Eating Healthy To Prevent And Fight Cancer

From The Dr Oz Show
Aired 2/24/2010

Oz's Orders (what he wants you to remember)
1.  Supermarket Can Help Fight Cancer
Your supermarket is your anti-cancer pharmacy.  The right choices can help you avoid disease.

2.  1/2 Of Plate For Fruits And Vegetables
When you sit down to dinner, fill 1/2 of your plate with fruits and vegetables.  Reserve 1/4 for lean protein and the remaining 1/4 for whole grains.

This was a really information packed episode!  He talks fast and says a lot in a short time.  My notes are crazy because I was trying to write fast.  Here goes!

There were nearly 1.5 million new cases of cancer diagnosed last year in America. Close to 600,000 people died. 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will face cancer in their lifetime. These are some really shocking numbers! That means that you or someone in your family will very likely develop cancer! According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, 1/3 of new cancers every year can be prevented with wholesome diet, regular exercise and a healthy weight. In some cancers, a healthy lifestyle can prevent up to 70% of new cases. Dr. Oz says that eating healthy can reduce cancer risk as much as quitting smoking. Why? When you feed your body nutritious foods:

• your body is better able to eliminate carcinogens
• you boost the function of your immune system
• you improve the health of your cells
• you can even change the behavior of your genes.

What should you eat?

1.  Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  Women who eat cabbage and broccoli three times a week are 72% less likely to get breast cancer.  It is best to cook carrots and tomatoes and use a little olive oil on them to release the antioxidants.  It is also best to cook broccoli lightly (do not overcook) to break down proteins that are hard to digest. A serving is 1 cup of greens, 1 cup of broccoli, 1 tomato, 1 orange or 1 cup of strawberries.

2.  Eat three servings of whole grains every day.  They are loaded with fiber which helps your body get the carcinogens out.  They also reduce inflammation, stabilize hormone levels and lower blood insulin.  A serving is 1 slice of bread or 1/2 cup cooked grains.

3.  Eat fish and vegetable protein like edamame and soy milk.  Meat can increase inflammation and is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer.  Salmon should be cooked gently over a low heat because the Omega 3s are heat sensitive.  A serving size is 3.5 ounces of salmon, 1 egg, or 1/2 cup cooked beans.

4.  Use nature's oldest drugs - herbs and spices.  Ginger, garlic, turmeric, curry and cinnamon are good choices.  They are anti- inflammatory and anti- microbial.  When garlic is cut and exposed to air, it releases a potent anti-cancer drug that slows down the ability of cancer cells to divide uncontrollably.

Eating this way tips the balance of inflammation in favor of your immune system so it can fight off the risk of cancer.

Getting healthy is about making better choices.  You can get there one step at a time.  Knowing what a difference eating healthy can make definitely gives you a reason.  Do what's best for you and your family.  Start the move to a healthy lifestyle today!

What Is Agoraphobia?

From The Dr Oz Show
Aired 2/23/2010

Agoraphobia is the fear of panic. It affects over 3.5 million Americans. In extreme cases the fear paralyzes the person to such an extent that they only feel safe at home. Everyone with agoraphobia avoids things because of the fear. For most people the onset is gradual. Who is at risk? The number one risk factor is having a panic disorder. Women are four times more likely than men to have agoraphobia.

How can you tell if you have it? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you avoid crowded places that are hard to get out of?
2. Do you avoid things like public transportation?
3. Do you avoid driving a car or riding in a car?
4. Do you avoid bridges and tunnels?

If you answered yes because you are afraid that one or more of these things would trigger a panic attack, you may have agoraphobia.

Getting healthy can be more challenging if you have agoraphobia. Part of a healthy lifestyle is going out and having a good time. Panic attacks and fear of panic attacks reduce your quality of life. As always, eating healthy and daily exercise are helpful. Check out this resource http://www.emofree.org It is free so give it a try.

Getting Healthy: Are You Sabotaging Yourself?

