Search Results for: green tea

June 2, 2020 By Akanksha Khullar 3 Comments

Effective Tips to Boost Your Immunity

As we prepare to welcome the monsoons, along with the ongoing pandemic, the change in season might affect some of you as you may show symptoms of cold and flu. During this time especially, it becomes important to protect your body against any illness or disease caused by bacteria or viruses. The best way to prevent cold and flu is to boost your immunity!

Types of Immunity

Specific Immunity: Is related to specialized cells located throughout the body like thymus, lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, lymphoid tissues, etc. which respond to invasions of foreign materials/microorganisms like bacteria, virus, fungi produced by or entering the body.
Non-Specific Immunity: Is related to the physical barriers like skin and mucous membrane. They form the first line of defence against the entry of microorganisms or foreign substances in your body.
Others: These include mobile cells like leukocytes and lymphocytes. They are released in the blood and carried to the site where they are needed when any microorganism invades the tissue.

How To Boost Your Immunity

Each person has a different spectrum of immunity ranging from good to bad. But there are certain things you can do to try to boost your immunity.

Have Nutritionally Adequate Meals: There are supplements in the market claiming that they increase immunity. However, it’s best to do so by consuming foods that boost your immunity. A healthy immune system is dependent upon a healthy eating pattern. Malnourishment leads to low immunity as nutrients like zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid and vitamins like A, B6, C and E are needed to maintain an optimum immune system. Some foods that boost immunity are Vitamin C rich foods like oranges, grapes, kiwi, pineapple, lemon, etc, along with broccoli, ginger, garlic, turmeric, green tea, etc.
Boost Gut Health: Gut health is directly related to our immunity. The healthier the gut, the healthier the immune system. Adding prebiotics and probiotics like yogurt/buttermilk/curd, garlic, onion, apple, bananas, oats, flaxseeds, wheat bran, apple cider vinegar, Kombucha, Isapgol, etc. to your diet as they boost gut health, which in turn boosts your immune system. As they have good bacteria, they prevent digestion issues as well. For healthy digestion, make sure you avoid too spicy and junk foods, avoid long gaps between meals, hydrate yourself well, be on the move throughout the day, have a light dinner and keep stress away. Also have lots of fibre in the form of raw fruits and salads, oats, nuts, etc.
Get Active: Exercising regularly for at least 20-30 minutes helps to bring in a healthier you by improving bones, muscle and joint strength. It prevents various metabolic disorders like diabetes, cardiac issues, etc. It also increases blood circulation which allows the proper functioning of T cells – which is a type of white blood cell that guards the body against infections to work efficiently and prevent us from getting any kind of viral infection or disease. A regular workout schedule even reduces stress which is a major contributor for low immunity.
Curb Alcohol & Smoking: Alcohol and smoking are scavengers of our immune system. Try to limit the intake of the same to avoid cold or flu as they affect the liver and lungs respectively which helps in detoxification. They lead to medical problems like cardiac issues and blood pressure, which if uncontrolled, leads to cardiac attack. Smoking leads to respiratory tract infections like tuberculosis and bronchitis and alcohol also leads to fatty liver and in severe cases, leads to liver cirrhosis. Drinking and smoking also leads to cancer.
Get Sufficient Sleep: Make sure that you get at least 6-8 hours of sleep everyday as enough sleep helps our bodies recover from everyday stress, both physical and mental. If you feel that your sleep is disturbed, try to be active throughout the day, avoid caffeine or alcohol before sleeping, keep the bedroom cool and keep the electronics away before sleeping and do some deep breathing or unwind yourself.
Reduce Stress Levels: Stress is directly linked to our immune system as it secretes cortisol which interferes with the functioning of T-cells. To keep your stress in check, practice yoga, meditation, socialize on the internet and practice positive thinking or deep breathing in your regular routine.
Maintain Good Hygiene: Wash your hands for 20 seconds under running water frequently in a day with soap or use a hand sanitizer with alcohol to disinfect yourself from germs frequently. After entering the house, make sure to immediately wash hands with soap to avoid infection. Wear a mask as instructed by WHO if you’re stepping out. Also, make sure to wash raw fruits and vegetables before consuming them.

