Associate Medical Director and Women’s Health Director,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• American Board of Family Practice, Board Certified
• MD, Louisiana State University School of Medicine
• American Academy of Family Physicians
• Florida Hospital Resident Research Award
• State Project Chair, Louisiana State Medical Society
• President, Women In Medicine

To her patients at Pritikin, Dr. Fruge brings the enthusiasm and expertise of a doctor who practices what she preaches. Throughout her life she has enjoyed a diet abundant in natural, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. She is an avid exerciser and athlete, and as an undergraduate received a full NCAA Division I tennis scholarship. She also runs marathons. Now, she also runs after her two young children.

Dr. Fruge loves working at Pritikin because "I truly believe that preventive medicine is the medicine of the future, and I intend to make it my life’s work. The Pritikin Longevity Center represents this work at its very best." Virtually every week, Dr. Fruge is interviewed by national and local media as a leading expert on healthy living, nutrition, and fitness.

Physician and Director of MedCheck and Sleep Health Programs,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• Board Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine
• Associate Professor of Medicine, Rush University College of Medicine
• Faculty Member, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Fellow of the American College of Physicians
• American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition Award
• Voted "Outstanding Internist in Chicago Area" by Chicago Business Magazine

For Dr. Sugar, coming to the Pritikin Longevity Center in 2005 was a "dream come true, a chance to help patients in ways I never could have accomplished in my 30 years of private practice. In the ’real world‘ of medical care, we doctors have little time to listen – about seven minutes. At Pritikin, we spend a long time listening and educating, and the payoff is priceless."

At Pritikin, Dr. Sugar also directs the Sleep Health Program. "Sleep disorders and obesity go hand-in-hand," he explains. "Often, when you take care of sleep problems, losing weight gets much easier."

Dr. Sugar also directs the MedCheck Program, which helps people reduce their dependency on pills. MedCheck is part of a nascent culture in America termed "medical minimalism." "Don’t get me wrong," clarifies Dr. Sugar. "When carefully prescribed and monitored, medications are great. But for too long, both patients and doctors have fallen prey to the medical mystique of a pill for every ill. We need a whole new mind-set that says: ‘I’m not taking anything more than what I absolutely need. And I’m certainly not taking anything with side effects that make me feel bad."

Physician and Educator,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• Board Certified, Internal Medicine
• Adult Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism Fellowship
• MD, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Best Resident/Clinician in Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinics, Jackson Memorial Hospital
• Dr. Pegalow’s Award for Best Pediatric Resident, Holtz Children Hospital

Fluent in three languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese), Dr. Yanelis excels in the prevention, control, and reversal of diabetes and obesity, with an emphasis on healthy lifestyle education.

"In private practice, we doctors urge our patients to start living a healthier life, but we rarely see striking results. I believe it’s because great results require not only doctor support but also intensive lifestyle education, like the education our Pritikin guests receive. Our guests leave us saying, ‘I can do this!’ The Pritikin experience truly empowers people to live up to their fullest health potential."

Nutritional Research Specialist and Educator,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• PhD, Nutrition, Rutgers University
• Board Certified, Human Nutrition Sciences, American Board of Nutrition
• Fellow, American College of Nutrition
• Physiology Department, Assistant Professor, UCLA
• Biology Department, Assistant Professor, Lehigh University
• Board Member, National Council Against Health Fraud

For more than three decades, Dr. Kenney has traveled throughout the U.S., speaking at conferences for doctors, dietitians, and other health professionals on the relationship between diet and disease, and exposing the unscientific claims of many fad diets. He has published articles for scientific journals, including the Journal of Nutrition and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, as well as popular magazines, such as Self and Shape. He has been interviewed on many TV and radio media, most recently Frontline and CNN News, and provides continuing professional education courses for dietitians, nutritionists and other health professionals.

His passion for helping people cut through the confusion and understand the real truth about diets make his lectures at Pritikin both inspiring and eye opening. He also walks his talk. "Today, I enjoy eating Pritikin foods as much as I did my steak-and-ice-cream diet of 35 years ago. Best of all, I’m in better health today, in my 60s, than I was in my 30s. Before starting Pritikin, my blood pressure was 150/100; my cholesterol was over 300. Today, my blood pressure is generally below 110/70, my cholesterol is 180, and my HDL ‘good’ cholesterol is 80. Plus, I eat a lot of great-tasting, satisfying food and never go hungry. I weigh 157 pounds at 6’3". That’s 40 pounds less than my weight in college. America would not have an epidemic of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease if we could get everyone on the Pritikin Program."

Director of Nutrition,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• PhD, Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• MS, Food, Nutrition, and Institution Administration, Oklahoma State University
• Member, American Dietetic Association
• Associate Professor, The Hospitality College, Johnson & Wales University
• Associate Professor, University of Alabama
• Director, Graduate Program in Clinical Nutrition, and Director, Dietetic Internship
• Program, University of Alabama
• Outstanding Dietitian of the Year, Birmingham District Dietetic Association
• Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers

For a society, like America, that receives too much of its health advice in sound bites that are often misleading and confusing, Dr. Canfield is a refreshing and much-needed alternative. She is both scientific and "street smart," remarkably adept at translating complex medical research into simple language and practical "real world" skills that are accessible to all – a talent honed by years of teaching future dietitians and chefs.

