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Nov. 28, 2025 - Dr. Oz Podcast
42:41
Do Brain Fog Fixes Work: The Truth About Memory Boosts & Stress | Dr. Oz | S9 | Ep 67 | Full Episode
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Can the breakaway hit of the year, this little fidget spinner, help you focus and improve memory.
How about this?
Really useful in diffusing stress.
The new tools that bust brain fog.
Plus, I was rich and famous, but I was broken.
Eight-time Major League Baseball All-Star Daryl Strawberry.
Revealing the addiction that nearly took his life.
And Real Housewife Dorinda Medley.
Is a little fat?
Because you're revealing her holiday tips to make it nice this season.
Coming up next.
Are you ready to say some lives today?
Yeah!
I love you, Dr. Lodge.
Investigating brain fixes.
The all-natural solutions and the emerging market of products for brain fog, all promising to help you focus and improve your memory.
By the end of the report, you are going to find out which brain fog fixes are backed by real science, which ones can you trust, and which ones just aren't worth the money.
Now, in order to figure out what's going on here, I actually made some real fog.
It's here to represent your brain fog that so many of you are complaining about and feeling all day long.
And I've assembled my brain fog test team who have tried them all, so you don't have to.
I capture Sue Varma's with us, Alzheimer's journalist, and Dr. Vincerian Max Liegevir, and my go-to caster, Renatha, who says she's always forgetting where her car keys are, and she could use a little brain boost.
Where are your car keys right now?
They should be in my bag.
They're in my bag in the outside pocket.
You know today.
Today, I'm on.
Yes.
Are you not foggy today?
I wouldn't be so sure those keys are, but we're going to come back to that in a second.
All right, so let's start by dissecting what brain fog really looks like for most of us.
These blocks, right, represent your brain.
They're strong.
They're powerful.
They're a really reliable foundation to you, right?
And this structure needs to be preserved and protected.
The firmer it is, the better it is, the more your cognition is going to be there above the fog of the world around you.
You don't want to fall into the fog.
But life gets complicated sometimes, right?
More and more things pile on.
As these blocks pile on, it gets a little harder to hold it up.
I got my friends here.
Give me some ideas of things that might stress you out or our audience.
Let me play a little jingle here.
I mean, I always forget to do my filing.
My filing gets on my nerves.
All right, filing.
Filed up.
I'll take that out.
We're still together.
Keep going, Max.
Dr. Oz, I've got like 500 emails that I need to reply to.
Stressing me out.
Ooh, let's take one of these out.
Oh, my goodness, this is going to be tough.
Emails are one of my biggest.
It stepped in there.
Okay, Dr. Varma?
I have to order about 10 blood tests, interpret them, and then get back to the doctors.
Not looking forward.
Ooh.
Oh, no.
Oh!
Yeah.
Everything eventually collapses when you can't deal with all those added end violence.
Then all of a sudden, your brain, it's literally in the fog.
Brain in fog.
You don't want that.
And then you have no idea where your keys are, right?
Which is unfortunate because.
You know what?
Let's go with my keys.
I love writing through the pressure.
I found all kinds of stuff in there, by the way.
I'm going to come back to that later, too.
Oh, you do my press at Godflow at first thing.
Yeah, these solutions, and these are a problem.
When you're finding out your brain is toppling into the fog of life, you're not happy about it.
And then you've got these fixes, which you read about online, people tell you about, and those fixes are there to prevent this from happening to you.
So you say, I want to try them.
But is it as easy as that?
Are there ideas that work?
So, Dr. Barbara, what are your concerns about these hacks to deal with brain fog?
Well, what's happening in the brain fog solution industry is very similar to what happened in the diet industry in the sense that you have people with legitimate problems, but they're looking for quick fixes without fully understanding the underlying cause.
And as a doctor, I just want to make sure that the brain fog is not really something else like ADHD, depression, anxiety, thyroid disease.
So we want to make sure that the treatment fits the diagnosis, right?
So if you had a hip fracture, you're not going to see a psychiatrist.
I hope not, right?
Hopefully.
So this is so wonderful that you're doing this show so that we can get ahead and that some of the game.
So we all have hacks that you looked at.
We're going to start, Dr. Varma with you come on over, and then we'll come back slowly one by one, knock out the big ones.
So one of the big items that's out there now, these B12 liquid drops.
Yes.
So it's interesting because B12 is something that you do think about with the health of the brain.
So just find the drops for me and give me the argument for these.
B12 is absolutely essential for your health.
I check it on all my patients when they come to see me because it can improve mood, energy, concentration, mental clarity, and executive functioning, which is key.
And without it, it can wreak havoc.
Dr. Oz, believe it or not, anywhere from 2 to 15% of the population will be vitamin B12 deficient.
And as we age, extremes of age, younger than 30, over than 50, we have difficulty absorbing it.
