RECIPE: Dr. Alejandro Junger’s 3 Day Jumpstart Cleanse for the Gut

On a recent episode of The Dr. Oz Show, cardiologist and New York Times bestselling author of  “Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself,” Dr. Alejandro Junger shared his newest 3 Day Jumpstart Cleanse for the gut.

His new book, “Clean Gut: The Breaktrhrough Plan for Eliminating the Root Cause of Diseases and Revolutionizing Your Health,” explains why cleaning the gut is the most important thing a person can do to get their energy back.

“The gut is not only where we digest food, but around the gut is 80 percent of our immune system,” Junger said on the show. “There is a brain around the gut that is bigger then the brain inside your skull, and more active. Ninety percent of our serotonin, which is the neurotransmitter associated with well-being and happiness, is produced in the gut in a healthy person.”

Junger shared three signs a person is in need of detoxing, which include skin that is less elastic; dry, puffy skin; or skin with redness and discoloration. “A lot of people think the skin changes we experience are part of aging, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The health in your gut will determine the health of your skin,” he said, explaining those with redness and discoloration are showing signs of inflammation in the body.

The most internal part of our stomach is where the intestinal flora live, and a healthy human being has more good bacteria in their gut then the cells in the rest of the body, said Junger. The intestinal flora perform a number of functions in the body, and one of them is functioning as a satellite liver.

“Forty percent of the toxins we are exposed to are detoxified by the intestinal flora and if you kill them off you are going to be taxing your liver, so that will zap your energy,” Junger explained. “Also some nutrients are only made available if they are being digested by the intestinal flora. The prime example is the B vitamins, which is why fermented foods are so good for us.”

The Plan
The 3 Day Jumpstart Cleanse starts each day with a prebiotic shake and a probiotic supplement. The shake recipe is:

½ cup blueberries
1 medium banana
1 handful of baby spinach
10 ounces almond milk
2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 scoop of plant based protein powder

“The prebiotic shake is going to feed the good bacteria,” said Junger, recommending a probiotic supplement with at 50 billion organisms of a multi-strain variety.

For the afternoon, he recommends adding in the supplement Berberine at 400 mg, which has been used for healing in ayurvedic medicine for years, according to Dr. Oz, and also 1,000 mg of L-Glutamine.

The digestive tube surrounding the intestinal flora can drain us of our energy when bad bacteria, yeast and parasites organize themselves in something Junger called “a biofilm,” which prevents nutrients from getting though to the intestines. Also, if there are toxins in the system, they get stuck there, said Dr. Oz.

The goal is to eliminate this sheet of bacteria, and the supplement Berberine can help. Junger also spoke of GALT or gut associated lymphatic tissue – where 80 percent of our immune system lies to make sure nothing foreign gets into the blood.

“The intestinal wall protects the GALT from seeing what is inside the digestive tube, which is good bacteria, undigested food, bad bacteria and yeast, so when we have gaps in the cells of the intestinal wall [known as leaky gut syndrome] that is when the immune system gets into a defense and attack mode,” Junger said, explaining the L-Glutamine can help with this. “By promoting the growth of the cells and the recovering of the gaps, you will calm down the immune system and save it from consuming all that energy, which can be diverted to other things.”

In the evening, Junger recommends 250 mg of magnesium before bed to “jumpstart the second brain” in the gut. Around the intestines there is a large nervous systm with more neurons then the brain in our skull, he said.

“This is where 80 to 90 percent of the serotonin is being manufactured with many other neurotransmitters, so when the gut is dysfunctional, the nervous system in the gut starts participating and consuming energy, and it disregards other functions.”

The magnesium will help stabilize the nervous system and also help people to sleep better and stabilize their mood, he noted.

Lastly, when choosing a meal for lunch and dinner, the first rule is to avoid what Junger calls “food dumping,” or mixing the wrong foods together in one sitting. The goal is to choose vegetables and pair it with a choice of either a grain, bean or animal protein – but not mixing more than one of these choices together.

