GOQii

Blog

Search Results for: carb

By 2 Comments

5 Easy Ways to Make Eating Healthy!

eating healthyLet’s face it! We all struggle to eat healthy sometimes and after a while, we turn to fad diets or some “miracle food” to help us ease the guilt of having eaten something unhealthy. While a lot of information is available on the internet about eating healthy, it also causes a lot of confusion as most of the content isn’t authentic and could do more harm than good. So what exactly is Eating Healthy comprised of?

Tips to Eating Healthy

To simplify what eating healthy should consist of, we’re sharing some simple tips which will help you eat healthy, clean and provide you with all the nutrients you need!

  1. Consume Whole Foods: Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed or refined as minimum as possible to retain their nutritional value. They have a lot of fibre, good fats, no added sugar or bad fats or salt. A few examples for whole grains are whole wheat, barley, quinoa, beans, legumes and nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.
  2. Go for Healthy Snacking: Healthy snacking is very important to keep energy constant throughout the day, to decrease hunger pangs and keep one away from overeating during the next meal. Healthy snacking, as per the options suggested, also refrains one from having junk foods which are high in sugars and fats that can lead to various metabolic disorders in the body like diabetes, heart ailments etc. Some healthy foods that can be included are fruits, nuts and seeds, roasted chana, peanuts, coconut water, buttermilk, lemon water, and whole wheat/multigrain sandwich with no butter or cheese).
  3. Never Skip Meals: Always make sure to have meals on time to regulate the metabolic rate of the body and keep hunger pangs away. It also keeps you energized. Hence, a 5 meal pattern should be followed i.e. breakfast, mid meal, lunch, mid meal and dinner. Ideally, try and have meals in intervals of 2-3 hours.
  4. Eat Mindfully: Whenever having a meal, try to enjoy every bite, eating slowly while savouring the taste. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. If we eat a lot of food at one time and totally stuff the belly, it leads to digestion issues in the future.
  5. Go for Baked or Roasted Foods When Eating Out: During grilling or frying, several harmful compounds like Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) and Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) are formed. These compounds have been linked to diseases like cancer and heart ailments. So avoid grilled or fried foods and go for baked and roasted!

Sometimes we set ambitious healthy eating goals and get overwhelmed by it. Eating healthy is certainly not about being perfect. So, take small steps by adding the habits discussed above to your current diet regime and work towards a healthier you!

We hope this article helps. If you want diet plans or want to understand more facets of eating healthy, ask your GOQii Coach directly by subscribing to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

By Leave a Comment

Yogesh Shah Manages Multiple Illnesses & Gets Healthy With GOQii

Yogesh Shah

Often, managing just one condition can be an insurmountable task. Imagine working your whole life, while your physical, mental and emotional health just spiral downward, while the number of pills you take keep increasing. Our Player Yogesh Shah was in such a predicament where he was dealing with multiple illnesses but managed to overcome them with help from his GOQii Coach Deepali Sharma. Here’s how Yogesh Shah wrote his own Health Story. 

Dealing With Multiple Illnesses 

Based in Ahmedabad’s Mani Nagar, Yogesh Shah is a 63 year old retired Government Employee. He said that he had a hectic schedule. “There were times when I would work from 7am to 11pm, never even having the sun’s rays hitting my body for years,” he said. 

Erratic work hours led to bad eating habits, disturbed sleep and high levels of acidity as he consumed a lot of tea. Yogesh Shah told us that this was his routine for 36 years of his work life. While he was extremely dedicated and diligent towards his work, it took a toll on his health. He suffered from multiple issues which included weight gain, diabetes, hypertension, disturbed lipid profile, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, gastric trouble, anxiety (8-10 attacks a month), palpitations and cervical pain due to a surgery he had 4 years back. 

Till 2021, he used to pop 18 tablets daily. Around Dec 2020, he was consuming 26 tablets which included medication for COVID. Despite the issues, he was positive and did not let his conditions damper his way of life.

