Archives for July 2022

July 19, 2022 By Vaishali Vibhute 4 Comments

Useful Tips To Boost Immunity During Monsoon

We all welcome the monsoon every year to find relief from the scorching summer heat. Rains are beautiful and can quickly elevate your mood. Since monsoon weather is damp and humid, it is the perfect environment for microbes to grow and flourish. Thanks to this, people with low immunity are prone to suffer and fall sick frequently during this season. The weather can ruin your immune system and a good immune system is needed during the rainy season. There are a number of ways to build immunity and one of those ways is by eating healthy food! So, let’s look at some useful tips to boost immunity during monsoon!

Tips To Boost Immunity During Monsoon

Here’s how you can improve immunity during monsoon by eating the right kind of food to support your immune system.

Switch to herbal teas: Herbal teas such as Tulsi and ginger tea are your best friends to boost immunity during monsoon. Drinking tea will keep you warm and safe from cold and flu while boosting your immunity. Add a few drops of honey for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties instead of sugar.
Stay hydrated: Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated, as due to colder climate, the water intake is considerably reduced, which is bad for the body. It is the best source to flush out toxins from your body and doesn’t have calories and sugar. Make sure water should be potable to keep waterborne diseases like Jaundice and Diarrhea at bay.
Have protein rich food: Protein, a major macronutrient, increases immunity, wound healing and muscle building. Food like dal, pulses, curd, eggs, chicken, paneer, soy, tofu are rich in protein.
Have a low salt diet: High blood pressure may weaken the immune system. So, it is always better to have a low salt diet as it prevents high blood pressure and water retention. Fruits like watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber can also lead to water retention.
Prefer curd or yogurt over milk: Curd and yogurt are fermented food, rich in probiotics and the good bacteria present in it can help increase immunity and fight infection and can help your digestive system function well.
Include spices: Include more immunity boosting Indian spices in your food like turmeric, fenugreek, cloves, pepper, cinnamon, ginger and curry leaves. They help in digestion and flush out sinus from the body and improve Immunity. Warm water with honey, ginger and black pepper can be a miraculous cure to avoid cold, cough and flu.
Improve sunshine vitamin level: Vitamin D or the sunshine vitamin, is an essential micronutrient which can help boost your immune system. It can modulate the innate and adaptive immune response. A deficiency of vitamin D can make you more prone to common infections. Improve your vitamin D levels by exposing yourself to morning sunshine and consuming egg, cheese, mushroom and fortified cereals.
Eat healthy fats: Include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to your diet. These healthy fats boost your body’s immune response to pathogens as well. These fats are anti-inflammatory and good for your heart too. Nuts, seeds, fish, soy milk, almonds, avocados, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds are prime examples of healthy fats.
Eat fruits: Fruits help to build immunity, give energy and are loaded with nutrients such as Vitamin A, C and fiber. Apple Guava, Banana, Orange, Amla, Papaya, Pomegranate etc. are the best additions to your diet. Vitamin C helps in iron absorption too.
Incorporate vegetables: All vegetables, including green leafy vegetables like cabbage and spinach are good sources of immunity boosting Vitamins A, C and E as well as folate, antioxidants and fiber.
Limit simple sugar: Most people are aware that eating sugar has negative consequences on their health, leading to things like obesity and diabetes. However, most of them are unaware that it has an effect on the immune system as well. It lowers the ability of white blood cells to fight and destroy bacteria.
Avoid outside food: Given the current pandemic circumstances, it is better to steer clear of eating out. Foods like sandwiches, pani puris, samosas, etc. may seem tempting during monsoons but they may contain bacteria that might cause indigestion. Avoid pre-cut or raw foods/fruits as they could contain germs which may lead to food poisoning and lower your immunity.

Apart from the above food tips, you also require adequate, good quality sleep. Keeping your mind stress-free also helps. Don’t forget to exercise regularly as it boosts your immune system by regenerating your immune cells.

Underactive and poor immunity can make the body more prone to a host of gastrointestinal problems and monsoon related ailments. Under the current circumstances as well, keeping your immunity level high could be the only way to cherish good health while enjoying the rains.

We hope you use these tips and build your immunity during monsoon! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! For more tips on staying healthy during the monsoon, check out Healthy Reads. To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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July 18, 2022 By Palak Mittal 1 Comment

5 Reasons Why You Need to Begin Weight Training Now!

We all want that lean body, six-packs and look absolutely stunning all the time. But, the one thing that always gets in the way is excess fat! It never leaves us, clinging on to the body like moss on stone. The funny part is that no matter how much you sweat on cardio, it doesn’t seem to help. Before you begin thinking there is no absolute solution, let me ask you if you’ve heard of weight training?

