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Good Gut Health: Why It Matters

Good gut health - why it matters

Our gut, or digestive system, is a complex network of organs and tissues that work together to break down food and absorb nutrients. But did you know that the health of your gut can impact much more than just your digestion? 

Why Does Good Gut Health Matter? 

As per the GOQii India Fit Report 2022 – 2023, we found that 23% of Seniors suffered from acidity and indigestion issues. 27% older adults reported facing issues with constipation. We also noticed that acidity issues among women have increased from 12% in 2021 to 20% in 2022.

Maintaining good gut health can help combat the aforementioned issues. It is essential for overall health and well-being. Here are a few more reasons why good gut health is necessary. 

  • Digestion: The most obvious role of the gut is in digestion. When we eat, food is broken down into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream and used by our body for energy and other functions. A healthy gut can break food down more efficiently, leading to better nutrient absorption and improved overall health.
  • Immune function: Did you know that the gut is home to a large portion of the body’s immune system? This is because the gut is exposed to a wide range of harmful pathogens and bacteria that can cause illness. A healthy gut can help protect against these invaders, keeping the body healthy and disease-free.
  • Mental health: Recent research has suggested that the gut and brain are closely connected and that the health of the gut can impact mental health and well-being. The gut produces many of the same neurotransmitters that are involved in mood regulation, such as serotonin and dopamine. In fact, some studies have even shown that certain probiotics can improve symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  • Hormone regulation: The gut is also involved in hormone regulation, which can impact many aspects of our health. For example, the gut produces hormones that regulate appetite, metabolism, and energy balance. A healthy gut can help ensure that these hormones are balanced, leading to better overall health.
  • Energy production: The gut is also involved in the production of energy. Specifically, the gut microbiota (the community of microorganisms that live in the gut) produce short-chain fatty acids that can be used as a source of energy by the body. A healthy gut can produce more of these beneficial fatty acids, leading to increased energy and better overall health.

What Can You Do To Improve Your Gut Health? 

  1. Eat a balanced diet that is high in fiber and low in processed foods
  2. Avoid foods that can damage the gut, such as sugar and refined carbohydrates
  3. Exercise regularly to support a healthy gut
  4. Take a high-quality probiotic supplement to support the gut microbiota
  5. Reduce stress, as chronic stress can damage the gut and impact overall health.

By taking care of your gut through eating the right meals, exercising and reducing stress, you can improve your digestion, immune function, mental health, hormone regulation, and energy production. So take care of your gut and your body will thank you for it! 

If this article helped you, let us know in the comments below. You can browse through more articles on Gut Health here. To get this information directly from an expert, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here. 

#BeTheForce 

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What Should You Eat and Avoid During Summer?

what should you eat and avoid during summersThe rising temperature often leaves us irritated and low on appetite. We may feel it’s because of the heat, but often, our lifestyle and food habits are also responsible for this change. In this view, continuing with wrong food choices may lead to skin eruptions, profuse sweating, summer strokes and gastric disturbances like indigestion, diarrhoea, bloating, stomach aches, vomiting and dehydration. Let’s look at what we should eat and avoid during summer! 

What Should You Eat? 

  • Fluids: It’s no secret that water is required in ample amounts during summer to keep ourselves hydrated and replenish the lost water via sweating. But it doesn’t have to be plain water. Include the lesser boring and interesting options of Aam panna, coconut water, infused waters and lemon water to fulfill the daily fluid requirements along with the goodness of vital minerals!
  • Melons and cucumbers: Water melons, musk melons and cucumbers are found abundantly during summers. They are profusely watery and chock-a-block with vitamins, minerals, fiber and essential antioxidants. Having them will make sure you avoid dehydration and summer strokes.
  • Leafy and gourd vegetables: These are easily digestible vegetables and contain all the necessary minerals and vitamins needed to keep your strength during summers intact. You may never see anyone overeating a leafy or a gourd vegetable. Light on the stomach and simpler to process by the body, make them the staples of summers.
  • Onion and garlic: Allium and Sulphur compounds from onion and garlic are antidotes to heat strokes. They are age old methods to cure summer sickness and work just right till date. Include them in your meals and witness the headache caused because of being out for long in the sun wearing off.
  • Curd or buttermilk: Packed with calcium, protein and probiotics, yoghurt can be the rescue for all digestive troubles and generally running it smoothly. Make a bowl of plain home made curd or buttermilk with fresh mint, cumin and black salt, a regular in summer afternoons.
  • Sabja seeds: These seeds soaked for 10 minutes in water are a potent ease to the digestive system. They cool the body down from the inside like a whiff of cool air would do from the outside. Besides that, it is also a source of essential fatty acids like omega 3 and fiber.

What Should You Avoid? 