“I realized I was not doing the right things and that this was taking a toll on my health but, I did not do anything about it,” says Yogesh Shah. The health issues started around 1992 and aggravated in 10 years. His family was worried and felt helpless about not knowing what they could do to help him.

Making A Positive Shift 

He wanted to get better, reduce weight and control his illnesses but was not sure how to go about it. Then, just before retirement, he got to know about GOQii from two young women in his office. They motivated him to go for it. Yogesh Shah purchased GOQII from Amazon in Oct 2021. Initially, he found it difficult to decipher and understand GOQii but, slowly and steadily he was able to understand how the platform works.  

He followed all the instructions given to him by his Coach Deepali Sharma. She introduced small changes which had a big impact. Over the course of time, he has been able to improve his health and control his illnesses. He says, “Initially I could not understand my coach but then slowly, I started understanding. Some of the changes she brought about made quite a difference.”  

His daily routine begins with praying, then gardening in his little kitchen garden. He follows this up with morning meditation for which he follows Coach Rounak Gajjar on GOQii Play. He also follows Coach Sheetal Tewari and Coack Bhumika Unniyal for yoga, meditation and pranayama. 

Currently, he walks about 15km on most days whereas before, he would feel breathless even after 1km. On the International Day of Yoga on June 21, he walked 21km. He says that he now wants to participate in the GOQii Trail Challenge 2022. 

“Coach Deepali has given me a lot of habits and I follow them religiously. Hence, I have been able to make a change!” he says.

What Are The Results Of Yogesh Shah’s Efforts? 

“Nothing will work unless you do. You need to work hard to achieve your goal. This is something which my Player Yogesh Shah has proven with flying colours,” says Coach Deepali Sharma. “Initially, he had multiple issues like weight gain, uncontrolled sugar levels, disturbed lipid profile, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, gastric trouble, anxiety and palpitations.

He used to feel tired after a kilometer walk and now, he is on 21km, which is equivalent to a half marathon. His HbA1c came down from 8% to 6% with almost controlled Fasting blood sugar. Episodes of anxiety dropped drastically from 10-12 episodes to almost nil now. Symptoms like shivering, headache, restlessness are completely out of our book, which were quite prominent before,” she says.

“It’s not stress that kills us but it is our reaction to it and Mr. Yogesh was outstanding in cultivating that positivity with intrinsic motivation. Stress was affecting his sleep a lot. With hard work and determination, he is now out of his anxiety medicines. We worked on setting a sleep-wake cycle as well and relaxation exercises also helped us a lot. I have seen an incredible improvement in his sleep from 2-3 hrs to an average of 5-6 hrs as of now. He is a person with a clear vision and that’s the reason we lost good weight. He is 71.25kg (latest) which was  82 kg when we started. This was achieved by keeping post sunset meals light, adding healthy snacks and carb control,” says Coach Deepali Sharma. 

As of now, Yogesh Shah’s medication has been reduced to 13 pills. You can view Yogesh’s entire journey as he speaks to our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal on an episode of GOQii Health Stories.

Do you suffer from similar conditions? Did this story inspire you to make a lifestyle change? Then reach out to a GOQii Coach and subscribe for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring Health Stories, check out Healthy Reads. 

#BeTheForce  

By Leave a Comment

Everything You Need To Know About Fiber, Fat Loss and Your Health

fat lossEvery nutritionist suggests you improve your fiber intake, particularly because of the role it plays in aiding with fat loss, reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and cancer. It plays a key role in digestive health and creating a sense of fullness, which essentially means that enough fiber can help you lose weight!

Women should get about 25 grams a day and men at least 35 to 40, but the average person gets just 15 grams a day. Eating fiber-rich whole foods – not foods that tout “added fiber” – is the best way to increase your fiber intake. Most people consume less fiber on a daily basis. The simple act of increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables each day can boost your fiber intake.

Fiber Can Boost Fat Loss & Help You With Weight Issues

Fiber intake is one of the most natural ways of reducing high cholesterol levels in the body. If you have diabetes, consuming the right amount of fiber can actually allow you to eat a variety of food that otherwise, you would not be allowed to consume. Fiber manages blood sugar levels effectively.

