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Nov. 17, 2023 - Dr. Oz Podcast
42:36
Dr. Andrew Weil's No-Pill Solutions | Dr. Oz | S6 | Ep 36 | Full Episode
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Today on Dr. Oz, natural remedies that work like meds, without the side effects.
Push past the problems that plague you.
Dr. Andrew Weil shows you the new no-pill solutions.
Plus, is it safe to eat food after the expiration date?
Before you toss it, find out how long food really stays fresh.
The surprising truth may save you hundreds on groceries.
Coming up next on Dr. Oz...
Did you know that 70% of Americans are currently on prescription drugs?
And if you add to that all the over-the-counter medications we take, it's just plain staggering.
But you know, the most common conditions can often be treated naturally.
So today, we are thinking not just out of the box, but out of the bottle to find the pill-free solutions for you.
Now, to help show you how to do this, world-renowned integrative medicine doctor Andrew Weil is here.
Come on out, Eddie.
This is the guru.
The guru.
Honestly, I'm so proud that you've come on the stage because you've got so much wisdom.
He's trained half the folks that actually try to focus on this, so thank you for being here.
Pleasure.
Let's talk about medications.
Do you think that we're probably taking too many of the prescription medications?
You know, I grew up in the 1940s, 1950s, and statistics are that Americans then took prescribed medication at about 10% of the rate that they do now.
So there has been a tremendous increase in consuming of prescription drugs.
I've got to say I think a lot of that is unnecessary.
And you've been very outspoken about the possibility that prescription medications actually make some of these common conditions worse.
Yes.
Some of them, I think they may be okay for short-term use, but when they're used long-term, they may actually prolong or worsen the conditions they were prescribed for.
And for the skeptics out there, because I think a lot of folks, understandably, didn't grow up with this stuff, so they're going to be resistant.
How is it possible that an alternative approach might work as well as a pill?
Pills have been studied.
First of all, a lot of the pills are chemicals that were originally identified in plants and have been purified and isolated.
In many cases, the plants are complex mixtures that work better, they mesh better with the chemistry of the body than these purified compounds.
So the natural form ends up being more of a home game for us.
I think they're safer and in some cases more effective.
So it's going to start.
The first problem that millions of people watching right now suffer from is indigestion.
Adrienne is one of them.
She wrote into the show saying she's dealing with serious issues here.
Adrienne, welcome to the show.
How are you?
I'm great.
Dr. Wiles here to help you.
Nice to meet you.
I have to make sure we have your story right.
You say you're taking over-the-counter products, antacids, a couple times a week.
Yes.
Up to four times sometimes a week.
And is it working?
Not really.
It's like a temporary fix.
It's very uncomfortable.
So describe it exactly.
When you have eaten something that doesn't agree with you and you take one of these antacids, what goes on?
It's usually gas, it's usually bloating, a lot of heartburn.
Yeah, yeah.
It's just, I'm looking for any type of suggestion.
And is it primarily antacism?
What are you taking to relieve this problem?
It could be, oh, you name it, I've taken it.
It could be Prilosec, it could be Gasex, Toms.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Come on back, Dr. Weil.
Some of these conventional problems.
When you take antacism a lot, what happens to you?
There's a rebound effect when you stop.
When you suppress acid, there's a pressure that builds up for more acid to be produced when you stop taking it.
But also, acid is your main defense against infection coming in by the oral route.
So when you knock out stomach acid, you're much more vulnerable to infection.
Also, these things used over time interfere with the absorption of minerals.
So when the many patients come to your clinic, what do you recommend for these problems, specifically the heartburn and the gus?
Well, here, I'll just mention two very common, simple things.
One is ginger.
Ginger has a long history of use of being a stomach soother.
You can make fresh ginger tea just by grating up some ginger and simmering it in water.
You can put sweetener in if you want.
Or you can buy ginger tea in tea bags.
Just make sure it's pure ginger, not actual tea, ginger-flavored.
But that's a very good remedy for stomach upset, heartburn.
And this is one, if you've ever been to an Indian restaurant, when you go out at the cash register, often there's a little bowl of sugar-coated fennel seeds that are meant to be chewed after dinner, like after dinner mints.
Fennel helps expel gas from the digestive tract.
It's called a carminative.
That's an old term for an herb that helps expel gas.
So you can just chew up a teaspoon of fennel seeds.
You can also simmer these into a tea.
Or you can find the sugar-coated ones in Indian grocery stores.
Adrian, what was the word used for gas?
Carminative.
No, no.
You pass the gas.
You expel the gas.
You want to expel some gas?
Absolutely.
Take a little pinch there.
And I'm telling you, as soon as you take that, put that in there.
Take a big, we don't have any mistakes here.
Good.
You want to chew them up.
Now, we're going to send you back to the audience before anything gets expelled.
Thanks, Adrian.
All right.
Actually, you know what?
Come on, I'll walk you back over here.
Who in the audience is exhausted?
Let me see a show of hands.
