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Tips to protect yourself from allergic conjunctivitis this monsoon

conjunctivitis this monsoon

I guess I am late! Rains are already here and we can’t just ignore getting drenched in heavy rains. But, getting drenched in the rains might not be a good thing for your body. Monsoon not only brings with it rains but it brings along with it an army of infections. Viral infections are the most common ones. They are at its peak during monsoon season because of the sudden increase in the moisture levels in the climate. Among all infection, eyes are the worst affected part of the human body.

You might have suffered from itchy eyes which turns red the moment you rub it? Do not ignore it as it could be conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis in literal terms means inflammation of conjunctiva (thin protective membrane of the eyes) Conjunctivitis is of two types: – acute allergic conjunctivitis and chronic acute conjunctivitis. Acute allergic conjunctivitis includes the seasonal allergy which turns up during monsoons. Conjunctivitis spreads through direct contact. Hand to eye touch can cause conjunctivitis, as this disease is highly contagious. It can last for minimum 3 days up to 7 days.

Redness always doesn’t mean conjunctivitis, there are various other reasons that can cause redness or itchy eyes. It might be dust or too much strain on the eyes or insomnia which might cause redness of the eyes. Do not confuse yourself between these reasons and conjunctivitis. It is always advisable that if you face redness, itchiness, watery eyes, swelling, difficulty in blinking, dry eyes for more than 2 days then visit your ophthalmologists as soon as possible. It might be allergic conjunctivitis or some other disease, it is always better to get it checked from the expert.

Here are few tips to protect yourself from conjunctivitis this monsoon!

  • Maintaining personal hygiene is most important precaution which one needs to take.
  • Avoid touching your eyes without washing your hands properly.
  • Wash your eyes with cold water whenever you come from outside.
  • If you feel that there is slightest pain in your eyes or you have been in contact with the person who has conjunctivitis, give your eyes cold compressions immediately after you come home. It is always better if you visit a doctor before the diseases aggravate.
  • If someone at home is down with conjunctivitis make sure that whenever you are putting drops in their eyes or giving them cold water compressions, you wash your hands thoroughly before and after you get in contact with the person.
  • Put 2 drops of rose water every time before you go to bed.
  • If you wear contact lenses, avoid using them during monsoons as the chances of infection is higher with lenses.
  • Do not share cosmetics. Risk of infection doubles when you share them.
  • Avoid swimming, visiting water parks during monsoon, not only conjunctivitis, body gets prone to other diseases too!
  • Avoid touching public taps, handles and if you get in contact with them, always keep a sanitizer and use them frequently.
  • Wear glasses to keep your eyes protected.
  • Avoid self-medication. You do not know about the action of drugs.
  • Never use steroid eye drops. Always consult your doctor.
  • If in case doctor is not available, choose antibiotic drops over steroid eye drops.

Conjunctivitis is not a one-time disease, chances of getting conjunctivitis is endless. So as it is rightly said, Prevention is better than cure!

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Almond Milk! Cheers to Good Health!

In recent months, you must have come across the term Almond Milk either in some recipes or even cooking shows. Ever wondered what it is or how it is made? Surely, it isn’t the already famous “Badam Milk” that we’re used to but something totally different from that! 

Almond Milk, in its essence, is an inexpensive, healthy alternative to conventional dairy that you can easily make at home. It is great for those who cannot or choose not to drink cow’s milk. It is made by grinding almonds, mixing them with water and filtering the mixture to create a product that looks a lot like milk and has a nutty flavour. 

Homemade Almond Milk Recipe 

  1. Soak 1 cup of almonds for up to 2 days 
  2. Drain and rinse the almonds 
  3. Blend almonds with 2 cups of water
  4. Line a glass measuring cup with cheesecloth or a nut bag 
  5. Pour the blended almonds in 
  6. Squeeze and press to extract about 2 cups of milk
  7. Refrigerate and use within 2 days 

Nutritional Value

Serving: 1/2 cup | Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.9g | Protein: 1.9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 6mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g

Health Benefits of Almond Milk 

Before trying any recipe, you should know the benefits it provides so we can consume it in the right portion size, at the right time and with the right meal. 

Let’s have a closer look at the health benefits that almond milk provides. 

