Dr Oz

Doctor Oz did a show called “Ultimate Countdown” to give us fabulous lists with tips for living a healthy and fulfilling life.  There is never a Dr. Oz show where I don’t learn a lot, but I must say that this show was really packed with new and interesting information for our health!

Dr Oz: Ultimate Countdown Lists:

#7: Red Flags You Are Aging Too Fast

#6: Most Unhealthy Meals in America

#5: Cures From Around the World

#4: Libido Boosters

#3: Things to Give You More Energy

#2: Alternative Medicine Treatments

#1: Supplement You Need – Vitamin D

Doctor Oz gave two great Alternative Medicine treatments, which are non-traditional remedies for health problems.  The two alternative treatments are Equine Assistant Therapy and Bee Therapy.  I knew that animals (such as pets – dogs, cats, etc.) were great for calming people and very helpful psychologically… but who would have thought there are special Alternative Medicine Treatments using horses and bees!

Equine Assistant Therapy

Apparently, horses can help treat depression and anxiety through something called Equine Therapy or Equine Assistant Therapy.  I used to ride horses when I was younger – perhaps I should pick that hobby back up!

Bee Therapy or Apitherapy for Arthritis

If you are allergic to bee stings, like apparently Dr Oz and I both are, then this Alternative Medicine Treatment is probably not for you.  With Bee Therapy (also called Apitherapy), which was demonstrated on Doctor Oz’s show, a professional has a honey bee sting you in strategic locations, because the enzymes in a bee’s venom can relieve arthritis.  After the bee stings you, it takes about 3 to 5 minutes for the venom to get fully pumped into you, and then the professional pulls the stinger out of your body.  Frederique Keller, an acupuncturist, demonstrated Bee Therapy for Doctor Oz’s audience.  The Bee Therapy volunteer had a bit of a red mark that looked like a mosquito bite where the bee stung her.

Doctor Oz did a segment on Alternative Medicine or Alternative Health for Back Pain problems, because over the last 100 years we have had huge advances in medicine, but not all the answers to our medical problems can be found at a doctor’s office.  Dr Oz found secrets from around the world that might hold the cure for things like allergies, trouble sleeping and back pain.  Some popular Alternative Medicine’s include Acupuncture, Pressure Point Massage and Energy Manipulation.  Doctor Oz brought on his show Dr. David Katz to represent traditional medicine, Dr. Hyla Cass- an Integrative Medicine Specialist, and Dr. Maoshing Ni (or Dr. Mao) – a doctor of Chinese Medicine.  Dr. Mao is author of Secrets of Self-Healing: Harness Nature’s Power to Heal Common Ailments, Boost Your Vitality,and Achieve Optimum Wellness and Second Spring: Dr. Mao’s Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age. Dr. Hyla Cass is author of Eight Weeks to Vibrant Health: A Take Charge Plan for Women to Correct Imbalances, Reclaim Energy and Restore Well-Being.

Back Pain: Chinese Acupuncture & Heat Treatment

Dr. Mao told Dr. Oz that 1/3 of the time people do Acupuncture, it is for back pain.  Dr. Mao did a demonstration of Chinese Acupuncture and a special heat treatment on Dr. Oz’s guest.  She seemed to really enjoy the Acupuncture treatment.  I think I will try this out!

Dr. Katz said that traditional medical doctor’s first try to diagnose what kind of back pain the patient has.  Is it a muscle spasm?  Is it related to your spine?  Does it trigger pain down your legs?  A traditional internist might send you for a MRI and back pain treatments range from physical therapy to anti-inflammatory medicines to surgery in severe cases.

Dr. Cass said that chiropractors can do wonders for back pain, because it could be a misalignment.  Also, Kava Kava is useful for muscle spasms, so try some Kava Tea.

What are your Back Pain Home Remedies?  Please leave a comment below and share your remedies for back pain!