  • Commercially sold ice creams: The idea of avoiding ice creams during summers might sound bizarre, yet, there can be healthier options for this chilled indulgence. Conventionally, ice creams contain high amounts of fat and sugar that make them difficult to digest and easier to cause weight gain. Also, due to frequent change in the temperature of cold storages, ice creams often develop disease causing bacteria and should be avoided during summers. Consuming ice cream just after being exposed to sunlight might cause sore throat and fever due to sudden temperature fluctuation. Having home frozen yoghurt, kulfis or crushed fruit pulps can be occasional substitutes.
  • Hot drinks: While the external heat has already led our body temperatures to rise, consuming anything beyond room temperature causes further increase in the overall temperature and results in disturbances of the digestive system causing bloating and bitter burping. Keep beverages like hot tea and coffees to the bare minimum.
  • Fried foods: Fried and greasy foods are not easy to digest and often leave us bloated. Fried food makes the skin oily during the humid times, giving rise to skin problems like acne and also harms the digestive system.
  • Spicy foods: Capsaicin found in chilies adversely boosts the body heat and results in excessive sweating, leading to dehydration and sickness. When the body is already fighting off heat, adding hot and spicy food irritates the stomach lining and may cause hyper acidity and belching.
  • Meat: It is known to all that meat and meat products are not easy to digest. Excessive consumption of meat in the summer season increases the pressure on the digestive system. It contains high amounts of fat, proteins and carbohydrates which heat up the body while digesting it.
  • Over indulging on mangoes: Excess of anything is bad and mangoes are no exception to this rule! Filled with healthy antioxidants and vitamins, mangoes are a must have for summers. However, they are high in natural sugar and overindulgence can cause skin infections, increase in body heat and a number of undesirable symptoms such as diarrhoea, upset stomach, and headaches, etc.

We hope this article helps you understand what you should eat and avoid during summer. If it helped, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

You can find more articles on staying healthy during the summer here or you can also get these tips directly from an expert by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Two Thumbs Up For Summer Salads!

summer saladsSummer is here and as the weather is only going to get hotter, it’ll take a lot more effort to stay hydrated especially if you’re spending long hours outside. Continuous exposure to high temperature and humidity without any rest and fluids can lead to lack of energy, dizziness headache, weakness and sometimes severe cramps and fluid retention. Instead of eating heavy and hot food, you need something light – like some good summer salads!

But before we go over how you can make your summer salads, let’s explore the ingredients we can use!

What Can You Eat During Summer? 

During this time of the year, our body needs more raw and cooling foods to help nourish and hydrate our cells. Apart from being chilled and high in water content, they also provide fiber for easy digestion and help eliminate toxins from the body.

Do you know that there are hydrating foods that provide about 20–25% of our daily water intake and it’s important to consume these during summer. Some of them include:

  • Fruits: Watermelon, tomatoes (containing lycopene phytonutrient that will help protect skin from ultraviolet rays), grape fruit, pears, blueberries, pineapple (the bromelain in it has many health benefits especially in reducing cough) and cucumber.
  • Leafy Greens: Spinach (Vitamin A and C) for liver detoxification with high watery lettuce, celery is brilliant.
  • Carrots: They are high in water content as well as the beta carotene phytonutrient. It also makes the salad plate more colorful.
  • Fresh Herbs: Parsley, mint, cilantro, coriander and basil are fabulous for reducing headaches, toothaches, calming the nerves and sore throats.
  • Spices: Cinnamon, raw garlic and raw ginger will help in keeping cholesterol levels under check. Being anti-inflammatory in nature, they help you fight against high BP, cancer and diabetes. Pepper goes awesome with salad curbing acidity!
  • Healthy Fatty Acids & Proteins: Nuts like almonds (vitamin E and fiber), walnuts and flaxseeds provide that much needed omega 3 fatty acid boost. You may also add peanuts, cashews, pistachios and seeds like sesame, sunflower, chia(topmost hydrator) for variations.
  • Olive Oil: It is rich in MUFA (Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids) and can be added to the salad (the best form is the cold pressed virgin oil good for thyroid which also has phytonutrients). Canola, walnuts, avocado and walnut oil are wise picks for salad dressing too.
  • Lean Proteins: Quinoa, beans, chicken, legumes, chickpeas, paneer, lentils (folic acid rich providing vitamins and both soluble and insoluble fiber) should be added for muscle growth and repair.
  • Do not forget to sprinkle lime to keep it alkaline!

Summer Salads You Can Try 

Now that you are aware of which ingredients you can use, let’s go over on how you can use them.

1. Breakfast: Add some of the fruits mentioned above and mix them with yogurt. For breakfast, this is a great combination of carbs and proteins. If you are planning a long day out, you can combine your oatmeal with fruits like apple, pear and blueberry along with some nuts.

2. Morning snack: Apple/high watery fruit salad mixed with cinnamon, raisins and sprouts.

3. Lunch: Mix fresh fruits (carbs), vegetables (fiber), sprouts (proteins), beans and lentils.

You can also try using watermelon, tomato, onion, cheese mixed with salt, vinegar oil chilled with lettuce leaves and black pepper. You can also add kale and cabbage for a calorie dense meal.

