Archives for October 2023

October 9, 2023 By Sindhu Ashwin 1 Comment

Know Your Fats – Oils Benefits

All that we are aware of fats and oils is their weight gain ability. But, did you know that these fats and oils have many benefits too? Recommended dietary allowance (RDA) also says 20-30% of the whole diet should come from fat. Many oils have great taste due to their fortification. For instance Olive oil pairs very well with salads.

Let’s read more benefits:

Brain development: Fat provides the structural components not only of cell membranes in the brain but also of myelin, the fatty insulating sheath that surrounds each nerve fiber, enabling it to carry messages faster. Many pregnant women are asked to consume oil on a slightly higher side for the brain development of the child.
Vitamins absorptions: Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are absorbed by the intestines to provide vitamins to the body.
Healthier skin: Right amount of fat intake decreases the chances of skin deficiencies like dry, flaky skin etc. It gives the skin a shining and rounded appeal. The layer of fat below the first layer of the skin provides insulation to help regulate body temperature.
Healthy cells: Fats acts as a vital part of all the membrane. Fat surrounds each cell of the body. Without a healthy fat, cell membrane will not be able to function the right way.
Taste: Besides being a nutritious energy source, fat adds to the appealing taste, texture, and appearance of food.
Cushion for organs: Many of the vital organs, especially the kidneys, heart, and intestines are cushioned by fat that helps protect them from injury and hold them in place.
Hormone manufacture: Fat helps in the secretion of hormones like prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that regulate many of the body’s functions. Fats also regulates the production of sex hormones. But, fat more than RDA if present will also hinder secretion of sex hormones. One should be in their ideal body weight and consume just the right amount of oil and match their ideal body weight (IBW). Teenage girls who look lean before their puberty will put on weight from the assistance of fat cell to sex hormones.

At GOQii we advise on healthy eating and leading a healthy lifestyle.

We hope this article has given you a deeper understanding of the benefits of fats and oils in your diet. If you found this information valuable, please share your thoughts in the comments section below. For more informative articles such as this, check out Healthy Reads or you can get this information directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

October 8, 2023 By Vrushali Athavle 4 Comments

SWEET POTATO – Best Workout Meal

You must have heard of protein shakes and eggs as good work out meals. But, have you heard of Sweet Potatoes as a workout meal?

Well, the Sweet potato is a large, starchy, sweet tasting tuberous root vegetable which is usually consumed by people only during fast. But, apart from having it as a fasting food, the other best time to consume sweet potato is either before or after your regular ‘moderate to intense’ workouts.

Referring to my previous blog on “Pre and Post Workout meals” (https://goqii.com/blog/pre-and-post-workout-meals-is-it-important/) where I mentioned the importance of having carbohydrates before your workout to keep you energetic throughout the exercise regime and post workout to replenish the depleted stores and to help the recovery process faster, SWEET POTATO is one of the best choices. One should have approximately 100 gms of boiled sweet potatoes.

How does it work?

Sweet potatoes have natural sugar and complex carbohydrates which are slowly released into the bloodstream, helping to ensure a balanced and regular source of energy without sudden blood sugar spikes. When you consume them before a workout, it gives you a slow and steady form of energy and hence keep’s you energetic throughout the workout. Post workout sweet Potatoes help to replenish the glycogen stores which are lost during the workout.

Also, there are lots of water-soluble nutrients and electrolytes which are lost during your workouts. To replenish them, SWEET POTATO is the best choice once again. It is a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals. Let us have a look at all of them:

Magnesium: It is called a relaxation and anti-stress mineral. This clearly says that grab on the sweet potato to relieve stress (mental or physical).

Potassium: Helps in relaxing muscle contractions, reducing swellings and controlling kidney activities.

Vitamin B 6: Helps maintain healthy brain and normal nerve function. It also helps in forming red blood cell.

Vitamin C (powerful healer): This vitamin not only helps to ward off cold and flu viruses but also plays a crucial role in bone and tooth formation, digestion and blood cell formation. Helps wound healing, produces collagen which helps maintain skin’s elasticity thus keeping you young and beautiful.

