GOQii

Blog

Search Results for: soup

By 1 Comment

These Mushrooms Can Help You Boost Your Immune System!

mushrooms

As a kid, I used to wonder why we eat these umbrella shaped things. It is for a frog to hide themselves when it rains (something I saw on a cartoon show). One day, out of curiosity, I asked my mom the same question to which she replied, “Frogs stay in the water only, so they don’t need to hide themselves when it rains. So, it’s left for us to eat!” Obviously, she was not aware of its nutritional benefits at that time. As a nutritionist, now I understand the numerous health benefits that Mushrooms offer along with it’s property to boost immunity. 

When we have an infection or disease, our immune system regulates to battle the infection and it works without any break. Hence, it is crucial to boost it on a daily basis so that it does not get exhausted and thankfully, Mushrooms can help this cause. While all edible Mushrooms provide you with essential nutrients, below are some that are nutrient dense and packed with Antioxidants, Beta Glucan, certain Vitamins and minerals that makes them a heart healthy choice to boost your immunity.

Types Of Mushrooms & Their Benefits 

  • Shiitake Mushrooms: These are one of the popular ones as they are a rich source of Fiber, Vitamin B and are low in Calories. They are native to Japan. However in India, it can be found in an Indian Super market too and have been in the limelight for their immunity boosting properties.
  • Oyster Mushrooms: They’re one of the biggest edible Mushrooms. It gets its name due to having a similar appearance as an oyster. They are an excellent source of essential Vitamins and Minerals including Niacin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Thiamine. Along with boosting immune function, it also lowers cholesterol and boosts heart health.
  • Enoki Mushrooms: are also known as ‘Golden Needle Mushrooms’. They are widely available in the Indian supermarket. The healthy Amino acids present in them serves to improve the immune system and is also used as a remedy for hypertension, high cholesterol and liver disease in Asian culture.
  • Reishi Mushrooms: They support the immune system because they may support the body’s natural response to occasional stress by supporting the endocrine system.
  • Chaga Mushrooms: help in the formation of Cytokines protein that regulate the immune system. They also stimulate WBC’s (White blood cells) which are essential for fighting harmful bacteria or viruses.

All these varieties are like unsung heroes. So now that you know how they help, include them in your diet along with other food sources to boost your immunity! They are quite versatile and can be added to your soup, sauteed with other vegetables, sandwiches and you can pickle them too – the possibilities are endless! 

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below! For more on foods that boost immunity, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to nutrition classes by experts on GOQii Play. 

To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching here:  https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu 

Eat healthy & #BeTheForce 

By Leave a Comment

COVID Care: Home Remedies For COVID related Cough

covid related coughIf you or your loved one is recovering from the COVID-19 infection, taking proper care for curing your COVID related cough is important. Currently, cough is one of the most common symptoms of the viral infection and can manifest in the form of both wet (productive) cough as well as dry persistent cough.

COVID Related Cough Needs Care!

I am sharing a few remedies that might help you deal with a COVID related cough. These supportive remedies are not meant to replace any medically prescribed cough medications, but to give you additional relief. If your symptom of cough worsens with difficulty in breathing, please report to your treating doctor at the earliest. 

Some of the emergency symptoms are:

  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Extremely high temperature, 103 F or above
  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Confusion
  • Severe cough with choking
  • Blue lips or face

Tips To Manage Wet Productive Cough

  1. Water: Lukewarm water helps in loosening of phlegm and allows for an easy exit out of the system. Drink a generous serving of lukewarm water, sip by sip, throughout the day. For added benefit, throw in 5-7 leaves of fresh ‘tulsi’ in your water jug.
  2. Steam inhalation: 3 times a day will help loosen up the phlegm congested in your lungs. Make sure to take deep breaths (with your eyes closed) when you inhale steam.     
  3. Lie down on the right or left side: Lying in these positions helps drain phlegm from the respiratory tract. While intermittent proning will also improve breathing, do not lie down on your back which is not a cough-friendly resting position.