Good immunity is the pillar of a healthy body and very important for providing longevity to life. Try the above tips and boost your immunity to live a long and healthy life. For more tips on immunity, check out Healthy Reads or view LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Stay home, stay safe, boost your immunity and #BeTheForce

March 26, 2020 By Navnee Garg 3 Comments

10 Ways to Turn Quarantine Time into Quality Time

It has been over a week of working from home, social distancing and self-isolation from the outer world! Is it getting boring for you? With another 21 days of lockdown in full effect, life might only get monotonous. Let’s break that routine. Let’s utilize this time to do something more fun, productive and refreshing!

Focusing on the positive, this lockdown might actually be a blessing in disguise for those who have been too busy with work to do anything else. With all the time you save by not traveling or not being able to invest in social gatherings, you can pursue a hobby you’ve always wanted to or do something fun!

10 Fun Things to do During Lockdown

Read a Book: Are you an avid reader who would finish a novel over weekends? If busy work hours and long travel hours stopped you from doing that, now is your time to shine! Get cozy in a corner, sip some nice green tea and immerse yourself in a book you’ve wanted to read. If you want to begin reading, try Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain or Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
Rearrange the Wardrobe: This is every mom’s dream come true! Clean the shelves, rearrange clothes and once this lockdown is over, you can even donate the ones you don’t need. Organize your cupboard now that you have the time.
Workout at Home: With the work from home mandate, closed gyms and lockdown, we’re spending more time sitting than being active. Now is the best time for home workouts. If you’re not motivated to workout, then you can join the 30 Day Quarantine Burn Challenge on GOQii and earn some exciting rewards while getting fit! All you need to do is tune in to workout videos on GOQii Play for 30 days. There’s more info in the GOQii App.
Learn a New Hobby: Each one of us has always wanted to learn something or the other which could be painting, dancing, boxing, playing an instrument, cooking or may be as small as a headstand. You have all the time to explore these wonderful creative activities now! Utilise this bonus time to enhance your creativity skills.
Grow Some Greens: Gardening is not only environment friendly but also a great stress buster. Go on and grow some organic vegetables to relish the nutrition at its best. If you want to begin growing your own microgreens, join Coach Arooshi Garg on GOQii Play as she has classes which are specific to growing microgreens!
Sanitize Your Home: It is not only the hands that need sanitizing but everything that you touch as well. Wear your gloves and reach on to every corner of the house that you usually miss on due to lack of time. You can use a dettol spray to kill the germs around.
Watch your Favourite Series: It’s time to catch up on the list of shows/movies you always wanted to watch. We do not suggest binge watching and eating as that can harm your health but planning your tasks everyday and having the entertainment slot for 30 minutes can be manageable.
Plan Virtual Meets: Family and friends are always important. Social distancing needs to be followed strictly but we still can connect with our people over the phone, video calls, skype, etc. Make the most of the technology we have.
Quality Time with Your Family: The busy routine of office and work at times keeps us away from family chit chats. Now you can sit together, talk to each other and recollect old memories. You have more time to spend with your spouse, eat food with your kids and play in the house with your siblings. If you have a pet, you can feed, groom and bathe him/her! This would boost your inner happiness for sure.
Mediate: Stress levels are definitely high with the fear of increasing cases in our country. Be patient and calm. Indulge in some nice deep breathing sessions before sleep or practice Pranayama. It will help you stay positive and take decisions responsibly during emergencies. Join meditation and yoga sessions on GOQii Play for a better experience!

