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Meditation: Why It Is Necessary Today!

meditationMany of us are worried about the impact of the ongoing pandemic on our elderly and physically vulnerable relatives. To top it off, the economic impact it has had around the world, right down to individuals being unable to work and ineligible for sick pay is huge. All this coupled with shortages in shops, cancellation of planned holidays and events have all caused some level of anxiety and distress. As these mental and emotional issues pile up, there’s a good chance that one might go over the edge. To avoid that, something must be done. During these trying times, there is something you can do to improve your mental and emotional wellbeing. That something is meditation! 

How Does Meditation Help? 

Taking out time to meditate can also help in so many ways:

  1. Improves Mental Health: At a time when people may be self-isolating, worrying about finances, socially distancing from loved ones, and feeling concerned about contracting the virus, meditation can help improve emotional health and can help manage depression which is exacerbated by stress.
  2. Boost Immunity: COVID-19 is highly infectious and boosting your immunity will help you fight against this pandemic. Several research studies suggest that meditation helps in positively impacting the genes involved in the infectious cycle and increases the immunity. Using regular self-hypnosis as a relaxation technique has had positive effects on Lymphocytes—a type of white blood cell which helps produce antibodies and destroy cells which could cause damage.
  3. Reduce Anxiety: Meditation involves staying in the present moment without dwelling on the past or the future and accepting your feelings and emotions as perfectly valid. This will help in reducing stress levels and thus, potentially manage the increased level of anxiety which comes from being in the middle of a pandemic like coronavirus.

How Can You Start? 

  • Use GOQii’s guided meditation feature: Click on the “+” and go to meditation. A good way to kick start if you are new to this.
  • At first, it will take effort: Do regular, short bursts and gradually build up the amount of time you spend during any one meditation session. So start slow and short.
  • Set a regular time of day: Meditation is a habit and you’re much more likely to implement it if you set a specific time of day and incorporate it into your routine.
  • Get very comfortable: Maybe light a candle or some relaxing music.
  • Have patience: It is okay. Your mind will wander and you will have all types of thoughts at first but do not stop practicing this.
  • Do it regularly: Make a habit which will stay with you always!

We hope this article helps you! For more articles on meditation, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to our yoga and meditation experts on GOQii Play. To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr 

Stay home, stay safe, meditate and #BeTheForce

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9 Bad Habits That Are Affecting Your Immunity

immunityWith the second wave of the pandemic, it becomes increasingly important to take care of one’s health. While there is no cure for the virus, building immunity can be an effective preventive measure you can take along with the vaccine to ensure that you remain healthy. While we have discussed things we should do in order to improve immunity, today, let’s discuss bad habits that are destroying your immunity. 

