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Nov. 15, 2023 - Dr. Oz Podcast
42:35
Busting the Biggest Belly Fat Myths | Dr. Oz | S6 | Ep 31 | Full Episode
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Today on Dr. Oz, Belly Rehab.
Three ways to get a flatter and firmer tummy.
Dr. Oz shows you how to fight fat with fat.
Plus, belly be gone.
We're busting the biggest belly fat mix.
I don't think I'm ever going to have a flat belly again.
Think again.
Three foods to conquer your bulging belly.
This November, feel it all on the Dr. Oz Show.
We're talking about belly fat.
Belly fat.
Now, if you think it's impossible to get rid of it, I want you all to think again.
Because we are changing all that today.
I am busting the biggest belly fat myths that you have believed through all these years.
And you know what, my friends?
I'm going to do it in the most explosive way imaginable.
And that's just the beginning.
Let's jump right in with the first myth about belly fat.
You've all been told that belly fat is the hardest fat to lose.
You all believe that's the case?
Can't get rid of it.
Susan's joining us.
She agrees with you.
Now, why is that?
Why does everyone think that's the truth?
I think that's the truth, Dr. Oz, because I've been to trillions of Zumba classes, millions of crunches, and I don't think I'm ever going to have a flat belly again being a mom of four.
Well, I'm going to change that for you and everybody else today, because I, my friends, do not believe that personally, but I'm going to do some big experiments today, like the kind you just saw.
That's just the tip of the iceberg, to try to establish if these are true or false.
Come on over here.
I've asked my good friend, Science Bob, to help us out, because he's the world expert, in my opinion, in doing these things.
In an adventuresome way.
All right, so with Science Bob's help, we're going to help everyone understand today that belly fat may not be the hardest fat to lose.
This I know is stunning to a lot of folks, but I want to explain it to you.
I want it to be really clear.
Welcome to the show, Science Bob.
Well, thank you.
Good to be back.
Good to be back.
You'll need those purple gloves on because Science Bob is a very messy scientist.
It's true.
I usually do leave a mess behind.
So, Craig, say one thing.
We've created two kinds of fat for you.
That's what Science Bob has done.
There's the belly fat, which I want you to put in your hands if you don't mind.
Just show it to everybody.
And then there's the other kind of fat in your body.
Keep holding that for a second.
Look at this fat that I've got.
This is the fat that's in your thighs, behind your arms, under your chin.
This is the other fat.
That's the belly fat.
There's a subtle difference between them.
And it turns out the fat in your belly is very unique.
Take away science, Bob.
Yeah, so we're going to use the science of polymers to kind of demonstrate this.
So imagine that these crystals here represent eating right and exercising, all that good stuff.
Go ahead and sprinkle that over the fat.
So we both are going to exercise and eat right and all those things, and we're both going to sprinkle on our fat.
Go ahead, sprinkle it on.
There you go, there you go.
Excellent.
Now go ahead and mix it up, you know, get a little exercise there yourself.
So then you mix that up.
Dr. Oz does the same thing.
You might notice something happening to that.
What is happening to it?
It's becoming liquid.
It's becoming liquid.
Yeah.
So it's actually liquefying.
We can actually demonstrate this.
You know, I've got a bucket here.
Yeah.
But let me show you, it's actually your most liquid asset, that stomach fat.
It's supposed to be able to...
Science Bob, help me.
Belly fat.
Watch what happens.
It gently...
Ooh.
All those blobs come pouring out.
Now let me show you what happens with my fat.
I did the same thing.
Nada.
Well, pretend that didn't happen.
But in general, we actually always thought that fat was sort of equally stubborn.
The belly fat is particularly able to be a liquid asset to sort of pour out of your body.
And that's why it's so important to understand that even 5 or 10 pounds, a little bit of weight loss immediately begins to affect this, which has a huge benefit because that's the fat that causes all the problems with blood pressure and cholesterol and diabetes, all that bad stuff.
Okay.
So, the second you begin losing weight, the second you start benefiting in a very big way for your health.
Now, to teach us a bit more about this, because this myth is busted, my friends, I want you to understand a little bit more about this woman who dedicated her career to how to conquer fat.
Liz Vaccarello is joining us.
Come on in, Liz.
Hello.
I hope you enjoyed a little demonstration.
I did.
It made quite a mess.
We did.
So, now that we know that belly fat is the most easily removed of our fats, explain to us how we actually get there.
Well, it's the easiest fat to lose if you do it the right way.
So many of us do sit-ups, we crunch ourselves into oblivion, and that is never going to get rid of the belly fat.
You've got to exercise and move and boost your metabolism.
And that is as easy as just walking 30 minutes a day, every day.
And then as you increase your intensity, you can boost it even more.
You can also try some metabolism boosting foods.
A breakfast of, say, scrambled eggs and hot salsa, the protein in the eggs and the capsaicin in the red pepper that makes the salsa fiery, that's going to sort of rev up your fire-burning engines and keep those calories burning all day long.
Like spicy eggs, Susan?
Have you ever had them?
