Archives for October 2015

October 29, 2015 By Urvashi Sareen Leave a Comment

Importance of CARBOHYDRATE Counting?

What is carbohydrate counting?

Carbohydrate counting helps one keep track of the amount of sugar, known as carbohydrates that you eat. If you are detected with, it is important to learn about carbohydrates found in food. Keeping track of your carbohydrate intake will help you control your blood sugar levels.

What is a carbohydrate?

A carbohydrate is a food that is turned into sugar (glucose) when you digest it. Any carbohydrate food will raise your blood sugar. Complex carbohydrates raise sugar more slowly (it takes your body longer to digest and absorb these) while simple carbohydrates or sugars can raise your sugar level more quickly.

Where are carbohydrates found?

Carbohydrates are naturally found in many different foods.

CARBOHYDRATE

NOT A CARBOHYDRATE

BREAD
ROLLS
TORTILLA
RICE
PASTA
POTATO
CORN
DRIED BEANS
SODAS

FRUIT
FRUIT JUICE
MILK
YOGURT
CANDY
CAKE
COOKIES
ICE CREAM

BEEF
CHICKEN
FISH
LAMB
BUTTER
MAYONNAISE
CARROT
CUCUMBER
LETTUCE

CHEESE
EGGS
PORK
TURKEY
MARGARINE
OIL
CAULIFLOWER
GREEN BEANS
ZUCCHINI

Some carbohydrate foods may be used less often in your diet due to high potassium, sodium, or phosphorus content. Your coach will help you know which foods are best for you.

What is a serving size of carbohydrate?

A serving size of carbohydrate is the amount of food that will give you about 15 grams, or one serving, of carbohydrate. Serving sizes to reach 15 grams of carbohydrate vary between foods.

The following foods are examples of one carbohydrate choice:

1 slice of bread
1 cup of fresh fruit
½ cup of canned fruit
¾ cup dry cereal
¾ cup hot cereal
½ cup mashed potatoes
½ cup corn

½ cup of pasta
1/3 cupof rice
1 medium sugar cookie
1 small piece cake, no icing
½ cup non dairy creamer
4 oz. juice or regular soda
6 pieces of hard candy

1 Fruit = 1 Milk = 1 Starch = 1 Low Calorie Dessert

Carbohydrate Counting and Meal Planning

Important things to remember when counting carbohydrates:

Eat at the same time every day to keep blood sugars even.
Eat the same amounts of carbohydrate at each meal and snack.
Eat a meal or snack every 3-4 hours to keep blood sugars even.
Do not skip meals.

The amount of carbohydrate you need will depend on your weight and activity level. In general, 3 to 6 servings of carbohydrates are recommended at meals and 1 to 3 servings are recommended at each snack.

You can check food labels for the grams of carbohydrates and convert the grams into servings. For example:

15 grams = 1 serving
30 grams = 2 servings
45 grams = 3 servings

Ask your GOQii coach to help with your carbohydrate intake.

Breakfast:___________________# of Carbohydrate Servings

Morning Snack:__________________# of Carbohydrate Servings

Lunch:_________________# of Carbohydrate Servings

PM Snack:_________________# of Carbohydrate Servings

Dinner:__________________# of Carbohydrate Servings

Bedtime Snack:_________________# of Carbohydrate Servings

October 29, 2015 By Luke Coutinho Leave a Comment

Lifestyle Change: Key to Good Health

If there is any solution that has ever worked with any of my clients over the last 10 years, it’s a lifestyle change. Be it cancer, weight loss, or just feeling better about one’s self, a lifestyle change has always provided the most effective and sustainable result. Restrictive diets have never worked, in fact they lead to collateral damage like depression, frustration, yo-yoing and a feeling of deprivation. If you are eating an ice-cream or chocolate, eat it with love, enjoy it, or don’t eat it at all. GOQii’s coaches will coach you to do just that. They will coach you to eat mindfully, they will help you set up goals, encourage great habits and break down the bad one’s.

People have started measuring their worth with the wrong scale. The weighing scale dictates to people for beautiful or healthy they are or should be, and that’s so wrong.

The GOQii dream is to change the world. There are millions of people out there, struggling with their health and lifestyle. Most are lost and have no clue what’s right and what they should do to be healthy and fit. It doesn’t help that there is so much information and research out there that just confuses us even more.

The GOQII eco-system is designed out of passion and with an intention to change people lives, make a difference, add value and evoke change in people. It’s based on simplicity and believes that motivation is the energy for action. We can do anything when we are motivated. GOQii ties in Karma, ‘giving back to our communities, it’s such a self fulfilling feeling when you know you can give back to society through an action that is making you healthier. This eco system ties in all of this and more.

Our coaches come from diverse backgrounds of nutrition, sports, fitness and other fields and go through a comprehensive training on behavior, nutrition, fitness and motivation. Our training material is designed by experts from Stanford University and Yale and delivered by professional trainers.

