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8 Diet and Lifestyle Tips For The Winter Season

lifestyle tips winter

This year’s winters are a little different than the rest. The usual chills of the season combined with the threat of COVID-19 can throw anyone into relentless panic. If you’re feeling a slight bit of anxiety every time you sneeze, cough or get a cold due to the change in weather, you’re not alone! All influenza like illnesses are not COVID-19 but some could be. So to prevent this situation, following all the necessary precautions such as wearing a mask, maintaining social distance and avoiding crowded spaces are paramount. To add to this, and further secure your immunity, here are some diet and lifestyle tips to help you keep the chills away! 

Lifestyle Tips for a Healthier You

  1. Healthy Diet: Sir Robert McCarrison, one of the best known nutritionists says, “The right kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of health; and the wrong kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of disease.” There is an elaborate healing mechanism within the body, but it can perform its function only if it is abundantly supplied with all the essential nutritional factors. There are certain dishes which are winter specific in our country. We all relish them and besides being delicious, they serve a special purpose to keep us warm. Let’s start with our favorite, Gajar ka halwa which we all love. It is winter specific because we get the best seasonal carrots during this time. Next comes sarson ka saag. The saag is not just a flavoursome package but also a whole bunch of nutrition. Then we have gond ka ladoo (made from gum resin). This contains nuts and seeds too. It will keep you super warm. We have our own snack this time with nuts and jaggery chikki. A chikki a day is sure to keep the winter chills away! While we enjoy these, let’s not forget portion size. 
  2. Regular exercise: will keep you warm with a good circulation of blood. During winter, due to contraction of muscles to preserve energy, which is a natural phenomenon, many elderly folks suffer from joint pains and stiffness. To avoid that, it is best to continue doing light exercises. One can start off with a brisk walk for 15-20 minutes. People with a heart ailment or high blood pressure should avoid going out very early in the morning because of low oxygen levels. 
  3. Water: We tend to forget drinking water in winters as we don’t feel thirsty. But you know, water is the carrier of nutrients in our body and helps in detoxification. So make sure you load up on at least 2-3liters of water a day.
  4. Hygiene: Next comes the hygiene! Regular bathing is essential to keep the skin healthy and nourished. Wash your hands after coming back from somewhere, before cooking or eating food.
  5. Skin: Most of us suffer from dry, cracked skin during winter and we get tired applying lotions and oils throughout the day. I have a very useful tip for you to avoid this. Apply coconut oil or any other moisturizer immediately after bathing as during this time your skin is moist enough to absorb the oil and you will feel the softness throughout the day. You can also try these simple winter skincare tips: https://goqii.com/blog/8-simple-and-effective-winter-skincare-tips/ 
  6. Sleep: Good, restful, quality sleep helps in boosting our immunity by repairing the wear and tear of the body and mind. For an adult, 6-9 hours of sleep is required and for the aged ones, 5-7 hours. 
  7. Vitamin D: Vitamin D deficiency is on a rise in Indians despite the fact that we are blessed with the sunshine throughout the year. People prefer to stay indoors. Vitamin D not only keeps the bones healthy but also regulates our mood. You would have heard about Seasonal Affective Disorder, more prevalent in the western countries as they are devoid of sunlight. So, what are you waiting for? Go and get some sunshine! 
  8. Clothing: Wear warm, woollen clothing to protect yourself from the cold. 

And that’s it! These lifestyle tips are simple to follow and will keep you warm during this cold season. We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more winter tips, check out Healthy Reads or ask your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr 

#BeTheForce 

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The Early Signs & Symptoms of Diabetes

symptoms of diabetesDiabetes has slowly become one of the most common lifestyle disorders affecting both, urban and rural areas alike. You can attribute this to overeating, obesity, stressful, busy and sedentary lifestyles which lead to the early symptoms of diabetes. This also includes lack of proper nutrition which leads to disturbed glucose metabolism. Heredity is also a major factor in the development of the disease. It is usually misunderstood that eating only refined sugar in excess will lead to diabetes but that’s not the case. Excess intake of proteins and fats also leads to development of diabetes because ultimately they are also metabolized and converted to glucose.

Diabetes is characterized by the elevated levels of glucose in the blood and urine. It is of 2 types:

  • Type 1: is present since birth due to complete absence of insulin 
  • Type 2: Develops later in life due to the deficiency of insulin

There are other variants too like gestational diabetes which occur during  pregnancy. Read more about it here: https://goqii.com/blog/what-gestational-diabetes-can-do-to-you-your-unborn-child/ 

Since untreated or uncontrolled diabetes gradually starts affecting the functioning of major organs of the body, like the heart, kidneys, brain, nervous system, eyes, etc. it is important to diagnose and manage diabetes as early as possible.  

How Can You Diagnose It? 

It is diagnosed by a blood test, in which the blood glucose in the fasting state (normal values range between 80-120 mg/100 ml of blood) and 2 hours after having the meal (normal values, 140 mg/100 ml of blood) are measured. Now, even before getting your blood glucose tested, there are certain signs and symptoms which our body shows which indicate the development of diabetes. 

Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

  1. 3P’s: Polyphagia (increased hunger), polydipsia (increased thirst), polyuria (increased urination). Remember these 3 P’s and look out if you are experiencing these. 
  2. Loss of weight: In spite of increased hunger, there will be a very sharp loss of weight, which again is a warning symptom. This is happening because the glucose is getting lost in the urine, also due to insufficient insulin, the available glucose is not getting utilized to provide energy and to function, the body has started utilizing the glucose which is stored in the muscles and organs. 
  3. Getting tired: Loss of weight due to this condition leads to early tiredness. The person gets tired easily both mentally and physically. 
  4. Dry mouth: Despite drinking more water, there will be dryness in the mouth. 
  5. Paleness: appears because of anemia.
  6. Frequent infections and delayed healing of wounds: happens due to excess of glucose in the blood. 
  7. Loss of libido. 

In its early stages, we can easily prevent it from progressing further to a full blown Diabetes Mellitus with: 

  • Regular exercise: for a minimum of 30 minutes to maintain optimum weight. Engage yourself in light games. 
  • Proper diet: Which includes salads with meals (this slows down digestion and prevents an immediate spike in blood sugar levels) and excluding refined sugar, alcohol, smoking and high fat foods. 
  • Yoga & meditation: take care of the stress levels and curb the disease from getting any worse. Pranayama and certain yoga asanas like bhujangasana, sarvangasana and various others help in stimulating the pancreas to produce insulin . 

There are certain home remedies which can be used as a supportive measure. I want to discuss here the two most important ones. 

  1. Bitter gourd (Karela): is highly beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. It contains an insulin-like principle, known as plant-insulin which has been found effective in lowering the blood and urine sugar levels.
  2. Jambul fruit (Jamun): The seeds contain a glycoside ‘jamboline’ which has the power to check the pathological conversion of starch into sugar in cases of increased production of glucose. In the Homoeopathic system of medicine, we have a very effective medicine prepared from this fruit to treat diabetes. 

We hope this article helps you manage Diabetes and helps you spot the early signs and symptoms. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more on Diabetes, check out Healthy Reads or reach out to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce Against Diabetes! 

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The Hidden Benefits of Okra Water

okra waterThe Okra, Bhindi in Hindi or Ladies’ Finger, whatever name we call it, is an all time favorite for most of us. Fortunately, we get it throughout the year. You know, besides tickling your taste buds, okra as a vegetable and in the form of okra water has multiple benefits. Raw okra is 90% water, 2% protein, 7% carbohydrate and is negligible in fat. It is rich in dietary fiber, Vitamin C,  Vitamin K, some amounts of thiamine, folic acid and magnesium . Let’s discuss the benefits of Okra water one by one and I am sure, after knowing them, you won’t hesitate using okra water in your daily diet.

Benefits of Okra Water 

  1. It Lowers Blood Sugar: Okra Water is a low-carb diabetes fighting drink. Okra seeds contain alpha-glucosidase enzymes and its gum contains insoluble fiber. They prevent the release of sugar in the bloodstream by inhibiting the carbohydrate metabolizing enzyme. This helps in slowing down the rate of digestion, thus resulting in delayed absorption sugar in blood, keeping your blood sugar from rising too fast.
  2. Keeps the Liver Healthy: Okra water helps in liver-detox. The slimy substance of the okra binds with the cholesterol and bile acids, thereby helping the liver flush out toxins from the body. It also helps in reducing cholesterol levels and is included in many weight loss programs.
  3. Prevents Cancer: Being rich in folic acid, it helps in cancer prevention.
  4. Prevents Stroke: It is rich in Vitamin C, which we all know is one of the most powerful free-radical fighters. In other words, it is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C is very essential in keeping our blood vessels healthy, keeping blood pressure under control and preventing stroke.
  5. Boost Immunity: Being rich in Vitamin C, Okra helps boost our immunity as well, which is the need of the hour. Vitamin C is also required to keep our skin healthy by producing collagen. Skin is the largest protective organ of our body. Healthy skin ensures a good protective barrier to the entry of germs in our body.
  6. Improves Brain Power: It has good amounts of potassium as well which is required for normal functioning of the brain. Potassium has other benefits too like controlling high blood pressure, preventing stroke, strengthening our bones.
  7. Improves Digestion: The slimy substance of Okra which contains insoluble fiber, helps in the smooth movement through the gut and eases constipation.
  8. Good Source of Non-Dairy Calcium: Those who cannot tolerate dairy products like milk, cheese, curd or are lactose intolerant, can opt for Okra. There is 82mg of calcium in just 1 cup of okra. This means, a single 100 gm serving of okra supplies about 8% of your daily calcium requirements. Now, we all know how useful calcium is for our bones, muscles, nerves and even weight management.

It is very easy to prepare Okra Water. All you need to do is soak 3-6 Okra pods (split each into two) in a glass of water overnight. In the morning, remove them and drink the water. This way, you get all the necessary benefits you need! 

We hope this article helps you. Do give it a try and leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more useful information on nutrition and food, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to experts on GOQii Play. 

#BeTheForce 

 

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