GOQii

Blog

Search Results for: weight loss

By 2 Comments

12 Steps To Being Your Own Health Detective

12 tips to be your own health detectiveGaining true, lasting health is all about identifying and healing from the root cause. You can do it, I can do it, and anybody can do it. Today’s changing lifestyle, ever-increasing pollution, adulterated foods and rising stress is silently harming our life in various unknown ways.

If you can understand your body and how it works, how disease manifests itself and where it begins, then you can draw a road map towards becoming your own health detective (and your family’s health detective) so that you can empower yourself to live a healthy, thriving life.

How To Be Your Own Health Detective 

Here are some pointers that can help you be your own Health Detective!

1. Keep A Check On Your Sleep

health detective - sleep score

If you feel stressed out, sleepy-groggy headed, and/or lack concentration even in your daily chores and work, then this is a clear indication that you are not getting enough sleep! If even after 6-8 hours of adequate sleep, you get up all weak, lost and tired, then that’s a red signal. Stop and analyze what’s causing that.

2. Full Body Check Up

Get a full body check-up done every 6 months. Stand in front of a mirror and check if you have any lumps, or uneven skin tone. If any mole like thing appears bigger than 5mm, or pinkish-brownish discoloration, it’s an indication to fix up an appointment with a dermatologist. 

3. Excessive Hair-Fall Is Also A Symptom

health detective - hair fall Most of the people see hair-fall as a result of the seasonal change, change of shampoo or oil.  Very few know that it could also be an indication of a disease/or a medical condition. Examine your comb regularly. If there is hair-fall appearing more than normal, it could be due to underlying deficiency of iron or thyroid. Also, follow a good hair-care and wash routine.

4. A Window Of Light Through Your Eyes

Lack of sleep can cause puffiness under the eyes. However, this puffiness goes away with proper sleep and rest. If puffiness appears for a long duration, it could be due to water retention, kidney issues, and indigestion. Do not ignore this and see a doctor.

5. Sudden Increase Or Decrease In Weight

A wave of happiness that comes due to weight loss can become a cause for concern when the reasons for weight loss are not right. It could be due to weight cycling, or a YO-YO effect that usually occurs due to extreme workouts, or diet restrictions or crash diets. If not because of these, a sudden increase or decrease could also be happening because of diabetes, thyroid etc.

6. Tired All The Time?

Tired All The Time It’s normal to feel tired and all sleepy after a long day at work or a long journey. But, if you are feeling lethargic all the time it could be due to an underactive thyroid, which also increases the chances of developing high blood pressure and heart problems. Consult a doctor immediately and get your blood tests done.

7. Frequent Headaches

A headache can happen due to stress, tension, working continuously in front of screens and inadequate sleep. This generally goes away with rest or painkillers. But, if even after this if a headache persists, it could be due to a migraine, cervical issue or spondylitis. Resort to physiotherapy, good posture and regular workout. 

8. Take Care Of Your Feet Too

Most of the people don’t pay much attention to feet, because of which they are unable to notice any visible changes happening there. If nails have white spots or have become yellowish in colour, it might be indicative of calcium or hemoglobin deficiency respectively. Persistently cracked heels may be because of low water intake and swollen feet indicate the onset of diabetes. If you feel that your feet remain excessively cold, a thyroid test must be done with doctor’s advice.

9. Teeth And Gums

Bacteria in the mouth are major causes of pain and infection in gums as well as heart-related and lung-related infections too. Conditions related to teeth and gums can also become a reason for pain in shoulders and back. Take extra care to maintain oral hygiene and dental care. A dental check-up every 6 months is advisable.

10. Don’t Ignore Snoring

Snoring in our society isn’t considered abnormal. One snores when there is blockage or difficulty in breathing. Snoring adds to excessive pressure on lungs, and it could also happen because of high blood pressure, which could, in turn, lead to heart ailments. If anyone is suffering from snoring for a long period of time, take responsibility and get their sleep study test and dynamic MRI done with doctor’s advice.

11. Blood Pressure Monitoring

People who have high/low B.P issue should always keep a digital monitor at home. Get your blood pressure checked at regular intervals or if you notice any change in the body. Remember normal blood pressure should be 120/80mm Hg. 

12. Cardiovascular Check-Up

People who have crossed 40 years of age, people having heart diseases or high blood pressure should get a complete cardiovascular check-up done. This helps in screening and treatment of risks like heart attack, stroke, etc. in the preliminary stage. Get blood cholesterol levels also checked once every year.

Points To Remember

  • Becoming a health detective doesn’t mean that you become an expert or a doctor. Being a health detective only means being alert and responsible for observing and noticing any changes that happen in your body.
  • Never take any medicine or administer drugs to others without a prescription or doctor’s advice.
  • Today, most people treat themselves by looking up their symptoms on the internet. This is called as ‘Cyberchondria’. Please do not do this as you can go wrong with your diagnosis.
  • Do not blindly believe any information given on the web, as not all of this information is trustworthy.

