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April 6, 2024 - Dr. Oz Podcast
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Cash vs. Credit: Which One Makes You Gain Weight? | Dr. Oz | S7 | Ep 8 | Full Episode
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Cash versus credit.
Which one makes you pack on more pounds at the lunch counter?
To test this, we came up with a very revealing social experiment.
It's team cash versus team credit.
I think I'm actually gonna get the salad bar.
See who spent more and how your bottom line affects your waistline.
Plus, see how this mom wiped out 40 grand in debt just by what she put in her fridge.
Coming up next.
We'll save lives today.
We'll save lives today.
You guys ready to get healthy?
Thank you very much.
All right.
Get comfortable.
Today!
Today!
Exuberant audience.
We're talking about cash versus credit, but not the way you normally think about it.
How much of a difference does it really make to your health?
How many of you guys, I'm going to ask the audience, live on your credit and debit cards?
Not because you're in debt, but that's how you'd like to do things.
Put that credit card out there?
I do that too.
The average U.S. household credit debt Believe it or not, it stands at $15,863.
They actually know to the penny how much we owe each other.
So I was talking to my staff the other day.
I've talked about this with my family, with friends.
And most say they don't even use cash anymore.
Not even for lunch or snacks.
We are quickly becoming a cashless society.
And so that got me thinking.
Does paying with credit cards impact the choices you make?
It'd be pretty cool if it was true.
And that's how we start today's show.
Cash versus credit.
What difference do they make when it comes to your health?
And I'm not talking just about debt, just the fact that you're using a credit card.
Then, we're going to meet a mom blogger who went from a $40,000 debt to spending less than $1,000 a month.
She's going to show you how she's mastered the art of saving.
Intriguing stuff.
And we've got an easy solution for the other big source of stress.
Sleep.
And a cure for the racing mind that keeps all of us up at night.
But first, if your waistline is expanding, don't only blame it on the food.
Also start blaming it on how you're paying for that food.
Because there's new research, brand new research, that says your credit or debit card may be making you fat.
To test this, we came up with a very...
Pretty stunning, isn't it, if that's possible?
It's a credit card's fault.
To test this...
We came up with a very revealing social experiment.
We gave three women $20 in cash.
Hard, cold cash.
And three women got a credit card each.
Then we filed them to lunch to find out what they would buy and how much of it.
And I sent my crack producer Dean to see who made the healthiest choices and who spent less.
Here's what happened.
Most people can be split into a few very simple categories.
Right brain, left brain, Democrats or Republicans, and cash or credit.
So I'm giving three women 20 bucks to buy their lunch.
The other three, unlimited credit cards to get whatever they want.
Let's see what happens.
20 for you, 40 for you.
No, I'm just kidding.
20 for you, 20 for you.
Have at it.
Go for it.
I think I'm actually going to get the salad bar.
Looks like it's $9.39 a pound.
Let's see how well she does if it's this expensive.
I think I better fit the hot bar.
Hot bar?
- Yeah.
- Okay, go for it. - You're confident about the $20?
It's New York, so you're probably going to get a bottle of water and a crouton.
And a crouton.
Just put a nice big pile of salmon on the plate, which is healthy.
And broccoli.
I'm sure that'll make you happy, Dr. S. Moment of truth here.
You're gonna weigh in right now.
I'm only talking about the food.
Only talking about the food.
You I'm worried about.
If you guys need more money, I'll be the guy running that way.
Alright, so I'm here with our credit group now, so I'm gonna give you guys each a credit card.
You get whatever you want.
Here you go.
On your way.
Ready, set, go.
I'm not even sure what I just ordered, actually.
I think it's a sandwich of sorts.
She has so much to spend on the cart, she doesn't even know what she's getting.
Can I get grilled chicken?
Chickpeas?
Beef?
She's just piling it on.
Okay, let's sneak up on Lynn.
First option, some sushi.
We got a salad.
Okay, that's three.
What do we got?
A vegan brownie.
A vegan brownie?
And Argo tea.
So we got seven items, but they all look somewhat good.
So both groups just finished.
They made their selections.
But whether they're healthy or not, I'm going to leave that to you, Dr. Oz, because I got to go eat.
I have no money.
Can I have five dollars, please?
So all six ladies are here.
I gotta say, producers like Dean, they need a funny people making these, but there's some pretty cool insights regarding for this.
Actually, you're on Team Cash.
So what do you think?
Did the cash affect your lunch decisions?
Yeah, I think so.
I mean, I had $20 in my hand and I knew I didn't want to go over that because I didn't want to spend anything, any of my own money.
So, I saw the salad bar and I said $9.39 a pound.
I'm definitely going to go a little light on my choices.
Yeah, but you went heavy on good foods, I noticed.
All of them are pretty healthy.
Yeah.
So, Megan, you're with Team Credit.
Yes.
What happened here?
How did that affect your choices?
Well, I was told I can buy whatever I want.
And you did.
So, I tried some new options.
Sure, why not?
