Dear Pooja,

I am 37, 58 kg, and my height is 5.1. Last year I had taken a herbal slimming pill for one month (LIDA) and lost around 10Kg. had felt energetic and less hungry and great during that time but, my bowel movement which had always been regular till then, went haywire – once in two days etc. I stopped after a month and in two months came back to my previous weight of 56-58kg. Just wanted to know what should one eat that acts as laxatives and keeps the system clear? What can help to detox? Which foods can help? I am a non-vegetarian and rarely have vegetables and fruits.

 

If there were such an easy way to lose weight (and maintain it) would more than half of the world’s population be overweight? There are no short cuts to weight loss darling I hope you have realized that now (perhaps the hard way). Each of these short cuts – pills, creams, starvation fads, machines – all come with their bag full of side effects – constipation, hair loss, headaches, joint aches, blood pressure fluctuation, brittle nails, dull skin and the list is endless.

You ask me about detox, why should one need it? If you eat food in moderation (healthy and unhealthy), drink ample water, exercise three-fours a week – your body knows how to purge and clean itself – that is the magically power of this human body. By torturing (yes, its sometimes even more harsh than torture) with pills and medication or starvation in the name of weight loss – that is when your body needs a detox – not from food but from these unhealthy practices. God has gifted each of us one magically body – that relentlessly works 24*7 like clockwork – learn to respect this temple. Nourish it with food not pills and you will never need doctors, nutritionists, dermatologists and the like again.

And lastly you asked me about constipation and how to relieve it – well you also did give the answer yourself – you eat no fruits and vegetables! If do not provide the fibre and roughage then how can you expect to have clear bowel movements? Include at least four to five vegetables and fruits (whichever you like from the vast bounty that is available) servings a day along with adequate hydration and you should be able to help yourself without artificial laxatives.