Watching Dr Oz 5/22/12: Paul Abdul's Health Confession, Paula Abdul Age-Defying Beauty Secrets, What Plastic Surgeons Don't Want You To Know, Restaurant Safety Secrets, Change Your Life With The Tools, Bonus: Mood Boosters

The Dr. Oz Show

Airdate: May 22, 2012

Dr. Oz: Paula Abdul's Shocking Health Confession

• Paula Abdul shares a shocking health confession with Dr. Oz
• Age-defying beauty secrets from Paul Abdul
• Secrets plastic surgeons don't want you to know
• How clean is your restaurant?
• Authors of The Tool say they can help you change your life
• Bonus: Dr. Oz shares three mood boosters

Multi-talented superstar, Paula Abdul joins Dr. Oz to share her shocking health confession. With each success in her life, Ms. Abdul has experienced a devastating blow. From injuries to surgeries to a diagnosis of a rare and debilitating medication condition, Paula Abdul tells what's behind her health issues.

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Dr. Oz: Paula Abdul's Shocking Health Confession

Paula Abdul, singer, song-writer, actress, dancer and choreographer, joins Dr. Oz to share a shocking health confession. Ms. Abdul says she was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) a nerve disorder that leaves the body riddled with pain, potentially as a result of several previous injuries.

At the age of 17, Ms. Abdul suffered an accident while cheer leading but opted against surgery. Years later she broke her leg during dance rehearsals, another injury happened from a car accident and a plane crash resulted in Ms. Abdul having 15 back surgeries. She struggled with pain for decades and a resulting lack of sleep.

Dr. Oz asked the big question. There have been rumors and gossip were Ms. Abdul was doing drugs. Is that true?

She says she was not addicted to drugs and wants to set record straight. She has seen all the footage from the media and knows it looks bad. Ms. Abdul explained those behaviors stem from her struggle with RSD. By not telling anyone, she thought she was being brave instead it turned into questions and allegations of drug abuse which she denies.

The pain she experienced would start at the base of her neck and shot down her arm to her fingers. Through stabbing, pounding, burning pain she learned to adapt. Dr. Oz demonstrated that people with RSD experience a hypersensitive nerve reaction to pain. A slight burn from the stove will hurt someone without RSD for a short time then the pain goes away. With RSD, a slight pain causes inflammation and pain to flare and rage throughout the body. Once the nerves are stimulated they don't stop firing.

To deal with the pain, she was prescribed pain and sleep medications but didn't find comfort and wouldn't be able to sleep because none of the medications addressed nerve pain. It was the most difficult thing she says she has ever experienced.

Ms. Abdul found help online for other people suffering from RSD. She learned to use ice to bring slight relief from the inflammation she felt. Her research led her to doctors who taught her how food can hurt or help her. She relies on food to manage inflammation which helps her with the nerve pain.

Dr. Oz wanted to make sure Ms. Abdul was taking the right supplements and making the best food choices. He asked if she was:

• taking omega-3 fatty acids to support healthy inflammation
• avoiding alcohol
• avoiding smoking
• eating a plant-based diet to reduce inflammation
• taking B-12
• reducing stress

Ms. Abdul says she never drinks and she follows all the other advice. She does admit that the mighty gummy bear often wins out and she understands the need to balance that treat with more alkalizing foods.

Simon Cowell, her co-host on American Idol and The X-Factor, was left in the dark about her health. He didn't have enough compassion, she felt, to understand what she was going through. He has been the best teacher, she says, and teachers don't come in the prettiest package. She says he's still a pain in the ass but she loves him.

Now nearing age 50, Ms. Abdul says she's turned her life around and is in the best health of her life. Her life is like a perpetual rainbow, says says, you can undo damage by taking care of your body. It's up to each of us to be responsible.

Dr. Oz: Paula Abdul's Age-Defying Beauty Secrets

Dr. Oz: Paula Abdul's Forever Your Greens

Ms. Abdul says her green drink keeps her filled up and keeps the inflammation down so she can stay focused while working. The drink is packed with greens and seeds with sweetness from fruit and stevia.

1 cup chopped fresh kale

1 cup chopped fresh or frozen spinach

1½ tbsp hemp seeds

1 tsp chia seeds

½ avocado

½ banana

½ apple

1 cup coconut water

A few drops of stevia for added sweetness (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and serve over ice.

