Written By: Kriti Saraswat | Published : March 28, 2014 6:49 PM IST
Narendra Modi who is campaigning all over the country to win our votes, has some other plans on his mind too. Twice a year, he goes on a 9-day spiritual fast which involves drinking only warm water with lemon. This helps him shed all the extra kilos in a mere nine days. Starting Monday, he plans to follow this diet again. But we would like to advice our prime ministerial candidate to take it easy and go for a healthy detox instead.
Dangers of a nine-day fast
According to leading nutritionist Priya Kathpal, 'Surviving only on water and lemonade for nine days straight can lead to a host of serious problems such as insulin sensitivity, diabetes, weak bones, calcium deficiency, etc. This is because the body's metabolism is suppressed. The body will be forced to leach out nutrients from its reserves which will lead to more deficiencies. There are more negative effects than the positives. Considering his age, the restoration process will also be slower once he starts eating normally again.'
Even celebrity nutritionist Radhika Karle agrees that it is a bad and unhealthy idea. 'Energy levels are bound to drop and the sweltering heat makes it worse as we sweat more. If the lost nutrients aren't replenished in time, it can cause muscle cramps, dehydration, unhealthy weight loss and other serious health issues which will show up sooner or later,' warns Radhika.
Though Modi plans to shed 5-6 kg in these nine days, it is not a healthy way to go about it. Says Radhika, 'The weight loss is not fat loss but loss of muscle mass which further leads to a drop in metabolism. This kind of weight loss only leads to a loose and hanging body than a toned and fit one.'
Though a detox diet is good for health, it should be done only once or twice a month for a day. Even then, one should not shun all food but eat light. Radhika recommends starting the day with warm water and eating every two hours. Food like raw veggies, coconut water, fruits, vegetable juices, etc which are light on the stomach are good for a detox diet.
Here is a sample detox diet plan by nutritionist Neha Chandna:
Foods to be included | Foods to be excluded |
|
|
You may also like to read:
For more articles on weight loss, visit our weight loss section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.
Disclaimer: The content on TheHealthSite.com is only for informational purposes. It is not at all professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for any questions regarding your health or a medical condition.