At Pritikin, she is praised for making the Pritikin Program, as she says, "user-friendly." There is "a myth in this country," states Dr. Canfield, "that healthy eating is too difficult to follow. At Pritikin, the most important and rewarding thing I do is give people confidence that they can do it. They learn that a healthy lifestyle is not about deprivation. It’s about all sorts of wonderful foods like fresh grilled seafood, savory pastas, incredible desserts – and most importantly, feeling the best that you’ve felt in years."

Nutritionist and Educator,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• MS, Clinical Nutrition, New York University
• Dietetic Internship, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Recipient at Massachusetts General Hospital of the Louise Hatch Award, which recognizes outstanding performance and professional promise
• BS, Culinary Nutrition, Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island
• Memberships, American Dietetic Association: Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetic Practice Group Legislative & Public Policy Committee, Vice-Chair
• 2011 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year for the Florida Dietetic Association

Tracy Wilczek is a joyous combination of nutrition expert and lover of good food. The seminars she teaches at Pritikin include "Dining Out," "Menu Workshop," "Field Trip To Whole Foods Market," and "Cooking Like a Pritikin Chef," and reflect her wide-ranging passions.

Her enthusiasm ignites even the most reticent of Pritikin guests. She loves nothing more than being with guests when they have "that moment. I can see it in their eyes - that moment when they fully understand the connection between diet and health, or when they realize, to their delight, that healthy eating is not only doable but delicious. These moments are the best part of my day!"

Director of Behavioral Health and Wellness,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• PhD, Psychology, Columbia Pacific University
• MS, Marriage and Family Therapy, Barry University
• MS, Clinical Social Work, Barry University
• BA, Special Education, Boston University

Dr. Coral Arvon has garnered national acclaim for her expertise in overcoming challenges like anxiety and chronic stress. She also has extensive experience in sex therapy and in helping people conquer addictions, particularly food disorders like emotional eating and obsessive/compulsive eating.

In seminars and one-on-one therapy, Dr. Arvon has inspired thousands at Pritikin to launch healthy new lives. "Changing your body is all about changing your mind. You really can learn to think differently, stop needless worrying, and, best of all, perceive the world in a health-enhancing, optimistic way." Seminars and individual therapy conducted by Dr. Arvon include stress management, smoking cessation, couples’ counseling, and compulsive overeating: getting control of your feelings and food.

Director of Fitness,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• MS, Kinesiology, California State University, Northridge
• PhD candidate, Leadership and Education
• American Coaching Effectiveness Program, Sport Psychology – Masters Level
• Adjunct Professor, Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Florida
• Regional Program Coordinator, America’s Athletes With Disabilities
• 2004 USA National Paralympics Athlete in Athens, Greece; 5th Place, Shot Put
• 1992 World Paralympics in Barcelona, Spain; 5th Place, Powerlifting
• 1988 World Paralympics in Seoul, Korea; Silver Medalist, Javelin

Avid athlete, fitness coach, wellness educator, and designer of customized exercise programs for both children and adults, Scott Danberg has inspired thousands to make exercise a part of their lives. Scott has also worked on numerous television programs, most recently with NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, to promote fitness and healthy living.

Though he enjoys coaching the many Olympic-caliber athletes who come to Pritikin, what is most rewarding to Scott is his work with those who arrive at Pritikin in poor shape – people unable to walk more than a hundred feet. Within two to three weeks, "they’re walking – and sometimes even jogging – distances they never thought possible. It’s incredibly fulfilling to watch their transformation, and to know that every day I play a role in leading people back to health and vitality."

Director of Clinical Exercise,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• BS, Double Major: Exercise Science and Nutrition, Florida International University
• AA, Cardiovascular Technician for Exercise Tolerance Testing
• State Certified, DEXA Bone Density and Body Composition Screening

Lean, muscled, ever positive, and in his late 50s, Ivan Ferran is the "poster boy" at Pritikin for healthy aging at its best. In Ivan’s classes, which include core and strength training and aquatics, guests discover muscles they never knew they had - and a new love for exercise and feeling fit.

Ivan has been an inspiring force at Pritikin since 1988. Film crews worldwide, most recently BBC News, have filmed his classes, which always resonate with his energetic booming voice. Nothing says "fitness is fantastic" better. "I love what I do," says Ivan. "Before I came to Pritikin, I worked at hospitals, where it often seemed that people got worse – they were put on more drugs, for example, or they developed more sicknesses, or their fatigue was chronic. But here at Pritikin, people always get better. They leave us radiating energy and good health. Every day I go home happy because the spirit at Pritikin is always about happiness and hope."

