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9 Hidden Benefits of Coffee You May Not Know

hidden benefits of coffeeWhat makes your morning better? Is it the bright morning sun, ushering in a new day with its warm rays? Or the melodious chirping of birds? Is it the fresh aromas of flowers or morning dew? If you thought of a freshly brewed cup of coffee, a newspaper and sitting under a blue sky, then we have a lot in common!

Yes, I orchestrate my mornings with Coffee! If coffee is considered bad and me being a nutritionist, you might wonder why I am starting my day with it? Well, today I am writing to make you believe that, “A bad day with coffee is better than a good day without it!”

Surprisingly, coffee has some amazing hidden benefits which we don’t often address. Apart from the warmth, the energy boost, and freshness, there are a lot more benefits that coffee beans offer.

Let’s Brew the Hidden Benefits of Coffee 

  1. Keeps the Body Cells Healthy: Sipping coffee every morning is like flooding our body with antioxidants that help eliminate free radicals. Not every antioxidant has this power. Only Coffee antioxidants are blessed with the ability to fight and delay the death of cells, so keep sipping!
  2. Digestion of Carbs Gets Easier: Coffee and carbohydrates work really well together. A few chemicals in coffee beans help the body turn those wonderful bread nutrients into energy. Antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid, quinic acid found in coffee help the body process and utilize carbs effectively. Isn’t that wonderful! Now we know why coffee and sandwiches makes the best pair! It’s all scientific.
  3. Sip to Kick Stress & Depression Away: Caffeine impacts neurotransmitters in the brain, including the “feel good” hormones serotonin and dopamine. The mental boost we get after the first sip of coffee isn’t all due to caffeine.
  4. Aids Hair Growth: Growth-promoting effects of caffeine on human hair follicles encourage hair growth in both men and women. Caffeine helps to block the effects of DHT, the chemical hormone responsible for hair loss.
  5. Improves Performance on Tracks: Sipping coffee as a pre-workout allows muscles to better convert fat to fuel, making you more energized. Try this amazing bulletproof coffee recipe, made popular by our Founder and CEO Vishal Gondal! Trust me, it does wonders!
  6. Coffee-licious Daily Scrub: What else to ask for? Coffee does wonders as an exfoliant! Mix fresh or ground coffee beans with olive oil or coconut oil, and scrub to get clean, softer skin.
  7. Good for the Liver: A cup of coffee a day, keeps cirrhosis away. Yes! That is true! Researchers say that coffee protects the liver and reduces the chances for cirrhosis by 80%.
  8. Green Coffee is a Multitasker: Green coffee is unroasted coffee beans that grow on the coffee plant, called Coffea Arabica. It is rich in antioxidant, increases metabolic rate by 3% to 11%, encouraging weight loss. It is also a natural detox, controls unnecessary food cravings and stops us from overeating.
  9. White Coffee is NEW in Town: White Coffee comes from the same hard green coffee beans as regular coffee. Not to be confused with the creamy coffee we get in coffee shops, this one is different.  The main differences between the two are in the roasting process, roasting time, and the resulting flavor. White Coffee has up to 50% more caffeine, but is less acidic making it easy on the stomach and retaining more antioxidants.

Do these awesome hidden benefits of coffee make you feel like brewing a cup? Just remember that having anything in excess is bad for your health. Drinking too much coffee may do more harm than good. So, limit your coffee intake to only 2 cups a day and avoid sipping on coffee after 7 PM, or it may end up hampering your sleep.

We wish you all a Happy International Coffee Day! How do you enjoy your coffee? Tell us in the comments below.

To know more hidden benefits like this, speak to your GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce  

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Your Heart and You 2: Habits for a Healthy Heart

heart healthAakash wondered why every Hollywood and Bollywood movie stressed the “heart”. Some dialogues bothered him:

“My heart aches at the way you have treated your friends.”

“Don’t you feel anything? Are you heartless?”

