Healthy Living Archives

March 21, 2019 By Twinkle Thakkar 8 Comments

Does Happiness Affect Our Health?

Happiness is a great feeling! Whether you choose to equate it with optimism, joy, wellbeing, personal achievement or all of the above, it goes hand-in-hand with healthier habits. People who are in good spirits tend to eat better, exercise more frequently and get better sleep than those who are not. In turn, these healthy habits engage the hormones and neurotransmitters that influence our happiness. When our mood is down, we are more likely to skip workouts, do some heavy-duty emotional overeating and have difficulty sleeping.

Beyond these rather common-sense associations, however, is an intriguing research that suggests there’s something more about happiness that makes us healthy.

Let’s understand the 10 health benefits of being happy!

1. Smile

Science suggests that when we smile, whether we are happy or not, our mood is elevated. When we smile, even if it is a fake one, muscles of our face are stretched and this muscular movement triggers the brain to release the “Happy Hormones” which makes us feel good and boosts our mood. Our smile not only makes others happy but releases our own stress as well.

2. Laughter

Laughter is said to be the best medicine. When we laugh, we exhale more air out of our lungs over longer periods and inhale more oxygen. Our blood gets purified more rapidly and we feel more refreshed and rejuvenated. We also feel more relaxed as pure blood circulates in the brain. Some people practice laughter just to reap its health benefits. No wonder we find laughter clubs in almost all parks and open spaces.

3. Happy Hormones

As per Psychoneuroimmunology, a new branch of science that studies the mind-body connection, the thoughts and emotions that we choose get instantly transformed into chemicals. These chemicals are, effectively, either self-administered injections of ‘slow poisons’ or of ‘healing medicines’ that eventually freeze into and become our physical states, i.e. Disease or Health. So let’s understand the role of the chemicals associated with Happiness.

Happy hormones generally refer to Endorphins, Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, Phenylethamine and Ghrelin. Technically, some of these are neurotransmitters and not hormones, but we shan’t bother ourselves with those scientific details here. Let’s just understand how they help us to be healthy:

Endorphins block pain. They are the body’s natural painkillers. When rigorous exercise depletes our muscles of glycogen (oxygen stores), endorphins allow us to push on. For instance, we often feel blisters only after and not during the activity
Serotonin boosts our mood and makes us more agreeable and sociable. It prevents irritability and depression
Dopamine helps us feel mentally alert. The lack of it might cause lack of attention, lack of concentration and bad moods. It motivates us to take action to achieve the exercise goals so we can experience the pleasure of the reward
Estrogen helps form serotonin and protects us from irritability and anxiety, keeping our mood steady
Progesterone helps us sleep well and prevents anxiety, irritability and mood swings

4. Immune System

Do you know a grumpy person who always seems to be getting sick? That may be no coincidence. There is a link between happiness and a stronger immune system. Happy people have a high antibody response to any vaccine which is a sign of a robust immune system. There is reduction in the size of telomeres – the protective caps of our immune cells, which causes premature aging of the immune system in stressed out people. On the contrary happiness seems to be literally working on a cellular level to strengthen our immune system.

5. Heart

Happiness predicts lower heart rate and blood pressure. There is a link between happiness and another measure of heart health: heart rate variability, which refers to the time interval between heartbeats and is associated with risk for various diseases. Happy people are less likely to develop coronary heart diseases.

6. Blood

Happy people have lower levels of a blood protein called fibrinogen, following a stressful task. This molecule makes blood “sticky” and is vital in the clotting process, but high concentrations can signal future coronary heart disease problems.

7. Aches and Pains

Unhappiness can be painful—literally. Painful and negative symptoms like muscle strain, dizziness, and heartburn and even arthritis and chronic pain seem to be lesser painful when we are happy. Mainly because we have more endorphins in our blood stream effectively acting as natural pain killers.

8. Stress

Stress is not only upsetting on a psychological level but also triggers biological changes in our hormones and blood pressure. Happiness seems to temper these effects, or at least help us recover more quickly. Happiness also seems to carry benefits when stress is inevitable. The happier we are, the lower our cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone, of which high levels are linked to conditions such as type II diabetes and hypertension. And lower heart rates are associated with good cardiovascular health.

9. Genes

Yes, Happiness can alter our genes! People with a deep sense of happiness and well-being have lower levels of inflammatory gene expression and stronger antiviral and antibody responses. This falls into the realm of epigenetics – changing the way our genes function by turning them off and on. Epigenetics doesn’t change the genetic code; it changes the readout of a single gene to create over 30,000 different proteins. When a human being encounters happiness and love, the growth genes are activated. When a human being encounters fear, the protection genes are activated. Thus, perfectly normal genes can result in cancer or death. Vice-versa, in the right happy environment, mutant genes won’t be expressed.