“You make them compete for the enzymes, which is slowing down digestion itself, which is leading to fermentation, which is not good for you,” he said of combining to many foods.

He also recommends taking a multi-enzyme supplement – one capsule – before every meal to assist with digestion, and during the cleanse, avoid the following as they lower our energy:

Gluten
Dairy
Processed Sugar
Caffeine
Alcohol

Three Dr. Oz viewers put the program to the test and one reported it was “very easy to maintain,” and it “fit into their schedule.” Another viewer said she was finally getting a good night’s sleep, and the third said it gave her a jumpstart to be more alert and aware throughout her day.

For a complete one-sheet on the cleanse, including a shopping list, click here.

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Dr. Fuhrman Shares “5 Epic Diet Disasters” on the Dr. Oz Show

Bestselling author of book “Eat to Live,” and “Super Immunity,” as well as his newest “The End of Diabetes,” Dr. Joel Fuhrman, believes in using food as medicine. He also believes in throwing away the food scales, frozen diet meals, fat-free foods and more, and shared what he calls five “epic diet disasters,” on a recent episode of The Dr. Oz Show.

1 – Don’t diet. Never go on a diet. “People go on a diet and they start cutting back on calories, and the amount of food they are eating and it just results in a disaster. They wind up heavier then when they started,” he said on the Dr. Oz Show.

2 – Diets Fuels Food Addictions. “Diets give people these gimmicks and tricks, but they don’t supply the full gamut of micronutrients the human body needs, and when you are micronutrient deficient you develop cravings,” said Dr. Fuhrman.

Some diets he discussed include going gluten free only to loose weight. “Gluten is only negative for less than 10 percent of the population, and many of the gluten-free flours have high insulin levels and promote weight gain,” he said.

Another diet many people choose is high protein, but this can cause weight gain in the long run, and can worsen diabetes in those suffering from it, said Fuhrman. “It promotes the hormone IGF 1, or Insulin like growth factor 1, that could promote certain cancers like breast cancer. High protein and low carb is a dangerous long term diet and disruptive to your health,” he noted.

Also, fat-free diets can work against the body because the body can’t lose fat if we are not eating it. “We need fat to absorb the micronutrients that have anti-cancer effects, and it could lead to more cravings and actually slow down fatty acid oxidation,” said Fuhrman.

3 – Counting Calories. Dr. Fuhrman said counting calories – and in essence, reducing calories – is a proven formula for dietary failure. “The American diet is already micronutrient deficient, and by reducing calories further it exacerbates the micronutrient deficiency and makes [people] want to crave food even more and overeat,” he told Dr. Oz.

4 – Six Small Meals a day. Believe it or not, Dr. Fuhrman said eating six small meals a day has been show to cause people to eat more calories in the evening or end of the day, which stops the body from detoxing. In the catabolic phase of the digestive cycle, the body breaks down food and this is when the body repairs itself. “People are inhibiting that by putting food in all the time, so it’s not good for their long-term health either,” said Dr. Fuhrman.

5 – Toxic Hunger. Dr. Fuhrman called toxic hunger the No. 1 epic diet failure. Have you ever had a growling stomach, light-headedness, headaches or irritability, and think it means your hungry? Dr. Fuhrman refers to these symptoms as toxic hunger, which are actually withdrawal symptoms from a diet that is inadequate.

“It’s actually addictive withdrawal. The body dumps waste products into circulation for removal by the liver and kidney … you feel fatigued, irritable and have headaches,” said Fuhrman. “They are signs there is something wrong with the way you are eating, and it drives people to overeat food. It keeps them addicted.”

With an inadequate diet lacking the proper nutrients – or micronutrients – these symptoms cause people to eat more in order to get rid of the symptoms. “When you try to stop eating it, you feel sick because the body is trying to repair the damage caused by that substance, so you have to keep eating that food. Toxic hunger means they have to consume more calories then the body needs,” he said.

