Search Results for: hormone

November 2, 2022 By Sunita Arora 1 Comment

11 Unhealthy Habits That Are Destroying Your Health

Old habits die hard and that’s true. Habits are stored in our subconscious mind. We keep on carrying out tasks or habits, without even realizing we are doing it. While some habits help us complete day to day activities, there are some which aren’t good for our health, especially the ones which affect our diet. It is crucial to follow habits which have a positive impact on health. It is time to identify unhealthy habits and get rid of them for good health’s sake.

Unhealthy Habits You Need to Stop

Skipping Breakfast: For some people, skipping breakfast is an easy way to cut calories. However, if you skip breakfast, you’ll probably overeat during lunch. Secondly, in the morning, our metabolic rate is high. To maintain it, we need to give enough fuel to our body in the form of breakfast. So you should not skip your morning meal at any cost.
Emotional Eating: If you are stressed or if you’ve had a bad day, call a friend, listen to music, write in a journal or try going for a walk. These options are better than binge-eating junk food due to emotional reasons.
Including Unhealthy Drinks: At some point, we all reach out for a soft drink after a meal. It has somehow become a norm. Sweetened/Aerated drinks increase your daily calorie intake and cause other health issues. Instead, drink lemon water, coconut water or buttermilk. In fact, you can make your own healthy energy drinks!
Eating Out Frequently: Avoid the habit to grab something unhealthy when going out for a long day. Take healthier shortcuts! Eat a vegetable sandwich, protein salad, whole grain crackers & veggies with humus. You can even carry fresh fruits.
Munching While Watching TV or During Long Drives: Try to avoid unnecessary munching while watching your favorite program or when you are on a long drive or a road trip. Instead of having processed foods like chips, cookies, etc. you can have a handful of nuts, air popcorn, seed trail-mix and unsalted peanuts.
Lack of Sleep: Sleep works as nutrition for the brain. Our body needs 8-9 hours of sleep every night. Less than 8 hour of sleep triggers a cortisol spike and hampers our metabolism and contributes to weight gain. Shut your computer, mobile, and TV at least an hour before sleeping.
Long Gap Between Meals: There shouldn’t be a huge time gap between meals. When you are on a weight loss journey, you shouldn’t just be careful about the food you eat but the time you eat as well! Many studies show that, if you are not eating at the right time, you might not be able to achieve your weight loss goals. The ideal gap between breakfast – Lunch & lunch –dinner should not exceed 4 hours.
Eating Late at Night: You should not eat dinner very late as it promotes weight gain. Your last meal or your dinner should always be 3 hours before bedtime.
Consuming Extra Salt: Eating a lot of salt can cause an increase in water weight and fat in your body. If you eat too much salt, extra water gets stored in your body which can raise your blood pressure. Higher blood pressure leads to heart attacks, strokes and kidney diseases. Avoid sauces, pickles, sprinkling extra on salad & curd in your meals.
Eating Heavy Meals Close to Bedtime: Avoid eating heavy meals close to bedtime, it can cause acidity, severe heartburn and make difficult to fall asleep. Also avoid tea, coffee, and chocolate in the evening because caffeine can stay in our system for 5-6 hrs and suppress the sleep hormone.
Putting Calorie Restrictions: Eating more calories than your body needs will lead to weight gain. Whereas, eating lesser calories than your body needs will lead to weight loss. However, restricting calories too much may slow down metabolism, can cause fatigue, nutrient deficiencies and lower immunity too.

These 11 unhealthy habits can contribute to weight gain, affect metabolism and can be extremely detrimental to your health. Avoid them and adopt a healthier lifestyle. For more tips on living a healthier lifestyle, check out Healthy Reads or ask an expert by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

We hope this article has helped you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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October 31, 2022 By Shagufta Raza 1 Comment

5 Alarming Effects of Overtraining & How To Manage Them

Overtraining, in essence, is performing excessive training which your body is unable to recover from – both in and outside the gym. The less severe versions of overtraining may take you a week to recover from. While most fitness experts will tell you that overtraining is worse than undertraining, some people still choose to push themselves which result in alarming physical and psychological effects.

Signs That You’re Overtraining

Can you tell the difference between giving it your all and pushing yourself too hard? Here are some signs, symptoms and effects of overtraining you need to watch out for.

