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Monday, October 1, 2012

Watching Dr Oz 10/1/12: Theresa Caputo on Anxiety, Are Omega-3's Safe?, How To Shop For Omega-3's

The Dr. Oz Show
Airdate: October 1, 2012
Dr. Oz: The Long Island Medium on Curing Anxiety


  • Theresa Caputo discusses releasing anxiety
  • Can talking to the dead help with anxiety?
  • The Long Island Medium reads The Dr. Oz Show audience
  • Are omega-3 supplements safe?
  • How to get the right omega-3's


Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium, says loved ones who have passed can help the living to release anxiety about their health. Can getting a reading and communicating with dead relatives play a role in releasing anxiety? Did Dr. Oz get it wrong on omega-3s? He says he's got the truth on today's episode.

Photo credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net


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Dr. Oz: The Long Island Medium on Curing Anxiety

Theresa Caputo, The Long Island Medium on TLC, has a special gift to talk to the dead. Dr. Oz said he was so moved by Ms. Caputo's previous appearance on The Dr. Oz Show that he has asked her back.

Dr. Oz asked Ms. Caputo: What is the number one thing people need to get off their chests? Anxiety is the biggest concern effecting people and that loved ones who have passed can help, says Ms. Caputo.

Anxiety can show up in a number of different ways, differently for each person. Ms. Caputo shared that she suffered from anxiety for decades before she discovered and embraced her gify. For her, the anxiety was spirit trying to talk to her and she was closed to it. Years of therapy did not help her with anxiety. Yet, when she accepted her unusual gift of talking with the dead, Ms. Caputo explained, the anxiety was released and her life was much easier.

Dr. Oz said people come to him often suffering from anxiety and often doctors, including Dr. Oz, don't know what to do for them. To know that talking to loved ones who have passed can help ease people's fears, it's amazing.

Ms. Caputo said anxiety held her back in life. She didn't go to college because of her fear, she walked away from a great job in Manhattan from a fear of going into elevators or being in traffic. Vacations and family trips were put off or canceled because she felt so much fear.

Ms. Caputo says she communicates with spirit through emotions, she feels what other people feel, what spirit feels. She feels there are many people who suffer from anxiety because they are not open to spirit and their communication.

A woman from audience had an agonizing feeling of panic and fear. She was afraid of dying and afraid of not knowing what happens when we die. Before the show, she had a reading with Ms. Caputo which changed her life. Before having the reading, she prayed to her uncle, who had passed away, asking him to mention the movie Goodfellas if there is, in fact, life after death. It was a way for the woman to receive proof from her uncle. During the reading, Ms. Caputo got the message of Goodfellas from the uncle and gave the message to her. She's now a believer in the after-life.

Reading audience, Ms. Caputo said she was receiving a message from a young female who had passed, a feeling of not being able to breath. A woman stood and shared that her sister died from a massive asthma attack. Spirit labored her breathing, she explained. Before acknowledging and embracing her gift, Ms. Caputo explained that in this situation she would have simply felt it as panic.

Ms. Caputo asked about dragonflies, the woman in the audience has several dragonfly tattoos in honor of her sister. Spirit told Ms. Caputo that the family feels her passing could have been prevented because she knew about medications, that something could have been done. Stop holding that burden, said Ms. Caputo. The sister said her passing was instant. Don't hold on to the regret, the feeling it could have been prevented because it couldn't.

Who's father has passed? Her father had also passed years ago. Did she close his eyes? Yes, the woman said she kissed his eyes after he passed. Ms. Caputo said she was getting a picture of holding hands meaning spirit wants to go back to the day of passing. Ringing in her ears means everything that needed to be said and to be known were.

Whose birthday is it? The woman's birthday is October 6th but she shared that she hasn't celebrated her birthday since her father passed away. The father stepped forward giving his daughter a bouquet of roses and balloons, said Ms. Caputo. Her father wants her to celebrate and include to him by looking at photos of him if she wants, hold his clothing that she kept.

Kelly, 45, is terrified to go to the doctor. Several people in her family have suffered from and died from heart disease. Her father had high blood pressure and died from a heart attack. She tried to get her father to see a doctor and he refused. Kelly is a nurse and since he passed she too refuses to see a doctor.

Since her father passed away, Kelly says she feels so much anxiety and doesn't want to hear any bad news from a doctor about her health.

Ms. Caputo conducted a reading of Kelly before the show. Her father stepped forward and her brother. Ms. Caputo said she felt chills said it was from Kelly's father leaning over to kiss he. Does she have a fear of dying young? Yes. Ms. Caputo said she did a body scan and Kelly has no major illness.

