Search Results for: hair

January 23, 2018 By Dr. Viral Thakkar 63 Comments

Hair loss: Causes and Prevention

Everyone loves a beautiful mane, be it, men or women. You could be having hair fall due to androgenic or non-androgenic causes. Androgenic causes are genetic in nature. Take Andre Agassi for instance, who starts losing his hair as early as when he was 19 and soon after, endorsed the ‘baldness’ proudly! If the causes of your hair fall are androgenic, it is best to accept your hair as they are! In case if your hair fall is due to a disease, it might continue with the disease or even after the disease is cured. A lot depends on the way you have treated the disease and the capacity of your body to jump back to a healthy state. Some of the diseases which lead to hair loss are Lupus, thyroid problems, cancer, muscular dystrophy or any severe chronic illness.

hairfall image 1

Prevent Hair Loss

Nothing beats the intake of nutritious foods & regular exercise– Make sure you are consuming enough proteins in your diet as these are the building blocks of tissues and hair. You can include milk, egg whites, pulses and fish; use Omega-3 fatty acids—such as salmon and mackerel— or sprinkle a tablespoon or two of freshly ground flaxseed on to salads or cereal each day.

2. Vitamin A is crucial for healthy hair because it works with the fat synthesis. Food products rich in vitamin A include leafy greens, carrots, eggs and cow’s ghee.

3. Vitamin B12 creates red blood cells, which ultimately provides more oxygen to your body! Eggs, milk, cheese, milk products, meat, fish, shellfish and poultry. Some soy and rice beverages, as well as soy-based meat substitutes, are fortified with vitamin B12.

4. Vitamin C and Iron are good for your hair. Lemon a top source of Vitamin C goes great with iron-rich foods such as spinach, quinoa, chia seeds, lentils, oatmeal, spirulina, soybeans and tomato paste. Oranges, strawberries, sweet potatoes, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, almost all leafy greens, apples, limes, broccoli, papaya, pineapple, gooseberries, and kiwi are also all great sources of Vitamin C.

5. Vitamin E also encourages circulation in the body and helps grow new blood vessels, which helps hair to grow. Almonds, sweet potatoes, spinach, peanuts amongst others.

Some of the most important minerals for hair health are — calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc which are found in vegetables and fruits.

Regular exercise allows sweat to clean out and unclog your hair pores. The exercise will also make you healthier overall which will help you grow longer, stronger locks.

Stay hydrated. The hair shaft itself is largely made up of water. Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day, along with fruits and juices.

Check if you have a hormonal imbalance. If you do, look into natural supplements for hormone regulation and foods that promote healthy hormone levels.

Health conditions which might lead to hair loss include stress, thyroid disease, anaemia, and medications for heart disease. Read the article on basic tests which you must consider.

Break your habit of smoking. Apart from a number of diseases, it reduces circulation, and this includes blood flow to the scalp. Drinking alcohol and caffeine hampers the immune system and cause further hair fallout.

Oil Scalp Massages stimulate the hair follicles to increase hair growth! Take any natural oil – olive, coconut, almond and massage gently into your scalp. Leave it for ½ hr to 1 hour and wash.

Home remedies: Unless sure, avoid the use of chemical treatments on your hair. Use shikakai soap at least once a week instead of shampoo with aloe vera pulp/curd. Instead of hair gels- use a pinch of brihangraj or coconut oil to settle your hair.

If you have dandruff/ itchy scalp, massage neem oil to your scalp, keep it for 1 hour before rinsing with shikakai soap. Repeat every week till you see an improvement. (if your scalp is sensitive, then neem oil may be diluted with an equal amount of coconut oil to prevent irritation). Neem is antibacterial and antifungal and works wonders for your scalp. Above all, listen to what your hair is telling you. All the treatments, even though natural might not suit your skin type. So try and find what suits you best and use it.

Use henna, to colour your hair if it suits your skin. In case if you use hair colours ensure to hydrate your skin post the treatment. The above remedies would suffice.