Uh, yes.
You have had them?
Yes.
Not too spicy, but yeah, I've been easing into the spice.
I like the tips.
And keep the confidence, because you keep at it, it'll make a difference.
Okay.
Thanks for joining us.
All right, Bob, you're getting the next experiment ready.
Yeah.
Keep choosing company.
Liz and I are going to bust the next of these myths.
Stacy's joining us.
How are you, Stacy?
Hi, good.
So what is the myth you're worried about?
I think that the belly fat comes from your family, heredity.
I've got my parents, of course.
I've watched them over the decades, a little bit more later, a little bit more later.
And then I've got an older brother and sister, and it's starting to happen to them, and I'm trying to stop it to happen to me.
So the myth is, at least the one you believe, is that it's all your genes, or most of your genes.
Yeah.
Alright, so here's the deal.
We actually got a little video from your parents, because I was curious about their perspective.
Take it away, parents.
Hi, Dr. Oz.
We are Stacy's parents, and we have belly fat.
Yes, and we have also heard the myth that belly fat has a tendency to run in families.
Will Stacy eventually have belly fat the way we do?
I love your mom.
That is priceless.
Did you enjoy my camera?
We're a very shy family, obviously.
Liz, any truth to this myth at all?
I believe this myth myself.
I personally have a family history of belly fat, and in fact that's what inspired me to do the research for my book, 21 Day Tummy.
But the truth is that no matter if we have a big butt, a big thigh, fat belly, or even if we're thin, that genetics make up less than 50% of our risk for our body shape.
The rest is up to you.
So Liz, what can women do to beat the odds of following their family history of belly fat?
You have to manage stress.
When our body's stressed, it produces something called cortisol, and cortisol makes the body hold on to belly fat longer.
Now, cortisol also has a genetic component, so if you don't manage stress, you're more likely to inherit that family belly.
So, eat cortisol-fighting foods.
Anything containing a lot of vitamin C. You're talking about your citruses, your peppers, any dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, or Swiss chard.
Or it's as easy as drinking a cup or two of black tea every day.
Because tea has been shown to lower the cortisol levels more quickly after you have sort of a nerve-wracking event.
Your parents stress you out.
Maybe that's why they're passing on the belly fat.
Maybe.
Are you less stressed out now?
I am.
Thank you very much.
Folks, this myth is busted.
Get rid of it.
Thank you very much, Jason.
Come on over.
We're going to meet a new victim, because Bob's working on our next experiment.
Yeah.
So this is all about high-fat foods causing belly fat, which we have been telling folks about for a long time.
Vanessa, do you believe that to be the truth?
I believe it to be very true.
From experience, when I was 90 pounds heavier, I was eating all the wrong foods, high in fat, and my stomach just kept growing and growing and growing, and I was just like, oh, this is ridiculous.
So what kinds of foods do you eat to try to lose weight?
I've incorporated a lot of reduced-fat foods, low-fat foods even when it's snacking, type of ice creams, maybe in the meats, anything that's lower and reduced in fat.
And so you believe that cutting back fat is the main way to keep losing weight?
Yes, absolutely.
Audience, how many of you think that's the case?
Let me show your hands.
Most of the audience.
Alright, so Bob, let's break down this myth.
When you reduce fats in your food, what do you put in place of those fats?
You've got to put sugar and refined carbs.
That's what we generally do.
So, Vanessa, I want you to watch Science Bob.
Actually, we probably don't even need these.
It's so big, so explosive, this experiment, that gloves probably won't make much difference.
But just in case.
So we're trying to show what might happen when you start eating a lot of sugars and that that might make you fat.
Let's see.
Let's find out.
What is this, your body?
So this will represent our belly.
Okay.
And this will represent whether or not eating lots of sugars can affect the size of your belly.
Should we get close to it far from it?
Yeah, I would step back a little bit here.
All right, we're going to add this in.
Are we ready?
Here we go.
Three, two, one.
See, that goes in.
Oh, that's not bad.
Oh, my goodness.
Oh!
The fat literally overflows your body.
It's uncontrollable.
It overwhelms you.
Unbelievable.
Taking over everything.
And this...
Done it again.
Yeah, I probably wouldn't touch that.
Yeah.
Okay, wipe it out of your jacket.
Okay.
All right.
So...
If you look at this stuff, this overwhelming bulge of fat is what we experience, and it's the sugar, the sugar, the refined carbs that causes the problem.
So now that we've established that's the problem, the question is, what do you do about it?
And I actually think the solution is not cutting out fats, it's maybe cutting out bad fats, but it's adding back the good fats, the right fats.
Bob, show us.
Yeah, so we start doing that, and what we should start seeing is our fats going down and melting that away.
It's melting away.
Disappearing as he does that.
Because the fat cells in your body actually panic if they don't have the right fats around them.
If you can soothe them by eating the fats that reduce inflammation in the body, then guess what?
Your fat says, oh, it's okay.
And it begins to melt away in a much more elegant way.
And it also makes life a lot easier to be enjoyed if you can actually eat some of these healthy fats.
