Search Results for: green tea

August 31, 2024 By Soni Thakur 7 Comments

Why You Should Eat Your Fruits and Juice Your Veggies!

How many times have you drank fruit juices? How often do you eat your vegetables? Although we agree that doing both is quite healthy, as fruits and vegetables are naturally good and contain all the vitamins and minerals needed by the body, we also need to consider that we might be doing it wrong! Why, do you ask? Let’s find out why you should eat your fruits and juice your veggies!

Benefits of Eating Fruits Instead of Juicing Them

No doubt juices nourish your body with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. In its liquid form, all the nutrients of whole fruit will be readily available for your body to absorb. However, juicing removes some important nutrients that can be retained by eating the whole fruit.

Eating whole fruits provides your body with fiber, which is eliminated during the juicing process.
A whole fruit protects you from the sensitivities that can be caused due to the heat generated by the juicer, ultimately decreasing the nutritional value of the fruit.
Your blood sugar will not spike as much with whole fruits, making them recommended for people with Diabetes
Fibers present in whole fruits keep you full for longer and provide relief from constipation
As a snack, whole fruits relieve hunger pangs, and the digestion process takes longer compared to gulping down juice in one go. Eventually, this helps in mindful eating and keeps you fuller for longer.

Benefits of Juicing Vegetables

Eating vegetables is good for your health, but there are certain benefits of juicing them that you can incorporate in your daily diet for maximum health benefits.

Juicing vegetables allows you to incorporate more than one vegetable at a time.
Juicing a large volume of vegetables provide more vitamins than eating a green salad with just one or few veggies.
Juices from some vegetables are more effective in lowering blood pressure and relaxing the muscles that line blood vessels.
Vegetable juices may increase the speed of detoxifying your body as they are readily absorbed and digested.
The water content and vitamins of some vegetables are lost during the cooking process, so juicing can help retain these nutrients.

Points to Remember

Our digestive system is designed to handle fiber and extract nutrients from a variety of foods, including whole fruits and vegetables.
Modifications can be made depending on your need, situation and availability.
We need at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit each day
Vegetables and fruits of similar color generally contain similar protective compounds. To gain more benefits, it is best to choose fruits and vegetables of different color and varieties.

We hope this article helps you make a healthy shift. Remember that there is no hard and fast rule to this. Do what works best for you but before following this, do consult your dietician or nutritionist.

For more on nutrition, fruits and veggies, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

August 15, 2024 By Trupti Hingad Leave a Comment

A Fusion of Taste & Health: Exotic Salads for you to try.

This Independence day let’s get healthy and try out some of these power packed nutrient salads. Why are salads important and what are its health benefits is nicely described in this blog https://goqii.com/blog/health-benefits-of-eating-a-bowl-of-salad-daily/.

Salad or veggies is the most important part of the meal platter. You cannot afford to skip if you want to get your daily dose of micronutrients. But, it is so boring and monotonous to cut slices of cucumber, tomato and onion and have it daily. There are various veggies available which you can twist and turn and make your salad interesting and colourful and tasty too. Wondering how? Keep reading.

Here I am listing some tasty salads with amazing dressings

CRUNCHY MUNCHY SALAD

Crunchy Munchy Salad

Ingredients:

Wheat/Oat Flakes – ½ bowl

Baby Corn – 5-6 in no

Bell Peppers (3 coloured) – ½ bowl

Lettuce – 2 leaves

Pomegranate – ¼ bowl

Seasoning

Lime juice – 2-3 tap

Salt – according to taste

Chaat Masala – According to taste

Method

Roast the oats a bit. Then mix all ingredients with the seasoning. Toss well and serve.

DETOX SALAD

Detox Salad

Ingredients:

Broccoli – ½ bowl florets

Carrot – ½ bowl juliennes

Bell Pepper – ¼ bowl juliennes (red, yellow, green)

Baby Corn – 4-5 in no diced finely

Cherry tomatoes – ¼ bowl or regular tomatoes

Red Cabbage- ½ bowl finely chopped

Zucchini (yellow) – ¼ bowl sliced

Alfa Alfa sprouts – 2 Tbsp (for garnishing)

Seasoning:

Vinegar – 2 tsp

Red Chilli Flakes – 1 tsp

Salt – according to taste

Flax seeds – coarsely pounded 2 tsp

Walnuts – coarsely pounded 3-4 in nos

Method:

Toss all ingredients with seasoning in a bowl.