Fiber deficiency is one of the main reasons why people get constipated and we all know that constipation is bad, it leads to toxic build up, sickness, fat gain and has links to colon and other cancers.

One of the reasons we are consuming less fiber is that various food processing methods can strip fiber from the food. This is why packaged foods are bad for us. If the food label has less than 2 grams of fiber, don’t buy it. It will create havoc with your blood sugar levels and that in turn leads to fat gain.

Another reason people are consuming less fiber is that they don’t consume enough fibrous carbs. The main source of carbs should be fibrous. Fibrous carbs typically have very low carb content. Their inherent high fiber brings about a very moderate insulin response, thus making them an ideal fat loss food. The best sources of fibrous carbs include the following:

  • Broccoli
  • Lettuce
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Mushrooms
  • Green beans
  • Onions
  • Asparagus
  • Cucumber
  • Spinach
  • All forms of peppers
  • Zucchini
  • Cauliflower
  • Popcorn
  • Apples
  • Oats
  • Brown rice
  • Whole-wheat pasta
  • Lentils

Beans are also a great source of dietary fiber, rich in protein and keep you feeling full for a longer time. It’s the same with fruits and nuts and they must form a part of one’s daily diet. Psyllium husk (Isabgol) is fantastic fiber for your body. It detoxes, pulls away cholesterol and fat globules from the body. As always, it should be consumed in moderation.

Grains obviously have fiber, but not as much as you think. A slice of white bread may contain only 0.5 grams of fiber, whereas a slice of whole wheat may contain 2 grams per slice. Compare those numbers to a cup of kidney beans containing 17 grams and a cup of berries containing 8 grams.

Fiber is critical to good health and belongs in every weight-loss protocol. It’s time to make a serious effort to put more fiber on your plate!

We hope this article helps you. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more on fiber and fat loss, check out Healthy Reads or reach out to a GOQii Coach for the right guidance and motivation by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

By 3 Comments

What Gestational Diabetes Can Do To You & Your Unborn Child

Gestational Diabetes

We all know about Diabetes Mellitus to some extent as Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that prevents the body from utilising glucose completely or partially. It is characterised by raised glucose concentration in the blood and alterations in carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. But have you ever heard of Gestational Diabetes or Pregnancy Diabetes?

Gestational Diabetes is a high blood sugar (glucose) condition that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after giving birth. It can happen at any stage of pregnancy, but is more common in the second or third trimester. Insulin requirements goes up one to three times in pregnancy. During normal pregnancy the level of plasma insulin is raised by the action of placental hormones thus placing a burden on the insulin secreting cells of the pancreatic islets. The pancreas may be unable to meet these demands in women genetically predisposed to develop both types of diabetes. Long term studies show that some 80% of women with gestational diabetes ultimately develop permanent clinical diabetes requiring treatment.

What Causes Gestational Diabetes?

The causes of Gestational Diabetes is not known clearly yet. Some, but not all women with gestational diabetes are found to be overweight before getting pregnant or have a family history of diabetes. It is more common in Native American, Alaskan Native, Asian and Black women, but white women may develop it due to poor lifestyle.

Are There Tests to Determine it?

Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is a confirmatory test. The OGTT measures blood glucose after you fast for at least 8 hours. Firstly, the blood sample is drawn in fasting state. Then, 75g of glucose dissolved in 250-300 ml of water is given, Lemon juice may be added for flavour and to prevent nausea. Then the blood specimens are collected every 30 mins for 2-3 hours after the administration of glucose.

High blood glucose levels at any two or more blood test times – Fasting, 1 hour, 2 hours or 3 hours – mean you have Gestational diabetes.