This myth is busted.
So Liz, what are the best fats to fight belly fat?
Monounsaturated fatty acids, MUFAs, in other words.
And we want to have one serving of them at every meal and snack throughout the day.
And this is going to shut down those fat cells and help stabilize the blood sugar, which as we know, is what's really behind the belly fat.
And MUFAs are olive oils, nuts, nut butters, avocado, and a little piece of dark chocolate.
So lots of ways of getting it.
That'll make it easier to keep going.
And kudos on your success today.
Thank you.
I'm proud of you.
All right.
Big thanks to Science Bob for all the experiments.
And also my guests who are risking your lives and trusting Science Bob.
I appreciate it.
You can find more information and belly fat fighting tips from Liz's book, The 21 Day Tummy.
It's on DrRoz.com as well.
We'll be right back.
Tell us, how did you get rid of your belly fat?
I wish it was a more exciting story, but all I did was eat right, jog whenever I could, and keep my eye on the prize.
You were a big inspiration, Dr. Oz.
Share your story on Facebook.com slash Dr. Oz.
Coming up, you've tried every trick to conceal it.
A bitter battle of the bulge.
But what you need is a belly rehab.
Tightening your tummy is simpler than you think.
Simple everyday foods to fight your belly fat.
Next.
What has you spooked about your health this Halloween?
Dr. Oz decodes your spine-tingling quirks.
What does it taste like?
Are you normal or nuts?
All new, Dr. Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow. - From belly fatness to belly rehab, we've got it all covered.
Now, have you used any of these belly diversion tricks?
Take a look.
The belt trick.
This helps to hide it all in your belly using a belt.
How about the good old tummy suck?
Let me see y'all do it.
You can't even breathe in an effort to look skinnier.
If so, you, like these ladies, may be in need of some belly rehab.
I'm so uncomfortable and sick and tired of having to put my pocketbook in front of my belly.
The reason why I carry a large bag is to cover my large stomach.
I am so tired of living in the dark life with all of these dark clothes.
It's black when I go to work, it's black when I go out, and I always have to have an empire waistline.
I'm sick of hiding my belly.
I use flowy baggy clothes to hide it.
I use my clothes as an invisibility cloak and I don't want to anymore.
Please, Dr. Oz.
Please, Dr. Oz.
Please help me.
Send me to go.
Belly rehab.
Melissa, Nancy, and Whitney all admit to disguising their bellies, but today they are bravely showing what they've been trying to hide.
So Melissa, why do you hide your belly?
This is the evidence that I'm an unhealthy eater ever since I've had my children.
I don't want to look the rest of my life like I'm still pregnant.
And I just can't find the right thing to get me through.
And how old was your youngest child?
Two.
Two.
Alright, we got something to work out here.
Nancy, when did you start trying to conceal this middle part?
About two years ago when I felt like I was getting older and everything was going south and I just wanted it to come back up north and show my best assets.
And Whitney, why did you decide to turn yourself into belly rehab?
Dr. Oz, I'm 36 years old, I'm single, and I'm ready to mingle.
So I need to get this tire off my waist.
My birthday's in December, and I need to be in my bikini by the spring.
We'll put Whitney's phone number on the website, so you'll have it all.
All right, for the three of you who have always found ways to hide your bellies, and for everybody else out there who feels this way, I've got three foods to fight belly fat.
It's my belly rehab.
Y'all ready for this?
Yay!
Come on over here.
Belly rehab time.
Wanda over here.
Come on over and do a slow jog, just like a victory lap.
The first food to fight belly fat has to do with calcium.
You can get calcium in many different ways.
You can get it in milk and yogurt.
You can get it in ricotta cheese.
I don't know what you guys normally have for breakfast.
Melissa, start us off.
Honestly, I don't eat breakfast.
As I know it is the most important meal of the day, I make sure that my kids eat breakfast well.
By the time I'm done then, I'm off to work, and before I know it, it's lunchtime.
Well, I gotta say, these are probably things you can incorporate pretty readily into your diet.
You can take this in the car with you, the yogurt, for example.
But I need you to get some calcium into your diet.
And that's actually why I'm talking about the dairy.
If you get calcium foods into your breakfast, you're usually gonna replace starchy, sugary stuff with stuff that we know helps you.
Plus, the calcium does something really important.
It suppresses a hormone that builds belly fat.
When you get pregnant, when you get a little older, when things change in your life, you actually change hormones as well.
And you need to nudge your hormones in the right direction.
The calcium seems to help do that, especially with belly fat.
So this is something I think you can incorporate into your morning.
Yogurt.
Yep.
Yogurt.
Milk.
Frank, put it on some cereal.
I just want it in place of some of the other stuff.
You're probably throwing it into your mouth as you go into whatever thing you're going to do in the morning.
Exactly.
Anything I can get my hands on quickly.
Okay.
Come on over.
Let's get to the next big surprise.
This is the belly fighting tool that I want everyone to have, and it's under this little dome.
I bet you want to have it.