What Affects Heart Health?

It is interesting to note that a heart attack is usually the result of an emotional outburst or a very emotionally charged situation. While many of us have similar experiences, some are potent to handle such sudden shocks that the heart receives. This depends on the emotional and mental health of a person, dietary habits, sleep quality, the capability of handling stress, faulty habits, etc.

The heart, apart from pumping blood and ensuring every cell receives blood and oxygen, governs largely the emotional and physical well-being of a person (it also overlaps with the Anahat or Hridaya chakra in Indian Vedic understanding). So, a healthy heart depends largely on the emotional and mental well-being of a person as well as nutrition.

It is now a known fact that feelings of stress, anxiety, etc. adversely impact the overall health of a person, especially the heart. As stress increases, the cortisol levels (stress hormone) impacts all the hormones and organs, affecting basic  physiology, including the cardiovascular system.

These emotions create a chain reaction in the body — stress hormone levels increase, blood vessels constrict, blood pressure rises, and the immune system is weakened. If we consistently experience these emotions, it can put a strain on the heart and other organs, and eventually lead to serious health problems.

In my previous article, I spoke about the signs of heart disease to watch out for. Here, let us look at healthy habits for a healthy heart!

Do the Following to Ensure a Healthy Heart

  1. Be happy: If you cannot feel positive and good, simply recall a time when you felt sincere appreciation and try to recreate that feeling. Look at photographs of happier times, keep a diary where you record your positive events and feelings from your life.
  2. Exercise: Get regular with yoga, especially pranayama and exercise. Exercising helps heart muscles become more efficient at pumping blood throughout the body. It allows the body’s tissue (including the heart) to do a better job of pulling oxygen from the blood. This allows your heart to work effectively under stress. It also helps the body make more branches and connections between these blood vessels (collaterals), so there are other routes for the blood to travel if the usual path is blocked by narrow arteries or fatty deposits. Instead of a 45-minute workout, it is best that the body is moving every half an hour! A small 2-minute walk every half an hour is also helpful as, along with the cardiovascular system, it also keeps our lymphatic system active. However, if you have a heart condition, please take the advice of your doctor before taking strenuous exercises or pranayama.
  3. Do what you like doing and stop what you don’t! It will help you keep your stress levels in check and be happy!
  4. Take care of what you eat: Have a good portion of breakfast, followed by small meals, lunch and dinner 2-4 hours before you sleep. Follow the advice of your nutritionist/doctor, if something special has been designed for you!
  5. Vegetarian food is easily digested by the body. It will also help you cut back on higher-calorie foods such as meat, cheese and snack foods. Whole grains play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. Add flaxseeds to your diet as they are rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
  6. Limit unhealthy choices: Reduce or stop refined oils, refined sugar and aerated drinks.
  7. Choose low-fat protein sources like flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil. Legumes, beans, peas and lentils are good sources of protein and contain less fat and no cholesterol, making them good substitutes for meat.
  8. Reduce the sodium in your food: You can replace your normal salt with rock salt or pink salt.
  9. Quality is better than quantity: If your body feels fresh and charged after 4-5 hours of sleep, it implies quality sleep. But tiredness even after 6-8 hours of sleep is worrisome. Usually deep breathing before sleep and dinner 4 hours prior to sleep helps one sleep better.

The heart is the biggest miracle which works every moment to keep you alive! Cherish it by living healthy. For more on heart health, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s 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.

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8 Reasons Why You Need a Health Coach!

health coachHave you ever taken a year-long subscription to a gym but barely gone twice before you decided to quit? What about one of those fancy weight-loss diets that never helped you cut out junk food? Is binge-watching episode after episode of a thrilling web series while sacrificing sleep a daily routine? The real question is, how many times have you lost motivation while trying to be your own health coach?

