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Healthy Diwali Recipe: Dates Roll with Seeds

dates roll with seeds

Diwali celebrations are incomplete without indulging in Indian sweets, right? Sweets add a lot of happiness and enthusiasm to festivals. Just like colorful Rangolis at the entrance of a house, a sweet table is always open at home during Diwali. So, this Diwali, I am sharing 2 amazing sweet recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth which are extremely nourishing at the same time. Let’s begin with this super nourishing Dates Roll recipe with the goodness of seeds!

What you will need:

  • Seedless Dates – 500gm
  • Walnuts (Coarsely Chopped) – 15
  • Almonds (Coarsely Chopped) – 15
  • Cashews (Coarsely Chopped) – 10
  • Pistachios (Coarsely Chopped) – 15
  • Flax Seeds (Roasted) – 1 tbsp.
  • Sunflower Seeds (Roasted) – 1 tbsp.
  • Poppy Seeds/Khas Khas (Roasted) – 2 tbsp.
  • Cardamom Powder – ½ tbsp.
  • Ghee – 2 tbsp.

How to Prepare:

  1. Make a coarse paste of seedless dates in a mixer.
  2. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp. of ghee and add all the coarsely chopped nuts and roast them on medium flame for 3-5 minutes and keep it aside.
  3. In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp. of ghee and add the dates paste in it and cook for 3-5 minutes until it is soft
  4. Then, add the mix roasted nuts, 1 tbsp. of roasted poppy seeds and roasted flax seeds along with sunflower seeds and mix well in the pan itself.
  5. Now, rest the dates and nuts mixture on a flat surface out of the flame.
  6. To make a roll out of it, spread roasted poppy seeds and some chopped pistachio on a flat surface.
  7. Using your hands, make a medium thick cylinder of the dates and nuts mixture and roll it over the poppy seeds and pistachios so that it sticks to the roll very well.
  8. Now take a piece of silver foil or butter paper and cover the roll with it very tightly. Tuck and fold the ends of both sides very nicely and allow this to set for 2 hours in the fridge.
  9. After 2 hours, using a sharp knife, cut medium thick slices and then remove the silver foil from each slice.
  10. Your healthy homemade Dates Roll with Seeds is ready.

Highlights of the Dates Roll with Seeds Recipe

  • Just right to satisfy your sweet tooth.
  • This is a recipe rich in healthy fats, proteins, iron and B vitamins.
  • Safe for diabetes and weight watchers but never forget moderation is the key!

Stay tuned for the 2nd sweet recipe! Any guesses to what it might be? Leave your guesses in the comments below!

For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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Stroke: Straight Drive or Pavilion

stroke“Doctor please help! Half of my body does not move anymore” came a slurry cry from a helpless Vinod Agrawal, a businessman. His wife stood next to him in the emergency department weeping profusely and their 16 year old son watched his parents helplessly.

When examined thoroughly, Agrawal was diagnosed with STROKE. Thanks to the lifestyles that most people lead these days, this is a common site in hospitals.

A stroke strikes when the blood supply to the brain is affected either due to blockage leading to ischemia or rupturing of vessels. Due to this the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrition causing cell death, which is the ideal condition for stroke.

How Does a Stroke Happen?

  1. Ischemia: Occurs due to narrowing or blockage of blood vessels due to blood clots formed either in arteries connecting brains or other vessels or due to dislodgment of fatty deposits called plaques (atherosclerosis).
  2. Haemorrhagic: Bursting or leaking of blood vessels which compresses the brain cells. This leakage of blood puts pressure on brain cells which is accumulated in brain due to trauma, hypertension or some blood thinning medication.
  3. TIA- Transient Ischemic Attack (Mini Stoke): Brief episodes of stroke which is self-limiting. Blood flow is briefly interrupted and these are the warning signs of future stroke. It is like an alarm from the body.

Common Presentation of Stroke

  • Weakness or tingling in half or full body depending on the involved artery
  • Deviation of face with difficulty in speech and closure of one eye
  • Mental Confusion, severe headache, loss of power in the limbs

When any of the above symptoms are seen, the patient must be rushed to the hospital.

