Highlights
- Pickles can do more harm than good to your body
- Pickles contain high oil and salt content
- The excess salt content in pickles can give rise to water retention
The constant struggle of wanting to lose weight and being a foodie is quite real. If you are one of those who love to pair their food with spicy and flavourful pickles, then it's time for you to rethink about the same. Pickles do add a lot of flavour to any dish they are paired with; however, not many realise that they can do more harm than good to your body. Yes, you read that right! Consumption of pickles is not the best bet while on a weight loss journey; this is primarily because of their high oil and salt content. According to Ayurveda Expert, Dr. Ashutosh Gautam, "One should avoid eating greasy pickles as they are loaded with oil and salt content. The excess salt content in various pickles can give rise to water retention in the body, which can further hinder your weight loss efforts." Indian pickles are rich in sodium content, which can possibly create an imbalance in the body fluid.
(Also Read: Is It Okay To Consume Pickles Everyday? Here's The Answer)
If you're looking to shed some extra kilos, pickles should be off your diet regimes as, too, much salt in diet can lead to an increase in the water weight in your body. The added preservatives in pickles also hinder weight loss process and could result in bloating. According to Dr. Shikha Sharma's book 101 Weight Loss Tips, one should choose nimbu or red/green chilli pickles as they contain less oil. Other than this, the calorie content in pickles is quite high too. This is because most of the pickles are prepared in oil and are soaked in it.
Weight Loss: The added preservatives in pickles also hinder weight loss process and could result in bloating
(Also Read: 7 Lip-Smacking South Indian Pickles You Need to Try)
If you still wish to savour on this delight once in a while, then pick the better options so that they do not completely bring down your weight loss efforts in drain. "Instead of arbi pickle, kathal pickle and mango pickle (which are starchy), go for gobi pickle, nimbu pickle or karela pickle," notes the book.
So, the next time you end up craving for some spicy and flavourful pickles, keep the above-mentioned things in mind and take a calculative decision.