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Jan. 27, 2025 - Dr. Oz Podcast
42:42
What’s Really In Your Parmesan Cheese? | Dr. Oz | S7 | Ep 136 | Full Episode
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Time Text
What's really in Parmesan cheese?
The hidden ingredient you never expected.
It's unfortunately wood pulp.
Wood pulp, you heard me right.
We break it all down in our Food Truth series.
We deserve to know exactly what we're paying for and what we're putting in our bodies.
Plus, actress Debbie Mazar and her husband have an appetite for exotic food.
It looks very intimidating.
How do you even get past that trusty outside?
See what it is and how to eat it.
Coming up next.
We'll save lives today.
We'll save lives today.
We are bringing a healthy...
Welcome!
So, all season long, we've been uncovering the truth behind America's biggest food.
Today, that continues with the food truth rip.
From the headlines about an Italian classic that's become an American favorite.
Parmesan cheese.
Y'all love it, don't ya?
Lightens up your taste buds.
So we're shining a spotlight on the growing concerns over a hidden ingredient in your Parmesan cheese.
It's unfortunately wood pulp.
Wood pulp, you heard me right.
It has made its way into almost all the Parmesan cheese you buy.
And we're investigating why.
Then, not only does food need to be good for you, it needs to taste good, too.
So actors, they'd be majors here to tell you how to add flavor without adding calories.
And plus, you ever wonder what a fitness trainer eats every day to stay nice and slim and strong?
Donovan Green is here to reveal his secrets.
And now, food journalist Mark Shasker's investigation into the Parmesan cheese controversy that everybody is talking about.
How would you feel if I told you your favorite brand of Parmesan cheese was actually filled with wood chips?
Probably not too good, because unless you're a termite or a beaver, who wants to eat wood chips?
100% Parmesan contained a filler called cellulose, which comes from wood.
One brand had almost 9%.
That's a lot of cellulose.
Consumers were so upset, they're now suing two major Parmesan producers.
So how does the stuff we sprinkle on our spaghetti differ from the real deal?
Authentic Parmesan cheese, which is made from milk, enzymes, cultures, and salt, originally comes from Parma, Italy, where it's known as Parmigiano-Reggiano and can sell for up to $40 a pound.
But we also make our own Parmesan here in the USA, and in its unprocessed state, there's nothing wrong with it.
Now the stuff on your supermarket shelf is also supposed to be real parmesan, just pre-graded.
So why would companies be loading their parmesan with wood?
Companies claim cellulose prevents the cheese from clumping.
But is that the whole story?
Greg, what's the real reason there's cellulose in my cheese?
To save money.
That's cheap filler.
That's Greg Blaise of Eataly, the Italian food mecca that sells over 500 pounds of Parmigiano-Reggiano every week.
Do you think it's safe to eat cellulose?
It's probably not going to kill you, but why would you want to do it?
What about the flavor?
It's not going to do anything for the flavor.
It's not going to taste like Parmigiano.
It may have been traces of Parmigiano in it at one time, but it's just not going to be the same as if you buy a chunk from me and grate it yourself.
In the end, it all boils down to honesty.
Cellulose won't kill you, but it also won't make your pasta taste any better.
And as a Parmesan cheese lover, I want to know exactly what I'm paying for.
And what I'm putting in my body.
So in the end, it actually all boils down to honesty and transparency.
As consumers, we deserve to know exactly what we're paying for and what we're putting in our bodies.
So Mark, let me turn it to you.
What exactly do you mean by wood chips?
That was the word.
There's no wood chips in your Parmesan cheese.
There's no sawdust.
The offender here is cellulose.
And this is a substance in all plants.
It's in fruit.
It's in vegetables.
And what it does, it gives structure to the cell wall.
So, nutritionally, you can kind of think of it as bulk.
It just passes through.
The reason people are saying wood chips is because, industrially, they get it from wood.
That's where it comes from.
Why are they putting this stuff, cellulose, in here?
The companies say it's to stop it from clumping.
So that when you shake it out, it actually shakes out.
It's delicious.
Try something.
Yeah.
It has no taste at all, but I can understand why mixing a little bit of this with this great Parmesan cheese, which you can imagine putting this in your mouth, would make it clump less.
But I actually want Parmesan cheese when I ask for it, not the cellulose.
That's right.
So we did some homework together, and we looked at the percentages of Parmesan cheese in 100% Parmesan cheese.
Now, if this is 100% Parmesan cheese, do you think it would be 100%, right?
Would that be your thought?
Come on back here.
How much cellulose is there in 100% Parmesan cheese?
So the range is pretty big.
Some of these manufacturers had 0.3%.
So almost nothing but Parmesan cheese.
That was good.
But then there were some that had 3.8%.
That's 10 times more of this cellulose, this wood chip material.
7.8% was found in a bunch.
One had way up to 8.8%.
This is, you know, a lot.
A lot of stuff in there besides the Parmesan cheese.
So what is it supposed to have?
What's acceptable?
Why have any at all?
Well, this is really interesting.
What you're seeing is at 0.3%, that's telling you you really don't need much cellulose to get this anti-clumping effect.