The only way to break this cycle is to eat more of the right foods – those high in nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals to remove the toxins, free radicals and oxidative stress. “Then you no longer feel shaky and fatigued between meals. You don’t have to stop the detox because you don’t feel bad,” said Dr. Fuhrman. “Then you get connected with what real hunger feels like. You don’t have to diet, measure or weigh, you just eat when you feel like eating, and you will feel like eating the right amount of food.”

The Secret to Losing Weight & Keeping it Off
True hunger is not felt in the stomach with growling – it is actually felt in the neck, throat and chest area, said Dr. Fuhrman. Once we begin to introduce the right foods into the body, we will actually enhance our taste buds, and food that is good for us will begin to taste amazing.

“There are a lot of taste buds in the tongue. In toxic hunger you overwhelm the taste buds, and they start to go dull on you. The first bite of food tastes differently than the last, but with true hunger we turn this around,” he told Dr. Oz. The taste buds become more sensitive, and each bite of food tastes the same once we begin eating right.

We can actually eat as much food as we want, as long as it’s the right foods – foods that don’t raise the insulin and glucose, he said. Here are five that can’t rid the body of toxic hunger, help it to lose weight, and keep it off for good!

1 – Pomegranates. These are full of a nutrient called punicalagin, which lowers the blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. It also helps reverse diabetes, doesn’t raise insulin, and may have anti-cancer effects, said Dr. Fuhrman, who told Dr. Oz he eats the seeds. When they are in season, he buys extra, removes the seeds, and stores them in bags in the freezer. His method for de-seeding? Cut around the fruit like an avocado and twist it open. Bang on the back of it with a wooden spoon, and all of the seeds will fall out.

2 – Cocoa Powder. There is no sugar in cocoa powder and it’s full of antioxidents and flavanols. Dr. Fuhrman recommends buying all natural and unsweetened.

3 – Adzuki Beans. These beans are a dieters best friend because not only are they low in calories, but they are also not broken down entirely, so some of the calories pass through and are not digested. This can speed up fat loss, burn fat faster, and help us to lose weight.

4 – Squash. These contain the right type of carbohydrates that don’t raise insulin response and have anti-diabetic effects to keep sugar down and allow us to feel full, Dr. Fuhrman said on the show. “They have pectins that lower your cholesterol, lower your blood glucose, and help modulate insulin to make you more non-diabetic,” he explained. Other carbs in this category are beans and cauliflower.

5 – Cashews. “We want people to get most of their fat intake from nuts and seeds because when you take oil instead of nuts and seeds for the fat, the oil absorbs within minutes, but for nuts and seeds, it takes hours to break down the fat, and your body burns it for energy, and it increases fatty acid oxidation,” said Dr. Fuhrman. He also offered a four-ingredient recipe for a dressing with cashews to replace oil:

Cashew Dressing

Ingredients

2 Navel Orages
½ cup cashews
¼ cup of unhulled sesame seeds
¼ cup of white wine vinegar
a squeeze of Lemon

Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process.

For more on Dr. Fuhrman, visit www.drfuhrman.com.

Dr. Weil’s Pasta Puttanesca with Tuna Shared on Dr. Oz

In a recent episode of the Dr. Oz show, Dr. Andrew Weil, a leader in alternative health practices, and author of books including “Eating Well for Optimum Health,” where he prescribes food as medicine, shared a variety of helpful information with the audience, according to Dietsinreviw.com.

He spoke of the benefits of including more fiber in the diet, as well as following a supplement regimen with vitamins A, C and E, selenium, CoQ10 and niacin.

After shooting the episode, Dr. Weil went back stage and answered a few more health questions, Dietsinreview.com reported.

