About Madhu Soni

Madhu Soni has a Bachelors' in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics. It is during her college days that she realised how stress can play havoc in your life and how small and simple habits can restore back the lost glory. She strongly believes that health is wealth and small changes in habits can go a long way in life. Her health mantra is, “Remember when the body is hungry, it wants nutrition and not calories.”

July 8, 2020 By Madhu Soni Leave a Comment

Egg – An Antidote For The Immune System

If you’ve been looking for immunity-boosting foods to stay protected during these COVID-stricken times, look no further than the egg! It’s a staple for most of us at home and makes for the perfect breakfast meal but there is so much more to the versatile egg!

Health Benefits of An Egg

1. Proteins: Eggs are a complete source of protein as they have all the 9 essential amino acids which our body cannot produce on its own but has to obtain from a diet. Proteins are the building blocks of our body and a single egg provides 7g of it.
2. Superfood: These easy to cook eggs are loaded with selenium, iron, zinc, phosphorus and vitamins like B 12, D and E and K. Thus, making them the powerhouse of nutrition. Zinc and selenium helps fight infection and improve immunity.
3. Healthy Heart: While consuming an egg, eat the whole egg that is the white part and the yolk too. Egg yolks have been in controversy for a long time. But contrary to the popular belief, the egg yolk can be consumed daily. It is rich in nutrients and cholesterol and this cholesterol has less effect on blood cholesterol. It is the junk food or the saturated fats which raises blood cholesterol. Although, consult your doctor or nutritionist before consuming eggs especially if you’re suffering from high cholesterol.
4. Energy Booster: Riboflavin, a Vitamin found in eggs, helps the body convert the food we eat into energy. Include this in your daily diet and say goodbye to lethargy. This inexpensive food, found all around the year, can be the constant source of energy.
5. Sharper Brains: Eggs are rightly called the brain food because of the essential nutrient choline. Choline is said to keep neurological disorders away. Pregnant women are advised to have eggs to prevent any neural tube defects. Omega 3 fatty acids present in eggs protect against Alzheimer and improve cognitive function.
6. Stronger Bones: One of the natural sources of Vitamin D is egg. Vitamin D ensures strong bones and teeth. It prevents osteoporosis and rickets. Vitamin D helps in absorption of Vitamin C which promotes a healthy heart and a healthy gut. Vitamin D plays a vital role in cell formation, immune system and reducing inflammation.
7. Boon for Weight Watchers: The high protein content of the egg helps the body stay full for a longer period of time. It provides satiety and prevents binge eating.

With the myriad of benefits offered by the humble egg, we should try including it in our daily diet. It never gets boring because you can boil it, poach it, fry it, scramble it or eat it as a sandwich or any other accompaniment you like. How do you like eating your eggs? Let us know in the comments below!

For more informative topics, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

June 5, 2020 By Madhu Soni Leave a Comment

9 Things To Do Once Lockdown Ends

Slowly and gradually, the lockdown will be lifted in phases in the green zones, but this surely doesn’t mean that the pandemic is over. By now, most of us might be ready with a list of things to do the day this lockdown ceases. Before you jump into action again take a look at the things to keep in mind.

