That hunky guy I told you guys I would be interviewing today?
That would be Dr. Travis Stork, co-host of the popular television show The Doctors!
Heeey, hunky.
A couple of weeks ago, I received a press release from a public relations company, offering me the opportunity to speak with Dr. Stork thanks to General Mills. I pretty much freaked out and immediately emailed them back saying, “DUH, I’d LOVE to talk to Dr. Stud,” in much more professional words, naturally.
I was given 15 minutes to ask him questions about healthy living and asked you guys what you’d like for me to ask him via the PBF Facebook page. I used your questions as well as a few questions I came up with on my own to interview him this afternoon.
I typed my little heart out as he answered the questions, so the answers below are his answers, captured to the best of my ability.
And for those of you who were hoping that I’d ask him about his time on The Bachelor and his current relationship status (pretty sure he’s engaged), believe me I wanted to, but I tried to maintain some level of professionalism between my giggles and stuck with healthy living questions. I’m sorry I’ve failed you. 
Interview with Dr. Travis Stork
- With such a crazy schedule, what tips to you have for staying healthy while living such a hectic, busy life?
I’ve learned that preparation and planning are key. If you’re traveling a lot and don’t think ahead and don’t have healthy snacks in your carryon luggage, you’re in trouble. If I don’t pack mixed nuts, a whole grain snack or fruit, I’ll be starving and tempted to make poor food choices. I try to always think ahead and come prepared. I don’t have as much time to do formal workouts when I’m traveling, but I try to be on my feet a lot. What I’ve been teaching people is that 30 minutes of walking a day can add three years to your life! Walk around the airport and make life a playground.
- What does a typical day of eating look like for you?
I eat five to six smaller meals. First thing in the morning I will typically eat whole grain cereal or oatmeal. My midmorning snack is often an apple or a banana with almond butter. For lunch, I’ll have something revolving around whole grains. A sandwich with tomatoes, lettuce and avocado. I try to focus on lean proteins, healthy fats and good carbs. Not overeating and listening to my body is key. My afternoon snack is almost always mixed nuts. My dinner typically revolves around beans – high in fiber and high in protein!
- I see you mentioned eating a lot of beans. Do you eat meat very often?
I am not a vegetarian and eat meat about one to two times a week. If I’m going to eat a burger, it will be a buffalo burger or grass-fed meat. I eat a vegetable-based diet, but one that is very hearty. If you don’t enjoy the food you’re eating, it will be much harder to maintain a healthy diet.
- What is something many people in their 20s likely don’t do but should do with regard to healthy living?
People in their 20s need to realize that chronic illness starts its progression in your younger years. Heart disease doesn’t start in your 50s. That’s why making healthy switches – like eating whole grains in place of refined carbohydrates – when you’re young is so important. Switch to whole grains early on. Eat nuts in place of candy bars. You may think you’re immortal in your 20s, but now that I’m about to be 40, I know that the things you do in your 20s impact your heath in your 40s and beyond.
- How do you feel about artificial sweeteners like Splenda and stevia?
I’m not a big fan mainly because once you grow accustomed to artificial sweetness levels, it’s hard to appreciate natural sweetness found in whole foods like fruits. Just because something is processed doesn’t mean it’s bad for you – it depends on what’s in it. Whatever you’re eating, just read the ingredients. If you read ingredients and understand them, then you know what you’re putting in your body. For example, make sure whole grains are number one, not refined carbohydrates.
- As a doctor, what is a condition or disease you see repeatedly that is largely preventable? What is something you see frequently that makes you think, “Wow, this could’ve been prevented if only they…”
Type 2 diabetes. Eighty percent of type 2 diabetes cases are related to obesity. One in 10 people have type two diabetes, a statistic that is predicted to grow to one in three in the future. In many cases it’s a preventable condition. Many people don’t realize it can lead to serious conditions, including blindness and kidney failure. We can work to prevent type two diabetes by staying closer to our ideal weight. We CAN reverse a lot of the negative effects of type two diabetes by living a healthier lifestyle. We drink 450 calories a day in sugary beverages – if we cut back on that, the results would be tremendous.
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That’s pretty cool! This was over the phone?
yep! 15 minute phone call!
I’m so jealous you got to interview Travis! These answers are so helpful. It’s great to here it coming from a real doctor. Congratulations and great questions!
Those are great questions! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome job, Julie!!! Great questions, too!
Nice job with the interview! The questions were great! I always do wonder what Drs think about Splenda, and it’s cool he eats a plant based diet!
PS he is totally hunky as well! 😉
How fun – great interview! Great questions.
Congrats girl! Looks like you did a great job and had fun, hope the opportunities keep coming. I would of giggled a lot ahahah
a hunk indeed! 😉 i’m sure you had a fun time with this – what a great opportunity! thanks for sharing the interview!
Great questions, Julie! I especially like the one about what people in their 20s can do in regards to healthy living. It’s so important for people to take control of their health at an early age. Awesome opportunity – congrats!
i totally agree! and he’s right about feeling almost invincible in your 20s… hearing that chronic illnesses start to form in your 20s was an eye-opener for me!
Even though I’m a healthcare professional, I never really thought about my 20’s like that, either. I’m turning 30 this spring & definitely will be thinking more about disease prevention at a young age!
He is definitely a stud! What a great interview and great answers he gave!
Great job!!!! I think it’s interesting what he said about finding foods that you enjoy so that it will be easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle – that’s really the key.
I have no idea what “the Doctors” is, or who this guy is (I don’t have a television) but I have a feeling I’m going to have to learn. Also note to self: find a beautiful doctor, stat.
