Dr Oz

Doctor Oz did a segment on why people love or hate certain foods. Gary Vaynerchuk, an expert on the mystery of taste, joined Dr Oz. The first type of food that they tested was a bowl of mashed turnips. Some people strongly hate turnips, because the bitterness really bothers them. These people are called super-tasters. There are also non-tasters, who tend to like mashed turnips because they do not taste the bitterness. And there are average tasters, who are basically ambivalent. Supertaster strips can be used to test if you are a super-taster, average taster or non-taster. If you are a supertaster, you should try sauteing your vegetables to take out the bitterness.

How about guacamole? Do you strongly dislike the taste of cilantro? Cilantro has aldehydes which makes it have a strong odor. If you do not like the smell, then you won’t like the taste of cilantro apparently. However, if you crush up cilantro before using it, the smell changes and the aldehydes are transformed. Perhaps now I can finally get my father to eat cilantro! I love guacamole with cilantro personally, but it is tough when your loved ones are not such big fans of an ingredient.

Very spicy vegetarian chili has chili peppers in it, which does not affect non-tasters in the slightest. But if you are a supertaster, the spiciness can cause a strong hatred towards it – which is exactly what I have, I cannot stand super spicy foods. There is a nerve that runs along the side of your face, and in certain people the nerve is irritated by the capsaicin in spicy peppers, which makes your eyes water and salivate. A great solution for spicy foods is to use milk, ice cream or sour cream to stop the burning sensation. Dr Oz also said that citrus works well to cut through spiciness.

The Henry Family & the Burch  Family played Family Food on Dr. Oz.  So what super foods can help you to lose weight?  Here is what we learned from the great Dr. Oz:

Top 4 Foods with Fiber In Them:
1.  Flaxseed
2.  Oatmeal
3.  Whole Grain Bread
4.  Citrus Fruit

Top 4 Metabolizing Foods:
1.  Chili Peppers
2.  Green Tea
3.  Water
4.  Fish

And since there was a tie, Dr. Oz’s bonus question was, what superfood does Dr. Oz eat every day? … Drum Roll Please… BLUEBERRIES!!!!

Dr. Oz gave 5 fantastic tips for beating the winter blues:

1. Peppermint Oil -helps with sadness and depression, and because of the menthol in it, it is a great energy booster.  If you have never tried putting on a few dabs or taking a couple of whiffs before a workout… it is amazing!

2. Florescent Light – especially in the Northern states, where it gets dark very early, these lights can work wonders.  Florescent lights are very bright and so they change the melatonin in your brain and keep away the winter blues.

3. Chili Peppers – the capsaicin found in chili peppers boosts energy, enhances circulation and will pick you up from your mid afternoon slump.

4. Ginger Tea – not only will this warm you up and taste great, it helps you with your weight so that you don’t put on extra pounds in the winter (like most of us tend to do!).

5. Ginkgo Biloba – helps if you have difficulty concentrating.  Ginkgo Biloba also makes you more alert and cognizant of what is going on around you.  You can either take Ginkgo Biloba Time Release Tablets or mix 4 drops of Ginkgo Biloba Organic Liquid Extract into a small glass of water (it actually tastes quite good)!