I tried to stick healthy because I like to eat healthy.
Are all these healthy?
I don't know.
I don't know.
That's an interesting thing.
So, you started to experiment because you had the freedom to experiment.
Yes.
Here's what we found out.
I'll give you the numbers.
Team Cash.
You bought all this food.
Healthy food, by the way.
Spent $35 total.
$35 total.
You didn't even spend all your $20.
Average of just over $11 a person.
Pretty good.
Wow!
They had the credit cards, and you went out, not only did you explore things, you explored on exploring things.
You spent $93, right?
Over $31 a person.
That's three times more money spent for food that, I don't know if it's any better than what you would have gotten with cash.
So this is a social experiment that I sort of wanted to do because I want to see what our viewers thought.
But actually, people have looked at this.
And it illustrates a very important issue.
How we purchase things affects what we buy and what we eat.
And studies on shoppers, and there have been many of these done, studies on shoppers who pay with plastic spend about 40% more on unhealthy food.
I'm not worried about more food.
It's more unhealthy food than those who pay in cash.
What do you think, audience?
Does that ring true to you?
I want to hear some comments.
Oh, way up the top here.
Get me exercising.
What do you think about that little social experiment we did?
I think it has a lot of validity because when you have physical money in your hand, you know exactly what you're spending.
And when you take out your plastic, even if it's just a debit card, which is how I pay, I don't always notice it until later I'm checking my bank.
I'm like, oh, I just spent like $40 at the grocery store and didn't even register that it had happened.
Yeah.
I think a lot of us are awakened by this little experiment.
How many of you are going to be more mindful when you buy things?
Show of hands.
Most everybody.
Very mindful.
Definitely.
Definitely.
And you push it at her, right?
Yeah, she's very mindful.
You're right.
A lot more mindful.
So I've asked Lynette Calfani-Cox to join us.
She's a money coach, and she's one of my core experts this season.
I want to ask you a big question.
What is the link between using plastic and impulse buying?
So this is something that I never thought about.
I mean, I'm aware, like everybody else is, that if I got a lot of debt, that's stress.
Right.
But this is different.
This is going one step past it.
This is saying just using the credit by itself.
Even if it's not in debt.
That woman up there said she uses a debit card.
Exactly.
And it's still an issue.
So what's the connection between impulse buying and credit?
People just tend to spend more when they're whipping out plastic of any kind.
You know, when you're out at a restaurant, at the grocery store, if you have cash, you're thinking about those choices.
With plastic, maybe you say, give me an appetizer on top of that.
Give me an extra drink.
Give me some dessert.
It's all psychological.
And it does have an impact.
With me on the emotional issues here, what is it with cash versus credit and guilt?
Because that seems to be a big part of this.
Why are we less guilty with credit?
I'd be more guilty, I would think.
I know.
You would think so.
But I think part of it is that kind of what your audience member up there said is that you're kind of not thinking about it at the time.
You're just like, okay, I've got this money.
I don't have to think about it in the here and now.
I'll worry about that later.
Just like people who, you know, put the credit card bills, you know, in their mattress practically or in the drawer.
They don't want to think about it.
So same effect.
So what we want to do is make it easy for everybody to do the right thing.
Because we're naturally going to fall the wrong way otherwise.
So Linda says there are three ways.
Let's go to these now.
Three ways to break your credit habit and get you back on the track to good health and healthy eating.
The first is cash only.
So I have an obvious tip, not always so easy to do.
Exactly.
So many people, they go to the store with a credit card or with a debit card only.
You've got to break that habit.
You need to start planning your purchases and saying, I'm going to take a set amount of cash so that I don't overspend.
All right, second, shop only once a week.
If you've got a big family, this is not the easiest tip to follow.
It's not, but I have a big family.
I have three kids, and I'm telling you, Stay out of the store every other day.
Moms and dads out there as well.
About once a week is about right.
It'll help you with your budgeting and with all the impulse purchases that people tend to make as well.
And the third item is to use a calculator on your phone a lot.
That's right.
Why do we have to shop with a calculator?
Now, this is a very important tip because you don't want to get to that cash register and get embarrassed, okay?
So you need to tally up your purchases all along the way so that calculator will help you.
So team credit.
I want an honest opinion here.
Let's go interrogate them.
What do you think?
You just learned all this stuff.
You realize you spend almost three times more money than those frugal cash people, the cash team.
I was shocked by that.
You got feedback from the audience.
We just went through a couple steps.
Does this change your perspective on how you're going to spend money and credit versus cash?
It's definitely something to keep in mind.
You're not mic'd, are you?
I'm mic'd.
You better hold that then.
No, I definitely think it changes your perspective because when you do have cash, especially with limited economic resources, you have the cash to actually think about what do I need, what do I need to purchase, versus going every single day downstairs to pick up on your card what would, like, maybe most appeal.
Do you agree?
Yes.
All right.
Here, since he's all right in the shot anyway, what's the cameraman think?