So why are some companies putting almost 10% in?
Because cellulose is really cheap.
If I can sell you cellulose and charge you for parmesan cheese, I'm going to make a lot of money.
I'd be happy to do that, by the way.
Now, the government says, the FDA says, you can have 2% to 4%.
That's the amount that they say, you know, it's fair, guys.
You don't have to be perfect.
It's good enough.
So, it shows me that there's a fair number of folks who are playing games on this.
And if you can add 9% and get away with it, you probably would as well, right?
Yeah, and it's like adding water to your wine.
You get more.
But you're diluting it.
So this is about the grated Parmesan cheese you're spreading on, right?
That's what we're talking about here.
The big question then becomes, I think for everybody to understand, is this okay for consumers?
Is it dangerous for us?
And I think we can all tell you pretty honestly, it's okay.
It's not going to be dangerous.
FDA recognizes this, has generally recognized this safe.
That's the word they use that makes you feel good about it.
And Mark says this is a good issue that we're putting a spotlight on because there's other problems you're finding as well.
Like what?
Well, this whole name Parmesan, there's a whole bunch of them.
Parmesan, Parmigiana, Parmigiana.
Doesn't mean anything.
We looked at Parmesan cheeses, the pre-graded ones.
We found other cheeses.
They're putting in white cheddar.
They're putting in mozzarella.
Why?
Because those cheeses are cheaper.
So again, they're just selling you filler.
I even found one Parmesan cheese that had no Parmesan cheese in it at all.
None?
None.
Zero.
It makes me angry.
I mean, how do they get away with that?
Because there's no...
You know, legally you can use that word.
It doesn't mean anything.
So the question then becomes, how do we know if the stuff that we're buying is truly 100% Parmesan?
Is there any shortcut you can give to consumers?
Because it's hard for me to fathom not trusting any food labels.
So my advice...
Good food doesn't come out of a plastic container with a flip lid.
Buy real cheese.
Now, even real Parmesan cheese can get confusing.
Like we saw in the tape piece, there's Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy.
It's expensive.
There's other great Italian cheeses for grating, like Pecorino Romano.
We even make Parmesan-style cheeses here in the U.S. that are also great.
But it's actually really simple.
Just buy a chunk of real cheese, and you will not be buying cellulose.
Oh, there's no wood chips or anything else if it's real black cheese?
It's once they grate it that they add the cellulose.
This stuff is real.
Have you all seen one of these little graters?
You've all seen it, right?
I mean, it doesn't take very long to do that.
And it's fresh, and it's the way it's supposed to be.
And it's fun.
When you do that at home, it adds this authenticity to your meal.
And it tastes like Parmesan.
It's delicious.
It's better, isn't it?
Yeah, absolutely.
All right.
And when it's fresher, it has more flavor, so you don't need as much.
So people look at that and they say, oh, it's so expensive.
But you don't actually need that much.
You just grate a little bit on, and it really brings your bowl of pasta to life.
All right, so now we've figured out if you buy real block cheese, you'll be safe.
You'll know exactly what's in it.
But up next, from the American slices you're using in the kids' lunches to the yellow stuff, we love the drizzle over nachos.
Mark's investigation into cheese continues.
Next, Americans love their cheese, but with all the processing we do to it, at what point is it no longer cheese?
It may look and smell like it, but how much is made from the real stuff?
How to shop for cheese that's best for your health.
The best-kept money secrets you need to try.
How to save money, dig out of debt, and negotiate a lower credit card bill.
I was so skeptical.
It went from 15.5% to 12.5%.
I'm going to save thousands of dollars.
Then, star of Orange is the New Black, Laura Prepon, with the best new detox to overhaul your weight.
It's called the Stash.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
From grated cheese to all of your favorite cheeses, We're continuing our investigation.
That's a food many of us have a full-blown love affair with.
But with all the processing we do to cheese now, at what point is cheese not cheese anymore?
Marshasko investigates.
How much do Americans love cheese?
25 pounds a year per person.
That's how much.
But guess what?
A lot of what we think is cheese really isn't.
All of the items in this cart, for example, might look and smell like cheese, but they're not.
From those classic American slices we layer onto sandwiches, to the mystery gook that comes out of a can, to the yellow stuff we drizzle onto nachos at the movie theater.
We all call this stuff cheese, but its real name is processed cheese food.
And legally speaking, only 51% of it needs to be cheese.
To learn about cheese, I headed to Beecher's, a family-run cheese maker in New York City.
Kurt Dammeier is the founder.
So, Kurt, how do you make real cheese?
Well, real cheese starts with really good milk.
And to that really good milk, we add cultures, enzymes, and heat.
Then we separate the curds from the whey, press the curds, and age the cheese.
So that got me wondering, if processed cheese food is 51% real cheese...
What's the other 49%?
The problem from a nutrition standpoint of processed cheese is it's not real food.
Investigative journalist Michael Moss has researched all the processing that goes into processed cheese food.
So, Michael, 49% of the ingredients in this, the classic American processed cheese food slice...
Isn't cheese?
You've put that all together here.
What are we looking at?
