About Navnee Garg

Navnee Garg, a clinical nutritionist by profession is experienced in efficiently tackling issues such as weight management, diabetes, thyroid, stress eating, child nutrition, pregnancy and lactation, renal diseases etc. She works to understand the minutest details of all her players so as to be able to customize their health goals as per their body types. Her ultimate goal is to help her players achieve a healthy lifestyle and fitness lifelong. Her own health Mantra is ‘Being healthy... isn't a goal, it is a way of living'.

January 4, 2020 By Navnee Garg Leave a Comment

10 Ways to Add Vegetables to Your Breakfast

You’ve come across the saying “Eat breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper”… being a nutritionist, I strongly believe in this. Yes, one should definitely eat a nutritionally lavish meal in the morning. Breakfast needs to be a combination of simple and complex carbs along with some high biological value sources of protein. But is it enough? Does it make a complete meal?

We often tend to forget to add fibres and other micronutrients in the first meal of the day, keeping it for later meals, and we miss on achieving the daily requirement. Adding vegetables to your breakfast can help you improve your health in numerous ways and make it a complete meal. Let’s see how we can do that.

Ideas to Add Vegetables to Your Breakfast

Try adding sautéed spinach to an open-faced egg or paneer sandwich. Spinach is a rich source of Vitamin A, C and K.
Replace other root vegetables besides potatoes in your basic recipes. Try sweet potatoes, turnips, and even beetroot to get some extra vitamin boosts from these colourful root veggies.
Cook a quinoa, veggie and egg scramble. A perfectly balanced breakfast for lazy mornings.
Add spinach to your savoury oatmeal. Fibres in all together.
Try shifting your salad to breakfast and add some grain along. Try Pizza crust waffle with a breakfast salad. A great way to indulge guilt-free.
Avocado can be used as a spread on breads. To enhance the nutritional value, chopped veggies, salt and pepper can be added as a treat to your taste buds.
Try skipping the toast along with omelette or scrambled eggs. Instead, replace it with Sauté greens. Whether you can add cream or simply cook them with garlic, is up to you.
Add sautéed vegetables and mashed paneer/eggs to the pancakes/cheela you make at home. This would make it more filling and add an extra boost of protein as well.
Busy enough to cook every morning? Drink it up then! Just blend up greens or vegetables into your morning smoothie and sip it on the way to the office.
And the Easiest: Add vegetables in everything you cook, be it poha, vermicelli, and even upma!

We hope this article helps you add more vegetables to your breakfast for a power-packed start to your day! Do try them all out and let us know in the comments below.

For more healthy recipes, check out our other blogs or simply tune in to GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce and #LevelUp2020

December 9, 2019 By Navnee Garg Leave a Comment

5 Common Weightlifting Myths You Should Stop Believing

If you have already browsed through countless articles on the internet before taking your first step towards weightlifting, then there might be a lot of questions on your mind. More so, because of the contradicting and confusing nature of the content you get online. The most common one being that you need a gym membership for weightlifting.

In a country that’s rapidly growing, it’s time we leave these myths and series of false information behind with some facts shared by certified experts. So here, we will be sharing some common myths making the rounds on the internet about strength training.

Myth #1: Weightlifting Makes Women Bulkier

Fortunately for all the ladies out there, this is not true! The muscles in a woman’s body are different in composition than that of men. In fact, weightlifting along with a combination of cardio encourages more fat loss in women. One can begin with a minimum of 2kg and gradually increase the sets and reps along with weights.

Myth #2: No Pain = No Gain

You’ve probably heard this a gazillion times by now! If your body hurts or your muscles are sore, then your training is working. Ideally, that’s not true. Muscle soreness is common in the beginning but can be reduced within the recovery period. But, at times, it can also be because of incorrect posture or overexertion. Rest and recovery is equally important in weightlifting or strength training. In cases of extreme soreness, you need to rest and recover.

Myth #3: Lift Light Weights to Tone Muscles

This one is commonly known as the ‘Pink Dumbbell Myth’. The fact is that lifting lighter weights for higher reps will help you increase muscular endurance and it does have a place in training routines, but that lean, defined look comes from losing body fat. So, the weight will always depend on your fitness goal, but one will need to try a variety of reps and weight ranges to achieve results.

Myth #4: Older People Should Not Lift Weights

This is completely untrue. Elders can lift weights, keeping in consideration that the weight and reps should be advised by a certified trainer. An elderly person should also keep their medical conditions, risk factors and all in mind. Most importantly, they should consult their doctor before starting any training routine!

Myth #5: You Need a Gym

That is not true! You don’t have to empty your pockets and sign up to an expensive gym or service. All you need is dedication towards your goal! Surprisingly, you can train even in a small corner of your room. Your body itself is a gym. You can start with body weight workouts to break the ice. To take it a level ahead, all you’ll need is a pair of dumbbells or barbell curls to transform your body.

These were some of the common myths I have encountered so far. How about you? Have you heard anything on these lines? Share them with us in the comments below and let’s begin busting some myths together!

For the right knowledge and to begin your weightlifting or strength training journey with an expert, check out LIVE sessions on GOQii Play.

November 1, 2019 By Navnee Garg Leave a Comment

Should You Follow Veganism?