As an individual there are only a handful of people I can professionally help in a day. Through GOQii, we can reach out to millions. Research today has proved that even if the unhealthiest person makes as little as one lifestyle change in a month, they are on the road to rejuvenation and better health.

October 28, 2015 By Luke Coutinho Leave a Comment

Ways to become “mindful”

Learning to focus the mind can be a powerful antidote to the stress and strains of our fast paced on-the-go lives. The ability to pay attention to what you’re experiencing from moment to moment — without drifting into thoughts of the past or concerns about the future, or getting caught up in opinions about what is going on — is called ‘Mindfulness’.

This basic mindfulness meditation exercise is easy to learn and practice.

Firstly, sit on a straight-backed chair, or cross-legged on the floor.
Focus on an aspect of your breathing, such as the sensations of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth, or your belly rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.
Once you’ve narrowed your concentration in this way, begin to widen your focus. Become aware of sounds, sensations, and ideas.
Embrace and consider each thought or sensation without judging it as good or bad. If your mind starts to race, return your focus to your breathing. Then expand your awareness again.

The effects of mindfulness meditation tend to be dose-related — the more you practice it, the more benefits you usually experience.

A less formal approach can also help you stay in the present and fully engage in your life. You can practice mindfulness at any time or during any task, whether you are eating, showering, walking, touching a partner, or playing with a child. Here’s how:

Start by bringing your attention to the sensations in your body.
Breathe in through your nose, allowing the air to move downward into your lower belly. Let your abdomen expand fully. Then breathe out through your mouth. Notice the sensations of each inhalation and exhalation.
Proceed with the task at hand slowly and with full deliberation.
Engage your senses fully. Notice each sight, touch, and sound so that you savor every sensation.
When you notice that your mind has wandered from the task at hand, gently bring your attention back to the sensations of the moment.

October 27, 2015 By Disti Shah Leave a Comment

Regular exercise can control Diabetes

The facts and myths about diabetes are plenty especially on the kind of foods one should have or not have, whether one should exercise to control diabetes etc etc. But, it’s when I saw my dad exercising one day and a thought struck me is it not important to test a diabetic before exercise? Is diet all that one needs to focus on?

What if he exercises vigorously and his sugar levels drop down, at what sugar levels should we allow or not allow a person to exercise? What should be the intensity and frequency of exercise? What type of exercise should a Diabetic do?

These questions obviously led me to explore and research more about diabetes and exercise. I would like to share some information about what Diabetes is, what are its types and how regular exercise can control your Diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease wherein there exist high levels of sugar in the blood either due to less of insulin sensitivity or because of low insulin secretion or no insulin levels in the body.

There are three major types of diabetes. The causes and risk factors are different for each type:

Type 1 diabetes -can occur at any age, but it is most often diagnosed in children, teens, or young adults. In this disease, the body makes little or no insulin. Daily injections of insulin are needed. The exact cause is unknown.
Type 2 diabetes makes up for most of the diabetes cases. It most often occurs in adulthood, but teens and young adults are now being diagnosed because of high obesity rates. In such cases either the body becomes less sensitive to insulin or insulin secretion decreases.
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes. And disappears once the pregnancy is over.

Diagnosis

Blood tests:

Fasting blood glucose level – 70-100mg/dl
Post Prandial – Less than 140mg/dl
Haemoglobin A1c test -Normal: Less than 6%

After understanding the different types of diabetes and ways to diagnose them let’s get to the core area of exercise.

We all know that exercise has multiple benefits for a healthy human being but, did we know the benefits of exercise on a diabetic? So let’s understand the benefits of exercise for a diabetic in brief first.

How does Exercise Help in Diabetes?

Lowers blood sugar levels.
Helps you feel better.
Helps maintain proper body weight.
Helps keep the heart rate and blood pressure lower.
Helps keep blood fats levels normal.
Improves insulin sensitivity.
Helps maintain normal blood circulation in the feet.

Now that we know seven of the many reasons why exercise is important for a person with diabetes, let’s know which exercise benefit diabetics.

Which kinds of Exercise are Best?

Expert agree you need either

30 minutes of “moderate intensity” aerobic activity – 5 days a week.
“Vigorous intense” aerobic activity 20 minutes or more a day – 3-5 days a week.

In addition, you should add flexibility and strength training to your routine.

Flexibility activities 5-7 days a week.
Strength training 8-10 exercise, 10-15 repetitions of each exercise, 2-3 days a week.

Calories Per hour and the types of moderate and vigorous exercises

Moderate physical activity for one hour	Calorie burnt per hour
Hiking	370
Light gardening / Yard work	330
Dancing	330
Golf(walking and carrying clubs)	330
Bicycling (<10mph)	290
Walking (3.5mph)	280
Weight lifting (light workout)	220
Stretching	180

Vigorous physical activity for one hour
Running / Jogging (5mph)	590
Bicycling (>10mph)	590
Swimming (Slow freestyle laps)	510
Aerobics	480
Walking (4-5 mph)	460
Heavy Yard work (chopping wood)	440
Weight lifting (vigorous effort)	440
Basket ball (vigorous)	440

Source – Dietary guidelines for Americans – 2005 *(These values are not specifically for Indians as they are taken from American journals)

When should we Exercise?