Stroke

After thoroughly understanding the history and general examination, few specific tests and examination like CT scan are done to find out the cause of the stroke. The treatment is very complicated and management is done in ICU and Neuro-physician may be required.

As there are two major causes of stroke – ischemia and haemorrhage – both have different management.

  • If ischemic– the focus is to restore adequate blood flow-clot is broken or dissolved.
  • If haemorrhagic -stop bleeding or leakage of blood, to reduce the pressure of brain cells. Surgical intervention may be required if there is any arterial malformation or rupture of vessels.

Rehabilitation activities like physiotherapy, speech therapy, etc. help to restore physical activities gradually.

Prevent It!

All the above symptoms and complications can be prevented if a healthy lifestyle is followed.

  • Eat a healthy- diet which includes fresh fruits, vegetables, avoiding processed meat and avoid junk food.
  • Yoga, especially Pranayama, ensures that every cell of the body receives adequate oxygen for appropriate functioning. Pranayama rejuvenates the body cells which ensures the ideal functioning of the body.
  • Stress kills! Accept what life offers happily and keep working towards your goal without killing yourself.
  • Remember Smoking Kills – all advertisements shown are true. STOP smoking.
  • Avoid alcohol, if you do consume it, make it minimal.
  • If you are hypertensive, keep an absolute check on blood pressure and follow all dietary and physical discipline so that blood pressure is controlled.
  • If one is diabetic, regular check of sugar is important.

Listen to your body. It always warns you before the disease sets in.

Stroke is an acute emergency but the root cause lies in chronic habits and patterns of life. Every moment, even at this moment of reading the blog, we can choose health or disease. Either you choose to pick up alarming signals of body and employ the necessary preventive measures to live a healthy life or be undisciplined and get hospitalized. THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

We hope this article helps you. For more on stroke and prevention, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach for guidance by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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How Antacids Are Making Your Heartburn, GERD or Acid Reflux worse!

antacidsIf you’ve ever suffered from heartburn, Zantac and Ranitidine might have been your knights in shining armor and if you’ve never had the misfortune of going through this, the aforementioned Over-The-Counter (OTC) drugs are used to cut down the production of acid in the stomach. There are many other OTC antacids such as Gelusil, that neutralize the acid in the stomach. While self-prescribing for relief from heartburn or GERD, have you ever considered that these antacids might actually be making your condition worse?

What is Heartburn or GERD?

Heartburn or GERD is characterized by a burning sensation in the chest. This burning sensation is caused due to the acid reflux that happens when contents from your stomach move up into your esophagus (food pipe). Most of us associate this with high stomach acidity and reach out to over the counter antacids for quick relief.

Heartburn or GERD is not caused due to high levels of stomach acid. The incidence of heartburn and GERD increases with age, while stomach acid levels generally decline with age. Just as studies show acid secretion declines with age, it is also well established in scientific literature that the risk of GERD increases with age. In fact, when stomach acid is measured in people suffering from heartburn and GERD, it is almost always low, not high.

Why Do We Get Immediate Relief From Antacids?

I agree, symptoms of heartburn and GERD are caused by stomach acid refluxing into the esophagus. What’s crucial to understand is that any amount of acid in the esophagus is going to cause problems. That’s because the delicate lining of the esophagus isn’t protected against acid like the stomach lining is. You don’t have to have excess acid in your stomach to have heartburn.

Also, symptom relief doesn’t imply that the underlying cause of the problem has been addressed. 

Stomach acidity may not be the actual reason for your heartburn. Instead, the prevailing scientific theory is that GERD is caused by a dysfunction of the muscular valve (sphincter) that separates the lower end of the esophagus and the stomach. This is known as the lower esophageal valve, or LES. The LES normally opens wide to permit swallowed food and liquids to move down easily into the stomach. If LES is working efficiently, stomach acid will not enter your esophagus. If the LES is malfunctioning, as it is in GERD, acid from the stomach moves up back into the esophagus and damages its delicate lining. It doesn’t matter how much acid there is in the stomach. Even a small amount can cause serious damage. Unlike the stomach, the lining of the esophagus has no protection against acid.