Doctor Oz did a segment on Alternative Medicine or Alternative Health, because over the last 100 years we have had huge advances in medicine, but not all the answers to our medical problems can be found at a doctor’s office.  Dr Oz found secrets from around the world that might hold the cure for things like allergies, trouble sleeping and back pain.  Some popular Alternative Medicine’s include Accupuncture, Pressure Point Massage and Energy Manipulation.  Doctor Oz brought on his show Dr. David Katz to represent traditional medicine, Dr. Hyla Cass- an Integrative Medicine Specialist, and Dr. Maoshing Ni (or Dr. Mao) – a doctor of Chinese Medicine.  Dr. Mao is author of Secrets of Self-Healing: Harness Nature’s Power to Heal Common Ailments, Boost Your Vitality,and Achieve Optimum Wellness and Second Spring: Dr. Mao’s Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age. Dr. Hyla Cass is author of Eight Weeks to Vibrant Health: A Take Charge Plan for Women to Correct Imbalances, Reclaim Energy and Restore Well-Being. 

Peppermint Oil & Saline Solution Nasal Spray For Allergies

Dr Mao told Dr Oz that in his book, Secrets of Self-Healing: Harness Nature’s Power to Heal Common Ailments, Boost Your Vitality,and Achieve Optimum Wellness, he has a great Chinese remedy for nasal congestion, sinus trouble and allergies that uses Peppermint Oil to clear your allergies and sinuses.  Click here for the full details on the Allergy Remedy.

Dr. David Katz told Dr Oz that the conventional medicine approach is to do allergy testing and Desensitization, where a doctor exposes you to the allergen repeatedly until your body gets used to it.  You can also you over the counter medicines like Antihistamine Allergy Relief Tablets, Decongestants, anti-inflammatory Nasal Spray and Saline Eye Drops.

Dr. Hyla Cass told Dr Oz that Vitamin C in large doses, Bromelain, Stinging Nettle, and Quercetin all help give allergy relief.

Doctor Oz had Deepak Chopra, author of Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to Create a New You, on his show to teach us about the power of the mind.  Deepak Chopra was called by Time Magazine, the Poet-Prophet of Alternative Medicine.  Deepak was born in India in 1942 and got a medical degree in India.  He then came to America to further his medical studies, and in the 1980’s he discovered that his true passion was alternative medicine.  Chopra has sat on panels at the National Institute of Health and has been empowering humans all over the world.

Deepak Chopra said that when you feel happy, it is not just an internal state of euphoria- serotonin, oxytocin, opiates and other chemicals are released inside of your body which increase your self esteem and confidence.  One of the biggest misunderstandings is that if you think happy thoughts, you will be better.  If you give that advice to someone with “karmic baggage” (as Chopra put it), then they will just get stressed out.  First, a person has to get rid of emotional toxins and then you should introduce positivity.

Deepak Chopra said that people want instant gratification.  For example, if you are about to eat a piece of cake and you know it could result in diabetes or a heart attack in 20 years, you will likely eat the dessert.  So you have to ask yourself how do I want to feel tonight? How do I want to feel in an hour?  Meditations is the number one secret to allow your mind to get in touch with your consciousness.

Deepak Chopra gave a quick primer on how to start meditating:

Deepak Chopra’s Primer to Start Meditation:

1.  Sit comfortably with your feet on the ground.

2.  Put your hands on your lap with your palms facing up towards the ceiling.

3.  Close your eyes and watch your breathes.  Feel your body.  Have no expectations.

Deepak Chopra gave a few videos to Dr. Oz to help everyone learn to meditate too!

Chopra started to teach his kids to meditate when they were 5 years old by having them it in silence for 5 minutes.  At 6 years old, they had 6 minutes of silence a day, and so on.  By the time they were 10 or 12 years old, they really wanted to learn about meditation.

