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How to cultivate new habits?

habit

What is habit? Is it just Good or bad? It does not just end here. It holds a deep meaning. Habit is an interesting element of our lifestyle. It is a routine behaviour which gets repeated unconsciously.

As they say ‘Old Habits die hard’ and New Habits are hard to form because the behavioural patterns that we repeat gets embossed in us. Having said that, I would say it is possible to form new habits through continuation. Research says that at least 21 days are required to form one new habit.

How can you cultivate these new habits? Is there any particular way?

Habits can be analyzed in three parts:

*Cue – Cue is the thing which triggers our habitual behaviour. This could be anything that our mind associates with particularly and we automatically form a habit out of it.

*Behavior – The behavior is the actual habit that we demonstrate.

*Reward– This is absolutely a positive feeling. This is a receipt of our hard work.

As I mentioned earlier that habits could be good or bad. But, how do we distinguish it?

A key factor in distinguishing a bad habit from an addiction or mental disease is will power. If we have control over our behaviour, then it is a habit. Good intentions can override the negative effect of bad habits.

Eliminating bad habits:

There are many techniques for eliminating old established bad habits. Identifying and removing factors that trigger and reinforce the habit is key. Recognizing and eliminating them as soon as possible is advised. Habit elimination becomes more difficult with age because repetitions reinforce habits cumulatively over the lifespan.

Focus on rewiring habits:

I have been asked what diet plan to follow to lose weight (Is there a long term goal). To reach there we need to first achieve micro goals or habits.

These micro habits set our routine to lead a healthier lifestyle and weight loss is just the by-product.

Getting into a dietary routine will not be difficult as long as we are able to maintain regularity. Regarding the diet plan what my experience is people follow it for some time to achieve their goal but after certain period when they get into their old routine they are back to square one, which means it’s only giving you temporary results.

At GOQii we believe in developing all small and positive habits which them becomes a routine. (You may agree with me that breaking certain routines takes time as we discussed earlier) that means it stays with you for longer time. Eventually, this routine adds on to our disciplinary lifestyle.

Ultimately what is it that we are looking for? A permanent or temporary solution to our health?

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What are Prebiotic and Probiotic bacteria?… And their effect on human well being

beneficial-bacteria

Bacteria that most of us are aware of are supposedly ‘BAD’ and have ill effect on our health. But, what if I tell you there are ‘Good Bacteria’ as well. Surprised! Then don’t be. There are indeed bacteria which are actually good for us especially for our digestive system.

Most of us are aware of Preboiotics and Probiotics but, are you aware of their function? They largely help in absorption and digestion in other words it means it improves gut system.

Prebiotics :

Prebiotics are natural, non-digestible food ingredients that helps in promoting good bacteria in your gut. These are found in bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, soybeans and whole-wheat foods. Prebiotics are also known as friendly bacteria as it can reduce asthma and eczema in children

Probiotics

Probiotics are naturally found in your gut. They are actually live micro organisms that balances gut flora and increases immunity. Probiotics is also used for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, for specific allergy symptoms, reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance. Probiotics are found in dairy foods including yogurt, cheeses, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh and soy beverages.

Probiotics helps to protect the body from infection. It helps with better digestion and nutrient absorption apart from helping in detoxification and cleansing our body. Probiotics have been shown to support liver function.

Unfortunately, there are numerous factors which creates imbalance between “good” and “bad” bacteria, and thus interfere with our body’s natural ability to heal and detoxify itself. It is done by chlorinated water, stress, oral contraceptives, refined foods and poor digestion, antibiotics also affect the gut flora.

Probiotics can be consumed in supplement form but, while buying them it’s bioavailability is equally important as not all Probiotics gets absorbed. There are also supplements available in the market in form of capsule (for adults), powder (for children) and liquid too. However, it is always better to opt for natural sources over supplement as sugar present in it makes our system environment acidic. This acidic medium kills the ‘good’ bacteria and aids to grow ‘bad’ bacteria. Thus, probiotics are unable to work efficiently.