Refrigerate for ½ an hour & serve.

SPROUTED METHI SALAD

sprouted-methi-seed-salad-recipe.1024x1024

Sprouted Methi Salad

Ingredients:

Sprouted Methi Seeds – ½ cup

Pomegranate – ¼ cup

Cucumber – 1 in number diced

Carrot – 1 in number diced

Capsicum – ½ each diced (3 coloured)

Tomato – 1 in number chopped

Spring Onion – 1 stalk finely chopped

Seasoning:

Chaat Masala – ¼ tsp

Lemon Juice – ½ lemon

Salt – according to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients in a salad bowl. Add seasoning to the same. Toss well. And Serve.

WALDORF SALAD

Waldorf Salad

Ingredients

10-12 cup Walnuts halves
2 tsp Flax Seeds
½ cup low-fat Yogurt
1 stick finely chopped Parsley
1 stick finely chopped Celery
1 teaspoon honey
2 leaves of Ice berg Lettuce chopped
2 large crisp Apples
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup Golden Raisins
½ Lemon, juiced
Method

Cut apple into chunks. Add all ingredients in a salad bowl. Toss all the ingredients. Refrigerate for 30-45 mins and serve.

BEAN SALAD WITH PROBIOTIC DRESSING

Bean Salad with Pro-biotic dressing

Ingredients

Bean Sprouts – 1 cup

Fresh Pomegranate – ¼ cup kernels

Cucumber – 1 in number (diced)

3 coloured Bell Pepper – ½ each (diced)

Tomatoes – 1 in number (diced)

Dressing:

Curd – ½ cup

Honey – 1 tsp

Olive Oil – ½ tsp

Flax Seeds – 2 tsp (coarsely crushed)

Chaat Masala – ½ tsp

Salt – if required

Method:

For dressing: Whip all ingredients together with a fork. Add other ingredients in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Refrigerate & serve on a bed of lettuce.

TANGY TROPICANA

Tangy Tropicana

Ingredients:

Pineapple – 3 fresh slices (diced)

Cherry Tomatoes- 6-8 in numbers

Red, Yellow & Green Bell Peppers – ½ each cut into juliennes

Lettuce – 2 leaves chopped

Walnuts – 2 in no chopped

Seasoning:

Lime juice – ½ lemon

Honey – ½ tsp

Ginger – grated a small piece

Salt – As per taste

Black Pepper Powder – As per taste

Method:

Soak grated ginger, lemon juice & honey together

Add all veggies & walnuts in a salad bowl

Add the dressing prepared, salt & pepper

Toss well

Serve chilled

What are you waiting for? Get healthy-dress up your meal platter with the above colourful veggie mixes!

We hope these exotic salads inspire you to add a healthy and colorful twist to your meals this Independence Day! If you try any of these recipes, share your experience in the comments below. For more nutritious recipes and tips, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

August 6, 2024 By Trupti Hingad 2 Comments

Learn about your Poop and Gut Health

Most of us wake up and proceed to the loo. Over a period of time, this becomes a habit and we just do it blindly!

Have you ever noticed or given a thought about how is your bowel movement?

What does your poop say about your health? This may sound like a joke, but you can actually learn a lot about your health from your daily poop.

Hippocrates says…ALL DISEASE BEGINS IN THE GUT. So, we want to be sure that what’s coming out of the gut looks good.

Let’s understand more about it.

Three things to look for:

FREQUENCY
FORM
COLOR

Frequency: Best bowel movement: It’s best to have at least one complete bowel movement a day. This should leave you feeling like you’ve fully emptied your bowels.

If you are having 2-3 bowel movements in the day then you may have a faster metabolism or good robust bacteria or it depends on the quantity of food you eat.

Going to the bathroom more than three times a day may suggest you’re approaching the diarrhoea zone.

So, having a clear bowel movement once a day daily is must as it’s one of our body’s greatest ways to eliminate toxins, acids and other stuff.

FORM: When our poops are properly formed, it ensures that we have digested and assimilated the nutrients from our food and are eliminating acids and toxins properly.

The BRISTOL CHART helps to categorize and gauge our bowel movements well:

Image Credit: mamanatural-mamanatural.netdna-ssl.com

Type 1: Separate hard lumps, like little balls (hard to pass)

Type 2: Sausage-shaped, but lumpy (lack of fibre and hydration)

Type 3: Like a sausage but with cracks on its surface

Type 4: Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft

Type 5: Soft blobs with clear cut edges (passed easily)

Type 6: Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool

Type 7: Watery, no solid pieces. Entirely liquid

Where do you fall on this chart?