Yoga and Pranayam: Lazy bums out there should never give up on yoga and pranayamas they promote an overall wellbeing. While the below-given asanas aid hair growth, these are also beneficial numerous other body functions.

Adho Mukha Savasana (downward dog pose)

downward dog pose

Uttahanasana (standing forward pose)

standing fowardd pose

Pavanmukthasana ( Wind-relieving pose)

wind releaving pose

Sarvangasana Shoulder Stand)

shoulder stand

Vajrasana (Adamantine Pose)

vajrasana

April 11, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

GOQii supports International Wheelchair Fencer Vibhas Sen

Vibhas Sen seen here wearing the GOQii band and competing with the Malaysian wheelchair Fencer at the Asian Championship in Hong Kong

Living with a disability is not always easy – there are physical constraints, sometimes even in performing day to day chores. And our country does not provide for all those facilities that can make the life of a differently abled easy. It is often a challenge to find something to do, leave alone performing well in it. However, the human spirit is known to overcome physical and mental barriers to achieve their dreams. Vibhas Sen is a fine example of the above and has excelled both as a Paralympic swimmer and an International Wheelchair Fencer.

GOQii, the Health and Lifestyle company are proud to support Vibhas with coaching and nutrition guidelines to help him get fitter in his run up to the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil.

Vibhas, who is now in his early 30s and works with a digital advertising firm has a very tough daily routine. He goes to work in the morning and after work heads straight for his practice and finishes his day by 10.30 pm. He says, “I was looking for a fitness tracker to measure my fitness and also get some guidance on nutrition. Fencing is a tough and tiring sport and requires a great deal of physical strength”. GOQii has provided Vibhas with the wearable and personalized coaching who will track his fitness and advise him on his nutrition and other aspects. Luke Coutinho, the Master Coach at GOQii will be personally overlooking his progress.

“I am glad I have a coach who will monitor my progress daily and advise me on what to eat and what not to, how much to work out etc. Technology will bridge the gap for me,” says Vibhas.

Vibhas was born normal to his parents. But, at the age of 3 he was detected with Polio and since then he has been wheelchair bound. He was always interested in sports and wanted to play a sport. When he was in class 6, he aimed to learn swimming but, he only faced rejection from all the pools and coaches who refrained from taking me him on board. They told him he cannot learn swimming. So he dropped the idea and continued with his studies and led an extremely monotonous life. Although nothing deterred him from dreaming big.

It was at the age of 26 that he came across an article on swimming and he says, “After reading that article about a paraplegic swimming, I said to myself there is certainly light and the end of the tunnel. All is not so grim and dark.” He found a coach for swimming in Rajaram Garg who is the first paraplegic to swim the English Channel. “Under his guidance, I started swimming. Initially, it was more for recreation and the best part I liked was that the others in the pool were also differently abled. So I wasn’t alone.”

Vibhas was a regular at swimming for the sheer joy of it. Then one day his coach asked him to participate in a swimming competition in Pune and he won a Silver medal. That was the beginning of Vibhas taking up swimming seriously and at a professional level. He participated in many competitions and won two national level para-swimming events and several other state and district level awards within a year of taking up professional swimming.

“After swimming for a year, I wanted to try out another sport which was more challenging and something that I could pursue for a longer time. A sport where age factor will not be a constraint. And I found fencing interesting,” says Vibhas.

There are only 3 coaches in entire Mumbai for Fencing. Vibhas found a coach in Santosh Shejwal who is a National Institute of Sports Certified coach and was only coaching able-bodied persons. When Vibhas approached him he was not sure if he could coach him. Nevertheless, Shejwal said let’s give it a try. Within a year, Vibhas was quickly spotted by the National selectors of Wheelchair Fencing Federation of India to represent India. He then went on to get selected for the Wheelchair Fencing world Cup in Hungary in November 2014 and the grand Prix in Dec 2014 in Hong Kong.

Wheelchair fencing is a version of fencing for athletes with a disability. The sport is governed by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation that is a federation of the International Paralympic Committee. Currently, Vibhas is in Hong Kong competing in the Asian Wheelchair Fencing championship. This is in a run up to qualify for the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil.