Someone from Doctor Oz’s audience asked Deepak Chopra what she can do about her sleep issues.  When she closes her eyes at night, her head is just going a million miles a second, so she doesn’t even feel like she is sleeping.  Chopra said that when your eyes are closed, even if your mind is going fast, you still reach metabolic rates of almost sleeping.  Do not worry about the sleeping issues, or it will make it even harder to fall asleep.  The best way to get a good night’s sleep is to fill your day with very interesting activities and be full of exercise and movement, then you will sleep well at night.

On a completely separate note, Deepak Chopra had the coolest glasses I have seen in a long time!  His glasses were a dark, midnight blue that sparkled, did anyone else pick up on them?  I wonder who makes them!

Doctor Oz had Joseph Mercola, author of The No-Grain Diet, on his show to teach us about the field of alternative health.  Joseph Mercola’s website gets 12 million hits per month and he is a board certified osteopath.  Joseph has been telling Americans about the importance of Vitamin D and the danger of high fructose corn syrup for a long time… Dr. Oz says that Mercola has always been a bit ahead of the curve, even though Dr. oz does not necessarily agree with everything Mercola believes.

Joseph Mercola said that part of our problem with medicine in America stems from all of the corporate interests in our health field.  For example, the United States is the only country that allows drug companies to advertise their medicine.  One of Mercola’s best alternative medicine secrets is to take Krill Oil Softgels.  Krill are crustaceans that are tiny and generally eaten by other fish.  Krill Oil Softgels should be swallowed (don’t chew them because it doesn’t have a great taste as Dr. Oz pointed out to us).  Krill Oil Softgels are much better than regular omega 3 fish oil capsules because Krill Oil Softgels are lower in mercury, your body can abosrb Krill Oil Softgels better and it will make  you burp less than fish oil.  Kathy Freston said that a vegetarian option would be walnuts or flaxseed oil, but Mercola argues that there are certain components in animal based omega 3’s that you don’t get in vegetarian alternatives.

Doctor Oz had Kathy Freston, author of Quantum Wellness Cleanse: The 21-Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Mind, Body and Spirit, on his show to teach us how to change ourselves from the inside out.  Kathy Freston is changing the way that we eat!  She recommends choosing what we eat with integrity and care.  Our biggest misconception about the power of food is that people think they have to overhaul their entire diet for it to work… this is not true!  You can make small changes and they will build up to make big changes in your health.

Kathy Freston and Dr. Oz love the Mediterranean Diet, which can reduce heart disease by 1/3.  Walnuts have great omega 3’s, chickpeas are a wonderful source of protein, and you really do not need meat for protein.  Kale, which is usually served as decoration underneath steak at a steak house, is a wonderful vegetable packed with lots of vitamins.  Phytonutrients and the chemical balance of natural fruits and vegetables make them much better than taking vitamins.  And of course, in a Mediterranean Diet you would have to include wine and olive oil!

Kathy Freston says that people are only now starting to think about the things they ear.  You should ask yourself what is the process by which this food has come to me?  What are the consequences for my health and sexual function?

Kathy says that we should all do a 21-day cleanse (such as the one in her book that Oprah has tried: Quantum Wellness Cleanse: The 21-Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Mind, Body and Spirit) once or twice a year to detox ourselves, so that your whole system reboots.  Give up sugar, gluten, animal products and alcohol.  You will discover lots of great foods that you don’t usually eat like beans, legumes and faux meat.

Doctor Oz says that 40% of American adults have tried alternative medicines and $34 billion are spent on herbs, yoga and alternative medicine options.  How did this alternative medicine enthusiasm begin?  When American journalist James Reston was in China, he had an emergency operation and was in so much pain that he was willing to try just about anything.  Reston tried acupuncture, which worked so well that he brought it back to America, along with an interest in alternative medicines.

Dr. Oz brought three alternative medicine pioneers on his show: Kathy Freston author of Quantum Wellness Cleanse: The 21-Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Mind, Body and Spirit, Joseph Mercola author of The No-Grain Diet and Deepak Chopra, author of Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to Create a New You.  Make sure to read the articles on Kathy Freston, Joseph Mercola and Deepak Chopra, because they have some great tips and advice for all of us!