Does spirit worry about our health? Dr. Oz asked.
Spirit worries about loved ones in all aspects of their lives, explained Ms. Caputo. Kelly's father asked Ms. Caputo to do three body scans of Kelly to let Kelly know that she is healthy, that she won't die young. Kelly said that even after the reading, still holds a fear of going to doctor. Ms. Caputo said her father is encouraging Kelly to go to the doctor.

Dr. Oz: Is Anxiety An Ability To Channel Spirit?

Danielle wants to know if her anxiety is spirit trying to communicate with her, just like Ms. Caputo. In some situations, Danielle said, she feels anxiety and doesn't understand messages in her head. Ms. Caputo explained that she also doesn't understand the emotions she gets, the images she sees but the people for whom the message is intended do understand the message.

What has helped Ms. Caputo is meditation to clear her mind and get grounded. Ms. Caputo said she wants what can help people and what can help prevent negative situations for people. She focuses on connecting with what will be for the highest good.

[Check out the post from Ms. Caputo's previous visit to The Dr. Oz Show last season:

Dr. Oz Sets the Omega-3 Record Straight

New questions have been raised over the efficacy of omega-3 supplements. In a recently released meta-analysis study, researchers in Greece looked at 20 different studies (out of thousands of studies available) and have said that omega-3 supplements may provide a small benefit to those taking it but that the benefit is so minor that they may as well not be taking it.

This new information goes against all previous information presented on omega-3s. Even Dr. Oz has recommended omega-3's for overall health, for heart health, for brain health. He's called omega-3's the most important supplement for anyone to take. What should you make of this new information?

[What is a meta-analysis study? A meta-analysis is where researchers pool data from previously conducted studies and draw a conclusion. There are no new experiments or tests. Sounds like a good idea, right, to pool the information in previous studies to create some grand conclusion. Well, it doesn't often work out that way.

Several years ago a meta-analysis was conducted and the report released to the public and blasted from the media is that vitamin E can shorten your life span. Well, that wasn't exactly what the meta-analysis said, that's what the media said it said.

The meta-analysis looked at studies, many of which had a large proportion of participants who died during the study and concluded that the participants life-span was shortened because of the vitamin E. Well, again, not exactly. One person in one study died in a car crash completely unrelated to their health or to any supplement they were taking. Another study looked at vitamin E and how it effected terminally ill patients. The fact that a person died in a car crash or that those participants were already issued a death date was not factored into the meta-analysis.

The end result is yes they pool the data but they also removed the circumstances involved in the outcomes of each study. Context is everything, people. Meta-analysis removes context and looks only at conclusions to make an extrapolation and another conclusion. I'm sure meta-analysis study methods serve a wonderful purpose somewhere for some thing but from what I've seen they have not positively contributed to the knowledge and understanding of how supplements help or hinder health.

When I hear a meta-analysis was conducted on a supplement, I cringe and I take the information with a grain of salt. An iodized grain of salt, that is.]

Dr. Tanya Edwards, Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, has researched omega-3 supplements for decades and she's very concerned by this new information. Dr. Edwards says omega-3s are required by every cell in the body and supplementation is important.

In the meta-analysis, the average amount used in the studies utilized in the meta-analysis was 1.5g but the amount recommended by doctors, and the amount used in many other fish oil studies, have used a much higher amount.

Dr. Oz is worried about consumers throwing out their omega-3 because of confusion brought on by this study.

Dr. Edwards said that Dr. Oz does not have his omega-3 information wrong and that she is not going to stop recommending omega-3 supplements to all of her patients. Even though the research is flawed, explained Dr. Edwards, it still shows that taking omega-3 fish oils can reduce death from heart disease by as much as 9%. Other studies, non meta-analysis studies, have shown greater benefit.

In the last 10-15 years, explained Dr. Edwards, there has been a huge increase in the use of statin drugs to manage heart concerns. Statin drugs can interfere with the absorption of omega-3 and for people who are not getting omega-3's from food, supplementation of omega-3 is important.

Dr. Oz: Guidelines for Buying Omega-3's

Dr. Oz says he still believes that taking omega-3 supplements are essential to health. Dr. Edwards also is going to continue to tell patients to take omega-3's on a regular basis. There is no harm from taking omega-3 fats, said Dr. Edwards. Only people who are allergic to fish may need to stay away from omega-3 or need to choose their omega-3 wisely. People on blood thinning medications need to talk to their doctors about using omega-3.

Dr. Oz: Benefits of Omega-3
Dr. Edwards explained that the list of health concerns that are supported by omega-3s is long and include:
  • Decrease in depression, anxiety, and bipolar concerns;
  • Improve memory;
  • Help with eczema;
  • Supports eye dryness and macular degeneration
  • Plays a role in skin health

Dr. Oz: Recommended Fish Sources of Omega-3
Plant sources of omega-3 are good however they don't provide the important component called DHA, said Dr. Edwards, which allows neuro-transmitters to send the right message and that message to get to the right place.