Everybody?
You're dressed in red.
I can't help but come here.
What's your first name?
Gina.
Gina, come on over, Gina.
Look, the original, but Dr. McDreamy right here.
You're very kind.
And you join us.
Adrian, thank you very much.
Hi.
Very nice to meet you.
So, what are you trying to do these days to fall asleep?
I have been through every kind of medication, every kind of test, sleep study.
I can't even begin to tell you how I suffer from insomnia really bad.
So what do you reckon?
What's the first thing everyone should be doing before they start throwing pills out?
Do you have a problem turning your mind off when you get into bed?
Yes, I do.
I can't shut it down.
It's always going.
All right, so here's a very simple technique.
It's called mantra, and it comes...
Some of it comes from Eastern religion, but there are Western forms of it, and there's purely secular forms, unassociated with religion.
It's simply the repetition, either silently or aloud, of a phrase.
And you just do this over and over, and it gives the mind something to hold on to, so it interrupts the train of thought.
A very simple one that I like to use is, I am at peace.
So when you get into bed, you can either say this silently, or you can say it out loud.
Just repeat over and over, I am at peace, I am at peace.
Just do that for a second.
Close your eyes for a second.
We're not going to fall asleep right now.
You say it to yourself?
Say it to yourself.
Do it together, actually, so we can hear you.
I am at peace.
So you do that until you sort of relax and glide in.
Until you fall asleep.
But it gives the mind something to grab onto instead of the train of thoughts.
That's a very common problem that people can't shut off thinking.
I can't.
And I probably, because I never shut it down, I probably would turn that into a song and get up and start dancing or something.
The mantra tunes.
You work on it back in your seat over there.
I want you to see it by the end of the segment.
I hope so.
Thank you very much.
Good luck.
All right.
Next segment we're tackling affects millions of people, young and old.
It can be embarrassing.
It's oily skin.
Christine's joining us, and she says she's tired of packing on the makeup to deal with this.
Hi, Dr. Oz.
How are you?
Hi.
Yes.
What are you currently doing?
I have oily skin so I break out everywhere and I've used all the over-the-counter medications that contain benzoyl peroxide.
It makes my skin really red and itchy.
I went to a dermatologist and they wanted to give me pills to take and I read the side effects and it scared me.
So I need help.
Dr. Waugh, what do you recommend?
Well, a very simple remedy.
These are the dried flowers of a plant called calendula.
Its common name is pot marigold because it's an edible flower that's used to color cheese and butter.
Anyway, very soothing, calming to the skin.
So you can buy dried calendula flowers, or you can actually get these in tea bags.
If you have the flowers, just pour hot water over them, let them steep, then let it cool, and then you just dip Piece of cotton and liquid and bathe your face in that.
Or if you have the tea bags, you can let them cool and just use the actual tea bags.
It's been used for centuries.
Very soothing to the skin.
Have you ever heard of Calendula before?
No.
I haven't either.
I don't understand how you get all this.
It's unbelievable.
I think that's traveled the world, but it is remarkable that there are solutions like this out there that we've never heard of.
Yeah, and this is effective.
It really works.
It's totally safe.
Oh, great.
You have chocolate there, too?
What's that?
Well, you know, people are always told that chocolate's bad for your skin.
It turns out it's very good for your skin.
It's got very rich in antioxidants, more antioxidants than red wine or green tea.
It's got to be dark, pure dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, and you don't want to eat a pound of it at a time.
You're always going to rust the stage.
Thank you.
Good luck with that.
Thank you.
And our last question has to do with gout.
Janice is here because she suffers from gout.
How are you?
Hi, Dr. Oz.
It's nice to meet you.
Again, gout's a kind of inflammation of the joints.
It's very, very common.
And there is actually a real cure, so we just treat the symptoms usually with nonsteroidals like ibuprofen and the like.
So if you can, just describe everybody what it feels like when you have this.
What have you tried?
Painful stabbing solution, Dr. Ross.
It feels like I dropped something on my big toe.
On your big toe, that's the commonest.
Actually, had I been invited here a month ago, I wouldn't have been able to make it because I could not walk on that toe.
Taking ibuprofen, medications I can't even pronounce.
And it still comes back and gets you.
And it still comes back.
It's just a painful stabbing, very uncomfortable feeling.
So before Dr. Waugh comes up with a solution, I want to make sure you're all clear on what this is because we haven't talked about gout before on the show.
It's a swelling problem, very common around the country.
Probably, I don't know, 8 million people are seeking relief for this.
So a lot of folks don't even know they have it.
And the pain is memorable, but you may not know this is what's causing it.
So let's go through what happens.
Let's see if you put something in your mouth.
And there's some foods that are particularly a problem here.
It's broken down these foods into uric acid.
Just remember that word uric acid.
It's absorbed into the intestinal tract, and then generally goes up to the liver, and then it's pumped over to the kidneys where it's excreted.
