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May 11, 2024 By Trupti Hingad Leave a Comment

Hidden benefits of used tea bags

Tea is Indians favourite beverage. Tea is known for many beneficial properties that it contains. Whether it is black tea or green tea or white tea…there are numerous health, home and cosmetic benefits attached to tea. Tea bags once used do not necessarily need be thrown away in the trash once they have been dunked and seeped into the boiling water and milk if you are using any.

Let me share a couple of hidden benefits of used tea bags

Tea bags for your eyes: The number of antioxidants present in tea makes it ideal when it comes to banishing those dark circles. After use, you can freeze these tea bags and press it on to your eyes for few minutes the next day. This will help in lightening the area and reducing the puffiness under the eye.

Tea bags for food flavouring: You can use tea bags to flavour the dishes too. This can be used as a robust condiment with pasta, grains, and chicken. You can use these tea bags in the water which will be used to boil grains and pasta so that the flavour can get infused in these ingredients. You can use flavoured tea bags like chamomile and cinnamon to make a difference to the dish that you are preparing.

Tea bags in the garden: In a large garden or small pots, you can use tea bags in the water used for watering plants. This will help in preventing the onset of any kind of fungal infection as far as the plants go.

Tea bags to deal with odours: Tea bags can be placed in muslin clothes and hung on rods and placed in corners to acts as deodorising agent. You can place these tea bags in the refrigerator too so that you can eliminate the various scents and odours that are not too pleasant.

Tea bags for cleaning: You can use tea bags to clean your rugs and carpets. These can be frozen before they are opened and the dried tea leaves can be spread over the various stains before being brushed away. This will lighten the stains gradually. Use the teabags to rub furniture and floor scratches to make them disappear.

Tea bags for healing sores: Chill a used tea bag in the freezer. Once it’s cold, place it on your canker sore. The cold plus the tea’s healing properties will help your sore feel better faster.

Tea bags for stopping bleeding on cuts: When a kitchen injury strikes while slicing and dicing, staunch the blood flow fast by saturating a black tea bag with hot water, then holding it against the injury for 30 seconds. The tannins in the tea will quickly clot the blood so you can cover the cut with a bandage and get back to whipping up your delicious dinner.

Tea bags to keep iron vessels rust proof: To make sure that your skillet stays rust-free by wiping it with a damp used black tea bag after every cooking session. The tea’s tannins will coat the pan with an invisible protective layer that prevents rust-causing oxidation.

Don’t discard those used tea bags just yet! Embrace their hidden potential and explore the multitude of ways they can enhance your life, from skincare to household chores. Give these inventive uses a try and make the most out of every cup of tea. We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

May 6, 2024 By Dr. Viral Thakkar Leave a Comment

Safe Pregnancy

It is said that a child gives birth to a mother.

Bringing a new life in this world is a huge responsibility. The woman bears’ the responsibility of creating the new generation. It is sad to see that something so essential and pertinent is taken lightly today. And no wonder, that the instances of risk pregnancy have steadily risen.

You are at risk if you-

Have a history of chronic hypertension, diabetes, heart disorders, breathing problems, Hypothyroid
Your age is above 35 years
Smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or consume drugs- before and during pregnancy
Malnutrition like anaemia
Mental health issues like stressful life and depression
Had complications like abnormal placenta position, fetal growth fetal growth restriction and Rh (rhesus) sensitization — a potentially serious condition that can occur when your blood group is Rh negative and your baby’s blood group is Rh positive.
Have a history of surgery on your uterus, including multiple C-sections, multiple abdominal surgeries or surgery for uterine tumours (fibroids)
Pregnancy risks are higher for women carrying twins or higher order multiples.

What can you do?

To ensure a healthy pregnancy for you and your baby’s health, ensure you prepare your body. Be sure that you and your partner both want a child. The mental state of a mother plays a very important role in the health of the baby and mother too, and hence the partner also should be equally involved. Nowadays we see a lot of couple marking as ‘WE’ are Pregnant as it is very important that both are involved together. Sit in a quiet place, contemplate and decide.

Eat right! Food rich in folic acid, protein, calcium and iron goes a long way to ensure a healthy pregnancy. If you love smoking and drinking, please adopt a baby! Spare the new life!

Get your body to move and groove! Exercise! Yoga and pranayama ensure holistic health and pregnancy is a part of it. However, if you are pregnant, consult your healthcare provider for appropriate yoga poses or any exercise.