Increased Heart Rate: Check for the elevated resting heart rate. A healthy resting heart rate range is 60-100bpm (beats per minute) and usually, the fitter you are, the lower your resting heart rate will be. If you’re overtraining, you may notice your resting heart rate will be 10-15 bpm higher than usual.
2. The Gaining or Losing Dilemma: This issue can be extremely problematic for people who gain weight unintentionally. The unexpected weight gain can lead to excessive workouts. The hormonal and inflammatory effects of overtraining can lead the body to lower thyroid function, crank out stress hormones, ramp up inflammatory cytokines, and create an overall environment that favours fat storage.
Muscle Soreness: This is common when you exercise regularly. However, if you’re experiencing soreness for longer than 72hrs, you need a break as this could be a sign of overtraining. If you are aiming to build muscle, recovery is equally important. If your muscles aren’t recovering, it will have a negative impact on muscle gains and can also lead to muscle loss.
Sleep Quality & Insomnia: Generally after a good workout at the gym, you may feel exhausted and fall asleep in no time. But you may notice that even after you have hit the gym and you are exhausted, you are still struggling to fall asleep. This can be linked to an overload on the hormonal and nervous system.
Injuries: If you’re always getting injured or soreness which isn’t healing, then this could mean your body can’t cope with the pressure. Give it a break and take it slow. It’s absolutely vital to rest so that your body regains its strength.

The other signs and effects of overtraining may also include nausea, decreased appetite, allergic reactions, head colds/persistent upper respiratory tract infections, changes in menstrual patterns, decreased coordination and loss of strength.

How Can You Manage It Effectively?

Now that you’re aware of the effects, let’s take a look at how you can manage and take possible precautions!

When you are weight training, ensure that you don’t exceed more than 45-75 minutes.
The right nutrition is the key to recovery. Make sure you plan your meals to ensure you’re refuelling effectively and getting the right amount of nutrients in your diet with your Pre and Post workout meals. You may require expert advice on this. You can subscribe to GOQii to get personalized advice from a coach and an expert.
Quality Sleep: Physical recovery happens between 10pm to 2am. So getting in some early nights in will aid your recovery.
Heart rate devices are a great tool to measure recovery rates. Try these awesome GOQii Trackers.
Plan Regular Rest Days: An excessively sore or weak muscle should be given adequate rest. A good rule of thumb is to wait for 48 hours before working the same muscle group. If that muscle group is still sore, you may need to wait even longer – sometimes up to 5 days.
Avoid eating late, sugary foods (or other stimulants). Follow a healthy diet and plan regular rest days until you’re back into a regular sleeping pattern.

We hope this article helps you overcome all the hurdles to your training. Remember that giving it your best is okay but never overdo it. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

For more articles on training or for some effective and easy home workouts, check out Healthy Reads. To get into a proper training routine and not over-train, speak to an expert by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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October 18, 2022 By Urvi Gohil 3 Comments

Top 5 Sources of Protein For Vegetarians

Indian Dietetics Association claimed a few years back that vegetarian diets in our country are 84% protein deficient along with 65% protein deficiency in the diets of non-vegetarians too. Data also suggest that 93% of Indians are not aware about their ideal protein intake per day. Proteins are extremely crucial for the body. The word Protein comes from a greek word Proteos meaning “First Place” or “Primary”. Some important functions of protein are:

Growth and maintenance
Structural part of enzymes required for many biochemical reactions
Structural part of hormones which are key messengers in the body
Providing rigidity and stiffness to cells and tissues all over the body
Maintaining ideal pH and balancing fluids
Bolster immune health
Providing energy
Transporting and storing nutrients

Recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 gram per kg body weight for normal healthy individuals. So if you are 60 kg, multiply it by 0.8, and your protein intake per day should be around 48 grams. Protein intake will vary based on various stages of life and for athletes, pregnant and lactating mothers, kidney & liver patients.

