Search Results for: immunity

April 16, 2020 By Navnee Garg Leave a Comment

Coconut Oil As An Immunity Booster

Given the current situation, the pandemic has gotten most of us to focus on our health. We are in fact taking a step towards eating clean and boosting our immunity to fight the virus. But, boosting immunity is not a temporary need, we should always focus on it. It is our shield against infections and disease. Let’s look at one food which helps us do this – Coconut Oil!

We use butter, ghee or refined oil while cooking our meals. These are not only fattening but they also make us lethargic and weaken our immune system. On the other hand, coconut oil is a well-known superfood which can be used as a supplement for cooking. It has Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs) which make it easier to digest. This fantastic oil has antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which help to keep us healthy and immune.

Why Coconut Oil to Boost Immunity?

Coconut oil is blessed with two special ingredients which makes it excellent for immunity. These are lauric acid and caprylic acid – both have antiviral properties. Both the acids are well known for fighting off yeast overgrowth (candida) along with bacterial infections. The composition of coconut oil consists of 50% lauric acid which is converted to monolaurin by the body – which is an antiviral agent that fights off a variety of pathogens and viruses. Though it hasn’t been found to be a proven cure for any disease, the antiviral properties in coconut oil have been through extensive research. Coconut oil also enhances our metabolism in addition to strengthening the immune system which will protect the body against atmospheric impurities.

How Do You Use It Effectively?

If you’re looking to boost your immunity naturally, simply use a teaspoon of coconut oil a day.

As Cooking Oil: Use a teaspoon of coconut oil for cooking purposes which would help to curb fatigue and muscle pain with regular usage. You can stir it in coffee to make bulletproof coffee or you can even use it in any of your dishes like oatmeal, soups, smoothies, stews, or even make dessert and cook your veggies in it. If the taste is an issue, you can also use coconut butter which retains all the fiber naturally found in coconut, along with some of the oil.
For Skincare: We absorb everything we put on our skin directly into the bloodstream, within minutes of contact. Try mixing it in your moisturizer as this shall help you build a shield against viruses and bacteria. This can help you protect your skin just like internal organs when it comes to fighting off immunity invaders. Women can also use it as make up removers to keep the skin glowing and healthy.

Remember, though coconut oil has many benefits, it is not a cure for any illness. One needs to have a balanced diet, exercise well, stay hydrated, sleep well and stay stress-free to live a healthy life. That being said, if you are already taking a healthy balanced diet and want an extra boost, try to add some superfoods in your diet, including coconut oil and garlic, which also has immunity-boosting properties. Avoid refined coconut oils and go with extra-virgin and organic for the best quality.

For more tips on boosting immunity and immunity-boosting foods, tune in to GOQii Play. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce!

March 27, 2020 By Neha Goyal 4 Comments

Immunity Building Recipes For The Fasting Season

It’s Chaitra Navratri and that means it is the fasting season. With the coronavirus spreading rapidly, it is imperative that you take care of your health by consuming good food which is permitted during this fasting season. We have compiled a few nutrient-rich immunity building recipes and herbal concoctions to help you get the most during your fast! Have a look.

Immunity Building Recipes For the Fasting Season

1. Turmeric Tea

Benefits of turmeric are not unknown to us. This tea is full of anti inflammatory ingredients to help fight infections.

Ingredients:

Organic Turmeric Powder – ½ Tsp
Water – 200ml
Ghee or coconut oil – 1-2 tsp
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
Ginger juice – ¼ tsp
Lemon juice – ½ tsp
Raw organic honey – 1 tsp

Method:
Take water in a pan and add turmeric powder. Let it boil for 10 minutes. Strain the tea into a container & allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for a while to get a strong immunity boosting tea.

2. Panakam (Pronounced as Panagam in Tamil)

It is a traditional South Indian drink specially prepared on Ram Navami. This wonder drink is thought to prevent illness due to seasonal changes.