Tips to Manage Dry Cough

  1. Warm liquids: Warm tomato soup, rice gruel, moong dal soup, herbal decoction (of dried ginger, clove and honey) or plain warm water may help you have an immediate relief from a dry cough. In case you don’t have any soothing drink around, swallow repeatedly.
  2. Turmeric tea: Ingredients required- 1/4th tsp dried turmeric powder (Haldi), pinch of black pepper (Kali Mirchi), 1 spoon of jaggery (Gudh) and 1-2 drops of organic ‘ghee’. How to prepare? Boil a glass of water > add turmeric, black pepper and jaggery in it > allow to simmer till quantity reduces to half > Turn down the flame, strain the tea in a cup and allow it to cool > once warm add 1-2 drops of ghee before drinking. Adding few threads of ginger root and pinch of clove while boiling, makes it a more powerful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent while Ghee makes the curcumin from turmeric more bio-active in our body.
  3. Gargling with salt water (1/4th tsp salt dissolved in a glass of water) is an age old remedy for cough and sore throat. You may also add a pinch of turmeric powder in your gargle water for a more antiseptic effect or gargle with a betadine solution dissolved in water (1part betadine in 3 parts water). Do not drink or swallow saline water or betadine.

Hope these remedies provide you some help in dealing with COVID related cough! We wish you and our nation a super speedy recovery! For more useful tips like these, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

For any further queries, reach out to your GOQii Coach by subscribing to GOQii now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu 

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce 

By Leave a Comment

What Should You Eat If You Get Infected By COVID-19?

What Should You Eat If You Get Infected By COVID-19?

We are going through a very tough time with everyday monster surges in COVID-19 cases all over the country, excluding a few districts. It almost seems like each and every household has one or more members down with this infection. Thankfully, we have a good number of people getting well too! Food plays a key role in any form of recovery. So which kind of food should a person infected with COVID-19 eat? 

A Balanced Diet Is Key To COVID-19 Recovery 

Each day, the combination of food should include: 

  • Whole Grains: Millets, oats, wheat, brown rice, white rice, all this as roti, khichdi, upama, Pulao, Daliya, Chilla etc. 
  • Proteins: Eggs, Lentils, Legumes, Dairy Products, Soy Products, can be taken as besan cheela, Dal Soup, Sprouts Chat, Moong dal Khichdi, Paneer Bhurji, Omelette, Dosa, chickpea bowl, rajma, etc.
  • Fats: Good fats have anti-inflammatory acids like omega 3 fatty acids. So include flax seeds oils, extra virgin olive oils and safflower oil. Good fats can also be added from almonds, avocado, laddu with a mix of nuts, white sesame seeds, kalonji, ajwain all roasted in desi ghee helps provide essential minerals like zinc and magnesium for fast recovery. 
  • Fiber: Fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. So try to include two fruits a day, along with 2-3 cups of vegetables. This requirement can be met by adding soups mashed vegetables and fruits as small mid meals.

Apart from these main macros, here are a few things you need to consider:  

  • 2-3 liters of water should be included daily as infections dehydrate the body. Infused water, coconut water, water with honey can help meet the requirement. 
  • Immunity boosters like a herbal concoction, turmeric milk, soups and broth should be included at least one or two times a day.
  • As far as possible, make sure that all fruits, vegetables are fresh and meals are home cooked. 
  • Always eat small and frequent meals as the body will not tolerate big meals at a time. 
  • Avoid alcohol as it is highly dehydrating and may inhibit your immune system.
  • Limit salt and sugar
  • Avoid packaged processed food. 

Given all the dietary guidelines, a question may still come up as to how to manage adequate calorie intake when the infection has robbed you of your taste buds and sense of smell.

  1. Try adding lemon juice or vinegar in food, soups and water. The flavor of acids from them comes through even when smell or taste is impaired. 
  2. Try going a bit heavy on spices like cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, garlic and ginger, which could add flavor back to food.   

To make things a bit more clear, here is a sample diet chart, although it will be more customized as per symptoms.  