On this Teacher’s Day, we celebrate the invaluable role of teachers in shaping our lives. Just like a teacher guides us through our academic journey, a health coach plays a crucial role in guiding us towards a healthier lifestyle. Whether it’s understanding the right food choices, maintaining an exercise routine, or staying motivated, a health coach acts as your personal wellness mentor.

Let’s face it! Most people find it difficult to stick to a routine. Even if you do find the time to squeeze in a workout, are you doing it right? Are you eating the right food for your body type? Is your dietary intake in line with your health goals? There are many questions, and more often than not, being your own health coach can backfire in more ways than one.

This is where you need a health coach. A health coach is like a teacher who guides you in the right direction by helping you make decisions about the right food and exercise. Having a health coach not only keeps you accountable but also keeps you motivated!

8 Reasons Why You Need A Health Coach

  1. Discover Natural Remedies: Having a health coach who knows what they are talking about can help you understand symptoms of a sickness and guide you with natural healing options. Imagine if the contents available in your kitchen and normal food can heal you, wouldn’t you want to know?
  2. A Health Coach Is Your Friend: Life is increasingly fast-paced and monotonous. It is difficult to find someone who is willing to listen to you and your problems. This kind of isolation and lack of communication can eventually lead to increased stress levels. If you have a health coach, they are always there to listen to your issues and is well trained to counsel you in that particular situation. The coach, in this sense, is your buddy – ready to listen to your woes, ask the appropriate questions, help you identify the root cause for your concerns, and assist  you in resolving them.
  3. Responsible and Accountability: Research shows that 80% of the people who make health resolution on New Year’s, break them within 2-3 months. With a bit of self-motivation, you can stick to your plans 1-2 or 3 months at best, but after that, you tend to go off track. Now, if you have a health coach, you will be answerable to that person, which in turn, will help you stick to your resolutions for a long time and eventually achieve your goals.
  4. Help You Understand Your Body: Leading an unhealthy lifestyle can be costly! Weight gain, loss of stamina, and a weak immune system are just some of the consequences. Imagine getting active and following a great diet plan, but it doesn’t work for you! This is where a coach comes in and helps you identify the reason. It might be your body type requiring a different approach.
  5. Increase Your Knowledge: All the nutritional tips, exercise routines, and even techniques to sleep better can enable you to manage a healthy life on your own for years to come. Getting the right knowledge to manage your lifestyle is a gift that you can share as well. Knowledge is power, and a health coach gives you the power to live an active, healthy, and happy life!
  6. Setting Realistic Goals: We always set goals without knowing whether we will be able to achieve them or not. For instance, setting a target of losing 30 kg in 2 months is not realistic. Can you achieve this goal with your current lifestyle? A coach can counsel you on setting more realistic and achievable targets based on your daily routine. Setting small targets to achieve a long-term goal is what a coach can bring to the table.
  7. Problem Solver: Can’t stop that sugar or pizza craving? Got a headache? A hangover maybe? Don’t know what mid-meal you should eat? Is whole wheat bread good for you? You just ate a cupcake! What should you do? Your coach will always be by your side to answer these questions, assist and guide you through all your problems!
  8. Authentic Source of Knowledge: There is a rising trend of fake health news on the internet which can be extremely dangerous! These fake health tips coax people into trying ridiculous things like eating banana peels or following something like beer yoga! Your expert coach can guide you with proper factual information and keep you from making mistakes that can harm you!

Most importantly, a health coach can motivate and push you to achieve your goals!

As we honor the teachers who’ve made a difference in our lives, let’s also recognize the importance of having a guide for our health journey. A health coach not only educates and motivates but also empowers you to lead a healthier, happier life. This Teacher’s Day, take the first step towards positive change by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching with GOQii.

We hope this article helps you understand the value of a health coach! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more insights into health and wellness, check out our other articles in Healthy Reads.