Vibhas needs to participate in at least five international wheelchair fencing events in order to be eligible for the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Due to lack of support from the National federation, Vibhas, has been funding his international competition participation through some corporate sponsorships and through crowd funding. He says, “It’s been difficult to raise funds. Last international competition I raised funds through crowd funding. If I am able to raise funds I will go for these events”. His current Asian championship has been sponsored by Essar Foundation.

Vibhas Sen seated in the Centre with his India team

Despite so many constraints, Vibhas is confident of making it to the Paralympics. In his own words, “When someone says you can’t do it, you have got to secretly thank them. Let’s face it, proving them wrong is a huge motivator”. Vibhas’ larger goal is to win a gold in the Olympics.

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November 4, 2014 By CHARMI GOGRI 4 Comments

CAN FOODs HELP PREVENT PREMATURE GREYING OF HAIR??

“Grey hair” – I am sure is one of the most distressing night mares for all of us!

Greying of the hair is an ultimate and irreversible reality of life and is often associated with growing old. Black turns into white when our hair lacks the pigment called “melanin”. Melanin is produced by pigment cells of hair follicles which surrounds the root of each hair strand. With the increasing age of the person, there is gradual reduction in melanin pigment of the hairs and this is what causes greying of hair.

A number of medical conditions as well as lifestyle choices have been related to premature greying of hair. Some of them include Thyroid, Vitamin B12 deficiency, Vitiligo, Smoking, Stress, Faulty diet, Excessive use of electric dryers and hair irons. Of all the factors responsible, lack of proper diet and genetic factors are the major contributors.

Diet plays a very important role and if a person’s diet is faulty then he is likely to face premature greying of hair. Though one cannot prevent the natural cycle of whitening of hair, but one can always prevent their hair from premature greying by choosing right kind of foods.

Few hair-friendly foods which help delay whitening of hair include:

Curry leaves: Curry leaves are beneficial in not only preventing premature greying of hair but also in providing strength to hair roots. Apart from adding curry leaves to the diet, these leaves can also be boiled in coconut oil. This is a popular home remedy, an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and increase hair pigmentation.

Amla: Also known as Gooseberries, they are the best remedy for premature greying. Gooseberries are known to be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of grey hair. This is a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth and hair pigmentation.

Fresh Veggies: Simply incorporate green vegetables into your diet for two or three of your daily meals. They are naturally rich in Vitamins B6 and B12, which keep hair healthy.

Chocolate: Chocolate is naturally rich in copper, a nutrient which is vital for melanin production. Choose dark chocolate, which contains fewer calories than milk chocolate, and enjoy it in moderation.

Berries: Berries like strawberries, raspberries and cranberries have abundant amount of Vitamin C. They promote healthy hair as well as prevent premature greying.

Salmon: Salmon is a great food for fighting grey hair. Salmon is a natural source of selenium, which regulates hormone production that keeps your hair colourful.

Almonds: Get rid of grey hair and have a healthy flowing hair with almonds
Almonds are rich in both Vitamin E and copper. Try incorporating almonds into your meals and start loading up on hair-healthy nutrients.

Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds have high amount of mineral content which helps in producing and retaining the melanin content thus playing an important role in maintaining healthy hair.

Lastly, when you’re eating hair-friendly foods, ensure water intake is optimal because nutrients need water to flow through your body. Thus, If you’re not well-hydrated, you won’t get the maximum benefits from all those special, grey hair colour-fighting foods!

So all these foods and information will help you prevent grey hair and will make you look much younger even when you grow old..

November 18, 2021 By Divya Thampi Leave a Comment

Three Powerful Relaxation Techniques For Immediate Relief From Stress

“The school just expects the parents to engage children all day, my son is hardly occupied for 2 hours with online classes!”

“Don’t step out of home for the next few days, the neighbors just arrived from their home town. They could be infected.”

“I have been sitting at my home study desk, attending calls all day, my brain’s fried!”