Go on, Rob.
What do you think?
Bob what?
Bob what?
He wasn't paying attention.
All right.
When you come back, this money-saving mom created financial freedom for her family.
She's going to share her secrets next.
Don't miss this.
We'll be right back.
Next, are bills and debt stressing you out?
Get smart about your spending with creative ways to stretch your dollar.
How many meals do you make ahead of time?
I usually make between 20 and 40 in a day.
A mom's money saving ideas to get yourself out of debt.
Coming up.
All new Oz.
Not too long ago, we all said kale is king.
I grow kale, actually, in my garden.
So where did the love go?
The truth behind the headlines saying kale is unhealthy.
Let's get to the bottom of these claims, starting with the link between kale and heavy metal toxins.
Plus, they're calling it Female Viagra.
But does the little pink pill pack the punch it promises?
There's a lot of hype, so I'm gonna break it down.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
We are talking about the biggest stressors in your life, and we're focusing on money.
And when my staff showed me this mom's blog, I knew I had to share it.
Lauren Grutman is her name.
She's I Am That Lady, an online blogger who's mastered the art of saving.
Come on now, you're going to love this.
If you're broke, I've been there.
If you're a busy mom who needs help saving money in the grocery store, who needs help getting out of debt, learning how to budget, I am that lady.
I help women create financial freedom for their families.
Just eight years ago, my husband and I were in $40,000 worth of debt.
We were trying to live the American dream.
We had the nice house, an Audi and a Cadillac in the driveway, but we were struggling and drowning in debt.
I was in charge of taking care of the bills.
I felt like I couldn't breathe.
I was suffocating.
I didn't know how we were going to get out of it.
And one day, I just snapped.
I laid all of our credit card bills out on the bed, and I called my husband up to face the truth together.
That day, we set out to get out of debt.
We started tracking our expenses, and we found out that our single biggest expense was food.
We were spending about $1,000 a month on groceries, so I got smart about meal planning, shopping, and couponing, and soon I had cut that grocery budget down to $200 a month.
Then I started figuring out how to save money on everything, so clothing, shoes, utilities, everything that I needed to run a successful household.
Three years later, we were out of debt.
Once I figured out that I could do it, I decided to start a website to help empower other busy moms learn how to make it work.
Because I've been there and I wanted to share what I learned along the way.
Lauren is here.
This whole thing started when you realize how much debt you're in.
You put them out on the bed and you have an emotional breakthrough.
What happened?
Oh, I just couldn't handle it anymore.
Every morning I woke up and I felt like I was suffocating.
Everything I did was through the filter of how in the world am I going to get out of this debt?
And I just, I couldn't get ahead.
So, you know, now that we're debt free, I have this freedom to do, you know, whatever we want and really be able to share what I've learned with other people.
And that's just such a passion of mine.
Well, you're sharing not just your tips, which we're going to do, but also exactly what the experience you had, because that's what a lot of folks are going through.
Okay, let's share a few of these ideas.
The first is to use a freezer cooking technique.
I've never heard of a freezer cooker.
Is that such a thing?
It's not a freezer cooker.
It's more a technique on how to save money on groceries.
And so you prepare a ton of meals at one time, freeze them, and then in the morning you throw them in the slow cooker and they cook all day.
And by dinner time, your dinner's already done.
And how many meals do you make ahead of time?
I usually make between 20 and 40 in a day.
And it only takes me around four hours.
I have these plans that I've created that I share on my website that people can go and download this plan of all of these freezer meals and how to put them together.
Show me how to do one.
Yeah, let's show you how to do one.
We have a picture of your fridge, or your freezer, rather.
Right.
People can look at it.
You can see it's stacking there very neatly.
So I'm going to put together...
I noticed, by the way, you're labeling it before you put the food in it.
Yes.
That would be not so easy afterwards.
That would be a little messy.
Okay.
So here, why don't you hold this for me?
And so this is a pound of ground beef.
This is our meat sauce, okay?
You don't cook anything.
You take the paper out.
That's good.
Yes, you take the paper out.
You don't take anything.
You don't want to eat the paper.
Here, you hold this.
I'm going to...
Yes, here.
Does this stuff stain?
I don't want to stain your outfit.
No, it's not going to stain.
Hold this spike, too.
Salt, pepper...
Okay, we're trying.
Got some garlic.
Okay, we've got some canned crushed tomatoes.
Put the whole thing in.
You hold it over your clothes.
Yes.
No, no, no.
Don't do that.
We don't want you to get messy.
So you put it all in there.
Okay, we're going to close it up.
You put the garlic in and everything else?
You put the garlic, the salt.
Okay, close it up, and then if somebody wants to take this, squeeze it together.
Are you nervous doing this?
No.
Be careful.
We don't want us to break this up.
So you squeeze it together.
So I make, like, eight of these at a time, okay?
So once it's all squeezed up, then I just take it, put it in the freezer.
Here, I'll take it.
I'll show you how to lay it flat.
