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Managing Atopic Dermatitis (AD) Through Climate Changes

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and complex disease that requires consistent treatment and lifestyle adjustments. Regular moisturizing is essential, but it’s equally important to adapt skincare routines to surrounding climatic changes.

The outer skin barrier in individuals with AD becomes delicate and sensitized, making it highly susceptible to environmental changes. You might wonder, is a hot or cold climate better for AD? The answer is neither. Equal care and measures must be taken in both extremes to protect the skin barrier and retain moisture.

In summer, the weather is hot and often humid, causing people to perspire throughout the day. For someone with AD, dryness may not be a major issue, but constant perspiration can be problematic. The salts in sweat can irritate the skin and trigger flare-ups. Moreover, the heat and humidity can further sensitize the skin, making it redder and more prone to flares. Heat rash and secondary infections on sensitized skin are not uncommon during this season.

In winter, the scenario changes completely. The weather is dry and cold, leading to extreme dryness. The dry air dehydrates the skin further, making regular and repeated moisturizing crucial. Failing to do so can trigger a flare-up. For individuals working or sleeping in a cold environment, such as an air-conditioned room, using a humidifier next to the bed or desk can help prevent moisture loss and keep the skin hydrated.

Each climatic variation comes with its own challenges, requiring extreme care for individuals with AD. Regardless of the season, consistent and tailored skincare routines are necessary to manage symptoms and protect the skin barrier.

We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to your GOQii Skin Coach.

#BeTheForce

References –

Chen Z, Li M, Lan T, Wang Y, Zhou X, Dong W, Cheng G, Li W, Cheng L. Effects of ambient temperature on atopic dermatitis and attributable health burden: a 6-year time-series study in Chengdu, China. PeerJ. 2023 Apr 24;11:e15209. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15209. PMID: 37123004; PMCID: PMC10135404.

Luschkova D, Zeiser K, Ludwig A, Traidl-Hoffmann C. Atopic eczema is an environmental disease. Allergol Select. 2021 Aug 23;5:244-250. doi: 10.5414/ALX02258E. PMID: 34476334; PMCID: PMC8383845.

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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How To Control And Fight Hunger Cravings

hunger cravingsFor many of us, our lifestyle has become sedentary, leading to increased mental and emotional stress which often results in binge eating. When we are stressed, we find outlets to overcome it, and the first thing that comes to mind is eating! A sedentary lifestyle coupled with irregular sleep leads to hunger cravings which ultimately results in gorging on unhealthy food such as junk food, chocolates, refined foods, bakery products, juices, soft drinks, pizza, etc., leading to weight gain. Let’s take a deeper look. 

How Much Time Does It Take Food To Get Digested? 

  • After having a meal, our GI tract slowly empties by pushing food through the stomach. From there, it goes to the small intestine where it gets absorbed and then it reaches the large intestine. It takes approximately 2 hours for this entire process.
  • Hunger cravings occur 2 hours after having a meal when the food gets digested. So, our brain picks up messages from the stomach and tells us that it’s time for our next meal.
  • This entire system is regulated by two hormones in our body known as hunger hormones – Ghrelin and Leptin.
  • Ghrelin stimulates appetite and is produced in the stomach when it’s empty, promoting fat storage.
  • Leptin controls appetite and signals the brain to stop eating.
  • If we eat after every 2 hours, ghrelin will not be released, and there won’t be any overeating.

