GOQii

Blog

Search Results for: protein

By 7 Comments

Why You Should Exercise To Manage Diabetes

exercise to manage diabetesThe facts and myths about diabetes are plenty, especially on the kind of foods one should have or not have, whether one should exercise to manage diabetes, etc. But, it’s when I saw my dad exercising one day, a thought struck me – is it not important to test a diabetic before exercise? Is diet all that one needs to focus on?

What if he exercises vigorously and his sugar levels drop down? At what sugar levels should we allow or not allow a person to exercise? What should be the intensity and frequency of the exercise? What type of exercise should a diabetic do?

These questions obviously led me to explore and research more about diabetes and exercise. I would like to share some information about what Diabetes is, what are its types and how regular exercise can control your Diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease where there’s a high level of sugar in the blood, either due to less insulin sensitivity or because of low insulin secretion or no insulin levels in the body.

There are three major types of diabetes. The causes and risk factors are different for each type:

  • Type 1 diabetes: can occur at any age, but it is most often diagnosed in children, teens, or young adults. In this type, the body makes little or no insulin. Daily injections of insulin are needed. The exact cause is unknown.
  • Type 2 diabetes: makes up for most of the diabetes cases. It often occurs in adulthood, but teens and young adults are now being diagnosed because of high obesity rates. In such cases, either the body becomes less sensitive to insulin or insulin secretion decreases.
  • Gestational diabetes: is high blood sugar that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes, and disappears once the pregnancy is over.

Can You Exercise To Manage Diabetes? 

We all know that exercise provides multiple benefits but does it help diabetics as well? In fact, it does! Here are some of the changes you can experience if you exercise to manage diabetes:

  • Exercise helps lower blood sugar levels
  • It helps you feel better
  • Helps maintain proper body weight
  • Keeps the heart rate and blood pressure lower
  • Keeps blood fat levels normal
  • Improves insulin sensitivity
  • Helps in maintaining normal blood circulation in the feet

Now that we know a few of many reasons why exercise is important for a person with diabetes, let’s see which exercises can benefit diabetics.

Which kinds Of Exercise Are Best For Diabetics?

To help manage diabetes, you can try:

  1. 30 minutes of “moderate intensity” aerobic activity – 5 days a week.
  2. “Vigorous intense” aerobic activity for 20 minutes or more a day – 3-5 days a week.

In addition, you should add flexibility and strength training to your routine.

  1. Flexibility activities 5-7 days a week.
  2. Strength training 8-10 exercises, 10-15 repetitions of each exercise, 2-3 days a week.

Calories Per hour and the types of moderate and vigorous exercises

Moderate physical activity for one hour Calorie burnt per hour
Hiking 370
Light gardening / Yard work 330
Dancing 330
Golf (walking and carrying clubs) 330
Bicycling (<10mph) 290
Walking  (3.5mph) 280
Weight lifting (light workout) 220
Stretching 180
Vigorous physical activity for one hour 
Running / Jogging (5mph) 590
Bicycling (>10mph) 590
Swimming (Slow freestyle laps) 510
Aerobics 480
Walking (4-5 mph) 460
Heavy Yard work (chopping wood) 440
Weight lifting (vigorous effort) 440
Basket ball (vigorous) 440

Source – Dietary Guidelines for Americans – 2005 *(These values are derived from American journals and may not be specific to other populations).

When Should One Exercise?

The best time to exercise will vary with the schedule. Preferably, one should pick the same time for exercise each day so that if one is on insulin, the adjustment of insulin dosage is manageable.

  1. Morning exercise may cause your blood glucose to drop less than if you exercised later.
  2. If you are on insulin or taking pills that work by making more insulin, evening exercise may result in low blood glucose while you sleep.

Remember – Your Diabetes Management can be adjusted to suit your lifestyle. Your lifestyle does not have to be adjusted to fit your diabetes.

After knowing what kind of exercise and at what time we should do them, let’s see what precautions should be taken while doing them.

Safety Tips for Active Diabetics

1. Get your doctor’s okay before you start exercising.
This is especially important if you are older than age 35, have had diabetes for more than 10 years, have any complications of diabetes, have not exercised in a long time, or have heart disease. Exercise has the same effect on blood glucose as insulin. It lowers blood glucose, making you more sensitive to insulin. This is a benefit of exercise that can also pose a problem if it lowers your blood glucose too much.