  1. Early morning: 5 to 6 soaked almonds, two dates and lukewarm lemon cinnamon water or tulsi lemon honey water.
  2. Breakfast: Besan cheela or moong dal cheela or stuffed omelette sandwich or paneer paratha or idli sambar or vegetable uttapam with coconut chutney.
  3. Mid meal: Coconut water or any one fruit with one tsp mix seeds
  4. Lunch: Rice with dal and subzi or Ajwain roti with rajma and any green leafy vegetable
  5. Evening: Any herbal concoction (kadha or green tea) and chana/ sprouts/ sweet potato chat and any one fruit
  6. Pre dinner: mix veg soup or moong dal soup or chicken broth or boiled egg
  7. Dinner: Khichdi or vegetable daliya or oats cheela or oats with milk or Garlic roti with any dal and mixed veg 
  8. Post dinner: One cup milk with turmeric and pinch of black pepper

We hope this article helps you manage COVID-19 infection and recover quickly. For more information, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by exprts on GOQii Play. 

For more expert guidance, subscribe to GOQii or download the app here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu 

#BeTheForce 

By Leave a Comment

Shreyans Ravrani Shifts From Illness to Wellness!

Shreyans Ravrani

At the age of 38, Shreyans Ravrani led a lifestyle which wasn’t very different from the working professionals of his age group. As a Gujarati, his diet involved regular consumption of oily food and sweets, something he never realized can be detrimental to his health. He didn’t maintain portion control nor eat a balanced meal. Physical activity was almost nil and to add to it, his stress and sleep were negatively impacted due to work pressure and traveling.

He had joined GOQii in 2017 as he found the personal coaching feature appealing but did not stick to his plans or take being healthy seriously. In June 2019, Shreyans Ravrani was diagnosed with high cholesterol and fatty liver disease. He was faced with 2 options – either live with the prospect of lifelong medication or adopt a healthier lifestyle. He chose the latter and his life changed since then.

Making Positive Changes

Shreyans Ravrani realized he had to reduce his weight. He weighed 77kg with a BMI of 29. In order to get healthy, he renewed his subscription with GOQii in July 2019 and got more serious about utilizing personal coaching. He already was consulting a dietitian and he started to validate all her suggestions and inputs with his GOQii coach.

These were the changes he incorporated:

  • Took sugar and fried food off his diet
  • His breakfast included oats or idli.
  • For lunch, he reduced his chapatti intake to 3 and included lots of salad and buttermilk
  • For dinner, he mostly had soup or a light khichdi.
  • He stopped snacking on processed foods and shifted to fruits, roasted chana or makhana along with green tea.
  • He began walking for 2km every day but that wasn’t enough to burn fat. So he began running in August. Initially he felt breathless after 350m. By November, he could run 5km a day. From a strenuous activity, his running time now became his “Me-Time”.

As a Jain, he was used to fasting which helped him control his hunger pangs even as he reduced his meal portion. He says, fasting gives you mental strength and distracts you from the thought of food, which he was able to do successfully.

Levelling Up The Game!

By November 2019, Shreyans Ravrani participated in and completed his first 10k run within 65 minutes. In December 2019, he did it again but completed it in 60 minutes. He was happy that he managed to beat his previous time so quickly.

Between July – November 2019, he had reduced 14kg. Seeing this, his coach had to ask him to cut down on his running and add some strength training routine to his workout. He ensures that he completes his quota of running by spot jogging at home even during lockdown!

He regularly participates in health challenges organized by GOQii with the GOQii App from time to time including the current 30 Day Quarantine Burn Challenge.

What Does Shreyans Ravrani Have to Say About His GOQii Coach?

Shreyans is extremely thankful to his GOQii Coach for her contribution towards his transformation. He thinks the best part is that he can ask questions as and when they arise in his mind and get them answered by an expert quickly. She is also a constant motivator, following up with his habits, progress as well as guiding him in the right direction. He feels it helps when you have someone monitoring your habits and giving you timely feedback.

What Changes Does He See in Himself?

Apart from weight loss and his vitals returning to normal, he says the complete change of mindset towards health and fitness is worth it! His entire family is now more aware and diet conscious. Every member makes sure to burn off extra calories as and when they indulge.

Do you want to make a lifestyle change as well? Download the GOQii App and subscribe now.

For more inspiring user journeys, read here: https://goqii.com/blog/category/user-stories/

#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 […]