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Water: More Than Just a Sip, a Vital Lifeline

Water is Life, Water is Food - Leave No One Behind.

Water, the true elixir of life, plays a vital role in maintaining the body’s harmony. It’s not just a backstage hero; it conducts a symphony within you. No wonder the central theme for this year’s World Food Day is – ‘Water is Life, Water is Food’- Leave No One Behind. In every bite we take, in every culinary masterpiece, water plays an unassuming yet pivotal roleEvery cell, organ, and tissue relies on water for temperature regulation, hydration, and overall functioning. With 60% of your body composed of water, staying well-hydrated is key to maintaining optimal health. But, there is more to this ‘Aqua Tale’.

Let’s dive into why water isn’t just about quenching your thirst; it’s the secret ingredient behind what graces your food plate. From aiding digestion and ensuring your blood flows effortlessly to regulating your body’s temperature, water is the ultimate multitasker for your body.

Now, shifting the spotlight to the realm of food, water assumes a lead role in agriculture. Irrigation is the process used to water crops, a process that ensures those veggies and grains grow into robust, healthy specimens. Without adequate water, agriculture wouldn’t yield the bounty required to feed our global population.

Let’s pay attention to our four-legged companions on the farm. Animals like cows and chickens depend on water not just to quench their thirst but also for their overall well-being. The quality of water they consume directly influences the quality of the meat, milk, and eggs they provide us.

But, here’s the twist in the tale: water isn’t merely about hydration; it significantly impacts the composition of our food. The water used in cultivating crops affects their nutritional content. In essence, the quality of the water they absorb contributes to the nutrients they carry. Poor water quality can translate into less nourishing crops and, consequently, less nutritious food on our plates.

However, there’s a catch: we must employ wisdom in its usage. Overusing water, especially in unsustainable ways, can lead to complications. Water scarcity becomes a reality, and our land may degrade. Let’s not even get started on the pollution that can result from excessive chemical use in farming.

In a nutshell, water isn’t just about quenching your thirst; it’s the life force within you and the cornerstone of the sustenance we enjoy. Recognizing its pivotal role in agriculture is essential for ensuring an ample food supply while preserving the well-being of our planet. Here’s to celebrating the remarkable magic of water!

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Why is it Difficult to Make a Lifestyle Change?

lifestyle
In a user story I recently wrote, the player said, “Making a lifestyle change is easy. What is difficult is the commitment to follow through with determination”. Rightly so, it’s indeed considered a tall order and hence, many give it up midway. Most consider it forced, rather than a positive change to bring about within themselves.

This very attitude and constant cribbing of people around me prompted me to write this piece on why is it so difficult to make a lifestyle change?

Many of us have tried it at some point in our lives. Some of us have succeeded, while many have found it extremely taxing. Making a lifestyle change is challenging, especially when you want to transform many things at once. Lifestyle changes are a process that takes time and requires support and lots of patience.

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Here are a few tips that you could follow from my personal experience:

1. Start Small

After you’ve identified realistic short-term and long-term goals, break them into small steps that are well defined, that can be managed and measured. If your long term goal (6-8 months) is to lose 20 kilos, then a good goal would be to reduce about 2 kilos a month in a healthy way.

Physiologically smaller goals give you a sense that it’s achievable and keep you motivated for the long term goal. Look at healthy eating options. Eat smaller, balanced meals at regular intervals. Replace a dessert with a healthier option, like Yoghurt. At the end of the month, you’ll feel successful knowing you met your goal.

2. Change One Behavior at a Time

It is said that old habits die hard. It is simply because behaviors develop over the course of time. Replacing then will take a while. Focus on one goal at a time. If need be, get professional help to understand what changes you need to bring within yourself to become healthy and fit. The problem arises when you try to change things really fast. Take it slow!

3. Have a Buddy, a Personal Coach or a Trainer

It can be anyone from a friend, to a  family member, a co-worker or your personal trainer. Your buddy and you can go for a walk, cycle or run together and keep each other motivated and charged. You can challenge each other to create some excitement in your training and make sure that it is not boring. Having someone with whom you can share your struggles and success makes the work easier and the mission less intimidating.