10. Lifespan

In the end, the ultimate health indicator might be longevity—and here, especially, happiness comes into play. As we become older, the other condition that often afflicts us is frailty, which is characterized by impaired strength, endurance, and balance and puts us at risk of disability and death. However, happier people are less likely to be frail. In essence, true happiness – the kind rooted in virtue – can help prevent disease. It keeps inflammation – which is linked to numerous illnesses in the body, including heart disease – at bay while still fighting off infection and disease.

That’s perhaps one reason why Mother Theresa lived till the age of 87 despite being around the sick and dying for so many years.

I would like to end the blog with a quote by Voltaire – “I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health.”

Have you?

February 1, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

This GOQii Player Made the Impossible, Possible!

Avinash-user

“If there is a will, there is a way”, GOQii player Avinash is a living example of this quote. This is the story of how the impossible was made possible with nothing but sheer determination to succeed.

Avinash led a normal life post-retirement. He starts his day at around 6 am in the morning, has his cup of tea and goes for a morning walk without fail. After his breakfast and lunch, Avinash takes a nap for around 2-3 hours, has dinner and goes to sleep. Things started getting difficult after Avinash was diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes. His sugar levels were hovering around 160-175. Even though Avinash tried allopathy for a while, he wasn’t satisfied with the results and this forced him to consider other options. He decided to take a more holistic approach to his condition and considers it one of the best decisions of his life.

Avinash first came across GOQii through texts and email from a programme called Active Axis by Axis bank, which promoted health and fitness. He immediately liked what GOQii had to offer and joined the community. When we asked him about the changes that GOQii brought into his life, this is what he had to say:

“Already experimenting with Allopathy and Ayurveda, I was really disappointed with the results. I wasn’t really sure about GOQii in the beginning but today I’ve successfully reversed my diabetes and I’m no more a diabetic. The changes in my life were very basic but they made a drastic impact on my health and fitness. From my eating habits to the number of hours I slept, everything was closely monitored to bring out the best in me. The guidance and motivation provided by my coach is a big contributing factor to my achievement. I used to write a daily diary of physical activities, food intake and other activities, which I uploaded daily on the app. Based on the information, my coach guided and instructed me toward better fitness. I was determined to succeed and stuck to my goals with dedication. Due to this, I received a lot of appreciation from the coach regularly, which in fact was quite encouraging for me.

As far as food intake and nutrition was concerned, I increased the number of proteins, fruits, vegetables, salads and reduced the quantity of wheat and rice in my daily diet. The quantity of these items was decided in such a way that I should not consume more than 1000 to 1200 calories in a day. I started consuming dry fruits like almonds, walnuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and also started drinking Amla Juice every day in the morning. I detox my body regularly by drinking spinach, apple, mint and lemon juice twice or at least once a week. Spicy foods and junk are totally out of my diet and the results are marvellous.

My water intake has increased from 1 to 1.5 litres to 2 to 2.5 liters a day. I walk for two to two and a half hours twice, every day. I have been achieving my daily target of 10,000 steps a day and 70,000 steps a week consistently since I joined GOQii. On many occasions, I have exceeded 100,000 steps in a week as well. I have been monitoring this with the help of a tracker provided by GOQii. Yoga and Art of Living programs have also become a healthy part of my life.

Today, my sugar levels are back to normal and I’m very proud of what I have achieved, equally thankful to GOQii for helping me reach my goals.”

What did Coach Trisha have to say about her player Avinash?

“Since the time I started coaching Avinashji, I was sure that diabetes reversal with him was absolutely possible! He has always been extremely cooperative, irrespective of what the circumstances were. He is a live example of how important it is to take care of yourself even while traveling. Even after reversing his diabetes, he has never gotten off plan! Kudos Avinashji!”

This is an excellent example of how you can turn your life around. If you feel like you are not at your best health, may this story encourage you to work towards fitness! It always seems impossible until it’s done.

January 22, 2019 By Trupti Hingad 3 Comments

RIGHT WAY TO DRINK WATER

a gallon of water a day

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate should be the slogan. The India Fit Report 2019 study indicates that overall the average water consumption has increased since 2017 from 1.5 lit to 2.17 lit in 2018.

But, the question often asked is are you drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day? Not having sufficient water has many side effects but, it is also important to be mindful of the way and “how” we drink water.

Water is chemical energy which means it is a universal solvent. Water exists in the body as plasma, cytoplasm, serum, saliva, nasal secretion, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and sweat.

Considering how essential water is to human life, here are some handy yet important tips to drink water.

It is always better to sit down and drink water rather than standing: When you stand and drink water you upset the balance of fluids in the body and this may lead to more accumulation of fluids in the joints. When you sit and drink your muscles and nervous system is much relaxed and thus you absorb it nicely. Also, kidney pace of filtration is good when you sit and drink

Avoid consuming a large volume of water at once: When you gulp too much amount of water at one go. Air is blocked from going into our lungs which can lead to heart and lung issues.