Dr. Oz: Paula Abdul's Straight-Up Supplements

Ms. Abdul is a paid spokesperson for Fembody Nutrition supplements but she says it didn't start out that way. She met a female doctor who listened to her and understood what she was going through, working with her to find support for her body while living with RSD. Half her battle with pain, she says, was not listening to her body. Through her doctor she began taking supplements and found FemBody Nutrition.

Her favorite product is Hair, Nails & Skin Beauty Activator which contains bamboo, calcium, zinc, alpha lipoic acid, green tea, and lutein. Bamboo is rich in silica, an essential nutrient to keep the skin and hair healthy and looking great.

Ms. Abdul also likes Advanced Bone Activator, an algae-based bone support supplement.

You could win a trip for 2 to Los Angeles to have lunch with Paula Abdul. Click here to learn more and sign up on DoctorOz.com.

[If Wikipedia is to be believed, Ms. Abdul told People magazine in 2005 about her 2004 diagnosis of RSD. And while she may say she was never addicted to drugs she certainly admits to taking pain and sleep drugs which may or may not have been to blame for the strange behavior reported in the media. If she was trying to cover up a disease why go out in public all doped up? It was a strange interview. She didn't answer questions directly. A little strange.

Dr. Oz Insider's Secret – What Plastic Surgeons Don't Want You To Know

Have you ever been tempted by plastic surgery? Dr. Oz says before you go under the knife you should know these secrets that plastic surgeons don't want you to know. These secrets, he says, could endanger your health.

• That “plastic surgeon” may not actually be a doctor.
• Fillers injected into the skin can cause infection and temporary numbness.
• Silicone implants could pose side-effects with significant health risks.

Dr. Anthony Youn, MD, author of In Stitches, is a plastic surgeon who wants to spill the beans on those secrets and share alternatives to going under the knife.

Dr. Oz Plastic Surgery Secret #1: Fat Sucked Out During Liposuction Will Come Back

Surgeons tell their patients that fat sucked out of the body during liposuction procedures won't ever come back but Dr. Youn says that's not true. He showed a 3 liter container of fat, the average amount removed from the thighs during lipo. That same amount of fat can accumulate in a different area of the body. He says patients often find their arms fill with fat after thigh lipo, he calls it the “Popeye Effect”.

Liposuction Alternative: Instead of surgery to remove fat that may just reappear, Dr. Youn recommends taking the supplement Green Coffee Bean Extract. Studies show, he explained, that green coffee bean extract slows the release of glucose into the blood stream after a meal to eliminate fat storage after eating. Dr. Oz says his team has also looked at this supplement and found it could be helpful for many folks. He recommends taking green coffee bean extract 800mg twice daily.

Genesis Today Pure Green Coffee Bean 60 Vege Caps
from: Best Price Nutrition

[Read more about Green Coffee Bean Extract from a previous episode of The Dr. Oz Show:

4/26/12: Dr. Oz Five Fast Fat Burners.]

Dr. Oz Plastic Surgery Secret #2: Get Brow Lift Results From a Brow Wax

A brow lift costs about $5,000 and involves a five hour surgery with incisions to the scalp to peel off the forehead and lift it up. [Gross!]

Brow Life Alternative: Dr. Youn says surgeons don't want people to know you can get as good results if not better results than a brow lift with tweezers or a brow wax. Reshaping the eye brow will give the same results as surgery for only $15.00.

Dr. Oz Plastic Surgery Secret #3: Fillers Can Make You Go Blind

Dr. Youn explained that there is a danger zone between the eye brow that if breached by an injection of filler can clot the artery that goes to the eye ball causing instant blindness that is irreversible. If you chose to have a filler injection, make sure your doctor is a well-trained surgeon.

Filler Injection Alternative: Dr. Youn says an alternative to filler injections is to use retinol cream. Retinol has been scientifically proven to tighten and firm the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Dr. Oz Insider Secret: Restaurant Safety

Secrets restaurant chefs don't want you to know are unveiled by Chef Jeffrey Saad, restauranteur and host of United Tastes of America on the Cooking Channel. Chef Saad says the restaurant business is one of passion and a high failure rate which brings many restaurant owners to pinch pennies instead of creating a positive experience for customers.