Veganism, a popular trend, has spread like wildfire in India and is being followed by numerous people! For those who do not know, Veganism is a strict vegetarian diet which excludes milk, eggs, and dairy products. In fact, it excludes any other animal-derived ingredients such as honey which makes it different from a vegetarian diet. But, I often get to hear mixed reviews about following it.

Positives of a Vegan Diet

Do you know that every vegan saves nearly 200 animals per year? What’s better than saving animals on this planet? Veganism is a great way to shed extra kilos as well. Unlike other fad diets, veganism does not leave you tired. It allows you to keep extra fat off and gives you plenty of energy. This also promotes healthier living, reduced risk of any heart disease, cancer, diabetes, blood pressure issues and so on. Being vegan also helps one feed the world. When you opt for grains over animal products, you help many farmers earn their daily bread!

What Are Some of the Issues With It?

Talking about some negatives, following a plant-based way of life can be extremely difficult! Primarily, you are not left with many food options to enjoy. Grocery shopping gets difficult while looking for vegan options because those options are either unavailable or heavy on the pocket.

Traveling also becomes difficult as they can’t eat or drink anything on the go and will have to prepare well in advance. Most importantly, going vegan can make one protein deficient unless you can gain access to vegan sources of protein such as beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, chickpeas, lentils and some legumes which are limited in itself. Along with it, Vitamin B12 deficiency is very common in vegans and they end up depending on supplements for it.

It is Your Choice!

Choosing Veganism is totally up to you! If you want to do something for our environment, then go ahead! You have probably made the right choice but ensure that you are opting for the right food and avoiding deficiencies. If you want to follow veganism, do it because you want to and not because it is a trend or because of peer pressure.

In the same vein, if you are a foodie, you love eating and tasting different cuisines, following a vegan diet might not be the best choice for you. If you’re afraid of weight gain, remember that one can lose weight even while following a balanced diet.

We hope this article helps! If you do end up going Vegan, start with this delicious Almond Milk which is dairy-free and vegan-friendly!

Leave your thoughts in the comments below and wish all my vegan folks out there a Happy Vegan Day!

#BeTheForce

October 18, 2019 By Navnee Garg 1 Comment

10 Healthy Lunch Tips For a Healthier You!

Lunch is a very crucial hour of our daily routine because it makes us realise that half of the day has gone and we need to eat something now. It also gives us energy for the other half of the day. Lunch raises the blood sugar levels in the middle of the day, helping one maintain focus for the rest of the afternoon. For kids, lunch is even more important because this is when they get their vitamins and nutrients for the day.

But in this busy lifestyle, are we really doing justice with our day meal? Are we managing a balanced diet or just eating to satisfy hunger? Well, here are 10 Healthy Lunch Tips which can surely help you get the most out of your meal!

Follow the “My Plate” Rule: My plate illustrates the perfect way to have a balanced diet. It includes all the 5 food groups and represents the ideal portion size for each food group.
Simplify the diet plan: Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of colour, variety, and freshness.
Half cup of Green Peas Pulao served with Bottle Gourd (Lauki) raita is a great alternative to plain boiled rice and a perfect combination with any main course, vegetarian or meat-based. In addition, you can also try brown rice as it contains more fibre, and has a low Glycaemic index.
Include a variety of flattened breads or Rotis in a week. Try using different flours such as Ragi, Bajra, multigrain wheat and/or buckwheat to add all nutrients in the meal. Pack the rotis is a cotton cloth to sustain freshness.
Include a small milk-based drink (curd or buttermilk) in lunch to add probiotics for a healthy gut. If you have to carry it to the office, freeze it overnight, wrap it in a cloth and carry it along the next day. This would avoid souring of curd or buttermilk and would be chilled enough to enjoy with your meal.
Lean on Protein: Protein adds two benefits when added in lunch. Firstly, it takes longer to digest, so helps you avoid hunger pangs. Secondly, it helps you build and maintain metabolism-boosting muscle mass which turns the body into a calorie-burning machine.
Make the Meal Fiber Rich: Salads are equally important as other food items which we end up neglecting. Salads are the natural way of adding fiber, which will not only help in weight management but will also help you avoid the trap of eating high calories in the meal. Most importantly, salads are not boring. Only cucumber and tomato is not a salad. We can create very tasty and healthy salads with other fruits, vegetables, seeds and legumes as well.
Grease your Chapatis with a bit of ghee, especially if packed in the morning. Ghee, in moderate quantities, can be taken as it is a nutritional powerhouse and keeps your gut healthy. Also greasing ghee will keep the chapatis remain fresh!
Treat your sweet tooth with a small piece of jaggery, dark chocolate, yogurt or granola. These are healthier options and they not only satisfy your taste buds but also add various nutrients to your diet.
Avoid Distractions and focus on Mindful Eating. Avoid sitting in front of a TV or using mobile phones while on the lunch table. This leads to overeating or incomplete chewing of food. Rather, spend time with family, friends, enjoy a healthy conversation and charge yourself up for the next half of the day.

We hope these healthy lunch tips help you add more value to your meals! Make your lunch healthy and yourself healthier! What do you usually eat for lunch? Share it with us in the comments below!