As the years roll by we acquire an arsenal of health rituals some of which may appear to be helping us reach our goals but many of these may actually be a total waste of time, some also cause the exact opposite of what we expect or its function is totally different from what we believe.
We will tackle a few myths that we are so certain do a world of good to our health.

1. DRINKING WATER WITH LEMON
a. I know many people swear this combination taken early in the morning has helped them lose some fat and with the onset of the pandemic it has been fused with other ingredients to miraculously enhance immunity. I doubt lemon has that magic effect to jump start your metabolism but it definitely gets your hydration for the day on the go. Lemon may improve the taste of the water for those who hate the sight of water especially when they are not thirsty.
b. Getting a good dose of water may mean eating less and eventually cause weight loss but that may still occur without the magic lemon.
c. Do not over-indulge in early morning lemon since it could erode the protective layer (enamel) of your teeth.

2. DRINKING WATER WITH MEALS
a. Many people will not touch water up to an hour before meals and will deprive their body of water for a whole hour after eating.
b. Except for growing children and adults with malnutrition challenges, you may drink water before meals and even sip while eating. It is okay to drink soon after eating. The stomach will accommodate the changes and the enzymes that break down food work best in a medium of water.

3. REVEALING A SIX-PACK WITH ABDOMINAL EXERCISES
a. Yes abdominal exercises done in the right way will definitely strengthen your abdominal muscles and define them BUT they will leave the fat hanging over the nicely sculptured muscle. You may know those muscles are there but no one else does.
b. To show your beach body to the world you need to add cardiovascular exercises such as walking, swimming, use of treadmill, general strength training and appropriate nutrition to “burn” the fat and expose the muscle.
c. So engaging in thousands of abdominal exercises without cardiovascular exercises, appropriate nutrition and strength training is an exercise in futility.

4. EXERCISING VIGOROUSLY ONCE A WEEK IS PROTECTIVE
a. If you exercise once a week and lead a totally sedentary life for the rest, then there is a major challenge. A familiar question is if WHO says we need 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, why can’t I push it all in one day and relax for the rest? Well the benefits of exercise in controlling high blood pressure for instance last for only 72 hours so frequency is key. You are certainly not considering eating only once a week are you?
b. If you are a once a week exercise guru that is definitely a great start point. You may also find common sense ways of increasing physical activity all week including using the stairs, walking when possible instead of making a phone call and a host of others.

5. SKIPPING MEALS WILL HELP CONTROL WEIGHT
a. It definitely sounds like a smart move. Eating less means you put in fewer calories and in the long run that should lead to weight or fat loss. Unfortunately this does not happen in real life especially when we skip breakfast.
b. Breakfast not only helps to kick start our metabolism, in addition it ensures we are not extremely hungry so we do not engage in unhealthy snacking.
c. Many people tend to skip meals and appear to lose weight especially in the initial stages but may end up accumulating fat in their midsection and this has been linked to an increase risk for cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease. If you remember cardiovascular disease is currently the most likely condition to lead us to our grave: strokes, heart attack, complications of hypertension and a host of others.

There are many other myths that we need to deal with but for now remember MODERATION and VARIETY are key in life.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI) Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/Mobissel

Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.

Thought for the week –“STIGMATIZATION has no place in fighting this pandemic. It will cause people to hide and not disclose their status, seek medical care late and reduce all the benefits of protocols. We should all be comfortable enough to tell our close contacts when we test positive for COVID-19 so that the proper measures are taken. This is extremely important if we have to win this fight.”- Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
References:
• MSN – Health & Fitness
• Webmd.com