You have some work that has some aggressions there.
Yeah, right?
You lay them flat in the freezer, get all the air out.
I make eight of them at a time.
In the morning when I'm going to make this, I stick it in the slow cooker for six hours, put some pasta on, and we have a homemade meat sauce already ready to go.
Can you identify with this story?
I love this.
It's simple, easy, elegant, but you're dealing with a dead issue.
Right.
Does it spell to you, sing to you?
Yes.
It does?
Yes, it does.
All right.
You know what?
You can take this home with you.
Yeah, there you go.
Meat sauce.
Come on over here.
All right.
Now, Lauren has also figured out...
How to save money on clothes.
If you put this in perspective, the average woman spends about $3,400 a year.
$3,400 a year on clothes.
That's $283 per month.
That's a lot of money.
That's a lot of money.
So how much money do you normally spend on clothes?
I spend around $10 a month on clothes.
Ten dollars?
Ten dollars.
I am a thrift store junkie.
I love thrift stores, but I only love thrift store clothing that's new with tags and name brand.
So I can find unworn, new with tag items that I pay next to nothing for.
And I just love it.
So can I put a couple examples up?
Yeah, put a couple examples up.
This is item number one example of how you save money.
You can actually make money, I understand, on this deal.
So this is a dress, get tags on there.
It looks like your size, too.
It's very nicely picked.
Thank you.
So tell me about the dress.
Right, it's a max studio dress.
It retails at over $100, actually $118.
It's expensive.
Yeah, it is.
But you only spend $10 a month, so how do you buy it?
I actually only spent $2.50 on it.
$2.50?
Yeah, but this is the catch.
This is the cool thing.
It's actually not my size, so what I'm going to do is I'm going to take it and I'm going to turn it and sell it on eBay for $60 for a profit of $57.
You did that math very well.
Thank you.
So how did you figure this out?
Because most people would actually spend $100 on these outfits.
So I really had to get really resourceful with my money when we were in so much debt.
I didn't have money to buy new clothes.
And so I got really resourceful.
And once I started learning all of these tips and tricks, I didn't want to go back to spending full price once we got out of debt.
So I still do it.
Stress.
Stress.
Completely free?
Less than you used to have?
Hasn't changed that much?
Well, we have financial freedom.
So much that my husband was able to quit his job a year and a half ago to come home and work with me on our websites.
You're kidding me.
Yep.
That is what I'm so proud for you.
Thank you.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Thank you.
When we come back, another great place to economize the medicine cabinet.
I'm going to show you what's in mine.
I'll show you what's in mine if you show me what's in yours.
That's next.
Next, spend a lot of money on products you haven't used in years.
Hot water bottles that I used when my kids were babies.
How old are they now?
So about 25 years.
The best tips on what essentials to keep and what to get rid of.
Next.
Next.
Today's conversation, how to make the most out of your medicine cabinet.
Now, a lot of you spend more than you should on stuff that you don't need and ends up collecting dust in your medicine cabinet.
So, I'm giving you a sneak peek of what's in mind.
Here it is.
I took the picture of myself.
I went through a medicine cabinet.
I picked out the things that I like a lot.
There's my little EpiPen because I'm allergic to bees, just in case.
There it is.
I've got, of course, a little bit of ibuprofen because I exercise too much or hurt myself.
The lavender I have there because we use it for burns and sort of helps you get to sleep as well.
Nice aromatherapy.
Lots of things that I need in here.
And by the way, most of the things here I actually use a lot.
Now, I have shown you mine.
I want to see yours.
Allison from our audience is a volunteer.
Come up here, Allison.
Welcome to the show.
Are you ready for the big reveal?
It's Alice's medicine cabinet, which looks like a bomb went off in there.
It does, actually.
So what items do you go for in here?
What I do use, like you, is pain relievers.
I have a bad back.
Sometimes that goes out.
I get headaches, so I do take pain relievers.
They're hidden in here, I guess.
They're in there.
Also, antacids for eating too late or overeating sometimes.
And probably, this time of year, allergy pills, because I have runny eyes and itchy...
So what haven't you used in years?
What's here that's been there unchanged, untouched?
You can see this over here.
These are actually hot water bottles that I used when my kids were babies and they had tummy aches.
How old are they now?
About 25 years.
Those have been sitting there.
She's not alone, Allison.
They're all laughing with you because they're unfortunately guilty of the same.
So I've got an idea for you.
Because I think a lot of us are sort of guilty of this.
In fact, you probably have gone to friends' houses and sort of peeked in their bathroom to see what's in their medicine cabinet.
Do you do that?
Sometimes.
I always do that.
Do you?
Isn't it crazy?
It is crazy, yeah.
And sometimes you see things that you shouldn't see.
Yes, that's a whole different segment.
Alright, here's the deal.
Here's my homework assignment for you and everybody else.
See how all these are backwards?
I want everyone to go to the medicine cabinet, flip everything so that you don't see the label.
If you use them, flip them around.
