All Episodes
Previous Next
Feb. 19, 2025 - Dr. Oz Podcast
42:38
Genius Hacks, Smart Drugs & Immune Boosting Secrets | Dr. Oz | S6 | Ep 174 | Full Episode
| Copy link to current segment

Time Text
Today on Dr. Oz, new health uses for everyday things.
It's a special edition celebrating your greatest ideas.
Looking better, cooking faster, cleaning easier.
This is the one that I really think has a huge medicinal benefit.
All without spending a penny.
Bucks, you have one week before a big event.
And that dress still doesn't quite fit.
See the one week slim down to get that zipper up.
Coming up next on Dr. Oz.
Good day!
A show that you asked for.
Your number one request.
New health uses for everyday things.
It's a special edition celebrating your greatest ideas.
From looking better, cooking faster, cleaning easier, all without spending a penny.
It's my biggest search ever.
I'm going to leave you to go scour social media.
I'm going to check out Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest.
Help make your life easier.
First off, YouTube.
This one?
Look at this one.
It's a new one.
It's on vinegar.
It got nearly 7 million views.
It sounds like something you need to know about.
Let's go check out my Facebook page.
Ah, Samantha Kaye from Boston is a great new use for dryer sheets.
And Linda C., all the way in California, she uses baking soda as a stain remover.
I don't like that.
It looks like I've got some great options here, but I wonder what's popping up on Pinterest.
Wow!
Oh my, it's going to be tough to pick the best pins here.
Let's go to Instagram.
This photo of Coffee Ground Solutions.
Oh, it got tons of likes.
You can check it out on my Instagram.
Let's keep moving.
Final stop, DrOz.com, where I've discovered that one of our most searched topics is, you guessed it, new uses for everyday things.
Clearly, you're begging for new solutions.
And from looking around the web, there are a lot of great money-saving options out there.
And today, I've got the best of the best.
All right, I'm back.
And it's time to get to our first new use for an everyday item.
It's the viral vinegar video.
They get almost 7 million views.
Take a look.
Does your trash can smell like something died in it, even though it's empty?
Simple.
Grab a piece of bread and pour vinegar on it and let it soak up.
Place it on the bottom of the can and let it sit overnight.
When you remove it the next day, the awful smell will be no more.
Did a sticker or tape leave some sticky residue behind?
Saturate the area.
Let it sit for a few seconds and then scrub away the goo quickly and easily.
Need to get some wrinkles out of your clothes in a pinch?
Take a spray bottle and add one part vinegar and three parts water.
Mist the clothing?
You'll see that most of the wrinkles have flattened out.
If your pots and pans have some hard-to-clean stains on them, simply place the pot on the stove.
Add a cup or two of white vinegar and the same amount of water.
Boil it for about five minutes, and your cookware will be as good as new.
Stacia says she was so obsessed that she watched that video about 20 times, and she's here now to show you the best new uses for vinegar.
All right, let's start off with the cotton ball trick.
Now, I understand this entire part of the audience.
Let me see your cotton balls up there.
They're a good-looking audience, aren't they?
Now, they've had that cotton ball up there holding soaked in vinegar, and that's apparently the way you start your day.
Yes.
I, through this research, found that it is one of the best facial toners.
And so it's super easy.
All you have to do is mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into two cups of water.
Have it in a little bottle every morning.
Just, here you go.
Here's one for you.
Dab it in there.
And just facial toner, yeah.
Just all over.
All over?
Yeah.
Let me see the audience.
Be brave over there.
What do you guys think?
You happy, audience?
Yeah.
They're putting in their hair, too.
I love it.
It's expanding.
Now, it has to be apple cider vinegar.
It can't be other kinds?
Apple cider vinegar is the best for your face.
It is.
Now, I know you have white vinegar for your next tip, but you say we can use this to unclog our drains.
And the reason I'm concerned about this is as a surgeon, one of the catastrophes we see is when these toxic drain cleaners are, by mistake, swallowed by kids.
It's a big problem.
Can you teach me how you do this, how much vinegar?
I made this replica of your home sink.
Is this a pretty good demonstration of what it might look like?
Yes.
Nice and clogged.
Nice and clogged.
Yes.
So it is clogged.
No toxic chemicals.
Here, show me how to do this.
Awesome.
So this is just table salt.
And again, just distilled white vinegar.
Just pour it in there.
Get a little swirl.
And really all you need is just enough to cover the base of your sink.
You just pour it right in.
So it dives through the oil?
Yes.
So you put it in there.
Pour it through there.
And how long do you let it soak for?
Really?
Pretty quickly because it creates some reaction there.
Oh yeah, I see it's starting to go.
And you just wash it in?
Yeah, it's starting to drain.
Look at that.
There we go.
Yeah, actually look at that.
I'm serious.
Yeah.
And the best part is...
Who would have thought that would work?
I know, right?
I always forget if I do have a clogged drain, it's a hard thing to remember when you're at the store.
There you go.
That's unbelievable.
I'm sorry you were saying?
Well, it's always a hard thing for me to remember to buy at the store if you need it.