Another alternative is adding watermelon, cucumber, bell peppers, spinach, avocado, lime and quinoa. Apart from complete proteins, this dish will also provide calcium and vitamins.

The best blend of salad for lunch would be vegetables, good carbs, lean proteins (beans, chicken, shrimp, tofu, cottage cheese) and healthy fats, adding in red onions will keep it anti–inflammatory and antioxidant-rich.

4. Dinner: Mix Quinoa, beans, lentils and chicken with red bell pepper and veggies. Sprinkle lime and add in herbs according to your taste. You may also add spices to make it interesting.

The salads will not only provide water, but will also keep you full for a longer period of time, helping you keep your weight in check. You can get creative with your salads too. Try designing a different recipe for every meal. I would say grab your salad bowl and create your fun, nutritious and delicious summer salad to re-energize yourself.

We hope this article on summer salads helps you beat the heat! Read more articles on how to stay healthy during summer here. You can also ask an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Breaking the Ramadan Fast with Healthy Bites

Ramadan Fast

The holy month of Ramadan is auspicious for the Islamic Community across the world. During this period, one practices restraint by fasting from sunrise till sunset, eating one meal before dawn i.e. the ‘suhoor’ or ‘sehri’ and breaking the fast with a meal after sunset i.e. Iftar.

While this sort of fasting comes with a plethora of health benefits, it is important to do it the right way! Balancing nutrition and exercising portion control is key to staying healthy while observing a fast during Ramadan. Here are some foods that will help you do just that!

Foods You Should Eat

  • Drinks: Ideally, the best way to break a fast is by consuming plenty of fluids to replenish your body. You can opt for smoothies, fruit juices or even water which provides hydration without extra calories or sugars. You can also opt for a soup, which is considered traditional in many Arab countries.
  • Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits provide your body with the much needed natural sugars loaded with vitamins and minerals that will boost your energy levels. In addition, adding a serving of vegetables with high fiber content will help you digest your food better and feel full for a longer period of time.
  • Dates & Dry Fruits: have been traditionally eaten to break a fast. You can follow this up with dry fruits.  You can try Jagger Bombs by WeDesi for a healthy and fun twist to dry fruits! Each Jagger Bomb contains dry fruits such as pistas, almonds, foxnuts, cashews bound with organic jaggery, gondh and pure cow ghee to give you all the essential nutrients you need while breaking a fast. You can get them at a discount from the GOQii Health Store within the GOQii App.
  • Rice & Alternatives: Brown rice, black rice, wholegrain noodles, wholegrain pasta or wholemeal bread are complex carbohydrates that provide a slow, stable and sustainable release of energy. Plus, they replenish your body with essential fibers and minerals after fasting.
  • Meat: Choose protein-rich sources such as lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, etc. Proteins are the building blocks for healthy bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. They also aid to build and repair tissues. It’s a must have when you have fasted for around 18 hours.

Foods You Should Avoid

The foods listed above will help you stay healthy during Ramadan but it is imperative to maintain caution with what you eat. Here are a few foods you can exclude from your meals.

  • Processed/Oily Foods: These contain less nutrients and more fat. This can lead to acidity, nausea, heartburn and indigestion. Consume food with lesser oil and avoid packaged or junk food at all costs.
  • Salty Foods: Avoid anything that is too salty especially during Suhoor. Salty foods increase thirst and can leave you dehydrated.
  • High-Sugar Foods: We all know by now that excess sugar in the body is stored as fat. Consuming high-sugar foods and drinks can lead to weight gain, sluggishness and fatigue.

Caution & Safety

Fasting is good but fasting the right way is equally important. Here are some things you need to watch out for while fasting during Ramadan.

  • Don’t Miss Sehri or Suhoor: Think of this as your breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day as it keeps your energy levels high throughout. This meal stores important nutrients in your body and keeps you going through the day. Skipping this meal can cause digestive discomfort, making your body sluggish. Moreso, it may compel you to overeat while breaking your fast which may lead to acidity, heartburn, bloating and weight gain.
  • If you experience dizziness, are unable to stand or feel disoriented, hydrate yourself immediately. Not doing so may lead to fainting, constipation, or splitting headaches. Dehydration can adversely affect your health.
  • Eat in Moderation: It is easy to get carried after while breaking a fast and overindulging with large portions. Avoid this and keep a constant check on your portion size. Remember to eat and not feast.
  • Limit Exercise: If you have been fasting, doing intense exercises may not be the wisest of choices. Perform extremely light workouts and don’t go overboard as your body needs to conserve energy.

What do you break your fast with? What’s your favorite meal during Ramadan? Did we miss out on anything? Do let us know in the comments below!

If you found these tips useful and want to learn more, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalized Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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