If you have not used them by the end of the season, Then that means you're not using them that often.
They should not be in your medicine cabinet.
Take them out and get rid of them.
That way you'll have a little bit more room and you won't waste stuff.
We can all do this, can't we?
Good advice.
Good advice.
So my medicine cabinet will be on my Facebook page for some inspiration.
Up next, the other big stressor, sleep.
If you can't quiet your mind when your head hits the pillow, we've got the tips you need to stop your mind from racing.
That's next.
Next, you have a hard time turning off your brain before bed?
Thoughts of work, bills, and family disturbing your sleep?
And then I start thinking about the to-do list for the next day.
We'll show you why this happens, how to stop it, and get the rest you deserve.
Coming up.
All new Oz.
Is kale unhealthy?
The truth behind the headlines.
Let's get to the bottom of these claims.
Plus, female Viagra.
Does it pack the punch it promises?
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
Today we're talking about the two biggest stressors in our lives and how they affect our health.
Now we can talk about sleep.
We spend all day waiting for that moment, that precious moment where we can curl up into bed and sleep.
But the minute our head hits the pillow, our thoughts take off.
They take off and our mind starts to race.
So I want you to take a look at why your unquiet mind makes it impossible to settle down.
There's actually a physical reason for it so you don't have to beat yourself up.
Who wants to help explain this?
Show of hands.
Oh, perfect.
I got a promising victim here.
What's your name?
Jerry.
Come on, Jerry.
Are you a good sleeper?
I try to be.
You try to be a good sleeper.
All right, I want you to do something for me.
We think about sleep as an on-off switch, right?
We're asleep or we're not asleep.
That's the metaphor we normally use.
So, pretend this light switch is your brain and turn it off.
Pretend you go to sleep, the other side, over here, right in the front.
Click it down.
Now watch what happens.
Ooh!
That was well done, a lot of power, right?
So that on-off switch seems to make sense, but in reality, let's turn it back up again, right?
That's actually not what happens.
You actually have a dimmer, not a switch, but a dimmer that runs your life.
So slowly begin to dim the audience.
Go ahead and play with it.
Have a good time.
As you slowly dim it down, you gradually slip into sleep.
It's not a jump.
It's gradual, right?
Makes sense.
Now, here you are, nice and asleep.
Calm everyone down.
We can whisper, whisper.
All right, now, what kinds of things might keep you up at night?
Give me an idea.
I worry about the next day.
All right, the next day.
Every time that little worry hits you, your dimmer starts to release a little bit.
You'll notice your ability to sleep begins to also go away because your mind begins to brighten up.
Keep going, what else bothers you?
I replay the current day in my head.
Go ahead.
Keep going.
What I thought went well, what I thought didn't go well.
I might replay conversations in my head.
Oh, the light's blinding.
I can barely see.
And then I start thinking about the to-do list for the next day and what's coming.
Now you're all the way up.
You just perfectly said everything that typically gets into our minds.
And as we're on that hamster wheel rolling through, the lights in our mind go up.
This is exactly what happens to so many of us.
In fact, it happened to Andrea.
She's a busy mom of 24. Think about that.
Mom of 24. 24?
Yeah.
Whoa.
Well, 22 of them are her fifth grade kids because she's a teacher.
And two of her own.
And every night her mind is racing and she can't get the sleep she needs.
See if you can relate.
I would love to get a good night's sleep, but my mind is constantly racing.
I get into bed and I toss and turn.
I have all the thoughts of the day, all the thoughts of the following day.
I feel like I'm on a race track and I can't get off.
And I'm going round and round and round.
There are many things that I worry about.
I worry about my son who's away at college.
He's 11 hours away from me.
My daughter who just graduated from college.
That looks like a good place to send your resume.
She's looking for a job.
I have an 85-year-old dad.
He lives alone.
I worry about him eating and taking good care of himself.
And on top of that, I'm a teacher.
I have 20 students that I'm responsible for five days a week.
Sometimes I fall asleep, but two hours later I'm wide awake.
I'll get up on bed, I'll walk around the house, put the TV on, and then the alarm goes off.
Then I have not had a very good night's sleep and it impacts my day.
I'm very cranky the next day.
I feel like I don't have the patience that I might have otherwise.
I feel like I'm in a fog.
I don't have willpower.
I start to reach for foods that aren't healthy for me.
I'm a coffee drinker, so it's this vicious cycle.
I grab another cup of caffeine, and then that impacts my sleeping again because that keeps me awake even more at night.
I just wish that I could stop my mind from racing at night, get a good night's sleep, and everybody would be happier.
So Andrea is here.
How do you feel in the morning after a restless night of sleep?
I feel groggy.
I feel like my fuse is very short.
I feel like I don't have the capacity to make good choices like I'm at otherwise.
Somewhat the next day, I feel like I go through the motions.
I've got to make the donuts, you know, kind of on automatic pilot.
And then physically, I lost about 80 pounds four years ago.
You did?
Yes.
