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November 14, 2023 By Priyanka Mangla 3 Comments

The Early Signs & Symptoms of Diabetes

Diabetes has become one of the most common lifestyle disorders affecting both, urban and rural areas alike. You can attribute this to overeating, obesity, stressful, busy and sedentary lifestyles which lead to the early symptoms of diabetes. This also includes lack of proper nutrition which leads to disturbed glucose metabolism. Heredity is also a major factor in the development of the disease. It is usually misunderstood that eating only refined sugar in excess will lead to diabetes but that’s not the case. Excess intake of proteins and fats also leads to development of diabetes because ultimately they are also metabolized and converted to glucose.

Diabetes is characterized by the elevated levels of glucose in the blood and urine. It is of 2 types:

Type 1: is present since birth due to complete absence of insulin
Type 2: Develops later in life due to the deficiency of insulin

There are other variants too like gestational diabetes which occur during pregnancy. Read more about it here: https://goqii.com/blog/what-gestational-diabetes-can-do-to-you-your-unborn-child/

Since untreated or uncontrolled diabetes gradually starts affecting the functioning of major organs of the body, like the heart, kidneys, brain, nervous system, eyes, etc. it is important to diagnose and manage diabetes as early as possible.

How Can You Diagnose It?

It is diagnosed by a blood test, in which the blood glucose in the fasting state (normal values range between 80-120 mg/100 ml of blood) and 2 hours after having the meal (normal values, 140 mg/100 ml of blood) are measured. Now, even before getting your blood glucose tested, there are certain signs and symptoms which our body shows which indicate the development of diabetes.

Early Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

3P’s: Polyphagia (increased hunger), polydipsia (increased thirst), polyuria (increased urination). Remember these 3 P’s and look out if you are experiencing these.
Loss of weight: In spite of increased hunger, there will be a very sharp loss of weight, which again is a warning symptom. This is happening because the glucose is getting lost in the urine, also due to insufficient insulin, the available glucose is not getting utilized to provide energy and to function, the body has started utilizing the glucose which is stored in the muscles and organs.
Getting tired: Loss of weight due to this condition leads to early tiredness. The person gets tired easily both mentally and physically.
Dry mouth: Despite drinking more water, there will be dryness in the mouth.
Paleness: appears because of anemia.
Frequent infections and delayed healing of wounds: happens due to excess of glucose in the blood.
Loss of libido.

In its early stages, we can easily prevent it from progressing further to a full blown Diabetes Mellitus with:

Regular exercise: for a minimum of 30 minutes to maintain optimum weight. Engage yourself in light games.
Proper diet: Which includes salads with meals (this slows down digestion and prevents an immediate spike in blood sugar levels) and excluding refined sugar, alcohol, smoking and high fat foods.
Yoga & meditation: take care of the stress levels and curb the disease from getting any worse. Pranayama and certain yoga asanas like bhujangasana, sarvangasana and various others help in stimulating the pancreas to produce insulin .

There are certain home remedies which can be used as a supportive measure. I want to discuss here the two most important ones.

Bitter gourd (Karela): is highly beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. It contains an insulin-like principle, known as plant-insulin which has been found effective in lowering the blood and urine sugar levels.
Jambul fruit (Jamun): The seeds contain a glycoside ‘jamboline’ which has the power to check the pathological conversion of starch into sugar in cases of increased production of glucose. In the Homoeopathic system of medicine, we have a very effective medicine prepared from this fruit to treat diabetes.

We hope this article helps you manage Diabetes and helps you spot the early signs and symptoms. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on managing Diabetes, check out Healthy Reads.

For further guidance and motivation by certified experts, join the GOQii Diabetes Care program. It’s India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), and reduce HbA1c levels. You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.

#BeTheForce Against Diabetes!

October 25, 2023 By Sindhu Ashwin 4 Comments

Interesting facts about Salt you should know

We will all agree to the fact that we cannot do without Salt in our food. It is indeed one of the most important ingredients that go into our food. You will seldom eat the food cooked without salt. What is this salt that has made us so dependent on it? Most of us know what salt is but I am sure not all of us know there are some interesting facts about Salt that I would like to share with you.