From The Dr. Oz Show
Aired On 2/22/2010

Today Dr. Oz showed what people ate when they thought no one was looking. He put out healthy food and unhealthy food and then videotaped people. Some people made good choices but a lot of people made bad choices. They went for the hamburgers, french fries, cookies and soda. Eating healthy is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. When Dr. Oz confronted them, they gave excuses that I've heard before. One excuse is: "It tastes good". My question is: "Will it still taste good when you have a heart attack or when your leg gets amputated?". Dr. Roizin's answer was that you can make things that taste just as good and aren't as bad for you.

Dr. Oz talked a lot about group eating. He said that on average, you eat 35% more if you're with a friend and that number goes up as the number of friends you're with goes up. So, Dr. Oz concluded that if you eat with a big group of friends three times per week, you could end up eating an extra 72,000 calories by the end of the year. How much is that? Well, he said in another segment that one pound is 3,500 calories. According to my math, that's about 20 pounds in one year. Think about that the next time you're out with friends. The doctors recommended that when you're eating with a group you should be the last one to start eating and you should eat slowly. It is always a good idea to eat slowly because you will usually eat less. At home too, pay attention to what you are eating. Savor it. Use all your senses. Also, I've read that you should chew your food a minimum of 30 times to aid digestion.

When I'm going to eat with a group, I prepare myself mentally. I remind myself of why I eat healthy and why I no longer overeat. I psych myself up to be strong and I decide ahead of time what I will allow myself. Usually I will allow myself half of a dessert because I have a real sweet tooth. You can follow a healthy diet and go out with your friends. Just remember that you eat to nourish your body and get the energy you need to do all the things you want to do. It helps to have a buddy so ask a friend to join you! Together you can change lives!

Help For Asthma, Allergies and Sinuses

On The Dr Oz Show Aired 2/12/2010
Dr Oz's Ultimate Countdown

Dr Oz's next to last countdown was:
The Two Alternative Health Secrets He Is Going To Try This Year!

The first one was the Himalayan Salt Inhaler. It's like a ceramic pot with a spout that has Himalayan salt in it. When you inhale through the spout, the air comes from the bottom and through the salt. The salt is supposed to be very pure because there is less pollution where it comes from. Personally, I love breathing the salty air at the beach. I always feel better when I am at the beach. The Himalayan Salt Inhaler is supposed to be helpful for asthma, allergies and sinuses. It could possible be beneficial for high blood pressure as well because of the potassium content of the salt.



A part of getting healthy is getting off harmful medications. It is always a good idea to try natural alternatives. At the very least, you could use less of the harmful drugs. A healthy lifestyle will help you to feel better no matter what. Stop missing out on life. If respiratory problems are preventing you from doing what you want to do, give this natural inhaler a try. Always follow directions when using natural products. Never stop your medication without checking with your doctor. Get healthy and feel great!

Foods To Avoid

from The Dr. Oz Show
Aired 02/19/2010

Making mistakes at the grocery store can take years off your life and off your family members lives. Salty snacks and frozen foods make the list of the top ten best sellers. The number one seller, with $12 billion in sales? Carbonated drinks. Know what didn't make the list? Fresh fruits and vegetables.

Here are the top 5 foods Dr. Oz believes you should keep out of your cart:

1 - simple sugars or simple carbs
These cause blood sugar imbalances and end up as belly fat. Examples are ice cream, sugary drinks, white bread and white pasta.

2 - meats high in nitrates and saturated fats
Nitrates have been linked to stomach cancer and other degenerative diseases. These include things like salami and other foods with additives.

3 - ingredients you can't pronounce
If you can't read it, don't buy it. Long names that can't be pronounced are usually things made in a lab. Healthy foods are natural and whole. Do you need to check the ingredients on a pint of tomatoes?

4 - fake healthy foods
One example is low fat foods. They try to make you think that they're healthy but the truth is, they are not. When the fat is removed, something else has to be added to make it taste good. Usually extra sugar is added. As mentioned below item 1, this causes blood sugar imbalances and extra fat around the middle.

