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| With so much health lore lurking on the Internet and other mass media, it's often hard to separate fact from fiction. Mind Your Body finds out what water beliefs are water-tight and what should be sunk. 1 Does drinking cold water burn more calories but affect your womb? Dr Stanley Liew, consultant endocrinologist at Raffles Hospital, said: 'Drinking cold water may burn some calories but this is usually not significant enough to have any effect on body weight. Drinking cold water should not affect the womb unless one drinks a huge amount of cold water causing hypothermia or water intoxication, which is harmful to your body as a whole and not specifically the womb.' 2 Is it true that drinking mineral water exclusively will help one attain good skin? Ms Jaclyn Reutens, a dietitian at Aptima Nutrition and Sports Consultants, said: 'No, it's not true. Good skin is attained through a healthy diet, exercise and adequate hydration. Drinking enough fluids helps to improve blood circulation and in the effective removal of toxins. The best beverages that meet hydration needs are water, milk, 100 per cent fruit juices and caffeine-free tea or coffee.' 3 Is one large glass of water first thing in the morning recommended? Dr Lew Kian Hwa, registrar at Alexandra Hospital's Health For Life Centre, said: 'You can do that although most doctors would not recommend it. It is more of a lifestyle preference. It sort of jump starts your body by helping to flush your kidneys and rid your body of toxic substances.' 4 Is it good to drink water immediately after exercise? Ms Png Weileen, head of sports nutrition at the Singapore Sports Council, said: 'It is important to replenish lost body fluid immediately after exercise to prevent progressive dehydration.. 'For a short duration, low intensity exercise like a half-hour walk, drinking water is sufficient to replenish lost fluids. But if you are engaging in a long duration, high-intensity workout like wakeboarding or swimming for more than an hour, sports drinks would be a better choice. Ideally, fluids taken after exercise should not contain caffeine and alcohol as they exert a diuretic effect on the body, thus increasing urine production.' |
Get over that hangover - quickly
Too many late nights spent eating and drinking can lead to a hangover and exhaustion - both physically and mentally. So how do you speed up your recovery from a festive burnout? Mind Your Body spoke to the experts to find out.
1 Have another fix?
Bartender Jett Koh, 32, has heard of all kinds of folk remedies over the years from her customers at Muddy Murphy's Irish Pub.
She said these supposed "fixes" mostly involve either Bloody Mary cocktails (a mix of vodka and tomato juice) or a "hair of the dog" - yet another drink of whatever the person had the night before.
One concoction which supposedly cures headaches, she said, is a mix of Angostura bitters (a sort of pungent herbal beverage) and lime cordial.
However, she felt that remedies involving alcohol only put off a potential hangover till later.
To avoid a hangover altogether, her own advice is to drink in moderation and to have lots of water in-between drinks.
2 Eating right
Besides water, drinking fruit juice is a good idea as it contains vitamin C and antioxidants which strengthen the liver, said Dr Rupert See, senior physician at Raffles Medical.
Fructose in fruit juice, he said, can help increase the speed at which the body processes alcohol.
He added that the amino acids found in protein-laden food such as scrambled eggs can assist in the body's detoxification process.
Brown toast, which is high in vitamin B, and honey can also help raise blood-sugar levels to fight fatigue and to take away any jitters after a night of heavy drinking.
3 Medication
Medicines like paracetamol or aspirin can also be used to relieve hangover symptoms like headaches.
For those suffering from indigestion or heartburn, simple over-the-counter antacids can help as well, said Dr See.
4 Exercise
You may not feel up to it but some light exercise can help you along in your recovery.
Personal trainer Joan Liew suggests 20 to 30 minutes of brisk walking or light jogging to help re-energise your body. Swimming, too, can be a low-impact and relaxing way to recover.
If you have access to a gym, a light workout routine, lasting about 45 minutes to an hour, that exercises your major muscle groups can get your blood circulating again and boost your energy, she said.
Whatever the activity, remember to keep well-hydrated, especially if you have been drinking heavily the night before, she added.
5 Herbal remedies
Prepared as a drink, an American ginseng and chrysanthemum mix can help restore one's energy after a late night out, said senior physician Yu Zhe Kai of the Eu Yan Sang Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic at Plaza Singapura.
He said American ginseng can help replenish the body's vital energy, or qi, and the chrysanthemum can help reduce the body's internal heat accumulated due to lack of sleep.
Acupuncture can promote blood circulation and strengthen the body's flow of qi, he said.
For hangovers, a tea concoction comprising a mix of pueraria flower, Japanese raisin tree seed, bamboo shavings and lalang grass rhizome can help stop headaches and nausea.
In addition to "cooling" the body, this mixture also helps the body to discharge toxins through diuresis or the increased passing of urine.
Other herbal hangover remedies include mung beans and a vinegar drink that consists of white sugar and cooking vinegar. This latter concoction can help neutralise the alcohol consumed and help one sober up faster, Mr Yu said.