5 Sources of Protein For Vegetarians

Sattu (gram flour): Originated from Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, Sattu is known as the poor man’s protein. But recently, it has gained popularity due to its amazing nutrient profile. It is basically roasted and grinded gram flour. You can make Sattu ki roti, traditional Sattu drink with lemon and pink salt, Sattu fortification in dhokla, idli, dosa, etc. Try to take at least 2 tablespoons of Sattu in a meal. Unlike other protein sources, Sattu is easier to digest and suits well to elderly also.
Sprouted Pulses: The germinated pulses such as mung, kidney beans, black eyed beans, chana, chickpeas, etc. have more magnesium, protein, folate, minerals, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, manganese and phosphorus as compared to non-sprouted varieties. So increase the consumption of sprouts as it will give better nutrients in the same amount. You can make a fresh batch of sprouts daily and have a small cup with lunch and the same for dinner to enrich your meals with protein. Though you can store the sprouted pulses for 3 days in the fridge using a sealed container. Trying a variety of recipes on a daily basis like aloo-sprouts paratha, sprouts stuffed sandwich, sprouts salad, sprouts soup, etc. will also help.
Paneer: is another amazing, well known source of protein for vegetarians. It is rich in healthy fats, protein and low on carbs. In a controlled portion size, it’s great for diabetics, weight watchers and almost everyone. Try to incorporate paneer in your regular meals like post workout meals, sandwiches, curries, grilled paneer with veggies for meals, etc.
Nuts & Seeds: have an impressive number of protein and healthy fats in a single serving. It’s a great idea to add these in your mid meal and snack time. Walnuts, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. are concentrated sources of protein and healthy fats. About 2 tablespoon of them per day can help you in more ways than one.
Hung Curd: is nothing but our home made curd which has drained off its water. Make curd using low fat milk or cow milk, tie it in a muslin cloth and hang it for 3-4 hours for all the excess water to be drained. 1 cup of homemade hung curd provides 10-12 grams of protein. It is great for digestion and also for meeting calcium requirements. You can use it for dips, raita, salad dressings or just a plain cup of hung curd with meals.

We hope these food sources of protein for vegetarians helps you! Before you add any of these foods to your diet, please consult your doctor, nutritionist or dietitian.

How do you fill in your daily protein requirement? Let us know in the comments below. For more on proteins, you can check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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October 13, 2022 By Urvi Gohil Leave a Comment

Improve Sleep and Sleep Quality with these Lifestyle Changes

While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep per night to function at best. It has been estimated that more than half of the working population in India have experienced some or the other form of sleep deprivation or alteration during their lifetime.

Globally, the prevalence of insomnia ranges from 10-15%.

Sleep deprivation reduces your cognitive processes like thinking, learning, attention, concentration, etc. Chronic sleep deprivation increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, irregular heartbeat, etc. Over time, lack of sleep can contribute to symptoms of depression and kills your sex drive. And yes, lack of optimum sleep can make you gain weight.

How to Improve Sleep and Sleep Quality

1. Stay away from gadgets
Using electronic devices before bedtime can be physiologically and psychologically stimulating in ways that can adversely affect your sleep. The more electronic devices a person uses in the evening, the harder it is to fall asleep or stay asleep. Using TV, tablets, smartphones, laptops or other electronic devices before bed delays your body’s internal clock, suppresses the release of sleep-inducing hormones & makes it difficult to fall asleep. Along, with increase in alertness at the time you should sleep, it, in turn, delays the onset of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and compromises energy levels the next morning. Over time, these effects can add up to a significant chronic deficiency in sleep.

2. Take a Lukewarm Bath Before Bed
Taking a bath or shower before bedtime is a well-known sleep remedy. This is because a warm bath can help us relax. Our body temperature tends to drop after a warm bath, which can induce better sleep. Research suggests that the best time for taking a shower is 1-2 hours before going to bed. The duration of the bath does not need to be longer than 10 min. This will improve blood circulation and stimulate “temperature circadian rhythm” helping you fall asleep, improving sleep and sleep quality.

3. Perform Deep Breathing Before Sleep
Breathing strongly influences physiology and thought processes including moods. By simply focusing your attention on your breathing and without doing anything to change it, you can move in the direction of relaxation. The 4-7-8 breathing exercise also called “the relaxing breath” promotes better sleep. Here are the steps:

Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale completely through your mouth making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
This is one breath. Repeat 20 times.

4. Sleep Inducing Foods
There are certain foods which can help induce better sleep.

A glass of warm milk is a perfect beverage to induce sound sleep. Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into serotonin. Serotonin is known to have soothing effects in the brain and helps you sleep well. Adding a pinch of nutmeg, cardamom and some crushed almonds will improve taste and sleep.
Chamomile tea: Refreshing, revitalizing and fragrant chamomile tea has soothing effects on nerves and helps induce sleep.
Almonds could help you support sound sleep. Almonds also contain tryptophan and magnesium which are helpful in keeping your heart rhythm steady.
Avoid tea, coffee, alcohol and other stimulating foods after dusk.

5. Eat Your Dinner Early
When you eat late, you are unable to sleep because of improper digestion. An early dinner is good for digestion, helps in reaching your satiety value earlier and the body is able to utilize the food better and induce sleep. Eating late at night leaves the body on a high alert state which interferes with the circadian rhythm. Minimum 2-3 hours of gap between Dinner and sleep is good.

We hope these tips help you improve sleep and sleep quality! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

For more on sleep, check out Healthy Reads or get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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