Now, as it goes to the body, if you can't get rid of it all, or if you make too much of this uric acid, then the kidneys can't get rid of it, or there's so much that they just have to share it with the rest of the body, and what ends up happening is, especially in the big toe, you get these very sharp needle-like crystals that are in joints, they cause incredible pain, because they're literally like daggers in there, Imagine these very sharp little stabbing things in there pushing on your joint.
No wonder they cause serious pain and swelling.
And your toe feels just like Janice described.
Now, anti-inflammatory medications, they can help with the swelling and the pain.
But we know that there are complications to those.
They can cause stomach bleeding.
They can actually hurt some of the organs.
So, I think, since we've had this problem since the dawn of human history, there have to be lifestyle changes that work.
Yeah, first of all, this is often familial, and there's a genetic component to it.
And there are some good medications that can help prevent attacks, so I'm not discounting those.
But, you know, dietary change is very important, and organ meats, specifically, are very bad for you.
So you want to avoid those.
Those cause an increase in uric acid, which leads to the deposition of those crystals.
But we have a remedy, also, that's been tested, and we have some good evidence for, and that's tart cherries.
Now, tart cherries are pie cherries.
Those are not the ones that we usually eat.
They're the brighter red ones that are sour.
Although I like to eat them fresh.
But you can get tart cherry juice.
You can buy frozen tart cherries.
And there's very good evidence that eating these regularly will help your body flush out your gas.
So this should help me get some relief?
Absolutely.
Finally?
You need 20 of them.
We actually put it on the drawing behind me.
20?
You'll be very impressed at our graphics.
20 dark cherries is sort of the...
Tart cherries.
Tart cherries, rather.
That's the dose.
My father actually grew up on a farm, and they had tart cherries on that farm.
So I grew up eating them.
Yeah, I love them.
Yeah, they're fantastic.
Most people, you know, no one gets gout where he lives for that reason.
I hope that's helpful, and it's a better long-term solution because it's a food.
Yes, thank you both so much.
Fantastic advice, Joyce.
Great, good.
There's a complete list of Dr. Weil's pill-paying solutions, pill-free solutions on Dr. Weil's.com.
Check it out.
You can also pick up Dr. Weil's latest book.
It's fantastic.
It's called True Foods.
It's in stores now.
I'll be right back.
Coming up, use by, sell by, best by.
Are expiration dates on food throwing you off and having you throwing it out?
Is it still safe even after the date?
Save time and money.
Learn the secrets to decode your food labels next.
It's a chemical in shower curtains, raincoats, even what you eat.
The secret ingredient companies are hiding in your food.
All new Dr. Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
Is it safe to eat food after the expiration date?
If you're like most people, you may operate on the better safe than sorry rule and just toss those forgotten expired items.
However, as ABC News National Investigative Correspondent Jeff Rossin discovered, you may be tossing money out as well.
Go to the grocery store and those stamps are on just about everything.
You've seen them.
Use by, sell by, better if used by, best if used by.
What does it all mean?
No good.
For mother of two, Jen McAdoo, it means toss anything past the date so her family doesn't get sick.
I fear what might be seeping into the cans or what kind of bacteria is growing in there.
That's bad.
I have no idea.
In fact, Americans chuck 160 billion pounds of food every year, an average family of four, throwing away $1,560.
But hang on.
A lot of that out-of-date food is perfectly good.
In fact, this new study from Harvard and the NRDC finds those sell-by dates are confusing and misleading.
People think these are expiration dates.
They think if they eat the food after this date, they're going to get sick, but it's completely not true.
Emily Broadlieb is the lead author of the study.
She says food can be totally safe well past the date.
From cereal to salad dressings, even eggs.
So in most cases, if I eat food past the date.
I'm not gonna get sick.
There's not been a single instance of foodborne illness or food poisoning linked with people eating food after that date.
You want cream cheese?
All of this a game changer for Jennifer, who says she's gonna hold on to her food longer.
I think you've definitely saved me some money.
That one's still good.
Jeff Rossin joins me now.
So a lot of American families try to stretch a dollar.
Just a little bit extra.
A day or two makes a big difference.
What surprised you the most about this investigation?
I was like one of those people who threw out a lot of food, especially when my wife hassled me.
You know, hey, this is past the date.
Let's chuck it.
And I did it.
But then what surprised me most when I looked into the story is those dates, at least most of those dates, have nothing to do with food safety.
It's just about how the food tastes, but it won't make you sick.
So there are lots of confusing things about this.
I was confused about this.
But there's also a secret language.
So I want you to understand all this.
Jeff went through all this.
So what does packed on mean?
Packed on is basically the day, much like it sounds in a way, even though it's a bit secret, the day that they put the product inside the box, the final day of packaging.
Basically nothing you even need to worry about.
Don't even look at that date.
It doesn't matter.
What about the sell-by date?
I see that a lot of times.
Yeah, sell by something else you don't need to worry about.
That's a message to the grocery store.
Don't sell it past this date.
But if you have it in your house already and it says sell by and the date has passed, don't toss it.
