When it comes to health and wellness, Alex Lubarsky, CEO Health Media Group is dedicated to introducing the most dedicated healers, bestselling authors, doctors and companies in a comprehensive, targeted way. As founder of the NAVEL expo, Lubarsky’s event attracts thousands of the most proactive, educated, affluent and beautiful people from around the nation and the world that specialize in Nutrition, Aesthetics, Vitality, Efficacy, Life.
The NAVEL Expo is a two-day event on Saturday, November 4, 2017, at the Sheraton Times Square located at 811 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019 and Sunday, November 5 at the Huntington Hilton located at 598 Broadhollow Rd, Melville, NY 11747 from 9:00am-7:00pm. We caught up with Alex Lubarsky to ask him a few questions about the NAVEL expo.
SK: What makes the NAVEL expo event so special?
AL: I think that the amazing people who participate make this event inspirational, transformational and enlightening. Primarily because the doctors who speak there and the companies that exhibit have this passion to impart life-transforming information on the thousands of people who attend. And those people are pretty remarkable as well because they see the limitations in our system of care and are looking for an approach that helps lay the structures for human optimization rather than developing a chronic disease and then managing it for the rest of their life.
SK: What differentiates the NAVEL expo from other health and wellness events?
AL: We reserve participation exclusively to those companies, products and services that focus on the science of human optimization. So anything cutting-edge that can help people address the underlying cause of their health problem or creating the structures for life at its very peak level of health expression, is what we look to feature at this NAVEL expo. Many of our speakers are doctors and bestselling authors and experts from around the world.
SK: You are about to host your 30th NAVEL expo, what drives the growth?
AL: When we first started some 13 years ago, most people’s idea of wellness was giving up smoking. Fast food, GMO snacks, toxic drinking water, BPA laden drinks and toxic Roundup on our fruits and vegies were not even on the radar for most people. Today there is unlimited access to information so we have a much better idea of what to do to stay healthy. And that is both driving interest in people wanting to learn more and more practitioners wanting to enter the field.
SK: Why do you think there is an increase in attendance?
AL: Our very first event happened on the day of the year’s biggest snow storm! And still some 30 people managed to come to the event. From that moment, I knew we were on to something. Since then, we have built a tremendous community of many thousands who have experienced the benefits of the information and resources shared at the NAVEL expo and passionately spread the message to those within their circles.
SK: How did you get involved in the health and wellness business?
AL: It was really an accident. I was running a company on the other side of healthcare, the management of chronic disease and along the way met some amazing doctors who could not be distracted by either business or marketing, and just wanted to heal people. So just for fun, I created a little radio program on a local station to give these healers a voice, and after about a year of interviewing them I got the education of my life. So I left my other business after just two years and a significant investment and decided to dedicate my life to transforming healthcare in America.
SK: What do you want our readers to know about you and your journey to human optimization?
AL: I want them to know that miracles are possible. When you provide the body all the vitamins, minerals and balance the hormones and at the same time remove any of the toxic substances that may be preventing them from experiencing optimal-wellbeing at its full level of expression, they will be amazed at what’s possible.
SK: Why is “early detection” of illness considered “too late?”
AL: Well, early detection is excellent in the context of disease management. You definitely want to catch the problem before it gets out of hand. The thing is that, statistically speaking, we will all have to deal with cancer or heart disease. In fact, if you are not doing something proactive to avoid a chronic condition there is no reason to be shocked. It’s virtually inevitable. So by the time you are diagnosed, you’ve missed a decade to have done something about it. So early detection is way down stream and by many counts, too late.
SK: Who are your industry mentors?
AL: I think Suzanne Somers is a force of nature in this arena, Gary Null, Dr. Oz and Mark Hyman, have been a light and a tremendous inspiration. The man who propelled me into this work however, was Dr. Richard Linchitz. A brilliant physician who was diagnosed with terminal cancer at 50 and given a very slim chance of surviving just a few years. He searched the world for innovative approaches and lived a very full and healthy life until his 65th birthday. Sadly, we lost him a couple of years ago but his work and legacy lives in the many people he touched, including me.
SK: What are the keys to looking younger and feeling better?
AL: That my friend is a big question! I think you first have to want to feel and look your best. I meet so many people who have given up on life and really could not be bothered. But when there is a big WHY we can bare almost any HOW. And the HOW is fairly simple. Eat the best quality food you can find, wild fish, grass-fed beef, organic vegies and fruits. Stay away from sugar, watch your alcohol and coffee habits, don’t become an addict to anything. Take some time off, get enough sleep and find someone proficient in the science of human optimization to help guide you to optimal well-being.
SK: How do you put together such established and well-known industry leaders to speak at your conferences?
AL: Since we started fairly organically it was pretty tough to get anyone to consider being a part of our event since no one had ever heard of it. But over the last 13 years, we have reached millions of people, hosted tens of thousands and had some of the best known names keynote the event including Susanne Somers, Gary Null, Bernie Siegel and so many others. So now at least they recognize the name when we call! And thank you for that.
SK: As an author, (“The Art of Selling the Art of Healing”) what do you think are the key issues to promoting alternatives to traditional medicine?
AL: The big challenge with most doctors is that they are for the most part scientists and not business people. Not only did they have no training in this area, they also have no interest. So when they get fed up and want to leave the system and create their own little center so they can practice integrative medicine, most will make the same mistakes and end up going out of business before they even get started. What I found to be most effective is for doctors to do what the word “doctor” actually means, which is teacher. When they have an opportunity to educate people that is when they shine. And when people see that passion, knowledge and love, eventually they’ll want to be a part of it.
SK: Why has our current traditional doctor/patient model failed so many Americans?
AL: Primarily because the patient has been excluded from the equation. In any other industry where the consumer is the center of the model, the industry thrives and the consumer gets amazing services, technology and products. In traditional healthcare you have the employer who pays the insurance company, who then engages doctors specializing in a fast diagnosis and eternal disease management. Usually prescribing a medication to make you think the pain is no longer there. In this model, the client is far removed and not given much thought or consideration. When we place the patient back in the center of our healthcare, that’s when we’ll create a system worthy of the greatest nation on earth.
SK: What do you think will be the next health trends over the next 5 years?
AL: Between the technological breakthroughs, a better understanding how our lifestyle affects the expression of our DNA, the abundance of information, and the likes of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk getting involved in healthcare, I believe we have a chance to create the structure to become some of the healthiest, most fit and longest-lived people in the history of man!
SK: What do you do to relax when you are not focused on health and the current state of the healthcare industry?
AL: Yesterday, my wife and I took a two hour walk by the beach and then went for a healthy dinner. I love anyplace tropical and like to escape a couple of times per year. I read spy novels. I take solitary walks in the woods and I run. I try to remember to breathe deeply and get a massage every so often. And just about every week we get together with some of our amazing friends.
SK: How do you incorporate the healthy way of life to your children?
AL: Both of our children grew up around the expo and have witnessed my personal evolution over the years. They are now 19 and 24 and lead a very fitness oriented and quality nutrition based life. It’s not something we need to point out to them. It’s just kind of a part of them. And if there was one thing that was the most satisfactory for me after all of this effort. This is definitely it!
SK: Thank you for sharing this informative and incredible information with us. We wish you good luck with the upcoming NAVEL expo and we hope to speak to you again soon.
AL: Thank you for the opportunity to share my story!
If you would like to attend the NAVEL expo or would like more information, please visit: http://www.navelexpo.com
