Dr. Florence Comite on Living Longer -- and Better

Zibby Owens (0:01)

Welcome to Totally Booked, I'm Zibby Owens. I've interviewed more than 2,000 authors on this show, and learned endless amounts about storytelling, reinvention, and life itself. Because when you talk about books, you're really talking about life. So get ready to hear from today's best authors, the best selling and the not yet discovered. Come find your next great read, and the story behind it. Enjoy.

Florence Comite, MD, is the author of Invincible, Defy Your Genetic Destiny to Live Better Longer.

I spotted Dr. Comite from afar at an event that I went to over the summer, hosted by Purvi Padilla, who is an amazing interior designer and has a line of fabulous home goods and everything. You should check her out, Purvi Padilla. But anyway, at the event, Dr. Comite was there. Couldn't stay for lunch, but did get a copy of the book and was taken immediately. You will find out why when you hear all of her amazing tips on living life to the fullest. And by the way, I think I might go see her in New York because I think I need her. Anyway, New York Times bestselling author Florence Comite, MD is a clinician scientist, a transformative force in precision medicine and the world's leading expert in healthy longevity.

Dr. Comite is a graduate of Yale School of Medicine, where she was a faculty member for 25 years with a triple appointment in endocrinology and reproductive endocrinology. And she founded Women's Health at Yale, the nation's first women-only clinic. Dr. Comite trained as a clinical investigator at the National Institute of Health. In addition to her bestselling books, Keep It Up, The Power of Precision Medicine, To Conquer Low Tea and Revitalize Your Life, and Invincible, Defy Your Genetic Destiny to Live Better Longer, Dr. Comite has published original research and articles in numerous clinical journals. She is a sought-after speaker, podcaster, and broadcast guest around the world. Welcome, Dr. Comite. Thank you so much for coming on Totally Booked to talk about your very important work, Invincible, Defy Your Genetic Destiny to Live Better Longer. Congratulations.

Florence Comite (2:07)

Thank you.

Zibby Owens (2:09)

So you want the rest of us to live longer. How come?

Florence Comite (2:12)

Well, the issue is we are living longer. And so that is the hot topic of today's world, longevity, but what I really started out doing, and it's still central to my work, is health.

I believe we don't live in good health. So the great generation had this amazing experiment, and they're living to triple digits. It's not enough time to wish them all happy birthday, which they used to do on NBC anymore. But they're not in good shape. They don't just have one chronic disease, they usually have several. And I think we can prevent that if we start looking decades before people expect to get sick, because it's already brewing under the surface. And we try to keep biological age as close to 25 to 30 as possible.

Zibby Owens (2:53)

That would be lovely. I would love to feel...

Florence Comite (2:57)

Think of the fact you can burn candles at both ends. I remember hearing on one of your shows, The Today Show, no, was it Good Morning America, where you were interviewed about your own life and you had four kids, right? And thinking about that, you need a lot of energy. So that's 25 to 40 to 35 And then after that, we really start declining, and it's very evident under the surface.

Zibby Owens (3:21)

So you start the book from a personal perspective. You decide to become a doctor, your dad takes you aside and wonders how he can live healthily, live longer, and all that. And you were like, well, I don't think I'm even learning that. That's not even what we do.

Florence Comite (3:38)

No, I knew I wasn't learning it. Medicine teaches how to react to disease. You present with a chief complaint. That's actually the story you get unless you go in for an annual exam. Most men don't and women are used to gynecologists because of pap smears every year, right? And so when my dad said, well, tell me he was a health nut and he taught me a lot. He was an athlete.

I really love and admire him and wish he was still around. I miss him still.

And he's like, well, okay, now tell me how to stay healthy. And I'm like, what? You know, no, we learned about disease. What do you mean health? And it occurred to me then and later on as I learned and did more and more in my residency and training. And you don't have to look very far nowadays. You can watch Pitt and you can see the reality of what healthcare is today because that's where it starts.