2. Avoid low blood sugar levels
Low blood sugar levels are when the glucose levels dip below <70mg/dl. Common symptoms include shakiness, weakness, abnormal sweating, and anxiety, tingling of mouth and hunger, headache, visual disturbance, confusion, seizures, coma. Monitor your blood glucose before and after working out, especially when beginning or modifying the exercise program. Always keep a 15g of fast-acting carbohydrate (powdered sugar/Glucose tablets 3-4) with you to treat Hypoglycemia.

3. Check your blood glucose levels pre and post workout
If you blood glucose is below 70 –

  1. Take 5g of carbohydrate right away
  2. Wait for 15 minutes
  3. Check again – if still below 70, then have another 15 grams.

It should work now.

If the blood glucose is high – Fasting is>250 and ketosis is present.

Or >300 with or without ketosis. Avoid exercise with such high blood sugar levels.

4. Eat before heavy exercise
If you’re going to exercise around mealtime, you should eat the meal first. When possible, allow half an hour for digestion. Solid foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, etc. are digested slowly than liquids. They provide protection for at least 2-3 hours. When it is possible to choose the exercise time, try to begin the exercise 30-60 minutes after a meal or snack.

Remember – Nothing works better than experience and frequent blood glucose testing. 

5. Diabetic complications 

  • Retinopathy: Patients with retinopathy are at risk for retinal detachment and vitreous hemorrhage associated with vigorous-intensity exercise. For those with retinopathy, vigorous aerobic and resistance, weight-bearing exercises should be avoided.
  • Nephropathy: Should not indulge in vigorous-intensity exercise as protein excretion increases post-exercise.
  • Peripheral Neuropathy: Should take proper care of feet to prevent foot ulcers. Feet should be kept dry. Avoid the wrong type of socks and shoes. Avoid tight elastic bands and ill-fitted shoes (they reduce circulation). Avoid wearing thick or bulky socks (they can fit poorly and irritate the skin). Rather wear light colored cotton socks that dissipate heat faster. Moisturize your feet – but not between your toes- that could encourage a fungal infection. Use a moisturizer daily to keep dry skin from itching or cracking. Consider non-weight bearing activities as they may be better tolerated and aid healing.

6. Stay hydrated
Proper hydration is essential during exercise. Exercising during hot weather requires special attention. Drinking extra fluids should begin an hour or two before you begin exercise to manage diabetes. A general rule is to drink 8 ounces of fluid for every 30 minutes of vigorous activity. 

7. Check your pulse rate
It’s important to check the pulse periodically to see if you are exercising within your target zone. Right after you exercise, take your pulse – count your pulse for 10 secs and multiply the no by 6.

Compare the numbers on the right grouping in the table below.

Age Target Heart range zone
20 years 100-150 beats/min
25 years 98-146 beats/min
30 years 95-142 beats / min
35 years 93-138 beats/ min
40 years 90-135 beats/min
45 years 88-131 beats/min
50 years 85-127 beats/ min
55 years 83-123 beats/min
60 years 80-120 beats/min
65 years 78-116 beats/ min
70 years 75-113 beats / min

Source: Exercise and Your Heart, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/American Heart Association, NIH Publication No. 93-1677.

The good news is that if someone regularly exercises, these benefits can be permanent, and for someone with diabetes, it can mean reducing medication. If younger members of families with a predisposition to diabetes exercise regularly, they could avoid diabetes altogether.

A single bout of exercise can benefit the body’s sensitivity to insulin for 16-18 hours and have positive effects on blood glucose control (glucose absorption) for 24-48hours.

But these effects wear off between 60-72 hours. Hence, staying active most of the time is imperative.

I just want to convey that Diabetes cannot take your hope, faith, attitude, courage and happiness away from you. We are the authors of our own health. Let’s overcome it, no matter what type or what level of disease it is.

Now that you know why you should exercise to manage diabetes, get out there and begin your journey! To read more on Diabetes, check out Healthy Reads.

For further guidance and motivation by certified experts, join the GOQii Diabetes Care program. It’s India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), reduce HbA1c levels and let you win gold! You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.

