March 12, 2023 By Neha Sharma 1 Comment

Lose Body Fat by Changing What You Eat

There are many of us who lead demanding and hectic lifestyles which are marred with extensive working hours, early mornings and late nights. In fact, late-night shifts affect our eating patterns a lot!

Due to erratic working patterns, processed foods, instant food items and junk food are in trend as they are easy to carry and can be ordered or eaten anywhere! People don’t carry home food as much and always eat food at work in a hurry, knowing that they are gulping their food without chewing.

If we pay a little attention to what we are eating and how we are eating it, it makes a big difference. The statement, “Lose body fat by changing what you eat” holds true in this context.

Can You Lose Body Fat with Food?

First of all, you have to see the natural foods around you which have the capability to help you lose body fat. Try including some of the following option in your daily meals.

Whole Grains: contain a good amount of fiber and as they are complex in nature, they release carbohydrates slowly in the body. They need energy from the body to breakdown and in turn, help you lose fat. So, include brown rice, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, Ragi, Jowar, and Bajra over refined flour like maida, suji and white rice.
Pulses & Legumes: are an excellent source of fiber and vegetable protein. Protein gives you a feeling of satiety which stops you from overeating and decreases your total calorie intake resulting in fat loss. Choose whole pulses like white & black chana, cow pea, kidney bean, sprouts and have them in at least two meals.
Vegetables & Fruits: are excellent sources of fiber and are low in calories. They require a lot of energy to breakdown and some fibers don’t digest in human bodies. They need to be excreted and absorb fat from the body while doing so, thereby reducing fat and cutting down total calorie intake. Have at least 2-3 servings of fruits & vegetables. Their way of cooking can be changed like sautéing, steaming, baking, shallow frying, or roasting instead of deep-frying.
Healthy Fats: can be obtained through nuts, fish & seeds to improve omega 3 fatty acid which is anti-inflammatory and helps in controlling visceral fat accumulation. Cut down your intake of all types of visible fats such as butter, ghee, oils and avoid refined oils. Instead, use soybean oil, sesame oil, mustard & groundnut oil.
Water: increases the metabolism of the body by flushing out toxins and cleansing the liver. The best part? It has zero calories. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water a day.
Tea: Replacing your tea with green, turmeric or lemon tea and avoiding or minimizing visible intake of sugar [1tsp of sugar (5gm) = 20 calories] helps you lose weight.

Meal timings are also crucial in shedding extra fat. This is because the metabolism of the body slows down as the day progresses. That’s why late-night eaters are prone to weight gain. Low calorie and nutrient-dense food can be chosen by late eaters.

Chewing your food properly also increases the rate of absorption of nutrients and avoids extra accumulation of fat. Practicing mindful eating i.e. eating by paying attention and noticing each sip or bite, tasting your food, teaches you to control your hunger and actually helps in weight loss.

We hope these tips help you lose body fat. For more on how adjusting food habits can help you lose weight, ask a GOQii Coach for guidance by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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November 15, 2022 By Neha Sharma 3 Comments

Easy and Effective Tabata Routine For Beginners

When it comes to getting active and losing weight, people generally get confused about where to start. So, let’s look at this effective Tabata routine which is simple and easy. TABATA (also called Tabata protocol) is a type of HIIT (high intensity interval training). It originated when a Japanese Scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team from The National Institute of Fitness and Sports at Kagoshima, Japan were working on the fact that shorter high intensity workouts followed by a shorter period of rest can impact the body better rather than longer periods of continuous workout.

The structure of programme is like:

Exercise hard for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Complete 8 rounds

A combination of any exercise can be used in Tabata. It targets a wider range of muscles and helps in burning fat during and after workouts.

Three major health benefits of this Effective Tabata routine are:

Helps in burning more fat in a shorter period of time
Helps in increasing endurance
As it is high intensity training, it needs to be focused & attentive, thus, increases efficiency.

Before You Begin, Keep in Mind:

A beginner has to first check his/her flexibility, efficiency and endurance before picking up the sets of exercises
Make sure to complete a dynamic warm up before you begin this easy and effective Tabata routine.
You can choose a group of 3-4 exercises for a week and then add some other exercises one by one depending upon your stamina.
Don’t do exercises in a hurry. Rather do it in proper posture and manner.
Always keep a stopwatch with you.