I call it red vitamin C. Sounds exotic, doesn't it?
It's actually a very common food, and it's a very good source of vitamin C, which is a secret here.
So, imagine what's under here, because that's a clue, right?
It fits under there.
That's red, it has vitamin C in it.
Any thoughts?
Cherries?
Red velvet cake?
Oh, damn it.
A woman after my heart.
Any thoughts?
It is...
Red Ruby Grapefruit.
Oh, okay.
You've heard of these, right?
Yes.
Have you heard of the Red Ruby Grapefruit Diet?
Yes.
We heard of the grapefruit diet, right?
Yes.
Alright, so there's a little science there actually.
With these crazy ideas, they start off sounding crazy and if you dive a little deeper, sometimes there's some truth to them.
Eating half a grapefruit gives you a lot of vitamin C. Why do you care about vitamin C? Because it turns out that when you have a lot of vitamin C, over the course of about six weeks, you can actually lose about an inch of your waist.
There's a couple reasons for it.
Vitamin C actually suppresses your making some of the stress hormones, so you don't get the crazy reactions in your body.
What can you add on as a sweetener?
Will it take away from the vitamin C in it if you add a little sweetener?
Can I share a little secret with you?
Yes.
You guys try this tonight, you're going to thank me for the rest of your lives.
You can put a tiny bit of salt on your grapefruit and it makes it taste sweeter.
Really?
Yeah, you don't have to put sweet stuff on there.
Because yes, if you put a couple of tablespoons of sugar on there, it defeats the purpose.
But the vitamin C, especially if you're doing any activity, will help burn away that visceral fat, that belly fat that's holding you guys back.
And for belly rehab, that's where we went ahead.
Yes.
Ready for the final step in belly rehab?
It's my belly fat fighting food, pistachios.
I'm using fat to fight fat.
Now obviously all nuts have fats in them and people sometimes run away from them because of that, but the fat in pistachios very specifically allows your fat to relax so it can sort of go away, melt away from you, which is what you want, and it promotes the growth of probiotic bacteria in your gut.
And here's the part about it, it's a great, great snack food.
So what do you guys like to snack on?
I love anything salty.
I guess my secret addiction is Cheez-Its, but I can do this all day.
You ever have cheese with your velvet cake?
Oh, that sounds so good.
I've never tried it, but it sounds good.
This is an ounce of this precious commodity of pistachios.
And here's the best part.
You can eat all these.
If you count them up, on average, it's about roughly 50 of these pistachios for about 150 calories.
Good.
I can replace the chips in my drawer at work with pistachios.
This needs to be your go-to snack.
Listen, I want the right breakfast with calcium.
I want some vitamin C in your meals during the daytime to deal with the stresses so you don't build up belly fat.
And I want you to have the right fats, which are what these pistachios are about.
And that's my belly rehab plan.
And I'll tell you, these are tools that have a lot of research behind them.
You put them together, and you'll be successful.
Perfect.
Start snacking.
Enjoy yourselves.
Thank you.
We'll be right back.
Next.
Is your life weighing you down?
Desperate for more energy?
Boost your stamina so you don't crash throughout the day.
Replenish with affordable remedies to keep you humming along.
The energy kit every woman needs this season.
Next.
It's that time of year.
The holidays are here, the weather is changing, and you're just exhausted doing all that crazy stuff.
So I get it.
I went to the top doctors around the country specializing in functional medicine.
They look at the root causes of problems.
And we created the energy kit that every woman needs this season.
It's all in this nice little red box here.
You want to know what's in here?
I thought so.
So many of you guys say you're desperate for energy.
Well, I wanted to get you some help.
We'll get started with Sarah.
How are you, Sarah?
Hi.
So what is draining your energy?
I work lots of crazy hours and my biological clock is just going crazy.
Doesn't cooperate with you?
No, not at all.
You like sweets?
Yes.
They come in handy when you're feeling down, don't they?
So I've got an energy solution that might help.
People who are sort of tired all day long, and I think a foundation for tiredness is low iron anyway, but if you're tired all day long especially, and this solution will help.
It's black strap molasses.
Hold that for one second if you don't mind.
If you don't mind.
Don't look in there anymore.
You're just like Vano White.
Just point, but don't touch.
All right.
You want to try some?
Can I mix it in water and drink it?
Oh, you have to be brave today.
Okay.
So you actually can mix it in a lot of things.
I like blackstrap molasses because you can use it on pancakes.
You can put it in smoothies and drinks.
Okay.
Give it a taste.
I want an honest opinion.
You want it?
There we are.
As you're tasting it.
Oh, please.
It's not bad.
It's not bad.
No, I won't taste it.
I want to make sure the audience likes it first.
So here's the deal.
You want a little bit more iron in your body if you feel like you're exhausted all the time.
This has a lot of iron in it.
It is a little bit sweet.
When you have the iron in your body, you can make more red cells, more energy to do all the things you want to do in life.
You can take this first thing in the morning.
It gets a sort of routine up and running.
And I like to include it in my breakfast.
We like sweet stuff for breakfast anyway.