These are just a few ways in which you can utilize and make the most of this 21 day lockdown! Do you have some other activities planned? How are you spending your days? Let us know in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

March 9, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

From Fattest to Fittest! Pratyush Dixit & His Awe-Inspiring Transformation

Have you ever been in a situation that felt hopeless? Do you think that your current predicament is irreversible? Have your circumstances chained you down to the extent that you feel you cannot achieve your dreams? If everything around you is crumbling to an inescapable pit of despair, we want to remind you that things can change. You can change. It’s never too late. It’s never too late to reverse your circumstances and achieve your dreams.

If you want to know how this is possible, we want you to read Pratyush Dixit’s inspiring story of reversing the odds!

A marketing professional from Delhi, Pratyush Dixit has been working since 2005. He was leading a sedentary life due to the strenuous nature of his work. Especially for the past 8 years, handling stock provisions, then the hospitality sector and now heading a marketing division, he was always seated and stressed. Apart from being sedentary, Pratyush was also a foodie. He had been winning food eating competitions for as long as he can remember, enjoyed street food and was never into healthy eating. On the medical front, he had a family history of diabetes. At 34, he weighed 105 kg and things weren’t working well for him. He found himself thirsty throughout the day and urinating frequently at night.

Identifying these as the classic symptoms of diabetes, he went for a medical checkup. He was aware that his blood sugar might be high but once his tests came in, he got the shock of his life. His Blood sugar level was at 330 and PP (post prandial sugar after meals) was more than 525 and his cholesterol was extremely high. When he consulted his family doctor, he advised immediate measures to bring the situation under control. He was put on heavy doses of insulin till his sugar dropped to 200. Pratyush knew he had to bring his weight under control as well for him to be able to recover. He immediately took to walking and in 2 months was able to shed 7.5 kg.

Enter GOQii

At this point, Pratyush Dixit had read extensively about diabetes. He was searching for a fitness tracker that could help him. He came across other bands but eventually settled for GOQii. Initially, he didn’t want the coaching option as he believed he had read enough about diabetes to know everything. After a long conversation with the GOQii Coach assigned to him, he realized that he needs a coach. His Coach was knowledgeable, patient, understanding and motivating. She assured Pratyush that he will achieve his health goals.

Starting slowly, she told Pratyush that he need not rush in one go but should take one step at a time. For instance, when on the phone, he could squeeze in a walk. She encouraged him to eat healthy. Whenever he wanted to eat a pizza, she advised him to not eat more than a few bites. She also advised him to eat smaller portions throughout the day so that he was full and didn’t feel the urge to eat unhealthy.

Changing Habits and Getting On Track!

Pratyush stopped eating unhealthy. Now, he avoids rice completely. His diet involves a lot of protein and complex carbohydrates. On a daily basis, he consumes fruits with cinnamon (as it helps control blood sugar) as well as a couple of teaspoons of apple cider.

In the mornings, he starts his day with Fenugreek and Fenugreek water. Then he goes for one liter of luke warm water with apple cider, lemon, pepper and black salt. Post that some apple and cinnamon. He follows that up with some cold milk with Basil (Sabja) seeds. Later, he eats either Porridge, Oats or Upma loaded with vegetables. He then goes on to eat nuts, some pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, almonds and/or walnuts.

For lunch, he takes multigrain chapati with one dal or vegetable or both and salads in good quantity. He also has buttermilk twice a day. In the evening, he munches on dehydrated pulses with some salt. He also eats a fruit, mostly pomegranate or pears. He avoids mangoes and pineapples. At night, he again eats a chapati, vegetable and salad. If he must opt for rice, he prefers brown rice.

For exercise, apart from walking, when he gets the time, Pratyush includes bicep and tricep curls as suggested by his Coach. He also manages to do a few pushups and squats. He has started jogging a little as well.

He was bedridden for 6 months because of lower back pain but was able to overcome that and recover. His GOQii Coach helped him with some yoga as well.