Exercise To Include In Your Tabata Routine

There are basic 10 exercises which you can include in your Tabata protocol when you are planning to start. These are:

Burpees: Toughest among all exercises and increases endurance, strength & power. It is most effective but for a beginner can be placed at last.
Lunges: Can be included in beginners protocol & difficulty level can be increased once you are comfortable in traditional lunges.
Jump Rope: It is an effective and portable form of exercise and can be included in the beginners list.
Squat Jack: It combines two bodyweight exercises which are squats and jumping jacks. Can be safely included in the list.
Tabata Sprints: It starts with 20 seconds of sprints followed by 10 seconds of walking, jogging or rest.
Push Ups: One of the most simple and familiar exercises which can be included in the list.
Super man: This will strengthen the back and core muscles and can be included in the list.
Plank jack: These are simple. The difficulty level can be increased at one’s comfort ability.
Mountain Climbers: Very effective for legs and most suitable for beginners.
Windshield Wipers: Easy to do and can be included in the list and variations can be done later.

From the list above, you can choose any 4-5 exercises and start practicing according to the Tabata protocol and always start with high energy and not in a hurry.

For more effective workouts and to learn more about fitness, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to our live, interactive classes on GOQii PRO, where our experts will guide and motivate you in real time. Book a class now from the GOQii App.

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November 12, 2022 By Neha Sharma Leave a Comment

Can You Die From Pneumonia? 6 Serious Complications You Should Know

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs which can be caused by bacteria, fungi or a virus. It can range from mild to life threatening – when you require medical intervention at the earliest. When the air sac of one or both lungs are filled with some fluid or pus, it leads to inflammation which causes chest pain while breathing, cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills and difficulty in breathing. Newborns upto 2 years of age and older people above 65 yrs of age are more prone to pneumonia as their immunity is not strong enough to fight the infection.

Types Of Pneumonia

There are four types of Pneumonia.

CAP (Community Acquired Pneumonia): It is a type of pneumonia that occurs outside the hospital or other healthcare facilities and is caused by bacteria, bacteria like organisms, fungi or a virus like COVID-19 as well.
HAP (Hospital Acquired Pneumonia): This type of pneumonia occurs during a hospital stay and can be serious as the person is already sick.
Health Care Acquired Pneumonia: This type of acquired pneumonia occurs when patients stay for a long term in hospitals or go to outpatient clinics for dialysis or chemotherapy.
Aspiration Pneumonia: This type of pneumonia occurs when you inhale food, liquid, saliva or vomit in your lungs and that causes an infection and it also occurs when there’s a brain injury.

What Are The Complications That Occur?

Even with treatment, some people with Pneumonia, who have other health ailments, suffer complications. Here are some of them:

Bacteremia: When infection is caused by bacteria, it travels down to the bloodstream and can lead to septic shock that lowers the blood pressure and the heart cannot pump blood into the organs and organs may stop working altogether. So, if you are having symptoms like fever with chills, low blood pressure, stomach upset, fast breathing with a fast heart rate, you need to consult a doctor immediately.
Lung Abscesses: Sometimes, due to pneumonia, pus pockets are formed in the lungs and give rise to fever, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite and coughing. This basically happens when a person is having bacteremia, gum disease, weakened immune system and regular intake of alcohol.
Pleural Effusions, Empyema and Pleurisy: There are two types of layers surrounding your lungs called pleura. One from the outer side and one lines the part of your chest where the lungs sit. They help the lungs to move smoothly when one breathes. Sometimes, pain occurs while breathing and this is because the pleura swells and sometimes a fluid forms in between the layers and that is known as PLEURA EFFUSION. And if the fluid gets infected it leads to EMPYEMA.
Respiratory Failure: With pneumonia, your lungs get infected and they will not be able to transfer oxygen to organs and won’t be able to get rid of carbon dioxide from the body which leads to this condition. Symptoms are fast breathing, irregular heart rate, anxiety, fatigue, losing consciousness or bluish tint on your skin, fingertips or nails.
Kidney Failure: It’s not a common complication of pneumonia but when you are having bacteremia or septic shock, your heart may not be able to pump enough blood to your kidneys and they might stop functioning. Chances of kidney failure are high if it is coupled with other metabolic disorders.
Heart Failure: Chances of heart diseases are higher if you have pneumonia as the heart may not be able to pump enough blood and oxygen as the heart itself doesn’t have enough supply.

