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Coconut Oil As An Immunity Booster

coconut oilGiven the current situation, the pandemic has gotten most of us to focus on our health. We are in fact taking a step towards eating clean and boosting our immunity to fight the virus. But, boosting immunity is not a temporary need, we should always focus on it. It is our shield against infections and disease. Let’s look at one food which helps us do this – Coconut Oil! 

We use butter, ghee or refined oil while cooking our meals. These are not only fattening but they also make us lethargic and weaken our immune system. On the other hand, coconut oil is a well-known superfood which can be used as a supplement for cooking. It has Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs) which make it easier to digest. This fantastic oil has antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which help to keep us healthy and immune.

Why Coconut Oil to Boost Immunity?

Coconut oil is blessed with two special ingredients which makes it excellent for immunity. These are lauric acid and caprylic acid – both have antiviral properties. Both the acids are well known for fighting off yeast overgrowth (candida) along with bacterial infections. The composition of coconut oil consists of 50% lauric acid which is converted to monolaurin by the body – which is an antiviral agent that fights off a variety of pathogens and viruses. Though it hasn’t been found to be a proven cure for any disease, the antiviral properties in coconut oil have been through extensive research. Coconut oil also enhances our metabolism in addition to strengthening the immune system which will protect the body against atmospheric impurities.

How Do You Use It Effectively? 

If you’re looking to boost your immunity naturally, simply use a teaspoon of coconut oil a day. 

  1. As Cooking Oil: Use a teaspoon of coconut oil for cooking purposes which would help to curb fatigue and muscle pain with regular usage. You can stir it in coffee to make bulletproof coffee or you can even use it in any of your dishes like oatmeal, soups, smoothies, stews, or even make dessert and cook your veggies in it. If the taste is an issue, you can also use coconut butter which retains all the fiber naturally found in coconut, along with some of the oil.
  2. For Skincare: We absorb everything we put on our skin directly into the bloodstream, within minutes of contact. Try mixing it in your moisturizer as this shall help you build a shield against viruses and bacteria. This can help you protect your skin just like internal organs when it comes to fighting off immunity invaders. Women can also use it as make up removers to keep the skin glowing and healthy.

Remember, though coconut oil has many benefits, it is not a cure for any illness. One needs to have a balanced diet, exercise well, stay hydrated, sleep well and stay stress-free to live a healthy life. That being said, if you are already taking a healthy balanced diet and want an extra boost, try to add some superfoods in your diet, including coconut oil and garlic, which also has immunity-boosting properties. Avoid refined coconut oils and go with extra-virgin and organic for the best quality.

For more tips on boosting immunity and immunity-boosting foods, tune in to GOQii Play. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. 

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce! 

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Practice Yoga Indoors For Good Health During The Lockdown

yoga indoorsWith gyms, parks and usual outdoor workout spots in lockdown, it is difficult for a person to even get as much as a morning walk. So how does one meet their daily physical requirement? The best way is to do whatever workout you can do indoors. Additionally, one of the best things you can do is practice yoga indoors! Let’s look at how you can start. 

7 Basic Yoga Poses You Can Do Indoors

1. Tadasana or Mountain Pose 

  1. Stand tall with feet about 10cm apart and hands on the hips 
  2. Raise arms over head and interlock the fingers. Place hands on top of the head.
  3. Look upwards and fix the eyes at one point. 
  4. Inhale, stretch the arms with palms facing upward. 
  5. Raise the heels coming up on the toes. 
  6. Hold the pose for a few seconds. 
  7. Exhale, lower the heels and bring the hands to the top of the head.
  8. Practice six rounds.

2. Twisting Cobra Pose or Tiryaka Bhujangasana
Twisting cobra pose makes the spine flexible and strong. It improves lung capacity, tones the abdominal muscles and improves digestion.

  1. Lie flat on the stomach with the legs straight and feet apart.
  2. Place the palms flat on the floor slightly below the shoulder.
  3. Rest the forehead on the floor.
  4. Slowly raise the head, neck and shoulder.
  5. Straightening the elbow, raise the trunk as high as possible.
  6. Look over the left shoulder and gaze at the heel of the right foot.
  7. Stay for a few seconds in this pose.
  8. Face forward again and repeat the twist on the other side without lowering the trunk.
  9. Repeat all steps six times

3. Fish Pose or Matsyasana
Fish pose opens up and stretches the chest and the diaphragm. It’s a great way to beat stress.