So take this bottle.
Okay.
You can share it with the other members of the audience if you want.
Okay.
Here's a little token of my appreciation, the spoon.
Thank you.
Take care.
That's the least I could do.
Alina!
Come on up.
So, why are you so drained?
Well, I just went back to work as a nurse after 10 years of being home with my kids.
Well, thank you for being a healer.
Nurses are the real healers.
You all know that.
They do all the heavy lifting.
So, I just can't get used to it.
So, what time's the day you're more exhausted?
Mostly at night because I work night shift.
So, nights and then early mornings when I get home.
So, you know, for me, it's a lot about the circadian rhythm of life, and a lot of folks don't realize it, but there's a solution that uses a very good tool.
It's called matcha tea.
Matcha powder is a version of it.
This is what they drink in Japan to get their energy.
We're not the only people who get tired.
People all over the world have these issues.
The nice thing about matcha powder, matcha tea, is that it comes with a whole leaf.
And when you use the whole leaf, you get all the nutrients from there.
It provides about six hours of steady energy.
And here's the good part, you don't get the jittery side effects, which is a nurse putting the IVs in.
You don't go like this.
And I think it's a great pick-me-up instead of coffee.
So think about it.
Okay.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Meryl, how are you?
So, I want you to complete this sentence.
My energy is so low, it's like...
What did you get?
One word.
A drained battery.
That's two words.
Okay.
Just drained.
Drained.
That's fine.
Drain battery.
A lot of people feel like that, and you're just looking for anything to give you a little bit more juice.
So the next item I have in here is something we all have in our pantries.
Okay.
But most of us don't think about it as the energy source that it really represents.
Are you ready?
Yes.
Drum roll.
It is...
Hard-boiled eggs.
Wow.
Now, my little container there might come in handy.
That's part of the secret because I want you to be able to take these hard-boiled eggs with you.
Go ahead and pop it open.
You'll see how convenient it is.
It's not just the perfect protein source.
Maybe it's not that easy.
It's adult-proof.
I don't think I can open it.
B12. Come on.
I'll get it.
I know how to open it.
It's a great source of vitamin B12. Oh, thank you.
Because the yolk has B12 in it.
And a lot of us, when we're low in vitamin B12, again, we don't make the basic energy packets as well.
Our red cells don't function the way they're supposed to, and we end up with issues.
And you actually can't make your own B12. You have to eat it.
So eggs give you two things.
They give you the B12, and they give you the protein, which satiates you, so you don't have to go for the ups and downs of your hormones, which really drain our energy.
So make a dozen of these on the weekend.
Okay.
Package them up, put them in the fridge.
When you run out of the house in the morning, grab them and off you go, and it's your snack for the day.
Awesome.
Okay?
Again, these are the things, I love them.
They're recommended by the world experts in functional medicine.
They're so simple, so easy, so accessible to us.
You can do them all together if you want.
You don't have to do just one or the other.
Okay.
Fit them to your lifestyle, whatever works.
Okay.
And who's last?
Janet, you last?
Yes.
How are you?
Hi.
So, give me a word that describes your energy.
Non-existent.
Non-existent?
Non-existent.
Nothing makes it better, huh?
Oh, well, it picks me up, but it drains me down.
Life does.
So, this last little tip my experts agreed on, and it's a spice that I think a lot of folks should know about.
It's called cardamom.
And you can put cardamom in all kinds of foods.
I like spices in general because they're like medicines, except you can make them part of every meal you have.
They actually open up the blood vessels a little bit in your body, so more blood can go through the circulation, increases a bit.
Again, what you want for full energy, because if blood vessels open, all the energy that you've been making, the red cells we've been talking about, they can go to all the little distant parts of the body more readily.
It's a very distinctive taste.
You can pop the lid and give a little smell to it.
It'll remind you of different kinds of foods you've had, Indian foods in particular.
You can put it in curries and rice.
I like it in tea.
It's actually what I usually drink is a tea, a cardamom cinnamon tea.
And I happen to adore it.
I think you're going to sprinkle this on your meals during the day, especially dinner.
Where can I get it?
Everywhere.
And it's inexpensive.
All these things are really inexpensive.
And you can find them in regular grocery stores pretty readily.
Make this part of your energy kit.
Make an energy kit that fits your needs.
And again, whatever works for you, that's what's going to be the thing that's going to help you most often.
Thank you all for being part of this.
All of these are on DrRoz.com.
I'll be right back.
Next, it's a dreaded and embarrassing condition.
Hair loss.
A growing problem affecting more women now than ever before.
Reverse and prevent the problems.
The must-have nutrients everyone should use to help you grow your hair thicker.
Next.
What has you spooked about your health this Halloween?
Dr. Oz decodes your spine-tingling quirks.
What does it taste like?
Are you normal or nuts?
All new, Dr. Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
It's one of the most shameful conditions, a dreaded and embarrassing sign of aging.
Thinning hair.
So today, dermatologist Dr. Ellen Marmer is here to help with her thick hair diet.