And the also great thing is that it's cheap, you have it on hand, and you're not putting chemicals back into the water supply.
Yeah, it seems to work just as well.
I'll try this in a second.
These are wonderful tips.
I appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
Next, thousands of you, really thousands of you, liked this video that I posted on my Facebook page.
Usually it takes me about 15 minutes to iron the shirt.
That's right, 15 minutes.
But today, I'm going to use aluminum foil underneath my ironing pad and it's only going to take me three minutes.
Cover the top of your ironing board with aluminum foil.
Be sure to keep your shiny side up.
Place ironing board pads over your ironing board.
Iron as usual.
Check this out.
So we've got three women here who are so inspired by the tinfoil for wrinkles that they found more everyday things to fix your clothes.
So they're here in the audience where they can do the most good for everybody.
Jetta says she uses hairspray on clothing.
Is that true, Jetta?
That's very true.
So teach me how you do this.
Okay, so I'm a gal on the go and on a budget.
And as you can tell, I'll never leave home without my lipstick.
Very beautiful.
Thank you.
But sometimes, you know, like it smudges when you're putting on clothing or when you're going in for the kiss.
What?
But before you go, who here has lipstick on their collar that they're willing to admit to?
Oh.
I shouldn't have...
They're intimidated.
It's okay.
I'll be the victim.
Here, use my sleeve.
Oh, well, okay.
Use my sleeve, or what do you want to do?
I'll use your sleeve.
I'm just saying, I don't usually kiss married men, but, you know, because it's you.
Well, I'm happy that I'm very married.
Go ahead.
Okay.
There we go.
It was a very pretty kiss.
Thank you.
But that did leave a stain, you noticed.
It did.
All right, so I have to put my jacket up here.
So what we do is, you know, spray a little bit.
There's great old hairspray.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I usually get, like, a travel size.
But, uh, you know.
Travel size?
Yeah, like, as a girl on the go, that's how I have to live.
That's my lifestyle.
Oh, my goodness, it's gone.
And voila.
You see that?
Yeah, look at it.
Can you all see that?
The napkins got all the...
What gave you the idea of trying this?
Well, I mean, you know, different DIY sites, and then I tried it, and then I loved it, and that's how I've been getting rid of stains on the go.
Give me one kiss.
Okay.
Mwah.
Thank you very much.
There you go.
Great idea.
All right, Samantha's here.
Where's Samantha?
She's got a new use for razors.
I'm just hiding back here.
How are you, Samantha?
Hi, good.
How are you?
What do you do with razors?
Okay, well, I'm not about to shave my legs, so no one has to worry.
But I actually love my razor, and it's because all those pesky pills on your sweaters after a cold winter, tape doesn't work.
I tried it a bunch.
I found my razor, tried it, and it actually works wonders.
You literally put a razor to a sweater?
I literally put a razor to a sweater, and it's amazing.
It doesn't ruin it.
Who has pilling on their sweater?
Oh, she's got it bad.
Oh, no wonder you're here.
I'll get out of the way.
She's got it bad.
So all you have to do...
Whose sweater is that?
Oh, it's mine.
It's kind of embarrassing.
Usually I'll use tape or something, but...
Oh, don't worry.
Well, you wore the right sweater for the show today.
All right, let's try it out.
All right, so all you have to do is go downwards, and they come right off.
Oh, yeah, they do shave.
Oh, my goodness.
They come right off.
Can I see that razor?
Yeah.
It's just a regular razor.
It's great.
I love it.
Have you ever cut the sweater when you're doing that?
No.
Actually, I really haven't.
I mean, I'm probably just great at it at this point.
But you're literally like you're shaving your legs and you shave your clothes.
I'm literally just shaving downwards.
See?
It comes right off.
Can I keep this?
That's the question.
For embarrassing with that sweater, it's the least we can do.
Thank you.
All right.
Abby says she can top everyone with her new use for nail polish.
So you added this to your wardrobe, I understand?
Yes, nail polish.
You wouldn't think you put it on clothes, but believe it or not, if you have a loose button on your sweater or a shirt, you can actually use clear nail polish to keep it in place.
Who wants to try this?
Who's got a nail?
No one's going to have peeling like the sweater back there.
You have one?
Oh, here we are.
Go ahead, sure.
What's your name?
Laura.
Laura.
Let me see the button.
I have a loose button.
It is loose.
I can throw that up to the show, but in the meantime, help us out.
All right, so all you have to do is you put a little on top right here where the loose thread is, and then you put a little on the bottom.
So Laura, I know we just met.
Trust her.
If it gets on the sweater, does it mess it up, or is it okay?
No, I mean...
You don't want to put too much, just a little dab on top and underneath, and it'll keep your button in place.
It sort of soaks through the thread, probably wicks down anyway.
What happens is it hardens the thread, so it's not going to move anywhere, it's not going to continue to rip, because, okay, a loose button, not the end of the world, but if it falls off...
Yeah, you lose a button.
Then you're losing a button.
I like the idea.
I love all these ideas.
Thank you very, very much.
Sure.
All right, next!
Onyx got a lot of attention when she created that Pinterest page dedicated to new uses for vodka.