Keep it.
It's still fine.
It's got nothing to do with that.
There's two other dates I always see on there.
I have no idea what they mean.
Best used or used by.
These are the most common.
And this is the real secret language.
Once again, has nothing to do with foodborne illness, has nothing to do with safety.
That is literally the manufacturer saying, you know, we did some calculations and we think our food tastes best.
It has its peak flavor on this date.
So it's not like the day after that or the week after that it doesn't taste good or it's going to make you sick.
It's just they think it's going to taste best on that date.
Yeah, I am flabbergasted that these phrases are a bit on there.
Anyway, we're going to put, by the way, these words and the decoding that Jeff's created for us on DrRoz.com.
Who makes these labels?
Is it from the USDA or another government group?
Is it from manufacturers, consumer groups?
Whose idea was it to create these labels?
It's the manufacturers.
Because once again, if you think about it, it's a big business, right?
When you see used by and when I see used by, we chuck it.
Sure.
And you buy more product.
The manufacturers make those dates.
The FDA and the USDA, they do have some oversight here, but neither agency really exercises their authority.
The only thing they really do watch are the dates for infant formula.
Yeah.
But by the way, once again, that has nothing to do with safety or foodborne illness.
What happens is after that date, the nutrients start going down.
It's just less effective.
But still, your baby's not going to get sick if it has it after that date.
They just won't get the same nutrients.
So help us with this.
You spent a lot of time on this project.
I want to understand what are the practical dates that we ought to keep in mind.
So let's go from the beginning.
The refrigerated products like milk, eggs, how long can we wait after those dates have come before we have to toss them?
And that's the stuff we freak out about most, right?
Milk and eggs.
Yeah.
And so for milk, when you see that date, it's good for two to three days past when you see that date.
And by the way, here's a little tip for you.
Keep it in the back of your fridge.
That's where it's coldest.
And you can get a little more out of it.
That single-handedly will change my life.
I can't tell you how much.
I tossed it away because I've always put it on the door itself.
Oh, yeah.
And what about eggs?
When you open that door, all the warm air gets to it.
For eggs, three to five weeks after you buy it.
Eggs are good three to five weeks after you buy it.
Once again, keep it deep into the fridge.
Don't keep it in the door.
And a lot of those egg things are in the door, by the way.
Keep it in the back where it's cold.
I guess it makes sense because the chickens sit on the eggs for a long time.
They don't go bad.
They're old eggs, right?
I'm hitting myself.
Why wouldn't I have gotten this already?
Poultry and meat.
What are the rules there?
Poultry and meat.
For poultry, one to two days after you buy it.
You can keep it just in the fridge and then eat it and it's fine.
After that, you're going to want to freeze it.
With meat, you actually have three to five days to do it.
And then if you freeze it, both of those, poultry and meat, are good for nine to 12 months after you freeze it.
They're still good.
You can thaw it out a year later, still eat it, and it'll taste good.
Packaged goods, things like cans, for example.
Yeah.
Cans, for example, two, three, even five years.
Years?
Past the date.
Yeah, years.
Even for pastas, too.
One to two years after the date.
Keep it in your pantry.
Forget about it.
It's still fine.
It's got nothing to do with that.
I tell you, I've learned a lot from you on this.
I just did a bunch of research.
Let me give you my bottom line if I can.
Let your senses be the guy.
It seems to be the best way to go.
Yeah.
Smell the milk.
If it smells okay, taste it.
If it tastes okay, keep going.
If it's rotten, toss it no matter what else.
We'll give you a list of how long foods can stay fresh on DrRoz.com.
You can print out the one sheet and post it in your kitchen.
You will save yourself a lot of money and heartache.
We'll be right back.
Jeff, thanks for having me.
Do you think it's safe to eat food after the expiration date?
Yes.
I smell it, look at it, and give it a little taste.
My rule is only two days over.
What do you think?
Share your thoughts with Dr. Oz on Twitter with hashtag OzOpinion.
Coming up, trying to keep the weight off, but those unwanted pounds keep coming back?
The secret to permanent weight loss may not be just at the gym or even the kitchen.
A three-step solution to keep your cravings and your waistline in check.
Next.
If you've ever felt like no matter what you do, those unwanted pounds continue to creep back, there may be a reason behind it.
What scientists are finding is the secret to permanent weight loss may not be at the gym, but instead in the kitchen.
It's also right in here, in your gut.
Let me show you what's going on inside.
This is the inside of your intestines.
Most of the hundred trillion bacteria that live inside your GI tract are here.
They actually make up 90% of the cells in your body.
That's a fine-tuned ecosystem designed to process the foods you eat.
And we all have good bacteria and we have bad bacteria.
In our gut, it's always there, but everyone's ecosystem works differently.
Each of us has a unique balance of bacteria that either protects us and keeps us healthy or leaves us susceptible to weight gain.
It's a battle of the microbes.
Good versus bad.
And sometimes the bad went out and they outnumber the good.
