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Add Magic To Your Life With This Simple Technique

Positive Affirmations

More than often, we get disheartened if we are not able to achieve our goal well on time or if we face obstacles in achieving it. It’s not just related to our health journey but the journey of life as well. We face so many challenges on a daily basis. While some face them bravely by being positive and firm, others get discouraged or depressed for not being able to face failures. The way we deal with issues is different for each individual and that is okay!

Life is not about going through it passively, it’s about living it actively. Yes! Living life to the fullest. Joy comes from facing challenges head on, setting goals and giving it a 100% to achieve them with full zeal and spirit.

But how can we do it? That’s the big question with a very simple solution.

VISUALIZE
Yes, we need to understand that visualization is powerful enough to solve any problems that we face. Many of us don’t even realize that this power lies within us, all we need to do is use it.

We know that our body and mind are connected and our emotions are linked with our actions, right? For instance, if we are sad/depressed due to any reason, it reflects in our behavior. If we get irritated or angry/frustrated, the turmoil of emotions affects our health negatively.

HOW CAN WE WORK ON IT?
It’s simple! Just concentrate on your thoughts. What kind of thoughts are wandering in your mind? These thoughts have an impact on your feelings, emotions and actions. Trust me, if we are aware of the thoughts creeping in our mind, we have the power to change that thought, at that very moment. Don’t let the bad or negative thoughts enter your mind or affect you. There are thousands of thoughts in our mind. So, how many of them are we going to stick to or store, so that they can bother us? Make sure its none of the negative ones.

Hence, VISUALIZE, BE AWARE, KEEP NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AT BAY, GO EASY AND CHANGE YOUR THOUGHT TO A POSITIVE ONE!

  • Just close your eyes and visualize. For instance, if someone has a health goal of losing weight, but due to some reason, the player is not able to achieve it or is not getting the desired result in the stipulated time, the player might have some negative thoughts. The player may feel that ‘this goal cannot be achieved’ or ‘I can’t do it’. At this very moment, the player can stop this negative thought from entering his/her mind and instead visualize the positive, coming out of any fear that affects his/her mind.
  • Wake up every day with a positive mind and visualize. Visualize the day, how you are going to achieve your goal, what’s your target for the day and strive to fulfill that.
  • Never give up! It’s okay if you can’t achieve your target today, try again tomorrow.
  • If losing weight is the target, visualize that the habit, diet or exercise regime you are following is working for you and getting you closer to your goal. If any medical condition, then envisage that the treatment or the medication is working for you and improving your health.

Hence, it’s not only the physical aspect that we need to work on but the mind as well. Detoxifying our mind is equally important as detoxifying our body.

MAKE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS

  • This has to be done every single day – Morning and night. Morning, you make an affirmation and visualize how you’re going to work on it. At night, introspect on how it all went and how the day was, just for a few minutes.
  • As soon as you wake up, make an affirmation with closed eyes. Spend a few minutes with yourself every morning and night.
  • Set it for a shorter duration or you can even set it for a week so that you can stick to it. Affirmations could be as simple as, “I will follow all my habits today”, or “I will be active today”, or “I will not get angry today”.
  • The key is to be committed and dedicated.

Once you start this process, you will see how your life changes positively. So go ahead and make one right now!

We hope you found this article insightful. Please share your thoughts in the comments below. For further guidance on holistic well-being, explore Healthy Reads, or speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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“All you want to know about knees and Knee injuries and how to fix it”: Dr Anjana Laungani

Dr Anjana Laungani

Dr. Anjana Laungani

In the last decade or so people have taken to extreme sports like Running (Marathons), Ultra Marathons, Trail Running, Cycling and High Altitude Trekking. But, most are not aware of how to take care of their body or that they should go for a full body assessment to check if all is ok before they start on an extreme activity.

They do not realise that over doing these activities does not help the body in the long run. Many do it because their friends are doing it and many do it because they think this is the only way to prove to people that they are fit, not realising that over doing such extreme sports and doing it without enough knowledge can lead to fatal injuries. One of the worst injuries that people develop is knee injuries.

How can one avoid such injuries while training? Let us understand from Dr Anjana Laungani, a renowned physiotherapist from Mumbai who consults celebrities and has her own brand of a clinic – Physio Rehab in Mumbai tell us how people develop knee injuries and what can be done to avoid and treat such injuries.

She explains that the knee is the most common joint in the body that gets injured and one must understand why that happens. It happens because knees are in between the foot, the hip and the back. Knee sorts of gets whacked around because of any problem that might be there in the foot or in the hip or in the back.

“I call the knee the middle child syndrome, you know how in the family we have an elder child, a younger child, and a middle child gets really whacked around by them and bullied. The knee is exactly treated that way,” says Dr. Anjana.

According to her when one looks at knee injury one should also look at the foot, hip and the back. Because these could actually be the cause of the knee problems. When one is participating in extreme sports, you are not just climbing or running or walking only with your knees, the knee works as a team with the foot, the hip, and the back. This is called the Lower quadrant of the body and they have to work in synchrony with each other.

