The Mirror's Health , Lifestyle and Fashion
Avoid short cuts to weight loss
It is sad however to note that most of these methods of dealing with the problems listed above do not have any scientific backing; a reason why they ought not to be used.
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It is very bad for our health care system simply because health care providers are among those who prescribe some of these remedies.
Let’s up our game as health professionals by doing the right thing. If it is not in your field of expertise; refer the patient to the appropriate professional and stop deceiving people.
How can you advise someone to drink lime/lemon juice mixed with warm water to burn fat and cholesterol? How is that going to happen? What is the mechanism by which such a concoction will act to remove fat from the body?
This is not a good advice and people have to desist from such a practice. There are things you need to do so as to lower your cholesterol level and/or burn fat.
Concentrate on such things and stop the short cuts that have no proper reason behind them.
The long and short of this argument is that the popular practice of drinking warm lemon/lime water for the purpose of fat removal is not good.
They also advise that a mixture of honey and warm water, drunk early in the morning will help one lose weight. This is a big lie.
Honey contains so much sugar. Putting it in warm water is just like making some sugar solution. Excess sugar in the body get converted into fat and thus helps people in gaining weight. How on earth such a mixture should be recommended as a remedy for weight/fat loss.
Some overweight diabetic patients even take this concoction. Thus helping increase their blood sugar levels every morning and making their conditions worse.
To lose weight, you need to follow a low calorie diet plan and exercise daily. This is often too hard an ordeal for most people hence the clamour for these short cuts which are dangerous.
Blended garlic for burning cholesterol is a common thing I hear people do. Much as garlic might have some good antioxidant properties, blending it into juice for purposes of lowering ones cholesterol levels is not advisable.
To me it is an ordeal no one should go through. Judging from the smell of garlic, blending it to drink is not a nice thing to do.
Adding a tiny piece of garlic to your soup or stew will help you enjoy all the health benefits of garlic. Besides, to lower blood cholesterol; one needs to follow a prescribed diet plan and/or take cholesterol drugs.
To be continued....
The writer is a dietician at the Trust Hospital and author of "Eating to prevent and manage lifestyle diseases" and “Answers for your diet”.
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