Look at this Pinterest page.
I think it's pretty cool.
So, Onyx, why vodka?
What fascinated you so much about vodka?
Well, Dr. Oz, I love a martini, so I always have a little vodka on hand.
And, of course, vodka is fun.
It is fun.
Correct.
So...
But other fun uses.
All right.
It has plenty of other fun uses.
Exactly.
So show me some things you've identified.
Any vodka works, but you don't have to have a high level premium.
Any vodka.
Listen, it can be bottom shelf, top shelf, whatever you choose.
Vodka, martini, or some of these other uses.
All right.
So I understand cold source, which is a major problem for so many of you.
Absolutely.
So you've had cold source.
I absolutely have, unfortunately.
But, you know, I found a remedy using vodka, and my life has been so much better ever since.
So here's a picture of you.
And when you've had it in your own life, how long has it taken to make it disappear?
It can take, you know, up to two weeks.
So using vodka and peppermint has expedited the, you know, the relief so much faster.
So show me how you do it.
All you do is you take a little bit of peppermint with the vodka, take the Q-tip, and you just dab it on your cold sore.
Let it dry up.
Doesn't it hurt when you put the alcohol in the cold sore?
No, but actually the peppermint actually relieves the pain.
Oh, it's an analgesic.
Absolutely.
And then the vodka.
We'll dry it out.
Vodka's also analgesic if you drink enough.
Hey, listen.
I'm sure you might have had a couple of those days, too.
But you don't drink this.
You just put it on top of your lips because it's got peppermint in there.
Okay, good.
Second big item that you found could be useful is preparing for other things you might be drinking is to clean your glasses.
Yes.
Anytime you want to have a dinner party, you want to have clean glasses.
And I am, you know, a stickler for a clean glass.
So, all you do is you take a little bit of vodka.
This is pure vodka?
Pure vodka.
You just rub it on the glass.
Wipe it off.
Hold it up.
Just to make sure.
Just let me give it another wipe.
I tell you, those little drying stains are all gone.
Hold it.
Have you ever seen a glass?
No.
That's pretty cool.
That's good.
Absolutely.
And this vodka, you don't waste, obviously.
No.
Now, of all the things I'm most fascinated, because I think we do so well in our homes when we have flowers, but they go bad in no time, and for that reason, it gets sort of expansive.
So you found a way of making flowers last longer.
Last a lot longer.
So all you do is you take a little bit of vodka.
Again, we love our vodka.
There's a lot of vodka in our lives, you can see this.
Hey, multiple uses, you know.
Turn it into a good thing when people want to accuse you of alcoholism.
That's right.
So you just drop a couple of drops into the flour bowl with the water already in it.
Whoopsie.
That's all right.
And it will make the flowers last a lot longer and smell amazing.
So...
Oh, they smell fantastic.
But just to be clear, so you put one drop, you don't have to put the whole shot, there's just one drop before.
No, correct, correct, yeah.
Okay, I gotta say, my favorite use, even though I enjoy these as well, is in a martini.
So I'm gonna toast you and all my other guests today.
These are fantastic ideas.
You guys are showing us the way.
And I'm going to do this.
I'm going to dedicate a special section of DrOz.com for your best new users for everyday things.
Check it out for more ways to make life easier without spending any money.
And we'll be right back.
Cheers.
Next, it's been on your calendar for months, and now it's a week before your big event.
But the dress you had planned on still doesn't quite zip up.
Find out what you can do to get into that dress in just seven days.
Slim down secrets to take inches off fast.
Coming up next.
All new Oz.
A new way to help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
It's called the Mind Diet.
Ten new food groups that help slash your risk up to 53%.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
All right, Hudson.
It's been on your calendar for months, but now there's only one week left before the big event, and that dress still doesn't quite fit.
Who's been there?
We've all been there.
Depressing.
We're going to change all that today.
Forget the advice from your crazy friends or the nonsense that you've read on the internet.
Today, I've got must-have secrets for a one-week slim down to get that zipper up.
So, Donika has that big event coming up, just like I'm talking about.
She has a desire to attend this, but hasn't gone in years.
But this year, she wants to go, and this is a dress.
Is that right, that you want to wear?
This is it.
It's beautiful.
Thank you.
So, what's the problem?
Well, I've been on a marathon.
I've lost 138 pounds so far.
Congratulations!
But, I'm at the end.
I've hit a wall, and I need to lose 25 more pounds to fit into this gorgeous dress.
And I need your help.
25 pounds?
Yeah.
The only way to lose 25 pounds in one week is an amputation.
Okay.
But listen, the fact of the matter is, you actually probably can squeeze into something that you normally wouldn't be able to by doing things differently for one week.
Okay.
It's not really so much about the pounds, it's about the inches.
That's what we're going to do here.
Now, so far, you probably thought about an experiment.
There was a couple ideas.
So what's on your radar screen?
Well, I've cut out red meat, limited sugar.
But, you know, a lot of my friends, and I've read a lot about the liquid diet that will take off pounds like that.
And I could look amazing in this dress within a week.
The issue with liquid diets for me is you often malnourish yourself.
Not usually enough calories.