Be sure to include food sources of prebiotics and probiotics on your grocery shopping list because they aids creating a healthier you.

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What do you know about Refined Flour?

different-types-of-wheat-on-table

Refined flour – a “junk”… Wondering why I called refined flour junk?. We all are of the opinion that refined flour is obtained from wheat and therefore assume it is good. The fact is that nobody is aware of how refined flour is made.

Here are few facts on the process

Wheat comprises of germ, endosperm and husk (bran). When it undergoes the refining process the husk and germ (which contains fibre, B complex vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes) are separated from endosperm (the white part). The remaining white flour contains only carbohydrates (no nutrients left) and then a bleaching agent is used on that white flour to make it look pure white flour

Let’s see negative effects of Refined flour:

  1. Since it has only carbohydrates it increases sugar levels rapidly hence triglyceride and then sugar levels too ( WHAT DOE S THIS MEAN) ( WRITE YOUR ANSWER HERE IN BLUE N SEND ME THE SAME COPY BACK)
  2. It does not contain fibre and therefore slows the digestion process and leads to constipation. In severe cases may cause colon cancer.
  3. It is acidic in nature causes inflammation in the gut system.
  4. As mentioned above ‘Refined Flour’ is nutrient deficient.
  5. May lead to weight gain as most of it’s products are rich in oil also mostly calorie dense.

If you realise how much of white flour we consume on a daily basis in the form of biscuits, all types of breads, all bakery items, noodles, cakes, pastries, pizzas, pastas, pancakes etc its alarming.

One should not completely avoid these foods or eliminate it from your diet but, it’s better to refrain from it as much as possible as our body is not benefiting. Rather, I would suggest swapping with whole wheat options which is easily available these days (in metro cities). Whole wheat products may not give the taste you want or may not turn up the best product as white flour does but, it is a very healthy option.

White flour cannot be substituted with wheat flour. Always choose whatever is good for your GUT…after all health matters.

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Fatty fruit Avocado is an all-star Nutrient

 

AvocadoA tree native to Mexico, Avocado is one fruit that is nutrient packed as well as has healthy fats thus making it a unique fruit.

Initially, one does get averse to this fruit due to its hard texture but, it is known for its high nutrient value. It has a hard black green outer skin and is extremely creamy inside. Avacados have become an incredibly popular food among health conscious people. And, this does not come as a surprise to me as it does have lots of health properties.

Infact, today, this fruit is easily available in supermarkets. One has a choice to choose either the ripe fruit that is ready to be eaten or buy raw then ripe them and refrigerate it for a week. One should take care it should not be cut because, once cut it gets exposed to air and turns brown and with that the fruit’s nutrient properties get oxidised. Avacados can be consumed daily but, in moderation.

Let’s take a peek into the benefits of Avocado:

  1. Avocados are rich in phytochemicals, hence helps in increasing immunity.
  2. It has 4gms of protein higher than any other fruit.
  3. It has monounsaturated fats (oleic acid) which helps in lowering bad cholesterol.
  4. The sugar content (fructose) is also less compared to other fruits.
  5. Avocados are an excellent source of vitamin K, Vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and vitamin E, and viatamin A.
  6. It contains copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Potassium is an important mineral that most people do get enough of. Avacados are very high in potassium which supports healthy blood pressure levels.
  7. A medium avocado contains 11 grams of fiber, which is close to half of the daily recommended fibre intake. Fiber can have various important benefits for weight loss and metabolic health.
  8. It slows down the digestion hence controls the blood sugar level.

As they say all good things come with some bad points. Avacados also has its disadvantages. These are

  1. One can develop an allergy with this fruit.
  2. It has saturated fats along with monounsaturated fats which can lead to weight gain.

Avocado can be eaten as it is or in the form of milkshakes, salad, soups and sandwiches. Avocado oil is available in the market and can be used for cooking.

Given all the positive health benefits that Avacado has, it is an excellent reason to always include this healthy fat source when you eat fruits. Without it, a lot of the beneficial plant nutrients will go waste. So do include it to make your diet healthy.

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