Complications During Pregnancy

If blood sugar is not controlled, it can lead to problems for both maternal and foetal health. Uncontrolled diabetes during the first trimester of pregnancy increases the risk of abortions and congenital malfunctions in the foetus. Some of the major consequences are:

  • High Blood Pressure (Preeclampsia): Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure. Due to the high blood pressure levels of the mother, the protein in urine spikes up and swelling in fingers and toes and lower body persists. High blood pressure can be harmful to both – the mother and the unborn baby. It might lead to the baby being born early and also could cause seizures or a stroke (a blood clot or a bleed in the brain that can lead to brain damage) in the woman during labour or delivery.
  • An Extra Large Baby: Uncontrolled Diabetes in the mother causes the baby’s blood sugar to be high. The baby tends to “overfeed” and grows extra-large. Besides, causing discomfort to the mother, it can lead to problems during delivery causing prolonged labour pain which might need a C-section to deliver the baby. The baby can be born with nerve damage due to pressure on the shoulder during delivery.
  • Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycaemia): People with diabetes who take insulin or other medications can develop blood sugar that is too low or hypoglycaemia. Low blood sugar can be very serious and even fatal if not treated quickly.

How to Manage Gestational Diabetes

The main modes of treatment of Gestational Diabetes include:

1. Eating a Healthy Diet: Dietary measures are an essential part of the treatment of diabetic patients whether they are on diet alone or on metformin drug or insulin. Carbohydrate restriction impairs insulin sensitivity and reversed by high carbohydrate diet but it needs to be maintained between 60-65% of total calories. So include more complex carbohydrates or polysaccharides like Multi-grain flour, Oats, Muesli, Granola, Amaranth, Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi), Quinoa, etc. Studies have shown that raising carbohydrates does not adversely affect the fasting blood glucose levels, glucose tolerance or insulin requirements provided that total calories are not increased.

Along with carbs, include more protein-rich foods like pulses and lentils, Kidney beans (Rajma), Soya Bean, peas, beans, peanuts, milk and dairy products like yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese (paneer), eggs, chicken, etc. to ensure weight gain and prevent osteomalacia during pregnancy. Inclusion of fibre like fruits and green leafy vegetables are must as it improves glucose metabolism without increasing insulin secretion. It increases the intestinal transit-time, delay gastric emptying slow glucose absorption.

2. Drugs or Insulin Treatment: Metformin or Insulin therapy is the accepted medical management of gestational diabetes. Insulin is the first drug of choice and metformin can be considered after 20 weeks of gestation. Insulin must be taken without delay if it is suggested by the doctor.

3. Exercise: Stay Active to help keep your blood sugar under control. Exercise regularly – before, during and after pregnancy. Moderate exercise such as brisk walking for 30mins a day for 5 times a week is a good goal to set.

4. Monitoring Blood Sugar Often: Be aware that your blood sugar can change very quickly, becoming too high or too low depending on what you eat and how much you exercise and your growing baby’s blood sugar also varies several times during the day. Check your blood sugar level as often as directed by the doctor and any time you have symptoms.

By adopting these measures one can enjoy a healthy Antenatal period. 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), reduce HbA1c levels and let you win gold! You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.

#BeTheForce

What’s Your Excuse?

In a world filled with excuses, Shubham’s story stands as a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and an unwavering commitment to one’s dreams. His journey is a reminder that circumstances may create hurdles, but they can never define the limits of one’s potential. In the bustling suburbs of Mumbai, amidst the challenges of […]

Prioritizing Health: Kuntal Goswami’s Post-Pandemic Pursuit of Wellness

The COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for individuals to recognize the significance of their health and well-being. It prompted people to adopt healthier lifestyles, prioritize self-care, and be proactive in taking preventive measures to protect themselves and others. This is true for our player Kuntal Goswami, who, after the coronavirus hit India, realized […]

Reducing HbA1c from 7.2 to 6.1 | Ram Sharma Health Story

There’s nothing sweet about diabetes and we’re all well aware about that. Factors such as a poor diet, obesity, lack of exercise, improper sleeping patterns, stress and advancing age can cause diabetes. While it might seem overwhelming, diabetes is not an insurmountable affair. With proper self-care, guidance and a few lifestyle modifications, you can manage […]