Those seem to be some common themes of many a conversation happening around us today. Is it any surprise that people are more stressed than usual? These are unprecedented times and if you find yourself feeling sad, anxious, angry, confused or scared without explanation, you are not alone. The specific reasons for the stress experienced during these times are as varied as the people themselves but there’s hardly anyone who can escape the clutches of stress. How does one remain grounded and feel a sense of equanimity in the midst of all that’s going on during these COVID times? Here’s help!

Following are three go-to relaxation techniques that therapists use to help their clients relax. Not all techniques may work for everyone but at least one of these should work for you:

1. Progressive Muscle relaxation

This exercise is very effective in lowering stress levels and can also reduce physical problems like headaches or stomachaches that accompany feelings of stress. This practice also improves sleep. When you are stressed your muscles tighten without your conscious awareness. Regular practice of PMR helps you to become aware of the difference between a tensed muscle and a completely relaxed muscle, thus improving your ability to recognize your bodily response to anxiety and mitigate it.

Sit down on a chair with a backrest such that you are sitting erect but not tensed.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Once you breath slows down, progressively tighten one muscle group (neck and shoulders or upper arm and lower arm) at a time for about 10-15 seconds.
Once the time is up, release the tension in the muscles completely with a long exhalation and observe the sensation in the relaxed muscles.
Continue this with each muscle group from head to feet.
You could do this 2-3 times a day and even before going to bed.
Avoid doing this with any part where there is a sprain or other injury.

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing –

Also known as belly breathing, it is the optimal way of breathing as it actively engages your diaphragm. Belly breathing leads to improved oxygen flow to the rest of the body. This kind of breathing triggers a relaxation response by stimulating the vagus nerve, the longest nerve emanating from the brain. This nerve has a significant role to play in reducing blood pressure, heart rate, improving calmness, relaxation, and digestion. When engaging in breath based meditations most people practice belly breathing. Chest breathing is something we learned to do as a reaction to stress. For belly breathing, follow these steps:

Sit comfortably or lie flat on your bed or any other comfortable surface and relax your shoulders.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
Breathe in through your nose for 2-10 seconds (according to your capacity).
Feel the cool air moving through your nostrils into your abdomen, making your stomach inflate. During this type of breathing, make sure your stomach is moving outward while your chest remains relatively still.
Press gently on your stomach, and exhale slowly for about 2-10 seconds.
With every exhalation you will notice the stomach deflate under your palm
Repeat these steps several times and observe your body relax.

3. Guided Imagery

This is a focused practice that involves all or most of the 5 senses, to kindle calming responses in the mind and the body. Guided imagery uses imagination to take one to a calm, peaceful place, internally. This is a powerful tool that has a positive impact on blood pressure, breathing, oxygenation and heart rate. It can reduce pain and also improve the healing process of the body and mind. Our body reacts the same whether we experience something in reality or imagine it. So when you imagine yourself sitting in a beautiful green meadow and watching a clear stream of water flow over smoothened rocks, your body responds as if you were actually in the meadow.

Sit down or lie down comfortably and close your eyes.
Take a few deep breaths to help you relax.
Imagine a scene that is calm and peaceful. This could be a beach, a meadow, a valley, the mountains or a riverside, according to your preference.
Visualise the scene and slowly add some details, like a gentle breeze, fragrance of the grass, gurgling sound of water or the chirping of birds. Is the sky a clear blue or do you see fluffy white clouds?
It helps to visualise you walking through the scene and experiencing the beauty and serenity using all your senses.
And as you walk through the scene and go deeper you feel more and more relaxed.
Continue to breathe slowly and experience the sense of peace that envelops your body and mind. Think of a word or sound that you can use in the future to help you mentally return to this place.
When you feel ready, gently bring yourself back to the present. Tell yourself that you will feel relaxed and refreshed when this is done and slowly open your eyes. Notice how you feel right now.
You could also use a recorded guided imagery audio, which is generally available on many of the free versions of meditation apps.

We hope these powerful relaxation techniques help you find relief from stress. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on stress and stress management, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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