5 - canned foods high in sodium
Too much sodium is bad for the arteries and blood pressure. The max you should be getting is 2300 mg per day although it would be better to consume a maximum of 1500 mg.

Want to get healthy? Eating well is key. The best diet includes fresh foods that are not fried or covered in cheese or cooked to death. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle, you have to look at food in a different way. What you eat determines how you feel. Eat the right foods and you will have energy. Be good to your body and it will be good to you. Abuse your body by feeding it garbage and it will let you down. Start right now. Throw away those doughnuts or what's left of that cake. You'll be glad you did!

Can You Get Rid Of Cellulite?

From The Dr. Oz Show
Aired 02/18/2010

At the end of the show, Dr. Oz gives his orders. They are the three things he wants you to remember from the show. Today, the second one was:

Watch out for products that promise to get rid of cellulite. Weight loss and targeted exercise are the best ways to improve its appearance.

During the show he talked about different treatment methods and how effective they are. According to him, liposuction and laser are too expensive because they are not permanent. They get rid of fat cells but your fat cells regrow. Massage seems to work because it traumatizes the area and it gets swollen so you don't see the puckering. Once the swelling goes down, you're right back where you started. As for creams, he says there are no studies that show creams are effective. So, what does he recommend? Diet and exercise are most effective. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. A good exercise for that area is doing plié squats while holding hand weights.

My Two Cents

Diet and exercise are most effective for everything. A healthy diet and exercise will improve your life. You don't have to get it all right today, just get started today. Say no to that sugary breakfast. Skip the fries at lunch. Resist the afternoon candy bar. One step at a time, one day at a time, you will get healthy. When you live a healthy lifestyle and you're not sick all the time and you're not tired all the time and you can actually sleep, you'll be happy to exercise. You'll be happy to eat healthy food because you love how it makes you feel. Make one good decision today. Then make another one tomorrow. You'll get there!

Are You Exhausted?

The Dr. Oz Show
Aired 02/17/2010

A cause of extreme fatigue can be the Epstein Barr Virus. It is easily transmitted and there is no cure. It is possible that it can cause lymphoma and multiple sclerosis. Adolescents who are infected can develop mononucleosis. The symptoms of mono are fever, sore throat, swollen glands and fatigue. The fatigue can be overwhelming and not helped by sleep. Dr. Oz tested some members of the audience and they all had the virus although they didn't all know it. 76% of them were also deficient in Vitamin D. Vitamin D is also a hormone and has a direct effect on the immune system. It is possible that getting enough Vitamin D can help the immune system fight the virus. Taking cod liver oil, Vitamin D3 and drinking fortified OJ and milk can help you get your D. Adding fish like salmon to your diet will help you get more D. Another way is to soak up 15 minutes of sun every day. Lack of Vitamin D has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Go for a walk outside when it's sunny and give your immune system an extra boost!

Lose Weight and Feel Great!

Today on the Dr. Oz Show:
100 people who each lost over 100 pounds, some of them have kept it off for years

This was a great show! It's really hard to pick one thing to write about. Let me give it a try. There were a lot of great tips and very encouraging statements but I think I'll write about the two that I liked the most.

1 - You didn't gain weight in two weeks and you can't lose it in two weeks

So true! Often excess weight creeps up a few pounds at a time. If it took you ten years to gain it, it won't be gone in a month. All the people on the show lost weight the right way, the Dr. Oz way, the old fashioned way. Surgery and fad diets are not the way to go. Why? This leads me to the second statement that stood out.

2 - It's not about dieting, it's about changing your life

Weight loss is not the real goal. The real goal should be lowering your blood pressure, having more energy, getting off medications, flying on an airplane, going hiking, being able to do whatever you want to do. That is why eating low fat this and low fat that is not a good idea either. Food is on this earth to nourish us. If you can't tell what something is by looking at it, don't eat it. Eat whole foods, natural foods and you will improve your health and eventually reach your ideal weight. The focus should always be on health. You're worth it!

