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 ‘It is not about losing weight but, it is how you manage it’

Shobha Kunju                                                                                             Shobha Kunju

We are celebrating Women’s month and also women’s health. Here is another inspiring story of a woman who with her sheer grit and determination has been able to reverse her illnesses and get on a health path never to turn back.

It is said that it’s never too late to start if you have the right intent and the determination to do it. Shobha Kunju, 58, a mother of two grown-up children is a fine example of the above statement.

Shobha underwent several health issues between 2010 and 2015. She was first diagnosed with thyroid then she had a hysterectomy, and finally diagnosed with diabetes and put on a very high dosage of medications for both thyroid and diabetes. Apart from illnesses, she was also battling weight issues being on the heavier side. No amount of regular walks and exercises helped but, she was active. A ray of hope knocked on her door when her son introduced her to GOQii in 2015. Her eating and exercise habits bettered and she started targeting her step counts. On an average, she started clocking 10000-13000 steps daily. On weekends she goes for long walks -10 km. with better eating habits, exercise and sleeping better helped her in resolving her weight issues. Her weight reduced from 86 kgs 2 years ago to the present 78 kgs, in addition, she has also witnessed drastic inch loss around her waist. Shobha’s determination, self-motivation and discipline have helped her immensely to reverse her ailments and reduce medications. She is free from all medical issues thanks to her active lifestyle. She finds the idea of exercising on a Sunday morning together with other like-minded and motivated individuals very interesting and fun. Currently, she follows a regime of regular 5km walk in the morning with alternate day’s strength training and HIIT workout. Her message to one and all is: “Be disciplined and self-motivated to achieve your health goals”.

 

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Are Fats the only culprit behind those flabs?

 

 

obesity

Many times I have come across people saying, ‘I have been avoiding all kind of fats such as ghee, oil, fried foods, cream, cheese since a long time but, I am just been unable to get rid of all the flab’.

If you ask me I would say that there are mistakes people make in the process of burning all those fatty bags. Let’s see what these mistakes are

Mistake 1-CUTTING DOWN ALL KIND OF FATS: The first mistake most make is avoiding fats completely.Fat is the 3rd major nutrient needed by the body for the optimal functioning of various vital systems like cardiovascular system, skeletal system (bones and joints), and neurological system.If you don’t provide the required amount of fat to the body, it will start storing other nutrients like carbohydrates in the form of fat in fear of an emergency.

The key is to avoid bad fats (the fat which is saturated at room temperature like ghee, butter) and opt for good fat(the fat which is liquid at room temperature like vegetable oils and also the fat from nuts and seeds) and have it in moderation.

Mistake 2-HAVING INVISIBLE FATS: Look for the invisible fats which you might be consuming unknowingly.You might be providing invisible bad fats to your body in the form of all kind of processed foods like biscuits, cookies, fast foods, cakes, pastries, ice creams, chocolates etc.

Mistake 3-INACTIVITY: If you are sitting all day in front of the computer, then there is no need for the body to burn the calories and chances are the bodies are storing all kinds of excess calories coming from carbohydrates and proteins in the form of fat.So, do make a habit of getting up from your work seat and walking in the corridor, doing some office desk exercises, just to provide an excuse to your cells to burn the calories consumed during meals.

Mistake 4-SKIPPING MEALS: When you are avoiding your breakfast or lunch, the body goes into the fat-preserving mode in fear of a deadly situation. So keep providing some nutritious food in the form of meals or snacks, at least, every 3 hours to keep your metabolism running.

Mistake 5-STRESS: Stress is an integral part of our lifestyle nowadays and yes, in acute situation, it does reduce the appetite because of the secretion of stress hormone, but a persistent stressed out situation maintains a higher level of cortisol hormones for a longer time, whose job is to replenish the body even after the stress has passed out and this increases your appetite and makes you crave for your favorite desserts. So do try to include some relaxation technique in your day to day life to soothe your body and keep the hormones under control during the stressed out situations.

Mistake 6-SLEEP DEPRIVATION: Here is how disturbed sleeping hours affects your waistline badly-Lack of sleep makes you feel exhausted, makes you skip your workout, makes you crave for some brain stimulant like coffee, tea, and makes you binge on some bad calories while being awake for more hours than sleeping.

Mistake 7- HAVING A HEAVY DINNER: Dinner has always been considered as the only family meal which we have all together. But do you know, at that time, your body is preparing itself for a slowdown at night, your metabolism is at it’s lowest.So anything in excess, especially carbohydrates, which body is unable to digest at that time is getting collected in the central area of your body.That doesn’t mean that you go to bed feeling hungry.Plan it wisely. Have a heavy nutritious evening snack and a light dinner which is low in carbohydrates, moderate in proteins and high in fibres.

Mistake 8-HAVING FRUITS AT WRONG TIME: Combining your fruits with meals and having them post-sunset or at bedtime is a sure way to get those flags on your waistline, as they are again a form of instant carbohydrates.Have them as individual meals or snacks instead.

And if you still feel that you are guilty of none of these mistakes and stuck with these flaws, do consult your doctor. There might be an underlying medical condition like hypothyroid or other hormonal imbalances which is keeping your metabolism disturbed and maintaining all the fatty bags despite your efforts to be healthy and fit.

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Games4Good for Mental Fitness

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‘Memory Games’, seems to be the most sought after by GOQii players on ‘Games4Good’, the games platform that helps GOQii users, to connect, play, score and motivate each other.

