Parwage Alam, Author at GOQii

A state level Athletic and Pole Vault champion, Parwange Alam encourages and motivates people to be healthy. While pursuing his graduation at the Punjabi University of Patiala, he also doubled up as a coach training students in running. His mission is to help people improve their lifestyle and lead them towards a healthier future with his acquired knowledge in fitness and experience. Apart from a sporting career he is also an artist and likes to express his feelings through painting. Parwage believes that every individual has a sportsman spirit within them and if coached well it can unveil that sportsman in the individual.

August 27, 2014 By Parwage Alam 14 Comments

Neem and its Health Benefits

Have you ever come across a lady or a man chewing a stick as a method of brushing his or her teeth. Well this is very common in the villages of India. They ain’t chewing any stick they are chewing Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) sticks.

Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) tree commonly seen and available in India everywhere yet, only a few are aware about neem and know that it is an integral part of Ayurveda for the benefits associated with it. The beneficial properties of Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) have been recognized in the Indian tradition for thousands of years. Each part of the Neem tree has some medicinal property. It is an herb that is commonly available, throughout the year and has benefits that only a few natural products can provide.

Neem is known by many different names, Nimm, Arya Veppu, Azad Dirakht, DogonYaro, Neeb, Nimtree, Vepu, Vempu, Vepa, Bevu, Kohomba, Vembu, Tamar, Paraiso, Antelaea azadirachta, Arishta, Arishtha, Azadirachta indica, Bead Tree, Holy Tree, Huile de Neem, Indian Lilac, Indian Neem, Lilas des Indes, Lilas de Perse, Margosa, Margosa Tree, Margousier, Margousier à Feuilles de Frêne, Margousier d’Inde, Melia azadirachta, Neem Oil, Neem Tree, Melia azadirachta, Nim, Nimb, Nimba, Persian Lilac, Pride of China.

In East Africa it is also known as Muarubaini (in Swahili), which means the tree of the 40, as it is said to treat 40 different diseases.

Neem has anti- bacterial; anti- parasitic, anti- fungal, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that not only benefits your health but can help you get rid of common beauty problems that you face in your daily life. All parts of neem are used for preparing many different medicines, especially for skin disease.

Neem leaf is used for leprosy, eye disorders, bloody nose, intestinal worms, stomach upset, loss of appetite, skin ulcers, diseases of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease), fever, diabetes, gum disease (gingivitis), and liver problems.

The leaf is also used for birth control and to cause abortions. Various parts of the Neem tree have been used as traditional Ayurvedic medicine in India. Neem oil and the bark and leaf extracts have been therapeutically used as folk medicine to control leprosy, intestinal helminthiasis, respiratory disorders, constipation and also as a general health promoter.

Neem which is rich in Vitamin C also helps in getting rid of skin problems like blackheads, pigmentation, dullness and ageing thus leaving the skin with a youthful glow.

Some Ayurvedic use of Neem:

Leaf: Leprosy, eye problem, epistaxis, intestinal worms, anorexia, biliousness, skin ulcers,

Bark: Analgesic, alternative and curative of fever.

Flower: Bile suppression, elimination of intestinal worms and phlegm.

Fruit: Piles, intestinal worms, urinary disorder, epistaxis, phlegm, eye problem, diabetes, wounds and leprosy.

Twig: Cough, asthma, piles, phantom tumour, intestinal worms, spematorrhoea, obstinate urinary disorder, diabetes.

Gum: Scabies, wounds, ulcers, skin diseases.

Seed: Leprosy and intestinal worms.

Oil: Leprosy and intestinal worms.

To throw more light on the importance of having Neem can be seen through this that on the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padwa which is mainly celebrated in Maharashtra as a new year, after the Gudi is worshipped the offering or prasad as they call it in local parlance is made of Neem leaf paste, tamarind, Ajwain, pulses and jaggery is distributed. The Neem leaf paste is said to purify the blood and build immunity against diseases.

A traditional Indian plant medicine has now led to several therapeutically useful preparations and compounds, due to which the scientists are exploring more information about this medicinal plant. After have read all the above information it’s now time to make good use of centuries-old knowledge on Neem through modern approaches of drug development.

August 18, 2014 By Parwage Alam Leave a Comment

Stretch at Work

In my last Blog we read about “Sitting Job leads to a shorter life” and how sitting jobs are harmful for our health and life. There are many ways we can reduce our sitting time, such as taking small breaks, going for a short walk after lunch, by doing some stretches, standing meetings, etc.

I personally follow the same techniques at my work place. I prefer to have standing meetings. If you can take a break by getting up for at least five minutes after every 45 minutes, it will benefit you. There are stretches you can do at your desk that would also not bother co-workers.

Shoulder stretch: Place one hand under your elbow. Lift your elbow and stretch it across your chest. Don’t rotate your body as you stretch. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. You’ll feel the pressure in the back of your shoulder. Relax and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the stretch on the other side.

Arm stretch: Lift one arm and bend it behind your head. Place your other hand on the bent elbow to help stretch your upper arm and shoulder. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Relax and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the stretch on the other side.

Chest stretch: Place your hands behind your head. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, bringing your elbows back as far as possible. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Relax and slowly return to the starting position.

The Half-Bear Hug: Hug one knee at a time, pulling it toward your chest. You don’t have to worry if your colleagues are watching you

Neck Stretch: Slowly begin to lower you neck down by lowering your chin down to your chest and hold for 10-15 seconds. Lower your head back as far as you can. Lower your right ear towards your right shoulder. Lower your left ear towards your left shoulder. Slowly turn your head to the right. Your chin will be close to your right shoulder. Slowly turn your head to the left. Your chin with be close to your left shoulder.