#BeTheForce

By 4 Comments

Useful Tips To Boost Immunity During Monsoon

boost immunity during monsoonWe all welcome the monsoon every year to find relief from the scorching summer heat. Rains are beautiful and can quickly elevate your mood. Since monsoon weather is damp and humid, it is the perfect environment for microbes to grow and flourish. Thanks to this, people with low immunity are prone to suffer and fall sick frequently during this season. The weather can ruin your immune system and a good immune system is needed during the rainy season. There are a number of ways to build immunity and one of those ways is by eating healthy food! So, let’s look at some useful tips to boost immunity during monsoon! 

Tips To Boost Immunity During Monsoon 

Here’s how you can improve immunity during monsoon by eating the right kind of food to support your immune system. 

  • Switch to herbal teas: Herbal teas such as Tulsi and ginger tea are your best friends to boost immunity during monsoon. Drinking tea will keep you warm and safe from cold and flu while boosting your immunity. Add a few drops of honey for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties instead of sugar.
  • Stay hydrated: Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated, as due to colder climate, the water intake is considerably reduced, which is bad for the body. It is the best source to flush out toxins from your body and doesn’t have calories and sugar. Make sure water should be potable to keep waterborne diseases like Jaundice and Diarrhea at bay.
  • Have protein rich food: Protein, a major macronutrient, increases immunity, wound healing and muscle building. Food like dal, pulses, curd, eggs, chicken, paneer, soy, tofu are rich in protein.
  • Have a low salt diet: High blood pressure may weaken the immune system. So, it is always better to have a low salt diet as it prevents high blood pressure and water retention. Fruits like watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber can also lead to water retention. 
  • Prefer curd or yogurt over milk: Curd and yogurt are fermented food, rich in probiotics and the good bacteria present in it can help increase immunity and fight infection and can help your digestive system function well.
  • Include spices: Include more immunity boosting Indian spices in your food like turmeric, fenugreek, cloves, pepper, cinnamon, ginger and curry leaves. They help in digestion and flush out sinus from the body and improve Immunity. Warm water with honey, ginger and black pepper can be a miraculous cure to avoid cold, cough and flu.
  • Improve sunshine vitamin level: Vitamin D or the sunshine vitamin, is an essential micronutrient which can help boost your immune system. It can modulate the innate and adaptive immune response. A deficiency of Vitamin D can make you more prone to common infections. Improve your Vitamin D levels by exposing yourself to morning sunshine and consuming egg, cheese, mushroom and fortified cereals.
  • Eat healthy fats: Include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to your diet. These healthy fats boost your body’s immune response to pathogens as well. These fats are anti-inflammatory and good for your heart too. Nuts, seeds, fish, soy milk, almonds, avocados, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds are prime examples of healthy fats.
  • Eat fruits: Fruits help to build immunity, give energy and are loaded with nutrients such as Vitamin A, C and fiber. Apple, Guava, Banana, Orange, Amla, Papaya, Pomegranate, etc. are the best additions to your diet. Vitamin C helps in iron absorption too.
  • Incorporate vegetables: All vegetables, including green leafy vegetables like cabbage and spinach are good sources of immunity boosting Vitamins A, C, and E as well as folate, antioxidants, and fiber.
  • Limit simple sugar: Most people are aware that eating sugar has negative consequences on their health, leading to things like obesity and diabetes. However, most of them are unaware that it has an effect on the immune system as well. It lowers the ability of white blood cells to fight and destroy bacteria.
  • Avoid outside food: Foods like sandwiches, pani puris, samosas, etc. may seem tempting during monsoons but they may contain bacteria that might cause indigestion. Avoid pre-cut or raw foods/fruits as they could contain germs which may lead to food poisoning and lower your immunity.

Apart from the above food tips, you also require adequate, good quality sleep. Keeping your mind stress-free also helps. Don’t forget to exercise regularly as it boosts your immune system by regenerating your immune cells. 

Underactive and poor immunity can make the body more prone to a host of gastrointestinal problems and monsoon related ailments. Under the current circumstances as well, keeping your immunity level high could be the only way to cherish good health while enjoying the rains.

If these tips to build your immunity during monsoon helped, let us know in the comments below! Find more tips on staying healthy during the monsoon here.