All those with knee injuries should always get themselves assessed entirety looking at how is the foot alignment. For instance, if you are flat footed you will be prone to injuries. If an individual has a hip muscle which is extremely weak especially the gluteus muscle will he develop knee problems, the risk factor is very high if the individual does not have a very good core muscle that gives him the power to run. Then all he would do is jam the weight of his body into his knee. So commonly according to Dr. Anjana only 20% of people have direct knee problems but 80% have knee problems due to other issues.

It is therefore very important to get assessed and looked at by professionals especially a physiotherapist who can do what we call as a lower limb kinetic chain assessment, these evaluations will give you a very good idea on where the problem is coming from. You need to look at foot you need to look at the hip muscles you need to look at the core muscles which could probably give problems to these areas.

Dr. Anjana says it is best when people approach physiotherapist when they do not have an injury and consult for how to avoid injuries rather than go for treatment after getting themselves injured.

Physio rehab is one such clinic where one does not have to go only when in pain. She and her team work with those who wish to improve their fitness so that they can undertake physical challenges like treks, pilgrimages, adventure holidays, overseas travel etc.

Ranveer Singh with Dr Anjana Laungani at PhysioRehab: Dr Anjana first worked with Ranveer Singh when he had suffered a back injury during the shoot of ‘Lootera’. Thereafter PhysioRehab once again came to his help when he shattered his right shoulder while doing a stunt for ‘Bajirao Mastani’. PhysioRehab helped him come back to fitness and perform all his action shots for the film.

Ranveer Singh with Dr Anjana Laungani at PhysioRehab: Dr Anjana first worked with Ranveer Singh when he had suffered a back injury during the shoot of ‘Lootera’. Thereafter PhysioRehab once again came to his help when he shattered his right shoulder while doing a stunt for ‘Bajirao Mastani’. PhysioRehab helped him come back to fitness and perform all his action shots for the film.

Dr. Anjana has practiced for over 25 years and put together this clinic as a vision to be able to provide quality, scientific physiotherapy services to the community which she thinks was lacking when she started. “I feel that physiotherapy needs to be approached in a more scientific manner, there has to be proper assessment, proper diagnosis and most importantly patient education. I think the patient first needs to understand what is it that is going on with them and actually give them a sense of responsibility,” she concludes.

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Is Blood Donation Really That Important?

blood donationPriyanka struggled to get blood for her father who was undergoing a surgery. The blood bank did not have her father’s blood type. As things got tougher, she tried to get in touch with other blood banks but none of them had it. In fact, she was ready to pay, but the blood banks did not have the blood type! Time was running out. She also started getting in touch with her friends but to no avail. Her friends all refused to donate blood due to their preconceived notions and myths.

Due to the shortage of blood, within a few hours, Priyanka lost her father. While she was inconsolable, what shattered her completely was the fact that in India, a country with such a large population, she could not garner enough blood for him, even though every human possesses it.

Timely, affordable access to screened blood is essential to the provision of safe surgical care. This depends on three key aspects:

  • Adequate volume of blood supply
  • Safe protocols for blood donation and transfusion
  • Appropriate regulation to ensure safe, equitable and sustainable distribution.

Different medical procedures require different components of blood. However, due to the lack of facilities, much of it goes to waste. Many low-income and middle-income countries experience a deficit in these categories, particularly in rural areas. This is coupled with lack of donor awareness and information.

The WHO recommends that the blood requirement of 1% of a country’s population be used as a ballpark estimate of its blood needs. By this measure, India was short of 1.9 million units of blood according to the data presented on March 2018.

One requires blood transfusions in various emergencies like women with complications during childbirth, anemia, accidents, complex medical surgeries, patient with thalassemia, sickle cell disease  or it is also used to make clotting factors for people with hemophilia. Among other issues coupled with low donor rate, the blood banks in India face a crisis of blood almost every year.

Physical Benefits of Blood Donation

1. Lower Risk of Heart Disease:  Blood donation may lower the risk of heart disease and heart attack since it reduces the blood’s viscosity. It also significantly lowers the total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, protecting against cardiovascular disease.  Researchers note this is consistent with findings in other studies which found that blood donors had a lower risk of heart disease and heart attack.

According to a study, donating blood regularly may also lower iron stores which may reduce the risk of heart attack. The risk of heart attacks increase when the body stores a lot of iron.

2. Donating blood is an opportunity to get a basic health checkup done for free since the technician checks your:

  • Pulse
  • Blood pressure
  • Body temperature
  • Hemoglobin levels

This is an insight into your health! The blood is also checked for:

  • Hepatitis C
  • HIV
  • West Nile virus
  • Syphilis
  • Trypanosoma cruzi

Psychological Benefits

Donating blood has a feel good factor. It tends to improve one’s emotional well being. Hence, it might have an impact on stress reduction and providing a sense of belonging

Side Effects of Donating Blood

Post donating blood, one might feel

  • Nauseous, lightheaded or dizzy after donating blood. This usually settles in a  few minutes
  • There might be slight bleeding at the site of the pick, or you might develop a bruise. I believe it is all good since it is for a wonderful cause!

