Healthy Living

April 18, 2018 By Luke Coutinho Leave a Comment

Dehydration and your Metabolism

Water is the most important thing that we should never ignore. How many of us have been told that we should drink at least 2.5 to 3 litres of water every day or 8 glasses minimum. And, how many of us actually follow this? Most of us drink water only when we realize that we are very thirsty. But, ideally that should not be the case.

Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water. If you are thirsty, then it is already too late. The problem is that many of us have trouble deciding when we are thirsty.

I know I am thirsty when I feel sluggish or tired, experience mild headaches, have trouble concentrating or constipated. A dry mouth and a flushed or tired feeling are all signs that you could be thirsty, but you have realized it when it’s already too late.

‘Thirst’ is a tricky phenomenon to understand. The feeling of thirst is governed by the hypothalamus in the brain. It reads the salt levels in the body. When you are dehydrated, the salt concentration in your body rises. That triggers your thirst alarm. But, by this time, many of your vital organs are already severely deprived of water.

Water is a miracle liquid. You are a mixture of water, protein and a myriad of molecules blended together to create a physical you. Two-thirds of your body is water. Cells, bones and blood both hold water and float in it. Muscles are 75% water.

You need water to enable your body to keep eliminating the toxins generated, to produce digestive enzymes, maintain healthy skin, hair, organs and to help your body absorb essential vitamins, minerals and natural sugars. Water also regulates your body temperature, cooling you down by evaporating through your skin.

Even on a cold winter day your body will use and lose about 2 liters of water. Imagine how much greater that amount is on a hot summer day.

The important point over here is to understand that less water or getting dehydrated frequently SLOWS DOWN YOUR METABOLISM. A slow metabolism means slower fat loss and slumps in your energy levels and growth.

SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION:

Fatigue
Lethargy
Irritability
Headache
Blurred vision
Flushed skin
Lack of mental clarity
Constipation
Cystitis
Back pain
High cholesterol
Cellulite
Water retention

Don’t reach a point of dehydration.

** Always carry a water bottle with you.
** Wake up to 500ml to 800ml of water every morning.
** Sip through the day and keep a bottle at your desk so you remember to drink in case you get busy.
** Remember, coffee is a diuretic, if you drink coffee you need to drink 2 cups of water post that.
** If you drink alcohol, drink one glass of water for every drink you have.

April 14, 2018 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

From couch to running Marathons

rajneesh-Active sunday player

It has been rightly said that you will never achieve your goal if you never try. And, this is exactly what Rajneesh Sharma of Hyderabad has experienced. Rajneesh was lazy and how and had no control over his food habits. He weighed 98kgs and had no exercise routine. Weekends were all about being lazier. Rajneesh Kumar Sharma from Hyderabad felt there was an urgent need to reverse his life but, did not know where and how to start. Last year mid-October it began with him joining the GOQii platform. He was introduced to being disciplined in life, eating right, sleeping on time, exercising etc and the direct impact of all this was that his health got better. His weight dropped to 85 kgs and from being a lazy person sitting on the couch, he is today a very active person. He works out 5 days a week. From not being able to run even for 1 minute, Rajneesh now runs 7 km in 34 minutes. His weekends are also active. His life is reversed for the better. Now Rajneesh aspires to be fitter. He is more active now on weekends as well and Sunday mornings he looks forward to attending the Active Sunday. He says, it is not about just exercising and being active on a Sunday morning, it’s also about meet and talk to people from different lifestyles and listen to their stories and get motivated. Rajneesh has started participating in various Runs organized in Hyderabad. He is happy about the fact that people around him have noticed a lot of change in him.

His fitness message to all is “Don’t give up. Nothing comes easy in life, you have to sweat it out”.

April 13, 2018 By Anushree Ashtekar Leave a Comment

Melons: More than just summer coolers

Summer is here and it’s time to look out for fresh fruits and veggies. And, the first fruit that comes to my mind is Melons. Melons are a juicy treat that are actually quite nutritious.

Melons are a part of the Gourd family that also includes cucumber, squash and pumpkins. There are different types of melons that we find locally. There are a hundred different varieties of melons. The commonly found melons are Watermelon (red and yellow), Cantaloupes (aka muskmelons), Honeydew and Casaba.

Melons are consumed as cool, refreshing, healthy snacks on hot summer days. But, it does not end here. All melons are packed with nutrients that give us many health benefits. Let us see what each of these melons have to serve us.