  • Low-Calorie Drink: How can something made from almonds, which itself is high in calories, can be low in calories? Thanks to the processing used to make it, only a small portion of almonds is present in the finished product. This makes it great for people who want to cut on calories and lose weight without compromising taste. Unsweetened almond milk contains up to 80% fewer calories than regular dairy milk. Using it as a replacement for cow’s milk could be an effective weight loss strategy.
  • Low in Sugar: Homemade almond milk is low in sugar, which makes this nutty milk a guilt-free drink! Although commercially available ones might have sugar added to them, the homemade recipe above leaves the sugar content up to you. More so, since diabetics need to limit their carb intake, replacing dairy milk with almond milk may be a good way to achieve this. 
  • Hello Vitamin E: Not only is Almond Milk low in calories, but it is also a good way to sip in some Vitamin E, providing 37% of the daily Vitamin E requirement in just 30ml. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that combats inflammation and stress in the body.
  • Naturally, Lactose-Free: This is a boon for people with lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as Almond Milk is naturally lactose-free, making it a good alternative to dairy. 
  • Go Dairy Free and Vegan: Whether it is religious beliefs, health and environment or a lifestyle choice, veganism is the “in trend” right now and almond milk is nothing less than a blessing to Vegans. Albeit, it is low in protein and is not suitable as a full replacement for dairy in young children. 
  • Recipe Rich: If you’re worried that consuming this product will be boring, you need not worry. It can be used in various recipes. Apart from a refreshing beverage, it can be used along with cereal, muesli or oats for breakfast, in tea, coffee or hot chocolate, smoothies, while baking muffins and pancakes, soups, dressing, homemade ice creams or almond yoghurt! There are plenty of options to keep you interested! 

How excited are you to try this recipe at home? If you try it, do share your experience in the comments below! 

#BeTheForce 

 

 

 

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Do Children Need Exercise and Nutritional Care?

exercise and nutrition for childrenExercise/Physical activity is important for everyone, but more so for children and adolescents as it plays a key role in the development of their personality. Hence, it has increasingly become important to encourage a healthy lifestyle among them. Having said this how much children need to exercise depends on age.

Why Is Exercise Important For Children & Adolescents?

Exercise for children is important for both their physical and mental well-being. By staying physically active, children and adolescents can reduce the risk of stress, depression and other mental health issues. Physical activity can also help teenagers maintain a positive body image because physical activity is beneficial to the human body.

How Does Exercise Benefit Children?

  • It improves immunity
  • Helps in building better focus
  • It helps in strengthening the lungs and the cardiovascular system
  • Keeps the children in a happy mood due to the release of feel-good hormones called endorphins
  • Helps in maintaining good brain health and also helps in enhancing memory
  • Decreases the risk of developing certain diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure in later years
  • Helps in maintaining a healthy weight
  • Exercise can help children of all ages and can prevent weak bones (osteoporosis) in later years by strengthening bones and joints
  • Helps in performing well in sports

How Long Should Children Exercise For?

Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. Children and adolescents are often active in short bursts of time rather than for sustained periods of time, and these short bursts can add up to meet physical activity needs. Physical activities for children and adolescents should be developmentally-appropriate, fun, and offer variety.

Having a balanced exercise routine is good. let’s take a look at 

The three parts of a balanced exercise routine are Aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility training.

  1. Aerobic exercises

Aerobic exercises increase the heart rate and breathing rate. When you give your heart and lungs this kind of workout regularly, they get stronger. Aerobic exercises should be fun and easy exercises for children that they will love to engage in. Some of the aerobic exercises that your children will enjoy include Swimming, Skating, Cycling, Jogging, Dancing, Skipping, Football, etc. Some team sports that provide a great aerobic workout are basketball, hockey, rowing, cricket and badminton.

  1. Strength Training

Go for exercises that strengthen bones and muscles. Experts recommend that children and adolescents, ages 6 to 17, should get at least one hour of moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise every day. Strength-training activities that build muscle should also be part of a 60-minute exercise routine on at least three days of the week.

Young people ages 13 to 17 should do a variety of moderate to vigorous physical activity for 60 minutes each day. Along with aerobic exercises like running, jogging, fast walking, circuit training, one should also include sit-ups, push-ups, lunges and squats.