  1. Lie down on your back with legs straight. Hands beside the body.  Palm facing down on the floor.
  2. Take the hands underneath the hip and press elbows on the floor.
  3. Lift the back and head.
  4. Bend the head down, arch back to bring the crown on floor.
  5. Raise the chin as high as possible and push the chest upward.
  6. Hold this position for a few seconds. 
  7. Repeat three times.

4. Seated Forward Bend Pose or Paschimottanasana
Seated forward bend pose helps to calm the brain and relieve stress. It also soothes headache, anxiety and relieves fatigue.

  1. Sit down with legs stretched out straight.
  2. Raise both the hands upwards and place the palms together.
  3. Bend slowly and touch the feet.
  4. Gently bend the head downwards with face resting on legs and breathe slowly.
  5. Repeat this up to 3 times and maintain the bend position longer after each round.

5. Wind Relieving Pose or Pawanmuktasana
Wind relieving pose helps in aiding digestion. It also helps in reducing belly fat and enhances blood circulation.

  1. Lie down on the back with feet together and hands by the side of the thighs. Inhale and raise both the legs.
  2. Exhale, hold the knee joints and bring the knees towards the chest.
  3. Press the thighs on the abdomen with clasped hands.
  4. Breathe in again. On exhalation, lift the head and chest upwards. Touch the knees to the chin or forehead.
  5. Maintain the posture as long as possible. Repeat this for at least 6 times and each time increase the span of holding this position.

6. Child’s Pose or Balasana

  1. Sit on your knees. Place your hands on the thighs and palms down.
  2. Exhale slowly and bend forward, stretching your hands
  3. Breathe gently. Hold the posture for 2 to 3 minutes or less as possible.
  4. Repeat this up to 3 times maintaining the bend position slightly longer.

7. Cat-Cow Stretch Pose

  1. Take the position of cat pose.
  2. Lower your head and raise your back towards the ceiling. 
  3. Gently exhale and contract your abdomen. Hold the breath for 3 seconds.
  4. Inhale while raising the head and bring your abdomen downwards. 
  5. Expand the abdomen fully and fill the lungs with the maximum amount of air.
  6. Hold your breath for 3 seconds. 
  7. Exhale and repeat step 2 to complete one round. Repeat 3-5 rounds.

Practising simple yoga indoors can help you stay fit and healthy during this lockdown and well after it too. Do yoga preferably on an empty stomach or 3 hours post a meal. Practice these regularly to see an improvement in your health. Before you begin, do consult your doctor, physiotherapist or health expert especially if you have any health issues. 

For more guidance into yoga, tune in to LIVE sessions by yoga specialists on GOQii Play. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! 

Stay safe, stay indoors and #BeTheForce! 

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5 Simple Exercises You Can Do At Home

simple exercisesAmid the Coronavirus pandemic, social distancing and self-quarantine are in full swing. With everyone locking themselves up indoors, The activity levels have seen a considerable drop. Social distancing has resulted in a 51% drop in step count in the first 15 days of march 2020 according to a recent real time data study of 5 lakh users using GOQii Trackers. This drop in percentage is only likely to increase in the coming days as the fear of spread of this deadly virus is only increasing by the day. However, don’t let the lockdown make you fall into the recesses of a sedentary lifestyle. Get back up and get active at home with these 5 simple exercises!

Start Your Day Right With These 5 Simple Exercises

1.Push Ups: A great upper body exercise to begin your day. Start with lying down in a prone position, place your arms with your palms facing the floor shoulder width apart. Bend elbows and upper body to do a Push Up. Repeat the push ups for 8-10 reps.

2. Balancing Table Pose: This pose is perfect for improving balance, posture, concentration and memory. Start with a kneel down position, while breathing, lift your left arm and adjacent right leg parallel to the floor and exhale, hold for 30secs. Repeat with the other hand and leg. Do this for 5-7 repetitions on each side.

