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Taarika Arya, a fitness coach, is a true believer and practitioner of a healthy lifestyle.
A post graduate in Biotechnology, she has earlier been associated with core biotech companies and has also published a thesis on “Effects of spices on bad cholesterol”. Apart from this she has also had an exposure into the social media world of a known blogger. She is passionate about nutrition and swears by the power of habits to lead a healthy lifestyle. At GOQii, she wants to inspire people to look and live great so that they can start loving who they are. In her leisure time, she loves to read health magazines, surf the internet to update herself about the trending topics, read and write blogs and try various healthy recipes. Apart from this she loves clicking and uploading pictures on Instagram wherever possible since she thinks it’s a great way to share your thoughts with people. Her fitness mantra- “A healthy body harbours a healthy mind”.

November 5, 2017 By TAARIKA ARYA Leave a Comment

Did you know you can ‘drink’ your Vegetables’?

veggies

Do those leafy greens freak you out? Does eating 1 large cucumber, a bowl of spinach, 2 apples,2 carrots in one sitting seem like MISSION IMPOSSIBLE to you?  Hold on. Thanks to juicing, all of this can fit into one glass which can be gulped in less than 10 seconds. That’s not it; you are free to make it the way you want it to suit your palet. You can feel free to add any vegetable (carrot, tomato, cucumber, beetroot, spinach, bottle gourd, etc), fruit for flavour and sweetness (apple, pomegranate, orange, berries, papaya, melons and banana) and a few add ons like flaxseeds, chia seeds, mint, coriander, ginger, lemon juice, gooseberry.

Drinking just one freshly made vegetable juice each day is a reliable way of infusing your body with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that can protect your body against pre-mature ageing and diseases. It’s the best bet for people who often tend to skip their breakfast due to a busy morning schedule.

It is a myth that the no.1 reason for juicing vegetable is weight loss. It’s just that juicing makes us so good that the weight loss is an added bonus! A major benefit of juicing regularly is that we stop craving for junk foods. Our body gets into the natural habit of declining processed sugar and opting for fruits/raw vegetables. We begin to crave for a glass of juice instead of a cup of joe!

Exploited in the right amount, juicing has many benefits on offer:

  1. Absorb all the nutrients – Cooking, frying and boiling the ingredients many-a-times leads to the destruction of a majority of the vital anti-oxidants and amino acids. Juicing helps prevent this loss and fortifies your dietary intake with a well rounded ingestion of all necessary nutrients.
  1. Eat as many vegetables that you have ever imagined – Let’s face it, on any regular day, we wouldn’t even dream of eating a bowl of boiled and sautéed spinach or broccoli; no matter how nutritious it’ll prove to be. But now, all we got to do is throw together all of the infamous leafy veggies into the blender, add in the juice of half a lemon for zing or an apple for sweetness, and we won’t even recognize the ‘rabbit food’ anymore.
  1. Make sure we don’t waste the fibre – After we have extracted the juice from the blender, don’t simply throw away the pulp. We can incorporate this leftover fiber into muffins, soups and gravies. Juicing does increase our anti-oxidant intake, but we lose out on natural fibers which aid digestion.  A completely juice-based diet will do more harm than good. It is meant to supplement our nutrition, not hamper it.
  1. Drink your juice right away – It is a very bad idea to juice large quantities at once and store it for consequent use. Under highly monitored conditions, vegetable juice can stay fresh for a maximum of 24 hours due to its unpasteurized nature. After this time span, the nutritional value declines steadily and the taste will also suffer. It is best consumed immediately.

Few things to keep in mind:

1.Make sure that we’ve removed all dirt or even bugs that may be hiding in the vegetables, particularly in the heads of broccoli, leaves of spinach or lettuce.

2.The key to making healthy vegetable juices is to make green vegetables the bulk of every serving. Green vegetables won’t spike your blood sugar and insulin level like fruits and sweet vegetables like carrots and red beets will. They can be healthy additions to our drinks, and they’ll definitely add sweetness and flavour.

3.In regards to the machinery required, our usual blender should do the trick just fine. However, if one is serious about juicing and wants to extract the best out of the ingredients – it would be beneficial to invest in a masticating Cold Press. The press slowly crushes the fruit or vegetable and prevents the application of heat as is the case in blades and blenders. Thus, ending up with healthier and highly-enriched juices, with preserved colour and nutrients. They are similar to the cold pressed juices available in the market.