Pregnancy or not, happy thoughts ensure good health. While you are eating right and exercising, include some smiles- you are in the process to get life into this world! Meditate for this and keep stress at bay!

A Specialised Tests which you want to know about!

Lab tests might be conducted for urinary tract infections and screen you for infectious diseases such as HIV, syphilis, etc.
Specialized or targeted ultrasound targets a suspected problem, such as abnormal development.
Amniocentesis can identify certain genetic conditions, as well as neural tube defects — serious abnormalities of the brain or spinal cord.
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) can identify certain genetic conditions.
Also known as percutaneous umbilical blood sampling, can identify certain genetic disorders, blood conditions and infections.
Ultrasound for cervical length might use an ultrasound to measure the length of your cervix at prenatal appointments to determine if you’re at risk of preterm labour.
A biophysical profile is used to check on a baby’s well-being. It might involve only an ultrasound to evaluate fetal well-being or, depending on the results of the ultrasound, also fetal heart rate monitoring (non-stress test).

Some prenatal diagnostic tests such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling carry a small risk of pregnancy loss. The decision to pursue prenatal testing is up to you and your partner. Discuss the risks and benefits with your healthcare provider.

Rush to the hospital if you have

Severe headaches
Vaginal bleeding
Pain or cramping in the lower abdomen
Watery vaginal discharge — in a gush or a trickle
Regular or frequent contractions — a tightening sensation in the abdomen
Decreased fetal activity
Pain or burning with urination
Changes in vision, including blurred vision

If you have any condition different from the norm, it is best to speak with your healthcare provider. Discuss nutrition, healthy weight or any ailment you might have. Your health care provider might also discuss your risk of having a baby with a genetic condition. If you are pregnant, do not take any medicine without the advice of your health care provider- allopathy, homoeopathy, ayurvedic or any pathy!

#BeTheForce

May 4, 2024 By Trupti Hingad 44 Comments

Body Massage: A luxurious way to healthy life

After a strenuous, hectic week at work, do you feel the need to relax your body and mind on weekends? There are various options to relax like you sleep for more hours, you take a hot shower after a hectic day, Meditation, and many more, but nothing is as comfortable as lying on a massage table.

Yes! The conversation between your skin and therapist fingers is the most important discussion you can ever have.

Let me start with explaining what is body massage and why you should take it?

Body massage is a process of massaging the body by using hands, fingers, knees, elbows, forearm, feet or any massage device. It is generally working on the body with pressure by using structured or unstructured motion.

The word comes from the French massage “friction of kneading”, or from the Arabic word – massage meaning “to touch, feel”

In today’s fast-paced life, physical and mental stress leads to a fatigued body. A masseur or a massage therapist has the art of massaging away the pain, stress, fatigue and tension from the body. Massage involves the rubbing and manipulating of muscles, tendons, skin and ligaments. Massaging rubs away fatigue and stress. It improves blood circulation. It creates a pleasant sensation on the skin and works on the soft tissue like muscles, tendons and ligaments hence improves muscle tone. Its benefits reach the deeper layers of muscle and even the internal organs. It relaxes muscle spasm and relieves tension. It helps to eliminate waste and toxins from the body.

There are various types of massage available on the market now. I am listing few of them.

1. Reflexology: is a special type of massage which includes the application of pressure to the feet and hands with specific movements and pressure. Oil or creams are not used in this technique. The pressure applied in these areas stimulates the effective functioning of those organs.

2. Active Release Technique: ART is used as a treatment for various conditions like pains caused by overuse of muscles. When muscles are subjected to tear, pull or undergo injury, they produce a tough and dense scar tissue at the site. So, this technique helps.

3. Acupressure: This was originated in China. In this, physical pressure is applied to the acupressure points with hand, elbow, palm, wrist, knees or using machines. Acupressure technique of body massage is believed to restore the balance of energies throughout the body.

4. Swedish Massage: This technique involves five styles of strokes, namely sliding, kneading, rhythmic tapping, friction and vibration or shaking. It helps in alleviating pain and joint stiffness.

5. Aromatherapy Massage: It is one of the most common types of massage. It is a body massage using highly effective essential oils and essential oil blends mixed with a carrier oil to massage the body.

6. Balinese Massage: This type of massage adopts gentle skin folding, kneading, stroking. It improves the flow of blood, oxygen and energy throughout the body.

7. Craniosacral Therapy: The technique involves applying gentle strokes and touches to the skull, face, spine and pelvis. This regulates the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

8. Stone Massage: Using stones that may be cold or hot to apply pressure and heat to the body. The stones may be heated with water, oil and are usually Basalt stones or lava rocks that are smooth and polished.