Ingredients:

Water – 4 cups
Powdered jaggery – ½ cup
Edible camphor (optional) – ½ pinch
Tamarind pulp – 4tbsp
Dry ginger powder – ½ tsp
Freshly ground black pepper (optional) – ¼ tsp
Tulsi leaves – 3 to 4
Freshly ground cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Method:
Soak jaggery in water until it dissolves completely. Now strain the mixture and add camphor, tamarind pulp, ginger, black pepper and cardamom powder. Let it sit for half an hour so all the flavours can infuse. Strain the liquid to remove any particles. Add roughly hand-crushed tulsi leaves and serve. You can adjust the quantity of jaggery and other flavours as per your choice.

3. Green Smoothie

This smoothie can be considered as a meal replacement. It is full of nutrients that can boost your immunity.

Ingredients:

Cucumber roughly cubed (do not remove peel) – 1 large
Banana – 1
Handful of spinach leaves
1 Kiwi or handful grapes
Chia seeds, Watermelon seeds, Pumpkin seeds – 2 tbsp each
7-8 soaked almonds

Method:
Soak all seeds in ½ water for around 2-3 hours. (You can also soak them overnight if you’re planning to have this smoothie for breakfast). Now throw all the ingredients in a blender & blend until smooth. You can add water to adjust the consistency as per your choice. Your green smoothie is ready!

4. Papaya Smoothie

Most of us consider citrus fruits when it comes to getting our daily dose of Vitamin C. But you will be amazed to know that papaya has almost the same amount found in an Orange. Along with that, it’s a great source of Vitamin A too.

Ingredients:

Papaya cubed – 2 cups
Fresh curd – ¾ cup
Chia seeds – 2 tbsp
Fresh orange juice – ¼ cup
7-8 cashews
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp

Method:
Soak cashews and chia seeds in curd for 2-3 hours. Now throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust the consistency using more orange juice or water. Your smoothie is ready!

5. Orange Delight

Ingredients:

Apple cubed – 1
Boiled & cooled chopped carrot – ½ cup
Orange – 1 cup
Ginger – ½ inch piece
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Sunflower seeds and Flax seeds – 2 tbsp each
4 walnuts
Handful of roasted foxnuts

Method:
Soak the nuts and seeds for minimum 2 hours. Throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Your orange smoothie is ready.

As you can see, these immunity building recipes are fasting friendly and a great detox as well – which is the main scientific purpose of fasting. Use these immunity building recipes as a part of your meals to stay healthy at all times! For more immunity building and healthy recipes, tune in to cooking classes on GOQii Play.

Stay Safe, stay indoors and #BeTheForce!

January 15, 2019 By GOQii Editor 1 Comment

Immunity and India-India Fit Report 2019

Build your immune system

29% of the teenagers in India fall sick annually, followed by 26% of adults-India Fit Report 2019

Immunity is the ability of our body to defend itself against infections, diseases, or other unwanted biological invasions. The higher your immunity, the less likely you are to fall sick. If you are someone who frequently falls prey to cold and cough, think no more, you just have weak immunity. Being the body’s first and last line of defence, immunity is essential to keep your body strong and resilient. There are many factors that determine how good your immunity system is for example, the area you live in, your lifestyle, eating habits etc.

According to the GOQii India Fit Report 2019 Titled-Insurance: An Investment in Health, around 25% of the population in India suffer from a constant cough, cold, and sore throat. That speaks volumes about the immunity system of an average Indian, doesn’t it? In order to understand Immunity on a deeper note, let’s take a look at how the human body builds its Immunity.

“The younger your body is, the more prone it is to getting a cough or cold. The body is developing at this stage to become stronger and more immune to illness.” Indicates, the India Fit Report 2019. The data collected showed that 29% of the teenagers in India fall sick annually, followed by 26% of adults, senior citizens at 21% and at last older adults at 19%.

Further, the report adds that teenagers catch a cold and cough easily compared to adults because as you get older, your body matures and builds a much stronger immunity to keep you healthy. The India Fit Report advise you to take measures to build your immunity if you are over 20 years old and often fall sick.

Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Chennai recorded the most cases of cold and cough as per the GOQii India Fit report 2019. A total of 11% Indians fell sick at least 3 times a year and this showed a serious lack of immunity. Delhi amidst other cities stood out for the highest percentage of people falling sick at 13%. All of these nos. indicate a serious case of weak immunity among Indians.

“With increased pollution and constantly changing the environment, the air we breathe and the food we eat is all contaminated. We really have to fight to build our immune system which is what helps us survive a day on day,” says the India Fit Report 2019

Here are some ways to boost your immunity and fight off diseases efficiently, as per The GOQii India it Report 2019.

Get Adequate Rest and Sleep: Sleep is very important for a healthy body because adequate sleep ensures that the body is well relaxed and this also helps the cells to repair and replace, thus contributing to strong immunity. Adequate rest also includes getting quality sleep without distractions, so keep that in mind.

Eliminate sugar and processed foods: Processed foods come packed with refined sugar, which is a major culprit in weakening your immune system. If you are planning to boost your immunity, it is advised to avoid sugar content in your diet.

Boost Gut Health: Having a healthy gut and intestinal system is very important for our well being. A healthy gut hosts healthy bacteria which teach our immune system about what to fight against. It works like an Artificial Intelligence system which is constantly learning. In short, if you have bad gut health, you will have an inexperienced immune system.

Manage stress effectively: Many studies have proved that the higher your stress, the weaker your immunity system. A stressed out person is more likely to fall sick than a relaxed person. So try to keep the stress under control, it plays a major role in boosting your immunity

Include Indian spices in meals: Spices have been widely used in the field of medicine in India and China. They not only add taste and flavour to your food but also help you build your immunity. Add spices like Ginger, Garlic, Turmeric, Clove and Cumin to your meals and stay free from diseases.
Limit exposure to chemicals: Exposure to chemicals play a very big role in weakening your immunity. You’re most likely to come in contact with them in the form of Pesticides on your fruits and vegetables, so make sure you wash them properly before consumption.

To read more Download the report from Indiafit.org

July 31, 2018 By Arooshi Garg 4 Comments

5 Breathing exercises for boosting immunity

pranayam-lead

Breathing exercises or “PRANAYAM’, the word is derived from ‘Prana‘ which stands for ‘life force’ and ‘Ayama‘ which means ‘to lengthen or to work on it’. Prana, in yogic terms, means the force within the body that is vital for the functioning of the body as well as its vitality. Breath is our vital source of energy. Did you know that we can throw out 80 per cent of the toxins from our body by breathing correctly? The key to healthy and happy living lies in right breathing. When we attend to our breath, it can heal us from within.

Our cells regenerate all the time, and cannot regenerate without oxygen. Breathing is the fastest and most efficient way for our bodies to get oxygen. Deep breathing helps our immune system regenerate cells in order to fight infection and any other ailments that affect us. Certain breathing exercises have been shown to greatly increase the efficiency of our immune system. The better the air quality and the deeper you breathe the more you can help your immune system work properly. Routinely practising deep breathing exercises can improve your overall immune system.

Benefits of Pranayama to Boost Immunity

Pranayama enhances and stimulates the immune system.
Improves function and strengthens cells, tissue, glands and organs.
Pranayama releases stress, anxiety and depression.
Removes heart blockages.
Cures heart problems.
Boosts overall health and cures many health issues.
Pranayama increases blood circulation.
Cure asthma, headache, Migraine, neurological problems, depression, gastric problems.

1. Cat and Cow breathing exercise:

Cat-Cow-Pose-in-Vinyasa

This is a great yoga sequence that helps to improve circulation and clear congestion in the bronchial region and sinuses.

Benefits of Cat and Cow breathing exercise:

It stimulates digestion and, through muscular contraction and extension, pumps blood and lymphatic fluid through the thoracic muscle groups.
It increases cardiovascular fitness and helps stimulate the kidneys while relieving stress from the neck and shoulder area, and extending the lumbar spine region.