Well, I hope you have some time, Mark, because we've got 17 ingredients here that they have to put into this product to call it cheese.
Sodium phosphate, sodium citrate, protein concentrate.
Sodium phosphate, protein concentrate.
Call me old-fashioned, but if I'm going to eat cheese, I'd really rather not eat these.
I gotta say, it is alarming to see all the chemicals it takes to take a single slice of cheese.
Be honest, it can't be all bad news about cheese.
Give me some good stuff.
No, actually, I think the news about cheese is great.
We think Americans eat about 25 pounds a year of cheese, and we think that cheese is one of the reasons for the obesity epidemic.
But what's really interesting is you look at European countries like Italy, Greece, famous for the Mediterranean diet, France.
They eat way more cheese than we do, and they don't have the same obesity problem.
So what that's telling us is that it's possible for cheese to be part of a healthy diet.
The difference is it's...
It's got to be real cheese.
And to me, it all comes down to my favorite word, flavor.
These real cheeses pack a lot of flavor.
In processed cheese, we think it's cheap, it's convenient, but there's not much flavor, so you eat a lot more of it.
And you get a lot more calories as a result.
When your mouth is blowing up like fireworks, you don't have to eat all that on the side.
That's right.
It's just intense.
So let's poke some holes.
We eat a lot of cheese here.
I think it's okay as long as you eat the right kinds of cheese.
So the first hole we're going to poke through has to do with whether or not the cheese you're eating is cheese at all.
How do you spot cheese that isn't really cheese?
It's actually pretty simple.
Read the label.
Look for the word cheese.
If you see cheese product, cheese food, that's telling you, oh, this might not be what you think it is.
If you're still confused, just turn it over.
Look at the ingredients.
Real cheese has simple ingredients.
Milk, salt, enzymes, bacterial culture.
When you see that big, long ingredient list, then you know you're getting a processed food.
If it says cheese food, what percentage of it is cheese?
51% of it has to be real cheese.
The rest can be all this other stuff.
So half of it might not be cheese.
Yeah, half.
Exactly.
So yeah, I know why they made these products.
It's easier for us, right?
Single slices are a huge convenience.
I get it.
But know what you're buying.
Appreciate what you give in your family and then make appropriate choices accordingly.
Kids are late.
You're tired.
Give them the slice of cheese.
But every single day, that should not be your standard, your go-to.
Look for real cheddar cheese, for example.
They have cheddar cheese slices.
That's what we eat in our house.
And they're simple to make into a sandwich because they look exactly the same as the cheese processed stuff that's currently sold.
Next, you say we've got to check for something called AAF. What does that mean?
Yeah, aroma, appearance, and flavor.
And basically, just have a look.
Some people are frightened of real cheese.
They think it smells funny.
They don't know what it is.
They don't know if they'll like it.
Just try it.
There are so many amazing cheeses out there.
And when we get started here, I'm going to give you a couple foods right now.
Feta, aged Gouda, Gruyere, And then these wonderful blocks of cheddars that you find all over the place.
Yeah, and Gruyere is an awesome melting cheese.
And feta is really good in salads.
It's got so much flavor, you just need a little bit, and it really brings a salad to life.
You guys eat those cheeses?
Put your hands up if you're a big cheeser.
They're out there.
We see them.
We just don't buy them as much as a country.
And if we did, I think you're right.
We'd get away with eating cheese because we eat less of it naturally, and we wouldn't put weight on because of it.
That's right.
We're going to put the cheese guide on dros.com.
This cheese buying guide you've got to take with you next time you go shopping.
And make sure you check out Mark's book.
It's called The Dorito Effect.
It is spectacular.
You know, I think the audience, they deserve your wisdom, don't you think?
I could not agree more.
You guys want a copy of the book?
You all run home with a copy of Mark's new book.
We'll be right back.
Next, known for her sharp-tongued characters in Goodfellas and Entourage, actress Debbie Mazar and her husband Gabrielle have hit the highway, discovering the healthiest foods from coast to coast that you need to start cooking with discovering the healthiest foods from coast to coast that you need Coming up next.
Her doctor told her she had cancer, but she didn't.
You're going through all kinds of grueling treatments you don't even need.
It's horrible.
I picked out my song to be played at my funeral.
Is your doctor scamming you?
Did you have any idea that he was a fraud?
All new Oz.
That's coming up on Wednesday.
She is best known for her sharp-tongued characters from films like Goodfellas and shows like Entourage and Younger.
Now Debbie Mazar is hitting the highway to bring you the healthiest ingredients you need starting tonight.
And guess what?
She brought her husband along for the ride.
In their new show, Extra Virgin Americana, Debbie Mazar and her husband Gabriele are taking their appetites for fabulous food on the road.
We're a food-loving family setting out on a road trip of a lifetime.
Oh, girl.
I just got one, mommy.
They're traveling America in search of the country's best cuisine.
Exploring America's most iconic destinations for the very first time.
It's a love fest for food.
And of course each other I bet your husband, you know You did?
Without your knowledge, I went ahead and met him.
Oh.
See?
Look at that.
Last time I saw you, I had avocado on your face.
