It is also important to note that hot water should be drunk after eating Ice creams and sweets to avoid accumulation of fats due to consumption of these foods. Drinking hot water not only melts the fat, but also neutralises the effect of chilly ice cream and prevents soar throat and common cold problems.

While discussing water we cannot rule out the therapy of water called ‘water therapy’. Even generally, for the sake of our health, a minimum of 1.5 litres of water should be consumed in the morning on an empty stomach. This has an excellent effect in that the toxins piled up in the body are washed away and the body gets hydrated which is important for general health.

Nowadays, consumption of Alcohol is on the increase, be it for a happy occasion or a sad event. Though Alcohol need not be eliminated from our lives, it is of interest to note that it is devoid any nutritional value and can be turned into fat, adding flab to the body. If the consumption goes unchecked, the level of triglycerides increases.

It has been a practice in most households in India to observe ‘Fasting’ once a week or at least once in a fortnight. This is advantageous to the body, in that, the load on the ‘stomach workshop’, which works all the day grinding and digesting the food, is reduced. This is akin to a ‘Preventive maintenance’ of a machine.

Read between the lines: Is increase in level of triglycerides good for health?

Fibre-rich foods tend to be low in fat and less in calories. High fibre foods minimise the risk of constipation, colon and rectal cancer, hiatus hernia, heart disease and obesity. A study reveals that colon cancer is the second largest cancer in the United States after Lung cancer. The estimation says that out of 1,50,000 people affected, nearly 57,000 died in the year 2003. This underscores the importance of a diet rich in fibres to get rid of the aforesaid diseases. It may be incredible to believe that Al Beckles of Britain achieved the distinction of becoming Mr. Universe with a Lacto-vegetarian diet. But it is true and the misconception that a diet with flesh and meat alone can make a person strong was proved wrong.

As far as consumption of a balanced diet, the least consumption should be Oils, Butter, Ghee and Sugar. Foods that should be consumed in limited quantity are Dals, dried seeds, Milk, Curd, Cheese, Fish, Eggs and chicken. The varieties that should be consumed more would be vegetables, fruits, Wheat and bread. The taste buds are to be tamed for a better health inasmuch as prevention is always better than cure and will it not be wise to refrain from diets that make us more vulnerable to different forms of cancer and serious problems? Fats are an essential part of the regular diet albeit; the wrong choice may cause a bad spell for the health. Refrigerating the fat diets until the fat rises to the top of the container and slicing it off can do elimination of fat. Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol, while polyunsaturated fat lowers blood cholesterol. Foods that enhance HDL (High Density Lipoprotiens) which are beneficial to the health are to be consumed and those with LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins) – the bad cholesterol function are to be kept away. Using monounsaturated oils like Olive oil, Canola and Groundnut oil and polyunsaturated oils like Sunflower oil, oils of corn, soyabean, Mustard, Gingely would be a better substitute for other oils. Nowadays it has become mandatory for the manufacturers of edible oils to declare the composition and grading of the oils they manufacture. One can find the wordings PUFA (Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids) etc. so that the consumer may know what sort of nutrition he is resorting to.

Read between the lines: Which is bad cholesterol?

What PUFA stands for?

Scientific Discoveries

Health experts feel that breakfast should be rich, since more energy is required to be spent during the whole day. Lunch must be less than breakfast and dinner should be minimal compared to breakfast and lunch.

Scientists opine that two to three teaspoons of oil are sufficient for our daily needs. They also recommend that, instead of using the same type of oil, it's better to use different ones, like sesame, sunflower, groundnut, olive or soya for a balanced nutrition.

Junk food and eating while watching television should be discouraged for good health. This is because while watching television a person consumes more due to his involvement in the TV Program. People involved in dieting should have weight loss as their prime goal.

Moreover, regular intake of beef, mutton, ghee, butter, cream, cocounut and biscuits provides more saturated fatty acids, which are harmful to health. Crabs and prawns contain more cholesterol too. It is pertinent to mention that as per medical recommendations care should be taken to see that intake of animal products does not exceed 240 gms per day to limit cholesterol levels. Consumption of fat at different times causes less increase of cholesterol than a large amount of fat teken at one time. It has been studied that a blood cholesterol level over 240mg/dl (Mgs/decilitre of blood) approximately doubles the risk of coronary heart disease.