And that's why I love liquid so much.
Is this expensive?
Not really.
I mean, it's $19.
You can order it easily online.
It's not cheap, but it's not, you know, it's not going to break the bank.
And it lasts two months.
So I like that.
So it's going to last you.
It's a drop or two under your tongue?
Yeah, well, no, it's actually 15 drops.
And you put it under your tongue, you keep it there for 90 seconds, and you swish and swallow, kind of like a mouthwash.
The best time to use it is in the morning before breakfast.
And I would say after the drops, wait 10 minutes.
You're not going to have any kind of absorption issues.
Wait 10 minutes to eat.
You use these as we challenged all of our experts to.
Did it make a difference for you?
I noticed a difference.
I've been on this for about two weeks.
And I have to say, Dr. Oz, you know, as a busy parent, I'm running around teaching medical students, seeing patients all day.
And when I get home to two active, energetic boys, all I want to do is put my head under the pillow and have somebody else read me a bedtime story for a change, right?
I mean, is that too much to ask for?
But I noticed improved concentration, clarity, and a sort of like being present with my kids when I got home.
And it was sustained throughout the day.
And on my fourth bedtime story, they're like, mom, enough.
The end.
Please shut it down.
8 p.m.
Let us go.
You know, the interesting thing about B12 is if you're deficient, right, and you get depression, forgetfulness, that's cognitive slowing, that fog.
Yes.
Right?
That happens.
Yes.
So B12 for that, I was taught in med school and I know it's still true today.
Totally.
That seems to help those patients.
Yes.
But if your B12 numbers are reasonable, you're not deficient.
Yes.
We haven't had any research showing that it works.
So this is one of those things I would probably try it for a couple weeks.
Yes.
Makes a difference.
It's one of the ways to figure out maybe you were low or get it checked.
Yes, absolutely.
Very interesting.
Very much.
All right, next, the breakaway hit of the year.
This baby.
Think of this.
You all see this?
This thing, this little fidget spinner that everyone's using for concentration, look into it, look around it, just watch it, meditate to it.
But does it really work?
Or is it just the new pet rock?
Take a look.
Enjoy.
You ready?
Oh, who has one in the back?
Nice catch.
All right, listen, play with the balls.
They're inexpensive, fun.
These things sort of solve some of your issues.
You'll be surprised.
We'll check back with you later on.
Next, we had a brain podcaster who's really interested in blue energy light therapy, Max Lugerbeer.
So first of all, if you don't mind, you're always in these high-tech gadgets to solve the world's issues.
Explain what this is in a way that I understand it.
Yeah, so this is an ultra-portable device you just plug into the wall and it purports, it claims, to mimic some of the beneficial effects of the bright blue light from the sun, which we know sets our body's internal clocks, really useful in diffusing stress and helping us sleep better at night.
And I actually found it to give me a sort of energized feel while keeping me relaxed in the morning, which is actually a unique combination.
And it gave me a greater sense of clarity.
It sets your circadian rhythm.
I mean, lots of good arguments for it.
What does it cost?
Yeah, so it's not cheap.
It costs about $99, but the beautiful thing about it is that that's a one-time fee.
At that price, it better work.
I mean, not a crazy price, but it's a price.
All right.
Here's what the studies say about Blue Light.
They say they promote wakefulness.
They prevent your body from making melatonin, which is one of the ways you stay awake during the day.
I like it the most because it mimics what normally happens to me when I'm able to get up when the sun comes up.
Yeah.
Which is not all year round.
This time of year, when the days are short, I get up when it's dark and it drives me baddie.
This sets my circadian rhythm so I get tired that evening.
Yeah.
Which is probably the coolest thing for me anyway, buddy.
Yeah, at the end of the day, remember, getting good sun exposure is free.
And it's, you know, there's a lot of research showing how it can, you know, again, mitigate stress, reduce your levels of stress, and help you sleep better at night.
I mean, so that's an amazing thing.
It's your backup plan.
Yeah, backup plan.
All right, finally, we got a fixed gets in the food category, Wheat Germ.
And here's why Wheat Germ is supposed to help your brain fog down and turn over to Ranatha to see if it actually worked for her.
Wheat Germ has neurotransmitters that help brain cells communicate with one another.
They're connecting like this and talking.
The more brain cells that are working together, the more you're going to be feeling effective in what you do.
You'll have better attention to detail.
You'll have more productivity in your life.
But I wanted to know if it actually made a difference.
So I asked Ranatha who was so brutally honest.
Yeah.
So tough.
So difficult.
So, first of all, before we get that width, what does it cost?
So this is really cheap.
I mean, you get, you know, a good amount.
This is about 16 ounces for under $8.
So it's not that expensive.
And how did it work for you?
How did you incorporate it into your diet?
Okay, so I put it on like yogurt.
You can substitute it for breadcrumbs, okay, which is nice.