Now this seems to be a growing problem.
A lot of more folks today are having issues with their hair than before.
What gives?
Yeah, I have so many patients come in and they're so distressed.
It's so disturbing.
And they say, Dr. Marmer, my hair is everywhere, all over the bathroom floor.
And I do remind them that it's normal to lose up to 100 hairs a day.
So that's okay.
More than you think.
It's a lot, actually.
It can look like it's all over and it's still normal.
But, you know, hormones, aging, stress, all those things cause hair loss.
But one thing is all these fad diets where people are eating, like, only white food for seven days or they're skipping out on meals.
And that is the number one cause that I think is causing hair loss these days.
But the good news is you can change your diet and improve your hair.
Dr. Murmur says focus on just three nutrients, just three nutrients that every meal can help your hair grow thicker.
Now she's seen success in some of her patients.
I'll give you an example.
This was Dr. Murmur's patient before and then immediately after being on the thick hair diet that we're going to talk about today, which I think is a spectacular difference.
And this is just with foods.
So how long does it take to see those kinds of differences?
It can take three to six months for most patients.
So a little bit of investment because hair grows slowly, but with that kind of result, I think we take the investment.
Okay, the first nutrient we're going to talk about in the thick hair diet has to do with protein.
How does protein, before you get to the foods, make a difference for hair growth?
So proteins are amino acids.
Those are the building blocks of our body, and our hair is 97% keratin, which is the protein in the hair.
Without those amino acids, without good amino acids, other organs, like your heart and your lungs, steal the proteins that we need for our skin and our hair.
Forget the heart.
This is a classic dermatology heart surgery debate.
Come on, we want to look young and have big hair.
Heart just pumps blood to the hair.
Yeah, exactly.
That's what the heart is there to do, is to support our hair growth.
But anyway, so we want better proteins to grow stronger proteins for our hair.
Well, why wouldn't women have enough protein?
Well, they skip it, or they become crazy, like, one-food people, or they just forget to eat good food.
You're going to die.
You know, I had an audience member, where's Caitlin?
I know she was here.
Caitlin, please come on down if you don't mind.
I heard this just before the show.
Caitlin happens to be with us, and I think her story might resonate with some of you.
How are you, Caitlin?
Good, how are you?
Sorry to surprise you.
So when did you stop, or rather, why did you stop eating protein?
It started just to lose some weight, get a little bit healthier and then it turned into something where I was not comfortable eating animals.
So what happened to your hair?
It started falling out very thin all of a sudden and it wasn't.
My hair was very thick actually.
Alright, so let's talk about this.
What's the best protein to get Caitlin and everyone else who may have made a mistake with their diet?
Yeah, we all get confused about what we're supposed to eat, so it is really better to know what we can target our focus on.
So anyway, so the meat, I understand.
Some people don't really want meat.
If you don't mind eating meat, fish like salmon is great.
It's got omega-3s and vitamin B12, as well as lean red meat is also fine for people who do eat meat.
But for those people who don't, a vegetarian chili is absolutely the ideal meal.
It's got kidney beans.
It's got navy beans.
Anything like that is full of great proteins for your hair.
And the portions are also really important.
You can use the palm of your hand as a good standard, but three to four ounces of any of these is going to be enough for your daily dose of protein.
All together?
Three to four ounces all together for the whole day?
Well, you can eat more than that, but you wouldn't want to eat less than that.
Okay.
You know, my wife Lisa's been a vegetarian since before I met her.
Right.
And she's always been able to maintain the care, but she's very meticulous about making sure she gets the protein.
Right.
So it's only been about four months for me, so trying to, like, maintain that and make sure I eat enough food in general, it's been tough.
Yeah.
But if I have more food, it's the right kind of food.
Right.
Thanks, Caitlin.
You want to stay there?
Get eating.
Try eating your protein.
The next nutrient for the thick-haired diet is zinc, which is pretty critical for a lot of reasons.
Explain to everyone why zinc is so important.
Zinc does two things for your hair.
Zinc helps improve the circulation to the scalp.
And scalp is just skin.
It needs to rejuvenate, actually.
So with that good circulation, you can actually provide those amino acids that we were just mentioning with your protein.
The other thing that zinc does is it affects the hormones of the scalp.
And hair follicles are very much driven by androgen hormones, and so the hormonal balance really matters.
The hair cycle goes in three phases.
Antigen phase is the growth phase.
Without your zinc, the hair cycle goes into shock, and it goes into the shedding phase.
Got it.
So what are the best sources of zinc?
So my favorite sources are nuts and seeds, and this would be great for our other guests.
Cashews are great, Brazil nuts, walnuts are fantastic with zinc.
Classically, people would also eat oysters and pumpkin seeds.
So this is a great way to have a snack in your bag every day that is perfect for your hair.
I don't know how people don't like oysters.
Most folks don't.
I just have surveyed the audience so many times to know that.
But they are fantastic.
So give me a dose.
These are like prescriptions.
What's the right amount?
You're going to have about two tablespoons.
And again, that's the minimum.