All the complications of pneumonia are not to be taken casually. If you experience any of the above symptoms or complications, seek medical help immediately. You can also track symptoms such as low blood oxygen, low blood pressure, increased heart rate and high body temperature with Smart Devices from GOQii. Tracking these symptoms early can help you avoid any unnecessary complications and get medical assistance on time.

We hope this article helps you. For more on Pneumonia and other medical conditions, check out Healthy Reads or ask your GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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October 5, 2022 By Neha Sharma 3 Comments

Tips To Reduce Bloating And Gas In The Stomach

Bloating and gas are the most common discomforts of the digestive system. There are many reasons why they can happen but it is important to understand and identify the root cause, so you can apply the required remedy. What causes bloating and gas though? What happens when one feels bloated? Bloating is a build up of gas in the stomach and the intestine. The belly swells up after eating, one can feel bloated. Bloating causes burping, abdominal discomfort, and a feeling of fullness.

Reasons for Bloating and Gas

Lack of physical activity or a sedentary lifestyle
Less intake of fiber
Less intake of water
Food allergies
Eating too much or eating too fast
Lactose or gluten intolerance
Eating food that creates gas in the intestinal tract

Some other reasons also include pregnancy, GERD, smoking and menstrual period as well.

Preventive and Easy Home Remedies

Now that we know some of the reasons for bloating and gas, let’s check out some preventive measures and easy home remedies.

Have smaller portions of meals at a time. This will help you digest food faster and in a proper manner. More so, your stomach will have some space to breathe.
Make it a habit to walk around after meals at least for 5-10 mins as it will increase the metabolic rate and aid digestion.
Have salads on your plate as these are rich in fiber, absorb water and prevent indigestion.
Always have lukewarm lemon water with a pinch of rock salt (not for hypertensive’s) or with a tsp of honey (not for diabetics) after heavy and oily meals.
If one is experiencing a regular episode of bloating after eating a particular food, then an allergy test needs to be done.
Proper cooking of cruciferous veggies is required. Other veggies can be mixed with cruciferous veggies. Avoid eating them at night.
If bloating is because of gluten, then go for gluten-free food and rice products. Don’t forget to check food labels and ingredients every time you buy something.
If you are allergic to lactose, then go for soy curd, soy milk and soy cottage cheese.
Include probiotics in every meal as these will improve the gut environment for bacteria and help in reducing bloating and gas. Try adding yogurt, curd, buttermilk with a pinch of rock salt & roasted cumin powder.
Some yoga poses can be tried 4-5 times in a week to strengthen stomach muscles and can relieve gas as well.
Make it a habit of chewing fennel seeds after your meal as it improves digestion. you can even have fennel tea (Just add 1 tsp of crushed fennel seeds or whole fennel seeds to a cup of boiling water for 10 min & after it can be sipped).
Few pieces of ginger can be taken with lemon and a pinch of rock salt to increase digestion (not for those who have GERD) & ginger tea can be taken without milk.
Ripe bananas aid digestion. The potassium in bananas manage fluid levels that cause bloating and gas.
Chamomile tea settles an upset stomach. It has anti-inflammatory properties. So try chamomile tea or an infusion of chamomile, peppermint, lemon, balm & fennel seeds.
Cucumber water is good as it acts as a natural diuretic and contains silica which helps in removing gas.
Aloe Vera juice can be taken 1-2 times in a day to relieve gas.
Have Cumin water. Put 1-2 tsp of cumin in a cup of boiling water and have it empty stomach after 10-15 min of straining it.
Start giving priority to these natural gas releasing agents in your kitchen like asafoetida, cumin seeds and carom seeds.
Baking soda can be taken with hot water and fresh lemon to ease from bloating.
Half a tsp of Triphala powder with hot water can be taken before going to bed to make digestion faster and for a happy & healthy gut.

Last but not the least, manage stress well, as stress can affect the stomach right from the time you start thinking under pressure. We hope this article helps you find relief from and prevent bloating and gas in the stomach. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

For more tips, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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