussed in regards to things she does to stay healthy and happy, there were two things that resonated with me. One is to focus on WHAT you are eating and not how much. Such a simple, but true statement. The other was “Be alive while you are alive.” Such an easy thing to say, yet such a hard thing to implement.

Then it was time to bring up some of the WPBF on air talent to ask a few questions from the audience.

With your mind filled with all sorts of health and wellness information there was also a chance to stuff your wallets thanks to the Valley National Bank Money Booth!

There were plenty of ways to walk away with something. Several booths had raffles, free bags were plentiful and all booths had a little promotional item for you to take home.

All in all it Mama Maria and I had fun times with Dr. Mehmet Oz today at the The Gardens Mall for the WPBF 25 News ‪#‎DrOzFest‬ health and wellness festival. I think my mom has a crush on the good doctor as she tried to carry him home.