And when those microbes are out of balance, many experts believe this can lead to obesity.
But if you can learn to balance the bacteria, you can lose the weight for good.
Join me now to show us how to achieve that balance is certified nutrition counselor and author of The Skinny Gut Diet, Brenda Watson.
So what's the biggest, most common misperception about what we are doing wrong with our gut and how it affects our weight?
Well, the most common misconception is the fact that we've always thought that when we're overweight and we crave foods that are unhealthy, like sugar, that it was because of a lack of willpower.
But research is now showing us that it actually can be the gut bacteria that's actually exerting their willpower over you and craving those foods.
So, like you said, we have more bacteria in our gut than we have cells in the body.
So the good bacteria levels will thrive on foods that keep people lean, whereas the bad bacteria will thrive on sugary foods and processed foods.
And I like to call the good bacteria the B-skinny bacteria, and the bad bacteria the fat bacteria.
So we think, well, it's our brain or our willpower that makes us crave that chocolate cake, but probably not.
It's probably in here.
It's a big idea, folks.
A big idea.
It's not your fault, but rather a natural process that the gut bacteria is leading you to.
So Autumn is joining us.
Welcome to the show, Autumn.
She's from our audience.
Hello.
Very nice to meet you.
Innocent victim in this process.
We're going to actually talk to you a little bit about what's going on in your life.
Sure.
Thanks for standing for it.
So if I understand the story correctly, you've lost 30 pounds, is that right?
And then gained it back and lost it back?
Yes.
So describe what's your biggest frustration with that whole process?
Yeah, so I think my biggest frustration is that I go to the gym, I make healthy food choices, and no matter what I do, it just won't seem to go away.
I'm 31 years old, I'm getting married in 8 months on the beach.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
And the only thing I really want to do is I want to lose weight so I can live a long and healthy life with my future husband.
And you've tried everything, I gather.
I have.
Okay, so now let's just establish some basic steps out of the way.
This is a bigger problem in America.
People are doing the right things, not getting the right results.
Brenda, you've got a three-step program that you're going to walk us through to change that ratio of the B-skinny, or increase the B-skinny bacteria, get rid of the fatty bacteria.
Okay, the first step, come on over here.
Actually, before that, you call it the fiber flush, is that right?
Yes.
What do you mean by that?
Well, if you take in 35 grams of fiber a day, they found that you'll flush out, through the other end, approximately 245 calories a day.
That's pretty precise.
Yeah, it's pretty precise.
Come on over here.
Let's find out more about this.
So what kinds of fibers are we talking about here?
Well, fibers come from, you know, foods, obviously, from good greens like kale and vegetables, and then you get it from nuts and seeds, and you get fiber from all these healthy foods.
You get enough, you get fiber, and then sometimes, you know, you can add in some fiber, too.
So when you're on a diet, what kinds of foods are you craving?
Oh my gosh, I love candy, sweets, bread, anything salty, everything.
I'm always craving something.
That's because the fat bacteria is too high in your body and the ratio is out of balance.
See, we never get rid of fat bacteria.
We just want to bring it in balance with the be skinny.
And that's the key to it.
And once that happens, the cravings will go away.
Great.
And what does the fiber do specifically to increase the B-skinny bacteria?
Well, fiber to increase B-skinny bacteria acts as the food.
It's actually a prebiotic, but it acts as food for the good bacteria, and the good bacteria thrive on it.
Actually, the other thing it does is it absorbs calories for you also.
So that's a major part of fiber, and it suppresses the appetite.
So it has a lot of effects.
Get a little discount on the calories you've eaten.
All right, the second thing you point out, and specifically to your point about never really feeling balanced, there's this issue of eating live foods.
So what does that mean specifically?
Well, live foods in the form of vegetables and always low sugar fruits.
You want to keep low sugar fruits.
I categorize live vegetables two ways.
Fruits and vegetables, like we all know, but also in what I call fermented foods.
Now, fermented foods come in the—this is pickles, for example.
Now, these pickles will be found in a refrigerated section of your store, not on the shelf, because fermented foods have live bacteria in it.
So you can get this in the form of pickles or, you know, sauerkraut and those other foods also with yogurt.
And I prefer Greek yogurt.
It has more protein than regular yogurt.
And don't have yogurts with sugar in them.
How about bloating?
Is that an issue for you?
Yes, lots.
Do you mind describing it a little bit?
Yeah, I think that you feel like extra fat almost.
It's just very uncomfortable, and unfortunately it happens all the time.
In the upper digestive up in here?
Yes.
So tie it together with your third tip, which is to restrict sugar.
We typically think of sugar like soda or, you know, a cookie or something like that.
But sugar comes in all forms for us.
And so, for example, in these low-sugar fruits, you're getting sugar.
You're getting sugar in vegetables.
So what you have to do is you have to begin to really starve that fat bacteria.
And that's what I see people.
Once they start adding in the protein and adding in, you know, more of these types of foods, that fat bacteria is starving to death.