To achieve weight loss naturally, Weil explained people need to continue to “modify [our] diet and make sure [we’re] getting enough physical activity.” He also recommended people follow an anti-inflammatory diet like he describes in his book and on his Web site, the article stated.

Additionally, he advised that the best time to take supplements is “on a full stomach after you’ve had an ample meal,” because some supplements need fat for absorption, the article stated. In doing so, people can avoid stomach irritation and vitamin-tasting burps.

While on the show, Weil shared a “cancer-fighting super meal,” known as Pasta Puttanesca with Tuna.

Here is the recipe he shared:

PASTA PUTTANESCA WITH TUNA

Ingredients

2 (28 oz) cans Italian tomatoes, drained and crushed
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
2 tbsp capers
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
3 mashed garlic cloves
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, minced
1 lb dried pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 package/can of healthy pouch/canned tuna (low-mercury type)

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, red pepper flakes, capers, olives, garlic and basil. Let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Add the tuna to the mix. Cook the pasta in rapidly boiling water until al dente. Drain well. Toss the hot pasta with the tomato mixture. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

VIDEO: Oprah Talks Transcendental Meditation

During a recent interview on The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah told Dr. Oz about her recent experience with learning Transcendental Meditation, and how she is “one thousand percent better” when she centers herself using the technique each day. She also shared it with her staff, who has seen improvements as well.

Watch the interview below:

Dr. Oz Reveals Products He Can’t Live Without

If you didn’t get a chance to tune in to the Dr. Oz Show today, you missed Dr. Oz’s Hot List, featuring products he can’t live without for health and wellness. From an amazing vegetable drink blender to the ideal mattress, Dr. Oz took the audience through a number of products – and then gifted them all with each product! (Yes, we must get tickets to this show!)

Here is the list of wellness products he revealed:

Breville Juice Fountain Plus – Dr. Oz drinks a ‘green drink’ every morning filled with fruits and vegetables (you can get the recipe at the show’s website) and uses this juicer to make it. He even showed how you can add a lemon with the rind still on!)

Vital Choice Wild Alaskan Salmon – Delivered to your home, these salmon are flash frozen soon after harvest to preserve the quality.

Tuffy Tea Steeper – Available in a variety of colors, and completely collapsible for storage, this silicone tea steeper allows you to make loose tea on the go!

Trader Joe’s Organic Popcorn – This popcorn is made with olive oil with no trans fats or cholesterol, said Dr. Oz. And it’s only 130 calories for two cups! It was the most affordable item in the show at only $1.79 per bag!

Merrell Encore Breeze Slip-ons – Dr. Oz said every day he slips on his scrubs, he has these on his feet! They cushion the foot, and are available for both men and women.

Dr. Breus Signature Bed – This bed, available from Sleepys automatically adjusts the temperature of the bed based on how hot or cool you are, said Dr. Oz.

The Chopra Center Offers Free 21-Day Meditation Challenge

Starting August 15, The Chopra Center is launching its Summer 2011 Meditation Challenge, where participants will receive a free guided audio meditation and instruction each day based on the teachings of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, founded by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D.

“At the Chopra Center over the past few years we have seen a rapidly growing interest and demand for meditation instruction and meditation retreats as people become more and more aware of its profound benefits for our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being,” Chopra said.

Those interested in participating can sign up for FREE at www.chopracentermeditation.com.

“We created the 21-Day Meditation Challenge to offer people step-by-step guidance and help them experience first-hand how practical meditation really is and how immediate and profound the benefits are,” Chopra said.

Chopra recently appeared on the Dr. Oz show to discuss meditation as a tool for weight loss, explaining: “Meditation is one of the most effective ways to release the stress, conditioned behavior, and negative thought-loops that keep many people in a cycle of overeating. We also know that regular meditation decreases the body’s production of cortisol and other ‘stress hormones’ that cause us to hold onto excess weight and accelerate aging,” he said.

Do something good for yourself this summer, and sign up for this! You WILL see a difference in 21 days!