Salt is made from a naturally occurring mineral element called Sodium and is a major ingredient worldwide. Much of the sodium we use is in the form of sodium chloride also know to us as common table salt.

Here is a list of some interesting facts about Salt

Widely used Additive: Salt is one of the first food additive and seasoning used by man for taste and also flavours. Today, it is one of the most widely used additives and is second only to sugar in the amount added to food.

Consumption of too much salt is bad: Though salt is necessary for human life, over-consumption contributes to heart diseases and other problems such as high blood pressure and hypertension and consuming fewer quantity results in hypotension. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart diseases, stroke and kidney disease. A high sodium diet or low sodium diet alone, however, does not cause variation in blood pressure. A combination of factors is involved, including family history of overweight, race, and physical fitness and smoking also contribute.

How much salt should you have: The amount of sodium a person need varies? Under normal conditions, a person needs as little as 2500 milligrams of sodium or the amount of sodium in half teaspoon of salt.

Replenishing Salts: In conditions such as excessive sweating (during workouts or playing a sport or trekking), diarrhoea and vomiting, sodium is lost, so the need increases. Any increased need for sodium can easily be met by diet alone since sodium content of the average diet is already greater than the amount normally required for maintenance.

Sodium mainly comes from four sources.

Table salt and another seasoning: Sodium is often added to foods during preparation in the form of table salt, monosodium glutamate, sea salt, black salt, rock salt etc. One level teaspoon of salt contains about 200mg of sodium.

Processed foods: Salt and Sodium containing additives are added to foods that are processed (ready to eat snacks like chips, salted nuts etc.) and sodium-containing additives play an essential role in the preservation of the food. e.g. Pickles, sauce and ketchup etc.

Foods that naturally contain sodium: All foods that come from animals contain sodium naturally. Most fresh fruits and vegetables also contain some sodium but in smaller amounts.

Medicines: Some over-the-counter drugs and medications contain sodium. Experts believe that, though cutting down on salt may not prevent high blood pressure; it may lower blood pressure for people who are considered to be “salt sensitive”. Often a low salt diet, combined with weight loss, medication or some other course of action, controls high blood pressure effectively.

Salt is tasty and an important ingredient in our daily cooking. Add them in limited quantity to stay healthy. Add rock salt to keep blood pressure at bay.

We hope this article equips you with valuable insights into the role of salt in your life. If you found this information helpful, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

October 24, 2023 By Mrinali Dwivedi 2 Comments

The Rainbow Diet: Decoding The Color Of Foods For Good Health!

Different foods have different colors, this is because of the different coloured pigments in them. These pigments, also called phytonutrients (phytoplants), provide various benefits to our body. Specific phytonutrients have specific functions, each playing a crucial role in the well being of humans. While immunity and good health is just a play of a well functioning organ system, it is very important to take care of each organ and function in particular. This can only be made sure when the diet is diverse and sufficient in all essential nutrients and in moderation. Hence, the Rainbow Diet!

What Is The Rainbow Diet?

The rainbow diet focuses on the consumption of a variety of colourful and fresh produce in your meals. Ensuring a colourful diet, ensures indiscriminate intake of all nutrients and also protects from any deficiencies that may have detrimental health outcomes. As a low or high of any one specific nutrient can disturb the peculiar balance of the optimum nutrient complex imperial to maintain good health.

The mantra of “eating the rainbow” inspires to add more color and colourful plant foods to the diet. It is a health based trend rather than the fads that provoke masses to avoid gluten, fats, lactose, carbs and what not! Here, all you need to do is add as many colors to your diet as possible in the form of different coloured plant based foods and that’s how you make sure you are doing right to your body! That way, one never has to worry about balancing as the rainbow diet is naturally balanced and with no side effects.

How Does It Help?

The abundance of supply of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory molecules from the rainbow diet, translates to a good immunogenic response by the body and allows effective combat against biological stressors and oxidative stress. In addition to this, plant foods are rich in fiber and prebiotics, both of which improve digestive function and gut health, making sure the best absorption of all available nutrients.

In all, the rainbow diet is beneficial for avoiding cardiovascular diseases and maintaining heart health, protecting against cancer, building good immunity and restricting infections. Additionally, it also helps in reducing weight, keeping away obesity related disorders, helps maintain good hair, skin and nails, keeps your energy levels high and improves overall good mood!