A guide to build a perfect veggie juice:

Step A : Choose a base :

Water, coconut water, green tea, almond milk

Step B : Choose your veggies:

Spinach, broccoli, lettuce, celery, cucumber, carrots, beetroot

Step C : Choose a fruit :

Apple, grapes, melon, papaya, banana, peaches, kiwi, pineapple, pear

Step D : Optional add-ins :

Flaxseeds, chia seeds, ginger, gooseberry, lemon juice, honey, dates, almonds, nut butters,

Cinnamon, coconut oil, avocado, ice cubes.

Step E :

Blend and enjoy!

These is some serious life-sustaining stuff. So drink with gratitude and enjoy knowing that you’re taking great care of yourself.

July 12, 2017 By TAARIKA ARYA 1 Comment

Dressings/Seasonings : The “MAKE-UP” to your Salads/Soups

salad-dressing

DRESSINGS and SEASONING’S to foods is what make-up is to your face. The wrong types can make you look cakey and fake. Similarly, the wrong choice of toppings to your foods can mask the benefits of your salads, soups or sautéed veggies.

Now the next question rushing through your mind would be: So what’s the swap?
I agree sometimes the condiments make the meal; but the wrong ones are not at all goal friendly.  These 6 swaps can help you slash the fat content and boost nutrients — without sacrificing the flavours !

1. EAT THIS : Avocado / Nut butters , NOT THAT : Butter .

Let’s go natural and explore the benefits of Nature’s butter: Avocado. Factory made butters can mean a lot of saturated fat, sodium and preservatives. The avocado fruit is loaded with good fats   (heart healthy) called MUFA’s. Plus it has loads of Vit E (anti-oxidant) and Potassium (important for cardiac health and muscular contractions). It also can help to de-bloat since it acts as a natural diuretic.

All nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids so grinding them can give a buttery texture. Make them into a paste with a slight drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle some Himalayan pink salt/Kosher salt and Voilà ! Walnut, peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnuts. you just name it!

USE: Spread it on your whole wheat toast, add a dollop of it to oatmeal and enjoy the creamy goodness knowing that per tablespoon, it packs 3/4 fewer calories. You could even take a tablespoon of it to stave off afternoon hunger pangs.

2. EAT THIS : Hummus / Thick yoghurt , NOT THAT : Mayo

Is it the white creaminess of mayo that makes you reach out for that jar ? You must try Hummus. This switch results in half the fat for double the amount and since its made from garbanzo beans and garlic, it can boost your intake of protein, minerals and antioxidants.
What more? Add some cilantro or mint leaves for some flavour. You will seriously forget mayo.

Or, blend yogurt, lemon juice, pepper and spices. Yogurt provides a smooth, creamy consistency and it easily absorbs flavors you add to it, so a spoonful or two is sure to be delicious. Its rich in gut friendly bacteria, protein and calcium. Something that the mayo missed out on.

USE : Try it on an open faced sandwich , a whole wheat wrap or as a dressing to a salad.

3. EAT THIS : Vinaigrette  , NOT THAT : Ranch

There is a bonus over here. Vinegar has been shown to control blood sugar levels and curb fat gain. The pectin content in it makes you feel fuller for longer.

Feel free to add variations like: apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, wine vinegar.  It all becomes even more interesting with the addition of herbs, spices and flavourings. Ginger, garlic, basil, oregano, dill, black pepper, mint and mustard are all perfect examples.

For some reference, you could visit : http://paleoleap.com/salad-dressing-and-vinaigrettes/

USE: Drizzle it on your salads, marinate the veggies and roast them , in sautéed vegetables , add them to soups.

4. EAT THIS :Spicy Mustard / Home-made Salsa , NOT THAT : Ketchup.

Let us strictly say NO to ketchup. Each tablespoon packs about a teaspoon of HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP aka Refined Sugar. It’s said that one fourth of a bottle of ketchup is sugar. Ketchup lovers.. Hope you are listening?
Kick up the flavour with Mustard (commonly Dijon mustard) . The presence of cancer fighting anti-oxidants similar to the ones present in broccoli or cabbage is like an added feather.

Salsa are typically made of tomatoes, onions, chilies and cilantro. It’s rich in cancer fighting lycopene. You can easily make a large batch and let it sit in your fridge for a couple of days.

USE: It’s actually a part of Mexican cuisine, but goes well with sandwiches, lentil pancakes , vegetable dips.

5. EAT THIS : Fruit purées , NOT THAT : Jam/Marmalades 

Not even kids! This one again has a LOT of sugar and preservatives. Cook the fruits from your favourite jams, such as strawberry, apple, guava, in a saucepan at medium heat with water. Add water if you want a spreadable purée. Use fresh mint, lemon rind, cinnamon or nutmeg to enhance flavours without adding sugar.