And if you keep the bacteria starving to death, you'll stop craving.
Wow.
You know, part of the story, I've got to say, is if you talk to people who eat this kind of food, lots of fiber, not too much sugar, live things, they generally are skinnier.
I think this is the biggest, biggest insight we have on obesity, period, in this country.
And some of the mistakes we're making is by eating the wrong foods, we paralyze the skinny bacteria, help the fatty bacteria out, and then you're caught in the middle, and you don't really have a prayer.
Right.
So if you want to learn more about this, we'll have tons of information on DrRoz.com.
In fact, we've got Brenda Watson's favorite recipes there.
You can also check out her book, Skinny Gut.
I'll be right back.
Coming up, is stress wreaking havoc on your health?
Insomnia, constipation, headaches.
You may be suffering from something more chronic.
Bring calm and control back into your life.
Understanding and healing your stress is next.
It's a chemical in just about everything.
Shower curtains, raincoats, even what you eat.
All new Dr. Oz.
The secret ingredients companies are hiding in your favorite foods.
Plus, an NFL brother who made the ultimate sacrifice.
He's my hero.
To tackle his brother's illness.
Getting healthier every day.
All new Dr. Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow. - No. - Marriage stress, money stress, family stress, it all adds up to take a big toll on your health.
And like a lot of you, flight attendant Janie is literally making herself sick with stress.
Take a look.
Occasionally I'll just sit down and cry.
I just have all this emotion and frustration.
I do not know another way to live than to be multitasking.
That's all that I can do to keep it together.
I'm going through a divorce and I work full-time.
My job is not normal like most people's jobs.
It's not 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.
I'm a flight attendant and it changes constantly.
It's always up in the air.
I live the stress of traveling every day, so I'm living out of a suitcase half of my life.
Before I leave, I have to make sure that everybody's schedule is set, including my own.
I'm still on call 24-7 with the boys.
I have a 17-year-old and a 3-year-old, so their lives are completely different.
The 17-year-old, you know, has high school and tennis and friends and social life.
And the 3-year-old, who's very particular, he has certain things he likes every day.
I have to make sure his show-and-tell is ready.
When I'm at work, you eat when you can.
The nutrition is horrible.
I eat a lot of peanuts and a lot of pretzels in the galley next to the trash can in the laboratory with people standing there.
Not eating correctly.
I can't go to the restroom regularly.
I go number two about once a week.
No, I'm not kidding.
I'm a horrible sleeper.
My brain does not shut off.
I will lay there for hours.
Five days out of seven, I would say, I wake up with a dull headache.
I 100% feel like I look tired.
Every day, all day.
Dr. Oz, every day I have a headache.
My stomach hurts.
I don't sleep well.
And I just don't have any time for me.
Thanks for being here, Janie.
Thank you.
So what kinds of issues have you been having to you since you went through your divorce?
Well, I had to move, the boys and I, and I had to work a lot more now.
So I'm away much more than I used to be from the boys.
So I'm still being a parent when I'm home full-time, plus when I'm gone.
You mentioned in that little piece that your mind is always racing at night.
Can you list me out a couple things that are keeping you awake?
Oh my gosh.
I have to-do lists after to-do lists after to-do lists.
Sticky notes everywhere of what I need to do, who do I need to call, is show-and-tell ready certain clothes.
Do the kids have everything they need to go to their dads or back to me?
My own packing has to be done and completed.
A lunchbox, laundry, even as small as did I run the dishwasher or empty the trash?
It's a lot lost on me that you're having difficulty talking to people, but you literally are actually loosening your voice.
Yes.
Which, you know, sometimes it happens just from the stress of life.
And I'm concerned because I don't think these are all isolated issues.
So if I can, I want to take you to the truth tube and walk you through some of the numbers that we've collected on you.
Okay.
Okay, come on back.
Thank you.
You can stand right there.
That way you can see inside the tube as well.
Okay.
So you've mentioned a couple of issues to us.
So I just want to put them up there so we're all on the same page.
The first issue that Jenny mentioned was the headaches.
You have them about four times a week.
Yeah, five or six times a week.
Even more.
So at least four times a week, I'll say.
You mentioned constipation, which I appreciate you doing.
I know it's a very private issue.
Not to share too much.
Not to share too much, but it is so vitally important to piecing together the puzzles of what's going on in your health.
So you go into the bathroom, number two, once a week, roughly?
Once a week.
You must feel a little clogged up.
Yes, there are days I feel horrible.
I wake up every day with a stomach ache.
Yeah.
I'm sorry about that, but I have got a plan.
We'll come back to that.
Then there's the issue of insomnia.
You're waking up with some big pain, but while you're asleep, you're not in the bed that long.
From what we can assess, you're getting about five hours a night.
If that.
So I look at that list of things right there.
And I got to say, there are women all over this country, just like you, walking into a doctor's office with exactly those lists of issues.
And you know what we think?
We don't think these are three separate, unrelated problems.