Playing games on the mobile and other handheld devices has never got better. It has become part of daily routine for people of all ages. While, the ‘Brain Games’ or Memory games as we call it is designed to optimize cognitive functions and improve mental fitness, it is also designed to help individuals have fun both scoring and winning over each other.

These games while being fun also help individuals to break the monotony, concentrate and keeps the individual motivated.

What are Brain Games?

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Brain, one of the most important body part helps us to do many functionalities in our daily routine and helps to maintain our health. Living a healthy lifestyle is enough for us to improve our brain health. There are various ways to keep our brain healthy, some of these are staying hydrated, eating mindfully to keep body and brain fit, sleeping well, meditating to increase our brain power, self-confidence, controls emotions, reduces stress and relaxes the mind, following a hobby helps to keep the brain active and lastly play games to avoid boredom and improve the cognitive skills.

With age most humans tend to struggle with learning, thinking and being attentive. These are caused largely due to weak cognitive skills. Playing games allows you to improve your cognitive skills through intense but fun mental exercises, it helps to pay attention, concentrate, learn, reads, remember and think.

The rule of practice works with a human brain too. The more you practice the game, the better you get at it. When you do certain activity multiple times your brain gets bored as well and does not feel the challenge anymore. The reason for this is because you start mastering the skills. When this happens, you need to start increasing the difficulty levels of the game and keeps yourself challenged. In games scoring is a component of fun, feel motivated and tracking your own progress.

Cognitive or Brain games helps you to stay focused and remember the information while doing multiple things. It tends to improve short-term memory, recall information stored in the past, improves logic & reasoning. These games increase your problem-solving ability, decision making and strategy development. It also enhances and improves hand-eye coordination. To hang on to information while in the process of using it, to think in visual images, perform tasks quickly and accurately.

So, if you haven’t tried the games on GOQii Games4Good-now is the time to challenge your brain with games to train Memory, Focus, Problem Solving, Mental agility and all other cognitive skills.

 

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You can indulge when you are expecting!

Sex-During-Pregnancy

Isn’t it is exciting to create something wonderful which is a part of you and your partner! Yes, I am talking about a baby here!. However, the 9 months are full of challenges for the mother and the father, physical intimacy being a major concern. In this article, I am trying to address the common concerns of sex during pregnancy, its benefits and when to abstain!

The roller coaster hormonal ride, change in the taste buds, fatigue, weakness and mood swings are just a few reasons which put women off their sex drive especially in the first trimester. Many women might also experience an increase in libido during pregnancy! Check, which side of the coin does your loved one fall on and indulge!

If you are an expectant mother, you will notice an increased blood flow to the pelvic area and engorgement of the genitals. It might be accompanied by sore and tender breasts which results in a heightened sensation. You might enjoy it or be put off. Communicate with your loved one and let him know.

Boys and girls, pregnancy is also the time for you to bond. So if you are up for it, go for it! As far as your baby is concerned, be rest assured he/she is safe in amniotic sac and the strong muscles of the uterus. The mucus plug at the cervix prevents infections from entering the womb. Your baby, on the other hand, does not care what you do and neither does it know. In fact, you might experience some happy kicks once you are done!

Hitting the big ‘O’ during pregnancy is safe if you have a normal & low-risk pregnancy and cannot start labour or cause a miscarriage. Mild uterine contractions post an orgasm (or during nipple stimulation and the prostaglandins in semen) are harmless. Even if your climax is particularly intense these contractions aren’t harmful — they’re not a sign of labour. So let loose, enjoy the pleasure you deserve!

However, ensure your partner is tested for infections before indulging! Because you’re better off safe than sorry (with or without a baby on the way).

When is it off limits!

  1. As a woman, when your body says “no”, please listen to it!. Respect yourself and your decision.
  2. Your practitioner might declare your pregnancy as high risk depending on your tests and restrict sex
  • If you’re experiencing signs of preterm labour or, if you have such a history
  • If you’ve been diagnosed with incompetent cervix or placenta previa
  • If you’re experiencing vaginal bleeding or if you have a history of miscarriages

If you are restricted from being intimate, communicate with your partner to find ways to address the intimacy you’re both cravings. Focus on hand holding, cuddling, the old-fashioned making out… Your woman will love you for the support you give her during this time!

Ayurveda insists on listening to one’s body. Apart from this, sexual activity should be limited during the first trimester and post the 7th month since it is a delicate time. Also, at all times one should avoid compression of the abdomen.

While making love is beneficial, it is also beneficial during pregnancy if your practitioner has not advised otherwise.

1. Making love restores the functioning of the body with the release of certain hormones and ensures proper circulation. This means the fetus receives an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients when in the womb that aids growth and development.

2. If you are making love regularly during pregnancy, it can help keep your pelvic floor muscles toned and strong to help you deal with the arduous phase of labour. Don’t give your exercise a miss though!

3. Making love increases the level of IgA antibodies in the body that boost immunity during pregnancy.

4. It leads to release of endorphins in the body that makes both the mother and the baby happier by reducing levels of stress. Sex also increases production of oxytocin, a hormone responsible for attachment and love.

5. Better sex, better bonding and a surge in endorphins help an expectant mother to sleep better, fight fatigue and other nagging symptoms of pregnancy.

6. It helps keep pre-eclampsia at bay because man’s sperm has a special protein called HLA-G that helps regulate body s immune system and lowers blood pressure levels in a woman during pregnancy.

While you can try any position during your pregnancy, here are a few positions you might find comfortable instead of the common missionary.

position 1

 

position 2

 

position 3

 

position 4

 

position 5

So guys and girls, keep the myths at bay enjoy this special period with your special one!

 

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