Thing To Keep In Mind Once Lockdown Ends

Sanitization: A simple and effective way to stay away from this life threatening virus is to wash hands thoroughly. Carry a bottle of sanitizer with you while stepping out of the house in case you have touched anything suspicious you can immediately sanitize. So let’s continue with this habit which we have cultivated during this lockdown.
Mask is here to stay: Wearing a mask while going out has to be followed as this can prevent us from coming in contact with respiratory droplets of an asymptomatic COVID positive person. Use of gloves is also recommended in cases of coming in contact with people like going to market places or using the local transport.
Socializing: After almost three months of staying indoors, there will be an immense urge to meet family and friends specially those who were tested positive, but hold on for a few more days as lockdown relaxation doesn’t mean the virus has extinguished. Venture out only for important work. Choose to work from home if possible.
Overindulgence: Restaurants and food joints will gradually be back in business. Online food apps will be functional soon but do not pounce on all that fancy food for obvious reasons. This lockdown has taught us that simple home cooked food can be nutritious as well as delicious!
Don’t Ditch Exercise: Necessity is the mother of all invention! This lockdown taught us some great ways to stay healthy, happy and be occupied. Be it yoga, strength training, walking exercises, fun exercise with kids or even 5k and 10k runs at home have contributed immensely in building up our immunity..
Don’t Overwork: Major section of people have been jobless during this period. Fear of uncertainty and decline in vitamin M [money] encourages people to jump back to work. But draw a clear line between work and overwork. Remember overload can make you more susceptible to this virus and hospitalization can drain all your savings.
Do not Compromise Sleep: Time and again, this vital component of health has been ignored. Good sleep cycle during these two months does make up for all those sleep deprived nights! Sound and deep sleep is a ritual which needs to follow every day.
Don’t Stop Immunity Boosting Food: While we take pride in the fact of strong immunity, let’s not ditch it once the lockdown ceases. Vitamin C rich foods, herbal kada, zinc rich food are the secret of strong immunity. They have to be a part of our daily intake. Once the lockdown has been lifted, it is all the more important to have a stronger immune system
Maintain Bonds: This pandemic has forced us with quantitative family time. Bonding with family members has helped us sail through this rough weather and will continue in the future too. Healthy bonding at home is like a strong backbone which keeps us in the pink of health because being healthy outside begins by being healthy inside.

Most importantly, don’t forget to support local businesses. You can also check out the GOQii Health Store within the app. We hope you will consider these suggestions once lockdown ends and life goes back to the way it was. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more tips on immunity, health, fitness and wellness, check out Healthy Reads within the app or tune in to GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

May 28, 2020 By Madhu Soni 3 Comments

Healthy Summer Salads to Keep You Cool

The scorching sun is shining brighter than ever! The resulting heat wave can have an impact on our health and appetite. During summers, it is important to watch what we eat. To balance the heat, we have listed a few scrumptious summer salads to help you stay cool!

Watermelon Feta Salad

Ingredients:

1 big bowl of Watermelon cubes
½ cup crumbled Feta Cheese or Paneer.
1 medium bowl Cucumber cubes
Handful of Mint leaves
1 tsp Honey and Olive oil
A pinch of rock salt
1 tsp Lemon juice

Method:

For the dressing combine Honey, Lemon juice, Olive oil and rock salt
In a large bowl, take the Watermelon and Cucumber cubes
Add the finely chopped Mint leaves to it along with the dressing
Garnish with Feta Cheese or Paneer
Serve chilled

Healthy Benefits: High water content of Watermelons makes it an ideal fruit during summer. Feta Cheese is comparatively low on calories and is loaded with calcium.

Hung Curd Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup Hung Curd
1 cup Chickpeas
½ cup each of Tomato, Cucumber, Onions and Bell Pepper.
Juice of a Lemon
Handful of Coriander and Mint leaves.

Method:

For the dressing, mix the Hung Curd, Lemon Juice, Rock Salt and Pepper
In a bowl, take Chickpeas, add finely chopped Tomatoes, Cucumber, Onions and Bell Pepper
Add the Hung Curd dressing and garnish with Coriander and Mint leaves

Healthy Benefits: Curd is an excellent probiotic. It helps in keeping stomach ailments away during summers. Chickpeas provide the much needed proteins and the veggies add a dash of freshness.