We hope this article helps you become your own health detective. If this information helped you, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

You can browse more articles like this here. To get more tips and guidance, speak to a GOQii Coach for lifestyle modifications suited to your health goals. You can subscribe for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

By 2 Comments

Refreshing and Healthy Iced Tea Recipes

iced tea

Water is probably the best drink you can have during a hot summer day! Drinking at least 2 litres of water or more during the day helps your body dissipate excess heat – especially if you’re exposed to a high-temperature environment. A lot of people struggle with drinking water and rather opt for beverages full of sugar. Instead of hydrating on drinks detrimental to your health, why not opt for some tasty and healthy Iced Tea? Let’s look at some thirst-quenching recipes. 

1. Rose Iced Tea 

Ingredients: 

  • Handful or rose petals fresh or dried
  • Cardamom – 2 crushed 
  • Green Tea – 1 bag 
  • Raw honey – 1-2 tsp 
  • Hot water – 1 cup 
  • Ice cubes or chilled water 

Method: 

  1. Put rose petals, crushed cardamom and a green tea bag in a glass jar. Pour 1 cup hot water over this. Let this sit for 15-20 minutes. 
  2. Remove the tea bag after 3-5 minutes if you don’t want to make it very strong. 
  3. Add raw honey or any sweetener of your choice (avoid processed sugar) and mix well.
  4. Strain the rose petals. Fill a glass ¾ with ice cubes & pour this tea over ice cubes or add chilled water. Your refreshing rose tea is ready! 

2. Fennel Coconut Tea 

Ingredients: 

  • Fennel seeds – 1 tbsp 
  • Coconut water – 1.5 cup chilled 
  • Green tea – 1 bag 
  • Raw honey – 1 tsp 

Method: 

  1. Heat 1 cup water in a saucepan. Add fennel seeds & boil until it reduces to half. 
  2. Add the green tea bag for a few minutes. 
  3. After a few minutes, remove the teabag and strain the tea in a tall glass. 
  4. Add raw honey and mix well. 
  5. Pour over chilled coconut water and enjoy.

3. Apple and Cinnamon Tea 

Ingredients:

  • Apple – ¼ cup chopped or thinly sliced 
  • Cinnamon – 2-inch stick 
  • Cardamom – 1 crushed 
  • Green tea – 1 bag 
  • Raw honey – 1 tsp 
  • Water – 2 cups 

Method: 

  1. Boil 2 cups of water with cinnamon and cardamom for 5 minutes. 
  2. Turn off the gas, add a teabag to this and cover for 5 minutes. 
  3. Put apple slices in a glass jar and pour the boiled mixture over this after removing the teabag. 
  4. Add honey and mix well. Keep this in the fridge for minimum of 30 minutes to let the flavours infuse. After 30 minutes, strain and serve.

4. Pineapple and Ginger Iced Tea

Ingredients:

  • Pineapple – ¼ cup finely chopped 
  • Ginger – ½ inch thinly sliced 
  • Mint leaves – 4-5 
  • Lemon juice – 1 tsp 
  • Green tea – 1 bag 
  • Raw honey – 1 tsp 
  • Hot water – 1 cup 
  • Ice cubes

Method: 

  1. Put all the ingredients, except honey and ice cubes in a glass jar. 
  2. After 5 minutes, remove the green tea bag, add honey and mix well. 
  3. Let this sit for another 30-60 minutes at room temperature. 
  4. Now fill a tall glass halfway with ice cubes, strain and pour the tea mix.

5. Orange Peel Tea

Ingredients:

  • Peel of half an orange or kinnow
  • Water – 2 cups
  • Green Cardamom – 2 crushed 
  • Cloves – 2 
  • Cinnamon – 2 inch stick 
  • Green tea – 1 bag 
  • Raw honey – 1 tsp 

Method: 

  1. Boil cardamom, cloves and cinnamon with water for five minutes. 
  2. Kill the flame and add the green tea bag and orange peel in this. Cover for 5 minutes.
  3. Strain the mixture, add honey and let it cool in the fridge for 30 minutes at least before serving.

Tips and Highlights of the Iced Tea Recipes 

  • These recipes can help you fight inflammation, boost digestion, improve immunity and also aid you in removing toxins. 
  • These iced tea recipes can be a great addition to your routine to curb hunger pangs and promote weight loss. 
  • If any of these flavours become your favourite, you can lock in those flavours in the form of ice cubes and preserve it for a few days to enjoy it without waiting. 

We hope you try these recipes and enjoy them. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. Get more healthy recipes here. You can also get customized recipes and diet plans tailored to your health goal, directly from a GOQii Coach, by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

Hydrate well and #BeTheForce 

By 3 Comments

Can You Workout On An Empty Stomach?

empty stomachUp until a few years back, it was considered a very risky practice to eat before swimming. Fortunately, this theory has been proven wrong. For any activity, be it swimming, cycling, running/jogging or strength training, on an empty stomach the fat does burn at a faster rate but the energy reserves will only last for a short span of time. Lesser energy = less intense training. Hence, the workout will also last for a short period and there might also be a greater risk of strains and other injuries due to exercise related fatigue. Working out on an empty stomach also increases the chances of overeating post workout, thus, all the benefits of the workout will be lost.