That's so good.
Thank you.
Thank you.
So, what happens with me is I start making bad choices.
I'm too tired to go to the gym.
I start grabbing the carbs that I need to, you know, not be eating.
And so, the emotional and the physical take a toll.
These rapid-paced thoughts you're having racing through your mind, they're all a classic sign of anxiety.
The problem with anxiety is lots of motion, but not much progress, right?
It's like a rocking chair.
Back and forth, but nothing's happening.
And they affect your physical health, as you alluded to.
So if you look behind me, we took a little diary of your sleep.
And this is information that you reported to us, so I'm hoping you have some awareness of it.
But at most, you're getting four to five hours a night.
Yes, I would say that's probably a good estimate.
And I'm not even sure how much of that is quality sleep.
So how does that lack of sleep affect your mood?
You've described how it affects how much you eat, which it does, by the way.
You'll eat more, but how does it affect your mood?
Well, again, my job, I need a lot of patience.
You know, having children, I need a lot of patience.
And I feel like I'm not present a lot of the time.
When was the last time you had a really good sleep?
Just felt it was completely relaxing and jubilating?
Months ago.
So, I'm so happy you're here.
Thanks for having me.
Because the question we're all asking is, what can you do to quiet your mind and stop it from racing at night?
night.
So one of my core team members will reveal a plan that you will benefit from and so will many others when we come back.
Thank you.
Next, the life's many stressors keep you up at night, costing you hours of shut eyes.
My core Steve specialist has solutions to get you started on the path to fixing that.
The plan to give your mind a rest so you can get a good night's sleep.
Coming up.
Whoever said a doctor's visit isn't fun has obviously never been to the Dr. Oz show.
Is that right?
Make your appointment today.
Go to DrOz.com slash tickets and sign up for free tickets.
- Woo! - Today the plan to quiet your mind so you can get a good night's sleep.
See, specialist Dr. Michael Bruce is here.
He's one of my core experts.
So, Andrea.
She says she's tired all day long, yet at nighttime when she wants to go to bed, she's all wound up.
So why is this happening?
So this is a very common occurrence for people like Andrea.
I was listening to your story, and I hear patients like you all the time.
You know, what happens is that people spend a tremendous amount of time on worry.
We're learning now almost 14 hours a week.
I mean, can you imagine?
There's so much better things you could do with your time, right?
And we know that the number one symptom of worry is sleeplessness.
So we can't always resolve the worries, the things that actually keep us up at night.
Then their pressures are going to be out there no matter what.
But we can do something about how we process them.
So come on over here.
Absolutely.
We're going to create something called a worry watch journal.
This is really important.
And of course you're going to start with the to-do list because people make to-do lists.
But you say this is much bigger than that.
It is.
So take us from the very beginning of the to-do list and how do we get rid of these lists that are bothering us keeping ourselves up at night?
Sure.
So, here's our typical to-do list, which is actually something that's very common.
People will put things on there to try to see, okay, here's what I need to do tomorrow, or just like Andrea was saying, she might be replaying what happened in the day, conversations, things like that.
Some of these things are very easy.
Pack a lunch, pay the phone bill, but some of them actually require a lot more to it, and that's where the worry comes in.
Right?
So as an example, look at these.
Fix the budget.
Well, that's not something that you can just do tomorrow.
Lose 10 pounds or clean the garage.
These are all things that have a lot more to it, and that's where the worry comes from, right?
You can see she's shaking her head.
She knows what I'm talking about.
So what I want people to do is pick one and then actually come up with simple, practical solutions to get you started on the path to fixing that.
So as an example, let's use lose 10 pounds as one of our one thing that we're going to check out here.
So if you were going to lose 10 pounds, then practically, what would you do to do that?
So here are the practical steps that she would do.
She might want to call the gym.
She would schedule a workout.
She might ask a friend to join.
And this is very, very simple.
All she needs is a piece of paper.
And a pen and about 10 minutes, usually right after dinner time, you don't want to do it right before bed because that might start those wheels turning again, right?
And be able to say, here are the practical things that I need to do to try to solve my lose the 10 pounds problem.
And then from there, I'm going to close that journal and I'm going to put it away.
And I'm going to let my mind realize that I've been able to reduce that level of anxiety.
That's not something I have to worry about anymore because I've got a plan and I'm going to get to it.
So Andrea, give me one item you might put in your worry journal.
Now that you understand what it is.
More than a to-do list, a big item keeping up at night that you can put in a worry journal.
Ways I can help my dad be independent and make a list of things like that and know that if he follows those things, I have less to worry about with him taking care of himself.
See, that's a perfect example.
Very practical steps so that you can reduce your worry surrounding somebody that you care about.
Next step, light, which is a weapon, unfortunately.
They're going to put little warning labels, I think, on lights because they're so big of an issue right now.
What can we do to help get the bed better by dealing with light more effectively?
Well, it turns out that people who have a lot on their mind do a lot at night.
And they're up late at night and they're exposed to light.