9 Bad Habits That Destroy Immunity 

  1. Not Getting Enough Sleep: Adequate sleep helps the body rest and prepare to fight infections, bacteria, viruses, and other triggers. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your body doesn’t have the chance to fight diseases as effectively,  Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep daily to keep the immune system at its prime.
  2. Lack of Exercise: Exercise plays a significant role as this is a very powerful stimulant of the immune system. It enhances the ability to create antibodies and T-cells, which are white blood cells that help the body fight disease. As little as 30 minutes of walking for 5 days a week can help your immune system perform at its best. You can also try these exercises: https://goqii.com/blog/5-simple-exercises-you-can-do-at-home/  
  3. Poor Nutrition: Quality of food is very important and often overlooked cause of immune depletion. Our food supply contains many unhealthy, toxic chemicals which can cause havoc in our bodies. Over time, this depletes the immune system, and if not corrected, will continue to get worse.  It can also cause you to be overweight, a condition that makes you more susceptible to disease. A healthy diet should include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk. Try these foods to build your immunity: https://goqii.com/blog/7-foods-that-boost-immunity/ 
  4. Stress: High-stress levels can create a hormonal imbalance in our body, weakening the immune system and making us more susceptible to illness. Stress produces the hormone cortisol which impairs the function of infection-fighting T-cells. To de-stress and stay healthy, we must exercise for 30 minutes a day or practice deep breathing and meditation— all these can diminish the effects of stress.
  5. Excess Alcohol: Regularly overindulging in alcoholic drinks can have a negative effect on our immune system. Drinking too much can wear away the linings of our mouth and oesophagus. It also makes our white blood cells less effective at attacking harmful bacteria and lowers our body’s ability to produce cells that identify and kill bacteria and viruses.  
  6. Smoking: damages the first lines of defense, the linings of our mouth and our nose, which are actually part of our immune system. This makes us more susceptible to cold and flu. Our lungs can be very badly affected by smoking. Coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma are just the start. Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia and lung cancer. Smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer and 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  7. Not Drinking Enough Water: Our body needs water for every function it performs and so does our immune system. It needs proper hydration to function. Water flushes out harmful toxins and helps our body fight off infection. Plus, it affects our energy levels and even the quality of our sleep. Drinking 3l of water regularly helps one stay well hydrated and healthy. 
  8. High Sugar Intake: Sugary snacks are also bad for our immune system. The blood cells need vitamin C to fight off viruses and because glucose (from sugar) is so similar in structure to vitamin C, when we ingest too much sugar it actually starts competing with vitamin C for space in our immune cells. Thereby limiting our intake of sugar can help to keep our immune system fighting fit. To satisfy your sweet tooth, eat a piece of dark chocolate or dates or sweets made from jaggery. 
  9. Frequent Use of Supplements: A proper balanced diet provides us with all the essential nutrients. We should opt for supplements only when excessive deficiency is seen and it must be stopped after having a prescribed dosage. Too much of supplements may interfere with normal bodily functions, leading to side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, gastrointestinal issues, fatigue and probably mild nerve damage.

If the above-mentioned habits have been a part of your daily lifestyle, you need to stop indulging in them now! It’s time to make a complete lifestyle change, build immunity and focus more on preventive healthcare. 

We hope this article helps you! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more topics and information on coronavirus, building immunity, home workouts and nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, sign up for personalized coaching now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu 

#BeTheForce 

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How To Build Immunity To Safeguard Against COVID & Other Monsoon Illnesses

monsoon illnessesCOVID-19 should not be considered as the only disease that will attack our body during monsoon. You can be susceptible to other monsoon illnesses such as vector borne ones like dengue, malaria, seasonal influenza (H1N1) and Chikungunya. You need to understand that not all fever is COVID-related. It could also be Typhoid, Jaundice, Malaria or Common Cold. While these deadly diseases are all around us, the only best measure to safeguard ourselves is “Immunity”. 

Tips To Build Immunity & Safeguard Against COVID & Other Monsoon Illnesses

We are well aware of the symptoms of common diseases and everything should not be related to COVID-19. This constant fear will not let us differentiate between other diseases. Here are some points you can look at to manage monsoon illnesses.

  1. Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face. Any infection, be it viral, bacterial or fungal, might be contagious. Maintaining self-hygiene is important.
  2. Take enough morning sunlight: Between 7am to 11am suits the best as UV rays are not very harsh at this time.
  3. Avoid oily and greasy food: We tend to eat stuff like pakodas and fried items during monsoon. Instead, choose healthy options like hot soup, green tea, ginger tea with popcorn and roasted lotus seeds.
  4. Good sleep: At least 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep to rejuvenate our body.
  5. Exercise regularly: Minimum of 15 mins of exercise and daily walks to be incorporated in routine.
  6. Load up on antioxidants: Eat well washed bright coloured yellow and orange fruits and green leafy vegetables, as they are rich in antioxidants.
  7. Flush your system well with water: A minimum of 2.5-3L of water is a must. Be it in any form like coconut, lime, infused with fruits or spices, green tea and concoctions.
  8. Strengthen your gut: With pre and probiotics, like curd, pickles, fermented foods and kimchi.
  9. Increase protein intake: To prepare your body and avoid weaknesses.
  10. Respect Indian spices: Spices are rich in minerals and antioxidant properties. They help flush sinus infections too! 
  11. Detox your body: With fasting, which gives rest to our digestive system to improve the performance of other organs. This should be under supervision if diabetic or indicative of other comorbidities.