Vitamin A (a powerful antioxidant): Keep’s your eyesight perfect and keeps your immune system boosted to fight against any diseases.

Vitamin D: It is crucial to maintaining your overall health as it is critical for the immune system. It plays an important role in keeping our energy levels boosted, controls mood swings and helps to build healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin and teeth and also it supports the thyroid gland to function effectively.

Iron: Necessary for red and white blood cell production

Apart from using it as the best workout food, sweet potato serves as a great choice for people who are trying to lose weight. Isn’t that great? Let’s look into it.

Sweet potato is high on fibre. Fibre is bulky and hence will occupy a lot of space in your stomach making you feel full for a long period of time, thus preventing one from overeating. i.e. You won’t feel hungry for a long time.
Sweet potato has high water content so just like fibre; water takes up a lot of room in your stomach making you feel full and will prevent overeating and snacking between meals. This will help both in your weight loss goals and will also help you prevent the weight from coming back on.
Lastly, it is low on calories, so people keeping a watch on calories can just go for it.

To conclude, include sweet potatoes in your routine and not only during the fast as it is one of the best workout meals and also helps with weight loss. If sweet potato is eaten along with its skin, which is an excellent source of insoluble fibre, it may prevent constipation and diverticulitis. It also contains soluble fibre which may help control cholesterol.

We hope this article helps you! Find more articles on fitness and nutrition here. You can also get all this information and more, directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

October 7, 2023 By Payal Choudhury 72 Comments

Healthy Eating Tips for Women at 40

“Lordy, lordy, look who’s forty!” The big 40—it’s a milestone for sure, signalling a time of transition from young adulthood to middle-age.

This is an important decade for preventing lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and many cancers later in life. So, if you’ve been making healthy lifestyle choices, keep it up in your 40s, and if you haven’t, now’s the time to start!

Healthy habits like eating right, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and not smoking can help reduce your risk for a number of chronic medical conditions.

Age 40 is a milestone when the risk of many health conditions increases. This makes the 40^th birthday a perfect time for taking stock of your health. Today, Forty is considered the new twenty. So if you want to feel young and healthy now is a good time to take stock of the situation. Though there might be other things out there more important, do take a deep breath and feel good and healthy.

Adopting a healthy eating plan is the best preventive measure against disease. It involves both avoiding certain foods and incorporating others in varying proportions, making the transition gradual yet effective.

Good nutrition starts with the basics: a well-rounded diet consisting of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean sources of protein. These kinds of foods provide women with plenty of energy, the means for lifelong weight control, and the key ingredients for looking and feeling great at any age. Our diet has a major effect on our food cravings, stress levels and energy throughout the day.

Applying some simple rules will assist our bodies in maintaining hormonal balance and promoting long-term well-being.

Focus on whole, plant-based foods. Fill most of your plate with fruits and leafy green vegetables. Also include a variety of whole grains, beans, and other legumes to give a filling fiber.

Bone up on calcium. Women are at a greater risk than men of developing osteoporosis, so it’s important to get plenty of calcium to support your bone health. While dairy products are high in calcium, their animal fat and protein can accelerate bone loss. So also consider plant-based sources of calcium like beans, broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, and collard greens.

Make sure you get enough iron. Many women don’t get enough iron in their diet. On top of that, women lose a lot of this important mineral during menstruation. Boost your intake by eating iron-rich foods such as lean red meat, dark poultry, lentils, spinach, almonds, and iron-fortified cereals.

Cut back on alcohol and caffeine. Women who consume more than two alcoholic drinks a day are at a higher risk of osteoporosis. Caffeine consumption interferes with hormone levels and also increases the loss of calcium. Try to limit alcohol consumption to one glass once in a while and caffeine to one cup a day.

Eat the right type of protein. Protein is an essential part of any healthy diet. Protein at this point in your life will help maximise your current metabolic rate and also prevent the loss of lean muscle mass. Eating too much animal protein can cause calcium loss and lead to a decrease in bone density and osteoporosis. Instead of red meat and processed meat, such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami, opt for fish, skinless chicken and turkey, low-fat dairy, and plant-based protein sources, such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu.

Some of the healthy tips to be focused on:

Avoid

– Ready made meals and microwaving your food in plastics and cling film.