Would you know what to do if you saw someone having a seizure?

Aired Monday 02/15/2010

Very informative segment about seizures. I had no idea what to do so here is what Doctor Oz recommends:

1 - Stay calm
2 - Keep person safe by pushing away anything that could hurt the person like anything with a sharp edge
3 - Turn the person's head to the side so any fluid or food can come out instead of blocking their airway
4 - Keep track of how long the seizure lasts because if it's more than 5 minutes it's a serious problem
5 - When the person comes to, get in the car and drive to a doctor

Don'ts
1 - Don't try to restrain them
2 - Don't put your fingers in their mouth
3 - Don't worry about them choking on their tongue
4 - Don't call 911


I hope I never have to use this information but it's good to know.

Hasta mañana!

6 Biggest Risks For Cancer

The Dr Oz show that aired Friday, February 12, 2010

On the show he counted down the top 6 risk factors for cancer. He said that there were nearly 1.5 million new cases of cancer just in the US last year. That's a lot! If you have one of the risk factors, it increases your risk for getting cancer. If you have more than one, that increases your risk even more. Four of the risk factors are things you can do something about. We should all be working on those four to keep our risk to a minimum. Here are the risks:

#6 - LIFESTYLE - Smoking, drinking and promiscuity increase your risk
#5 - SUN - Both spending too much and too little time in the sun increase risk
#4 - DIET - Eating a high fiber diet lowers risk of colon cancer 40%
#3 - OBESITY - A body mass index over 30 indicates obesity
#2 - FAMILY HISTORY - Close relatives who had cancer, especially before old age
#1 - AGE - The older you are, the greater your risk

I'll be writing more about these factors using information I've learned on other shows and I've read in books and magazines. If you have any of the risk factors #3 - #6, you really want to do something about it before you get cancer. Yes, there are a lot of survivors out there but there are also a lot of people who die. Think about your family, your friends, people who depend on you and all the people who would miss being able to see you and talk to you. Ultimately, the only way to make a really big change is to absolutely want it for yourself and be determined. Make a change today. You're worth it!

About My Blog

Hi! With all the crap on TV it is very refreshing to watch something worthwhile. Having had some bad experiences with doctors, it is also really nice to see a doctor trying to help people. He has said it many times himself: doctors don't know everything. If you think there is something wrong and your doctor doesn't believe you, be persistent. Don't give up. We are each responsible for our own health. That is why the show is so great. He tells you what to do to be healthy. He can help if you need to quit smoking, lose weight, lower your cholesterol or get off diabetes medication. I believe in using natural methods whenever possible so I love that he encourages people to eat well and exercise to avoid or stop using prescription medications. Who really wants to take damaging medications for the rest of their life? Not me! A good diet and some exercise can go a long way.

I'll try to post every day. Besides posting what the show is about and what Dr Oz's recommendations are, I will also post my opinions. I'm no expert, of course. Everything I think I know I learned from reading books and magazines, watching shows and going to a bunch of alternative health care providers. I also have first hand experience having suffered with a variety of health problems. I know what works for me. We are all individuals so what works for me might not work for you. The key to good health is learning as much as you can and finding what works for you. You have to remember that taking herbs or vitamins, changing your diet and exercising will not cure all your ills over night. Like Dr. Oz, I recommend that you make as many changes as you can and over time you will see a big difference. Getting healthy isn't about doing one particular thing. Just keep working at it and you'll get there. It's taken me 33 years! Hopefully this blog will help you get healthy faster than that.

You may want to keep a diary for a few days. Talk about how you slept, how you feel when you wake up, everything you ate all day, what exercise you did, etc. When we make small changes over time it is hard to notice a difference. The improvements can be so small we don't even realize they're happening. However, if you look at your diary a year later, you may find that you're sleeping better, that you have more energy, you get fewer headaches, your allergies are gone, etc. It's good to think about it periodically so you don't get discouraged.

Getting healthy is easier if we do it together!