Stretch your scapulae: Extend your arms in front of you. Join both hands together and cross fingers. Push your arms further and try to push your scapulae in opposite directions.

Stretch your wrists: Hold your arm out. Slightly pull back your hand down with your opposite hand and try to hold 5-10 second. Repeat with other hand.

Stretch your quadriceps: Standing on one leg, raise the other foot behind you, bending the knee. You have to pull your foot as close to your buttocks as possible. Use the right hand to hold the right foot.

Hip stretch: Sit with one leg across the other. Place your arm or elbow on the outside of the crossed leg. Gently apply pressure, while looking the opposite way. Repeat with the other leg.

Standing stretch: When standing, keep knees slightly bent. Place your hands on your lower back and gently push your hands forward while leaning back slightly.

Ankle Flex and Stretch: Hold one foot off the floor with your leg straight. Alternately flex your ankle (point your toes up) and extend (point your toes down). Repeat with the other leg.

We all have jobs to do, and many of our jobs require staying seated for extended periods. But moving around is good for your physical and mental health. And it will help you perform better at your job. In the workplace, you’ve got to stand up for yourself.

July 31, 2014 By Parwage Alam 2 Comments

Sitting Job leads to a shorter life

You might have often heard people say “Sitting is Killing Me”. This phrase seems to be spoken lot more these days thanks to the busy schedules that people have. I believe that 75% of working people are in desk jobs which require them to be seated on their chair for at least 8 to 10 hours a day of not more. No wonder that most of these corporate employees complaint of lot of pain issues including one of sitting pain due to sitting all day long.

A sitting job is as dangerous as smoking can be for your body. Most sit at their work stations and have no other activity apart from staring into their computers. On an average 10 hours a day is spent at the work desk as compared to 7 hours of sleeping. Sitting is so prevalent and so pervasive that we don’t even question how much we’re doing it.

Excessive sitting, defined as nine to 10 hours a day, has been called a lethal activity. Dry eyes? (“Your eyes are not designed to keep focusing and moving repetitively across a computer screen,”) Weight gain? (Sitting job mostly stressful and when you are stressed out, your body is flooded with Cortisol, a stress hormone, which makes you crave for carbohydrates, sugar and fatty foods). You might not realize this being parked at a desk but, all this goes into your body.

A sitting Job leads you towards a shorter life. Sitting down the whole day doubles diabetes and heart attacks risk. Some research shows difference in health outcomes between the most and least sedentary workers. Those who spent the most time sitting down had a greater risk of diabetes. Risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks or strokes increased in the most sedentary workers.

You should get to know how uninterrupted sitting hours can be dangerous for your health:-

Working long hours in a similar sitting position affects the blood circulation of body
Increased risk of having diabetes and heart diseases
Causes eye strain
Causes tiredness in the back and neck muscles
Reduces efficiency of heart and lungs
Leads to back and joint pains
Responsible for digestive problems

Few suggestions to keep you active at workplace:-

Take small breaks.
Avoid the elevator, use stairs.
Go for a short walk during the lunch hour
Rinse your eyes with water
Move neck forward or backward
Change body positions frequently
Make correct adjustment of chair (height, tilt etc.)
Carry out some simple exercises
Sit in a comfortable position

April 25, 2014 By Parwage Alam 2 Comments

Bollywood Illusion: Read before you buy!!

illusions

It’s no secret that Bollywood and Cricket is a religion in this country. These stars are worshipped like god. Probably one of the reasons why companies bring on board film stars and sport stars to endorse brands.

Today, stars endorse anything from perishable products like food and beverages to non-perishable items such as hair oils, cars and mobiles. The advantage of getting a star on board is that consumers will buy as they feel like a start themselves owning the same product. That’s natural consumer behavior. Anything recommended by our favourite star whether or not it’s required or beneficial to you, a consumer will buy the product only because it has been endorsed by the Star.

Take for instance beverages. Most of the Bollywood and Sport stars endorse them. The product is largely seeing sales thanks to these stars fan following.

Consumers here seldom have the habit of reading labels on food products whether be it for its expiry date or to understand its nutritious value. Therefore, the understanding of whether an aerated beverage is good for health or no is out of question.

In reality if one checks the label on the bottle, a half- litre aerated beverage bottle contains approximately 64gm of Sugar, which does no good to one’s health. Some adverse effects of Sugar include-rise in triglycerides, reduction in HDL (good cholesterol), suppressing your immune system, causing hyperactivity, anxiety, inability to concentrate and crankiness especially in children.

Given the above example, you would realize how important it is for us to read the nutrition label on each product. As per my own knowledge and the studies undertaken by me, here are a few tips I can safely recommend for packaged food and beverages

Do not get fooled by the fancy packaging. Always check the facts on the Nutrition label and ingredient list
Always check the first ingredient in the greatest amount (by weight) in a food product. So if the first ingredient is SUGAR, you can easily conclude if the product is good or bad for you.
Always avoid products that contain artificial flavors, partially hydrogenated oil, Trans Fat, Salts, High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Try to choose food with the less Ingredient list, because long ingredient list may hide things that your body doesn’t need. In general, foods with shorter lists tend to be closer to nature (more wholesome with more natural ingredients).
In grain products try to get the product which has at least 2 grams of fiber per serving. Beware of “whole grain imposters”. Choose more whole grains and fewer refined grains.

While, the above might come across as being very restrictive ideally, it is not so. You do not have to give up on the food you like; all you need to do is make the right choices. Today, there are number of options available in the market. Therefore you need to take care and read the nutrition label carefully and select the right option, which is good for your health.