And we know that light actually affects your ability to produce something called melatonin.
We know that melatonin is that hormone that is kind of that key that starts the engine for sleep.
So there's a lot of things that we need to consider doing when it comes to light.
So let me show you what Dr. Bruce is trying to share with us.
It turns out that normally your body's sleep clock is completely in sync with melatonin, which is important because when the sun's rays get longer, go from morning until night, the body will naturally make more melatonin.
And that tells you it's nighttime and it tells you to go to sleep.
But when you're continually exposed to light at night, from light bulbs and computer screens, it actually suppresses your melatonin, tells your body it's too early to go to bed, so you don't want to go to bed.
And then this happens.
You're trying to get to bed, you're knocking yourself out, miserably, right?
Unfortunately, it's a self-portrait for many of you, and you can't get to sleep because your body's telling you not to.
So the worriers are dealing with this as well, but it turns out we might have an option for all these folks.
We do, as a matter of fact.
And so one of the things that a lot of people like to do before bed is they like to read to help calm themselves down because it can be very soothing.
But there's now data to show that these e-readers and the tablets, if you start reading one of those within 12 minutes, it will start to suppress your melatonin level.
So what should we do?
We should go back to the printed page.
We should have the books in our hands.
We should read that way, maybe have a bedside table lamp, so that we don't have so much bright light exposure coming right at our faces.
And if you don't, even with this tactic, have the ability to get to sleep.
What kind of a sleep aid do you use?
Well, you know what?
I'm not a big fan of sleeping pills, but I do like people using melatonin and melatonin supplements.
They're very safe, highly effective, and they can do people a lot of good.
Because remember, what we're talking about here is that their body clock has shifted due to this light exposure.
That's exactly what melatonin does, right?
Melatonin allows our bodies to capture back that evening.
You know, we call melatonin the vampire hormone because it only comes out in darkness.
Well, if we have light and light and all these things that are preventing us from getting to that darkness level, it actually prevents that melatonin.
So sometimes we may need a supplement to be able to get us there.
Alright, so our trusted sponsorship partner, USANA, makes a melatonin supplement.
It's called Pure Rest.
Now, you say you don't normally recommend eating pills.
Do you not consider this one?
I do not consider this to be a sleeping pill.
So melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone.
This is a high-quality supplement.
It is a great alternative.
It's non-addictive.
It's all the things that we kind of look for, especially as a first step.
So what's the best way to take melatonin?
Give us the basics.
Okay, so the basics are you want dosage turns out to be key, right?
And so people have heard me say before, one milligram turns out to be great.
What's great about this product here is that it's a scored two milligram tablet, so you can crack it in half and start out with one.
The second thing is timing.
Now, usually I tell people, well, you probably need to take it almost an hour and a half before bedtime, but this particular formulation you put under your tongue, so it actually gets into your system quicker, so you can actually use this, you know, within 30 to 60 minutes, and the melatonin will reach plasma Concentration levels to be effective.
And what happens if you still have the problem after a couple weeks?
You know, if you still have the problem after a couple weeks and you're using your Worry Watch journal and you're still having some issues, it might be time to talk with your doctor because there might be some other things that could be going on that's preventing you from sleeping.
Alright, so we've got a present for you.
You can go to DrOz.com.
Enter now for your chance to win one of a thousand bottles of USANA's Pure Rest.
That's the good news for the audience at home, but what about the people here?
No, I can tell.
They're very begrudgingly applauding.
Right, right, right.
So we did a little calculation.
There are 56 tablets in here.
We've got to crack them in half.
Crack them in half.
It's 112. Right.
So we can't get the whole audience, but if everyone takes half of a pill, we can get this part.
Would that be fair?
Well, I don't know if it would be fair, but it's probably all we can do.
Well, I don't know.
We could probably...
What do you think?
Audience, audience, you know what?
I would never forget about you.
You are all going home with the Usana Pure Rest crew.
We'll be right back.
Later, is there really such a thing as beauty rest?
These morning selfies tell all.
All new Oz.
Is kale unhealthy?
The truth behind the headlines.
Let's get to the bottom of these claims.
Plus, female Viagra.
Does it pack the punch it promises?
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
You ever wonder how some of TV's top morning news anchors get the perfect night's sleep so they look so rested each morning?
Well today our favorite morning anchors are sharing their nighttime rituals and it starts with CNN's New Day, Chris Como.
I like that Dr. Irons pillow, Chris Cohen, man.
Maybe it's a good idea.
Anyway, he must have been watching earlier.
If you like him, I don't sleep with my cell phone on.
I shut down the devices.
You put them in a different room so you don't even feel tempted to check them.
Thanks, Chris.
Okay, I want to know what Michaela Pereira does to look so fresh in the morning.
And I think everyone here wants to know the same thing.
I like to call lavender the sweet scent of sleep.
It eases anxiety, increases slow-wave sleep.
That's the kind of sleep you actually want.
Makes you feel energized when you get up in the morning.
