Body Care Kits

MYTH 1
Sleeping less helps me lose weight because I burn more calories staying up through the night
FACT: Sleep more - to weigh less. Research shows that if you do not get a full night's rest, the body's fat cells secrete up to 18 per cent less of the hormone leptin, the chemical that tells your brain you have sufficient energy reserves and do not need food.
Also, if you have had, say, only about four hours of sleep, you are less likely to exercise and more apt to reach for that box of doughnuts to get through the day.

MYTH 2
Green tea will boost my metabolism

FACT: There is no one single food that burns fat. Green tea contains the chemical polyphenol, commonly known as catechins, which may speed up metabolism for a short time, but they do not cause weight loss.
Said dietician Geoffery Gui: 'However, drinking green tea (unsweetened) may displace other high-fat or high-sugar beverages in your diet, hence cutting down on calories.'

MYTH 3
Liquid meals contain the necessary nutrients so they be substitutes for normal meals
FACT: Mr Gui warns: 'Meal replacements exert their effect on reducing portion size and consequently, energy intake. They should not replace the act of eating a full meal.'
Check that commercial meal replacements are from a reputable source and meet these criteria: They have at least 200 calories, 12g of protein and 25 per cent of the recommended daily intake of 16 vitamins and minerals.

MYTH 4
Drinking milk will make me fat
FACT: Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs.
Said Mr Gui: 'They provide protein to build muscles and to help organs work properly, as well as calcium to strengthen bones.'
Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products: These are as nutritious as whole milk products but are lower in fat and calories.
A 250ml cup of low-fat milk has about 130 calories compared to 370 calories from a typical 400ml cup of bubble tea. Do your maths.

MYTH 5
Stress from working long hours will help me lose weight
FACT: Some people who are stressed tend to binge on food, especially junk food. Irregular eating patterns also result in weight gain and cause indigestion.
Said occupational therapist Madam Siti Zubaidah Yusoff: 'In order to lose weight, one should aim towards a balanced life - and managing stress through physical activity or leisure, or spending more quality time with yourself or your loved ones.'
Dr T'zu Jen Tan, assistant consultant at the department of surgery in AH, added: 'Think about losing weight not only about shedding the kilos but also about gaining health.'

MYTH 6
If I go straight for drinks and skip dinner, I will imbibe less calories
FACT: Three cans of beer provide about 390 calories with little or no nutrients, whereas a bowl of fishball noodle soup gives about 330 calories with lots more nutrients packed in.
If you drink excessively in place of a proper dinner, you risk not just consuming more calories but alcoholic poisoning too.
Also, alcohol is more easily metabolised into fat than the protein and carbohydrates in a nutritious meal, said Dr Tan.

MYTH 7
Chew each bite of food 25 times
FACT: This one is true, but 25 is an arbitrary number. It sounds like obsessive behaviour, but one of the best-kept natural secrets to weight loss is to chew food until it turns to liquid in your mouth.
Thorough chewing means better digestion and absorption of vital nutrients as well as earlier recognition by the brain and stomach that your appetite is satisfied. So ignore that hovering maitre d' and linger over your meal.

MYTH 8
Drinking lots of water will help me lose weight
FACT: Dehydration does slow down the fat-burning process, as your body needs an adequate supply of water to function efficiently.
But while drinking water with a meal may make you feel full sooner, drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated, our bodies need calories and nutrients.

MYTH 9
A high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet is a healthy way to lose weight
FACT: Such diets may induce ketosis, or the breakdown of fats in the absence of carbohydrates, to form ketones.
High levels of ketones in the blood can cause dizziness, nausea, headache, dehydration, lethargy and bad breath, said MrGui.
It also means a diet too rich in fat and protein, which may contribute to heart disease.

MYTH 10
Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight
FACT: Meal-skipping causes the body to go into 'starvation mode' to compensate for fewer calories. This could decrease the body's metabolic rate by as much as 10 to 15 per cent, said Mr Gui.
The body will hold on to the fat and burn lean muscle instead.
Skipping meals makes you tired and, with poor nutrition, you are more likely to snack on high-fat and high-sugar foods to keep you going.

MYTH 11
I should not eat after 8pm
FACT: Your digestion system does not clock-watch. It does not matter what time of the day you eat, but what you eat and how much physical activity you do during the day that determines whether you gain or lose weight.
No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat. However, do not binge and cram your entire day's calories into one meal.

MYTH 12
If I can lose weight by counting calories or cutting carbs, I don't really need to exercise
FACT: 'Exercise trains us on our basal metabolic rate, so the more you exercise, the higher your metabolic rate,' said DrTan.
Exercise is an integral part of the weight management regime. It enhances our cardiovascular system and tones up our muscles, thus improving general health.

MYTH 13
If you are overweight, you should not jog because it puts a strain on your knees
FACT: Jogging is a form of cardiovascular exercise and is a good way to increase your metabolic rate.
However, it does create more loading onto the lower limbs, that is, the ankles and knees, due to the nature of the exercise, said Ms Wendy Lim, senior physiotherapist, Rehabilitation Department.
If you are unfit and overweight (with poor muscle tone), you should start low-impact cardiovascular exercises such as cycling, brisk walking and swimming.

MYTH 14
I must cut out desserts entirely
FACT: Deprivation is the downfall of all diets. Saying yes to the occasional chocolate brownie will not ruin your diet plan - if you have your sweets in small portions, and only once every few days.

MYTH 15
Don't snack between meals
FACT: Snacking is not the problem, it is what you snack on.
Many people need a snack in between meals to maintain energy levels, especially those with an active lifestyle. If you must, snack on healthier alternatives like fruit or nuts instead of reaching for that packet of crisps or a chocolate bar.

MYTH 16
Smoking makes me lose my appetite so I cut down on food intake
FACT: While smoking can act as an appetite-suppressant and may result in you cutting down on food intake, it will also shave off seven to eight years of your life expectancy.
Smoking poses other health problems and may lead to diseases such as lung cancer and pneumonia. In short, smoking is not recommended if one wants to lose weight.
'You may lose some weight, but in the long term, you are trading in your health in exchange for chronic heart and lung diseases,' said Dr Tan.

Labels: lose weight, myth