We think these are all part of the same basic issue, which is how your body is coping with stress.
And we have stress is a big word.
We talk about it a lot in life.
We mention it.
But I want to make it really concrete.
You're walking stress to me.
And you're walking around with problems that are directly related.
And when we get past that underlying problem, those issues will get better.
Now, I wanted to quantitate the stress that you're experiencing.
We can't do this for everybody, but since you're willing to go first, we did it for you so everyone at home can witness this.
There's a device called a biofeedback device.
Do you remember you put it on?
It's a simple little device you can wear.
It measures the effect of stress on the body.
Janie, you averaged six significant stressful responses a day, which is a lot.
Basically, every other hour, something big is happening in your life that just completely throws you off balance.
Your body's screaming at you, pleading with you to pay attention to a stress issue that I know you know you have, but I want to make sure you connect it very clearly to these symptoms you're having.
Well, most of us don't.
It happens again every day in doctors' offices all over the country.
I want to motivate you to conquer the stress by understanding how it's critical to everything else falling in place.
And for those beautiful kids of yours, I want you to remember this.
It seems to me you're giving up everything for them.
Yes, sir.
But your kids aren't going to treat themselves the way you treat them.
Your kids are going to treat themselves the way you treat yourself.
Oh, that's not good.
I know it's not good, and you want that for them.
You want better than that.
You want them to be able to take pride in who they are just the way you're going to take pride in who you are.
So here's the good news, everybody.
I'm going to make this happen today.
That number, six per day, that stress response, we're going to bring that down so you can live the happy life that you deserve.
Because you've earned it, and you ought to be living it.
No matter what else is going on in life, forget about everything around you, what's going on inside you.
Shut that rudder straight, and we'll do this.
What will it feel like to you?
When you can finally delve into the issue of the stress and push it to the side.
I don't think I know what it would feel like to live stress-free, or to live less stress.
I think it would be amazing.
Are you excited to find out?
Yeah, very.
You guys all excited to find out?
Because I expect a lot of people like you.
When we come back, we have a plan that you or anybody at home can stick to for stress.
And guess what?
Not only do you all feel better physically, but you'll have a better quality of life all around.
Our three-step plan to heal your stress when we come back.
Coming up, are you so sick from stress your life's in a holding pattern?
Is juggling all of life's challenges taking a big toll?
You're not alone.
A three-step plan that anyone can follow to conquer your stress and live the happy life you deserve.
Coming up next.
We are bringing a healthy back this season and want you to bring it too.
Grab your prescription pad for fun and sign up for free tickets today.
You can go to dros.com slash tickets and sign up.
We're back with flight attendant Janie, whose stress is literally making her sick.
Also joining us, preventive cardiologist Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, who's dedicated her life to preventing heart disease through healing stress.
She's got a three-step plan that anyone can follow who's like Janie.
So the healing stress issue, how does that work?
Why is it so important for women?
I think, as a cardiologist, you as a heart surgeon, we know this.
We know the effects of cortisol, stress hormones, how these things wreak havoc.
You know, I'm looking at all these symptoms you have.
You are not alone.
We see this all the time.
So if you can, walk us through this.
It's going to be from the biggest to the small.
What would I call a stress baggage?
You know, we've all got stressors, but there are certain things that you can learn to just blow off.
You really have to focus on, okay, these are my major issues, and these are the ones I can really let go.
Come on, let's do this little exercise.
This is a very concrete way that we can make this happen.
So if you don't mind, go take us through this little exercise.
All right.
What I want you to do, what I want everyone to do at home, is get a pen, paper.
We have this here.
Write down for us your three major stressors.
Not all of them, because I see you have a lot.
Your three major ones.
And everyone needs to understand and do this.
And that's what we need to focus on.
So we've got money so far.
Everyone can do this exercise in their own minds.
Folks at home, I suggest you write them down.
Okay, we've got money, we've got kids, and what else do you have?
So now what do we do?
All right.
Here's the reality.
Here's your major stressors, but they're not all causing as many problems.
So what we have to do is rank them.
It's about perspective.
So what is the major stressor for you?
Probably money.
All right.
That's the biggest?
Yes.
All right.
What's next?
It's going hand in hand.
Yeah.
You know, I gotta tell you, and...
I mean, that's a hard one.
It's a hard one.
We got kids versus divorce.
They go hand in hand.
But this is the challenge, right?
You're gonna have to let go of one of the issues.
And it's hard to triage, but...
Seems to me which one I would do.
Let me tell you something.
I think what you say is exactly right.
And I think that if there's one of these things that you're going to put on the bottom of the totem pole and you're going to get rid of, it's the one you cannot control.
That's right.
Thank you.
Now what do we do?
So when you get your major stressors, you put them into perspective.
And that's exactly what you did just now.
You put them into perspective.
This one, you can do something about.
You can manage the kids.
And I'm going to tell you right now, having been through that last one, there's not much you can do about that one.
Right.