So that starvation sort of is okay for a couple days, but by the time you get to the event, because you don't have any nutrients, you're going to find yourself all worn out, fatigued, and you probably have a little nausea.
So I don't want that.
And how about, you know, there are a lot of folks who actually go on the other extreme.
They're thinking about some of those water pills.
Yeah, a lot of my girlfriends, well, some of my girlfriends.
It's people you know.
Acquaintances.
Acquaintances.
You've read about.
Have, you know, suggested, you know, I've done it, you know, for a couple, you know, for the week.
I fit in great.
Maybe you should give this a try.
So we're kind of thinking about it, but I thought maybe you're the expert in this.
It's a slippery slope.
It is.
Here's the issue.
When you take those fluids out that your organs need to function, they're not very happy about it.
And then you end up with electrolytes that are imbalanced and you get dizzy, which is very, very common when you go on these diuretic programs, these urine pill programs.
So you don't want to do that either.
So forget the water pills.
I've got a better idea for you.
Come on over here.
What we're going to do...
Is get you to lose, again, not the pounds, because 25 pounds aren't going there, but just in a couple days, I get you to lose inches.
That is what we want to do.
See that?
Take a little bit of that off, just a tiny little bit, and lose those inches.
So, what bothers you the most about trying to get that dress on?
Okay.
This, the midsection.
I'm at a loss.
There's three things to help the midsection that you can do in one week.
And they'll make you feel a little better about yourself, but you'll fit into that dress more readily.
Go through it.
The first way you're going to zip up is by losing some water weight, but not by taking a water pill.
The second thing you're going to do is deal with the bloat, which is a real killer, especially the last day.
And the third thing is deal with any constipation issues.
You squeeze all that stuff out from down below, it changes the way you can fit into things, and you'll feel better about it, too.
All right?
That's the three of them.
Let's go through this.
Now, you've already lost a lot of weight, so I want to applaud you for that, because you have the basics.
But to speed it up, Nike deserves it.
All natural.
You know our deck, all natural.
So our total 10 rapid weight loss plan is all natural.
I like that as the foundation, but I want to amp it up a tiny bit for you if I can.
So the regular plan has, you know, banana and flaxseed oil and some protein powder.
I like soy milk, but whatever kind of milk alternative you want.
A little bit of ice, I can add that in here.
But in front of you, you see two fruits.
A papaya, and you see a pineapple.
I have them there for a reason.
They actually will stimulate your digestion.
And by doing that, you'll actually be able to move things through in a more regular way, and you'll digest it more efficiently.
Great.
Now, the other part of the equation I touched on was this elimination issue.
How is your poop these days?
Well, Dr. Oz, I am one of your students, and every morning is S-shaped.
Oh, I like that.
I love S's.
Don't you love S's, everybody?
Did you hear it hit the water?
Yes.
Just a small little splash.
Yeah.
Alright.
So, in order to make sure that waste moves through quickly, you want to have fiber.
But here's the big mistake people make.
When you only have a week left, you can't make this mistake.
There's two kinds of fiber.
Two different kinds.
There's fiber like this.
This is called soluble fiber.
It's in beans and oranges and some leafy greens.
And then there's insoluble fiber.
The difference is the soluble fiber becomes like a gel.
It's great for sucking out cholesterol and stuff, but you don't care about that right now.
You just want to get rid of that stuff so it's not inside of you.
Right.
Insoluble fiber just pulls water with it and makes you go to the bathroom so you won't have anything preventing you from squeezing yourself like toothpaste into a tube.
Wow.
So blackberries, blueberries also.
I love beets.
I love beets.
And some of these greens have it as well.
If you do this, you'll poop better.
You'll be lighter on your feet.
Oh.
To give the comparison.
And I think you'll be a happier customer a week from now.
Yeah, I think so.
Thank you so much, Dr. Oz.
And good luck for all.
Thank you.
And congratulations.
Oh, thank you.
All right.
We'll be right back.
Tell us, do you have a favorite and effective belly-busting solution?
I found that planning my meals is a big help.
Instead of relying on whatever's easy, I cook my food ahead of time.
Healthy, natural, and effective.
Share your story on Facebook.com slash Dr. Oz.
Coming up next, you can order them online and they're delivered right to your door.
They promise to improve memory and make you less foggy.
The new smart drugs that are flooding the internet.
A Dr. Oz investigation.
Are they putting your brain in danger?
Next.
The ads practically sell themselves when you see them online or flooding your inbox.
They're promising to make you smarter.
Focus longer, boost your energy, increase your IQ score, even clear brain fog.
They're being billed as the new smart drugs.
You can order them online to be delivered straight to your doorstep.
But are these new smart drugs really so smart?
The ads do make big promises for little cost.
Smart drugs, also known as nootropics, are all of the rage among Silicon Valley CEOs, millennials, and college kids.
And now, could it be the answer busy moms are looking for?
Smart drugs cater to anyone who wants to step up their game with a better brain.
This one, for example, promises scientifically tested results and almost all our money-back guarantee.
Advocates say your upgraded brain is just a computer away, and with comments like this lighting up message boards, you might be inclined to start clicking away.