4. Make a Plan That You Will Stick To

You will have to devise a plan in such a way that it will be your guide. Think out of the box and have things in your plan which you have never done before. For instance, an adventure or sports climbing (artificial wall climbing). But, don’t go haywire and be specific. Manage time well.

Detail the time of the day when you want to exercise, how long you want to exercise or when you can take walks and how long you’ll walk. Maintain a diary in which all your tasks are jotted down and ask yourself if these activities and goals are realistic for you. If not, then start with baby steps.

5. Have Support Around You

Having people around you to support you while you are on your journey will keep you away from slacking. Don’t feel shy to ask for support wherever and whenever needed. If you feel you are unable to meet your goals on your own, get help!

6. Self-Motivation

All the above points will help you in your journey to change your lifestyle. But the biggest factor of all and one of the most important factor is being self-motivated. No matter how many buddies you have, no matter what support your dear and near ones will give you, no matter how good a plan you make, none of this will be effective till the time you are self-motivated and want to make the change.

Do it for yourself, do it on your own and feel good at the end of it all!

Making the changes that you want takes time and commitment. You can do it! Just remember that no one is perfect. You will have occasional lapses. Be kind to yourself. When you eat a brownie or skip the gym, don’t give up. Minor bumps on the road to your goals are normal and okay. Resolve to recover and get back on track.

If you find yourself in need of a little extra support and motivation on your journey to a healthier lifestyle, then subscribe to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. And, if you’re looking for more tips and advice on improving your overall well-being, you can find a bunch of helpful articles here.

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“All you want to know about knees and Knee injuries and how to fix it”: Dr Anjana Laungani

Dr Anjana Laungani

Dr. Anjana Laungani

In the last decade or so people have taken to extreme sports like Running (Marathons), Ultra Marathons, Trail Running, Cycling and High Altitude Trekking. But, most are not aware of how to take care of their body or that they should go for a full body assessment to check if all is ok before they start on an extreme activity.

They do not realise that over doing these activities does not help the body in the long run. Many do it because their friends are doing it and many do it because they think this is the only way to prove to people that they are fit, not realising that over doing such extreme sports and doing it without enough knowledge can lead to fatal injuries. One of the worst injuries that people develop is knee injuries.

How can one avoid such injuries while training? Let us understand from Dr Anjana Laungani, a renowned physiotherapist from Mumbai who consults celebrities and has her own brand of a clinic – Physio Rehab in Mumbai tell us how people develop knee injuries and what can be done to avoid and treat such injuries.

She explains that the knee is the most common joint in the body that gets injured and one must understand why that happens. It happens because knees are in between the foot, the hip and the back. Knee sorts of gets whacked around because of any problem that might be there in the foot or in the hip or in the back.

“I call the knee the middle child syndrome, you know how in the family we have an elder child, a younger child, and a middle child gets really whacked around by them and bullied. The knee is exactly treated that way,” says Dr. Anjana.

According to her when one looks at knee injury one should also look at the foot, hip and the back. Because these could actually be the cause of the knee problems. When one is participating in extreme sports, you are not just climbing or running or walking only with your knees, the knee works as a team with the foot, the hip, and the back. This is called the Lower quadrant of the body and they have to work in synchrony with each other.

All those with knee injuries should always get themselves assessed entirety looking at how is the foot alignment. For instance, if you are flat footed you will be prone to injuries. If an individual has a hip muscle which is extremely weak especially the gluteus muscle will he develop knee problems, the risk factor is very high if the individual does not have a very good core muscle that gives him the power to run. Then all he would do is jam the weight of his body into his knee. So commonly according to Dr. Anjana only 20% of people have direct knee problems but 80% have knee problems due to other issues.

It is therefore very important to get assessed and looked at by professionals especially a physiotherapist who can do what we call as a lower limb kinetic chain assessment, these evaluations will give you a very good idea on where the problem is coming from. You need to look at foot you need to look at the hip muscles you need to look at the core muscles which could probably give problems to these areas.

Dr. Anjana says it is best when people approach physiotherapist when they do not have an injury and consult for how to avoid injuries rather than go for treatment after getting themselves injured.