You can also get these tips directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

By 3 Comments

Mindful Eating: Connect Back with your food – Part 5

mindful-eating-1

I hope by now, you are all well aware of the do’s and don’ts of Mindful Eating through the series of four blogs. I have talked about the concept of Mindful Eating and how Mindless Eating can be harmful. I discussed why  should you eat slowly to enjoy your meal (https://goqii.com/blog/mindful-eating-slow-down-and-enjoy-your-meal-2/) and shared some tips on how can you eat slowly. Then I took you through portion control and how to be wise (https://goqii.com/blog/mindful-eating-control-portions-and-be-wise-part-3/). In the fourth blog we talked of emotional eating and how it can be avoided (https://goqii.com/blog/mindful-eating-mind-your-mood-part-4/). In the last of the blog in this 5-Part series on Mindful Eating, I will talk about connecting back with food and how one can do that.

Mindful Eating is eating with attention and right intention. It is eating with the intention to care for yourself. It is also eating with the attention necessary for noticing and enjoying your food and its effects on your body.

If you choose to eat each and everything you can lay your hands on, you indeed are disconnected from your food-the very ingredient of life that keeps you alive and going. And, when you are disconnected from your nutrition, you make yourself vulnerable to a host of illnesses, life-threatening disorders, and loss of longevity.

I was wondering-what makes us disconnected from our nutrition as we grow? For I am certain we were connected with our food when we were children (as that is how we learned that seeds sitting in an apple core can grow into an entirely new apple tree! And, that the water we drink doesn’t come from tap but, from a faraway river channel).

So, I have come to conclude that with time, our body just repeats what it has done previously as trained by the mind. These are nothing but habits. And unless our mind makes a choice, the body will not break the pattern even if it is a potentially harmful one. In terms of eating, since it’s the most repeated skill of all human behaviours, our mind has pretty much trained us to ignore eating and be on an autopilot mode while grabbing a bite. Thus, we don’t ask ourselves anymore-where do these strawberries come from? Or what goes into making a Pizza?

If we can turn around our ways and connect back with our meals, learning about the foods that will help us and those that will not, and make a conscious choice to pick the right dish at the right time by breaking the habit of eating everything at any time, a lot of our future troubles will get resolved. Turning into a mindful eater and making an informed choice-an intention to care for yourself-is what it will take.

To help you get connected, I am sharing some simple tips here with you today

mindful eating-connect

 1) Connect right from grocery shopping: Most of us go grocery shopping on weekends. And there is usually a long queue at the billing counter. In a hurry to finish our job, we just throw into our cart whatever is more attractive or convenient-which is mostly processed foods. To connect with your food, shop smart at the store itself.

 i) Fill up your cart from produce section first. Once you have half filled up your cart with fruits and veggies, you’ll be less tempted to shop for processed and ready-to-eat meals.

ii) Read ingredient list and nutritional labels. Choose food products with short ingredient list, ingredients that you can pronounce, with 0 trans fats, no sugar or if at all, appearing last on the list, mentions whole grain composition, small per serving calories (and not per 100gm) and has fiber serving size >2 units. If a food product matches these criteria, it is worthy to be nourishing you.

2) Be a food critic: You don’t need to write a review or become a fussy eater. But learn the art of analyzing your food dishes. What are you eating? What are the ingredients that go into this dish? How is it prepared? How’s the aroma, texture, color of the meal? How does it make you feel? Knowing the answers to all of these questions will help you know why you eat what you eat and thus will help you turn into a mindful eater.

i) One player once mentioned to me he can’t stop eating ‘vada-pao’ the fried snack tucked between white flour bread. On my insistence, he made the attempt to analyze how he feels while having the snack. To his own surprise, he found out that it was only the act of tearing the bread apart and tucking in the fried snack, which appealed to him. He didn’t really enjoy the taste of the snack as much as he liked the procedure of eating it!

So to know yourself and your eating habits better, be a food critic.

3) Make an attempt to learn about your nutrition

# Know major food groups like carbs, proteins and fats and the minor but essential ones like vitamins and minerals. Know which food dishes you commonly eat fall in these categories and influence you.

# Know alkaline and acidic foods- because our blood pH is slightly alkaline (7.3-7.4) and to keep our system running efficiently, we need to maintain this alkaline pH. Your food choices will play an important role in this physiological action.

# Know various benefits of different herbs-cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, cloves, ginger, garlic, fennel, cardamom, coriander, saffron, fenugreek, garam masala, varieties of pepper, and so on. You have them in each and every single dish. They deserve your attention.

# Know how to eat your fruits right, what time of the day and how much and in what combination is good enough.

# Know combination of foods that can enhance each other’s nutritional values-like Vitamin C with Iron rich foods, Vitamin D and calcium rich foods and know what food combinations can interfere with each other’s absorption in the body like Iron and Calcium heavy foods don’t go well together.