When Asked If He Still Eats Street Food, Pratyush Dixit Said:

“Now I go for healthy street food! Even if I go for the unhealthier one, instead of going for Dalda or ghee, I go for a olive oil tikki and I won’t take more than a bite or two. I avoid whole portions. I have stopped ordering from Dominos or Pizza Hut but opt for Pizza Express where they serve thin or wheat crust. If I’m out, instead of Aloo Tikka, I got for Paneer Tikka or Soya Chaat. Everything without butter. Then I opt for Green Tea regularly as well as Basil Leaves.”

What Were The Results?

Pratyush told us that he wasn’t worried about his blood sugar levels anymore. He slowly lost weight the healthy way with help from his GOQii Coach. He currently weighs around 80kg. Before, his HPCL was 14 and now, it is a stunning 5.2. His diabetes is completely under control. His PB recently was 95 and fasting was 80, both of which are not sugar levels of a diabetic. With diabetes under control and low cholesterol, he is always high on energy! He says that he is the healthiest person in his office! Recently, his TSH shot up. He is working towards controlling it. On a daily basis, he walks anywhere between 10k to 30k steps. He is a part of the Active Sunday group and every Sunday meets his like-minded GOQiites for some fun walks and exercises.

When Asked About GOQii, He Said:

“The best thing about GOQii is that it provides you some learned, educated and dedicated coaches. They are like friends who are helping you out. They are not just carrying that professional approach of ‘you have to do this and my job is done’. There is a lot of personal approach and they keep motivating you. That does not mean they are lenient. They keep pushing you to do better. Sometimes when I miss my walk, my coach tells me that it is okay. You can’t religiously follow your schedule every day. You aren’t a machine. The key is that even if you go off schedule, you should come back. With GOQii, there’s someone to motivate you to come back to that schedule. So that is what GOQii has done to me. When I told my coach of my problems, she assured me that we will overcome them and achieve my goals! I never thought I will be this fit person.”

People in Pratyush’s office consider him as their idol and often approach him for help. Once upon a time, he was fattest man in his society and now he is a role model with people asking him how he did it. He simply responds by saying because he had the zest to do it!

Going forward, Pratyush wishes to push his limits and practice Parkour Running. He is currently working with his coach to achieve this. As it was always his dream, now he feels he can finally achieve it.

What did you think about Pratyush’s journey? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

January 13, 2019 By Arooshi Garg 6 Comments

7 Super foods you must try this year- Don’t miss out!

Since recent years the “Super Food” market has definitely been on the rise. But, what is a “superfood” anyway?

A “Superfood” refers to any food which is nutrient packed and dense. In other words, they have a rich supply of micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Such foods used to be the type only woo-woo health nuts would gravitate toward. But, more recently, they have expanded to appeal to folks in a variety of cohorts. For example, as recently as two years ago, quinoa, flax seeds, and kale were considered exotic and difficult to find in supermarkets. Now, however, these super foods have become staples in the ‘healthy diet’ of many. From herbs and spices to fruits, vegetables, and grains, each year brings about a whole new variety of nutrient-rich, vitamin-packed foods that we can add to our daily meals.

So how about we give you some examples of these power-packed, cutting edge foods filled with good-for-you vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting phytochemicals?

Here are 7 of the healthiest foods that you should be eating this year:

i) JU-SMOOTHIES

The newest word in the food dictionaries, everywhere… this trend is the latest to catch in the eye of health enthusiasts. What do you get when you cross a fresh juice with a smoothie? A Ju-Smoothie of course. A JU-smoothie is a fiber-filled liquid concoction with extra nutritional benefits than just a fruit-vegetable juice.

The JuSmoothie means you make your fresh juice and then blend it with bulky fruits or other ingredients that aren’t juicer friendly.