What Causes the LES to Malfunction?

Increase in Intra-Abdominal Pressure (IAP) can cause your LES to malfunction. Acid reflux occurs when pressure causes gastric distention (stomach bloating) that pushes the stomach contents, including acid, through the LES into the esophagus. Overeating, obesity, smoking, bending over after eating, lying down after eating, and consuming spicy or fatty foods may be contributing factors.

How Do Antacids Make This Condition Worse?

Malabsorption of carbohydrates leads to bacterial overgrowth, resulting in increased Intra-Abdominal Pressure which drives reflux. Low stomach acid, as caused by your antacids, can contribute to both bacterial overgrowth and carbohydrate malabsorption.

One of the chief roles of stomach acid is to inhibit bacterial overgrowth. But when stomach acid is insufficient and the pH of the stomach rises above 5, bacteria begin to thrive. Stomach acid (HCL) supports the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates by stimulating the release of pancreatic enzymes into the small intestine. If the pH of the stomach is too high (due to insufficient stomach acid), the pancreatic enzymes will not be secreted and the carbohydrates will not be broken down properly.

The fermentation of carbohydrates that haven’t been digested properly produces gas. The resulting gas increases IAP, which is the driving force behind Acid Reflux or GERD. 

FDA Cautions Against Common Heartburn Drugs

In September 2019, FDA has communicated about the detection of an impurity, which is a carcinogen (cancer-causing agent), in common heartburn medications (ranitidine, commonly known as Zantac, and nizatidine) available over the counter or by prescription. Several countries have banned these medications.

Minimise or avoid use of OTC medications. Use proper lifestyle modifications to manage and treat your symptoms. Reducing bacteria loads and limiting carbohydrate intake have both been shown to greatly improve, and in some cases completely cure, acid reflux and GERD.

We hope this article helps you make the right choices. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more sessions on how to ease GERD and Acid Reflux, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr 

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5 Life Hacks to Stay Motivated

motivatedSetting goals is easy but achieving them can be quite difficult. In between working towards your goals or giving up, the thing that keeps you going is motivation! That’s why knowing how to stay motivated is very important! Whether it is your health or career, you must focus on the long term. Here are some tips that will help you stay motivated and achieve your goals!

 1. Set SMART Goals

Try and set goals which are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, Tangible and Time bound). Be very clear as to what you actually want to achieve in how much time and keep your goal realistic. Try not setting larger goals in an impractical time period to be completed in as it can cause unwanted stress and demotivation. Here are more details on setting SMART Goals.

 2. Divide Goals into Smaller Parts

Try and take small steps which will facilitate fulfilling the long term goal set by you. If your smaller goals are achieved, it motivates you to move forward and accomplish the other goals which bring you closer to your main goal!

 3. Tap into People with Common Goals and Positive Attitude

When you feel demotivated or have just begun following your long term goal, try looking for people with similar goals as energy is something which is definitely transferred from one person to another. If the other person is performing well and is motivated, it motivates us as well! You can also read articles of people who have set goals and achieved them! It will motivate you.

 4. Take Responsibility

Once you have set a goal, talk to yourself every day about achieving it so oyur path isn’t hindered. It’s a little difficult to restart habits one they are left in between. Always tell yourself that it is a part of your everyday schedule and you can achieve the same. Taking responsibility gives you a sense of ownership over your health and can help you remain motivated.

5. Adopt a Positive Vocabulary

Your body listens to what you think and say. All words carry a certain amount of emotional baggage. So instead of saying or thinking of phrases such as, “I may not be able to do it”, “not sure if I can”, or “I hate and dislike doing this”, try changing your vocabulary to “Yes I can do it”, “I am trying my best” and “I love doing this!” It will help you boost your motivation levels. Keep a positive attitude, use weak words for negative feelings and strong words for positive ones. 

If you have lost motivation at some point, try to follow the above points to help you get back into the groove! It’s not about how hard you fall but how fast you stand up. Remember that nothing is impossible!

Still low on motivation? Get the right guidance and motivation directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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