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Your questions about health, wellness and weight management answered.
Our needs differ from person to person. What may work for one, might not work on another. It could be a diet, a form of exercise or even a dietary supplement.
You can put your questions to our experts here regarding anything that may be nagging you. We will do our level best to answer your queries. But before you shoot off that email, do check out our Q&A here, which lists some of the more common queries that we have received. |
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Nutrition
Q. "I have been told to chew my food at least forty times before swallowing. What if I lose count?" A. You have been given sound advice. It is right to chew enough times to make sure that your food is broken down physically so that you do not over-work your stomach. In addition, chewing produces saliva which also assists in the digestion process. Saliva contains digestive enzymes that break down food even before it reaches your stomach, and it has anti-bacterial properties to kill of harmful bacteria present in your food. And don't worry about counting how many times you chew - just make sure the food consistency is as close to a pulp as possible. Remember this: "Drink your food, and eat your drinks."
Q. "I just recently quit smoking and have been off cigarettes for the past month or so. I find that I'm putting on weight despite being on a diet. What's wrong?"
A. First and foremost, congratulations on your decision to stop smoking. That is one of the wisest decisions you can make for the betterment of your health. Some people do gain weight when they stop smoking, some loss weight and some stay the same. The one-word answer here would be 'metabolism'. One of the side effects of smoking is increased metabolism, so that once you've quit, your metabolism could have lowered, and your body is now using less energy for most of its functions. Nicotine is also an appetite suppresent and now that your body is getting rid of this chemical, your appetite has improved and you are simply eating more. You do not need to control your meals - what's more important is to control your portion size. In fact, it's advisable to have five to seven small snack-size meals throughout the day.
Exercise
Q. "How do I get the "six-pack" abs that I see in body builders?" A. The abs of body builders take years to achieve, and are there for only one reason: competition.
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Ask Our Experts