Yes.
Right?
Because, you know, carb content and all that.
And you can put it in smoothies and, you know, salads.
So it tastes good.
Yeah, it tastes good.
But did it work?
Did it work?
No, I would say a little.
You know, I was very sparingly with it, okay?
But I think if I use a little more, it just might do what I need it to do.
You want to help you with those keys.
So elusive keys.
We'll be right back.
Yeah, all kinds of fun things here first.
Package deli meat.
They have nitrates, sugar, food starch.
They mash it up.
It looks like that.
Which of these deli meats are best for you?
The healthiest deli meats by brand.
Next Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
So I want to ask the audience, everyone at home, a question.
So, you've got to hear this question out, right?
How many of you have gone through a tough time that you haven't quite known how to face?
Hands up.
I think we've all been there.
Get comfortable because you need this show today.
Many of you have gotten caught up with worrying and planning for the future, but you haven't been able to face what that day brings, right?
We've all been there, right?
Trying to think of what's happening down the road.
These are the big challenges that everyone struggles with.
But today's guest has a secret to finding your faith when life doesn't go your way.
He's Justin Bieber's rock star pastor who's changing the way America looks at faith.
Carl Lentz.
Come on, let's have a shout of praise tonight, if you believe it.
Pastor Carl Lentz is the charismatic voice of a new generation of evangelical preachers with the persona of a rock star.
And he has a celebrity following to match, including actual rock stars like Justin Bieber.
Pastor Lentz leads a branch of the popular Hillsong Church Network, which offers unconventional services featuring Christian rock in a concert arena setting.
Come on, holler at me if you hear me tonight.
On Sundays, he draws nearly 10,000 young worshipers to his church in the heart of New York City.
Pastor Lentz's influence keeps growing.
He has more than 500,000 followers on Instagram and another 155,000 on Twitter.
He uses his social media platforms to spread the word of Hillsong and inspire others.
Our message of faith is that if you have faith in something that's greater than yourself, then you have hope.
Please welcome Pastor Carl Lenz.
How are you?
How are you?
Awesome being here.
Thank you.
He's a basketball player, you can tell.
He's taller than he looks.
He's like a gazelle.
I'm retired.
Retired.
Thanks for being here.
It's an honor.
Thanks for having me.
So your ministry's gained a huge following.
A lot of it's because of you and your charismatic ability to talk to folks, but you've got some A-list practitioners, Justin Bieber being a good example.
How do you help him, by the way, deal with the harsh glare, the spotlight of celebrity when he's just trying to be a good person?
Well, I got an exclusive for you.
Exclusive.
Justin Bieber is human.
Who knew?
I think revelation.
I think what we found is, first of all, like the vast majority of our church is ordinary people who maybe the media wouldn't know.
And we say everybody's a celebrity because the word celebrity means to be celebrated.
So when people say, do you have celebrities?
I said, yeah, but there's a lot of single moms.
There's a lot of hardworking people that just need help and hope.
But with Justin or anybody that's in the public eye, I think, you know, humanity has the same needs.
We need to be loved.
We need to be encouraged.
And the only difference with fame is that sometimes you can get so isolated so quick that you feel alone because you don't know who to trust.
You don't know who to talk to.
We try to provide a community where no matter who you are, famous or faceless, maybe nobody knows your name, we want to know your name.
And in that environment, anybody can make it through.
It is remarkable.
No matter how famous you may be, loneliness is one of the biggest afflictions we have.
Yeah, everybody.
So this beautiful book, you have Own the Moment, just now.
He talks about living in the moment.
And you say it's one of the biggest challenges we all face, and it creates the biggest problems.
How do you learn to actually do that, to live in the moment?
Because I know that will change everything.
Yeah, well, thank you for having me on.
I believe about this book can help people's lives, and that's why we wrote it.
And I think, I mean, we all love Instagram.
I mean, that's the generation that I'm kind of a part of.
And the problem with it is that you can see somebody else's Instagram.
And first of all, that's take number 12 with 19 filters on it.
And you can start comparing your everyday to somebody's Instagram highlight moment.
And people don't realize that you don't just arrive somewhere where you have influence and you have peace.
There's like a step-by-step, day-by-day journey.
Like you didn't just end up on this show.
There's a backstory.
You know, you went to med school.
You've worked hard.
You weren't always Dr. Oz.
I'm sure at some point it was like, hey, Oz.
Hey, you.
Remember when they first called me, Dr. Oz, I was panicked.
Right.
And when people see you now, it's like, I want to do that.
And yes, that's a good goal, but you've had to work really hard.
And there were some unspectacular days.
My goal is to not neglect what I do have because my eyes are so fixed on what I don't have or what I want because I think the joy is in the journey.
Like this is an awesome day.
Talking to you is an honor.
And I don't know what the future holds, but I know that right now and who we're talking to matters.