The best time to exercise will vary with our schedule. Preferably we should pick up the same time for exercise each day so that if on insulin the adjustment of insulin dosage is manageable.

Morning exercise may cause your blood glucose to drop less than if you exercised later.
If you are on insulin or taking pills that work by making more insulin, evening exercise may result in low blood glucose while you sleep.

Remember -Your Diabetes Management can be adjusted to suit your lifestyle. Your lifestyle does not have to be adjusted to fit your diabetes.

After knowing about what kind of exercise and at what time we should do them, let’s see what precautions should be taken while doing them.

Safety Tips for Active Diabetics

Get your doctor’s okay before you start exercising.

This is especially important if you are older than age 35, have had diabetes for more than 10 years, have any complications of diabetes, have not exercised in a long time, or have heart disease.

Exercise has the same effect on blood glucose as insulin. It lowers blood glucose, making you more sensitive to insulin. This is a benefit of exercise that can also pose a problem if it lowers your blood glucose too much.

Avoid low blood sugars

Low blood sugars are when the glucose levels dips below <70mg/dl.

Common symptoms include shakiness, weakness, abnormal sweating, and anxiety, tingling of mouth and hunger, headache, visual disturbance, confusion, seizures, coma. Blood glucose monitoring before and following exercise, especially when beginning or modifying the exercise program is prudent.

Always keep a 15g of fast acting carbohydrate (powdered sugar / Glucose tablets 3-4) with you to treat Hypoglycemia.

Check your blood glucose levels pre and post workout

If you blood glucose is below 70 –

Take 5g of carbohydrate right away
Wait for 15 minutes
Check again – if still below 70 have another 15grams.

It should work now.

If the blood glucose is high – Fasting are >250 and ketosis is present.

Or >300 with or without ketosis.

Avoid exercise with such high blood sugar levels.

Eat before heavy exercise

If you’re going to exercise around mealtime you should eat the meal first. When possible, allow half an hour for digestion. Solid foods, such as whole grains vegetables etc are digested slowly then liquids and provide protection for at least 2-3 hours.

When it is possible to choose the exercise time, try to begin the exercise 30-60 minutes after a meal or snack.

Remember – Nothing works better than experience and frequent blood glucose testing.

Diabetic complications

Retinopathy – Patients with retinopathy are at risk for retinal detachment and vitreous hemorrhage associated with vigorous-intensity exercise.

Thus for those with retinopathy, vigorous aerobic and resistance, weight bearing exercises should be avoided.

Nephropathy: Should not indulge in vigorous-intensity exercise as protein excretion increases post-exercise.
Peripheral Neuropathy – Should take proper care of feet to prevent foot ulcers.

Feet should be kept dry.

Avoid the wrong type of socks and shoes. Avoid tight elastic bands and ill fitted shoes (they reduce circulation). Should not wear thick or bulky socks (they can fit poorly and irritate the skin). Rather wear light coloured cotton socks that dissipate heat faster.

Moisturize your feet – but not between your toes- that could encourage a fungal infection.

Use a moisturizer daily to keep dry skin from itching or cracking.

Consider non-weight bearing activities as they may be better tolerated and aid healing.

Stay hydrated

Proper hydration is essential during exercise. Exercising during hot weather requires special attention. Drinking extra fluids should begin an hour or two before starting to exercise. A general rule is to drink 8ounces of fluid for every 30 minutes of vigorous activity.

Check your pulse rate

It’s important to check the pulse periodically to see if you are exercising within your target zone. Right after you exercises take your pulse – count your pulse for 10 secs and multiply the no by 6.

Compare the numbers on the right grouping in the table below.

Age	Target Heart range zone
20 years	100-150 beats/min
25 years	98-146 beats/min
30 years	95-142 beats / min
35 years	93-138 beats/ min
40 years	90-135 beats/min
45 years	88-131 beats/min
50 years	85-127 beats/ min
55 years	83-123 beats/min
60 years	80-120 beats/min
65 years	78-116 beats/ min
70 years	75-113 beats / min

Source: Exercise and Your Heart, NationalHeart, Lung, and Blood Institute/American Heart Association, NIH Publication No. 93-1677.

Therefore the good news is that if someone regularly exercises these benefits can be permanent, and for someone with diabetes it can mean reducing medication. If younger members of families with a predisposition to diabetes exercise regularly they could avoid diabetes altogether.

A single bout of exercise can benefit the body’s sensitivity to insulin for 16-18 hours and therefore have effects on blood glucose control (glucose absorption) for 24-48hours.

But these effects wear off by 60-72 hours. Therefore keeping active most of the time is the best.

I just want to convey that Diabetes cannot take your hope, faith, attitude, courage, happiness, and happy life away from you. We are author of our own health and disease. Let’s overcome it, no matter what type or what level of disease it is. Let’s help others and ourselves to be active most of the time. Exercise can permanently remove or reduce medication.