To get personalized advice and tips from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to Personalised Health Coaching here

#BeTheForce

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What’s Good For Health: Packaged Cereals or a Traditional Indian Breakfast?

traditional indian breakfastThe global food industry has made preparing meals a breeze. No longer do families need to stress about time-consuming, skillful cooking and the intricate assembling of cereals, pulses, veggies, spices, and herbs to put on a wholesome meal on the table. The array of packaged breakfast cereals available in supermarkets has spoiled us for choice in terms of variety and taste. There’s one for each day of the week and plenty to choose from for special occasions when friends stay over too! Gone are the days when you had to slog it out in your kitchen – chopping, slicing, dicing, soaking, grinding, mixing, fermenting, steaming, and plating – not only to satiate hungry tummies but also to earn compliments on your culinary skills! Oats, muesli, wheat flakes, corn flakes, oatmeal, Weetabix, rice krispies, and the like have replaced uttapams, poha, upma, sabudana khichdi, theplas, appams, chillas, paniyarams, dalia, teezan, and other wholesome delights in Indian homes. 

Why Shouldn’t You Opt For Packaged Cereals? 

While “time is of essence” is the mantra that dual-income families often use to justify their breakfast choice, long-term health is an unconscious sacrifice they may be making. Here’s why breakfast cereals may not deliver all that the package label promises:

  1.  Refined Grains: Refining is an industrial polishing process that cereals undergo to extend their shelf life. It strips away the nutrient-rich bran and germ portions of the cereal, leaving you with a grain that’s missing essential B-vitamins, fibre, magnesium, and vitamin E. 
  2. Sugar overload: The addictive taste of breakfast cereals often comes from added sugar. A quick glance at the ingredient list will show that sugar is frequently the second or third ingredient. Starting your day with a sugar-laden breakfast can cause your energy levels to crash within an hour, leading to early snacking, overeating, and potential weight issues.
  3. Misleading labels: Terms like “low-fat,” “multigrain,” “added bran,” “fortified with vitamins,” and “whole wheat” can be misleading. Each of these terms may hide the fact that the cereal has been stripped of nutrition and then minimally replenished. For example, a “low-fat” option may actually be a “high-carbohydrate” disaster, and “multigrain” may be just a blend of refined grains.

Nutritionists and researchers emphasize the benefits of breakfast, including weight management, improved concentration at school and work, better academic performance, healthier food choices throughout the day, and superior nutritional status.

These outcomes are enhanced when you follow established nutritional guidelines of complex carbohydrate-protein-fat combination meals to start your day. However, commercial breakfast cereals often lack dietary fiber – a complex carbohydrate that keeps you full longer, reduces cholesterol absorption, and prevents spikes in blood glucose levels. The preservatives, colors, flavors, and additives in these packaged boxes bring their own set of concerns.

Why Should You Opt for a Traditional Indian Breakfast? 

A traditional Indian breakfast, on the other hand, offers good-quality complete protein through cereal-pulse combination items (dosas, idlis), fiber (carrots and beans added to upma), healthy monounsaturated fats (groundnuts in poha and sabudana khichdi), iron and calcium (ragi in teezan), and probiotics (dhokla, idlis, and lassi/curd with parathas). The spices used in these dishes are increasingly recognized for their health benefits and contribute antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Tempted nutritionally? So, what’s stopping you from exploring the myriad ways to tickle your family’s taste buds by whipping out your grandma’s recipe and, in the process, living as robustly as she did? While time constraints may make you hesitant to switch to a healthier Indian breakfast menu, don’t be disheartened—planning is all it takes to sneak in a nutritious meal at the start of your day! Make a menu plan for the next day or the week ahead, and you’ll be on your way to a healthier you in no time! It’s worth the effort. Desi is the way to go… Breakfast like a king!

We hope this article helps you switch to a healthy traditional Indian breakfast! If you enjoyed reading this article, let us know in the comments below. For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads.

To get these nutritional tips or recipes directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe for Personalised Health Coaching here.

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce 

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