Physio rehab is one such clinic where one does not have to go only when in pain. She and her team work with those who wish to improve their fitness so that they can undertake physical challenges like treks, pilgrimages, adventure holidays, overseas travel etc.

Ranveer Singh with Dr Anjana Laungani at PhysioRehab: Dr Anjana first worked with Ranveer Singh when he had suffered a back injury during the shoot of ‘Lootera’. Thereafter PhysioRehab once again came to his help when he shattered his right shoulder while doing a stunt for ‘Bajirao Mastani’. PhysioRehab helped him come back to fitness and perform all his action shots for the film.

Ranveer Singh with Dr Anjana Laungani at PhysioRehab: Dr Anjana first worked with Ranveer Singh when he had suffered a back injury during the shoot of ‘Lootera’. Thereafter PhysioRehab once again came to his help when he shattered his right shoulder while doing a stunt for ‘Bajirao Mastani’. PhysioRehab helped him come back to fitness and perform all his action shots for the film.

Dr. Anjana has practiced for over 25 years and put together this clinic as a vision to be able to provide quality, scientific physiotherapy services to the community which she thinks was lacking when she started. “I feel that physiotherapy needs to be approached in a more scientific manner, there has to be proper assessment, proper diagnosis and most importantly patient education. I think the patient first needs to understand what is it that is going on with them and actually give them a sense of responsibility,” she concludes.

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8 Basic Monsoon Trekking Essentials You Will Need For Your Next Climb

Monsoon Trekking EssentialsThe weather has been great and if you’re thinking about venturing outdoors for a little hike or trek in the lap of nature, it might be a good time to get to it! Whether you’re a seasoned trekker or if this is one of your first few treks, we all need a checklist before we make the climb. So what monsoon trekking essentials will you need? Let’s go over them! 

Monsoon Trekking Essentials You Will Need 

  1. Windcheater/Poncho: This accessory makes it to the top of the list for a reason. This is one of the trekking essentials you will need if you’re planning a trek during the monsoon. With the rain being unpredictable, it is imperative to keep yourself and your belongings as dry as possible. A basic poncho is a must have! Additionally, also carry a bag cover for your backpack so that all your trekking essentials are safe!  
  2. Trekking or Hiking Boots: When trekking during the monsoon, having a firm grip is everything because the terrain gets slippery and you might get severely injured if you’re not careful! Invest in a good pair of trekking or hiking boots that are sturdy enough. Practice with them on flat as well as uneven surfaces, so you break into them before your next climb. 
  3. Water Bottle or Hydra Pack: Staying hydrated on your journey is a must. You need to keep replenishing all the fluids you lose when you make a climb. Carry a minimum of 2L of water in a bottle or a hydra pack and remember to sip slowly and not gulp. 
  4. Healthy Snacks: Trekking can be a strenuous activity and your body needs fuel to perform that activity. To keep going, carry a nutritious trail mix or protein bars that will energize you along the way. You can also carry some healthy cookies! 
  5. The Right Clothes: Carry a Dri-Fit t-shirt or a full sleeved shirt. It will help absorb the sweat quicker and keep you dry. Moreso, wearing full sleeves along with trekking pants (avoid shorts) will save you from getting scratched against shrubs and bushes along the trail. Make sure you also carry a towel, an extra pair of clothes and socks in case you get wet. 
  6. Ziplock: There’s no harm in carrying gadgets you need on a trek but you must have a ziplock to keep them safe! Carry one where you can store your phone, electronics such as a portable charger and even your wallet to protect it from unexpected rainfall. 
  7. First Aid Kit: As much as we may try to avoid them, injuries might happen. Even if it is a small cut along the way. Always carry a first aid kit with cotton, bandage and a disinfectant. Make sure that a hand sanitizer is also a part of your first aid kit because hygiene comes first! 
  8. Power bank: You don’t want your phone’s battery running low during an emergency. Keep a power bank handy to ensure that your phone is charged just as much as you are!

There you have it! Carry these basic monsoon trekking essentials and you’re good to go! If you’re a beginner and new to trekking, you should also check out our previous article where we covered the Top 10 Basic Trekking Tips For Beginners. 

We hope this article helps you. Do share your thoughts in the comments below! If you need any help to train or build your stamina for a trek, reach out to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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