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Sleep Series: The Chemistry of Sleep

sleep series: chemistry of sleepDifficult to believe? Yes it is true. The perfect sleep is the result of a complex reaction from 2 main chemicals. Adenosine is a neurochemical which accumulates during “wake” and drains during “sleep”. Imagine a specially made hourglass, but one which builds up for approx. 16 hours of our wake cycle and drains within 8 hours of our sleep cycle. The receptors of Adenosine inform the brain that “stock levels are up” and it is time to relax and sleep. As sleep kicks in, stock levels of Adenosine goes down and receptors send a “wake up” signal to the brain.

Adenosine is the primary inducer of sleep-wake cycle. It reduces neural activity and sets you to start sleep. Interestingly, Caffeine blocks the Adenosine receptors and creates the opposite effect.  There we go – as to why we feel a bit fresh and brisk after a cup of coffee – it is an illusion we create by confusing the brain! The body’s excretion system works hard to flush Caffeine. It takes 5-6 hours to flush out just 50% of this possessive chemical.

I’ve mentioned Adenosine over Melatonin as the primary sleep chemical because I wanted to impress upon the impact of Caffeine. We take Caffeine in many forms – Coffee, Cola, energy drinks, etc. Caffeine also impacts the Dopamine and Serotonin chemical reaction, thereby causing a significant disruption of the normal neural activity. 

Do let Adenosine do its job naturally, you will sleep on time and naturally! Caffeine interferes with several hormonal/neurochemical reactions related to sleep. Do not consume Caffeine beyond lunchtime and in any case, beyond 4pm. 

The Magical Darkness Hormone – Melatonin

Melatonin is the second chemical responsible for enabling “onset” of sleep. It detoxifies the body of free radicals and other toxins. It starts secretion as soon as darkness sets in and it peaks by midnight. The synthesis of melatonin occurs through a multistep complex chemical process:

  • It all starts with food – food contains an amino acid called tryptophan. Foods like Milk, oats, nuts contain more tryptophan. 
  • Tryptophan is absorbed from the bloodstream to the pineal gland in the brain.
  • First, tryptophan is converted to another amino acid and then to a brain chemical called Serotonin. 2 Enzymes are involved here!
  • Serotonin’s conversion to melatonin involves two more enzymes.
  • All chemicals discussed here follow complex routines and they are part of a chain which is amazingly responsible for the onset of sleep. On top of it all, there is a closely coordinated play of the “Brain-Gut complex” to get this right!

How Can You Aid This Natural Process For Good Sleep? 

DON’T intervene in the natural process! Supplements can’t get you anywhere near the good quality sleep offered by this natural process.  

  • Beware of Caffeine! – Stop post lunch consumption
  • Consume foods high in tryptophan – consult your GOQii coach
  • Gut (Serotonin storage) has its role in sleep, so keep it clean and healthy
  • Get used to darkness after dinner to catalyze natural Melatonin 

Adenosine has other functions such as certain cardiac functions as well. This article does not deal with them. An enzyme is a biological catalyst that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction and an amino acid is an organic acid used to make proteins usually obtained from food. OTC Melatonin – a small dose is usually fine to get over jet lag. 

We hope this article on the Chemistry of Sleep helps you!  Stay tuned for more from the Sleep Series by Srini! To read more about sleep and sleeping techniques, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

#BeTheForce 

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Sangeeta Jajodia goes from a Simple Housewife to a Super Woman!

Sangeeta Jajodia

They say being a housewife is a full time job, and quite rightly so. As one among many, 52 year old Sangeeta Jajodia from Mumbai, led a very busy life. Her routine revolved around tending to the needs and demands of her grown up children, cooking, cleaning and regular household chores. During her free time, she watched TV or browsed through her mobile – this is how she summed up her life before GOQii.

Apart from her daily chores and normal walks which were required, she never indulged in any physical activity. She had no restrictions on food, she would sleep late and wake up early to prepare food for her kids. All of this led to acidity, cholesterol, fatty liver and weight gain. She says that she had never been underweight nor obese.

In 2017, after a family wedding when browsing through the pics, she realized that she had gradually put on a lot of weight. She decided that she needs to lose weight. Not knowing where to start, she decided walking was the one thing she could do. Seeing her interest, her son gifted her a GOQii and with it, a key to a new life which began taking shape from January 2018.

Life after GOQii

Initially, Sangeeta Jajodia was very reluctant to follow her GOQii Coach’s instructions – even simple things such as adding a salad and fruits to her diet – something she hadn’t done before. Slowly, she began adding salads to her dinner and her lunch as well. Now, she includes them daily.

Apart from adding salads to her diet, some of the changes included:

  • Adding fruits in between her main meals to avoid the long gap she used to have before.
  • She had to exercise portion control while eating her meals.
  • Drinking 2 cups of green tea and cinnamon water before going to bed
  • Eat dinner by 8 PM
  • Regularize eating and sleep timings
  • Apple detox twice a week which includes adding a few pieces of apple and cinnamon powder to a jug full of water, leaving it overnight and consuming that water throughout the day. On these days, she avoids grains and dairy products
  • 1 hour walk every day and does basic home workouts shared by her GOQii Coach
  • She takes her 10k step target seriously and walks even if she’s on vacation.