So the first step, you argue, is to accept and reject, which I was a little surprised by that combo.
What does that mean?
Well, you know, I don't know if you have the kind of phone, when it rings, it says, incoming call.
Are you going to accept this?
Are you going to reject this?
I think a lot of people are under the impression that everybody that calls you, meaning says something to you, speaks something into your life, we have to not only accept the call, but we have to internalize it.
I have great parents, and they taught me that just because somebody says something to you does not mean it's true, and you do not have to accept it.
So I've just gotten in the habit of if something comes my way, I can choose whether I don't accept that.
I reject that.
Maybe I'll give you an option three.
Maybe you even need to delete the number altogether.
There are some people who don't even deserve the right to speak into your life.
And so a lot of people are accepting words.
You can't make it.
You're not going to get through.
This is your lot in life.
And I always say, who told you that?
Did God tell you that?
Because unless he told you, it's not set in stone.
All right.
Up next, a simple trick that helped Carl transform his mornings.
And you can try tomorrow.
Stay with us.
The doctor who claims he can reverse Alzheimer's.
Two of his patients are speaking out with his plan.
Next Oz.
That's coming up on Monday.
And I'm back with Justin Bieber's rock star pastor, Carl Lentz.
So you have all kinds of beautiful, brilliant little insights.
Come on, I want you to show one to everybody.
You said, this is a big breakthrough for you.
Are we about to take it off?
I'm taking that.
I'm going to hop in with you.
We're going to start all kinds of conversations.
Controversies.
Controversies.
So, yeah, this is a very simple little lesson that you picked up in the most ordinary of places waking up in the morning.
And I want everyone to listen carefully because this is a very clear action step.
No matter what you're going through, you can begin to use it.
So, Pastor Carl, take it away.
Well, I wake up every day thanking God for miracles because my wife, she's Australian and she's beautiful.
So, hey, Laura, love you.
But I always wake up kind of in a rush because I had this ringtone that is my alarm clock that sounds like if I could sum it up, something out of like that?
Yeah.
And day after day, that would happen.
And Laura said to me one day, she's like, you know, you start your day in an out-of-rest state because of that ringtone.
I'm like, well, I can't fix Apple.
That's the way the phone is.
And she goes, no, I actually have a better ringtone, an alarm clock.
You want to hear mine?
This was Laura's.
Oh, my goodness.
So here I am living with this ringtone, and I didn't know that I could change my default settings.
And that might seem silly, but I just accept what I've got.
I started to change my settings, and my whole outlook changed a little bit.
And I started to think, I wonder how many default settings I have in my own soul that I thought I had to live with that I actually don't.
And so now I check everything just to make sure that, you know, if I can change something, I'm going to change it.
I'm not just going to take it the way it is.
Just like my phone now, I've got angels that wake me up every morning as opposed to New York City traffic.
Yeah.
Kick the tires.
Right.
So you surprise us and we surprise you back.
I guess some audience members, I know you love talking to people.
I do.
All these folks are your fans.
And they all want to see.
They want to see you.
They did.
They asked for you.
So we picked it up.
It's an honor.
We picked a couple of wonderful folks that won the lottery.
Get to ask your question.
So Rhea's going first.
Rhea, hurry up.
Hi, Rhea.
Again, I want to thank you all because they're going to speak very honestly from the heart about what's going down the lights.
Come on, cut it up with me.
No, I'm giving you a hug before you even start.
Thank you.
It's been a pleasure.
Thank you.
Come on, stand over here so we can see.
We don't see your backside of the list.
Don't leave me though.
I'll be right here, I promise you.
All right, so my question is that I'm a brand new entrepreneur, four years, four, actually.
Four years, yeah, but four months actually doing it full time.
So it's very daunting and frustrating and overwhelming.
So I get discouraged a lot.
So what can I do to motivate myself and stay positive every day?
That's a good question.
Number one, congratulations for stepping out in faith.
I think that it's everybody gets overwhelmed with all the stuff you have to do and everybody forgets that.
I don't think God calls us to change the world.
I think he calls us to change our block, change our office, change our day.
Especially when people start new businesses, I always say, you got a long journey, and if you can control what you can control, it's amazing.
What God will continue to bless.
He will lift your head every day.
And I would say get some people around you who are cheering for you.
Because a lot of people start a business and they have people that maybe don't want them to win.
Don't encourage them enough.
You need to find somebody that's going to tell you, hey, you're doing better than you think you are.
God's going to do more than you think he is.
And your business is not just going to make it.
It's going to thrive.
Thank you.
Yeah, thank you.
I believe it too.
Got buddy, brand body.
For more wisdom and Pastor Carl Lesser got his new book.
Own the moment.
It's in Stars Dow.
I'll be right back.
Up next, an interview that no one can afford to miss.