But read the small print.
These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA, and the products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
So are these smart drugs really so smart?
Take a look at this Google Trend graph.
Over the past four years, pages mentioning nootropics online have exploded, and they caught the attention of Susan, who says she's curious if smart drugs can help her.
What makes these ads so appealing to you?
What's so appealing to them is I am a mother of two, and I'm always tired.
The second I wake up, I need something right away.
I go right for the coffee.
It's appealing because anything that I see that is going to advance me, like help me with energy, I'm all for it.
What have you been trying in the meantime?
Because these things are relatively new.
I've tried some supplements, a lot of vitamin C and vitamin Ds and stuff like that, but I'm looking to really try something.
But I'm a little skeptical because of side effects and stuff like that.
So if you wait for one second, I'm going to discuss it.
I'm going to come back to you because I want your thoughts on this.
Okay.
All right, so I'm going to ask Dr. Carolyn Brockington, she's a neurologist, to join us to help answer these big questions of whether these nootropic pills can be a benefit.
So what's in this?
Well, you know, it's a collection of different agents and compounds that have effects on the brain.
So memory, alertness, energy, right?
And who doesn't want more energy?
Who doesn't want a bigger and better brain?
You know, everybody's going to raise their hand, right?
But the real question is, or the concern lies in the effectiveness of these pills and what the long-term effects may be.
Many of the pills have not undergone rigorous clinical trials to see their effects both short-term and long-term.
And if you're taking a lot of different compounds together, there's a question about what you're really ingesting and what are the potential effects.
So you've raised issues of how complex these pills are.
Exactly.
Is there anything else besides that?
Well, drug interactions and things like that that we're concerned about.
So I'm going to show you what Dr. Brockington is talking about.
It's important to understand this.
Your brain normally is functioning just fine, right?
And because of that, you've got, you know, normal brain and these gears are sort of plodding along and sometimes faster and faster or slower and slower.
You can make decisions.
You can multitask.
Your brain does its job.
But when you take a smart drug, give them a smart drug, it's supposed to make your brain work faster.
Those gears start going quicker and quicker.
They begin to speed up.
But many of these supplements have multiple ingredients that claim to grease the wheels.
Sometimes up to 10 different ingredients in one pill.
Caffeine, the biggest one of all, really starts to jumpstart the system.
It can make you jittery, though, if you take too much.
You've had that experience, maybe.
It can increase anxiety, even your heart rate.
But the worry is, if you add all these together, these different supplements, they gum up the gears.
And nothing works anymore.
So Dr. Brockington, besides mucking up the gears, what other concerns do you have for these pills?
Well, you know, we're concerned about drug interactions.
So you and I have both had patients come into our office and we say, what medicines you're on?
And they put this list all the way down to their feet, right?
So we're all concerned about the interactions about different drugs, prescribed drugs.
But now we're adding all these different compounds.
So we're concerned about what sort of interactions they may have with each other.
Also, the potential of interactions on the prescribed medicines.
Are they affecting the effectiveness of the prescribed medicines?
So that's a big concern, drug interactions.
Well, I'm going to add on top of drug interactions, brain development.
Oh, brain development.
Well, you know, there's a big difference between young and brain, right?
We all know that.
Young and old brain.
But also how drugs affect the brain at different levels of development.
So if a brain is just developing, you know, do you want to really expose these different compounds if we don't know what the long-term effects might be on the development of a young and early brain?
So it's something that all parents should know something about and really think about.
And this is for, again, kids because they're trying this as a big issue.
Let me add a third item here.
It's the fact that the internet is the wild, wild west.
And no one is regulating these products.
So, who knows what you're getting?
We reached out to one brand.
It's a brand of smart drugs.
And here's what they had to say in part.
They said the field of nootropics is an exciting frontier.
But as with most frontiers, caution is warranted.
Many nootropics are being taken off-label, which means that research has not been conducted on them for the purpose for which the substance is taken.
They claim to have sold over 21 million capsules without any serious adverse events reported.
So I'm going to check back with Susan.
I'm just curious.
We just gave you a couple different perspectives on this.
Has it given you any insights on whether you should take these nootropics?
Not really.
I mean, anything that's going to affect the brain too much, I mean, I'm still a little skeptical about it.
But have you already taken them?
No, not those.
I was thinking about them, though.
I think they're getting popular because so many highly functional people, they are everywhere.
I must say, I'm very concerned about them for the reasons I expressed.
So, you know, in general, and I've said this on the show before, you don't want to be a lab rat testing different combinations of ingredients in your body for the first time.
If you're going to insist on trying these, at least look out for too-good-to-be-true claims and ones that are only available online.
Those are sort of some simple, basic rules of engagement.
Listen, we all love the idea of taking a chemical that could make us smarter, but we're not there yet.
These so-called smart drugs sold online are not worth the risk.
We'll be right back.
Next, Feeling Sick and Run Down?, Does it feel like your family just keeps passing the same germs back and forth?
We're putting an end to it today.
Tackle the underlying cause and build up your defenses naturally.
Dr. Weil's essential guide to boosting your immune system.