Yes, you did.
Talk about healthy.
Looks good.
So I've got to understand this relationship a little bit more because I was caught so off guard once I met Gabriella.
Uh-huh.
You're from Tuscany, right?
Florence, yes.
Florence, Italy.
That's where we met.
You met Florence.
Yeah.
You're from Brooklyn.
I am.
You know, that's the opposite parts of the world.
Yeah.
What were you doing in Florence when you met?
I was visiting a friend.
I like to travel.
I'm an Italian, like a file, and I wanted to visit a friend, and he happened to be there, and he walked in, and I said, oh my God, who's that?
And long story short, the next night we were sat next to each other at a table, and he's like, you want to get some cigarettes?
And I'm like...
Very Italian.
This is a long time ago.
You're kidding about cigarettes, right?
No, no.
Well, that was 15 years ago.
Yeah, and so we got that and a cocktail, and we sat on the steps of a 12th century church for about three hours.
Didn't go back to the party.
And when we did, before we walked in, he goes, you're fantastic.
We should have kids together.
And I'm like, blah, blah.
That was coming from an evolutionary standpoint.
Yes, of course.
You're right.
Like, let's go this direction, you know what I mean?
Like an anthropologist would speak, yes.
100%.
So, when I went to kiss him goodnight, I didn't know to go right to left or left to right, and we banged lips.
Or maybe I did it on purpose.
I don't know, but I sank down the door of this 15th century place, and I was completely, like, smitten, and that was, we were married, pregnant.
I hope you still feel that way.
Yeah.
I hope you do.
Yeah, so that was 15 years ago.
We got two kids, and yeah.
It worked!
So today, Debbie and Gabriela are giving you the healthiest ingredients you didn't think you could even use.
In fact, they think about period until now.
They've been traveling around the country for the show Extra Virgin Americana.
Today, we're going to follow their journey.
First up, the Grand Canyon, where you found your first ingredient.
Take a look.
There you are, driving to the Grand Canyon.
My specialty thing is the prickly pears.
The prickly pears are cacti.
I'm going to scrape them out.
I'm going to use it to make juice.
They taste a little bit like watermelon.
I'm going to combine it with some olive oil and white vinegar, salt and pepper.
Here's to the Grand Canyon and a great family trip.
Love you.
I love you.
Cheers to what I mean.
Yes.
Look at the sun.
Oh, my God.
This is so magnificent.
So they fell in love with the prickly pear on that trip.
It looks very intimidating.
How do you even get past that crusty outside?
You hold it with a rig, first of all.
If you're afraid of prickling your hand.
But, you know, in general, when you find them at the store, they have been shaved.
You know, the interesting thing, like when they suggested that we explore America, I was kind of like, I want to go home.
I like to show the Italian food.
Yeah.
But at the same time, this trip really helped us.
Like, we have it in Sicily.
And people have been using Sicily for hundreds of years.
And all of a sudden I find it in the Grand Canyon used in different ways.
So there is an affinity.
Of plants and ingredients around the world.
Can you chop, please?
Can I chop, please?
I want to show them how to make it, yes.
Yes, go for it.
They have cactuses in Sicily?
Absolutely.
Oh, yeah.
Super dry.
Oh, yeah.
There you go.
Palm trees.
So what we're going to do is...
I love how boss you are, by the way.
Well, no, but I mean, we always have very little time, so I wanted to show the audience.
So you basically just chop it out.
You don't boss me just because you don't have...
I like it.
It's my nature.
You boss me because you're like, there you go.
It's like, let's not pretend here.
That's what 15 years of marriage will do for you.
Right?
Congratulations on your new grandson.
He's very cute.
I saw a picture.
And you scoop him out, and then you're just going to put him in like a cheesecloth or a strainer, or actually we have both here.
These are kind of, they kind of taste like watermelon with a certain tartness to them.
There's a lot of vitamin C in them.
And you're just going to take it into the cheesecloth.
Can I just take this little part out here just to...
You don't want that in there, do you?
Well, you squeeze it so it doesn't really make a difference.
We want to filter it.
He's defending her.
I love this.
No, but watch, because the only part you're going to get is the juice.
And then you just squeeze it.
Watch your pants.
Watch my pants.
Watch your suit.
There you go.
And you know, it's funny, since you were talking about cheese and feta, like if you were to use like here, we do have a salad, which is the one that we prepared in the episode.
But if it's like the mist of August and you do like a salad with some grilled watermelon and some, you know, seasonal herbs, and you want to use this as a dressing, it's absolutely perfect.
Look at you, look at you.
It's okay, it's okay.
Why do you have to use a cheesecloth and a strainer for you?
Because there's seeds, there's pulp, like when you open this, and just in case, this is what your culinary actually set up, but it's all good.
Look at that, look how perfect.
So here we go.
It looks like you murdered a goat or something.
Okay.
Sorry.
So now we're going to add extra virgin.
Murdered a goat?
Well, you know, like a little altar here.
We're going to add extra virgin olive oil.
There you go.
Equal parts, we're going to add some white wine vinegar.
A little salt and pepper.
Thank you.