9. Lymphatic Drainage: This is a type of gentle massage that facilitates the natural production and drainage of the lymph.

10. Thai Massage: It involves deep, full body massage that progresses from feet towards upper body and concentrates on stroking the energy lines of the body. It is effective in managing musculoskeletal pain and fatigue, improves flexibility and movement of joints and improves blood flow in the body. A very popular form of massage now, mostly in metros.

BENEFITS OF BODY MASSAGE:

Everyday stress is unavoidable in today’s fast-paced world. Tension headaches, tightness in your shoulders, stomachaches and assorted pains are signs of built-up stress. This is a case where you don’t need to do anything other than relaxing and feel your body ease a sigh of relief. The confident hands of an expert massage therapist help melt all that stress and tension like sun bringing energy to each part of your body.

Regular massage improves blood circulation: The manipulation of the soft tissues and the chemicals and hormones relaxed during massage also improve the blood flow to the body.

It keeps skin rejuvenating– A full body massage helps remove dead skin cells over the entire body for improved skin tone. The stimulated blood flow benefits the appearance and health of the skin. Massage can also encourage tissue regeneration, which may help reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks

It loosens your stiff muscles, reduces cramps, reduces back pain, Gives pain relief post-surgery, releases good hormones into the body and reduce the migrane issues.

For Medical conditions like tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, obesity, sleep disorders, frozen shoulder, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome massage therapy have shown good results.

Some tips to follow while you go for body massage:

Drink enough water for an hour before the massage session to help remove the toxins easily. Drink enough water post massage too

Breathe deeply when the stroke is painful.

Stay calm and do not encourage any thoughts in your mind during a massage session. Just enjoy and feel it.

NOTE: Consult a physician before having a massage if you have medical conditions, such as cancer, fractures, blood clots, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis or if you are pregnant.

So, get to a Spa and relax the Mind, Renew the Body and Revive the Soul.

#BeTheForce

April 25, 2024 By AMINA AZMI 1 Comment

Kiwi – Berry of a woody vine-It’s health benefits

I hear of Kiwi and my taste buds get active and when I heard of its nutritional benefits, I started loving it even more!! The colour and the look of the kiwi slice will definitely make you fall in love with it and its taste is an icing on the cake. Kiwi tastes just awesome.

A little history about the fruit tells us that Kiwi fruit, native to Northern China was first cultivated in New Zealand at the turn of the 20^th Century and was known as Chinese Gooseberries. Later it was christened as Kiwi fruit in New Zealand because the fruit shares characteristics with New Zealand’s national bird Kiwi which is also small, brown and fuzzy.

Kiwis are rich in nutrients with low calories. It is packed with vital nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Copper, Choline, Magnesium and Phosphorous.

Who does not want to look and feel good? Everyone likes to and Kiwi helps you feel just as good, as it has a good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin E which are antioxidants that prevent from skin degeneration and keeps your skin wrinkle free and makes you look younger.

Antioxidants also boost immunity.

Kiwis are rich in fibre that binds to toxins and flushes them out of the body. Fiber also binds to cholesterol and removes them from the body and thus Kiwi also helps to reduce cholesterol.

Studies show that Kiwis have a mild laxative effect and hence good for constipation.

Fiber and Potassium in kiwis are good for heart health. Kiwi’s high level of potassium helps to keep the electrolytes in the body balanced thereby countering the effects of Sodium. Low sodium helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.

High potassium intake also helps to reduce the risk of stroke, loss of muscle mass. It also preserves the bone mineral density and there is a reduction in the formation of kidney stones.

Kiwi has a very low glycemic index i.e. it does not increase the blood sugar quickly which makes it a good fruit for diabetics as well.

Kiwi falls in the category of most alkaline fruits and thus helps in balancing acidic and alkaline food consumption. Few advantages of a properly acid/alkaline balanced body are youthful skin, deeper sleep, abundant physical energy, fewer colds, less arthritis and reduced osteoporosis.

Kiwi Fruit also protects from eye problems. Kiwi’s high level of lutein and zeaxanthin-both of which are natural chemicals found in a human eye prevents from eye problems Who ever knew this small fruit can be so beneficial. Truly said,” Big surprises come in small packages.”

I have made it a point to have at least one kiwi a day. What about you????

We hope this article helps you. For more informative articles such as this, check out Healthy Reads or you can get this information directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here.

#BeTheForce