Next.
All new Oz.
A new way to help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
It's called the Mind Diet.
10 new food groups that can help slash your risk up to 53%.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
Today, I brought in a world-renowned integrative doctor.
He's going to give you his essential guide.
To get your energy back and fight off illness.
This is for anyone out there who feels like they're just run down.
Dr. Andy Weil, come on out.
Welcome.
Top of mind.
Everyone's talking about flu season's been very intense, but you're not surprised.
No, we're all stressed.
We're all running around.
We're all tired.
We're all inflamed.
It's a perfect storm.
And on top of that, that suppresses our immunity.
But on top of that, it's a bad flu season.
There's a bad strain of flu circulating.
The flu vaccine was ineffective this year.
And there's some other very nasty viruses circulating in our population.
Let me, if I can, highlight that.
I was thinking about how to bring this concept into your lives in a different way.
Here's the big idea.
Your body is generally pretty good.
At fighting off germs and viruses.
You've actually got a goalie in place, your immune system, and it's there protecting you.
But when you get tired and run down, it can't push those viruses off like it's supposed to.
You don't have the right of vitamins in there.
Your diet's not right.
Your immune system isn't operating at its best.
And then what happens?
As you collapse and your immune system comes with you, the viruses, those germs, they get into the goal with no one there.
The viruses win out and you get sick.
That's usually when you go to the doctor, right?
Being carted off because you want to treat the symptoms.
That's not what we're doing today.
The creative medicine approach focuses on building up your defensive line.
They're big, they're strong, they're repelling all those viruses, putting some muscle and strength into your game to protect you so those germs and viruses can't get into your goal.
That's your best defense.
That's what you want.
And that's what our next guests need.
Take a look at their story.
I am so exhausted and I can't remember the last time where I felt like I was full of energy.
Between work and the kids and all the activities that we go through, yeah, we're pretty tired.
Honey, what do you want to eat for dinner tonight?
I don't know.
What do you have in the fridge?
Something like ground meats, something quick.
My husband is a trauma nurse.
I work as a flight nurse with a medevac and also in the hospital.
His schedule, it really wears us.
It wears us out.
We have four kids, ten and under.
I refer to myself as a taxicab mom.
I'm shuttling the kids from everywhere we have to go.
Between dance and sports.
We have soccer and baseball.
Genevieve, can you stop kicking my seat?
In church and school, please keep your hands to yourself.
And birthday parties, it just keeps going.
Can I take a nap when you get home?
Thinking about my schedule is exhausting.
I dread sitting down with my husband and scheduling it out.
Between my crazy schedule and her crazy schedule, we just can't afford to get sick.
It's very rare that we get through a week and one of the kids isn't homesick.
Genevieve, cough into your elbow next time you cough, okay honey?
At least one and then we just wait for the next person to get it.
Like dominoes.
At the end of the day, we just sit down and we're like, why are we both so tired?
We're exhausted.
I would love some advice and tips to help us have more energy and for us to stay healthy.
Jamie and David are here.
Jamie, you call yourself a taxicab mom.
You're always thinking about other people, but I want to talk about you, if it's okay.
When was the last time you felt really good, like you were the full person you could be?
That's a great question.
Like two years ago, my husband took me on a cruise and I felt energy and rested and so, yeah, I think that's how it answers.
It's a long time to have a gap.
It's like a seven-day cruise and she didn't feel good until like the fourth day.
All right, so I sent the whole family in for some testing.
Dr. Weil and I look at this testing.
We wanted to see...
At the start off, what are your vitamin levels?
We show those goalies getting weak when they're not really providing the right nutrients.
The good news is the basics, A, C, E, those are all fine.
But there's one vitamin that's not fine.
It's vitamin D. And that's key.
Vitamin D, optimum vitamin D levels in your blood are absolutely necessary for optimum immunity.
So your low vitamin D might be a very key factor in your susceptibility to infections.
I wish I could just say it was you, Jenny, but David, you have low vitamin D. In fact, all four of the kids have low vitamin D. The entire family, we all travel together.
All of you are low and vitamin D. Yeah, that alone can make a huge difference if you correct that.
Okay.
So, not surprising that you've got so much of an immunity problem in the Carter household.
Right.
Well, let me move on to inflammation.
Okay.
Because this is where it really becomes a problem.
When your body's being attacked and you can't defend yourself, the inflammation can make it much worse.
There's something called CRP, C-reactive protein.
It tells us, again, how much of a civil war is happening inside of you.
Okay.
You want to be under one.
Yours was 10.7.
Oh, boy.
Wow.
Okay.
So I want to take these numbers and use them as a starting point.
Again, the Truth Tube is only for that purpose.
Absolutely.
We're going to focus on improvements.
By the way, if you're watching right now, you don't have to have these blood tests.
Your body tells you when it's weak.
When you're sickly, run down.
That's what your body is actually telling you.
You can get the test to prove it to you if you have to have that extra bit of evidence.
So I asked Dr. Weil, because you're the best at this, to develop a guide that anyone can use, anyone can follow, to get their energy back and to fight off sickness.
