Dr. Robert Vogel, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, co-authored the book titled “The Pritikin Edge” about the Pritikin program, a health and wellness plan. Vogel spoke with The Examiner about the program, founded by Nathan Pritikin, which advocates healthy eating and exercise as the keys to longevity.

How would you characterize the Pritikin philosophy?

We teach lifestyle from the point of view of healthy, long living. It’s not a quick-fix weight loss [plan]. It is a simple comprehensive plan for eating well, for exercising, for de-stressing. All the components are important. I have tried to boil down the entire lifestyle into 10 essentials.