Tip To Control Hunger Cravings 

  1. Eat before you feel hungry at an interval of 2 hours.
  2. Have 6 meals in a day: 3 main meals and 3 mid-meals. Eat slowly and have a fruit as a mid-meal, avoiding fruits with the main meals.
  3. Snack on nuts like foxnuts, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and a mixture of various seeds to help you stay full.
  4. Add spices and chillies to your food as they increase satiety.
  5. Avoid fasting: Skipping meals can cause your body to go into a fat-storing starvation mode, making it harder to burn calories.
  6. Have jaggery, jaggery powder, stevia leaves and honey to curb sugar cravings. 
  7. Include proteins in all your meals. Proteins are the building blocks of our body. They take longer to digest than carbohydrates and are considered to be more satiating than carbs and fats. They keep your energy levels up and appetite down.
  8. Eat fiber-rich foods since they help regulate bowel movements and make you feel fuller for a longer duration. They don’t add calories to your diet and cannot be converted to glucose. Include leafy green vegetables, fruits with the peel like apple, pear, plum and even berries, sweet potatoes with skin, potatoes, oatmeal, fenugreek seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon powder, drumstick, garden cress seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, figs, raisins and prunes.
  9. Quench your thirst to control your appetite by drinking plenty of water. Drink 12-15 glasses of water throughout the day. Have 1 glass of water before and 1 after a meal, as water is a no calorie quencher. You’ll be able to decrease your hunger before you start eating so you aren’t starving at the table. In case you don’t like the taste of plain water, have green tea, cinnamon tea, buttermilk, coconut water, lemon water or detox water.
  10. Exercise for 30 mins every day: It lowers the level of ghrelin. It increases the feeling of fullness, boosts your metabolism, and helps in burning more calories. Indulge in yoga, pilates, cardio, stretching, skipping, dancing, etc. 
  11. Maintain a regular wake up and sleep schedule: To avoid midnight hunger pangs, don’t stay awake for a long time post-dinner. Have soups, salads and protein-rich meals for dinner to avoid eating junk food. Make a habit of having 1 tsp flax seeds post-dinner since they have fibers that will make you feel satiated.

We hope this article helps you understand your hunger cravings and how to curb them. For more tips on controlling hunger cravings, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Acidity: Its Symptoms, Causes and Cure

how_cure_acidity_problemAcidity is a very common problem among people. Most usually complaint of acidity due to various reasons. And, many take temporary treatment but, few know what has caused it or what it is exactly?

This aspect of not knowing what the problem is worries me. If the issue of acidity relapses, then one has to develop certain habits which will help permanently. Just because it is a disorder most tend to ignore it. But, acidity over a period of time can get worse.

The acid in our body is needed to digest the food. If there is less secretion, then it can cause indigestion, and if it is in excess, then it causes ‘Acidity’. Today, I would like to tell you more about Acidity and what are its symptoms, causes and cure.

Symptoms of Acidity:

Restless, heartburn, nausea and vomiting, sour belching of food you have consumed, aversion to certain food items, indigestion, severe constipation in some cases.

Possible causes of Acidity

  1. Oily food, food with more salt, sweet and spices (overeating)
  2. Food or drinks containing a lot of acids or food that taste sour which increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach
  3. Tension, worries, and pressure on the mind create more acid in the stomach
  4. Frequent drinking of coffee, alcohol, smoking and drugs etc
  5. Lack of physical activities, going to sleep immediately after food will produce excess acid
  6. Taking frequent allopathic medicines like aspirin or pain killers will increase acidity
  7. Any illness related to the alimentary canal or the organs connected with the digestive system may lead to acidity
  8. Keeping long gaps between two meals
  9. Having acidic food (which are mentioned below)
  10. Highly emotionally and nervous individuals
  11. Overeating

Acidic Foods:

Butter, Lentils, White Refined Flour, Whole-Wheat Cooked Spaghetti, Peanuts (dry-roasted), Walnuts, Chicken, Whole Egg, Oats, Brown Rice, Salmon, Tuna, Cheese, Tomato

Alkaline Food:

Honey, Asparagus, Margarine, White and Red Wine, Broccoli, Watermelon, Apples, Zucchini, Hazelnuts, Green Beans, Cherries, Radishes, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Apricots, Carrots, Celery, Bananas, Leafy Vegetables, Raisins.

Home remedies for Acidity:

  1. Cold milk with 1 tsp of ghee
  2. Banana
  3. Eating 4-5 basil leaves (tulsi) after every meal
  4. Boil fennel seeds (sound) in water, leave it overnight and drink it the next day when you get a bout of acidity
  5. Chew cumin seeds (jeera) has calming effect
  6. Bite cloves so the juice is released and keep it in the mouth for a while
  7. Boil cardamom, cool it, and drink that cool water
  8. Boil mint leaves, cool it, and drink that cool water
  9. Crush ginger and eat with a piece of Jaggery
  10. Have Amla powder twice a day to refrain from acidity

Understanding acidity, its causes, and how to cure it is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. By adopting healthier eating habits, managing stress, and incorporating natural remedies, you can effectively combat acidity and prevent its recurrence. Remember, long-term changes in diet and lifestyle are key to permanent relief. Stay informed, stay healthy, and take control of your digestive health. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Excercises: Pre-Pregnancy: A good start is half done!