USE : It can be used very much like the jam, in between breads , as a flavour to yoghurt , breakfast cereals, etc.

6. EAT THIS : Nuts/seeds, NOT THAT : Croutons

Crave for that CRUNCH ? Whether they’re whole-wheat or white, baked or fried, croutons don’t offer much nutritional value. Only fat and bad carbs.
Try tossing crunchy veggies like bell peppers (best if coloured), celery, carrots strips or heart-healthy nuts and seeds. Seeds can be anything like, sunflower, flaxseeds, sesame, pumpkin , watermelon.
USE: Croutons are generally add-ons to salads and soups. So next time you hit the salad bar, skip the croutons (even if it says ‘whole-wheat’) and ask for some nuts/seeds.

This is what I could put up together. I mainly emphasise on Soups, Salads and Whole wheat toasts, since these are trending at the moment in the quest for something healthy to eat when we go out.

Sadly, the Sauces and Seasonings block their nutritional punch and make your efforts go down the drain. So let these swaps still keep you in love with lettuce and at the same time tantalize your taste buds.

(Wondering, how to go about it ? Read this blog on Summer Salads by Coach Manisha :https://goqii.com/blog/tag/summer-salad/ and dress it up taking help from above. )

Disclaimer: People with nut allergy do not try the salad dressing and salads that contain nuts.

October 9, 2015 By TAARIKA ARYA 1 Comment

An “ATTITUDE” of “GRATITUDE”

 

healthy-habits-harbor-happiness-zero-dean

I vividly remember myself humming these few lines back in school:

“Thank you for the world so sweet,

Thank you for the food we eat,

Thank you for the birds that sing,

Thank you GOD for everything.”

WAIT a second! This is not a religious blog but, simply about being thankful for the good in our lives focusing on the positives rather than the negatives. Seeing the cup of life as “half full” than as “half empty”.

Sadly, I could not continue saying those 4 lines as I grew up. But why should I not feel grateful about things that are around me or happen to me now?

This thought stuck my mind a month back and since then I became serious about being “grateful” in life and making it a lifelong habit. Of course, it was going to be something beyond these few lines considering the amount of experience I’ve had or the number of things that I should be grateful for. Best thing about it was that it was doable and it required no inventory.

Just 5 min of your day, but in turn provides great rewards in happiness, healthy, mind-fullness, career, personality, deeper relationships. The benefits are endless but, doing so takes a bit of practice (talk about HABITS !) .

Speaking about its benefits on Health & Well-Being (since that’s my forte), here are some of the ways it affects us:

  1. HAPPINESS:

Experts say that practicing gratitude can increase health and happiness levels by about 25% ! And we all know that to achieve optimum health we need a healthy body, but we also need a healthy mind. Like muscle building, your mind also takes a while to build up and get strong. For this essentially practicing gratitude certainly helps.

  1. POSITIVE ATTITUDE:

Gratitude also turns what we have in to enough, shrinking away our worries, negativity, comparisons. You end up with a more positive outlook towards your goals and your life.

  1. SLEEP :

It improves sleep quality, time required to fall asleep and increases sleep duration. Just thinking about a few things we should be grateful for induces melatonin (sleep-inducing hormone) and knocks us out. Gratitude and positive emotion in general are among the strongest relaxants known to man. A safe and free sleep aid!

  1. INCREASES LONGEVITY:

Indirectly of course. Gratitude is strongly related to a positive emotion and we all know that the optimists live a few years longer than the pessimists! So, gratitude —-> positive emotion —-> extra months / years on earth!

  1. STRESS:

Gratitude reduces feelings of envy, makes our memories happier and lets us experience good feelings. All of this helps us bounce back from stress. Whenever I am under this funk , feel down or demotivated, all I do it’s : grab my journal and start counting my blessings !

  1. YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO EXERCISE !

While there is no strong evidence that supports this, it should not surprise you if being grateful for your health would increase the tendency to want to protect it by exercising more. (Start practicing and let me know if it works for you! )

In a nutshell: Gratitude is no one-stop-shop , but it is a massively under utilised tool for improving the quality of life . You will be amazed to realise that all the goodness we take for granted.

Now you should be asking me, HOW can I bring more gratitude in my life???

Well, while there are many ways to practice this, one way that I follow and find the most practical is: Maintaining a gratitude journal.

All it requires is noting 1 or more things ( I write 3 everyday ) you are grateful for on a daily basis . No fancy notebook or App required. The real work goes on in your head. But if using a tool is helpful, go for it.