Before I get to telling you how weight training helps, let’s clear some misconceptions. It is a myth that weight training only bulks you up. People believe that one becomes heavy and bulky, especially women but that’s not true. Don’t worry, it won’t turn you into the Hulk. Secondly, for weight loss people often turn to cardio while neglecting weight training but that’s not the right route to go. Want to know why?

5 Benefits of Weight Training

It Makes You Burn Fat: When you lift weights, you will be building muscles. Muscles require less space than fat. A person with more muscles may weigh the same as that of a person with more fat but the muscular person will definitely look much skinnier and toned.
Protection From Injuries: Weight lifting makes the skeletal system strong. Not only bones, but muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues as well. Strengthening these helps in preventing injuries and also reduces the risk for osteoporosis as it strengthens the bones too!
Major Boost to Self-Confidence: Lifting weights improves overall physique of both men and women by building more lean muscle. It improves one’s body image. Imagine seeing a leaner and toned you in the mirror. Wouldn’t that boost your self-confidence? This in essence means you will have more energy, less stress, anxiety and depression. Indirectly, it is a good way to boost your mental health as well.
Fights Insomnia: Weight training is exhausting! Once you’re done, you’ll sleep like a baby. If one is suffering from insomnia or finding it difficult to fall asleep, then weight training is the way to go! Cardio or any exercise helps but lifting weights is like a cherry on the cake. Just get up and hit the gym!
Improves Flexibility, Stability and Balance: Lifting weights improves joint mobility through a full range of motion. It makes your joints flexible and strong. This in turn improves posture and provides the necessary stamina to perform basic activities such as walking, running and even performing other exercises and tasks including cardiovascular exercises.

You don’t even need a gym. You can literally lift weights at home too. If you haven’t thought of beginning your weight training journey, start now and get ready to see some positive change. To get a head start, join some online classes on GOQii Pro within the GOQii App and get the right guidance and motivation from certified experts in real time.

We hope this article motivates you to begin your weight training journey today. For more on Fitness, check out Healthy Reads. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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July 17, 2022 By Neha Goyal 1 Comment

Healthy Eating: Schezwan Dosa

Most of us are avoiding that delectable street food thanks to the monsoons. But, what can we do in those tiny moments of weakness when we crave it more during the rains? It’s only natural to feel this way after braving the scorching summer heat and facing the drop in temperature which makes our body crave for some nice warm, cozy, comfort food. While it may sound like a legitimate reason to indulge, let’s keep in mind that it needs to be healthy too! So here’s a mouthwatering street food recipe with a healthy twist – let’s learn to make some Schezwan Dosa!

What You Will Need

For Dosa:

Semolina – ½ cup
Rice Flour – ½ cup
Multigrain flour – ½ cup
Curd – 1 cup
Flaxseed powder – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Schezwan sauce – 2 tbsp
Oil for cooking

For Stuffing:

Oil – 2 tsp
Chopped garlic – 1 tsp
Spring onion – ¼ cup
Carrot – ¼ cup
Cabbage and capsicum – thin juliennes
Schezwan sauce – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Chopped Coriander – ¼ cup

How To Prepare the Schezwan Dosa

First, grind the Semolina into fine powder.
Now mix the rice flour, semolina powder, multigrain flour, flaxseed powder and curd together.
Whisk it and make a pouring consistency batter adding water.
Keep it aside for 15-20 minutes. Then add salt and whisk the batter once more.
For the stuffing, heat oil in a pan and add all the vegetables along with salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Now add the schezwan sauce and lemon juice. Turn the gas off and cover the pan for 2 minutes.
For the dosa, first heat a dosa tawa and spread a ladle full batter. Spread it over to get a round dosa.
Let it cook till the edges get light golden brown.
Now spread some schezwan sauce over the dosa and put the vegetable stuffing over it.
By this time, the dosa is crispy and golden brown. Sprinkle some freshly chopped coriander leaves and fold the dosa over.
Serve hot with any sauce or chutney of your choice.

We’re sure you’ll enjoy this tasty, nutritious and delicious fusion of South Indian and Chinese cuisine, bringing back some of your fondest monsoon memories without compromising your health. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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

You can also purchase some nutrient-rich Schezwan Sauce from the GOQii Health Store within the GOQii app for a discount using your GOQii Cash!