A little pepper.
And whisk it out.
Whisk it up.
And then you just, it's like ready to go.
But this is really beautiful.
Super, super fresh.
And, you know, it's a cactus.
This is something I would suggest also on like a crudo, on a fish crudo, like a carpaccio or something like that.
It has a very thin flavor, really balanced, and it's different.
You mentioned there in Sicily, there in the Grand Canyon.
You can find them all over the country, these prickly pears?
You can find them at the local, like, Korean.
Oh, I found it on my avenue in Brooklyn.
In Brooklyn you found it?
Yeah, I use it in my shop, you know, when I cook.
They have them all over the city.
You got it there, I'm in.
Yeah.
So up next, Debbie and Gabriele reveal the healthy ingredients Italians.
This time we're going to Italy, used to flavor without calories.
Stay with us.
Next, Debbie and Gabriele share more flavorful findings from their culinary adventures.
From their native Italy to Seattle and Napa Valley, they uncover delicious recipes from all over that are simple to prepare.
Plus, what makes wine healthy?
Next.
The best-kept money secrets you need to try.
How to negotiate a lower credit card bill.
I was so skeptical.
I didn't even think it was possible.
But it paid off.
I'm going to save thousands of dollars.
All new odds.
That's coming up tomorrow.
We are back with Amy Bazar and her husband, Gabriele Korkos.
Next stop is Italy.
Uh-huh.
There they are racing.
This beats going coach any day.
That's an amphibious...
Yeah, and we didn't get wet.
There you go.
Pizza.
We drove you to Pisa.
Pisa.
There you go.
You grew up in a big Italian family.
So what Italians do to add flavor to the food so they don't eat too much of it?
This is the thing.
We're big advocates of simplicity.
Simple ingredients.
Something that grows around you.
Shop local.
Eat local.
Buy what you need.
Don't overstock your pantry.
I am very excited now because even if you find basil throughout the year...
This is the moment where you finally start getting a little crunch, like through the winter when you buy the basil at the store, like the leaves are like, you know, holding for dear's life.
So, you know, I usually don't buy much dry herbs.
I use them occasionally for my meat rubs or fish, but I like fresh stuff, the same way that I don't buy...
Ground pepper, I like to grind my corn.
I like the aroma that comes out of something that is...
So you won't take basil and freeze it, for example?
No.
No, I only buy it daily.
If I need it, I go to the shop and I buy it.
Or if I have a garden or a window, I grow it.
It's just stronger than me.
Yeah, we encourage our kids to grow it, too, and tend to it in the summer.
Yeah, it doesn't grow so well in December or January.
No, it doesn't happen.
We get it in the plastic box like the rest of the world.
But it's very different.
It's a little softer.
It doesn't taste as good.
Next up on my favorite city is Seattle.
Oh, fantastic.
The two of you got a little bit of trouble at the Pike Fish Market.
There you are.
If only it was that easy.
Take a look.
You're going right up here.
He's crazy.
And you caught that fish really well, Gabriela, but I'm going to show you how I... Because we show you...
The one that I caught.
No, the one that I didn't catch.
A lot of fish juice got splashed on us all.
I knew this was sort of a gimmick there, so I did it in a suit.
And watch this.
Here I am.
There I am.
The long throat.
I want you to watch the finish here.
This is the American way of doing it.
You catch it.
There you go.
Watch, watch.
Now you spike it.
No, I don't.
Football pals.
Yeah.
All right.
So what do you know about fish that we should be knowing about in the rest of the country?
What do they know in Seattle that America doesn't know?
Well, look, you know, the good thing of these days in food is that there's a lot of information, thanks to the work that you're doing.
Like, I was in the back looking at what you're doing for cheese, and it's super, super important.
Seattle is fantastic because it's on the coast.
You know, an ingredient like this, like cod, comes down from Alaska.
It's in front of their coast.
It's local.
It's something that they're really acquainted to.
The idea of curing the cod under salt is an ancient practice.
It's, you know, it dates.
Before we had the refrigeration, so it's a way of serving ingredients.
Bacala!
She had Latin boyfriends, too, so not just Italians.
The first time I had it.
Yeah, I know, right?
See, everybody cooked for you, huh?
I came experienced.
I like what you bring to the table.
Let's put it that way.
Oh, I love it.
Okay, so we're going to take a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and take our cod, dip it in some flour.
There you go, partial rosemary, just to have some aroma.
It looks so nice and rustic.
I know, right?
I love making lunch.
And it disinfuses your olive oil.
Super simple.
Nothing special going on here.
A little bit of garlic in the pan.
Yeah, yes, boss.
Yeah, and we've taken fresh tomatoes.
You want to squeeze them by hand into the pan.
You want to make, you know, a basic sofrito with, you know, however you like, some garlic or something like onion, carrot.
And the good thing is that this kind of process works for kind of like any fish filet that you want.
You can do it with grouper.
You can do it with, you know, calamari if you wanted to.
This kind of sauce is like, it's Italian.
It's like once we brought the tomatoes from America, like...
The whole world changed.
You know, I was in Italy, and I was asked to do a medieval dinner once, and I'm like...