So you could just kind of make a little baggie of all this together, sprinkle it on your salad, just bring it with you, give it to your kids, and they're getting good zinc.
All right.
Bionutrient that comes up a lot for general health, but it's particularly important for the Thick Hair Diet program is iron.
So again, iron is needed from blood cells.
You get an anemia if you don't have enough iron, but you'll also end up with thinning hair.
So if I can get someone to visit us, Lita wrote on her Facebook page, she said she was anemic and losing her hair and asking for help.
Welcome to the show, Lita.
Hi.
Hi, how are you?
Where did you notice your hair loss in particular?
Seven years ago, my hairline and around my temples, I have a receding hairline and I need help.
I take iron supplements because I'm anemic.
Are you still anemic with the iron supplements you're taking?
No, I'm better now.
Why is iron such an important predictor of hair problems?
You know, a lot of women have iron deficiency all the way through their lives, from their menstrual cycle through, you know, pregnancy, nursing, and even menopause.
So it's kind of classic for women.
So always check your iron levels.
The iron carries your oxygen, which is your energy, to your hair.
And it makes your hair follicle grow stronger, and then it holds on to that hair.
So when you're styling it, it's less likely to fall out.
Yes, I've been shedding a lot.
And you mentioned before that the bathroom, sleeping up the floor, sleeping up the hair off the floor.
That's me.
It's scary for people.
They see it and they freak out.
I'm like, I can't.
I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm losing my hair.
And I can never wear my hair combed back.
I always pull it to the front to try to hide it.
Because of the receding hairline.
Yes.
I'm embarrassed by it.
So how much iron, what are the best sources?
Give me an idea.
Iron is actually found in a lot of different foods, so it's pretty easy to maintain a good iron diet.
Classically, eggs and lean meat.
But one of my favorite things to do is to tell people, make the same salad for your lunch every single day.
Really?
So deep greens, your kales, your spinach, all kinds of, your Swiss chard, all kinds of deep greens.
And then you can put lentils or peas and other things in it.
You can sprinkle in some of your peanuts.
You can even have some hard-boiled egg in there.
And then all the other things we mentioned today, All in that one daily salad.
Yeah, that same salad every day.
It's going to make sure that you get that healthy dose and it's going to take the guesswork out of it.
Are you eating this today?
Any of these foods that have iron in them?
I eat the salad.
I do the spinach.
I do kale.
I do boiled eggs.
I do some beans, some of the beans that I saw over there.
And one other trick is that your iron will be absorbed better if you have citrus with it.
So in that salad, add a little bit of citrus like clementines or oranges.
Really?
Okay, that I don't do.
Anita, thank you for sharing your story.
Oh, thank you so much.
Dr. Marble, wonderful advice as always.
We'll be right back.
Coming up, autism didn't stop him in his tracks.
An inspiring young man who found a new path.
How he hit the ground running to become a star athlete.
Is here for you.
And the once in a lifetime moment he doesn't see coming.
Next. - It's time for Everyday Health Heroes.
Today's hero, an incredible young man who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months.
And after years of trying to communicate, his parents found a very unique way to help their son open up.
His name is Mikey.
This week I had the privilege of meeting him and running after him.
Literally.
Incredible speed isn't the only thing that separates Mikey Branigan from other 17-year-olds.
When he was 18 months old, he was diagnosed with autism.
When you find out your child has autism and you don't really know what that means or what's going to happen, it's devastating.
When he was three years old, they said, start getting on waiting lists for group homes.
He will never be independent.
He will never drive.
He will never marry.
He will never go to college.
And we didn't know any better.
I didn't understand that just because they said that didn't mean it was true.
But if autism made Mikey different, running made him extraordinary.
A chance encounter between Mikey's dad and Coach Steve of Rolling Thunder Special Needs Program put Mikey on a new path.
When I saw him run, it was like poetry in motion.
He's got a gift.
How many shoes do you go through in a year?
Four years.
You wear out four shoes?
These shoes are four years old.
I guess we're not in the same place in our running careers.
So are you a stretch-before-you-run kind of guy?
Yes, I do.
Can I stretch with you?
Yeah, sure.
Show me a little routine you do here.
Like this, hold it for 15 seconds.
I can keep up with you on this, maybe.
On the side.
You run a lot?
Yeah, I do.
Like how many miles are you running a week?
70 miles per week.
70 a week?
Are you serious?
I'm dead serious.
And how fast do you run a mile in?
Four or five.
Four minutes and five seconds in a mile?
Yes.
I'm like a 10 minute mile guy.
Would you be willing to run, let's say, a seven minute mile with me?
Yeah, nice and easy.
Nice and easy.
See, I don't think I can do it.
So how old were you when you started running seriously?
Since years old.
Six?
This is too fast for me.
I'm doing my best.
Maybe we'll slow down.
Maybe I'll just hold onto you like this.
Running transformed Mikey's life in every way.
Mikey's a gift.
He's changed all our lives and he's been changing lives of other families that have autistic children and giving them hope.