You should be fine as long as you follow the above 11 pointers. If you show any symptoms, it’s best to consult with your doctor before panicking. Certain illnesses like cold, fever and diarrhoea are common during the monsoon. Check with an expert and avoid self-medication. It would be wise to check your blood oxygen levels (SpO2) from time to time as well. You can use the GOQii Smart Vital that has sensors to detect body temperature, SpO2, blood pressure and heart rate. 

We hope this article helps you. If you find these tips useful, let us know in the comments below! For more on managing COVID, you can check out Healthy Reads or tune in to classes by experts on GOQii Play. 

To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu  

#BeTheForce 

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How Long After Getting Infected Can You Get The COVID Vaccine?

COVID Vaccine

It has been a daunting journey for over fourteen months where many have lost their family and friends due to the pandemic. Going through the COVID-19 journey has been a rancorous experience to many, especially during the second wave. Now, there’s hope for survival with the coming of the COVID vaccine.

How Does Vaccination Help?  

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination is a simple, safe and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases, before they come into contact with them. It uses our body’s natural defenses to build resistance to specific infections and makes our immune system stronger. So basically, vaccines do the same action as when we are exposed and are infected with the disease causing organism. But here, the symptoms may be very mild as they will be injecting the weakened version of disease causing organism or a part of the same organism, so our immune system gets trained on how to respond if the actual disease causing organism invades us. 

Whenever our body is infected with any of these microorganisms, our body fights against it. Our immune system remembers the specific virus or bacteria by producing its antibodies so that we can fight against it without getting symptoms for the next time when we are exposed to same type of virus or bacteria. But some of these antibodies may not last long enough to protect us from getting infected again in the future. Though a lot of research has been conducted on COVID-19, as far as we know, the antibodies of COVID-19 in our body may not last long. So, getting a vaccine is recommended, regardless of whether you were infected with COVID-19 or not. 

Can You Get The COVID Vaccine If You Were Infected? 

As the COVID vaccines have rolled out, people who were not infected are getting them but people who have already been infected might have questions related to the COVID vaccine such as – Can I get the vaccine? If yes, how long do I need to wait to get the vaccine after being infected with COVID-19? How long will I not get infected again if I don’t take the vaccine? Let’s look at the official recommendations.

As per the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) in India, based on the current situation of the pandemic, guidelines have been given on how long you need to defer the COVID-19 vaccine after getting infected with it.

  • Someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 should wait for 3 months to get their COVID Vaccine after recovery. 
  • If you have received the 1st dose of the COVID Vaccine and then got infected before completing the 2nd dose of vaccination, you also need to wait for 3 months to get your 2nd dose after recovering from the infection.
  • People who got infected with the virus and were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma need to defer getting vaccinated for 3 months after getting discharged from the hospital.

These guidelines are accepted by the Ministry Of Health and Family Affairs, India. Please note that the earlier recommendation to get the vaccine post COVID-19 infection was just four weeks before. So, the above recommendations are the latest updates recommended by NEGVAC, accepted by the Ministry of Health in India, which applies to all States and Union Territories. However, if you, or anyone in your family or friends who had COVID-19 positive with severe complications and comorbidities, or have undergone any major surgeries during this period or after the 1st dose of the vaccine, it is advised to talk to the doctor who treated you before taking the COVID Vaccine, keeping your safety in mind.

After getting the vaccine, remember not to stop the protocols of wearing  a clean mask, sanitizing and washing the hands often, social distancing, avoiding crowded places, having healthy food, regular exercise, good quality sleep and managing stress. Don’t forget, just getting a vaccine cannot guarantee that we will not get infected in the future. All these precautions can save us from being the victims of the next wave. 

Hope this article helps you! To read more on COVID-19 and managing its symptoms, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

To get these tips and queries directly answered by a GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching here:  https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu 

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce 

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]