But a colleague's brother, who is an MD, says that safflower oil and sunflower oil are good for reducing cholesterol. Five years ago, I switched over to sunflower/safflower oil from groundnut oil. Please advise.

Prasada Rao Alapaty

As the notice targets hypertensive and diabetic people, I suggest cutting out all fat substances such as oil, ghee, groundnuts, etc. As you may know, any oil is 100 per cent fat. Sunflower oil and safflower oil became popular because they contain unsaturated fats.

Though eating unsaturated fats substantially lowered cholesterol levels in the blood, it was found later that the same cholesterol was being transferred from the blood into the arterial plaques and other body tissues by the body's metabolic processes. This means that unsaturated fats do not reduce the risk of a heart attack anymore than saturated fats.

That is why I recommend eating oil-free food. Fruits, vegetables and grains contain trace fats that are harmless. Any fats required to use fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E are already manufactured by the body itself. So we do not need any oil or ghee to make us healthy.

Eating oil-less food will help unclog arteries by shrinking the cholesterol plaques as also prevent more cholesterol from being deposited.

Cutting out oil from your food will automatically reduce your calorific intake as suggested by your medical officer's notice.

Exercise is absolutely essential too. Walking (a brisk 45 minutes) or cycling (a brisk 20 minutes) daily strengthens the heart. Such cardiovascular exercises also help the body grow new additional routes or by-passes to the heart for carrying blood and keeping the heart oxygenated and healthy. Plus, exercise lowers blood pressure.

When a diabetic exercises, the body uses up the blood-fats for energy. As the fat-levels in the blood decrease, the insulin becomes more sensitive and effective and you become less diabetic.

I read the article on the benefits of gargling with sunflower oil. Is it really recommended to gargle with oil for 20 minutes thrice a day... and for how many days?

Dawn Westman

It depends on how serious a person's ailment is. If you are doing it as a preventive measure, then once a day is enough.

If your teeth are serrated, for example, you can do it 20 minutes once a day until they smoothen out. It can take 15 days to a month. If the teeth are rotting, then you should gargle 20 minutes thrice a day for 3-6 months until you get positive results.

I'm a 40-year-old woman and always wake up in the morning with puffy eyes — with my eyelids swollen. Is there any way of preventing this?

Anjali

Follow these two practices every night at bedtime:

If your eyes don't improve in 10 days, get them checked. When you are around 40-45 years, the focusing power decreases slightly. Inadvertently you might be squinting and straining your eyes, which could contribute to morning puffiness. You may need reading glasses.

The writer is co-author of the book, `Fitness for Life'.

Do you have any queries on health and fitness? Send them to life@thehindu.co.in

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