So the first step you offered us was to cool down chronic inflammation by restacking the food pyramid.
So let's walk over here.
I would love Dr. Weil to show you his interpretation of your food pyramid, which you're currently eating, and then he's gonna reshuffle it a little for you.
So when I look at this, what first strikes me is that...
What you most need, fruits and vegetables, which are sources of the antioxidants and vitamins and minerals, they're what you're eating least of at the top.
And the base of your pyramid is carbs, and it's not the good carbs.
It's the ones that digest quickly, turn into blood sugar quickly, and promote inflammation.
Those are waffles down there, by the way.
Right, I go waffles.
Just in case you weren't sure what they look like.
So the protein you're eating, I think, is top-heavy in animal protein.
I'd like to see you reduce some of that.
And also you're eating a lot of animal fat.
So those are the things.
That's the things that most strike me that we need to reorder.
Let's reshuffle this to show what Dr. Weil wants you to do.
Okay.
There it goes.
Fast but perceptibly.
So we'll make fruits and vegetables the base of the pyramid.
We'll get you to eat more of the slower digesting carbohydrates, the better ones, whole grains.
We have various kinds of whole grain pasta.
That's quinoa, not rice.
Fiber with them, real food.
Okay.
Healthier fats like olive oil and fats from nuts, seeds, and avocados.
Okay.
Smaller amounts of animal protein and dairy, and we'll put sweets up at the top of the pyramid.
Which is Johnny's favorite.
Yeah, of course.
We want Johnny and all the other kids and the two of you to be your top game.
Yeah.
Here's the deal.
When we come back, Dr. Weil is going to give you his favorite immunity boosters and show you how you can incorporate them into your family tonight.
Everyone stay with us.
Next, more from integrative doctor and super healer, Andrew Weil.
His essential guide to get your energy back and fight off sickness.
Learn how to build up your defenses with natural immunity boosters.
A holistic plan to keep you healthy and living well.
Next.
We're back with world-renowned integrative doctor and healer, Dr. Andy Weil, and his essential guide to get your energy back and fight off sickness.
And we just talked about reducing inflammation.
Now it's time to build up your defensive line with immunity boosters to keep you well.
The Carter family is here at the dinner table trying out all the foods we're going to recommend to you.
We're going to check in with them in just a bit.
The first step is to start every day with an antioxidant mocktail that the whole family can enjoy.
Before we get to the...
Antioxidants that are in here.
Explain why they're so important in general.
Antioxidants are part of your body's defenses.
They're especially necessary to quench, soak up, deal with free radicals, unstable molecules that are generated in the course of normal metabolism that damage cells and damage immunity.
You love turmeric, which you have added to this, and a bunch of other things.
Walk us through what's in this smoothie.
Well, I started with almond milk, which is a very good source of vitamin E. I'm using mango, delicious, and a good source of vitamin C. And then we're putting into this some grated ginger and some grated turmeric, our very powerful natural anti-inflammatory agents.
I like the way you garnished this a little bit.
It's very nice.
Did you add vitamin D as well to it?
No, I did not.
That you're going to take as a supplement.
And very important for the whole family.
Again, you can get vitamin D from food sources, but it's really hard.
And from exposure to sunshine.
That's the way to go.
But if you're not going to be able to do that in the winter, it's hard to do.
But mom and dad, you should both be taking at least 2,000, probably 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day.
Vitamin D. That's more than we usually recommend.
2,000 is a minimum.
You do?
Is that what you take?
I take four.
Huh.
Yeah.
We're going to change our guidelines.
All right.
Look into this.
All right.
Now, the next thing you say is we should swap out astragalus tea in place of the colas of so many of us.
But this is an iced version of astragalus tea.
Astragalus is a root of a plant from China.
It's totally safe.
Great deal of research showing it boosts immunity and protects against colds and flus.
You can get it in tea bags.
This is a shredded, dried astragalus root that you can brew, like simmer it in water as a tea, make it iced.
It has a sweet taste.
It's pleasant.
Well, it's fabulous.
I'm sorry, what is the immune benefit of astragalus tea?
It really boosts immunity and increases our defenses against viral infections, especially.
So it makes those goalies work better.
Absolutely.
Okay.
And then we want to add raw garlic.
This you should just do generally, you argue, because it helps.
First of all, garlic is good for us.
It lowers blood pressure.
It lowers cholesterol.
But it is a very powerful infection fighter.
Very active against both bacteria and viruses.
And the power of garlic is best in the fresh, raw state.
So it'll burn your mouth if you just eat it.
So you want to dilute it by mixing it with food.
You can add it to salad dressings, for example.
But you want to eat this regularly.
And if you're going to add it to cooked food, add it at the end of cooking so that the heat of cooking does not destroy it.
This is all mashed up.
I usually just dice it up.
Is that okay too?
That's good, but mashing is more effective because the active ingredient of garlic called allicin forms when garlic is crushed and exposed to air.
So it's best to crush it, let it sit for 10 minutes before you eat it or add it to food.
I love having you on the show.
You have a straggless T on your lip.
There we are.
Terrible.
That's what a friend does.
Thank you.
People at home, errors don't.