Here are a few handful of apps / websites that specialise in Gratitude:

Thankfulfor.com ( http://thankfulfor.com/) , Gratittude Journal for Iphone , Gratitude Plus for Ipad , Treater for IOS and Android .

I have picked up a few examples from my journal to give you an idea about how can you start:

  1. I am grateful for being able to sleep on a clean white bed sheet.
  2. I am grateful for the comfortable shoes I am wearing right now.
  3. I am blessed to have access to technology.
  4. I am lucky have my own bedroom space.
  5. I am grateful for a day off!
  6. I really enjoyed the lunch today.

Start off with small and simple things and gradually get deeper and complex. All of this takes less than 5 mins a day. It’s that simple! Trust me, once you start, you will want to go on and on and start falling short of space!

Keep a few things in mind, before you made a decision to go ahead:

Be genuine, No false praises, Be as specific as possible, Try to actually “feel” that feeling of gratitude.

So do you have 5 minutes to change your life forever ?

Thought so!

Go ahead and let’s make GRATITUDE PRACTICE a daily habit!

(WARNING: This exercise is super powerful and can make you feel really good. You might also find yourself smiling while filling up your journal.)

August 5, 2015 By TAARIKA ARYA 1 Comment

Moderation – 365 days

cheat-day1

“CLEAN EATERS” be like – “Can’t wait till my cheat day !”

Is this your story too? What if I’d say, “let those “REASONABLY SIZED” treats be scattered throughout your life, instead of ‘cheat meal’ which often turns out as a ‘cheat day’ or ‘weekend binge’. And not to forget, the guilt that you take back home , after overdoing it .

Trust me, I too was pretty convinced initially with the idea of a cheat meal/treat. But, what happens in reality is totally different? It’s often blown out of proportion and we end up calling for anything and everything that fits within the 24 hour span of cheat day. This is pretty natural because we have literally “restricted” ourselves these 6 days.

 

cheat-day2

Consider this case –study:

Monday : EAT CLEAN !

Tuesday : EAT CLEAN !

Wednesday : EAT CLEAN ! ( Its mid-week and we are half-way through !)

Thursday : EAT CLEAN ! ( One more day to go ! )

Friday : EAT CLEAN ! (Cant wait for tomorrow ! )

Saturday : ATTACK !!!

-Breakfast is usually skipped, to save appetite for the feast .

-The cheat meal which was supposed to be a “treat” now looks like: “Eat all that you have craved for this week ”+ the weekend “pour” (if you have a habit of drinking alcohol )

Sunday : Who doesn’t want comfort food on Sunday !

Monday (next week) : The aftermath !

-Wake up feeling “HORRIBLE”, bloated, greasy and very unhealthy

-Exercise is generally not in picuture because you feel aweful about the weekend

cheat-day3

I am sure many can relate to this. No wonder, weekend binges were ruining our week’s hard work and goals seemed far away,

Hence, “moderation-365 days approach” !This no-brainer. Just requires practice, thoughtfulness, self-control and mindfulness.

Go ahead! In combination with clean eating, sprinkle those “tiny” treats here and there. The more we deprive, the more we feel the need to indulge (notice the word in inverted commas). BUT, that doesn’t mean we are better off eating whatever, whenever! There are a few rules here too :

  1. Find a healthy alternative:

Choose your battle: Dessert or a pizza and immediately think of its cleaner version. Like almond /coconut milk ice-cream or cauliflower crust pizza, zoodles (zucchini noodles), burritos made with clean ingredients.

I know cleaner versions means “high quality”, which means “expensive”. Accept it .After all, it’s of a “reasonable size” and will not burn a hole in your pocket.

OR

Make a home-made version, where you have a 100% control over what goes in it . Even better!

  1. In accordance to your appetite:

Eat what you actually want. Eat in tune with your hunger and you’ll likely end up eating a reasonable amount

  1. Enjoy treats time to time:

Like I mentioned several times before: SPRINKLE- REASONABLE SIZED TREATS .

Enjoy a piece or half of a cookie or a piece of dark chocolate…say on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday .

  1. Savour “EVERY” bite :

This is BIG ! Lack of this makes it easy to down a whole bar of chocolate or a tub of ice-cream or an entire pizza!

Place it in your mouth, take a moment to taste, smell and experience the food, Awaken your senses !

Well, these were my thoughts on what’s working for me . I know it’s a highly debatable topic but, this has helped me make a healthier pact with life and feel so much free and confident.

Neither does healthy food nor the cravings run my life. I am on the driver’s seat when it comes to my chow choices.

What do you think about this? If you are already following this, I ‘d love to hear your success story . Lay it on me!

 

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