Fitness Manager,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• American College of Sports Medicine Certification, Exercise Training
• Emergency Medical Technician Certification
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification
• Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer at Pritikin since 2000

In his one-on-one coaching and in cardio, core-and-stretch, and strength classes, Pedro is a master at activating guests’ motivational engines. "When it comes to losing weight and getting fit, it all starts with the mind. When you get your mind in the right place, you get success."

In addition to his various health and fitness certifications in the United States, Pedro also holds degrees in physical education from his native Argentina.

His colorful, always positive coaching style at Pritikin has been filmed by film crews worldwide, including, most recently, Argentina’s wildly popular version of "The Big Loser."

At Pritikin, Pedro also spearheads specialty programs like the Pritikin Family Program, which every summer teaches children ages 8 to 17 all about healthy living and fitness. The results have been phenomenal. Within two weeks, overweight children in the Pritikin Family Program have been documented to decreased LDL bad cholesterol 25%, shed 9 pounds, lower triglyceride fats 39%, and substantially reduce key markers of inflammation, including C-reactive protein.

Exercise Physiologist,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• BS, Exercise Science, Barry University
• American College of Sports Medicine Certification, Exercise Training

Marathon runner and Pilates devotee, Jennifer Shook brings to her classes at the Pritikin Longevity Center a personal passion for fitness that inspires even the most reticent to ramp up their heart rates and join in on the fun. For the last 10 years, she has worked as exercise instructor and personal coach in several fitness venues, including commercial, corporate, and private gyms.

Jennifer began working at Pritikin in 2007 and has excelled not only as a motivator but as a communicator, superbly talented at using simple, jargon-free language that addresses each guest’s individual needs. "For me, there’s nothing more fulfilling than helping people reach their goals," says Jennifer. "I love what I do."

Biomechanical and Musculoskeletal Director,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• BS, Physical Therapy, Florida International University
• Director of the Sports Clinic, an outpatient orthopedic and sports rehabilitation center in Miami
• Clinical coordinator of internships for physical therapists at the Sports Clinic
• Physical therapist for the National Football League

A registered physical therapist for 24 years as well as certified personal trainer and senior strength training specialist, Frank Musumeci brings priceless skills to guests at Pritikin who want to get past pain so that they can get back on the road to fitness and great health.

"Pritikin is the first wellness center in the U.S. to incorporate preventive orthopedic care with preventive cardiovascular care, and the results are amazing," says Frank. "Just think about it. You can have a superb eating plan and all the motivation in the world to exercise daily, but how do you sustain cardio exercise if you have orthopedic discomforts limiting you?" 

In addition to individual therapy, Frank lectures at Pritikin on the role of exercise in managing and preventing back, shoulder, and neck pain. He is also in private practice at the Sports Clinic in Miami. He sums up his work at Pritikin as "the perfect fusion of orthopedics and fitness."

Executive Chef,
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• CDP, Restaurant and Hotel Management, Cornell University
• BA, Hotel Management, University of the West Indies
• Food and Beverage Director, Cayman Resort Hotels, Cayman Islands
• Chef Consultant, Food and Beverage Director, Club Jamaica Beach Resort, Jamaica
• Sous Chef, American Restaurant Association, New York, New York
• Chef Tournant, Premiere Cruise Lines
• Executive Chef, Plantation Inn Hotel, Jamaica
• Executive Sous Chef, Boscobel Beach Resort & Club, Jamaica

Chef Anthony Stewart has won accolades worldwide, including five gold medals in top culinary competitions, for his masterful use of foodstuffs like fresh seafood and tropical fruit from his native Jamaica. Ingeniously and joyously, Chef Anthony creates cuisine that is pleasing not only to our palates but our hearts.

When not in the kitchen, Anthony is in the classroom, and has inspired thousands of Pritikin guests "to have some fun! For most people, cooking is a burdensome affair. Not so, I say! Our Pritikin guests leave our cooking classes amazed at how simple and delicious healthy cooking can be. I love to cook. Food is my life and passion, and I love nothing more than helping others ’catch‘ that passion."

Senior Editor and Writer
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

• MA, English, Loyola Marymount University
• BA, English/Philosophy, Loyola Marymount University
• Editor/Writer, Pritikin Programs and Newsletters, 1992 to present
• Marketing and Registration Director, Pritikin Longevity Center, 1985 to 1992
• Media assistant to Nathan Pritikin, 1980 to 1984

Eugenia Killoran has been the food and fitness journalist for the Pritikin Program for two decades. She has published nearly 3,000 articles, lectures, and book chapters on a wide variety of healthy living and weight-loss topics. She also converses online with Pritikin members in live webinars about all things Pritikin, from the latest science in heart health to tips on easy, tasty Pritikin cooking.

An avid runner and lover of fresh whole foods (she eats about 12 servings of fruits and veggies daily), Eugenia certainly walks her Pritikin talk and has enjoyed inspiring thousands worldwide to do the same.