3. Butt-Kickers: As the name suggests, it is simply kicking your Glute (Butt) muscles. Start by standing with your feet about hip distance apart, bring your right leg behind your buttock contracting the hamstring muscles, and touch your Glutes with your right leg,  repeat the same with your left leg. Continue doing it by alternating the legs. Do it for about a minute and repeat the exercise for 3 sets.

4. Wall Sits:Start with sitting against a wall with your back supported by the wall and your feet about 2 feet apart from the wall. Sit in such a position that thighs are parallel to the ground forming a 90 degree angle. Hold the position for 60secs. Repeat for 3 sets. Great exercise for the core muscles, Glutes. Quadriceps and Hamstrings. It is a fantastic lower body workout.

5. Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation: We all know it, we all have heard about it. It is one of the most impactful and easiest full body stretches to loosen those tight muscles and to energize the body instantly.

Start with a standing position with hands in Namaskar position, bend backwards with hands still in namaskar position, breathing out, bend forward touching the toes, Breathing in, push your right leg back, as far back as possible. Bring the right knee to the floor and look up. Then while breathing take the left leg behind and form a straight line. Gently bring down your knees and let the chest, chin, hands, feet touch the floor with the hips slightly raised, then slide forward and do a Cobra pose, lift your body and bring yourself in an inverted V pose, then  bring the right knee forward in between the two hands, left knee should be on the floor and press the hips down and look up. 

After this pose, get into the standing forward bend position, and then breathing in, roll up the spine. Raise the hands up and bend backward a little bit, pushing the hips slightly outward. And finally end it with the starting position of a standing Namaste. Start off with 5 repetitions of this exercise everyday to yield benefits.

We hope this article on 5 simple exercises helps you stay fit at home. For more home workouts, tune in to fitness experts on GOQii Play. 

#BeTheForce 

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What You Should Eat After a Workout

workoutWith the recent self-quarantine due to the coronavirus in full effect, most of us have been working out at home. We understand that exercise is important to keep ourselves fit, healthy and build immunity but one thing that we need to watch out for is what we eat after a workout. Eating the right food post workout is important for several reasons.

When you exercise your muscles use glycogen as a fuel to provide you optimum energy. This results in partial depletion of glycogen from your muscles. Some of the proteins in your muscles also get broken down and depleted, especially when you do strength training. After you workout, your muscles try to replenish these stores within 30-45 minutes of workout. That is the reason why you should eat after a workout so that muscle recovery happens quicker and less wear and tear of muscles occur. This ultimately leads to muscle growth, which is our main goal.

The Right Nutrition

Not only eating but also eating the right food is important. Proteins, as discussed above, get depleted. Thereby, eating the right amount of protein (0.3-05 gm/kg body weight) just after workout gives your body the amino acids required for muscle recovery and growth.

Glycogen is used as a fuel by body therefore eating carbohydrates (1.1 – 1.5 gm/kg body weight) within 30 minutes of workout helps in glycogen re-synthesis. A combination of both carbs and proteins helps in maximizing protein and glycogen synthesis.

Don’t shy away from including some fat in your meal as well. A little bit of it will not harm your recovery. In fact, fat is required by your body to absorb all the fat soluble vitamins.

Last but not the least, you should keep yourself hydrated always. As drinking enough water will help in better recovery and next day’s performance.

What Should You Eat After a Workout?

  • Brown bread and Peanut butter
  • Egg whites and toast
  • Chocolate milkshake (Avoid sugar if you are aiming at weight loss)
  • Chicken, brown rice and veggies
  • Quinoa with plenty of veggies or like a salad
  • Sweet potato
  • Cornflakes and milk
  • Banana milkshake
  • Fruit smoothie – Fruit of your favourite choice + Yogurt
  • Salad containing seeds like chia, sunflower and flax seeds

Don’t let social isolation or self-quarantine hamper your routine! Try these foods after a good home workout to strengthen your body and your immunity. If you need guidance for home workouts or more tips to build your immunity, tune in to LIVE classes on GOQii Play.

Let’s get stronger and #BeTheForce against COVID-19 together. 

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