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July 16, 2022 By GOQii 2 Comments

Nikita Jain Battles A Rare Condition & Wins With The Right Coaching

The pandemic wasn’t easy on a lot of us. The entire lockdown, coupled with social distancing and movement restriction impacted a lot of people in different ways. A unique problem that one of our players Nikita Jain suffered from was Vocal Cord Dysfunction – a condition which was latent in her till the lockdown. Nikita Jain says that due to her location, her house gets less sunlight and ventilation. The need to stay indoors always along with the paranoia of contracting an infection if she stepped outside, aggravated her stress, causing panic attacks and breathlessness which was eventually diagnosed as Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD).

When she consulted her local doctor, he assumed it was asthma and put her on a nebulizer. She did experience some relief, however, it was only for a short while. Later in August 2020, she consulted an Asthma and Allergy Specialist who diagnosed it as VCD and prescribed medication and some breathing exercises. Around the same time, she happened to see GOQii’s Brand Ambassador Akshay Kumar talk about the GOQii Smart Vital on YouTube. She then decided to buy a tracker and took a 3-month coaching subscription.

Start of the Journey

In their first conversation, her coach Mamta Joshi understood everything about her medical condition and lifestyle in general. Then she calmly explained the need to adopt healthy eating habits and minor modifications in her current diet. She introduced small tweaks in her meal pattern like reducing intake of carbs like roti and rice and switching them with protein sources. She started with fruits and salads which were not a part of her diet until then. She also started including soaked nuts and jeera water upon waking up.

She used to skip breakfast all the time, which her coach said was not advisable. Every habit was inculcated slowly one by one so that she was able to follow them without difficulty. Nikita Jain rarely indulged in any physical activity apart from normal household chores. Her GOQii Coach asked her to start with yoga and meditation for a few mins every day. She regularly watches live GOQii Play sessions and follows Ronak Gajjar for meditation, Sheetal Tiwari for yoga and Mukesh Morwall for nutrition tips.

She was also experiencing a lot of back pain and ankle pain which has magically disappeared after practicing some stretches and yoga every day. The coach also suggested an oil concoction for her ankle pain which helped her a lot.

Transformation and Leveling Up!

Nikita Jain says that the major transformation in her is in terms of her energy levels. There is no lethargy whatsoever and she is able to stay active throughout the day. She doesn’t feel any weakness or pain nowadays which helps her stay happy and peaceful.

She says, “Coach Mamta has brought back the smile on my face which was missing before and which was sorely missed by my family. More than me, it’s my Dad who is eager to see all my meal intake updated on the app for the coach to see and check if they are good enough.”

She enjoys Coach Arooshi Garg’s cooking sessions on GOQii Play and tried the recipes from the sessions at home. Being a housewife, she used to cook before too but now she cooks not just tasty but nutritious food as well. So it isn’t just her who benefited from the GOQii Coaching Subscription but her entire family on all levels.

What Does Coach Mamta Have To Say About Her Player Nikita Jain?

Nikita joined GOQii with a goal to get relief from a rare kind of health issue that developed during lockdown. She experienced some rare and abnormal complications such as paralysis of the left side of her body, stretched arms and limbs, intolerable body pain, breathlessness and excessive sensitivity to smell.

In our first discussion, I read her plight in her withered voice .She was intensely insecure about her future too. After some evaluation, I figured it was her disconnection with nature and to get her back to it might be the only possible solution. So we planned habits like getting some indoor plants, keeping doors/windows open during the day, soaking in sunlight on the building terrace, plus an oil massage for pain relief, breathing exercise/meditation for stress management and gradually the results started appearing. She started eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and her energy levels/stamina improved. From an almost bedridden state, she now exercises 1.5 hours a day.

I am glad she mustered the courage and will to not only tackle the problems head on but overcome them as well. Though it was an uphill battle, she won! Her stress levels have gone down, she clocks in 10,000 steps daily, has lost some weight , got in shape and the journey is still going on! The best thing about Nikita is that she never took any of my suggestions lightly and always adhered to them religiously. She honestly updated and acknowledged me about her condition and progress logs from time to time. And the result is a big victory in a short span of time.

Does Nikita Jain’s Health Story inspire you to begin yours? Then subscribe for GOQii’s Personalized coaching now and get the right guidance and motivation to achieve your health goals! Subscribe here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads.

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