That's medieval.
Medieval, yes.
It's like, it's potatoes and game.
Yes.
And cabbage.
Yeah, that much.
Like, how dismal was, you know, to eat.
Like, now we use tomatoes.
I couldn't imagine Italian cuisine without tomatoes, which is, you know, absolutely great.
So you can thank us for that.
So you got your fish.
Thank you for that.
The swap out looks like this.
So basically what you do, once it's done, I can use my hands because they're clean, it goes in the sauce.
So first you see it here, you flip it.
Then you bring it here.
Something that I suggest, especially when using cod, I always suggest the seasoning and tasting it once it's in the sauce, as opposed to seasoning into the pan.
Because otherwise you may end up with too much salt.
I always tell people, start with a little salt.
How do you avoid overcooking it?
That's the problem that I always run into.
Well, you just want to, you know, it's two, three minutes per side.
No more than that.
It takes practice more than really, like, the eye.
It just goes fast, real fast.
Yeah, you base it in your sauce.
And then you can finish it there to soften it up, and that's our, you know, finished beauty.
Well, one more trip.
Let's head off to Napa Valley.
Oh, Napa was fantastic, man.
That was fun.
Here they are, racing off there.
Down the coast.
Now, two of them, they consider themselves wine aficionados, I'm told, right?
You can imbibe a fair amount.
Every night, yes.
Every night.
So, what did you find in Napa that you found amazing?
Well, what I liked really was the terrain more than anything.
You know, the climate's beautiful.
It looks like a little piece of Tuscany to a degree.
And, you know, it's just charming.
What I found sort of crazy is that people are, like, driving from place to place just drinking and driving.
At least on the street in the valley.
But the thing is that it's all street.
If you do it in Chianti in Italy...
There's turns.
So between a farm and the next, it's like it's an adventure.
This is not a doctor's approved endeavor.
No.
Drink again.
No.
Get yourself in there.
So tell me, what makes it, to you, what makes wine healthy?
Antioxidant.
Well, obviously.
A couple of things you might notice.
You notice the dark color?
That's because of these things called anthocyanins that give it that rich...
You're harvesting the energy of the sun.
With anthocyanins, for aging, it doesn't have to be old wine.
Young wine works as well.
So here comes to you guys.
You can catch Danny Mazar and Yabir Korkos.
They're doing a road trip of their lifetime on Extra Virgin Americana.
It's weekdays, rather Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific on the Cooking Channel.
Toast! - Next, ever wondered what the fittest people on earth eat all day?
Celebrity trainer Donovan Green shows us exactly what's on his plate.
I eat six meals a day.
And you look like this.
Oh, yeah.
Don't be jealous.
Don't be jealous.
We'll see what he eats from morning till night to learn his secrets to looking so great.
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!
- Thank you. - Have you ever wondered what the fittest people on the earth eat all day long?
Well, celebrity trainer Donovan Green is here to show us exactly what his meals look like.
You look in better shape every day.
You turn 40. You look like you're in college.
So what's the secret?
How do you do it?
First of all, the secret is good attitude.
Smiling every day.
Working out.
I smile a lot.
You know that.
And of course, eating right.
You gotta eat right.
So you have a secret, you say, that you actually don't eat three rounded meals a day.
No.
I think three rounded meals is not enough.
I eat six meals a day.
Six meals.
And you look like this.
Oh, yeah.
Don't be jealous.
I'm just feeling.
Just touching.
Six meals a day.
But the key is to keep it small.
Spread your calories out.
You don't have one big meal.
When people hear meal, they think about, like, chicken and turkey and rice.
No.
Keep it small.
Keep it really...
Like, common sense is the key.
Are you going to share with us what you actually eat every day?
Yeah.
Absolutely.
I'm in.
So walk me through the day.
We're going to start off with meal number one.
Yep.
And it's something I never expected.
It's cornmeal porridge.
What's that about?
Cornmeal porridge is a Jamaican staple food.
You know I'm from Jamaica.
Yard is straight up.
You're going to start a riot in here.
I know, right?
So cornmeal is like the cousin of oatmeal.
So I'm going to eat the cousin of oatmeal, right?
It is gluten-free, very high in protein, very high in fiber.
And it tastes so good.
I like to add, like, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar.
And this is called Eitel cornmeal.
This is for vegans.
So there's no cow's milk.
I use coconut milk instead.
Almond milk.
It's so good.
So I've got two wonderful women, Elizabeth and Vicki, are joining us.
And they're going to taste everything that Donovan talks about.
What do you think about this cornmeal?
What does it taste like to you guys?
It's delicious.
It's warming.
It's spicy.
It's kind of like oatmeal, but it's not.
Yeah, it tasted like polenta to me a little bit.
Yeah, like polenta.
It tastes like custard to me.
I love the nutmeg in there.
I love the both of you.
All right.
So, there's one little cheat here, because you can't be cooking food all day long.
Meals two, four, and six, every other meal, are actually the same.
They're antioxidant-rich smoothies.
Yes.
So, explain why these are so important to you.
So, berries.
Okay, first of all, antioxidants.