Daryl Strawberry is a four-time World Series champion, but he also faced a struggle with addiction that nearly took his life.
What I've learned, that can help you.
us next.
On this show we are committed to changing the way this country views addiction and mental health issues.
And now I'm proud to say there are people in the spotlight coming forward to help.
Today, a four-time World Series champion and an eight-time MLB All-Star.
On the outside, Daryl Strawberry's career was a home run.
But during what was supposed to be his glory years, he was fighting a battle off the field that nearly took his life.
Today, Daryl Strawberry is here, and he's opening up about his struggles with addiction and revealing his personal message of recovery and hope.
Please welcome Daryl Strawberry.
Doctor, good to be with you, Doctor.
So happy to be here.
Thank you.
Thanks for having me.
I'm happy to see you.
Yes.
Oh, my goodness.
In person.
In person, Daryl Strawberry.
In person.
You're real.
I am real.
So my generation grew up watching you, admiring your physical finesse, the power you showed on the field.
Now, you've been open about your addiction.
You've been sober for a year, for 10 years, rather.
Walk us through the base of this addiction.
What caused it?
Where did this stem from?
Well, I think, first of all, thanks for having me here.
It's great to be with you guys.
And I think we need to speak loud about addiction.
Brokenness is a real thing that happens in people's lives.
And I think a lot of times people don't believe people should be broken because they're rich.
You know, I was rich and famous and had a talent, but I was broken.
My father was an alcoholic, and he beat me and said I never amount to nothing, and I believed it.
And I was broken inside.
So my pain would eventually lead me to my greatness, but my greatness would eventually lead me to my destructive behavior.
What did you first start using drugs?
Well, I started at the age of 13, 14.
13?
Yeah, I was smoking marijuana because I was in so much pain because of the beatings.
And most people that you see end up in addiction.
They start at a very early age.
It's the marijuana maintenance.
You know, people think marijuana is just a drug that won't lead to anything else.
Eventually, marijuana stops working, and then you have to go to something else.
And I was no different than anybody else.
I just have to be very successful at what I was doing.
At what point, and you're addicted at this point, but at what point during that addiction did you realize I'm a really good baseball player?
I mean, this thing could really work for me.
Well, I think I realized that from the beginning.
When I was 13 years old, I kind of knew I was going to play Major League Baseball.
At 13?
At 13, age 13.
Like I said, because of the brokenness and the dysfunction in my home, my dad was an alcoholic.
So I created in my mind that I'm going to play Major League Baseball and I'm going to take care of my mother.
You know, that was the most important thing to me is to make my mother happy.
I wanted to make her happy.
And so I decided I was going to become a Major League Baseball player after sitting and watching baseball on television.
I knew I could be good at it if I just put the effort into it.
So you're just a year or two out of high school.
It seems like you have it all, right?
You've got literally, from my perspective, everything you'd ever want.
What was happening to your mental health off the field when none of us could see you?
Well, I mean, I had everything from a standpoint of being a baseball player and performing as a player.
See, putting on a baseball uniform, Dr. Oz, only made me a baseball player.
It didn't make me a man.
It just made me a baseball player.
That's a cool insight.
That's right.
So, you know, that's what I really struggled with.
I struggled with the identity of who I really am as a man and wanted to figure that out.
And mentally, I was going through so much depression and self-hatred because I didn't really believe I was worth all these things that were happening to me because my father had said I wouldn't mount to anything.
And I believed it when I was hitting home runs and winning championships, had millions of dollars and living behind the community gates, but I was empty.
You know, I was just broken inside and totally empty because I had a bunch of stuff, but I didn't have any joy and peace inside of myself.
There are all kinds of very honest revelations that you share.
One of them, which really caught me off guard, was an admission that you actually, in the middle of games, were so addicted to sex that you would actually go out and have sex in between innings.
Yeah, it was pretty crazy, you know.
It was pretty crazy?
Yeah, it was a pretty crazy lifestyle.
Sex addiction.
All addictions, and I heard you guys talking about sex addiction and drug addiction, eating addiction.
All addictions has to do with behavior.
If I never change the behavior, I can never get well from it.
And we can stay in the addiction as long as we want to.
And middle of games, yeah, I would go between innings and stuff like that and run back and have a little party going on.
And I thought it was pretty cool.
I mean, that's just the addiction, the drive.
But your teammates, the coaches, did they not know?
Well, some of them covered for me.
It was pretty cool.
I ask your part, not to blame them, but it's enabling behavior that's not good for you.
Well, yeah, it definitely is.
It's a behavior that's not good for anyone.
But I think when you have an addictive personality, like addicts and alcoholics and sex addiction, it's addictive personality.
And we know how we turn it on and we turn it off.
And it's not until you have an awakening in your life to get well on the inside.
And I think so many people never get to that place.
They look good on the outside, but they're never well on the inside.