– Genetically modified foods

– Sugar as much as possible

– Food additives such as MSG (monosodium glutamate or better known as Ajinomoto), Fructose, Glucose-Fructose-Syrup, Corn Syrup, Aspartame, Colourings, and E numbers.

– Cut down on sodium

– Eating any food that is burnt

– Carbonated beverages, especially ‘diet’ varieties

– Margarine and other ‘fake’ butter

All foods labelled ‘diet’ or ‘low calorie’ or ‘fat-free

Highly processed foods

Refined grains (white).

Options that can be included in the meal platter:

Eat plenty of raw organic fruit and vegetables

Eat complex carbohydrates

Eat Essential Fats – oily fish, nuts, & seeds (avoid nuts in cases of acne and allergies)

Include healthy fats such as coconut oil, olive oil and butter

Increase your fiber intake

Drink sufficient clean water every day

Eat good, clean sources of proteins.

Eat vegetarian at least once each day

Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables before eating.

Feed your body high-quality fuel, monitor its intake and routinely push your engine’s limits to keep it running smoothly. Remember, you are the captain of your plane. Just reach out and take the controls.

We hope this article equips you with valuable insights for maintaining a healthy and balanced life. If you found this information helpful, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Find more articles on Women’s Health here. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

October 6, 2023 By Satish Kurapaty Leave a Comment

All you want to know about hormonal imbalance and weight issues

This is a topic that is on most people’s minds but never knew where to get their answers and solutions.

Have you wondered why sometimes despite a healthy diet and regular exercise, many individuals gain weight especially between the ages of 35 and 55. This is often caused by a hormonal imbalance.

At every stage of life body goes through various hormonal changes. Your hormones control every aspect of weight loss including your metabolism, where you store your fat, your appetite and even your cravings. This means any form of hormonal imbalance will sabotage your efforts – regardless of your diet and exercise habits.

Extra belly fat can indicate one or more of the following hormonal imbalances: high estrogen, low testosterone, high cortisol. Abdominal fat also sets a risky stage for aging, increasing the risk of chronic health diseases like heart disorders and diabetes. To get rid of this stubborn fat, one must include proper diet, exercise, sleep and, of course, motivation.

Hormones

Cortisol
Testosterone
Estrogen
Progesterone

Cortisol – Normally, it’s present in the body at higher levels in the morning, and at its lowest at night. Although stress isn’t the only reason that cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, it has been termed “the stress hormone” because it’s also secreted in higher levels during the body’s response to fight stress, and is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body.

To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, the body’s relaxation response should be activated after the fight or flight response occurs. You can make lifestyle changes in order to keep your body from reacting to stress in the future.

Testosterone – Testosterone is the main male hormone, produced in the testes, which stimulates the development of male sex characteristics (like body hair and muscle growth) and is essential in the production of sperm. Low levels of testosterone can cause male infertility. Testosterone is also produced in smaller amounts by the ovaries in women.

Estrogen – Estrogen is a hormone secreted primarily by the ovaries, but it is also secreted by the adrenal glands and from fatty tissues. While we often refer to estrogen as a hormone alone, estrogens are actually a group of like hormones, which include estrone, estradiol and estriol. Estrogen affects the body in many ways, but its main duty in the female reproductive system is to signal to the lining of the uterus, the endometrium, to grow. Estrogen is also responsible for the increase in fertile cervical mucus and increased sexual desire that comes just before ovulation.

Progesterone – This hormone is naturally produced by both males and females, however its level in females is at peak during menstruation and pregnancy. This hormone helps people to both maintain a healthy body weight and avoid weight gain by limiting the production of excess fat, and may also reduce the food cravings caused by hormonal imbalance. Also, Progesterone typically increases a person’s metabolism which can help facilitate weight loss.

People should be careful while taking any hormone tabs. These should be taken only under medical guidance.

If this article helped you, let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Find more articles on weight loss here or get these tips directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

Know Your Fats – Oils Benefits

SWEET POTATO – Best Workout Meal

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Healthy Eating Tips for Women at 40

All you want to know about hormonal imbalance and weight issues

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