It's a very good tip, Michaela.
Up next, Alison Camerota.
More energy, but it actually works to calm your racing mind and is perfect for winding down.
So, if you've over-indulged at dinner, try mint tea.
It'll help soothe your stomach as well.
Alison, thank you.
Alright, now my big surprise.
I spend a lot of time visiting my next two guests.
They've got a fantastic morning show.
They're my good friends and co-hosts of Fox 5. Good day in New York, Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly.
Come on out.
Oh, ladies and gentlemen.
Can't put it down.
Can't put it down.
Was it important?
Yes.
Yeah, don't say anything.
Favorite nighttime ritual?
I have to say, don't get mad at me.
I probably do everything that you say is not the right thing to do.
But for me, it helps me to be less anxious.
I have my cell phone, my iPad on my stomach, a book, and the TV on.
And that's how I fall asleep.
With the TV on?
TV on.
That's the worst!
I know.
It's better than a last ritual.
We used to go out all night and just make it an all-nighter.
Yes.
Hit the club scene and then roll into work at 4 o'clock and you can pull that off.
Yeah, we did that wild and crazy like that.
Don't you feel completely turned on by all that light?
No.
I have to say it helps me get drowsy.
And plus, I think it relaxes me when I know, like, the world is safe, my emails are caught up, and I haven't gotten any more texts from Greg.
I can go to sleep.
She needs help, doctor.
All right?
So I built you this demo.
You see the brain there, the TV, the computer.
But you know what?
Heck with that.
Forget that.
I know what's really keeping you up at night.
What's that?
It's not all those lights.
It's anxiety about Greg.
Well, you may be onto something.
Some sort of ambush?
I have no.
This is an intervention.
Earlier this year, Rosanna injured herself.
I did.
While ice skating.
I want to show you exactly what happened so you can see why she has problems with this.
Please, I don't want to bring it up.
I didn't mean to, but unfortunately we're here.
Play the video, please.
So I gotta say, do you have any PTSD looking at that?
I do.
I have to say, looking at that, it does get me anxious.
And you know what, Doc?
I broke my elbow and I broke my wrist.
And I needed surgery twice on my hand.
All Greg's fault.
I always like to say, whenever he's nearby, trouble is, you know, bound to happen.
Also nearby.
Also rating success.
So how much beauty sleep do you get at night?
I actually do pretty well.
I fall asleep at about 10, I wake up at about 4. So what keeps you up at night?
Well, you know, this is one area of my life where I've kind of got it all together.
I put the phones outside like you told me a while ago.
What else?
And the 20-minute nap.
I used to take two hours, 20 minutes, no more.
And you got it made.
Oh, clean the house before you go to bed.
What?
I mean, I'm not talking about...
Yeah, I know people are surprised that I... Do you wear like a little apron and stuff when you clean the house?
Well, I got the white pants, all right?
I've made a few improvements in my life.
No, seriously, straightening the house ever so slightly before you go to bed, kind of the house is in order.
I sleep better.
Oh.
I think I need to go to sleep with him because my house is a wreck.
Can you imagine marrying him?
Any time.
No, that'd be ridiculous.
I'm sorry.
I take it back.
By the way, he's not married yet.
We're sure looking for a wife.
Any kind, just put your hands up.
We'll come back after this break.
Oh, look, we've got some ladies over there.
I love you.
Thank you very much.
Dr. Oz, thank you.
We'll take that melatonin.
We'll take the melatonin.
I love hearing these nightly rituals for the morning anchors, but I want to know what's going on with you, what gets you rested.
They're running away.
Lock the door.
They're a flight risk.
You will hashtag OzRituals for your nightly routine.
If you've featured on our show, ever wonder what you really look like when you wake up?
Come back over here.
Okay.
Guess what?
We did it.
My staff has a I woke up like this selfie.
I want you to take the same.
When we come back, I'm going to show you ours.
Stay with us.
That extra weight may not be your fault.
It could be your metabolism.
But do you even know what it is?
Taronda Jones from the hit show Empire is here to find out.
What in the world does metabolism mean?
Um, uh...
Do you like the leg part?
The leg?
Yeah.
Well, that's the first.
What is it?
Where is it?
And how to make sure yours is working.
All new Oz.
That's coming up on Monday.
We saw how our favorite news anchors get their beauty rest down for all of us who don't have to be on camera at the crack of dawn.
I've asked my staff to post pictures of themselves, honest pictures, right after waking up.
Hashtagging I woke up like this.
Okay, it's exam.
Okay.
Are you stepping up?
The sun's up.
Yep.
Did I sleep well?
I don't know.
Did you sleep well?
We feel good.
So take away the pressure to look perfect every second of every day.
Show me it's okay not to look perfect all the time by sending me your morning pics at hashtag I woke up like this.
We all do that?
Yes!
Alright, do it at home as well.
Head to my Facebook page and check out my staff's pictures and make fun of them.
And remember, health and happiness starts at home.
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