Well, how did you get to that place?
What was the wake-up call for you?
He said, this is not right.
I'm never going to be happy like this.
Well, I knew I would never be happy, but I think I'm truly blessed because God sent me a wonderful woman in my life who made me realize the most important thing was, as my wife today, Tracy, was to take off the uniform and become a man and become responsible.
Good woman.
Up next, Daryl's Powerful Road to Recovery.
His message of hope that can help anyone out there who is suffering in the silence.
Stay with us.
Packaged deli meat.
They add nitrates, sugar, food starch.
They mash it up.
It looks like that.
Which of these deli meats are best for you?
The healthiest deli meats by brand.
Next Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow.
We're back with four-time World Series champion, Daryl Strawberry, who's revealing the addiction that nearly took his life and his powerful road to recovery.
There are a lot of folks watching right now, big admirers of yours.
What advice do you want to give folks who are addicted or the families of people that are addicted?
Well, I think the most important thing is to never give up and don't quit on anyone.
I think that's so important because my mother didn't quit on me and people didn't quit on me.
Even though I was in the depths of addiction, you can love a person, but you don't have to tolerate the behavior of a person.
And I think that's so important to be able to help a person is not being able to tolerate and just keep giving in to them.
And I think that's what happened to me.
I got well because of my wife.
She was pulling me out of dope houses 14 years ago.
I was shooting dope and smoking crack and she was pulling me out of dope houses.
She had one year clean and she was saying that God had a plan for my life and I couldn't see it.
I said, why don't he just let me die here?
And she said, you're just not that lucky.
So I wasn't just that lucky and I'm grateful for her.
I will always be grateful for her because that's important is to understand God is always going to use people to help people.
And we all always must remember that we're here to help somebody else.
We're not here to point fingers at people.
We're here to help people.
Yeah, that's the real miracle.
Yeah.
So we're in the midst of an opioid epidemic killing more people from accidental causes than any other ailment right now.
Where do we start with these folks?
How do you help people who are struggling to get them going?
Well, that's the reason for writing the book, Don't Give Up On Me, SheddingLight on Addiction.com, people can go to.
And writing that book really is to educate people how to help people and how to deal with people.
When you read the book, you'll understand it's about my struggles, but it's about the psychiatrists and the doctors interviewing me and seeing the trauma or the brokenness of what happens to one.
And we learn to reach people if we understand people.
I think the most important way of helping people is to stop talking over people and stop talking about people and love them right where they're at and try to get them the personal help that they need.
We never want to throw anybody on the side and say they life don't matter.
You look at my life, everybody said my life don't matter.
But here it is now.
I stand on the platform where I travel the country maybe 100 times out a year and do ministry and also do recovery to help people get well because I love people right where they're at because for the grace of God they're going high.
But you become a pastor.
You mentioned you're traveling the country.
How has your faith allowed you to stay sustained in recovery and not lapse back into the flap houses that you almost died in?
Well, that's a good point.
My faith, my faith in Christ has changed me tremendously from not from the outside, but from the inside.
And I think when we understand the inside job that has to be done on a person's life, faith is the key to bringing hope to people.
And I think we got to get back to that.
I think we've taken that away from the schools.
We've taken it away from people.
And that's why we're seeing so many young people, OD, and so many young people are addicted to opiates and heroin right now at this point because there's no faith and they don't believe that their life matters.
My faith has led me on the journey to where I believe in me.
I believe in who I am every day.
I wake up with an urgency.
And it's not about me.
It's no longer about me, Dr. Oz.
It's about me waking up with an urgency to help somebody else that's still sick and suffering and give them the opportunity to get well just like I did.
And it was because of my faith, because I surrendered my life and I started walking into a holiness and righteousness as a person.
I didn't want to be a liar, cheater, womanizer, no more, alcoholic, drug addict.
I wanted to be a new person, so I needed to get clean from the inside to the outside.
So I wasn't going to talk about this today, but I'm going to share a secret with you with the audience.
When you had your first colon operation, I'm a surgeon at New York Presbyterian.
I was introduced to you.
And I talked to you a couple times as you're getting better.
You're a completely different man now.
You have a brightness, a joy, a wisdom.
You become a Jedi master.
I want to thank you for that.
I'm not alone in observing that change.
There's someone I want you to meet, some of the most famous athletes struggle with problems.
Actually, have you called Lamar Odom yet?
I reached out a couple times, tried to reach him and just to encourage him that his life matters, you know, no matter what he's going through.
Just because we stand on a platform, we've been successful.
Brokenness and hurting inside is real.
And like I said, I'm so grateful.
I'm a living miracle today, and I sit here.
It's because of my wife pulling me out of dope houses 14 years ago.
They're saying, you have a plan.
I think Lamar ought to hear you, but there's another person who has heard you has got something to say about it.
So hop up for one second.