# Know what meals are best options for pre and post workout nutrition

# Learn why you should not eat white sugar, white flour or white salt. Or have an aerated drink ever

# Know replacements for sugar and white salt and what you can do to beat down your sugar cravings.

# Understand why dark chocolates or nuts are good for you despite being calorific or why eating a healthy ‘mukhwas’ (mouth freshner) after a meal can be a good habit.

And, there are many more such small and simple things to know about your everyday nutrition. Keep asking your coach or make an attempt to read and learn yourself.

Mindful eating is much more than learning about your food or food choices alone or practicing slow eating, in the moment eating itself. It encompasses having a relationship with your food wherein you respect your meals and feel gratitude towards them.

To sum up, mindful eating is a way of nurturing your physical self, harmonizing your mental state, and satisfying your soul.

If you have been missing out on mindful eating, get on the mindful eating wagon now! If you found this information valuable, share your thoughts in the comments below and for more insights, check out Healthy Reads or  for further guidance speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

By 3 Comments

All you want to know about Inflammation

When you think pain, think inflammation.
 
Inflammation is a good thing. It’s your body’s way of rising up to fight out germs/bacteria/infections, heal bruises when you fall, heal torn ligaments/tissues/tendons etc.
 Once it does its job of fighting out these invaders or foreign organisms, the inflammation should reduce back down to normal.
 The problem arises when that does not happen.

Have a torn ligament or muscle pull that you are struggling to heal? Seen the best doctors, therapists, etc. and still not fixed? Struggling with arthritis and joint pain? 
Check your CRP (C-Reactive protein) levels and focus on reducing inflammation. The cure is in reducing inflammation.

Many of us live with chronic inflammation and that’s dangerous. It’s also one of the reason people struggle to lose weight, experience excruciating joint pains,
 age faster than normal, 
feel tired through the day, 
higher chances of cancer and heart disease, suffer from 
Fibromalgia/Headaches/Migraines, 
have higher chances of Alzheimer’s/Dementia, struggle with diabetes,
 feel depressed and low.

Silent inflammation like the ones described above can destroy your nerves and cellular health, suppressing and weakening your immune system, leading to deadly diseases like cancer, etc.



What’s scary is the fact that you can be extremely healthy and fit, but silent inflammation could be eating into you from inside, which is one of the many explainable reasons why cancer or heart attacks can strike down a healthy and young human being.
 Checking cholesterol levels, Vitamin D3, B12, SGOT, and SGTP is imperative, but what most people miss out on is checking their CRP levels (C-Reactive protein). This is an important protein level to check, and a simple blood test will cover that for you. This level will tell you volumes about the amount of inflammation you have in your body.

In my years of experience, what stands out in a cancer report of a person is an increase in CRP levels and white blood cells, and the immediate action is to reduce inflammation through food and lifestyle change.
 Diseases breathe in inflamed environments, in environments that are acidic, and in environments where there is less oxygen supply to the cells.

Overtraining causes inflammation.
 Vigorous exercise, inconsistent exercise, and high-intensity training that is not planned for your body type will make your CRP levels soar and kill your immunity, which is why many trainers ask their clients to take a Vitamin C and E post workouts.

Running marathons without proper nutrition causes massive inflammation.
 Stress causes inflammation (chronic stress).
 Improper nutrition (high-fat foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, doughnuts, white sugar, aerated drinks, salty foods, packaged foods), and smoking causes inflammation. (I’ve seen CRP levels fall in a smoker’s blood report within 10 days of kicking the butt)

. 

How to keep your inflammation in check:

Smart and moderate exercise such as meditation and controlling your stress and BP levels, nuts and seeds, 
green leafy veggies and fruits,
 good fats (like nuts, olive oil, coconut oil) helps in keeping your inflammation under check. Finally, I should not be saying this, but it has been proven that a small amount of alcohol can actually lower CRP levels. Vitamin D3
 and Curcumin (turmeric extract) are some of the best spice-based inflammation fighters.

Understanding and managing inflammation is crucial for maintaining good health and preventing chronic diseases. By incorporating anti-inflammatory foods, regular exercise, and stress management into your routine, you can significantly reduce inflammation and improve your overall well-being.

We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts 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.

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 […]