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Why and how much should your child sleep?

toddler-sleep-routine

More often than not people do not consider sleep as an o important activity for good health. But, in reality sleep is a powerful tool that keeps your mind alert and calm. This is true for both elders as well as kids. Sleep should be considered as important as food.

Did you know that if you sleep well you can increase/build your brainpower just as you build muscles when you are weightlifting.

In this blog however, I am talking of how important is sleep for kids and how much they should sleep to be healthy.

Good sleep habits in kids help in;

  • Good health
  • Growth
  • Mental function.

BENEFITS OF SLEEP FOR KIDS

  • Increases concentration: Well slept kids are more receptive and interactive. These kids have good attention span and learn the most. Overall they become calmer, attentive, observant and also socially active.
  • Reduces behaviour problems: Sleep lets your entire body rest. Lack of rest makes kids hyperactive, fatigued, physically impulsive and agitated.
  • Reduces childhood obesity risk: Kids who don’t sleep enough are at higher risk for childhood obesity. Some researches prove that kids who slept only for an hour (Yes, Just an hour) they had increased their risk of obesity by 80 percent. This happens because the hormones that control hunger are directly related to sleep quality; with too little rest the appetite turns itself on and remains on.
  • Releases growth hormone: Quality sleep releases growth hormones. This hormone helps in normal growth and other bodily and brain development.
  • Increases Immunity: Kids who sleep well do not fall sick very often

HOW MUCH SLEEP IS NORMAL?

  • Toddlers – 12 hours till the age of three
  • Four to six – 10½ to 11½ hours
  • Six to Twelve – 10 hours
  • Teenagers – 8 to 9 hours

FOODS THAT WILL HELP YOUR CHILD SLEEP BETTER

  • Dairy products: Dairy products produce the hormone serotonin that makes you feel sleepy. So foods like milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and cheese helps kids sleep better.
  • Bananas: Bananas are another easy bedtime snack option. Researchers conclude that bananas contain melatonin, as well as serotonin, which helps to calm you and regulate your sleep cycles. They also contain magnesium and potassium, both of which are muscle relaxers.
  • Oatmeal: Oats have an extremely high concentration of melatonin. A warm serving of oatmeal may help your toddler feel full and enjoy a longer duration of sleep.

SLEEP TIPS FOR CHILDREN

  • Introduce good sleep habits right from the start
  • Create an environment that helps the child to sleep. Keep the lights minimum, room cool and quit.
  • Make sure that there is no TV or computer switched on which will distract sleep
  • Avoid caffeine
  • Put your child to bed at the same time on all days

Encourage importance of sleep in your children at an early age. This will help your child be happy, social and intelligent. The best part is you yourself might get some good deep sleep.

If you found this information helpful, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. To explore more insights on children’s health, check out Healthy Reads or for further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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Self Love can help achieve Health Goals

How many of us can take compliments gracefully? A compliment certainly makes one’s day and I am sure it is true for most of us. It feels so great when someone just tells you how beautiful/handsome or how good you look. Any kind of compliment rejoices one.

The strongest desire and a positive thought do replace the need for such complements, I strongly believe is SELF LOVE. It is that magical key ingredient that makes you reach your health goals easily. It can be weight loss, staying fit, gain muscle mass or sleep better.

What is SELF LOVE?

Self-love is about loving each quality within you, be it good or bad. You may be fat or thin, dark or fair; who cares, just live your dream. Self-approval is something that we all require. Remove the negativity and bring in positive thoughts about yourself. And above all, you should feel good about yourself.

How SELF-LOVE helps us achieve the health goals?

With this special ingredient called self-love health goals can be achieved easily. Yes, you heard me right. Health goals and self-love complement each other.

We all know the power of law of attraction when it comes to money, home or children. This law of attraction also works for achieving your health goals like weight loss, running a marathon, exercising daily or just drinking enough water.

Just bring in positive thoughts.

Negative thoughts camouflage your belief system thinking it to be true and manifest itself into reality. Insecurity, irresponsibility, fear, stress, anxiety, desperation to lose weight fast and inferiority complex cause obesity unknowingly.

Negative thoughts and comments from others also lead to decrease in confidence level and broken self-esteem. How much ever we diet or workout, we do not get the desired result unless the importance of law of attraction is understood and practiced.

Self-Analysis – Ask these questions to yourself

  • Does your belief work on what people say?
  • Do you need others to praise you?
  • Do you get upset when you don’t find the right size of clothes for yourself
  • Do you lack will power to start your most desired goals?
  • Do you face difficulty in chasing your dreams?
  • Do you feel bad when you can’t eat that sweet lying in your refrigerator?
  • Do you wish to run a marathon but hold on due to lack of stamina or an underlying heart problem?

If your answer is YES to most of the questions above, then we surely lack SELF LOVE.

Steps to follow and conquer the world.

Law of attraction steps to reach the goals: SELF LOVE

  1. Be patient and optimistic. This is the key towards great health.
  2. Eliminate negativity around you.
  3. Consistently eat healthy and exercise.
  4. Don’t feel guilty if you reveal to everyone that you are eating less and avoiding sweets. Simply say, I am trying to make healthy changes.
  5. Don’t read too many weight loss stories or ask anyone their story of weight loss. This will just make you desperate and negative.
  6. Dress/Suit up and don’t forget to praise yourself. When you say, ‘My tummy is too big or I have double chin’ you are insulting your body·
  7. Be confident when you socialise. You confidence can overcome all the flaws.
  8. Take out at least 30-45 mins every day for yourself in doing some recreational activity like exercising, reading, shopping etc.
  9. Meditation eliminates negative thoughts from mind. Try and indulge in it for 5-10 minutes.
  10. Always visualise yourself beautiful/ handsome, leaner, toned and very happy.
  11. Jot down your goals in Present Tense like: I am 65 kgs and look gorgeous with this weight, I am running every day to become thin (Not lose weight, lose is a negative word)

It is very important for us to understand that true happiness lies in self-love and self-approval, all the desired goals become easy to achieve then. You love yourself; the world will love you back. It is important to love yourself to achieve the desired health goals…..do not wait for other’s approval

 

 

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Everyday foods for Memory and Concentration

Relax!!! You are not the only one. We all cruise in the same boat. These are common concerns that every parent faces.

