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Archives for January 2023

January 29, 2023 By Neha Morche 4 Comments

Your Guide To Organic Food

Your Guide To Organic FoodWith fitness and healthy lifestyle taking the world by a storm, Organic Food has become a common phrase associated with this storm. Everyone is talking about buying and consuming organic food over processed food but what exactly constitutes organic food?

Basically, organic food is the usual edible food but is produced, processed and packaged in a different way without using chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, non-organic fertilizers, antibiotics or any artificial hormones which are used otherwise. Organic food meets strict standards and is thus, safe to eat.

Advantages of Organic Food

  • Retains at least 50% more natural nutrients like vitamins and minerals than artificially grown food
  • Not hazardous for health as they contain no chemicals
  • Tastes more natural and delicious as there are no added sweeteners, coloring, flavors and preservatives
  • Organic food protects one from cancer and other diseases
  • Organic agriculture keeps our oceans, lakes, rivers and water supplies clean

Disadvantages of Organic Food

  • It is an expensive proposition
  • Not easily available everywhere
  • Lack in variety
  • Short shelf life because of no added preservatives

What Types of Foods Are Available as Organic?

Most consumers think of fruits and vegetables when they think of organic food but there are many other organic foods which include pastas, sauces, frozen juices, cereals, soups, chocolate, cookies, meat, poultry, dairy and even wine.

Not only the vegetarian food items but even poultry and meat have gone organic. Isn’t that interesting for non-vegetarians? But how does it work? It is because poultry and animals are fed only organic feeds and that puts them in the category of organic non-vegetarian food. Also, the animal and birds are not given any growth hormones for their mass production.

Tips to Buy Organic Food

  • Look for the label or logo that has approved the production of the food as “organic”
  • Remain informed about the organization that is an authorized seller of organic food
  • Pay attention on the expiry date. As no preservatives are added to the food, their natural shelf life is less

People may mistake Natural Food as Organic Food as it has not reached many areas in the world due to support from the government, proper authentication, etc. So there is a difference between Natural Food and Organic Food

What is the Difference Between “Organic” and “Natural”?

“Natural” is often misrepresented in product labeling as “healthy” but “natural” only means that the product has undergone minimal processing, no certification or inspection system. Also, “natural” does not necessarily relate to growing methods or the use of preservatives.

As we all know, eating unhealthy creates health issues whereas eating healthy and organic not only helps you get healthier and live better but most importantly, it develops the good habit of eating right.

Was this article helpful? Let us know in the comments below. For more on eating healthy and nutrition, click here or speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching.

#BeTheForce

January 28, 2023 By Urvi Gohil Leave a Comment

Healthy Eating: Vegetable Appam

vegetable appamEating a healthy breakfast ensures a healthy start to the day! But, there’s a good chance that you might not know what to eat or might want a change from the usual. So, we’re here with a tasty, super easy Vegetable Appam recipe! It uses traditional seasoning and can be made quickly! 

What You Will Need 

  • Semolina – 1 cup 
  • Onion – ¼ cup finely chopped
  • Capsicum – ¼ cup finely chopped
  • Carrot – ¼ cup finely chopped
  • Spinach – ¼ cup finely chopped
  • Coriander – ¼ cup finely chopped
  • Ginger Chili Paste – 1 tbsp 
  • Grated Coconut – ¼ cup 
  • Curd – 1 cup 
  • Water – 1 cup 
  • Oil – 2 tbsp 
  • Curry Leaves – 5-6
  • Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp 
  • Garam Masala – 1 tsp 
  • Haldi – ½ tsp 
  • Red Chili Powder – ½ tsp 
  • Salt as per taste 