Some of the Exercises Include: 

  1. Lunges: Children can improve their balance and strengthen their legs with some lunges
  2. Squats: are the best for building quads, hamstrings, and glutes, and they help to strengthen your child’s lower back as well
  3. Push-ups: can also be done on the knees or on the feet, according to the child’s ability. Don’t worry if they don’t have the form right initially

Encourage your child to Warm up before exercise and cool down after exercise to prevent muscle soreness and injury.

Warm up before exercise: Warming up before exercise prevents injury by softening the muscles and making them supple. Some warm-up exercises you can do are:

  • Slow jogging or walking
  • Stretching all the muscles they’re going to use (hold each and stretch for 8 to 10 seconds, but never until it hurts)

Cool down after exercise: Cooling down after high-intensity exercise is important for relaxing and softening the muscles. Cool down or ballistic stretch begins to lower the heart rate, improves flexibility and will speed up recovery from a workout.

Some Cool Down Examples Include: 

  1. Hamstring Stretch: The stretch helps Hamstring muscles that are on the back of the thigh 2
  2. Side Lunge: This stretch works the inner thighs
  3. Calf Stretch: This stretch feels good after running or walking.
  4. Butterfly Stretch: Children are usually quite adept to the butterfly stretch and it relaxes them well after a good physical activity.

Nutrition is Equally Important When You Exercise 

While exercise is very important, nutrition is equally important for children and adolescents to lead an active and healthy life.

Children who eat healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks will get the nutrients needed to perform well in sports. Kids and teens who play a sport that can involve 1½ to 2 hours or more of activity in a day, in particular, may need to consume more balanced nutrition to keep up with increased energy and fluid demands.

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Fitness is Self Realization! Dhanalakshmi Kollipara User Journey

user journeyDoes work occupy so much of your time that you don’t find any to keep yourself healthy? Being healthy and active is not about making drastic lifestyle changes or hitting the gym for 2 hours straight. Getting your health on track can be achieved with simple lifestyle changes. Here’s how Dhanalakshmi Kollipara made a switch to her lifestyle!

Life Before GOQii 

An assistant manager at Tata Sky, Dhanalakshmi Kollipara from Mumbai is married and has 2 children. Fitness was always on her mind but after the birth of her second child, she had to just work on weight loss. She took a break from work, tried gyms and dieting to reduce weight. However, once she resumed work, being active took a backseat.

Introduction to GOQii

As an initiative of GOQii’s Corporate Wellness Program, Dhanalakshmi Kollipara received a GOQii Tracker along with 3-month subscription. The feature that she found the most alluring was the coaching feature which was absent with other trackers in the market.

After speaking to the GOQii Coach assigned to her, she wanted to set a realistic goal that she could achieve and didn’t want to go overboard. So she decided that her long term goal will be to lose 5-6kgs in 3 months.

Forming Habits and Lifestyle Change

To start her off on her journey, her GOQii Coach advised her to eat a pre and post workout snack. She was also asked to increase her water intake, complete 10k steps every day and walk or cycle for half an hour on weekends.

When Dhanalakshmi’s GOQii Coach explained the reason behind these habits to her, she was convinced and decided to follow them through. She liked the fact that the GOQii Coach’s recommendations were all doable and did not involve any drastic changes to her lifestyle.

She started with half an hour of walking for 4 days a week, 10 mins walk after lunch, taking stairs instead of the lift and taking a stroll every hour. This helped her achieve her 10k daily step count.

Another important habit introduced by her GOQii Coach was Intermittent Fasting, which is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. She continues this habit to date. She has observed this fast for 4-5 days a week for 16 hours. She eats her last meal at 5 PM and then directly eats breakfast the next day at 9 AM. She feels that this is what helped her reduce her weight by 3kgs at the end of her coaching subscription.

Her Experience with GOQii LIVE Coaching 

She still continues with the habits set by her GOQii Coach. Although too occupied with work, she continues to do what she can manage.

About face to face coaching, she says that it is the optimum. She also feels that virtual coaching is still better than not having a coach at all. She avoids the internet or the “word of mouth gyaan” that people give and rather trusts the expertise of GOQii Play Coaches.

She usually watches GOQii Play videos on nutrition and medical topics and has currently subscribed to a GOQii Play coach plan for 12 months!

In closing, she says that “Fitness is self-realization and the motivation to follow through must come from within.”

We’re rooting for Dhanalakshmi Kollipara to complete her long term goal and #BeTheForce of a healthy lifestyle!

Do you want to share your user journey with us? Click here and we’ll reach out to you!

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