The key to concentration, memory and intelligence to a great extent depends on the food that a child eats. It is very vital that a child’s food be balanced and most of us fail to understand this.

We come across a variety of food items on a daily basis and also practically use them in our own kitchen. But, we barely know of its potent usages.

Yes, some of the responses to the curious questions above are in our very own kitchen. Let us explore the foods that help our kids concentrate and intensify their memory.

ALMONDS:

These little brown coloured ovals also called ‘Badam’ is preferably the world’s healthiest food stuff. Almond is generally rich in proteins. Protein helps repair brain cells and boosts cognitive functions. Almonds contain the mineral Zinc which acts as an antioxidant in the body that competes against the free radicals which otherwise attack and breakdown brain cells.

Vitamin B6 and E promote brain health and also slackens the ageing of brain cells; which eventually harms the memory. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids present in almonds upsurge intellectual levels. Magnesium promotes the strengthening of brain nerves.

RED ONION:

Red Onions have decent levels of anthocyanin and quercetin. Researchers propose that flavonoids including the anthocyanin’s have the ability to prevent age-related brain impairment. It also enhances memory. Anthocyanin inhibits neuro-inflammation, activating synaptic signalling, and improving blood flow to the brain. This makes it an excellent memory food.

A 2005 study by Hokkaido Tokai University scientists concluded that di-n-propyl trisulphide, a sulphur compound found in onions, improves memory impairment.

INDIAN GOOSEBERRY:

Indian gooseberry, popularly known as Amla is a fantastic brain food. We all have memories of our parents feeding us chyawanprash (prepared using Amla) as they believed Amla increases memory. Our Indian beliefs do have some scientific evidences that prove them right.

The antioxidants present in Amla fights against the free radicals in the body which otherwise attack and breakdown brain cells. Vitamin-C content of Amla in it helps in the production of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter which improves brain activity. The iron content in Amla facilitates oxygen transportation, preventing brain degeneration.

WATER:

Yes, water. It is an absolute surprise!

Brain gets its electrical energy from water which keeps the brain functions going including thought and memory. Water is also needed for the production of hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain. Now, when you provide enough water to your brain you will be able to think faster, be more focused, and experience greater clarity and creativity. Daily hydration is required for optimal brain function as brain cannot store water.

FATTY FISH:

Brain requires essential fatty acids like Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. We need to include it in our regime as the body cannot process these acids. Fatty fish as the name suggests is filled with good fats – Omega 3 and Omega 6. Including fatty fish in the diet can boost the memory function by 15 percent. The fish highest in omegas include salmon, mackerel, sardines, rainbow trout, and albacore tuna. If you don’t like fish or eat it rarely, consider taking a fish oil supplement.

Gift your child with good and balanced nutrition and see the healthier them; booming in all facets of life. For more articles and guidance explore our Healthy Reads or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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Mother Earth’s miraculous produce-Wood Apple

woodapple

Bael fruit also known as wood apple, elephant fruit, Monkey fruit, curd fruit or limonia acidissima is yet another miraculous produce by our mother earth.

This fruit is native to India, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Pakistan, Java and South East Asia. It is called as Elephant fruit because it is elephant’s favourite fruit. It tastes sour, sweet and bitter. The fruits grow between the months of October and March.

The reason I call it miraculous fruit is because it is the most sacred fruit. Ayurveda refers to the fruit of the bael as the fruit of nectar (amrutphal). It is believed that all the diseases can be cured using bael. It has its significance in spiritual (leaves offered to Lord Shiva) and Ritual purposes too.

Almost all the parts of the tree like roots, leaves, seeds, the branches are utilized for medicinal purposes. I have some memories of this fruits as a child,’ Every time I saw this fruit I would ask my mom to buy it for me, because it tastes very sbenefits our at times she would deny.’ Little did we both know about the benefits this fruit has in curing day to day ailments and it is the best home remedy for almost all ailments? It is meant for all can cure all age groups ranging from children to geriatrics.

What are the benefits of eating this fruit (Roots, leaves, stem)

Diabetes

  • Juice from the leaves of this tree helps in managing the blood sugar level as well as urination among diabetic person.

Hypertension

  • Bael leaf juice (boil dried bael leaves in water) helps in managing the hypertension.

Appetite enhancer

  • It enhances the appetite if bael leaves powder is taken continuous for some days.

Indigestion and Constipation

  • Wood apple cures the problem of indigestion and constipation if it is consumed daily (not more than a cup) with jaggery for 2-3 months.

Removes toxins

  • Bael when consumed with black pepper and salt regularly will help in removing toxins from the body. This cleanses the colon.

Prevents breast cancer in women

  • Bael is anti-proliferative and inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

Regularizes Progesterone hormone

  • Eating Bael fruit helps the secretion of progesterone hormone.

Increases breast milk production

It is very beneficial for lactating mother as this helps increase the milk production when combined with dry Giner and Jaggery.

Apart from these many other benefits have been noted. It helps in keeping the skin and hair healthy. It is anti-inflammatory, cures acidity and respiratory disease. The benefits are endless.

What are you waiting for, just grab this green coloured magic and see it work on you.

 

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