How To Prepare 

  1. Heat some oil in a pan, add in the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Now, add the curry leaves and slide in the chopped onion, capsicum, carrot and spinach.
  2. Sauté this for 3-5 minutes and add the semolina. Roast this for 2 more minutes and remove it in a mixing bowl.
  3. Once the semolina and veggies mixture cool down, add in the ginger chilli paste, coconut, coriander, garam masala, haldi, red chili powder, curd and salt. Give it a good mix.
  4. Now add in ½ cup of water, mix it together and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
  5. After the rest, check the batter and add another ½ cup of water to make it similar to an uttapam batter consistency.
  6. Grease the appam tray with some oil and put it on flame.
  7. Using a spoon, add a controlled portion of batter in the appam tray and cover it with a lid. 
  8. After 5 minutes check if the sides of the appam look brown. If yes, flip it over and allow it to cook until golden brown and crisp on both sides.
  9. Our healthy, instant vegetable appam is ready! Serve it with coconut or green chutney.

Note: If you do not have an appam tray, you can make it as mini uttapams in any pan and enjoy.

Highlights of the Vegetable Appam Recipe 

  • It’s a quick, easy and healthy breakfast meal loved by everyone. 
  • Gives you the goodness of vegetables, rich in vitamins and satiating.
  • Very good for your gut as it is partially fermented. 

We hope you enjoy this Vegetable Appam recipe. Do try it out and share your experience in the comments below or share it on social media, tagging GOQii! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce 

January 27, 2023 By Unnati Chheda 2 Comments

Are Cruciferous Vegetables Bad For Thyroid?

cruciferous vegetables

Vegetables have always been considered healthy and they can be consumed by everyone. As vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals , antioxidants, fiber and the best part is they are low in calories as well, we assume that we can eat liberal amounts of this food group. But , have we ever thought that any of these vegetables can interfere or play around with our hormones as well? Yes, they do! Let’s talk about Cruciferous vegetables and how it impacts thyroid function. 

What Is Thyroid & How Does It Affect Our Health?

Thyroid hormones carry out a large number of functions in our body, like maintaining body temperature, regulating other body organs like the brain, heart and muscles as well as body metabolism which in turn regulates our body weight. The most common disorders related to  the thyroid gland are hypothyroidism and  hyperthyroidism.

  • Hypothyroidism: is a condition in which the thyroid gland is unable to produce a sufficient amount of thyroid hormones. One of the reasons for hypothyroidism is iodine deficiency. Iodine is required for synthesis of thyroid hormones, thus its deficiency can cause hypothyroidism. Lack of thyroid hormones leads to weight gain, feeling lethargic, constipation, hair loss, impaired memory and sensitivity to cold.
  • Hyperthyroidism: is a condition in which there is increased production and release of thyroid hormones. Excess of thyroid hormones leads to weight loss, restlessness, irritability, hair fall, muscle weakness and intolerance to heat.

How Do Cruciferous Vegetables Affect Thyroid? 

Cruciferous, also known as Brassica vegetables, come from the plant family known as Cruciferae or Brassicaceae. Most commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables include  broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, turnips, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, radish, watercress, rutabagas, spinach and lettuce. These nutrient packed vegetables are loaded with Vitamin A, Vitamin C,  vitamin K and they are also good sources of antioxidants and fiber. These vegetables are beneficial for weight loss, fighting cancers and reducing inflammation. But, when we talk about thyroid, it has a negative role to play with respect to hypothyroidism.

Goitrogens are naturally occurring chemicals found in cruciferous vegetables when consumed in raw form. They are healthy and vitamin rich. But, if you have a thyroid condition, you should be aware of it. Goitrogens in cruciferous vegetables interfere with thyroid function by reducing the body’s ability to use iodine. As discussed earlier, our body needs iodine for production of thyroid hormones, hence, iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism. Consumption of cruciferous vegetables increases the symptoms of hypothyroidism and people suffering from this condition should  avoid consuming cruciferous vegetables.

But, in the case of hyperthyroidism, they have a positive role to play by inhibiting the production of thyroid hormone and keeping it in check. So people suffering from hyperthyroidism can consume cruciferous vegetables without restrictions.