They're so good for fighting off free radicals, which we know is like...
Very, like, big for cancer.
Free radicals are dangerous.
Antioxidants are very important.
Berries, they are loaded with that.
Loaded.
You get raspberries, blueberries, strawberries.
Any berry you use, you can mix it in your smoothie.
They're fast.
It goes to your bloodstream much faster than eating it.
I would never recommend for somebody with diabetes to really juice fruits because the sugar is very high.
When you smoothie it, you put it in a blender, it's much better.
So, I mean, I love my smoothies.
It's quick, and no complaints.
In fairness, if Elizabeth and Vicky ate these big glasses of your antioxidant smoothie three times a day, they'd put some weight on it.
Yeah, so I'd say really minimize it.
Like, I'm a big guy.
I'm 200 pounds, 6'2".
You know, so for me, this is perfect.
But if you're looking to lose weight, small.
Like, that's a pretty good size.
That's not a bad size.
You need more than that, obviously, yourself.
Yeah, I do a much bigger thing than that.
What do you guys think?
Elizabeth, Vicky, what do you guys think?
It's good.
It's not too sweet.
Yeah.
Berries are actually the lowest glycemic index, right?
Yes.
Up on the low category.
Okay, meal number three.
It's an all veggie meal because you're a vegan.
Uh-huh.
What do you make?
Stew peas.
Stew peas?
Stew peas.
Jamaican stew peas.
So in Jamaica, right?
So in Jamaica, what we use, they use like oxtail, pigstail.
They do animals in the stew peas.
So as a vegan, I take the same exact recipe.
And I use only beans, potatoes, carrots, you know, celery, thyme.
I use all that stuff.
It tastes really, really good.
Fiber.
Of course, the beans, you get proteins.
It tastes great.
It's amazing.
You can serve it with jasmine rice or quinoa.
And, you know, quinoa is loaded with proteins as well, so it's, like, amazing.
Well, they already finished their bowl of it, so I know you guys like it.
You better save some for me.
Save some for me.
I'm hungry.
I have to have that.
I put oxtail in yours, by the way.
That's okay.
And meal number, the final meal is a treat.
It's a homemade banana peanut butter treat.
I actually made some for everybody over here.
Do you want some?
I'm going to taste some of yours.
I'm going to steal some of yours.
What do you guys, why do you love this?
Okay, so first of all, I used to love ice cream.
Love ice cream.
And when I found out that you could be a vegan and still have ice cream, vegan all the way, baby.
I became a vegan.
But there's no ice cream in this thing, though.
No, there is no ice cream.
There's no dairy.
Just frozen bananas.
Peanut butter.
You can add anything.
Don't add any sweeteners.
No.
Why would you?
You don't need anything extra sweet.
Just put the bananas in it.
Frozen.
And if it's not frozen, put ice.
And blend it and enjoy it.
My kids love this stuff.
Wow, everyone's going to love this stuff.
I posted Donovan Green's daily meal plan on DrRoz.com so you can make your own of each of these items when we come back.
If you've got a job where you have to sit for most of the day, which I know is true for a lot of people, don't give up.
Stay with us because Donovan's got a solution for you.
you're going to adore this. - Oh God. - Next, for anyone who doesn't get out of their seat much during the day, Donovan Green shows us three easy exercises.
Simple workouts you can do right in your own chair.
No gym involved.
No excuses.
Can I dial my phone number?
Oh, free.
That's next.
The best-kept money secrets you need to try.
How to negotiate a lower credit card bill.
I was so skeptical.
I didn't even think it was possible.
But it paid off.
I'm going to save thousands of dollars.
All new odds.
That's coming up tomorrow.
Donovan Green is back to reveal three easy exercises for people who sit all day long because they have to.
They're at work.
Whatever's going on, they can't get up.
And the best part is you can do these exercises right in your chair.
So everyone in the audience could help out folks at home can as well.
He created these chair exercises so you can do them in front of your TV, at your desk at work.
And this is the fitness shortcut you have been waiting for.
I've got Maria, Anna, and Coretta here.
You guys spend a lot of hours sitting?
Yes.
As a health coach, I'm seeing clients back to back to back, and sometimes I'm sitting 8, 10, 12 hours.
Desk jobs?
Yes, desk job.
I'm a concierge at a gym, and I could be sitting there 10 hours.
How ironic.
Working at a gym, you can't use it.
Yes, and I'm sitting.
And Coretta?
I'm actually a realtor, so I spend half my day sitting and half running.
Oh my goodness.
All right, well, we've got to compromise.
It's going to work for everybody.
Donovan, you're going to walk us through three exercises that work for everybody.
You can do them every single day in your chair.
Go ahead.
Yes, absolutely.
Seated squat lunges at first.
Seated squat lunges.
Let me demonstrate it first.
This is for a toned butt butt.
Yeah, this is for the lower body, lower extremities.
We're going to work from lower body to mid-body to upper body.
So you stand up first.
Legs spread a little bit.
Right?
Legs apart.
You want to step out into your lunge.
Go straight down.
Come back up.
Look through your legs so you don't miss the chair.
Sit back down.