Watermelon: It is the most commonly consumed melon. 92% of this melon is water but, it is packed with nutrients. Watermelons have significant amounts of Vitamins A, C and B6. It is also rich in antioxidants and amino acids. They have good levels of potassium but, are low on sodium. Watermelons are known for their high Lycopene content. Lycopene is a phytonutrient found in fruits and vegetables. It is the red pigment that gives red color to tomatoes, guava, etc. Lycopene has been found to be a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory in nature. Studies have linked Lycopene to heart health, bone health and prostate cancer prevention.
Cantaloupes (Muskmelon): It’s a summer season fruit. Cantaloupes are an excellent source of vitamin A which helps in maintaining healthy vision and prevents lung and oral cavity cancers. It also has good levels of anti-oxidant flavonoids like beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. Antioxidants protect our body from free radical attack, in turn, protecting our body from diseases like prostate, colon, endometrial, breast, lung and pancreatic cancers. Zea-xanthin protects the eyes from ARMD (Age related macular degeneration), a disease among the geriatric population. Cantaloupes also contain moderate amounts of Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins like niacin and pantothenic acid.
Honeydew: This fruit is a refreshing treat during hot summers. These are the sweetest among all the melons. Honeydew melons have 90% water content and this makes it a natural diuretic. Honeydew melons may not be as rich in nutrients as cantaloupes but, they provide us with substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals. Honeydew melons are an excellent source of vitamin C, A and Potassium. They also contain good amounts of B-complex vitamins like B6, niacin and pantothenic acid. Minerals such as copper, calcium and manganese are also present.
Casaba: Casaba is a mild-sweet melon and tastes like cucumber. It is very low on sugar. Casaba melons are an excellent source of vitamin C. They also contain good amounts of vitamin B6. They have fairly good levels of potassium.

All the melons are high volume, low-calorie fruits that provide good satiety due to their fiber and water content, without adding on too many calories in the body. They are a healthy option to satisfy sugar cravings.

Melons are mostly made up of water and so are really low on calories.

1 cup of watermelon- 46 calories

1 cup of cantaloupe- 53 calories

1 cup of honeydew- 61 calories

1 cup of casaba- 48 calories

There are many interesting ways in which melons can be consumed. Melons can be had on their own, cut into cubes. They can also be consumed in the form of refreshing cold soups, in fruit yogurts, fruit salads and finally can be juiced. Watermelon seeds are seasoned and eaten as snacks. Watermelon rind is chopped and cooked as vegetable, marinated, pickled or candied.

But, one has to be careful with Melons as they grow in the ground and there are chances of them getting contaminated with waste water. Hence precautions must be taken before cutting the melons. The melons must be thoroughly cleansed from outside and only then cut or else, there are high chances of contaminating the flesh of the melons with pathogens like Salmonella.

April 8, 2018 By Komal Mehta Leave a Comment

Keep it cool this summer with the right foods

It’s summer—that amazing time of year when fresh produce abounds. We need to relish the fresh produce as summer brings in lots of nutrient rich, healthy choices.

But, what about the scorching heat and associated dehydration, perspiration, rashes, itchiness, tiredness which we experience in summer. Well, of course drink more water!!! Everyone knows that, also, add some lemon juice and watermelons to keep you hydrated. Have you ever tried any other natural coolant? Let me remind you of these food products our grandma used every summer to keep the heat at bay.

Kokam: Kokam juice is a very refreshing drink with cooling effect on the body. It not only quenches the thirst, but also prevents dehydration and sunstroke due to summer heat. Kokam has other health benefits like, garcinol present in kokam is an excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory hence inhabits cancer cell growth. Also, hydroxyl acetic acid helps reducing the conversion of carbohydrates to fats, so it prevents fat deposition.
Dried black currents: Dried currants are also an excellent source of nutrients that are essential for health, including dietary fiber, copper, manganese and potassium. Potassium allows electrochemical balance that allows muscle contraction and nerve cell impulse transmission to occur properly. Because of water loss potassium becomes important.
Fennel seeds: Fennel is an aromatic and flavorful herb that has several culinary as well as medicinal uses. In addition to its popular use as a breath freshener, it helps relieve a number of ailments and facilitates better health due to its anti inflammatory, antimicrobial,expectorant, diuretic, anticarcinogenicand antioxidatIt contains vitamin C, potassium, manganese, iron, folate, and fiber. It is also rich in phytonutrients and has a high concentration of volatile oils. It cools the body off by increasing perspiration and maintaining body temperature.
Rock sugar candy or Mishri or khadishaker (in Hindi): Mishri or Rock Sugar is crystallized sugar, sweet candy is packed with numerous health benefits. Mishri is widely used as a refreshing drink during summers, Fennel seed powder with ground mishri makes a refreshing drink to fight harsh summer heat. It exerts a soothing effect on the mind and body and relaxes you from stress.
Sattu or barley water: Sattu has extremely good properties for your health. It is extracted from barely, wheat or gram. Mix sattu, little lemon juice drops, salt and roasted cumin powder to get a very healthy drink.

Consuming foods that are not in season may come with a risk of chemicals and preservatives that are applied to fruits and veggies to keep them fresh. With these food one can also use:

Curds or buttermilk.
Raw mango
Watermelon
Coconut water
Bottle gourd
Salad leaves, especially mint leaves.

With all these food always go for light diet which can be easily digested by our body without much effort. Oily and junk food should be avoided.Avoid too much of tea and coffee as it contains caffeine which results in dehydration.

Restrict tea and coffee to two cups a day. You can switch to green tea as it contains antioxidants which are great help to body during summer seasons.Do not eat spicy, hot and extremely salty food as they are hard to digest and will have ill effects on the skin.

So keep cool and Have a happy summer!!