Archives for September 2020

September 30, 2020 By Trupti Vyas (Pandya) 5 Comments

Causes of Bad Breath & How You Can Prevent It!

Bad breath always turns people off. No amount of intelligence, beauty, or high fashion sense can make up for bad breath. It negatively affects all aspects of your life and turns you into a person who’s insecure with low self-esteem and no self-confidence at all. Imagine all the business deals and relationship opportunities you’ve missed because of your bad breath. Why suffer from this miserable condition? It’s time to take action and get rid of your bad breath. You can continue covering up those nasty odours or you can take action now to finally address your problem.

What is Morning Breath?

Morning breath is also called dragon breath or Halitosis. When food particles while eating, grind into small particles, it halts on the surface of the tongue, between the teeth or gum tissue. The bacteria in your mouth will break down those food particles which releases bad breath in the morning.

What Causes It?

Dryness in the mouth due to reduced saliva production at night or not drinking enough water through the day.
An unhealthy diet filled with salt, sugar, strong tasting foods like onion, garlic and fish, if the particles of food remain within the mouth in between your teeth.
Sugary diuretic drinks like tea or coffee or packed juice/soda or alcoholic beverages are additionally a standard reason for bad breath.
Nicotine products like cigarettes and tobacco also cause bad breath.
Medication like antacids, antibiotics leading to dryness in the mouth.

Serious health conditions which cause it include:

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) also can contribute to bad morning breath.
Gut issues like IBS, Pylori infection, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to regurgitation of undigested food which can cause bad breath.
Liver & Kidney Disorders provides you foul ammoniac breath.
Respiratory disorders –like Pneumonia & Bronchitis like the formation of pus.

How Can You Prevent Bad Breath?

Hydration: Drink more water to moisten your mouth saliva before going to sleep at night. Keep a bottle on your nightstand just in case you wake up thirsty.
Good oral hygiene: Brushing 30 min after a meal & before bedtime for a minimum of two minutes. It’s imperative to get rid of the food particles.
Tidy your tongue: Give your tongue a fast cleaning with a tongue scraper within the morning or evening after an extended day. Preferably used copper/tin scraper which has bacteria resistance properties.
Oil Pulling: Every morning on an empty stomach put 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed oil within the mouth. You can use cold-pressed coconut oil/sesame oil for this purpose. Avoid using refined oil. Swish this oil within the mouth for 10 minutes then spit the oil out. This may assist you to scale back toxin not only from the mouth but also detoxify the body. Microorganism in our body is roofed with lipids (fat) so when spit the oil out the bacteria waste alongside the oil is pulled out from the digestion tract. It gives whiter teeth, fresh breath & overall healthiness. Check out other benefits of Oil Pulling here.
Keep track of late evening/night meals: Avoid late-night snacks or sugar-rich desserts which promote bacterial growth and make your mouth acidic. Try to not eat at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. Minimize foods with strong-smell and high sulphur content like garlic, onions and boiled eggs that cause bad breath.
Reduced smoking & tobacco use can improve your overall health. Chewing on fennel seeds cloves, chewing twigs like using the bark of Neem Datun are traditional practices. It helps your saliva pH+ by making more alkaline due to antibacterial properties, reducing dental cavities and bad breath.

If you suffer from bad breath, do try these suggestions. If the issue still persists, check with your dentist right away! For more useful information like this, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play!

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September 29, 2020 By Dr. Viral Thakkar 2 Comments

7 Yoga Asanas For Good Heart Health

As we are slowly unlocking, you might have noticed that most of us have become sedentary with little physical activity to keep us occupied at home. Stress, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle can have serious long-term health consequences. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are just two among many of the consequences of not treating your body well. Just know that even during the current times, you can make a positive U-turn and get active! Try yoga for good heart health!

How Does Yoga Help Heart Health?

Yoga, as a practice, emphasizes on breath, focus and meditation. Apart from building awareness of your mind and body, yoga also helps heart health by boosting blood circulation, keeping blood pressure in check and relieving stress.

Let’s take a look at 7 Asanas you must practice for good heart health.

1. Virabhadrasana or The Warrior Pose boosts energy in the body and mitigates stress. It is ideal for heart patients as it keeps blood pressure in check.

2. Sukhasana greatly improves the breathing pattern, which in turn enhances blood circulation.
3. Uttanasana helps relax the muscles and eases the mind. It lowers high blood pressure and ensures that your heart remains healthy!

4. Setu Bandhasana or The Bridge Pose is an excellent yoga asana for heart patients as it improves blood circulation, lowers blood pressure level, and stretches chest muscles. It can lessen depression, stress, and anxiety too.
5. Trikonasana or Triangular Pose relaxes the mind and calms down anxiety levels. This pose also opens and strengthens the chest area, and improves the digestive system.
6. Shavasana is another ideal asana for heart patients. This asana helps in repairing cells and tissues. It reduces blood pressure and assists in developing a better balance of the air element in the body.
7. Bhujangasana or The Cobra Pose is good for heart patients as it expands the chest area and relaxes muscles. As a result, blood circulation gets better and the heart feels reinvigorated.

In my practice, these Asanas are beneficial! But, before you begin practice, consult your doctor or physician especially if you have had any major/minor surgeries or other health issues. If you’re a beginner, check out some of these Myths and Facts about Yoga. For live sessions on yoga, practice with experts only on GOQii Play within the GOQii App. You can also keep a track of your session with the new GOQii Smart Vital which measures SpO2, body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and has sports mode including yoga too!

We hope this article has helped you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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September 28, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Why Cycling Is One Of The Best Ways To Stay Active!

Cycling is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to get fit, even during the pandemic. With gyms shut, it is the best way to stay active. In fact, if your workplace is at a distance of 4-5km, it’s the best mode of transport right now as well.