If you are between 1-3 then it shows that your diet lacks the right amount of fibre, bacteria are missing and there is nothing to retain water. This is a sign of constipation. The lumps are hard and abrasive and may sometimes lead to anorectal bleeding.

If you are at Type 4, then you are right, It’s nice tubular shape. Think long bananas that don’t break apart when you flush. The Perfect poop comes out with ease, smells more like super-ripe fruit than something terrible and you barely need to wipe.

If you are between 5-7—then you have diarrhoea. This may also give rise to malabsorption as there is no proper assimilation of nutrients.

If your stool is too LOOSE, SOFT, watery, MUSHY then – it indicates a lack of fibre and thus you can go for BRAT Diet.(Banana, rice, apple and toast). These foods have qualities like tannins that can actually help firm up a stool for better bowel movements.

If you find your stool is TOO HARD or infrequent, add more of soluble fibre and add magnesium-rich foods to your diet. Magnesium draws water into the bowel, making the stool softer and easier to eliminate. It also relaxes the muscles in the intestinal wall, which helps with constipation.

Apples and Pears are also wonderful – two a day will keep things moving. Yoga and abdominal massage are great tools. Another trick you can try is to drop 1 drop of Peppermint essential oil into your toilet and sit down. It will stimulate your bowels and often result in a movement.

If your poop…Floats instead of sinks- You have excess gas in your digestive tract. “If you’ve been eating lots of beans, sprouts, cabbage, or very large meals, it’s perfectly normal for stool to float because of gas, and it’s not a cause for concern. However, if floaters become more common for you or you spot an oil-slick appearance, it could mean something is preventing your body’s ability to absorb fats from food. For instance, inflammation or an infection in your pancreas could prevent you from producing enough digestive enzymes. A food allergy or infection could be damaging the lining of your intestines that’s affecting absorption, too.

What does Colour indicate?

Believe it or not, colour matters! We want our stool to be a nice medium – to dark-brown colour (Think milk chocolate). Poop is normally brown. The colour is the result of what you eat and how much bile is in your stool. Bile is a fluid your liver makes to digest fats. It starts out as a yellowish green colour. But as the pigments that give bile its colour travel through your digestive system, they go through chemical changes and turn brown.

Black Poop: If your stool is black, it could be a sign of blood in your upper GI tract.

Yellow poop: This shade is also normal for many people. It’s common for babies, especially those who breastfeed. But if you have yellow poop that looks greasy and smells very bad, it may have too much fat. That could be a sign your body isn’t digesting food properly.

Green poop: If you have green poop for many days, the colour of your food may not be to blame. It’s likely that your meal moved through your gut too quickly, so the fat digesting bile didn’t have time to turn brown. It could be from fat malabsorption or liver or gallbladder stress.

PS NOTE: Keep in mind if you eat certain foods or food dyes your stool colour may change. For example, if you eat lots of beets, your stools could take on a reddish hue. And eating tonnes of leafy greens may explain why your poop is green but this colour change is temporary.

White Poop: Medicines for diarrhoea like bismuth sub-salicylate can sometimes cause pale or clay coloured poop. A more serious cause is a lack of bile in your stool. As bile gives its brown colour

Bright red: If it’s bright red, the blood likely comes from the lower part of your digestive tract. It could be due to inflammation in the colon, haemorrhoids, diverticular disease or tumour.

So, where do your poops fall on the Bristol Stool Chart? Do you have an to oy tips or practices to optimise your daily poop? Share them in the comments below. For more health-related content, explore Healthy Reads or for further guidance speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

July 14, 2024 By Sweta Karia Leave a Comment

All you need to know about DENGUE

How often do you come across people suffering from Dengue? Recently, I encountered many cases, promoting me to pen down some valuable information that can help you prevent and recover from Dengue.

Most of us know dengue is associated with fever, but there’s much more to understand.

The name ‘dengue’ originated from the Swahili word for “bone-breaking fever” or the Spanish phrase for “the walk of a Dandie.” The dengue virus belongs to family Flaviviridae and has four serotypes transmitted by mosquitoes of Aedesaegypti species.