So you've got to let go of what you cannot control.
That should be a divorce.
Yeah, put it in the overhead compartment.
Right.
No, ship that thing over there.
Get rid of it.
It's gone.
Gone.
Gone.
Okay.
And when you think about this moving forward, that's the one you're going to let go.
Alright, so let's do the second big step because I think it fits in perfectly here.
This is the whole concept of find a way of calming yourself in a stressful situation.
It sounds hard to do, but you've got a little exercise.
I'm going to start it off.
One way we can tell people how they're coping with stress is their heart rate.
It's one of the things we were looking at with that monitor.
So your heart rate is really fast right now.
If you don't mind, Dr. Stalin, take it through a relaxation.
A couple of things that we can do to manage stress really comes down to the simple thing of breathing.
I always tell people, you can do this in the airplane, go to the bathroom, because they won't bother you there.
Just spend, seriously, less than five minutes just calmly in there, just making sure that that one issue is gone so you can manage the stress you have.
So could you see yourself doing this?
Oh, yes.
It made a difference in how I felt just now.
It did?
Yes.
It's a small thing.
Done well every day brings health back.
I'm not asking you for magical things.
It doesn't cost anything to breathe differently or to make a list of stressors.
It's just simple things.
But, you know, doing them is the hard part.
We don't do them.
Last issue is to harness your to-do list or your worry to-do list.
So this is a typical working mommy issue.
I get it.
There are nine million things we have to do every day and it starts off with breakfast and making lunches and getting the kids to school and show and tell and the clothes and taking care of all of the details for them and then yourself.
And then the other craziness that you're dealing with.
And so what it comes down to, you put yourself first.
At night, at the end of the day, you have 30 minutes for you to focus on your issues that you need to do for the next day.
And then you put it away, and you go to bed, and you breathe.
And that's it.
Could you do that?
I will try that for you.
So take it step by step.
Dr. Steinbaum is going to be with you, helping you out.
We're going to follow your story.
We want to make sure this works for you because you'll be a lesson for a lot of folks.
Dr. Steinbaum's plan, the full plan, to heal your stress and your stress, as well as a questionnaire to decide how much you've got on DrRoz.com.
I'll be right back.
Stress can have a big impact on your health.
How do you deal with it?
Biking is a big help.
I always bike to and from work, and it puts me in a good state of mind and allows me to de-stress naturally.
Share your thoughts with Dr. Oz on Twitter with hashtag OzOpinion.
It's a chemical in just about everything.
Shower curtains, raincoats, even what you eat.
All new Dr. Oz.
The secret ingredients companies are hiding in your favorite foods.
Plus, an NFL brother who made the ultimate sacrifice.
He's my hero.
To tackle his brother's illness.
Getting healthier every day.
All new Dr. Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
I want everyone to take a look at this photo that I put up on my Facebook page.
Now, the other day, I got a blister on my hand from golfing.
I don't golf very well.
I was overwhelmed by some of the great advice I got from all of you on how to heal my hand.
Now, usually it's me giving you guys tips, but Andrea, and many of you as well, had some interesting advice from me.
She said, for blisters, clean with rubbing alcohol, then hydrogen peroxide, and then aloe vera.
I mean, she wasn't taking any prisoners at all.
I actually prefer clean with soap and cool water rather than the alcohol because I'm worried the alcohol and the hydrogen peroxide can dry out the skin.
But I loved Andrea's idea about the aloe.
So I've been using aloe all week and my blister, there it is, much, much better already.
I still can't golf, but at least I don't have the blister.
Now it's time for in case you missed it, One of the most common ailments people suffer from is indigestion.
Dr. Wow was here today.
He shared his favorite pill-free solutions.
Specifically, he thought ginger tea made a lot of sense.
You can have two cups after eating.
Simple to make.
It stimulates production of saliva that actually helps digest your food.
You just cut up the ginger and make it in tea.
Or they actually have teas, but they have to be real ginger teas.
Next, we uncover the latest secret to permanent weight loss.
The surprising place it is found is your gut, right in here.
There's more and more data that you've got skinny gut bacteria in there or you've got fat bacteria in there.
You want to get the skinny kind to do that.
You want to eat live foods.
Personally, I think you ought to be considering pickles.
It's a simple little solution.
They're crunchy.
They taste good.
Just like yogurt, they've got probiotics in them.
They also revealed simple ways to heal your stress.
I'm gonna give you one right now.
Very old technique, but it works well.
It's called Alternate Nostril Breathing.
Take your fingers, put your thumb on your nose, breathe in.
Everyone do it together, and then relax.
Breathe that out, then switch fingers, the other side.
Let it go as well.
I have that same nostril.
Then you rotate back and forth.
Those deep breathing exercises cause your arteries to dilate up.
That decreases your blood pressure, slows your heart rate down.
It's a true relaxation response and deals with that chronic issue of stress, which shows its ugly head in many different ways.
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 even try to make it seem like I'm endorsing their products.
I don't.
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