Dr. Oz Restaurant Secret #1: You're More At Risk For Food Poisoning After 8pm

Food should never be out of cold temperatures for a long period of time but it happens. As the restaurant day wears on and the clock is ticking of food left out customers are exposed to a great risk of bacteria contamination. Vegetables left out on the counter for several hours can develop bacteria that will sicken customers.

Chef Saad recommends going to restaurants during the busy time when there's lot of people and you are assure that food is being turned over fast and there is no time for it to sit and develop bacteria. If you can't change the time, Chef Saad says to order food that has been broiled, grilled or boiled so that the bacteria is destroyed by heat.

Dr. Oz Restaurant Secret #2: Menus Could Be Dirtier Than Toilet Seats

There can be an invisible collage of bacteria on that restaurant menu, says Chef Saad. Dr. Oz had a sample of 7 menus tested by a microbiologist. Those results came back with 7 out of 7 menus testing positive for bacteria, mostly fecal, as well as e. coli and bacteria from the respiratory tract that can cause pneumonia.

Chef Saad recommends to “hold it high so you don't die”. Hold the menu at the top of and hold it away from you to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.

Dr. Oz Change Your Life Forever

Hollywood insiders are raving about a book they say will change your life. The Tools provides a set of tools to help people stick to any diet, stop anxiety, and breakthrough fear. Dr. Oz says he read the book then shared it with his whole family.

Feeling stuck in rut? Need a drastic change in your life? The dynamic duo authors of The Tools say this self-manual can change your life.

With a combined 60 years of psychotherapy experience, psychotherapist Barry Michels and psychiatrist Phil Stutz. We all have things in life we avoid, if we confront them we can get rid of them. The Tools give you something to do immediately that can solve problems and produce change in the midst of a problem. Dr. Michels says you can change your life and change it immediately. Unleash your potential happiness in work at home and in love.

Two audience member shared issues that are holding them back and the doctors explain The Tools that can help them overcome the issue.

Audience Member: Katie

Issue: Unable to stay on a diet and lose weight

The Tools: Reversal of Desire

The Solution: Understand Your Pain

Dr. Michels explains that when you have to do something uncomfortable, like depriving yourself of snacks, the tool teaches you to drive through that short-term discomfort to get to the long-term goal. He says to understand the pain that you will be going through. Scream silently to yourself, “bring on the pain” to bring on frustration and break through it. See yourself breaking through and say “I love the pain, it's the pathway to freedom and self-control”.

Katie tore through a sheet with the word “Pain” on it. She ripped through and came out with a big smile on her face. Katie said she felt liberated, fantastic.

Audience Member: Alicia

Issue: Constantly Worry

The Tools: Facing the Shadow

The Solution:

Alicia is not comfortable with herself. She thinks she is never thin enough, pretty enough, hair not long enough, teeth white enough.

Dr. Stutz says Alicia needs to go through three steps to face her shadow of worry to rebuild confidence.

First, see yourself with your shadow of who you want to be. The shadow should be behind or next to you. Second, put all your attention into that shadow. Then, finally, this is the fun part, both you and the shadow turn to face the audience and silently scream “Listen” to command people to pay attention to you.

Dr. Oz Bonus Tips! Secrets to Boost Mood

Dr. Oz Mood Boosting Tip #1: Caffeinated Lotion

Apply a caffeinated lotion to kick start you day. The caffeine in the lotion will absorb into the skin and provide energy just as it would if you drank coffee or tea. For people whose stomach is irritated by caffeine this is a great alternative.

Dr. Oz Mood Boosting Tip #2: Cook Moroccan Spice

Dr. Oz recommend cooking with a Moroccan spice blend. The coriander and cumin in Moroccan spice blends battle anxiety and stress.

Dr. Oz Mood Boosting Tip #3: Ginger Bliss Cocktail

Boost your mood with a cocktail, says Dr. Oz! Not just any cocktail, Dr. Oz has a special recipe to help boost the mood.

Muddle, crush, three basil leaves – the aroma is soothing

Mix to that 1 part ginger liqueur - to support relaxation,

1 part vodka,

½ part lime juice,

½ part agave,

and enjoy!

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