Sangeeta Jajodia Makes the Shift!

After implementing all of the small lifestyle modifications suggested by her GOQii Coach, Sangeeta Jajodia witnessed a lot of positive changes in her life. To begin with, her weight had reduced from 82kg to 73kg within a year of joining GOQii. Furthermore, her acidity was gone completely. Her cholesterol and fatty liver levels are in the normal range. Apart from this, she has participated in 4 5k runs and 1 8k run last year.

What Does Sangeeta Think About Her GOQii Coach?

Sangeeta completely trusts her GOQii Coach and follows her instructions and guidance diligently. Her coach follows up with her every day and reprimands her if she doesn’t follow a habit or cheats on her diet. What Sangeeta likes the most is that if she is in a difficult situation, her GOQii Coach modifies her habits – for instance, when Sangeeta’s mother-in-law was sick and she was stressed, her GOQii Coach asked her to start with breathing exercises and meditation which really helped her out during that time. Constant suggestions and a customized solution like this is what appeals to Sangeeta the most!

Like Sangeeta Jajodia, do you want to make a positive lifestyle change as well? Download the GOQii App and subscribe to our service now!

For more inspiring user journeys, read here: https://goqii.com/blog/category/user-stories/

#BeTheForce

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Getting A Push To A Healthier Lifestyle – Rohit Khatri User Journey

Rohit Khatri

The choices we make early in life often determine our current predicaments. Unhealthy choices always lead to unhealthy consequences. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. It is never too late to make a shift to healthier choices. Lifestyle diseases can be reversed and you can live a healthy and fulfilling life. When things seem the bleakest, all you need is a gentle push in the right direction. Don’t believe us? Just ask our player Rohit Khatri! 

Finding GOQii To Make A Change 

Rohit Khatri is a 32 year old Delhi-based businessman who was introduced to GOQii through the ABBOTT Gutfit program in 2016. His doctor had asked him to register for a 3 month subscription with GOQii to adopt lifestyle modifications to manage his GERD issue as well as his weight, which at that time was 132kg. The doctor said that the only way he could get relief from GERD and other associated issues is when he reduces his weight.  

“Most times, you know what the problem is but you can’t seem to do anything about it. You just give up and let life take its course,” says Rohit. He knew his weight had increased incredibly over the years and he just seemed to lack the will to do anything about it. He commends both his coaches, his previous coach, Swati and current coach Sakhi Agarwal, for giving him the confidence and the push to tackle his weight issue. 

He points out that untimely eating, overeating and having absolutely no control over his junk habits were the sole cause behind his enormous weight gain. 

Inculcating New Healthy Habits 

The first and foremost thing that his coach assured him was that he doesn’t have to go through any drastic changes to his routine. She said they will adopt a gradual yet consistent method to losing weight and resolving his gastric issues. He was asked to make the following changes to his routine: 

  • Drink jeera water on an empty stomach in the morning, followed by a fruit 
  • Khichdi or Dalia for breakfast 
  • For lunch, he was asked to eat roti, sabzi or dal-chawal, though the portion size was reduced 
  • Avoid calorie-dense foods
  • Stay off junk food and sweets 
  • Dinner consisted of more salads followed by home-cooked meals  
  • Brisk walk for 45 mins every day (his duration has increased to 1.5 hours now) 
  • He slowly included jogging, cycling or brisk walking or a combination of all to avoid boredom 
  • During lockdown, he started watching GOQii Play and worked out with whichever coach was online during his exercise time 

The Right Efforts Lead To Healthy Rewards 

As a result of following his new healthy habits daily, Rohit Khatri witnessed the following changes in his life: “

  • Completely off GERD medication 
  • Weight has reduced from 132kg to 103kg 
  • He feels more energetic and positive about himself 

He says that shopping for clothes earlier used to be a nightmare as he didn’t have many options for his plus size but now he doesn’t have to struggle as much. He is pleased with the compliments he gets from people for his weight loss and that even after 4 years, the weight he lost hasn’t come back. It makes him happy that he achieved his goal. 

What Does Rohit Khatri Have To Say About GOQii? 

He is grateful to both his coaches and says he owes it all to them. If not for them, he wouldn’t have gotten the push to focus on his health. They made it seem too easy to him, corrected him whenever he went wrong, motivated, and encouraged him at every step. 

“Sometimes, all you are waiting for is a push in the right direction and GOQii gave that to me,” says Rohit Khatri. Now the habits have become a part of his life. He says that he can’t imagine a day without his jeera water, fruit and exercise. 

What Does Coach Sakhi Agarwal Have To Say About His Progress? 