If you’ve been glued to social media, you might have realized that a lot of people have taken to cycling – either solo on in a group. If you’re new to cycling or if your city doesn’t have specific cycling trails, here are some measures you should follow:

Wear a helmet
Stay to the left side of the road.
Ride on well–lit paved roads and if possible, bike paths. If there are no bike paths, take the service roads.
Wear reflective clothing and have front and back lights
Use arm and hand signals to indicate turns.

Furthermore, ensure that your bike is adequately maintained. Proper clothing (t-shirt and padded cycling shorts is recommended). You also require a properly fitting helmet, padding (optional), bike reflectors, flashers and headlights, gloves, proper shoes and eye protection.

What Are The Health Benefits of Cycling?

Before we go on to the health benefits, it is important to understand the correct sitting posture on a cycle. Maintaining proper cycling posture is important not only for efficiency but also to prevent any form of injuries and aches.

Cycling is easy on the joints because you put your weight on a pair of bones in the pelvis called the ischial tuberosities unlike walking, where you put your weight on your legs. It is good for anyone with joint pain or age-related stiffness.

Regular cycling can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke. It can also improve your mood and keep your weight under control. Adults should ride at least for one hour daily. It decreases stress levels and increases muscle strength and flexibility. It strengthens your immune system. Cycling releases endorphins, which makes you feel young at heart. Furthermore, it also improves your stamina!

It is an incredibly sociable sport. Joining a cycling club or group is an excellent way to grow your social circle and stay fit and active at the same time!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Do check out more topics like this on Healthy Reads and don’t forget to tune in to your favorite expert coaches on GOQii Play!

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September 26, 2020 By GOQii 2 Comments

Lose Weight The Right Way – Neetu Choudhary’s Weight Loss Journey!

Do you struggle with losing weight? Are the odds always stacked against you and despite your best efforts, the number on the weighing scale doesn’t budge? Well, you might have a lot in common with our player Neetu Choudhary who faced similar challenges. But with the right guidance from her GOQii Coach, she was able to make a positive lifestyle change!

Before Joining GOQii

Neetu Choudhary always had a medium build. She dabbled with yoga and the gym to stay active and fit before marriage. However, post-marriage, due to the new home, work and the stress which came with the responsibilities of managing both, her fit and active lifestyle headed towards a downward spiral. She also had a miscarriage which further impacted her stress levels and led to weight gain. After a successful delivery, her weight had touched 82kg. She had reached a stage where she was ready to try anything to lose weight.

Neetu Choudhary Makes The Shift!

Neetu Choudhary was introduced to GOQii through a friend. Let’s read her story in her own words:

“1 year ago, my weight was more than 80kg. My BMI was hovering around the obese category. Because of a C section delivery and hormonal imbalance, my weight was increasing day by day. Despite working out and dieting, I was not able to reduce my weight. I worked out 3 hours a day at the gym and my diet was only liquid without chapati or rice and I often skipped meals.

I still remember the first call with my GOQii Coach where she told me that I am torturing my body and experimenting with it the wrong way – that’s why my metabolic rate is very low. I told her that I don’t eat anything and I’m still unable to lose weight. To this, she said that’s what the problem is! If we don’t eat right, it will affect weight. Those words hit home and from that day on, my life took a big u-turn.

The changes that my coach introduced included:

Reducing my workout time from 3 hours to 1 hour
Have 3 meals a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner
Include yoga and meditation for better sleep and to reduce stress levels

Additionally, she also suggested that I don’t avoid anything but only restrict the quantity for the initial stage.

After following these changes, I began realizing that my energy levels increased and I don’t feel tired all the time. My anger levels reduced. My GOQii Coach Unnati helped me a lot during my journey and kept motivating me. She also helped me stop a few bad habits such as:

Reducing my milk tea from 5 cups to just 1
Doing away with processed and instant food. Now, I don’t even have biscuits in my kitchen

Staying Fit During Lockdown

When the world went into lockdown, I was worried about how I’ll keep my routine up but my GOQii Coach motivated and guided me to utilize this time in an effective manner. I switched to home workouts which include stair workouts, skipping, HIIT and running. I lost nearly 8kg in the lockdown itself.

I now believe that even without a gym or skipping meals, we can still reduce weight. All you need is determination and a positive attitude. My coach said – STOP MAKING EXCUSES and this has been my motto ever since in my personal as well as professional life!”

What Does Neetu’s Coach Have To Say About Her?

Coach Unnati says that, “Neetu was very determined towards her health goals, which was to lose weight, lose inches (especially belly fat). Her health concern was PCOD because of which she had gained weight and was finding it too difficult to lose.

After learning about her daily routine, we decided to reduce the workout from 3 hours to 1 hour & in addition introduced a half an hour post dinner light walk. Workout would include variations of HIIT, Stair Climbing, Skipping Rope, Strength Training and of course a small session of Pranayama & Meditation. For food habits, we decided not to skip or eat less for any meals instead, follow intermittent fasting starting with 12/12 hours and at present following 16/8 hours very smoothly. During the eating window, we made sure her diet was rich in fiber, protein, good fats & moderate amount of carbs. Water intake was also improved by incorporating detox water.

Changes Observed:

Weight loss – 12 Kgs (from 82 Kgs to 70 Kgs)
Inch Loss – 4”
Belly Fat – 6”
Arms – 2”
Improved on Sleep Quality,
Reduced Stress Levels
Good Energy levels throughout the day.

Neetu’s Sincerity, Determination, Dedication & Consistency helped her achieve her health goals. Seeing her so motivated, motivates me too!”

Well, does this story motivate you? Remember, it is never too late to make a change. With determination, motivation and the right habits, you can reach your health goals too! For more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads. To subscribe to GOQii, head over to our Website or Download the App Now!

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