Avoid ice chilled water; drink room temperature or warm water: Ice chilled water disturbs the ongoing process of digestion and puts off the fire. Cold water decreases the blood supply to various organs of the body further leading to constipation. Drinking tepid water can help in proper digestion and metabolism that promotes weight loss, relieves bloating and pain. Whereas warm water helps to keeps fire in the stomach on leading to good digestion and also control cholesterol levels keeping arteries clean.

Keep a tab on indicators your body gives when you are thirsty: When you are dehydrated, the colour of urine changes to dark yellow, whereas clear urine is a sign of a hydrated body. Dry lips and tongue are indicators of dehydrated body

Start your day with a glass of water: Drinking water in the morning helps in flushing all the toxins in the body and cleanses your intestines. It helps to ward off many diseases.

It is good to use water stored in silver or copper vessels: As water stored in these vessels has the ability to balance all three doshas in the body and it does by positively charging the water. Copper has numerous antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties that help boost the immune system of the body. It also has anti-cancer properties. Water in the silver vessel has the power to remove free radicals from the body and gives a cooling effect in the intestines and smoothens the process of digestion.

Drinking water is not just to quench thirst. We have to remind ourselves that drinking water is a habit of replenishing and recovery process. It helps to replenish the essential salts and minerals lost when we sweat. It hydrates our muscles and tissues for proper usage. It maintains the fluid balance of our body that controls acidity levels.

So Drink slowly and drink enough!

January 21, 2019 By Anusha Subramanian 3 Comments

Why is it difficult to make a lifestyle change? – 6 tips to follow

In a user story I recently wrote, the player said, “Making a lifestyle change is easy what is difficult is the commitment to follow through with determination”.

Rightly so, it’s indeed considered a tall order and hence many give it up mid-way. Most consider it forced, rather than a positive change to bring about within themselves.

This very attitude and constant cribbing of people around me prompted me to write this piece on why is it so difficult to make a lifestyle change?

Many of us have tried it sometime or the other in our life. Some of us have succeeded while many have found it extremely taxing. Making a lifestyle change is challenging, especially when you want to transform many things at once. Lifestyle changes are a process that take time and require support and lots of patience.

Here are a few tips that you could follow from my personal experience

** Start small. After you’ve identified a realistic short-term and long-term goals, break them down further into small steps that are well defined and can be managed and measured. If your long term goal (6-8 months) is to lose 20 kilos then a good monthly goal would be to reduce about 2 kilos a month in a healthy way. Physiologically too smaller goals gives you sense that it’s achievable and keep you motivated for the long term goal. Look at healthy eating options, eat smaller meals at regular intervals and balanced meals, and replace a dessert with a healthier option, like yogurt. At the end of the month, you’ll feel successful knowing you met your goal.

** Change one behavior at a time. It is said that old habits die hard. That is because behaviors develop over the course of time and replacing then will take a while. Focus on one goal at a time. If need be, get professional help to understand what changes you need to bring about within yourself to become healthy and fit. The problem arises when you try to change things really fast.

** Have a buddy or a personal coach or trainer: It can be anyone from a friend, to a family member, a co-worker or your personal trainer who you want to walk with you in your path to a healthy lifestyle. It works well for both the buddies. Your buddy and you can go for a walk, cycle or run together and keep each other motivated and charged. You can challenge each other to create some excitement in your training and make sure that it is not boring. Having someone with whom you can share your struggles and successes makes the work easier and the mission less intimidating.

** Make a plan that you will stick to. You have to plan in such a way that it will be your guide on this journey of change. Think out of the box and have things in your plan which you have never done before like an adventure or going for sport climbing (artificial wall climbing). But, don’t go haywire and be specific. Time manage well. Detail the time of day when you want to exercise, how long you want to exercise or when you can take walks and how long you’ll walk. Maintain a dairy in which all of these task are jotted down and ask yourself if these activities and goals are realistic for you. If not then start with baby steps.

** Have support around you: Having people around you to support you while you are on your journey towards health will help you to not slack. Don’t feel shy to ask for support wherever and whenever needed if you feel you are unable to meet your goals on your own.

Making the changes that you want takes time and commitment, but you can do it. Just remember that no one is perfect. You will have occasional lapses. Be kind to yourself. When you eat a brownie or skip the gym, don’t give up. Minor bumps on the road to your goals are normal and okay. Resolve to recover and get back on track.

** Self -Motivation: All the above points will help you in your journey to change your lifestyle but, the biggest factor of all and one of the most important factor is being self-motivated. No matter how many buddies you have, no matter what support your dear and near ones will give, no matter how good a plan you make yourself …but none of this will be effective till the time you are self-motivated and want to make the change.

Do it for yourself, do it on your own and feel good at the end of it all. Remember it is not about proving to anyone but yourself.