However, get in touch with a doctor or your blood center if you:

  • Still feel lightheaded, dizzy, or nauseous after drinking, eating, and resting
  • Develop a raised bump or continue bleeding at the needle site
  • Experience arm pain, numbness, or tingling

Where to Donate Blood

I personally suggest citizens to donate blood at a blood bank or nearby government run tertiary health centers. Otherwise, get in touch with Red Cross centers near your house and donate! Avoid donating at generic blood camps since one is not sure of the storage procedures. But ensure that you do donate!

People’s lives are usually at stake just because of myths people have on donating blood. Priyanka’s friends, even though educated, did not understand the importance of blood donation! Donating blood is giving the gift of life. As a human being, it is the duty of every person to donate blood at least once a year as a service to mankind! The decision to donate your blood can save a life, or even several if your blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma — which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.

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Porn Induced Erectile Dysfunction, Is It Real?

erectile dysfunction Erectile dysfunction is one of those things that affects many couples, and people still don’t talk about it enough. For some it could be a source of embarrassment and confusion, especially because it is associated with aging, illness or hormonal imbalances.

Before getting into this article, remember: a sexual disorder is something that can affect anyone. It is not a ‘failure’ on anyone’s part and it is nothing to be ashamed about! For most people, Erectile Dysfunction (ED) can be treated successfully with a combination of methods, both medical and alternative. But what if we told you that there could be a link between your media consumption and erectile dysfunction? More specifically: could porn be harming your sex life?

What Does the Research Say About Erectile Dysfunction?

While the increase of Erectile Dysfunction in younger populations casts pornography as an obvious culprit, there is still no proven link between porn and sexual dysfunction. Porn is everywhere now. It’s free, it’s available, and it caters to every fetish or fantasy imaginable. So when it comes to porn, does the common-sense approach ‘too much of anything is bad’ hold true?
The research is unclear, but what we do know is that porn triggers an instant release of dopamine, also known as our ‘happy hormones’. A quick fix of dopamine! That explains why porn can be so addictive. For many, this addictive nature of porn can direct them to more specific or extreme types of porn to get that desired dopamine hit. As the body gets accustomed to this, a regular sexual experience may no longer feel exciting enough.
But erectile dysfunction is not the only issue. Another common issue that could be related to porn is ejaculation control. Those masturbating to porn tend to do so very quickly to avoid being caught. A hasty ‘quickie’ is quite normalized these days. While this may provide quick release, it also trains our bodies to orgasm very quickly, a habit that carries on into our sex life with other people. In fact, premature ejaculation may be far more connected to porn viewing than erectile dysfunction.

Porn and Arousal

ED is rarely a single-cause issue. Health, disease, age, exercise, habits like smoking and drinking, mental health and body image can all affect arousal and sexual health. For many, porn creates a safe atmosphere for arousal; one without fear of judgement or pressure to perform in front of another person. It makes arousal easier. At the same time, this comfort also makes it easier to ignore underlying issues and turn to porn as the only escape. Porn can also make you crave for newer and newer content. But when there is new content, perfect bodies and extremely specific sexual niches readily available online, regular sex with the same partner pales in comparison. Sex with another person can be complicated and messy, sometimes even intimidating. It requires work, communication, trust and vulnerability in a way that watching porn doesn’t. Porn can become an easy way out, at the expense of working on the issues that really matter.
If this sounds like you and you suspect that watching porn is affecting your sex life negatively, then here are some questions to think over: Do you only feel like there is a problem during partnered sex? Do you find yourself dependent on porn to masturbate and reach orgasm? What sort of porn are you watching, do you get bored of one type of content and move on to the next quickly? By trying to understand which situations make arousal difficult, it can give you clarity on whether your problem is mental, physical, or a combination of both.

You think you may have a problem: Now what? 

If you feel like porn is seriously affecting your sex life, consider speaking to a professional or a sex therapist. Otherwise, on your own, you could try masturbating without porn. Focus on situations outside of porn that have been arousing, invest more in connecting with your partner and visualizing sex as an extension of that connection. Experience the sensation of touch and maybe don’t even focus on orgasming initially. Get to know your body, even outside of a sexual context: what sort of sights, sounds, tastes and feelings do you enjoy? Deepening your connection with your body in everyday life is bound to be rewarding during sex.

While some groups suggest that porn should be given up altogether, the most practical approach is to enjoy porn in moderation or to watch porn that portrays more realistic sex and bodies. Porn-induced erectile dysfunction is still a debated idea. Overall, most experts agree that there is nothing inherently wrong with masturbation or pornography.

Like with everything else, what matters is how these practices fit into your life and how you relate to them. Health and wellness are complicated, diverse spectrums: there is no singular way to have a healthy sex life. So pay attention to your body, your feelings, pleasure and your individual desires and goals, and ask yourself: is porn helping or harming?

We hope this article helps you! For more on sexual wellness, tune in to LIVE sessions by our sexual wellness expert Pallavi Barnwal on GOQii Play. You can also connect with her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pallavibarnwalcoach

#BeTheForce 

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