You Can Still Enjoy Them With Small Adjustments 

Or we can say we can minimise the negative effects of cruciferous vegetables and even people suffering from hypothyroidism can consume them in moderation. Just follow these simple tips:

  • Cooking cruciferous vegetables, instead of consuming them raw, helps in reducing the levels  of goitrogens. Cooking methods like steaming, blanching and fermenting can be used.
  • Increasing iodine intake by adding iodine-rich sources like seafood, eggs, dairy products and iodized salt (less than half a teaspoon of iodized salt can fulfil our daily iodine requirement).
  • Increasing selenium intake as selenium helps in removing free radicals generated in the thyroid gland, preventing any damage to the thyroid gland. Some of the selenium-rich sources include brazil nuts, fish, meat, sunflower seeds, tofu, baked beans, portobello mushrooms, whole grain pasta and cheese.

Please Note: Even after having cooked goitrogens in the diet, if it gets difficult to balance your thyroid condition, you may have to cut out cruciferous vegetables from your diet. It is  better to consult your doctor, nutritionist or dietitian to make sure your diet is well balanced. Apart from avoiding cruciferous vegetables, maintaining an active lifestyle, a protein and fiber rich diet will help us boost metabolism and shed  down extra weight gained due to hypothyroidism.

We hope this article was informative and helps you. To know more about how to manage thyroid issues with lifestyle changes, speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce 

January 26, 2023 By Trupti Hingad 3 Comments

7 Tips To Help You Drink Water The Right Way

7 tips to help you drink water the right way Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate should be the slogan. But, the question often asked is, are you drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day? Not having sufficient water has many side effects but, it is also important to be mindful of the way and how we drink water. Water is chemical energy which means it is a universal solvent. Water exists in the body as plasma, cytoplasm, serum, saliva, nasal secretion, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and sweat.

How To Drink Water The Right Way 

Considering how essential water is to human life, here are some handy yet important tips to drink water.

  1. It is always better to sit down and drink water rather than standing: When you stand and drink water you upset the balance of fluids in the body and this may lead to more accumulation of fluids in the joints. When you sit and drink, your muscles and nervous system is relaxed and you absorb it nicely. Also, kidney pace of filtration is good when you sit and drink water
  2. Avoid consuming a large volume of water at once: When you gulp too much amount of water at one go, air is blocked from going into our lungs which can lead to heart and lung issues.
  3. Avoid chilled water; drink room temperature or warm water: Ice chilled water disturbs the ongoing process of digestion and puts off the fire. Cold water decreases the blood supply to various organs of the body further leading to constipation. Drinking tepid water can help in proper digestion and metabolism that promotes weight loss, relieves bloating and pain. Warm water helps to keep the fire in the stomach going, leading to good digestion and this also helps control cholesterol levels, keeping the arteries clean.
  4. Keep a tab on indicators your body gives when you are thirsty: When you are dehydrated, the colour of urine changes to dark yellow, whereas clear urine is a sign of a hydrated body. Dry lips and tongue are indicators of dehydrated body. If you observe these signs, hydrate immediately!
  5. Start your day with a glass of water: Drinking water in the morning helps in flushing all the toxins in the body and clean your intestines. It helps to ward off many diseases as well.
  6. It is good to use water stored in silver or copper vessels: As water stored in these vessels has the ability to balance all three doshas in the body and it does this by positively charging the water. Copper has numerous antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties that help boost the immune system of the body. It also has anti-cancer properties. Water in the silver vessel has the power to remove free radicals from the body and gives a cooling effect in the intestines and smoothens the process of digestion.
  7. Drinking water is not just to quench thirst. We have to remind ourselves that drinking water is a habit of replenishing and recovery process. It helps to replenish the essential salts and minerals lost when we sweat. It hydrates our muscles and tissues for proper usage. It maintains the fluid balance of our body that controls acidity levels.

We hope these tips help you drink water the right way! For more tips like this, click here or speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

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Recent Posts

  • Your Guide To Organic Food
  • Healthy Eating: Vegetable Appam
  • Are Cruciferous Vegetables Bad For Thyroid?
  • 7 Tips To Help You Drink Water The Right Way
  • How to Burn Fat With Exercise

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