Planning to start a family is a crucial decision, in fact, a life changing one, and preparing yourself well for the most important time of your life, will ensure a healthier you and a healthier baby. If you have made up your mind for the next big move, this blog will give you an insight into the exercise part of this beginning.

A workout routine developed before getting pregnant will help you stay in the healthier BMI range, will help you beat stress through release of the feel-good hormone – endorphins, and will help you sleep better through the night, thus will create an optimal environment for natural conception. Additionally, it will help you sustain a healthy pregnancy and develop your stamina for the rigors of childbirth and recovery, and finally, it will assist you in getting back in shape and to your pre-pregnancy fitness levels!

A good deal eh? So let’s learn how you can plan your exercise regime:

A) If you are a beginner: take it easy and gradually. 20 -30 minutes at a minimum three times a week will be good to go.

  1. Start with a low impact aerobic exercise – walking, dancing, cycling. These will race up your heart and exercise your lungs.
  2. Another good one is Swimming – it will make you feel lighter and work out your whole body without straining your joints.
  3. Relaxing workouts include yoga, which with the right postures will help in toning your reproductive organs too.
  4. A Pilates workout under guidance will help strengthen your core and pelvic muscles.
  5. Weight training under supervision will work out your muscles to prepare them for infant care. Use lighter weights and learn the correct training technique, but remember weight training is to be avoided during pregnancy.
  6. Practice exercises for pregnancy and active labor – these will include squatting, lunges, pelvic floor exercises, and breathing exercises. Starting to do them now will make it easier to continue after the big news.

B) If you are a pro: you are doing one of the best jobs for yourself and your fertility. But like with every other good thing, too much of it can still do more harm than good when you are trying to conceive. This is so because exercises are considered as a stress to the system and the body shuts down its reproductive functions in stressful events. Moreover, workouts are linked to changes in a woman’s hormonal system that may interfere with implantation of a fertilized egg. Then, is it fine for a man to exercise intensely during pre-conception phase? No actually not. The male partner must also re-evaluate his workouts and dial down the intensity of his routine so as to avoid the risk of decreasing his sperm counts (which happens due to excessive heat generation during exercises).

Now the question is when do you draw the line?

Well, it will depend on your BMI

#If you fall in overweight BMI range (>27), there is no reason to tone down your exercises, since obesity impairs fertility more than excessive exercising.

#If you fall in normal weight BMI range, bring down your workout intensity from vigorous to moderate. Like if you are running, start jogging and avoid vigorous gymnastics, aerobics, cycling and even swimming. Make them more leisurely so that you are not devoting more than 5 hours a week to these workouts.

#If you fall in underweight BMI range (<18), check your workout intensity and lighten it again so that along with good nutrition, you can soon move up to healthy weight range for early conception.

Now a word of caution for Female Athletes- if your form of exercise (including power yoga) is above moderate and leaves you extremely weak, winded, and gasping for breath or alters your menstrual cycles, then it’s time to tone down the frequency, pace, and duration of your workouts. This surely doesn’t mean you can’t run/cycle or must leave your weight lifting career for making a baby, but then, of course, this won’t be the ideal time to prepare for a marathon/triathlon or for buffing up for an upcoming championship.

Furthermore, certain contact Sports like Judo, Karate, Football etc., which may cause sudden jolts/falls and abdominal punching, may become unsuitable when you eventually fall pregnant. So trying now to hone your skills in them or, for that matter, in activities like downhill skiing, horseback riding, scuba diving, mountain biking etc., may not be useful. Save them for your post pregnancy to do list!

Lastly, a well-rounded preparation consists of other factors too. So a wholesome diet, folate supplements, sound sleep, no alcohol/smoking, avoiding caffeine and reducing stress will form a crucial foundation of your prenatal preparation along with, as I mentioned above, EXERCISING regularly.

Hope you find this article useful and that it answers all your questions regarding exercises before your Big Fat Positive. Take care and I’ll see you in the next chapter of Pregnancy! For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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 […]