In recent years, the spread of unplanned urbanization, with associated substandard housing, overcrowding, and deteriorating water, sewage and waste management systems, has created ideal conditions for increased transmission of the dengue virus in tropical urban centers.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 50 to 100 million dengue infections occur each year worldwide.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever:

Dengue causes a wide spectrum of illness, from mild asymptomatic cases to severe, fatal dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome.

Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include sudden high fever, severe headaches, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, skin rash, mild bleeding (such as bleeding nose or gums), blood pressure drops down as the circulation of blood in the vessels is also affected.

A decrease in platelet count is often observed 3 days after the fever starts.

In severe cases, the virus reproduces rapidly, affecting vital organs like the bone marrow and liver.

As the old adage goes “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE”!!

Here are some of the preventive measures:

1) Avoid heavily populated residential areas, if possible.

2) Use mosquito repellents, vaporizing mats, and mosquito coils.

3) Wear appropriate clothing: Minimize exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks.

4) Use bed nets during sleeping and tuck them properly under the mattress.

5) Make sure window and door screens are secure and free of holes.

6) Eliminating or avoiding stagnant, standing water where the mosquitoes can reproduce are some of the effective strategies to prevent it.

7) Maintain proper Hygiene and Sanitation.

Treatment:

Dengue is a self-limiting viral disease, meaning it typically resolves on its own with adequate hydration and pain control. Severe cases may require hospitalization and intensive care. Many doctors also recommend home remedies to manage symptoms and speed recovery.

Home remedies for Dengue:

There is no specific diet for dengue, but the following home remedies can help alleviate symptoms and aid in recovery:

1) Water: This is of utmost important as extreme dehydration is very prominent in Dengue. Water can heal symptoms like headache, muscle cramps and furthermore help to eliminate toxins from the body.

2) Papaya leaf juice or Papaya leaf extract: They have an ability to increase the platelets in bone marrow. Here is the way to use them: Wash the leaves, take out the center vein and crush leaves in a grinder with adding little bit of water and consume every 6 hours daily.

3) Neem leaves: Steeping the leaves and drinking its brew helps to increase the platelet and WBC count thereby improving the body’s immunity.

4) Carrot Juice: Taking 2-3 spoons of carrot juice having mixed with beetroot juice twice a day helps to boost up the count of platelet count very soon.

5) Omega 3 rich foods like walnuts, flaxseeds, fish boost your immune system.

6) Fresh Fruits and Veggies typically orange juice, amla juice, and grapefruit can promote the antibody production, release the toxins, stimulates cellular repair because of Vitamin C content.

7) Eating Garlic: Chewing two cloves of garlic or drinking hot garlic vegetable soup can decrease the multiplication of viruses.

8) Eating a well- balanced diet with majorly focusing on green leafy veggies can ward off the infection.

9) Also a simple solution to the monsoon Illness is to boost up our immunity by our popularly known

“Dadjiji ka Kadha- Grandma’s home remedy concoction”. You can check out this link on how to prepare the concoction:

Homemade Remedy For Monsoon Illnesses – Decoction Syrup or Kadha Recipe

10) Most importantly REST. The more your rest, the better the production of platelets.

11) Since it is an Infection, have cooked vegetables instead of raw.

Foods to be avoided:

First and foremost, stay away from unhealthy food like refined sugars, junk food and processed food. Having these foods can cause drop in platelet count.

Secondly, try to avoid the food which is oily, spicy and salty. I know it may spoil the taste of your mouth, but lime juice plays the trick here.

Thirdly, caffeine and alcohol should be avoided to prevent dehydration.

Lastly, avoid meat as it is difficult to digest.

So let’s prevent ourselves from Dengue before we catch hold of it! For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

Why You Should Eat Your Fruits and Juice Your Veggies!

Benefits of Eating Fruits Instead of Juicing Them

Benefits of Juicing Vegetables

Points to Remember

A Fusion of Taste & Health: Exotic Salads for you to try.

Learn about your Poop and Gut Health

All you need to know about DENGUE

Symptoms of Dengue Fever:

Treatment:

Home remedies for Dengue:

Foods to be avoided:

From Burnout to Balance: How Dr. Ranjit Reclaimed His Health

From Shimla’s Slopes to Chandigarh’s Sidewalks: Surinder Kaur Bhalla’s Journey from Chaos to Control

“I’ve Challenged Myself to Live 100 Years” – The Story of Chandubhai Savani’s Second Chance at Life

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story