Aruna Bhatia, Author at GOQii

May 8, 2021 By Aruna Bhatia Leave a Comment

Healthy Eating: Hydrating Summer Bowl

During summer, our bodies crave for some chilled drink or ice cream due to the immense heat. But given the current pandemic situation and the fact that anything available outside is loaded with refined sugar and unhealthy fats, it might not be the best option as you need to keep your immunity up and stay cautious about your health. But we understand your craving and hence, here’s a healthier alternative – your very own hydrating summer bowl which will help you beat the heat and you can enjoy it guilt-free!

What You Will Need

Sabja Seeds – 1 tsp
Fresh Hibiscus flower – 1
Diced mango cubes – one small bowl
Pomegranate – 1 small bowl
Grapes (cut in half) – 1 small bowl
Fresh Coconut water – half glass

How To Prepare

Soak the sabja seeds in half a glass of coconut water for fifteen minutes.
Boil a cup of plain water, soak the hibiscus flower petals in this hot water for a minute or two. Then put it into the refrigerator to chill.
Next, in a big bowl, add the sabja seeds along with the coconut water. Then add all the diced fruits and the chilled hibiscus water.
In the end, add some crushed ice for the crunch and enjoy this guilt free summer bowl.

Health Benefits Of the Hydrating Summer Bowl

Sabja seeds are rich in fiber and help combat the heat inside the body
Coconut water hydrates you and is full of electrolytes – a must have during summer
Hibiscus makes it more antioxidant rich, helps lower blood pressure, improves immunity, releases constipation, reduces inflammation and also helps reduce hair fall.

We hope you try this Hydrating Summer Bowl! If you do, do share your pics with us on social media, tagging GOQii! Let us know your experience in the comments below. For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE cooking sessions on GOQii Play.

To get more such recipes, nutrition and diet tips, subscribe to GOQii and ask your GOQii Coach: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

Eat Healthy, Stay Home, Stay Safe and #BeTheForce

May 3, 2021 By Aruna Bhatia Leave a Comment

What Should You Eat If You Get Infected By COVID-19?

We are going through a very tough time with everyday monster surges in COVID-19 cases all over the country, excluding a few districts. It almost seems like each and every household has one or more members down with this infection. Thankfully, we have a good number of people getting well too! Food plays a key role in any form of recovery. So which kind of food should a person infected with COVID-19 eat?

A Balanced Diet Is Key To COVID-19 Recovery

Each day, the combination of food should include:

Whole Grains: Millets, oats, wheat, brown rice, white rice, all this as roti, khichdi, upama, Pulao, Daliya, Chilla etc.
Proteins: Eggs, Lentils, Legumes, Dairy Products, Soy Products, can be taken as besan cheela, Dal Soup, Sprouts Chat, Moong dal Khichdi, Paneer Bhurji, Omelette, Dosa, chickpea bowl, rajma, etc.
Fats: Good fats have anti-inflammatory acids like omega 3 fatty acids. So include flax seeds oils, extra virgin olive oils and safflower oil. Good fats can also be added from almonds, avocado, laddu with a mix of nuts, white sesame seeds, kalonji, ajwain all roasted in desi ghee helps provide essential minerals like zinc and magnesium for fast recovery.
Fiber: Fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. So try to include two fruits a day, along with 2-3 cups of vegetables. This requirement can be met by adding soups mashed vegetables and fruits as small mid meals.

Apart from these main macros, here are a few things you need to consider:

2-3 liters of water should be included daily as infections dehydrate the body. Infused water, coconut water, water with honey can help meet the requirement.
Immunity boosters like a herbal concoction, turmeric milk, soups and broth should be included at least one or two times a day.
As far as possible, make sure that all fruits, vegetables are fresh and meals are home cooked.
Always eat small and frequent meals as the body will not tolerate big meals at a time.
Avoid alcohol as it is highly dehydrating and may inhibit your immune system.
Limit salt and sugar
Avoid packaged processed food.

Given all the dietary guidelines, a question may still come up as to how to manage adequate calorie intake when the infection has robbed you of your taste buds and sense of smell.

Try adding lemon juice or vinegar in food, soups and water. The flavor of acids from them comes through even when smell or taste is impaired.
Try going a bit heavy on spices like cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, garlic and ginger, which could add flavor back to food.

To make things a bit more clear, here is a sample diet chart, although it will be more customized as per symptoms.

Early morning: 5 to 6 soaked almonds, two dates and lukewarm lemon cinnamon water or tulsi lemon honey water.
Breakfast: Besan cheela or moong dal cheela or stuffed omelette sandwich or paneer paratha or idli sambar or vegetable uttapam with coconut chutney.
Mid meal: Coconut water or any one fruit with one tsp mix seeds
Lunch: Rice with dal and subzi or Ajwain roti with rajma and any green leafy vegetable
Evening: Any herbal concoction (kadha or green tea) and chana/ sprouts/ sweet potato chat and any one fruit
Pre dinner: mix veg soup or moong dal soup or chicken broth or boiled egg
Dinner: Khichdi or vegetable daliya or oats cheela or oats with milk or Garlic roti with any dal and mixed veg
Post dinner: One cup milk with turmeric and pinch of black pepper

We hope this article helps you manage COVID-19 infection and recover quickly. For more information, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by exprts on GOQii Play.