How to do it:

Rest your arms and knees on the floor. On the inhale breath, lift and expand the front chest up and forward, elongate your throat, draw your shoulders back, and curve your middle spine downwards as you tuck in your tailbone.
On a strong exhale, tuck your chin to your throat, pull in your belly, and arch your spine upwards (like an angry cat), rolling your shoulders forward and down to compress the front chest.
Inhale to Cow Pose and exhale to Cat Pose with a fluid up-and-down, wave-like motion of the spine and torso. Repeat the cycle 5 times.

Kapal Bhati Pranayam:

kapal bhati

Kapal meaning skull, Bhati meaning shining and pranayama meaning breathing technique. It is a great breathing exercise and can improve bodily functions. This breathing exercise can remove 80% of the toxins in our body through the outgoing breath. Regular practice of Kapal Bhati Pranayama can help detoxify all the systems in our bod How to do Kapal Bhati Pranayama.

Benefits of Kapal Bhati:

Helps in increasing the metabolic rate,
Improves digestive functioning, absorption, and assimilation of nutrients,
Improves blood circulation and nervous system functioning.

How to do it:

Sit at a comfortable place with your spine straight. Place your hands on the knees with palms open to the sky.
Take a deep breath in. As you exhale, pull your stomach in. Pull your navel in back towards the spine. Do as much as you comfortably can. You may keep your right hand on the stomach to feel the abdominal muscles contract.
As you relax the navel and abdomen, the breath flows into your lungs automatically.
Take 15-20 such breaths to complete one round of Kapal Bhati Pranayama.
After completing the round, relax with your eyes closed
Do two more rounds of Kapal Bhati Pranayam.

3. Bee Breath (Bhramari Pranayam)

bee breathe

Bhramari Pranayama or the humming Bee Breath produces a sound similar to the humming of a bee. Bhramari comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Bramar’ which means a kind of black Indian bee. Bhramari pranayama has a soothing effect on the brain and calms the mind. Gives relief if you have a slight headache

Benefits of Bhramari pranayama (Bee Breath)

Helps mitigate migraines
Helps clear the nasal and ear canals
Clears the sinuses
Helps in Improving concentration and memory
Effective in reducing blood pressure

How to do it:

Sit in a peaceful place with your spine erect
Place your index fingers on the cartilage between your cheek and ear.
Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, gently press the cartilage. You can keep the cartilage pressed or press it in and out with your fingers while making a loud humming sound like a bee
Breathe in again and continue the same pattern 4-5 times.

Precautions for doing Bhramari pranayama

Ensure that you are not putting your finger inside the ear but on the cartilage
Don’t press the cartilage too hard. Gently press and release with the finger
While making the humming sound, keep your mouth closed

Dog breathing Exercise

Dog Breathing cleanses and detoxifies the body while expelling the toxins out from deep inside your tissues. The sharp contracting movements while practising Dog Breathing strengthens the abdominal muscles.

Benefits of Dog breathing:

It beneficial in preventing fat deposition in the abdominal area,
Helps in improving the respiratory capacity and prevents the person from catching any respiratory disorder if practised regularly.

How to do it:

Sit in Easy Pose with your chin in and your chest out. Stick your tongue all the way out and keep it out as you rapidly breathe in and out through your mouth. This is called Dog Breath. Continue this breath for 3-5 minutes.
To finish, inhale, and hold your breath for 15 seconds and press the tongue against the upper palate. Exhale. Repeat this sequence two more times.
Beginners can start with 15- 20 seconds and gradually reach up to 1 and then up to 5 minutes.

Bhastrika Pranayama

bhastarika

It strengthens the immune power. Practice bhastrika pranayama for 10 minutes in the morning and evening on an empty stomach daily for one month.

Benefits of Bhastrika Pranayam

Helps reduce episodes of cold, cough and flu
Improves thyroid function and tonsils

How to do it:

Sit comfortably on the flat ground.
Take a deep breath through both nostrils and fill the lungs with air and then exhale with a hissing sound.
Inhale deeply and exhale completely.
Do this for 2 min to 5 minutes max

Precautions for Bhastrika Pranayama

Those suffering from lungs, heart problems and high blood pressure should practice slowly. High blood pressure patients should exhale through the mouth instead of the nose.