Eating fish is great but you need the right type of fish. Farm raised fish are low in omega-3 because of their grain based diet which doesn't support omega-3 concentrations in the fish.

Pregnant women need to be careful with mercury contamination in fish and talk to their doctor for about appropriate sources and amounts.

Dr. Edwards said the best fish to eat is:
  • Trout;
  • Sardines;
  • Mackereel, and;
  • Wild-caught salmon

If eating fresh fish is your main source of omega-3, the FDA says to limit intake to twice a week. Dr. Edward said if you know the fish you are buying is low in mercury than she wants people to eat low-mercury fish everyday.

Dr. Oz: Recommended Supplement Sources of Omega-3
The range of available omega-3 in supplement is huge. Read product labels and get the product that has the highest amount of omega-3, recommended Dr. Edwards.

The FDA has the power to go after companies whose product test amount differs from the labeled amount however the FDA has limited resources to monitor all supplements. Dr. Edwards recommended visiting ConsumerLab.com for information on product content and to aid in choosing the best product.

[ConsumerLab.com was founded in 1999 and since that time has had a love-hate relationship with the supplement industry. The company receives payments from vitamin company's in the form of membership fees and has been lauded by supplement industry advocates for not providing transparency and not disclosing payments received from the companies they test. Many companies disagree with the findings of ConsumerLab.com. While they provide what seem to be great results, their process and business practices have been called into question multiple times throughout their existence.]

Dr. Oz: Rule for Choosing Omega-3 Supplement #1
Look for a product that lists 600mg of DHA. Dr Edward said at this level, the supplement can play a role in the healthy function and levels of brain health, cholesterol, triglycerides, and plaque in the arteries.

Dr. Oz: Rule for Choosing Omega-3 Supplement #2
If an RDA amount is listed on an omega-3 product, beware. There is no mandated level of omega-3 set out by the FDA.

Dr. Oz: Rule for Choosing Omega-3 Supplement #3
Look for an omega-3 with an opaque or dark bottle. Fish oil can oxidize and go rancid when exposed to air and light just like a bottle of olive oil. Store fish oil in the refrigerator. If the product will be forgotten in the refrigerator, then take a small amount out and store it where it can be easily reached and keep the rest of the bottle in the refrigerator.

Dr. Oz says he likes the algae form of omega-3 and he can get a one month supple for only $10. [That may be his doctor's super wholesale discount price, but you might be hard pressed to find one for that price.]

Carlson Super DHA 500mg 60 Gels - $16.73
from: Best Price Nutrition



Dr. Oz: Best Bribes

To enlist her children to help clean her minivan, she bribes them with soda, chips, candy, cookies. They typically eat all the good stuff: vegetables and fruits. Dr. Oz said he uses bribing all the time to get the Oz kids to help with chores.

[What happened to helping and doing work around the house for the sake of helping and doing work around the house? Since when do kids have to be rewarded for cleaning up after themselves? I don't really understand this trend. When I wash the dishes, no one gives me an allowance or candy. I'm rolling my eyes here!]

Her husband knows he has to work to get her in the mood. First, candles are required. Second, she loves a full body back rub with scented oil. Third, the real key to her heart is key lime pie.



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2 comments:

  1. I love watching Dr. Oz, but he lost my vote of confidence when he chose to have on the Long Island Medium on his show Oct 1. I could not believe he actually took this person serious, and was disturbed that people might feel this will truly help their anxiety problems. I think it could actually increase anxiety problems if something goes askew..especially since the Long Island woman encouraged people to try on their own. Talk about opening up a can of worms. These people are already sometimes very fragile.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment. This is the second time Theresa Caputo has been on The Dr. Oz Show. I think that the work of a psychic can be quite divisive - people either completely agree and believe or they completely disagree and are not believers.

      In my view, Ms. Caputo didn't encourage people either way to try to be a medium. What she did was state what helped her and I think she very deliberately talked only about her experience.

      I agree that people who have experienced loss of a loved one and those who experience anxiety can be quite fragile. It seemed to me that both Dr. Oz and Ms. Caputo were presenting the issue as a way to support people who may not have been able to find or receive support in other ways.

      I've also seen how losing a loved one and all the baggage that people sometimes carry about the experience can be debilitating in so many ways. Letting go of that burden can be freeing and can positively effect health.

      Is the Long Island Medium for real or a fraud? I think that's up to personal opinion. Perhaps the motto of take what you need and leave the rest can be applied to the show in a broad sweep.

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