I'm going to come over here, and I want you to meet someone who's learned a lot from you.
This is Darren over here.
Darren, come join us if you don't mind.
How are you doing, Darren?
Darren's heard your story and responded to it and its influencers.
So the party's yours.
What do you have to say to Daryl?
Yeah, so Daryl, we have a lot in common.
At 12 years old, I started my opiate addiction and many other substances.
26 years of hell.
At one point, what was, I like to say, living to use, turned out to using to live.
And I had my spiritual awakening in July of 2008.
July 2nd of this year, I celebrated nine years sober.
All right, brother.
The gift that we get to give, just like you said, is we got to give back.
We got to show people there is no shame.
It's about embracing it, owning it, realizing that we can push the reset button and turn our bottom into our beginning.
And just God bless you on this journey.
It's amazing.
Well, thank you, brother.
All right, man.
I beg than Daryl Strawberry.
For anyone struggling, be sure to check out Daryl's Brook.
Very well done.
Very honest.
Don't give up on me.
Share it with your friends.
We'll be right back.
We're tackling holiday stress with real house wet.
They're in the medley.
She's revealing her holiday tips to make it nice this season.
Clip, clip, clip.
You see what I mean?
I love the holidays.
We're in the middle of the holiday season.
And while you may imagine when your family descends in your home, that it'll be like this, so nice and beautiful, the reality may be more like this.
I cooked, I cleaned, I decorated, I made it nice.
Does that sound familiar?
Right?
Today we're tackling holiday stress, giving you tips to make it nice for the holidays without all the anxiety.
And the best expert out there may be the real housewife you just saw.
They're in the medley because she's here today.
Come on after it now.
You look great.
Thank you for making it nice.
Look at this.
I got an apron for you.
I cooked, I decorated, I made it nice.
Fresh pressed.
Oh, my goodness.
You got to put it on.
No, I want to wear a jacket with that.
Because we're going to try hard, but hopefully we won't have any arguments.
All right.
Or fights.
I love your fights, though.
No?
In fact, my whole staff admires you so much.
They're infatuated with you because they're so nice.
Well, because they like you.
They're not nice to me all the time.
But the cool thing is that you just stay in the holiday mode when everyone is going crazy around you.
How do you do that?
I try to refocus people on the positive.
I try to do that in general.
If you see a party is going left, you got to change the subject very quickly, put on some music, maybe stop a few from drinking.
You know what I mean?
That kind of thing.
Very well.
But there's always a member of the family.
I have one, I know, who's trying to make it nice.
Trying to hustle, put the pieces together, calm folks down.
Has that always been your personality?
Yes.
I'm kind of, you know, even on the show, I said to someone the other day, I'm kind of like a zookeeper.
You know, I don't go, this one's a lion, that one's a giraffe, I pet the sheep, you know what I mean?
And I've always been like that.
I think it's a third child thing.
Oh, I really do.
Yes, because you're always, you know, mediating and negotiating.
Come on, Obi.
I want you to show me how to negotiate.
I am, I am.
I'm so excited.
These are your make it nice tips.
First off, you say lessen your anxiety by keeping it simple and serving one-pot meals.
Do you know, it's funny when I was younger, oops, I'm going to move the whole thing into the audience.
Sorry about that.
That's how third children are.
When I was younger, I thought I had to do it all.
Like, and I had to do it the freshest, the best, right as soon as people arrived.
And I realized as I got older, it's so important to be able to enjoy the company, enjoy it yourself, because it's just as much about the food and the company.
I mean, they're equal.
So, what should you make us?
I'm going to pull it out of each other.
Lasagna, you know, I love my lasagna.
The girls love the lasagna.
That is a big lasagna.
Oh, my goodness.
I love my lasagna.
I love my lasagna.
And the trick to this lasagna is whenever I make sauce at home, I make a ton and I freeze it.
I freeze it in small containers.
And my lasagna sauce, I actually blend so it's smooth when I make my lasagna.
And I choose to use cottage cheese instead of ricotta.
You do?
There's a big battle on the web right now.
Your team cottage cheese.
My whole life.
The only key with cottage cheese is that you have to drain it.
And I get the lasagna that's already pre-cooked.
I even, at the point, I know this is horrible.
I use those foil containers.
That's okay.
You know the ones, you're done, and then you can put it in a license and then goodbye.
Go right back in the living room, have a glass of wine, and you're done.
Or two.
Or two.
Or ten.
In my friend's case.
So keep it simple.
One pot dish is a great example.
Then you'll see.
A salad, garlic bread.
Look at that.
I made it nice.
You made it nice.
You also want to stay Zen.
So you got this thing called candy craft therapy, which I'm intrigued by.
I usually have wreaths made of, you know, evergreen trees.
But you got something special.
I love a good craft.
I mean, arts and crafts, I think, bring people together, especially on the holiday.