How great is that! I do enjoy watching him on the show (when I get a chance to watch which is rare). He seems very real and while he doesn’t sugar coat anything just puts it out there in a format that the average person can understand. What a fun day with Mr. Hunky-Stud! oops…there goes my professionalism.
AWESOME!! I love him and the show The Doctors…I tivo it all the time because I am working when it comes on. Great interview Julie!
He was on The Bachelor??? when? I had no idea!
Great job on the interview too! I still get nervous doing them on my radio show and Ive been doing them forever! I cringed reading the sugar advice because I know I have to cut back, but its hard.
Great interview! I love his answer about sugar/artificial sweeteners. Is he a vegetarian?
Great questions! I love what he said about being healthy in your 20s. So many young people think they can eat and do whatever they want now while they’re young, but it’s important to be healthy all your life!
OMG! I am so dang jealous! What a studmuffin!
Ok; freak out’s over temporarily… So incredibly cool you got to interview him, and I would have never asked him about the Bachelor,either. I also agree with the diabetes answer; my grandfather “cured” himself of it through a healthy diet.
That’s awesome you got to interview that doctor!!
soooooo.. is he single? don’t let me down and tell me you didn’t ask.
haha i didn’t ask, but i’m pretty sure he’s engaged.
Awesome interview and how exciting for you!!
It is so important to make good choices early, agreed for sure!
How awesome you got to interview him and greta questions!
Lucky! Thanks for sharing!
Great interview questions! Btw…your blog is great! I started reading it when you were based out of Orlando. I actually live in Ocala as well. I hope you are enjoying our little town. A few yummy restaurants… Latinos y Mas, Loritos, Kotobuki and Sky. Also if you’ve never been drive north on 441 and go check out micanopy…super cute town! Another fun thing is kayaking on the Rainbow River. It’s west of Ocala about 20-30 mins.
How awesome that you got to interview him. (I would have been like a nervous school girl haha!) But, I especially like how he mentioned that how you treat your body when you’re younger will affect you in the future. I have a friend that’s so skinny but eats nothing but junk, and she always brags that she can eat whatever and stay skinny. I just cringe thinking about how her health is going to be by the time she’s in her 40’s.
Great questions! I liked that he elaborated on his comment about type 2 diabetes. I have type 1 diabetes, and I get a lot of questions about type 2, and one thing I didn’t know was the percentage of cases that are preventable. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ah, so glad for this interview you had with Dr. Stork! I was contemplating if I should start trying truvia/stevia in lieu of brown sugars. I think I will just stick to my good ‘ol sugar cane lol.
I found that there are dark brown sugars which have slightly higher molasses so.. you can put in less.
Other alternative is to just simply use organic honey. I add honey into my coffee and its good as putting in sugar 😉
Great interview! I too feel like his mentioning that illness can begin in our 20’s hit home for me. It doesn’t matter how skinny you are or what you look like, what matters is what you put into your body and we should start monitoring that when we’re young. Good to think about.
Very cool interview! I love to hear people who are not vegetarians, but still rarely eat. That’s how it is in our house, and people are often confused when we order vegetarian entrees out at dinner, but are not vegetarian.
Thanks for sharing this, Julie! I haven’t seen the doctors too many times, but do sometimes catch it in the summer when I’m off work. It was interesting to see his response about artificial sweeteners – that he doesn’t prefer them not because of the fact that it’s artificial, but for how it influences our taste for sweetness.
i thought that was an interesting answer, too!
Such an awesome opportunity! And great questions!
So cool! I really loved the “what 20 somethings should know” question!
A-to the MEN. AWesome. He must know hist stuff or something 😉
He is def hunk-y– I still can’t believe you didn’t chat him up about relationships and all that jazz…..hehe
How awesome Julie! Congrats and great interview 🙂
Fun! That had to be so much fun to do. Nice job.
Amazing,Julie!!!! You’ve made it to the “big time”!!!
haha that’s really awesome!! I think I’ve seen him on TV while at the gym~I can’t believe he’s 40!
It’s probably a good thing it was a phone interview rather than a face to face one because his studliness would have been quite distracting! Lol Love the questions!! You did great!! 🙂
that is SO cool you got to talk to him. He is quite the looker! I wish I had watched his season of the bachelorette but that was before i started watching the show. He is just so darn cute, and a doctor, damn!
how exciting! he’s so dreamy! he gave good answers, too. 🙂
Ohhh he IS yummyy! :))
Wow! This is so cool girl! Great interview and questions…I would have been so nervous!
How cool! What a great experience 😀
I remember hearing the predictioin that 1 in 3 people will have Type II Diabetes in the future, when I was in school. It is sad to believe that as a country we are just doing this to ourselves with poor habits.
This is so cool! Good interview!
Interesting interview!! I totally agree that things you do in your 20s will catch up with you. I try to pay attention to the choices I make now because it’s a lot easier to avoid health issues than have to deal with them once they’ve developed. Btw–Dr. Stork totally looks like your hubby. Am I the only one thinking this?? lol
SO COOL! He’s def Dr. Hunk 😉 I love watching him and the others on The Doctors- think the show is easy to watch, informative, and fun!
Wow!! Congrats! That is so awesome! Really random…I got really sick with Pneumonia in college out in Colorado. Well I headed to the ED in Frisco CO looking o so fabulous with a fever of 103 and who walks in but a tall handsome doctor. I felt like I knew him from somewhere, but really thought I might be going crazy. Later found out it was Travis Stork! I had totally seen him on commercials, but didn’t watch the show at the time! Thank goodness I didn’t realize it at the time because I would have had to fight back the giggles!
oh my gosh! how crazy!
What a cool opportunity! Thanks for sharing it with us!