Dr. Aparna Jha

With the vast amount of available information, ranging from age-old wisdom to health magazines and health sites, most people are prone to misinformation when it comes to what to eat and what to avoid. From drinking copious amounts of water to eating a light lunch, it is the time that these commonly known health tips are debunked.

These 3 habits that may seem healthy on the surface but are actually harming you!

1. Drinking large amounts of water: It is advisable to drink a healthy dose of water each day, but you should drink water only when you feel thirsty and not otherwise. If you drink water beyond your level of thirst, it can lead to excess water intake. This excessive intake can be the cause of conditions like obesity, skin and digestive problems among other health conditions. An average person consumes 8 glasses of water each day. But you are advised to drink that much, only if you are thirsty enough. It is also recommended not to drink cold water or ice-cold drinks.
2. Eating uncooked foods: It is essential to preserve the nutrients of the ingredients you eat, but it is equally important to make them digestible. Cooking involves subjecting the ingredients to heat, which helps to remove and kill certain impurities and bacteria in them. Cooked foods are easily broken down, and hence, digested with ease. Some vegetables and foods are even more beneficial when lightly cooked. Vegetables like Brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and kale should not be consumed raw.
3. Eating a light lunch: The ideology behind eating a light lunch may be to keep your weight in check and to stay healthy, but if the food you're having is not nutritious, it can still cause you to gain weight. Some food joints even offer a lunch menu of light proportions while the dinner menu may be packed with heavy amounts of food. This is wrong. It is advisable that people have larger proportions of food in their lunch while dinner should be meager as your digestion slows down as the day progresses. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.

The LES valve in the stomach is designed in such a way that as soon as food passes through it, it closes. If however, LES remains partially or fully open, acid produced by the stomach can move up to the esophagus resulting in a burning sensation called acid reflux or heartburn. This condition is commonly known as the hital hernia.

Some of the common symptoms of acid reflux:
1. Consumption of large meals at one go.
2. Lying down immediately after having a meal.
3. Obesity or being overweight.
4. Consumption of snacks just before bedtime .
5. Consumption of certain food items such as chocolate, garlic, onion and citrus-related food.
6. Consumption of caffeine related products such as coffee, liquor and cigarettes.
7. Certain medicines such as aspirin is also known to be a trigger for acid reflux.
8. Pregnant women or patients with blood pressure are known to be suffering from acid reflux.

Tips to deal with acid reflux
There is a wide range of treatment options available for acid reflux. If you are suffering from occasional heartburn, there are some wonderful home remedies that can be tried. However, if the acid reflux recurs more than once in a week, it is best to consult a doctor. Home remedies to deal with acid reflux:
1. Sleeping on the left side is known to reduce acid reflux.
2. Reducing weight greatly helps in tackling acid burn. Patients with obesity are more vulnerable to acid burn.
3. It is best to avoid food that triggers acid burn.
4. Chewing gum greatly helps in countering acid burn. It helps in producing saliva which soothe the esophagus.
5. Intake of One spoon of baking soda every day proves to be extremely effective. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate which has a pH of more than 7 and can effectively neutralize the acid from stomach.
6. Intake of aloe vera, apple, banana or ginger is known to have very positive effects on acid burn.
7. Intake of 1 table-spoon of mustard can give instant relief from acid burn. Mustard’s alkaline properties can make the acid neutral in the system.
8. Regular intake (one after every meal) of almond helps to fight acid burn

Medication:
1. If you are buying over the counter, Histamine 2 blockers is a great medicine that instantly gives relief from an acid burn. Typically Doctors suggest this medicine with a higher dosage. This medicine can be consumed half an hour before the consumption of a meal. However, It is best to consult a doctor before consuming any medication.
2. Doctors often suggest medicine from the PPI family. It effectively blocks acid production in the esophagus for a longer duration. Some common medicine from this group includes Lansoprazole, Pantoprazole and Rabeprazole. 

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

A sure-shot way of beating stress and correcting your blood pressure and heart rate is through hugging. Research has found that hugging a person for about 20 seconds releases oxytocin, popularly known as the love hormone, to counter the effects of the stress hormone cortisol.

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