For more expert guidance, subscribe to GOQii or download the app here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

#BeTheForce

April 20, 2021 By Aruna Bhatia 1 Comment

Summer Health Hazards You Need To Be Aware Of

Indian summers were always hot, but now they have turned lethal. Studies indicate that temperatures across many districts in India will exceed by two degree Celsius by the end of next two or three decades. So our huge population is likely to be exposed to the risk of summer hazards. Hence, I feel the need to talk about the most common summer health hazards.

Common Summer Health Hazards

1. Dehydration
It occurs when more water and fluids leave the body than enter it. Even low levels of dehydration can cause symptoms like increased thirst, fatigue, blurred vision, headache and muscle cramps. We all know that the human body is roughly 75% of water and without this water it cannot survive.

How can you prevent it?
Always make sure you drink lots of water during these scorching summer months (approx 35ml per kg body weight). Apart from this, drinks for replacing body fluids can be coconut water, aloe vera juice, amla juice, fruit juice, vegetable juice, buttermilk, sugarcane juice or an electrolyte drink. But fruit or electrolyte juice will be better if diluted to half the strength with water to moderate sugar or salt intake from those drinks. Drinks with alcohol or caffeine should be avoided as these dehydrate the body.

2. Heat Stroke
Sun stroke or heat stroke occurs from extreme exposure to heat and sunlight and is considered as a medical emergency. Symptoms of heat stroke include dizziness, nausea, headache, vomiting and even fainting.

How can you prevent it?
Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose fitting and cotton clothing. Stay indoors as much as possible and schedule outdoor activities carefully. Most importantly, take a good amount of fluids and hydrate well before stepping out. If caught with mild sunstroke, settling teas like chamomile, peppermint, fennel seeds or our own aam panna also helps best.

3. Food Poisoning
Summer heat raises the risk of food borne diseases. Food poisoning cases are one of the most common summer health hazards because bacteria grow faster in warmer weather. Symptoms of food poisoning include cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

How can you prevent it?
To avoid food poisoning, we simply have to be careful about what we put in our mouth. Furthermore, we should make sure that we eat only well cooked food and try to consume it as soon as possible once it’s cooked. Eat only fresh cut salads and fruits when eating raw. Do not leave food long outside before refrigerating. Try to refrigerate all the leftover food as soon as steam stops rising from it.

Ample rest, good hydration, eating light and, last but not the least, moving your body adequately helps us stay fit and healthy from summer health hazards. Prevention remains the key, as lack of awareness is one of the main reasons for the near fatal result of these hazards.

We hope this article helps you enjoy a healthy summer. Want us to cover some more hazards? Did we miss out on something? Let us know in the comments below! For more summer safety tips, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to live sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

February 27, 2021 By Aruna Bhatia Leave a Comment

Healthy Eating: Black Sesame Seeds Chutney

There are mainly 3 types of sesame seeds – black, white and red or brown. Of these three, black sesame seeds rank the highest, white medium and red falls the lowest in nutritional qualities. Let’s look at a black sesame seeds chutney or a spice mix recipe which will be moist due to sesame oil from the seeds. We can store it in an airtight container and relish it with roti, bhakri, khakara, idli, dosa or even rice. This is a very easy way to include sesame seeds to your daily diet.

What You Will Need

Black sesame seeds – one small cup
Salt – to taste
Dry red chili – 7 to 8
Garlic pods – 7 to 8

How To Prepare

Dry roast black sesame seeds on medium flame. Remove them after they start popping and get roasted. Let them cool.
Next, roast red dry chilies till the moisture in them dries up. Remove this and let it cool.
Now, add sesame seeds and roasted chilly and grind it to a coarse powder in a mixer grinder.
Once it seems blended well, add the garlic pods and salt and grind them so that they blend together nicely.
Your black sesame seeds chutney is ready!

Benefits of the Black Sesame Seeds Chutney

Sesame seeds are an excellent source of copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, B6, Niacin, zinc, molybdenum and selenium. They’re also rich in dietary fiber, proteins and carbohydrates.
Sesame seeds can prevent and control diabetes. They also aid in reducing the risks of cancer.
Improves and supports bone health.
As a strong anti inflammatory agent, they are known to reduce cardiovascular diseases and hypertension.
Reduces signs of premature aging and strengthens muscle tissue and hair.
Sesame seeds also protects DNA from harmful effects of radiation either from accidental or natural sources or by chemotherapy or radiotherapy

We hope you enjoy this Black Sesame Seeds Chutney. Do try it out and leave your feedback in the comments below. For more Healthy Recipes, checkout Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE cooking sessions on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce