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The Brain-boosting foods

mixed-nuts-kernels

We are very well aware that what we eat affects our body. Not-so-surprisingly, it also affects our mood, the brain functioning, our memory, and even our ability to think, handle stress or simple daily tasks.

Maintaining weight and staying fit shouldn’t be the only goal, but we also need to make sure we eat the right foods so that our body functions at its best and our organs stay healthy too. I would now like to throw some light on the high-powered organic engine of our body- The Brain!

Our brain regulates innumerable complex functions in our body and is constantly working even when we sleep! It stores an incredible amount of information in the form of images, texts and concepts.

We need to ensure that we constantly supply the fuel that our brain needs for its round the clock functioning. The best fuel for our brain is- Glucose, which is obtained from the carbohydrate-rich foods that we consume- Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.

Apart from this main driving fuel, our brain also requires certain specific nutrients just like our heart, lungs or muscles do, to run efficiently.

Nutrients like Vitamin E, iron, folate, essential fatty acids (EPA and DHA), vitamin C, B12, zinc, etc. play a vital role in our cognitive functioning.

Let’s have a look at the foods are particularly important to keep our grey matter happy-

1) Nuts-

Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, are extremely good for the brain and nervous system. They are packed with omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. Our brain is made up of 60% fat and low levels of good fats in food and body can contribute to depression, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. Vitamin E has been shown to prevent dementia by protecting the brain from free radicals.

2) Fatty Fish-

The active form of omega-3 fats, i.e. EPA and DHA, occur naturally in fatty fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, etc. Make sure you do not fry these fish as Omega 3 gets destroyed at high temperatures. Steaming or grilling is the best method to cook fish.

DHA is an essential during pre and postnatal brain development. In infants, DHA is needed for the growth of brain cells and other brain structures. It has not only shown to improve memory but also prevents the age-related memory loss. Greater incorporation of DHA into cell membranes prevents the brain, especially the neurons from oxidative stress.

3) Dark Green Leafy Vegetables-

Vegetables like collard greens, spinach, broccoli are good sources of B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, iron, folic acid, fibre, etc. These nutrients protect against free radicals and excavate the heavy metals that can damage the brain.

Folic acid is linked to lowering the levels of homocysteine ( a non-protein amino acid) in the blood, which otherwise may trigger the death of nerve cells in the brain.

4) Avocados-

This creamy treat is a rich source of MUFA, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It also comes with many antioxidants of its own, including vitamin E and Vitamin C, which protects the body and the brain from free radical damage.

5) Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds

They are packed with Vitamin E and contain a rich mix of protein, omega fatty acids, and B complex vitamins. These seeds also contain tryptophan, which the brain converts into serotonin to boost mood and combat depression.

We can sprinkle them on top of our salad or consume directly as a snack… well, I would say, a Brain-boosting Snack!

6) Berries:

These are antioxidant powerhouse which protects the brain from oxidative damage due to the free radicals which can prevent premature ageing, Alzheimer’s and dementia. The flavonoids in the berries also improve the nervous impulse transmission, improve memory, learning, and all cognitive functions.

7) Dark Chocolate:

Here’s a good news for the chocolate lovers! The flavonols in chocolate improve blood vessel functioning, which in turn ensures smooth flow of blood to the brain thereby improving our cognitive functions and memory. Chocolate also stabilizes our mood and eases our pain (goes without saying). Hey, but not to forget, moderation is the key! 2 pieces of 70-80% dark chocolate are more than enough to keep our mood and the brain cells happy.

It’s a list of simple foods that are easily available and we do consume these on and off. We can now pay a special attention to them and consume them more often to keep our Brain super-healthy!

 

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“All it takes is to make small changes to achieve a healthy lifestyle”

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He was a late riser as he slept very late at night. However, he tried to remain active through the day, little did he know all that he was doing was wrong. He consumed little water, ate a lot three times a day. He weighed between 74-79 KG over 8 years and his waist was 36 inches. He had nothing to feel proud of his existence. He tried multiple options of getting fit and losing weight the right way but nothing worked. And, then a miracle happened 6 months ago which helped him move, eat right and sleep well and today he is 12 kgs less, runs marathons and feels completely happy and content with himself. Let’s here Vishal Choudhary’s story of transformation in his own words  

I started my journey with GOQii in the month of June. At first, I was reluctant to buy the same as I was not sure if this will help me in any way.  My life prior to GOQii was haywire with wrong sleep and eating habits. I would sleep late and wake up late and hence eat breakfast at 10 am followed by a heavy lunch and heavy dinner late at night. I would wait till I got hungry and then eat like there was no tomorrow. My water consumption was low at just 1 litre per day. I was 10 KG overweight at 78 kgs and was like that for 8 years or more.  My waist size was 36. I use to feel happy wearing a   32 size (Lycra Jeans) thinking that my waist is still 32. I stopped wearing my favourite round neck t-shirt only because either it was loose on the shoulder or tight on the stomach.

I wanted to change myself and get healthy and fit but, did not know how to go about it. I tried multiple things like going to a gym, engaging in some kind of activity but nothing seemed to work for me. I remember my wife Deepika and me would sit together and prepare a plan for myself on what to eat and what not to, what activity should

I do and what not but, somehow, somewhere something was missing.  I feel that somewhere something was missing. I would keep changing my routine and try all sorts of things. If one plan did not work I would shift to another.

For sure I knew I was not a lazy person but, I was doing something wrong which is why I was the way I was. Despite, indulging in activities my weight was the same. I did not understand what was going wrong and I had nobody to guide me on my health and fitness.

I got to know of GOQii from my colleague who was wearing one. He told me about the personal coach feature along with the band that tracks your activity and sleep. The feature of coach attracted me to GOQii and I decided to give it a shot. I selected Dimple as my coach and started using the device.

I use to get regular updates from the coach on what to eat and what not to. I also liked GOQii’s app features and how the coach can discuss with you on chat through your regular updates on the app.

After using the GOQii features sincerely for 2 months I personally started feeling the changes within me. Though there was not much difference in the weight but because of eating right and regular exercise, I started feeling better and energetic than before. I even convinced few of my friends to buy GOQii and get on the platform and we started having competitions among ourselves on step counts and what we are eating and what we are not.

After 4 months on GOQii, I enrolled myself for my first short run of 5 km and am I glad to say that there has been no looking back since that first run. I think this has been possible only because of the right guidance from my coach. The moment I realized there is someone to watch over you and guide you, I knew I wanted to be on GOQii platform. Personal coaching is one of the best things about GOQii. Before, I started chatting with my coach Dimple, I thought my food intake and whatever activity I was indulging in is good enough to maintain a healthy lifestyle but, after having a discussion with her I realized how small things matter a lot to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

In term of activity, she set up a goal to achieve 10K steps count every day. Best thing I liked about my coach is that she did not ask me to take up anything new. After knowing my interest in Tennis she asked me to pursue the same. Along with activity, she helped me understand the benefit of water and food intake.

Some of the things that I learnt from my coach

* Importance of snacks before activity

* Importance of having food within half an hour of completing the activity.

* Importance of water intake, Food intake and timing of the same

* Importance of running

* Importance of salad

After going through my daily routine Dimple made few changes in my meal pattern. We sat together and prepared a meal chart. I started following Dimple’s advice sincerely and slowly and steadily introduced changes in my daily routine. After few months even though there was not much difference in the weight, I somehow felt good from within. Above all, my coach kept me motivated through this period of my healthy transformation.

Today, I feel great about myself. I am 12 kgs lighter now. Now the number of selfies has increased from none to too many. Compliments are pouring in. I have motivated 10-12 of my friends to take the healthy path and they are also now a member of GOQii.

We are a group of friends and we try to have a healthy competition among ourselves. Some of my colleagues wanted a lifestyle change and I suggested GOQii to them and without explaining anything they blindly became the member of GOQii by saying I have seen changes in you and that is more than enough for me. Feels great, I remember seeing one of my colleague participating in the marathon and I thought to myself if he can do it why can’t I?

I ran my first 5k marathon 4 months after joining GOQii and slowly shifted to running 10km. It’s been more than a year with GOQii and as of today, I have run more than 12 marathons (two 5km and ten 10KM) with the best time of 1hr3min.

Last two marathon I ran non-stop. Done couple of 50km cycling and recently completed 100KM cyclathon and completed the same in 6 hr 55min. Also, because of the fitness and stamina, I was able to win both Singles and Doubles in Tennis tournament organized by the academy where I was practising. Recently I have been introduced to badminton and gradually doing great in that as well.

Last but, not the least I am also doing well for the society as I keep myself healthy. I donate my karma points earned to a good cause that is registered on the GOQii app. The concept of earning Karma points is a win-win for both the user as well as the charity. The more steps you do to keep yourself healthy, the more points you earn.

Coach Dimple’s Comments

When I had my first interaction with Vishal Choudhary. He mentioned he was looking for a weight loss journey as he was 10kgs overweight. He had tried everything but was finding it difficult to reduce. He had some really good health goals in mind to achieve but no right direction and he just needed that right push to achieve them. We decided to take small baby steps first to get to achieve his health goals. I explained to him why it was important to achieve those health goals and how we could work together towards achieving these…!

I initially set small goals for him such as increasing the fibre intake in the form of salads and fruits which help us to decrease the body fat combined with small walks. He took some time to regularize his daily routine but, yes he did it really well and his interests started showing up in the different form of exercises like long hours of walk, going for cycling and finally he started participating in short runs. This was one of the best things that had happened to him. Every run gives him different energy and makes him ready for the next challenge. I clearly remember his first run was a 5km one and slowly he has graduated to 10 km and participates in every single run that happens near the vicinity of his residence. The best thing about Vishal is, he never says ‘NO’ to ‘ANYTHING’ even when I decided to add an extra modification to his routine in terms of food or targets. He took up the challenge and decided not to put a full stop and keep at it.

I brought about dietary changes wherein I introduced him to the concept of pre and post workout meals, some healthy mid meals evening snack choices, different seeds benefits, apple cider vinegar, good protein and he has learned to keep the dinner meal light. Sometimes he does have a cheat meal day. With these wondrous dietary changes along with regular workout routine, there was no doubt that he could not reach his goals. Although his weight reduction took a while slowly and steadily that improved as well in a couple of months’ time. When that started happening automatically there was belly fat loss and finally, he lost all those extra fats from his body and he’s still motivated and working on his goals in a perfect way…!. He kept feeling better each day.

I only told him, “Do not wait until you’ve reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching that goal.” Vishal proved this with his hard work

 

 

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Know your blood/ serum Creatinine

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When it comes to blood tests, most are aware of blood sugar, cholesterol or haemoglobin levels. In the current times, we also know about Vitamin B12, D, and Calcium etc. But, have you ever come across “blood/serum creatinine levels”?

Recently, I came across somebody I know well with high levels of high blood/ serum creatinine levels. And, observed there is a lot of confusion between “Blood/serum creatinine levels” & “creatinine” that one takes as a supplement while working out in the gym. These are two different things. In this blog, I am talking about –Blood Creatinine.

What does it means when you have high blood creatinine levels?

Creatinine is produced in the body constantly. It is a by-product of creatinine phosphate in the muscle. Its value depends on the muscle mass that one has. Creatinine is carried through the bloodstream to the kidneys. It is filtered out by the kidneys and thrown out of the body through urine. The kidneys maintain the creatinine levels in the blood to a normal range. A creatinine level is an indicator of kidney function. High creatinine levels is a warning for impaired kidney function.

High level of creatinine is found during:

  1. Impaired kidney function
  2. kidney disease like glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis
  3. Prostate disease
  4. Kidney Stones (urinary tract blockage)
  5. Heart disease
  6. Diabetes
  7. Medicines like ACE inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor antagonist (or angiotensin receptor blocker, ARB) taken.

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Creatinine Blood Test should be done if following symptoms are seen:

  1. fatigue and trouble sleeping
  2. loss of appetite
  3. swelling in the face, wrists, ankles, or abdomen
  4. lower back pain near the kidneys
  5. changes in urine output and frequency
  6. high blood pressure
  7. nausea
  8. vomiting

Normal Values of the Creatinine in Blood:

In male – 0.6 to 1.1 milligrams per dl of blood.

In female – 0.5 to 1.1 milligrams per dl of blood.

Infant – 0.2 milligram per dl of blood or above (due to less muscle mass).

A person with one kidney – 1.8 to 1.9 milligram per dl of the blood.

Lifestyle & Dietary modifications for high creatinine:

  1. Reduce water/fluid intake: Fluid intake needs to be monitored. Do not restrict fluids unless there is a fluid overload problem. If fluid retention is a problem, limit salt intake.
  1. Limit salt intake (Sodium): You should control the amount of salt going through the food. Add minimum salt as required. High sodium will cause water retention. Cut down on salt, cheese, pickles, instant soups, roasted and salted seeds and nuts & all types of fast foods. Specifically, avoid canned foods.
  1. Limit Potassium: Low-salt substitutes are not good either, as they contain high levels of potassium. Restricted eating high potassium containing such as tomato, potato, nuts and chocolates etc.
  1. Limit Phosphorus: Excess phosphorus can cause total kidney failure as well as bone disease and heart ailments. Reduce dairy products including milk, curd, and cheese. Cut down intake of foods like Shellfish, nuts, soya bean foods etc.
  1. Control Calcium: It is another concern for kidney patients, causing serious bone disease in later years if not controlled.
  1. Low protein diet: Low protein diet is recommended to reduce creatinine level. This avoids build-up of excess urea.
  1. Cigarettes and Alcohol: kill you anyway and, also does not help in the case of high Creatinine either.
  1. With diet control, the portion size also matters. If you eat in excess, the nutritional value changes considerably.
  1. Be active & Exercise regularly: High-intensity exercise could lead to impressive results. It may also help lower your risk for high blood pressure and diabetes which are the two main causes that lead to developing CKD (Chronic Kidney Diseases).

 Fruits and vegetables that are advised/not advised in kidney diseases:

  • It is advisable to take peaches, broccoli, onion, grapes, cabbage, pepper, cherries, cauliflower, apples, celery, berries, cucumber, pineapple, eggs, plums, green beans, tangerine, lettuce, watermelon and pears.
  • Restrict the intake of oranges and orange juice, asparagus, avocado, kiwi fruit, raisins or other dried fruits, bananas, cooked spinach, potatoes, pumpkin, prunes, etc.

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What should you eat before your workout?

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It is a commonly known fact that workouts are necessary for the maintenance and well-being of our system. While working is on everybody’s mind, must also work out with the sole aim of wanting to reduce their weight. To achieve your weight loss goals proper diet combined with exercise is the best

For all those wanting to start their workout regime has to bear in mind that one cannot exercise without having something to eat as diet and exercise go hand in hand. In fact. Diet contributes 70% and exercises 30% to achieve the desired results. But 70% diet does not mean you have to eat less, it means that you eat the right meal at the right time and in the right proportion. Hence it is very necessary to look into your pre-work meals.

Why proper pre-workout meals are necessary!

One of the reasons to have something to eat before you start your work out is to protect your muscles from overstrain by reducing the glycogen depletion and the breakdown of the muscle protein. Also, the levels of the stress hormone called cortisol can be maintained at the optimal level by giving your body the proper nutrition that it needs.

Pre-workout meals should be a combination of complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates for a slow and steady release of energy throughout your workout. Along with carbohydrates adding a small amount of protein helps to decrease the exercise-induced muscle loss. When you exercise, blood flow is diverted away from your digestive system to your muscles. Hence one should avoid meals which take time to digest like meals high in fats and fibre.

Ideally, if you work out in the mid-day, afternoon or in the evening one should eat about 2-3 hours before the workout to give time for your system to move the food out of the stomach and begin digestion and absorption. Some of the examples of pre work out meals can be whole wheat toast with banana and low-fat yoghurt and fruit smoothies with some granola bar or any traditional Indian balanced meal.

For early morning workouts, your glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and blood sugar levels are low. The time between your last meal at night and early morning, tend to be between 10-12 hours. During this overnight fast, your glycogen stores slowly decline because it is being used up to keep various bodily functions going while you sleep. So for early morning workouts, eating a small amount of rapidly digestible carbohydrate like any seasonal fruit be the best choice.

I have put down a list of few foods that you can have a workout! By feeding your system with proper nutrition before any form of exercise you can achieve positive results

#Fruits: 

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The consumption of fruits with a high glycemic index can be ideal for a workout. The high GI fruits not only contain low fat but also contain easily digestible sugars. This helps the food to digest well before the workout and the necessary fuel needed for a vigorous workout is also obtained. Also, you do not feel this healthy snack bouncing in your stomach while exercising, thus relieving you of an uncomfortable feeling. Some of the fruits which can be consumed are the banana, apple, mango, pineapple, watermelon, etc.

#DryFruits – Almonds and Walnuts:

dried fruits

Dried fruits, as well as nuts like almonds and walnuts, can be an excellent pre-workout snack. Firstly, they get digested very fast and thus you can grab a hand full of the nuts just before you head to the gym. Also, they comprise of carbohydrates, which can be easily broken down and provide you with the necessary energy during a vigorous exercise.

#Chia Seeds: 

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Packed with powerful antioxidants, omega-3 fats and proteins, chia seeds can form a perfect pre-workout meal. These help in getting the much-needed energy, strength and stamina, you can safely vouch for chia seeds.

#Oatmeal: 

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Rich in fibre and vitamin B content, oatmeal can be voted as another best pre-workout food. Because of a large amount of fibre in it, it gets digested slowly, providing a steady release of energy into the bloodstream. This can keep your energy levels up for a long time.

But a word of #caution! Oatmeal gives best results during a workout when consumed at least half an hour before you hit the gym.

#Lemon and Honey water: 

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To start your day fresh before a workout, you can consume lemon and honey water. The honey and lemon combination can give you the much-needed energy to sustain throughout the workout. Being an excellent detoxifier, drinking this is a sure way to achieve your weight loss goals.

#Yogurt: 

Packed with protein content, yogurt should be had well before workouts. It prevents muscle damage and when combined with fruits, it can form an excellent pre-workout snack.

Have a happy workout by consuming the above-listed foods and stay fit and healthy!

 

 

 

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