Dr. Oz Is No Wizard – Know Your Sources
With the recent controversy about Dr. Oz, I felt the need to emphasize the fact that what we put into our bodies should be a matter we take seriously, especially when it comes to supplements. My purpose today is not to bash Dr. Oz. Rather, I want to help you be discerning when it comes to where you get your nutrition information.
I believe in eating fresh, whole foods and limiting sugars and processed foods as much as possible. However, this isn’t as easy as it can sound sometimes, because we live in an instant gratification society where we can easily get sucked into wanting things NOW at the touch of a button.
The same instant gratification mindset can exist when we want to improve our bodies. We may find ourselves wanting to fix a health problem with a pill, rather than eat healthy and exercise. We may want to accelerate the fat burning process, so we turn to supplements first because it’s easier than changing the way we eat.
I’d like to you to keep two things in mind when it comes to the issue at hand:
- There are no “miracle” pills.You must eat healthy and move your body on a regular basis if you want to look, feel, and perform at your best in the long run. On a recent show, Dr. Oz recommended his viewers buy Green Coffee Extract to expedite the fat burning process. However, here’s the latest, solid, researched statement about Green coffee extract:
“Green coffee extract (GCE) is a supplement made up primarily of chlorogenic acid. While it may provide benefits for blood flow and improved circulation, there is no strong evidence that suggests GCE supplementation supports fat loss. Though GCE is a popular supplement and marketed as a fat burner, it does not have any fat burning effects and should not be included in a fat burning stack.” –Examine.com - Be careful who you trust for your nutrition information.Know your sources and make sure they are not getting paid to offer you a recommendation. Businesses exist to make a profit and there is not much money to be made in fresh, whole foods. The big money is made in the supplement and pharmaceutical industry.Whether you’re watching Dr. Oz on TV, sitting with your doctor, or even perusing your local GNC, when it comes to getting advice on supplements, it helps to ask yourself, “What’s in it for them? Are they getting a cut if I purchase this? Are they getting paid to recommend this to me? Do they have my best interest in mind?”
I understand that you may not always know the answers to these questions. Dr. Oz is a trusted name in millions of households and it hurts when you are deceived. It makes it hard to trust again. I understand that. So again, I can’t stress it enough. Make sure the source of your nutritional information is valid, reliable and have your best interest in mind.
Finally, I’d like to leave you with my favorite source for the latest in supplement information, www.Examine.com, the source I used above. They are a company that I highly recommend when considering supplements. They give in-depth descriptions of proven, unproven, cautionary and overhyped supplements, and more. They stay up-to-date with the latest research and have a team of nutrition contributors that I trust.
Hope that helps!