Currently ranked the number seven high school runner in the country, Mikey's now on quite a successful track.
What's the future for you?
Maybe the Olympics?
What do you think?
College.
College first?
College first.
That would be pretty cool to run the Olympics, wouldn't it?
Yeah.
It'd be a dream come true.
For us, too, to watch you run it.
Please welcome Mikey Branigan and his mom, Edie.
How are you?
Good.
This is the first time I've actually been able to catch up to him since we started running.
Not only did he kick my butt pretty badly, he compared me to a grandma.
Is that what I... Yeah, yeah.
That's what I do.
Come and have a seat.
Have a seat.
So, quick question.
Why do you love running?
Because I enjoy the sport.
Just like the way it feels, the wind going by your face?
Yes.
See, when I run, there's no wind going by my face.
I can tell.
You can tell.
Imagine an hour of this, trying to keep up for a couple of miles.
Any one of the changes you've seen in your beautiful sun?
Mikey started running in fourth grade and within two years something happened in his brain from the running that allowed him to absorb and focus and his academics became age-appropriate with his typical peers by sixth grade.
He was doing the exact same work in sixth grade.
Edie, when you see your son, as you describe, surpass all expectations, how does that make you feel?
You know, it was really hard.
The first ten years were so hard.
And now we just know that Mikey is perfect, exactly the way he is.
He's the way he's supposed to be, the way God knows him.
Alright, so here's the deal.
Mikey has confided in me that he's going to run for our country in the Olympic Games.
He actually is on track to do that.
So I thought I'd give you a little surprise to you for the blessing you gave me and the little bit of coaching you gave me as well.
No problem.
I hope you take that with you.
I'm running faster already.
Never forget that.
So, USA track and field Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano is here for you.
- Yeah! - Come on!
Come on! - Wow. - Congrats.
Congratulations on all your performances.
Thank you.
You have been so inspiring to all of us, to all of us Olympians.
You've been amazing.
And I just want to say that you're incredible.
Thank you.
Your times are right there on par with what we were doing.
And I know you can make it.
You can do it.
Thank you.
So what do you got for him?
Is that a gift?
Yes, sir.
Do I have one too?
On behalf of USA Track and Field and our athletes, we want to present you with this USA Track and Field.
Go America!
Unbelievable.
You feeling pretty good about this?
I'm feeling happy.
He's really happy.
I can see your eyes.
Mom, thank you for bringing him to us.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
The difficulties are making him who he is.
Thank you.
All right, so if you know someone who's making a difference and deserves to be honored as one of our everyday health heroes, if you want to hear from me, go to DrEyes.com, tell us about it, and we'll be right back.
Let's rock.
What has you spooked about your health this Halloween?
Dr. Oz decodes your cringeworthy.
What does it taste like?
Spine tingling.
Extra body parts.
Hair raising quirks.
Are you normal or nuts?
Plus, Dr. Oz puts your stress to the test.
With a frightening reality, step into a haunted house.
Could you be scared to death?
All new, Dr. Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
I'm excited for you to meet my next guest.
is Simple Step for Happiness is changing the streets of New York.
Come on out, high-five guy.
Oh, my.
Dr. Haas!
You have to be the happiest Yorker I've ever met.
What's the, like, high-fiving?
Thank you!
Why did you ever start doing it?
Because I'm walking around, I'm new to New York, and I'm looking around at all the faces, and all I see when people are hanging down cabs just like this, they're left hanging.
They need some love in their life.
They need some mayo.
So I was like, this is an amazing opportunity.
I didn't even think about them getting a taxi.
They're like, oh my God, this is going to be a lot of fun.
So I saw the first person.
I'm walking with my buddy, Ellie.
He's actually in the crowd.
He's a video guy.
And I'm like, okay, we're going to try this out.
Next person we see hailing a cab, I'll give them a high five and see how it goes.
So we go over to them.
And...
Just like that.
And the reaction was, like, amazing.
We're like, okay, next week we're going to do this.
We put out the video, and, you know, thanks to everybody who's been watching it.
It's been amazing.
It's good for you, Meyer.
Go high-five those guys over there.
Never underestimate the power of a high-five.
Give it to strangers a surprise high-five.
The day will change them.
All right, last time, for in case you missed it, a couple of things I want you to remember from today's show.
First, Meyer's making a ruckus over there.
Maya, you can't calm the man down.
Unbelievable.
First, I don't want you to let Ms. Stan in the way of losing your belly.
You can bust your belly fat.
And remember, we busted the myth that eating low-fat foods melts your fat.
In fact, what you did was we added sugar into the mix there.
Watch what happened to your belly fat.
It exploded, and not just a little bit, and it really got big, which so many of us experience all the time at home.
You can bust through that myth by avoiding those sugars and eating the right fats.
Not the fat that's a problem, it's the sugar.
Finally, let me close with a warning.
Please be careful about what you buy online, especially weight loss pills.
There are some dubious people online that prey on folks like you who are trying to do the right thing for your health.
Sometimes, they've been trying to make it seem like I'm endorsing their products, and I don't.
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