In a world that has become a helpless victim of the corporate monotony, a balanced and a healthy lifestyle appears to be a far-fetched dream. With varied opinions floating around to cope up with the millennial lifestyle, which health advice should we rely on? As individuals, we’re always on the lookout for information that is based on a validated expertise. The upcoming season of Trust Me I’m a Doctor on Sony BBC Earth helps you lead a healthy life, amidst the many health claims.
Presented by well-known medical journalist Dr Michael Mosley, Trust Me I’m a Doctor S7 finds out the truth about what’s good for your health with five surprising discoveries.
Laugh your heart out
They are right when they say that laughter is the best medicine. With stress and mental health problems becoming a major concern these days, it is proven that laughter leads to the release of endorphins which are anti-depressant. Also, consuming products like walnuts and fish oil release hormones that reduce anxiety and depression.
All that ‘fizz’ is not good
Recent reports have suggested that sugar isn’t solely to be blamed in adding up to your waistline, the ‘fizz’ in fizzy drinks is responsible in equal measure. Palestinian researchers found that consuming fizzy drinks led to higher levels in the blood of a hormone called ghrelin, leading to an increase in hunger levels — making you consume more food than what the body requires.
Coconut oil is a wonder food
Coconut oil is a so called super food. Its enthusiasts claim it will cure everything from bad breath to digestive disorders. You can even use it as a moisturiser. But perhaps the most surprising claim is that making it a part of your meal can cut your risk of heart disease by reducing your cholesterol levels. Experiments conducted in the show proved that coconut oil increases the good cholesterol more than olive oil and butter. So make sure your meal has coconut oil in it.
The goodness of beetroot
All mothers believe green vegetables are incredibly beneficial and inculcate the same habit in the family members. However, there’s another vegetable that proves to be healthy. It is the beetroot — which is claimed to improve both our physical health and mental sharpness. On a three level test conducted by the researchers in the show, it was proved that beetroot helps in effective mental performance, reduces fatigue and regulates an intensive blood pressure.
Include iodine in your diet
When you think of vital nutrients your body might be short of, perhaps iron springs to mind or vitamin C. But there is another which doesn’t make the headlines as much as it should — iodine. Iodine is absolutely essential to our health. It’s used by the thyroid gland to produce hormones that keep your body working normally. Having low levels of these hormones is linked to weight gain, fatigue and mood swings. Two of the most essential sources of iodine are milk and white fish. A detailed experiment in the show proves that our bodies can easily absorb iodine from these two sources which are easily available. Solves the problem, right?
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For more such insights and revelations, tune into Trust Me I’m a Doctor S7. The show is telecast on Sony BBC Earth daily at 8 pm