Rohit Khatri was transferred to me on June 5, 2020. He was an Abbott Player and had a history of GERD. At the time, his weight was 120kg in July, his waist was 40 inches and his sleep time was disturbed i.e. 2am to 11am. I suggested 3 habits as per his goals: 

  1. Morning detox water to speed his metabolism 
  2. Improve sleep timings and change it to 11pm to 6am 
  3. Start taking an average of 3k steps a day 

Later, I introduced other habits like replacing biscuits with roasted snacks or fruits and eating meals on time.

Now, he has increased his step count to 16-20k a day. He lost 11kg and 5 inches in 5 months. His current weight is 109kg and waist size is 35 inches. He is currently working hard to reduce his weight further and getting healthier. He is happy with his progress and has renewed his subscription for 1 year. 

We’re thrilled to see Rohit Khatri make progress the right way with the right push from our team of experts. Found this story inspiring? Want to make a lifestyle change or know someone who wants to? Ask them to visit our website www.goqii.com or download the GOQii App now: www.goqii.com/app 

For more stories to motivate you, check out other transformation stories on Healthy Reads. 

#BeTheForce 

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Which Foods Are Good For Liver Repair?

liver repair

Liver is the largest endocrine gland located in the right side of the upper abdomen. It has the most important function in the body that includes sorting out: 

  • Which nutrient or medicine should be processed, like proteins into urea
  • Which nutrient should be converted for storage like vitamins and minerals, sugars into glycogen
  • Which nutrient should go to the blood and which ones need to be eliminated through stool.
  • Improving a person’s immunity

Though the liver can regenerate itself, there are many foods which one can consume to keep it healthy and safe. Any damage to the liver can cause metabolic disorder and death. So let’s look at some foods which can help you with liver repair! 

Foods That Help Liver Repair 

  1. Coffee: Studies prove that coffee drinkers are at less risk of developing liver disease. Caffeine in coffee slows down scarring and helps fight liver cancer especially alcohol related cirrhosis. The acids in coffee can also help fight against the Hepatitis virus.
  2. Green Tea: is high in antioxidants. Hence, it improves liver enzymes and prevents oxidative damage and fat deposition in the liver. Studies prove that green and black tea extracts reverse the negative effect of a high fat diet but the studies also involve large quantities (5-10 cups) of tea so being cautious and consulting a doctor or dietician before deciding on the number of cups per day is a good option.
  3. Berries: Dark coloured berries like blueberries and cranberries contain anthocyanins which give them the dark, deep colour. They help in improving immunity and reduce formation of scar tissues and lesions in the liver. Consuming berries 3-4 times a week also inhibits the growth of cancer cells in the liver.  
  4. Grapefruit: contains antioxidants known as Naringenin and Naringin. Studies have shown that antioxidants Naringenin can reduce development of hepatic fibrosis which is build-up of excessive connective tissue leading to chronic inflammation. These antioxidants decrease the amount of fat build up in liver tissues and increase the amount of fat burning enzymes which prevent excess fat build up in the liver, thereby, reducing inflammation. Antioxidant Naringin improves the liver’s ability to metabolise alcohol and reduce negative effects of alcohol to some extent.
  5. Beetroot: is an excellent food for liver health as it helps breakdown toxic waste which can be excreted but acts well when taken in juice form. It contains nitrates and antioxidants which reduce oxidative damage and inflammation by increasing detoxification enzymes and improving bile. Betaine and Pectin present in beetroot helps in removing toxins from the body and prevent their re-entry.
  6. Cruciferous Vegetables: like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale have glutathione which triggers enzymes of the liver that help eliminate toxins from the body. They also help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as they help reduce fat in the organ and inflammation as well. These vegetables have high levels of indole which helps lower inflammation, which is generally present in obese people. 
  7. Nuts: are nutrient dense snacks which contain unsaturated fats, vitamin E and antioxidants and micronutrients (selenium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and many others) which help dilate blood vessels, reduce inflammation, oxidative stress and prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Eating a handful of nuts regularly helps keep your  liver healthy! 
  8. Fatty Fish: like salmon, tuna, and sardine are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which help reduce inflammation and prevent build-up of excess fat and maintain enzyme levels in the liver. Try including fatty fish like salmon and herring 2-3 times a week in your diet.
  9. Olive Oil: contains omega 6 fatty acid which helps reduce inflammation. Studies show that olive oil is a good source of triglycerides which are processed outside the liver and hence help reduce deposition of fat cells in the liver. Having 1-3 tsp of olive oil daily in the diet helps clean the liver and supports weight loss. Be sure to balance this oil with other healthy fats.  
  10. Garlic: contains selenium which helps detoxify the liver and activate enzymes that help the body remove toxins. Garlic contains Allicin, which gets activated when crushed. It is a powerful antioxidant, antibiotic and antifungal in nature. The antioxidant compounds in garlic act as a barrier between liver and toxins and keep toxic substances away.
  11. Grapes: especially the red and purple ones contain resveratrol, an antioxidant which helps reduce inflammation and remove toxins, as they contain vitamin C. They also increase antioxidant levels in the body. 

We hope this article helps you with your liver repair. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more information on this subject, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

#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 […]