Did you see his?
All right.
Next, you will say we should ditch the ground beef.
Again, a fat that comes from animals is included.
Right.
They were eating too much animal fat and animal protein.
And here's one possibility.
These are maitake mushrooms.
Some of you may not be familiar with them.
They're easier and easier to get.
They're delicious.
They have a meaty texture and taste.
And we've made a chili out of maitake, ground maitake mushrooms.
I think it's really good.
And maitake mushrooms strongly boost immunity.
Again, they build up your goalie's strength.
So the key question, of course, they all make perfect sense.
Yeah, do you like them?
You like them.
Are you going to eat them?
If you're not going to eat them, it doesn't make a difference.
I know how difficult that is.
So, Jimmy, let me start with you.
Yeah.
I just had that chili.
I tasted it, but I want your honest opinion.
Please do not adulterate it or try to be polite here.
Would this chili work for you and the family?
Yeah, I like it.
Did you guys like it?
Yeah.
Great.
Okay, good.
You don't like the chili?
Why don't you like the chili?
Why don't you like it?
A little bit hot.
A little bit hot.
A little spicy.
Okay, so that's easily fixed.
Yeah, I can take that out.
That's easily fixed.
And see if you can work a little garlic into it.
Okay.
I love how hot these are.
You like it?
No.
Wait till you get to this.
So mom says yes, but I hope that happens.
All right, let's talk about this astragalus tea.
Again, an immune booster.
We're asking you to replace soda pop, you know, the soft drinks, with this.
What do you think?
You're the oldest, aren't you?
Yeah.
All right, I want an honest opinion here.
Don't look at your parents.
Look over this way.
No, don't get them.
Look at me.
Um, I like it.
You do?
Yeah.
Would you put more sugar in it, or is it okay the way it is?
Um, I don't know.
Not sure.
How about Mikey over there?
Does Mikey like it?
No, what's your first name?
Johnny.
Do you like it?
The tea?
The tea.
Oh, I got a yes.
A rousing yes.
I like that.
Yes.
All right.
If you can do it, we'll all be happy.
Dr. Wildly has followed up with you guys as well as I will.
I want to make sure you guys are on the right path to stay well throughout the year and get rid of that run-down feeling.
I don't want you to have to be on a vacation for four days, which is hard to do anyway, on a cruise ship.
Just begin to fuel yourself.
Be who you truly can be.
And your kids are not going to treat themselves the way you treat them.
They're going to treat themselves the way you treat yourselves.
You take care of mom, Amy, and they'll be doing that when they get to your age as well.
Thanks for all being here.
Thank you.
You get the full plan and all this information from all the other Truth Cube experts as well at DrOz.com.
We'll be right back.
All new Oz.
A groundbreaking new way to help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
It's called the Mind Diet.
10 new brain-healthy food groups that help slash your risk up to 53%.
Now that's food for thought.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
I saw this tweet the other day and it made me laugh out loud.
It says, there are two kinds of people in this world.
The first has a pristine inbox with zero new emails, and the second has thousands of unread emails.
Here's the deal.
Some experts believe your inbox reflects your personality.
If your inbox is spotless, you may be more particular about fine details in certain things in day-to-day life.
If you have a closet in your car, they're probably immaculate too.
However, if you have thousands of unread emails, you may not focus as much on the detail of life, but you probably care more about the bigger picture.
You're more focused on the forest than the trees.
So, my inbox is empty.
What type are you?
Think about that.
Now it's time for in case you missed it.
First, New Health uses for everyday things.
I love these.
I scoured social media to celebrate your greatest ideas.
And we've got a new use for apple cider vinegar.
You can use it as a facial toner.
You just mix one tablespoon of vinegar with two cups of water, then apply it with a cotton ball to clean and tighten up your skin.
We also found a fabulous new use for vodka.
Besides, of course, drinking it, which is hopefully a commonly used technique.
You take a few drops, you put them in with your flowers.
And it turns out that flowers produce a chemical that causes them to wilt.
And the vodka stops that from happening.
You only need just a few drops at the base beneath the flowers and you'll be set.
You can drink the rest that way.
Next, no matter the season, if you're sick and tired of always being under the weather, my good friend and world-renowned expert in integrative medicine, Dr. Andy Weil, has a solution.
To fight colds and illness before they knock you down and out, you're going to start each day with an antioxidant mocktail smoothie that defends your cells from toxic damage.
Here's what it's got.
Almond milk, that's got lots of vitamin A, which helps the cells that will destroy the germs.
It has frozen mango, inexpensive that way.
Lots of vitamin C, which can increase your infection-fighting white cells.
Ginger, hugely beneficial for immune support.
And, of course, the secret ingredient, turmeric.
It's a potent anti-inflammatory.
Now, this smoothie not only boosts your immunity, but it tastes great.
Who wants to have a smoothie here?
Who wants to feel it?
We have one potential victim here.
Give that a taste of what you think.
And remember, everybody, be careful of doobies people online that make it seem like I'm endorsing their products because they don't.
To see a full list of our trusted sponsorship partners, please go to dros.com and I'll see you next time.
▲
Export Selection