Why You Shouldn’t Workout On An Empty Stomach 

The main reason for having something before a workout is to make sure there is constant energy from the start to the end of the workout. The body does not need a large meal, it can even be a small carb rich snack to kick start the metabolism.

Carbs are easily digestible and quickly provide energy. Proteins and Fats also provide energy, but not as quickly and as much as carbs. Hence, the best thing to have is a carb source. If it’s a large meal, it has to be taken 2-4 hours prior to the workout. If it’s a small snack, it can be taken 15-30 mins before the activity.

Some examples of a small pre-workout snacks are:

  • Banana or any other fruit
  • 2 dates along with some nuts
  • Fresh fruit juice
  • Vegetable salad (small bowl of non-gaseous veggies)
  • 2 Slices of bread with peanut butter

Post workout, muscles are tired and fatigued and need some proteins as well as some carbs. Here, proteins will help in repairing the worn and torn tissues and strengthening muscles, whereas carbs will help replenish the energy reserves. One can choose to have a meal if it’s meal time or opt for some snacks post workout. But, we should always make sure there is at least one source of protein in the meal. 

Some examples of post workout snack include:

  • A glass of skimmed milk
  • Boiled egg whites
  • Boiled grams/Chana chaat/ Chole/Rajma
  • Sprouts
  • Oatmeal
  • Sattu drink
  • Besan cheela
  • Boiled/Grilled chicken or Fish
  • Yogurt (sugar and fat free) with choice of fruits and nuts

In conclusion, intake of food before and after workout is favourable to maintain better health and fitness. However, there are no specific rules for sports nutrition. If your goal is extensive weight loss and working out on an empty stomach works for you, then do what’s best and listen to your body. Also, make sure that you’re hydrated.

For proper guidance on nutrition and fitness, subscribe for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. To read more on workouts and fitness, click here. 

If this article helped you, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce 

By 1 Comment

Lose Body Fat by Changing What You Eat

lose body fat

There are many of us who lead demanding and hectic lifestyles which are marred with extensive working hours, early mornings and late nights. In fact, late-night shifts affect our eating patterns a lot!

Due to erratic working patterns, processed foods, instant food items and junk food are in trend as they are easy to carry and can be ordered or eaten anywhere! People don’t carry home food as much and always eat food at work in a hurry, knowing that they are gulping their food without chewing.

If we pay a little attention to what we are eating and how we are eating it, it makes a big difference. The statement, “Lose body fat by changing what you eat” holds true in this context.

Can You Lose Body Fat with Food?

First of all, you have to see the natural foods around you which have the capability to help you lose body fat. Try including some of the following option in your daily meals.

  1. Whole Grains: contain a good amount of fiber and as they are complex in nature, they release carbohydrates slowly in the body. They need energy from the body to breakdown and in turn, help you lose fat. So, include brown rice, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, Ragi, Jowar, and Bajra over refined flour like maida, suji and white rice.
  2. Pulses & Legumes: are an excellent source of fiber and vegetable protein. Protein gives you a feeling of satiety which stops you from overeating and decreases your total calorie intake resulting in fat loss. Choose whole pulses like white & black chana, cow pea, kidney bean, sprouts and have them in at least two meals.
  3. Vegetables & Fruits: are excellent sources of fiber and are low in calories. They require a lot of energy to breakdown and some fibers don’t digest in human bodies. They need to be excreted and absorb fat from the body while doing so, thereby reducing fat and cutting down total calorie intake. Have at least 2-3 servings of fruits & vegetables. Their way of cooking can be changed like sautéing, steaming, baking, shallow frying, or roasting instead of deep-frying.
  4. Healthy Fats: can be obtained through nuts, fish & seeds to improve omega 3 fatty acid which is anti-inflammatory and helps in controlling visceral fat accumulation. Cut down your intake of all types of visible fats such as butter, ghee, oils and avoid refined oils. Instead, use soybean oil, sesame oil, mustard & groundnut oil.
  5. Water: increases the metabolism of the body by flushing out toxins and cleansing the liver. The best part? It has zero calories. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water a day.
  6. Tea: Replacing your tea with green, turmeric or lemon tea and avoiding or minimizing visible intake of sugar [1tsp of sugar (5gm) = 20 calories] helps you lose weight.

Meal timings are also crucial in shedding extra fat. This is because the metabolism of the body slows down as the day progresses. That’s why late-night eaters are prone to weight gain. Low calorie and nutrient-dense food can be chosen by late eaters.

Chewing your food properly also increases the rate of absorption of nutrients and avoids extra accumulation of fat. Practicing mindful eating i.e. eating by paying attention and noticing each sip or bite, tasting your food, teaches you to control your hunger and actually helps in weight loss.

We hope these tips help you lose body fat. For more on how adjusting food habits can help you lose weight, ask a GOQii Coach for guidance by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#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 […]