Vegetable and fruit juices absorb quickly which means they can leave you hungry a couple of hours later. But blend a super nutritious juice with a banana, melon or a sapota ( Chikoo) and some crushed flaxseeds or nuts and you’ve a more solid and substantial concoction that is absorbed slower and will keep you going longer with good satiety.

ii) MATCHA (the newest green tea)

Green tea has become a staple in diets for some years now. The new entry, “Matcha” is derived from the Japanese sencha leaf and then stone ground into a bright-green fine powder. Matcha literally means powdered tea, and it’s incredibly good for health. The concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in Matcha is found to be 137 times greater than the amount found in most store-bought green tea. EGCG is known to boost lipolysis (the breakdown of fat) and block adipogenesis (the formation of fat cells), particularly in the belly. It can be made in the traditional way or be added to lattes, iced drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies. A single serving has around 4 grams of protein!!!

iii) Nut-Based Vegan Cheese

A lot of vegan cheese varieties are emerging. Everyone’s favorite staple – cheese – gets a healthy makeover with nut milk. Nut-based cheeses are made from (alternative mil such as)almond, cashew, and macadamia but, prepared in traditional cheese-making style. That’s good news for vegans and cheese lovers!

Vegan cheese can have several benefits. It boasts to be rich in vitamin E and B12 and the content depends on the milk used and preparation method used.

iv) Beet Greens

Vitamin A-rich beet greens look similar to chard and even people who don’t like the sweet starchy flavor of beets, love beet greens. So next time you get beets with the greens still attached, don’t toss away that superfood in a bin. Rather, toss it in a mixed salad with carrots, radishes, tomatoes, and cucumbers!

Beet greens can be used in smoothies and soups. You can also replace them into a recipe that calls for spinach, kale, or lettuce. You can even or sauté them for an easy side dish that cooks in just a couple of minutes.

v) Teff : Teff is gaining popularity worldwide. Teff is an ancient and intriguing grain, tiny in size yetpacked with nutrition. It is simple to prepare and similar to millet or quinoa if you cook it. It is a fine grain—about the size of a poppy seed—that comes in a variety of colors, from white and red to dark brown. This tiny grain that has been a staple of traditional Ethiopian cooking for thousands of years

First cultivated in Ethiopia, Teff is high in calcium, iron, fiber, and protein with a mild, sweet, and nutty taste. It’s also naturally gluten-free.

Teff works well in a main or side dish, in baked goods, sourdough flatbread, or as a substitute for cornmeal in some recipes.

vi) Rooibos Tea

Green tea isn’t the only super-healthy tea out there. Along with Matcha tea, Rooibos tea, too, has been showing up on supermarket shelves.

Rooibos tea is a red-colored herbal is a tea made from the leaves of the rooibos bush. Native to South Africa, it has shown to be beneficial for lowering LDL and improving HDL. Health benefits of red rooibos tea include its use as a cure for headaches, insomnia, asthma, eczema, bone weakness, hypertension, allergies, and premature aging.

The tea is absolutely free from caffeine content and is also low in tannins. Rooibos tea is said to contain rare nutrients like Quercetin and Bioflavonoids that assist in good blood circulation and obstructs hemorrhaging.

vii) Coconut sugar: Coconut is one food that has emerged as a superfood lately. From organic coconut oil to organic coconut water and coconut flour, all have shown potential high nutritional qualities. Foodies are moving on to a different palm product-coconut sugar, also known as palm sugar. It has been used as a sweetener for thousands of years in Southeast Asia where coconuts are abundant, and it’s gaining popularity all over the world now as a “healthier” sugar alternative.

Unlike pure table sugar, only 78 percent of coconut sugar is actually sugar; the remaining 22 percent comes from nutrients like zinc, iron and fiber—more specifically, inulin, a type of insoluble fiber that acts as a prebiotic to feed the healthy bacteria in your gut and slows down the digestion and absorption of sugar into the blood. But be cautious in the usage, while coconut sugar is marketed as a “low GI sweetener,” it is still sugar: caloric and potentially fattening. So approach this health trend with caution. Consider coconut sugar the new honey—an ever-so-slightly better alternative to refined sugar!

So whether you’re a health nut looking to try the latest and greatest or just a foodie looking for new ingredients to add to your beloved recipes…get all or at least some of these Super Foods on your plate this year!