So this is really super simple and fun.
And I know you like low-cale candies.
These are low-fat.
Well, of course, they don't eat fat probably at all, but 20 calories.
I'm not sure they're good for you, but all right.
No, but it's the holidays.
Can't we just.
But what is it?
Why don't you just use regular glue?
Because it has to stick.
This really sticks it on the styrofoam.
It's not going to stick on the styrofoam because the styrofoam is porous.
No, no, no, no.
You got to go on the back here.
Go on the candy.
Okay, yeah, don't do anything.
And then you put it on.
What if it gets in your hands?
It's hot.
Wow, that's a dilemma.
That's a dilemma.
I mean, what if it gets in your tongue?
Well, you don't put this near your tongue.
It's hot.
This just needs to be.
And if little kids are doing it, you've got to be supervised.
I mean, obviously, this is not for a little, little kid.
Maybe give a little, little kid the Elmers.
Or everybody's making that slime now.
Do you see that?
Yes, that's right.
I'm obsessed with that slime.
Style goal for me.
I go on my Instagram and they're like, the lady makes slime 9,052 billion hits.
Do you notice that?
But you know, it's interesting that this arts and craft is really Zen arts and crafts.
Well, you know what's nice?
It lets you get into this meditative space.
That's what your brain does, right?
When you're one by one, post knitting does that.
I think for guys shooting baskets, it's repetitive activities, let your brain relax.
And you can do this with candy kisses?
That would be a great idea.
Why didn't we do that today?
We could do it.
Well, I was going to, but I thought these were more locale.
I know you're all into this no-fat locale thing.
I'm interested in things that I'm interested in making it.
I am too, but you know, I'm Italian, so I also like the high-fat stuff.
What kind of animal would I be at your party?
You would be, let's think, you definitely wouldn't be a lion.
Bull constrictor?
No, no, no.
I think you would be more subtle.
Honey badger.
I want to be a honey badger.
I think maybe you could even be like a, you're more of a teacher.
What's an animal that's a good teacher?
You're an owl.
I could be an owl.
Yeah, what would I be?
Don't be nice.
I mean, be nice.
You'd be a panda bear.
You're lovely, cuddly, and very beautiful.
All right, During that.
When we come back, there are news tips to avoid family arguments at your holiday party.
You can save the holidays.
Stick around.
The doctor who claims he can reverse Alzheimer's.
And what people are giving you a hard time about is that they just can't believe it.
Too good to be true or medical breakthrough.
Two of his patients are speaking out.
Next Oz.
That's coming up on Monday.
Hey!
For a lot of you, the most stress-inducing things about the holidays are the annual family fights that happen.
Have you all been there?
Right?
You got the aunt that just will not stop with the politics already, or the buried resentments that finally surface, the insensitive comments that seem to come out as the eggnog is poured.
And I do love eggnog, but that is associated with bad things being said.
Real housewife of New York Lorinda knows a thing or two about fights and breaking them out at those parties because she's been in them.
And you're back with one more important tip, which is to avoid family arguments by building in party speed bumps.
Yes, I love a party speed bump.
Listen, it's so important to keep people occupied.
Keep it festive.
Don't say things like, Is she still with, is he still with your ex-girlfriend?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I see it coming with my group.
I'm like, why would you say that?
It's not going to end well.
And whenever I see that coming, I always move to things like my favorite games.
I love games.
My family's a big game player.
All right, so we brought a fun game that we can end the show with that everyone could play at home.
And it's a little interesting.
You love it?
Should I tell you about how it's done?
Joe, what you do is you put these, I've actually played this, put these in your mouth.
It's not an attractive game, but it's a hysterical game.
Make sure you brush your teeth and get anything out of your mouth beforehand.
Otherwise, a phrase and you see if the other person can understand it.
I'll go first.
Oh, you're going to go first.
Shall I get a hurricane?
Oh my God, it's so good.
It's so scary and good.
Eco, don't eat like uncle.
Eco, don't eat like uncle.
Be cool, don't be uncle.
Yes!
All right, you go.
Oh, God.
Oh, my goodness.
Oh, that is something else.
Arahara tequila.
You look like Pac-Man.
Say it again.
Arahara tequila.
A lot of tequila.
All right, I am good at this.
One more time.
Hurry up here.
Turtle high.
Turtle tie.
Turtle tie.
Can I tell you, I'm so good at this.
Hi, guy.
Here goes.
Clerk!
Clip, clip, clip!
Click, clip, clip!
She got it!
Clip, clip, clip!
You get seen 100 million times, it works.
You know what?
For me, that means happy holidays.
Yes.
God bless you all.
Thank you for having me.
I've enjoyed it very much.
Did you learn anything?
Did you learn something?
I know they did.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
Remember, happy and healthy.
It starts at home.
Don't forget to make it nice.
Say it together.
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