Endoh’s Dungeon

Just when I finished writing about how smoking may not be the root factor for cancer development based on 3 independent studies (even with a totally anticipated denial), yet another “healthy tip” was busted last Friday. This time, it’s the ever-popular recommendation of drinking 8 glasses of water a day being found to be anything… but close to the truth.

We heard it all, from our days as a toddler to our days as a student. Even as we grow, we actually hear these advices from professional health “specialists”. What or who does it take to debunk a professional myth? Well, as the saying goes, “it takes one to know another”. Hence, it takes another professional to bust a professional myth since uneducated advices seemed more real than anything else. The next time anyone goes screaming at their loved ones or children to down 8 glasses of water a day for health sake, you could be the one to contribute to their bad health afterall.

But drinking 8 glasses of water isn’t the only professional myth in our hectic lives. Trust me, there are many more “health tips” preached by others which are actually - inaccurate. That’s a polite way of putting it. So what other health myths are we looking at?

1. Shower after a meal.
Many have shared that taking a shower after a meal is relaxing. You are so WRONG. While this form of relaxation is enjoyable, it is hardly healthy. You should always shower before you take your meal, because that relaxes your body which in return, promotes better appetite and digestion.

2. Have more fruits after your meals.
Fruits are always healthy, it’s undeniable. But taking fruits after a meal is not any more healthy than taking it before your meal. The correct (holistic) manner of fruits consumption is to allow the fruits to activate the enzymes or rather acids in your stomach prior to your main meal, so digestion can take place more effectively once you consume your main meals. Of course, this is debatable until this very day.

3. The more fruits you eat, the more healthy you are.
Another debatable issue especially by the vegetarians, but for the average eater like myself, taking in more fruits need not necessarily means a healthier you. Fruits are rich in amino acids, vitamins and etc… BUT do not forget fruits also contain sugar. Fruits are also lacking in protein and fats, both essential to our lives available through meat.

4. Fruit juices are better than the fruits themselves.
This is another unproven myth. While many friends of mine often tell me to buy them a fruit juice after our meals because it is healthy to do so, nothing beats eating the fruit itself. Not forgetting, many of our fruit juices are heavily dosed with sweetener. Canned fruit juices are out of the question.

5. As long as my fruits are in the fridge, I can always eat them later.
Fruits are best consumed immediately after you have sliced them. Once exposed to the atmosphere (even in the fridge), oxidation takes place. Natural nutrients are lost through the process of oxidation and that is why most of your fruits look “toasted & dry” after a while. This is also the reason why I often advise female friends to choose their makeup with great care, because a makeup kit with too much “something-oxide” tends to “dry” their faces. (This on makeup - was taught to me by the models and makeup artistes I worked with in the past.)