Mint Paneer Salad

Ingredients:

200 gm Paneer
1 cup thick Curd
Chopped Cucumber, Tomatoes and Onions
1 cup Lettuce leaves and Salad leaves
Lemon juice and Lemon rind
1 cup Bread Croutons [non fried-tossed on non-stick pan]
Handful Mint leaves
Salt and Pepper
Tandoori masala [store bought]

Method:

For the dressing, whisk half of the curd with mint leaves
Add Lemon juice and Lemon rind to it along with Salt and Pepper
Marinate the Paneer cubes in thick curd along with Tandoori masala
Shallow fry on a non stick pan till golden brown
In a large serving bowl, add roughly chopped Lettuce and Salad leaves
Add chopped Tomatoes, Onions and Cucumber followed by the Mint dressing and mix to coat well
Adjust the seasoning if required. Add the Bread Croutons and Paneer cubes.

Healthy Benefits: This is a perfect summer pot meal to cool you down. It has a good amount of fiber and proteins. The mint leaves aid digestion and take care of skin allergies during this harsh weather.

Hope you enjoy these summer salads! To make them more interesting, try adding these refreshing, low calorie summer drinks to your meal. If you’re looking for more healthy recipes, tune in to the Simple Healthy Cooking class by Arooshi Garg on GOQii Play. Download the app now!

May 13, 2020 By Madhu Soni 7 Comments

Easy Hacks To Control Hunger Pangs During Lockdown

Hunger is an important signal which should not be ignored but how often have you felt that this is a genuine one especially during this lockdown? Although growling and gurgling in the stomach are real signals to watch out for, here are some simple and effective hacks to control hunger pangs.

Effective Ways To Control Hunger Pangs

Chew Well: This has probably been repeated several times since our childhood but often ignored. Mindful eating begins by sniffing the aroma and relishing every bite. When we chew the food properly, the flavors of the food linger in the mouth and this brings about a satiety value because of the feeling of fullness. This helps us tide over binge eating.
Stay Hydrated: Quite often, our body is shouting for hydration and we end up stuffing food. Getting confused between thirst and hunger is very common. Drinking water from earthen pots quenches thirst as compared to refrigerated water. You can add nimbu pani and buttermilk to your diet. Summer coolants like aam panna and kokum sherbet are great too.
Adequate Protein: If in spite of eating breakfast, you are growling in anticipation for lunch then you probably need to look into the protein content in your diet. Research has shown that adequate amounts of protein help one stay full for a longer period of time. Ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone which signals to eat is lower with high proteins.
Soup: is a great rescue from the immense hunger pangs, especially in the evening. The high water content along with high fiber due to the veggies in the soup control hunger pangs. Having a warm intake surprisingly reduces the appetite. Stick to broth-based soups and not creamy ones.
Spice It Up: Major Hunger pangs occur due to bland and unsatisfactory food. Adding a few spices not only curbs your appetite but aids digestion too. Spicy food is known to increase satiety. A simple salad can become interesting if you add a dash of lemon, sprinkle some chaat masala or throw in some mint dip!
Healthy Snacking: What one eats when hungry during odd hours plays an important role to control hunger pangs. Having a small mid-meal snack is good but watch out for the quantity and quality. Seasonal fruits will keep you full and healthy. Nuts and seeds being rich in proteins are good as well.
Excessive Sugar: There is a direct link between sugar consumption and increased hunger pangs. Besides keeping a check on high sugar food intake, watch out for all the hidden sugar in food labels. Opt for natural sugar like jaggery, dry fruits and fresh fruits.
Exercise: Majority of us have that notion that with exercise our appetite increases. Contrary to our belief, with regular aerobic exercise our appetite decreases
Sleep: Lack of sleep can have an impact on our eating pattern. Incomplete sleep leads to low energy levels. To compensate for lower levels of energy, we tend to choose high sugary foods which make us fall in the vicious circle of empty calories and overeating.

And that’s it! Do follow these hacks to control hunger pangs. If in spite of following all these tips you still feel ravenous, then do consult a doctor. Do check out other articles for healthy recipes and for more topics on hunger, food, nutrition and health, tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

Stay home, stay safe, eat right and #BeTheForce!