The Color Code Of Foods

Here you may find options of foods under each color and health function category and learn about its role.

Red	Immune health	Cherry, cranberry, raspberry, watermelon, pomegranate, red plums, strawberry, red grapes, dragon fruit, apple, tomato, red pepper, beetroot, kidney beans, red amaranth	Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune modulating
Orange	Reproductive health	Orange, papaya, sweet potato, persimmon, pumpkin, cantaloupe, mango, muskmelon, peach, apricot, almond, paprika	Endocrine modulation, fat-soluble antioxidants, role in ovulation and fertility
Yellow	Digestive health	Banana, pineapples, ginger, lemon, yellow zucchini, corn, sweet lime, yellow pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, honey, whole grains and husk	Anti-inflammatory, binders, fibres, catalysts, gastric motility, glycemic response, prebiotic
Green	Cardiovascular health	Spinach, kale, fenugreek, radish leaves, micro greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cucumber, green beans, olives, avocado, kiwi, grapes, green apple, pear, parsley, pumpkin seeds	Clotting, detoxification, methylation, vasodilation, binders, antioxidants
Blue- Purple	Brain health	Purple grapes, fig, purple jam, blueberry, mulberry, jamun (java plum), prunes, plums, eggplant, purple cabbage, purple onion, lavender	Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, brain protective, cognition support, neuronal support
White	Skeletal health	Cauliflower, milk/curd/paneer (cottage cheese), coconut, sesame, radish, soyabean, turnips, white onion, garlic, sunflower seeds	Probiotic, strengthening, absorptive, energising

We hope this article on the Rainbow Diet helps you choose and adapt these foods to your diet! Do try it and let us know in the comments below! For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or to get nutrition information, tips and recipes directly from your GOQii Coach, sign up for Personalised Health Coaching here.

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce

October 9, 2023 By Sindhu Ashwin 1 Comment

Know Your Fats – Oils Benefits

All that we are aware of fats and oils is their weight gain ability. But, did you know that these fats and oils have many benefits too? Recommended dietary allowance (RDA) also says 20-30% of the whole diet should come from fat. Many oils have great taste due to their fortification. For instance Olive oil pairs very well with salads.

Let’s read more benefits:

Brain development: Fat provides the structural components not only of cell membranes in the brain but also of myelin, the fatty insulating sheath that surrounds each nerve fiber, enabling it to carry messages faster. Many pregnant women are asked to consume oil on a slightly higher side for the brain development of the child.
Vitamins absorptions: Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are absorbed by the intestines to provide vitamins to the body.
Healthier skin: Right amount of fat intake decreases the chances of skin deficiencies like dry, flaky skin etc. It gives the skin a shining and rounded appeal. The layer of fat below the first layer of the skin provides insulation to help regulate body temperature.
Healthy cells: Fats acts as a vital part of all the membrane. Fat surrounds each cell of the body. Without a healthy fat, cell membrane will not be able to function the right way.
Taste: Besides being a nutritious energy source, fat adds to the appealing taste, texture, and appearance of food.
Cushion for organs: Many of the vital organs, especially the kidneys, heart, and intestines are cushioned by fat that helps protect them from injury and hold them in place.
Hormone manufacture: Fat helps in the secretion of hormones like prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that regulate many of the body’s functions. Fats also regulates the production of sex hormones. But, fat more than RDA if present will also hinder secretion of sex hormones. One should be in their ideal body weight and consume just the right amount of oil and match their ideal body weight (IBW). Teenage girls who look lean before their puberty will put on weight from the assistance of fat cell to sex hormones.

At GOQii we advise on healthy eating and leading a healthy lifestyle.

We hope this article has given you a deeper understanding of the benefits of fats and oils in your diet. If you found this information valuable, please share your thoughts in the comments section below. 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 Personalised Health Coaching here.

Interesting facts about Salt you should know

The Rainbow Diet: Decoding The Color Of Foods For Good Health!

What Is The Rainbow Diet?

How Does It Help?

The Color Code Of Foods

Know Your Fats – Oils Benefits

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