Lifestyle modification is the key to good health, says Pooja Makhija

I have read a lot about the Garcinia Cambogia pills online. A friend too, told me to take them to speed up weight loss. What diet do I follow in conjunction with these pills?

Garcinia Cambodia pills, the so-called ‘miracle drug’ to weight loss. Well, we don’t gain weight by some miracle and no miracle will help us lose it either. 

Garcinia Cambodia in it’s natural form is a sweet, harmless tropical fruit from Indonesia. 

It’s rind contains a compound called Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) which is claimed to suppress appetite and thereby help in achieving weight loss ‘miraculously’. However, the truth is — despite extensive studies this claim remains unproven. Hence, in my professional opinion I would advise you to lose weight, the same way we gain it — naturally. Nothing can replace the benefits and long lasting effects of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. Make small changes — eat small meals at regular intervals, cut out the junk, fried and sugary foods. Say goodbye to aerated beverages, even fruit juices. Eat your fruits instead. Restrict your intake of oil and increase your intake of water. And make cardio part of your life — that’s all the miracle boost your body needs to speed up your metabolism and weight loss. Goodluck!

I’m in my early late 20s and suffer from PCOD. Besides avoiding fried foods and sugary foods, what are foods I should avoid? Also, what foods should I take regularly?

About one in every five women in India suffer from PCOD. Unfortunately it’s a very common problem, but fortunately there’s a lot you can do about it. It’s great that you already know you should be avoiding fried and sugary foods, but also know the crux of the problem is excess fat. Stay away from junk food — anything that’s processed and loaded with preservatives is not your friend, my friend. Stay away from alcohol — it enters your system and gets converted to sugar immediately, thereby increasing your blood sugar level. And also, stay away from overeating — even if what you’re eating is all healthy. Your body can digest only limited portions of food at a given time and anything in excess it gets, it stores as fat. So avoid the binge eating and make it a habit to eat small meals every two hours. It will help maintain your blood sugar levels and help keep the hormone imbalances in check. Drink more water, at least 2-2.5 litres daily. Ironically enough, water helps battle water retention; which we all know is an unwelcome friend that tags along with PCOD. Exercise is the best way to cut the problem from its root — reducing total body fat content. A sustained lifestyle modification is the key to permanently free yourself from hormonal imbalance such that it doesn’t alter your overall health and weight status.

Mail your queries at: dnahealthpage@gmail.com; you can contact Pooja at: admin@poojamakhija.com