Dr. Oz's 4 Health Boosting Secrets From Around the World
Dr. Oz travels to Australia, Hawaii, China and Turkey to uncover health secrets.
Aug. 2, 2011 -- intro: From the Meditteranean diet favored by the Greeks to the bread and wine-heavy diet of the French, every culture has its own secrets to diet success, and exotic health solutions for everyday problems.
Dr. Mehmet Oz's daily television airs in countries around the globe, places like Turkey, China and Australia, where the natives use exotic health secrets to stay strong, healthy and young.
Dr. Oz traveled to those countries to learn their secrets and revealed them exclusively today on "Good Morning America," showing viewers tricks from using a musical instrument to cure sleep apnea to an ancient exercise designed for small spaces.
Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Oz's "Move It and Lose It Campaign."
The best news is you don't have to travel thousands of miles around the globe like Dr. Oz, or spend hundreds of dollars, to bring the best of the countries' traditional remedies and practices home to you and your family. These tools are right at your drugstore, health food store or maybe even in your own backyard.
Try importing these four, global tips from Dr. Oz into your everyday health routine.
quicklist: 1category: title: Purslane in Turkeyurl: text: One important food group people in Turkey have no problem consuming enough of is healthy fats, the types of omega-3 fatty acids that are so important in preventing stroke and reducing the risk of heart disease. The more than 73 million residents of this Euroasian country, however, rely on a natural source for their healthy fats: the herb purslane. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is actually considered a weed in the United States, but it's eaten throughout much of Europe and the Middle East. In Turkey, they even give purslane to horses to help with joint discomfort because it also acts as an anti-inflammatory. In the United States, purslane is easy to grow on your own using seeds, and can be found at health food stores like Whole Foods. If it's still too exotic for your tastes, however, hazelnuts are another equally good option for adding healthy fats to your diet.
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quicklist: 2category: title: Tai Chi in Chinaurl: text: For the people of China, the challenges of staying healthy in their country are much different. With the world's largest population, the challenge there is finding space to stay physically active in a confined setting. The Chinese have had to learn and adapt to exercising in a way that doesn't take up a lot of space, which is why the practice of Tai Chi is so popular among the nation's more than 1 billion residents.
Instead of grabbing caffeine in the morning, China's residents, from the very young to the very old, take to the nation's parks and streets to practice. The poses can be done anywhere and help with strength, balance and flexibility.
Click HERE to see World Champion Kung Fu Master Karl Romain demonstrate tai chi moves you can do in your own home.
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quicklist: 3category: title: Didgeridoo in Australiaurl: text: Australia, like the United States, has increasing obesity rates, despite having a a highly active population. The Aussies, however, have developed a fun way to deal with the snoring and sleep apnea typically associated with high weight.
They use an indigenous musical instrument, the didgeridoo, to exercise the muscles in the back of the throat that cause snoring while you sleep. Those muscles get lax while you sleep so, by exercising them with with the didgeridoo, essentially a branch hollowed out by termites that turns into an instrument, you strengthen the muscles so they don't collapse while you sleep.
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quicklist: 4category: title: Noni Juice in Hawaiiurl: text: The fourth secret brought Dr. Oz right back in the U.S. of A., to the tropical state of Hawaii. Here the natives drink a juice that comes from the noni, the famine fruit of the island's native Polynesian people, that is said to help with bone pain. The fruit has a strong odor, which is why the juice comes processed on the mainland, eliminating the stink.
Another fruit that offers the same benefits as noni, but is more common is the pineapple. Like noni, pineapple is full of Bromelain, a plant extract used for reducing swelling, especially after surgery or injury. The amount of Bromelain found in pineapple and noni fruits is stronger than what you can get in the over-the-counter version and is better also for achieving long term, anti-inflammatory effects.
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Visit the ABCNews.com OnCall+ Wellness Center to get more tips on keeping your health on track.
Click here to return to the "Good Morning America" website.
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