Get back up.
Step out again.
Opposite leg.
Beautiful.
That's the first set.
So what we're going to do, we're going to try to do about five sets total first.
You ready?
Five of them.
Are you ready?
You're going to do five now?
Five now.
Are you ready, Mehmet?
All right, up.
Step out.
We did one already.
Yes, we did.
Here's the fun part.
This is one.
Oh, come on now.
We're running short on time, Donovan.
All right, here we go.
You know, Donovan trains me.
This is why we get into trouble.
I'll tell you.
Let's go for one more.
All right, we're the one more.
Because we're short on time, you can do this in heels as well.
If you're a guy, don't try them in heels.
Good.
All right.
Have a seat.
So I'm going to cut it for time.
Next one is your seated abs crunches for your abs.
Oh, dang.
Woo!
This is thick.
Tight.
Anna, look.
You mean like this one?
Let me see.
Can I dial my phone number?
Oh, please.
So come to the edge of the chair.
Come to the edge of the chair.
Take your hands just like this.
Sit back to where your back touches at the back of the chair lightly.
Now come up slow.
Feel your abs slow.
Go back slow.
Go slow.
Folks in the audience, try this.
Are you guys trying it?
Stop whining over there.
I don't know why you guys are watching us.
You better try it.
One more, one more.
How many calories do you burn doing these things?
You know what's interesting?
Calories are so different.
Each person can burn different calories.
Height, weight, muscle, everything is very different.
All right.
The next one is...
Rear elbows.
He's a martial artist, too, by the way.
He taught my wife to beat me up with these martial artists.
I will get hit in this event.
I know that.
Yes.
So, rear elbows.
Imagine somebody's coming behind you to attack you.
This is the elbow jab.
Yes.
So, you're going to turn around, elbow the person behind you.
Hit him.
Now, come across to the other side and hit the other guy.
Hit him!
All right.
So, here we go.
Ready?
One.
Two.
One, two, three.
Dr. Oz, you're gonna have to step that game up, baby.
Here we go.
You're gonna step it up.
Boom.
Now kick him.
Now kick him.
Elbow him.
Elbow him.
Now kick the next one.
Kick the next one.
Elbow.
Boom.
Kick.
Kick.
That's what I'm talking about.
All right.
Listen, these are things you can all do.
It doesn't sound like it's a lot, but you do that for a few minutes a day.
Break it up when you can.
It makes a huge difference in your life.
It's these kinds of small activities done consistently throughout the day that make all the difference.
It's not about that hour-long workout that no one has time for, so you never do it anyway.
You in?
Yes.
Get out behind your desk in that health club, by the way.
Work out a little bit.
And stop moving.
Stop moving.
Sell some more real estate over there, Corina.
You actually burn 50 calories less when you're not moving each day.
Remember that.
Wow.
Just for moving.
50 calories less when you're not moving.
So get up and move, basically.
Go to dros.com for more of Donovan Green's exercises.
There's lots more on his app.
It's called Chair Workouts.
You can download it right now on your phone.
We'll be right back.
Want more tips on how to reshape your body at home?
Check out the April edition of The Good Life magazine to learn how to make your own inexpensive workout box.
So you can work out in your own home anytime.
No more excuses.
What are you waiting for?
Her doctor told her she had cancer, but she didn't.
I thought I was going to die.
You go through all kinds of grueling treatments that you don't even need, but you don't know that.
It was horrible.
I picked out my son to be played at my funeral.
Is your doctor scamming you?
Did you have any idea?
That he was a fraud.
Montel Williams investigates.
The thing that's so crazy about this, though, could this have been stopped?
All new Oz.
That's coming up on Wednesday.
Whether you are paleo, keto, or If you're just looking for a way to cut down on carbs without losing the taste, I have your solution today.
There's a new gluten-free, low-carb wrap that's been popping up all over the internet.
Food blogger Anita Shepard is here to tell us what it is and if we should be giving it a try.
So what's the secret?
What works?
So, Dr. Oz, I love these coconut wraps.
They only contain coconut meat, coconut water, and coconut oil.
Coconut wraps?
Yes.
These are the coconut wraps.
So having one single ingredient of coconut, this ingredient itself has so much, it's so nutrient dense.
It gives you all day energy.
It naturally has a nine month shelf life.
So it's great for moms who want to make lunches.
I thought you'd taste good.
Do you make the wraps like this?
Yeah.
You can just wrap.
They're so versatile.
These ones have fruit.
These ones have all kinds of chicken.
And you could do all kinds of fillings.
But look at how they hold up so well.
If you try these, they...
Forget that.
It's a little more challenging.
But with these, coconut is such an amazing ingredient.
Look at how they hold together so well.
They're meaty.
Yeah.
They have that exotic flavor to them.
I feel like I'm traveling somewhere.
They're so easy to use.
Balleries.
Oh my gosh.
So much better than bread.
Yeah.
We're always looking for natural alternatives.
If you've got a problem, for example, with bread.
Right.
I love these.
Yeah.
Coconut wraps.
You can find them everywhere.
Yeah.
Buy a sense of coconut wrap.
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