GOQii

Blog

  • HOME
  • HEALTHY LIVING
  • FITNESS
  • HEALTHY RECIPES
  • USER STORIES
  • KARMA
  • BUY GOQii

January 16, 2018 By Nida Kazi 9 Comments

To be Healthy – do you have to go on a diet?

health-conscious

Most of who are on the higher side of an “acceptable weight spectrum” and trying to lose weight, and you declare your intentions to the world, then you have to be prepared to battle questions such as “Oh, you must be on a diet” since you have decided to lose weight. Day in and day out you will be asked this question and you will just not be able to wriggle out of the situation.

As days pass it only gets annoying when people can’t stop staring at your food plate, followed by the responses such as do you only eat salads, do you live off of them? How do you survive? Or are you allowed to eat rice or roti? leave alone desserts.

Does being health conscious mean that you have to be on a diet 24×7 365 days a year?

No, is the answer to the above question but sadly, the perception at large is that to be health conscious one has to go on a diet.

Let us first clearly understand what is diet?

The textbook definition of Diet is that ‘it is a sum of food consumed by a person or organism’. Going by that, diet is anything and everything one eats. So there you go, every single person and every organism on earth are on a diet every single day.

Although today, the word diet implies intake of specific nutrients for health or weight management.

Now the third definition which most people think of when you talk about “Diet” is that you have to eat as little as possible, you have to eat everything raw and the food has to be bland and tasteless.

Does it mean that we have to go on restrictive diets to be health conscious? What is being healthy? Does it mean hitting a particular digit on a weighing scale? Does it mean you have to shrink down to size 0?

What if you have those 8 pack abs and look as if you just walked out of the magazine cover, but have very bad sleep cycles and blood cholesterol shooting right through the roof? Does that term you as being healthy?

According to the WHO, health is, “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Our definition of health is not even close to the real meaning. In the clamour of following fads and trying to fit into the picture perfect images created by media and peers, we let go of other aspects that make us healthy. In order to look a particular way, we let our mental and social well-being take a back seat.

Yes, it is important to eat the right food but, do we really have to be so rigid about it?

The most important thing to keep in mind is doing everything in moderation, eat fruits and salads daily but, don’t skip the roti altogether. Go for that piece of cake every once in a way, just don’t overdo it.

The most neglected aspect of being healthy is being mindful. Be present in the moment, especially while you eat. Do not be all over the place, or engrossed in your phone as you shove down the food.

One thumb rule to follow would be to ‘chew your water and drink your food’. Yes, that’s right!! Chew each morsel so well that it is literally liquid before you gulp it down. And when you drink a beverage, take a sip, swivel the liquid in your mouth. Let all your sensory ends of your tongue get activated and experience the flavour of the beverage before it goes down your throat. Believe me, your gut will thank you for it.

Your body already knows what it needs and how much but you need to tune in and give it time to do its job. When you eat with full attention and take your time, the gut sends a signal to your brain when you’ve had enough. This helps you cut down your food intake and yet make you feel more satiated than ever.

Remember it’s not what you eat but how you eat it is what’s more important.

Be active. Do what you most enjoy doing. Go for a run if you like, or just stroll around with a pet. Swim if you have to. Post your exercise you should feel good about yourself, not want to hit the sack and stay there all day.

And most of all do not forget to pay attention to your mind. A sound mind resides in a sound body. But, if you let go of your mind no matter what you do for your body it won’t work quite well enough.

Practising some deep breathing and meditating for a few minutes a day works magically for your mental well-being. If you are not a fan of meditation, then listen to some music to uplift your mood or How about going for a deep tissue massage? All these remedies will help you to calm down your mind and de-stress.

Do not fear to socialise with friends just because you are on a diet. Mingling with like-minded people makes you feel happy and boost your morale. There is no better therapy than sharing a laugh with some good friends.

So, my take on being health conscious is that you should be able to enjoy life to the fullest while feeling good about yourself. Eat healthy unprocessed foods in most of your meals on most days of the week, but don’t shy away from letting go once in a while. And, take care of your mental health along with your physical need.

So what is your take on being health-conscious?

Search

Recent Posts

  • Quick Indoor Workout To Keep You Active!
  • Rice and Pasta Substitutes For A Healthier You!
  • Light and White Skin Patches? All You Need to Know About Vitiligo!
  • Healthy Eating: Oats Sprouts and Vegetable Uttapam
  • How Sitting For Long Hours Can Shorten Your Life

Stay Updated

Archives

  • June 2022 (27)
  • May 2022 (31)
  • April 2022 (30)
  • March 2022 (31)
  • February 2022 (28)
  • January 2022 (31)
  • December 2021 (31)
  • November 2021 (29)
  • October 2021 (29)
  • September 2021 (24)
  • August 2021 (28)
  • July 2021 (24)
  • June 2021 (26)
  • May 2021 (18)
  • April 2021 (21)
  • March 2021 (23)
  • February 2021 (18)
  • January 2021 (13)
  • December 2020 (11)
  • November 2020 (7)
  • October 2020 (13)
  • September 2020 (12)
  • August 2020 (13)
  • July 2020 (11)
  • June 2020 (11)
  • May 2020 (13)
  • April 2020 (16)
  • March 2020 (15)
  • February 2020 (9)
  • January 2020 (8)
  • December 2019 (9)
  • November 2019 (12)
  • October 2019 (13)
  • September 2019 (10)
  • August 2019 (13)
  • July 2019 (17)
  • June 2019 (14)
  • May 2019 (15)
  • April 2019 (17)
  • March 2019 (17)
  • February 2019 (20)
  • January 2019 (22)
  • December 2018 (13)
  • November 2018 (10)
  • October 2018 (12)
  • September 2018 (13)
  • August 2018 (23)
  • July 2018 (15)
  • June 2018 (23)
  • May 2018 (16)
  • April 2018 (24)
  • March 2018 (18)
  • February 2018 (14)
  • January 2018 (20)
  • December 2017 (14)
  • November 2017 (28)
  • October 2017 (21)
  • September 2017 (22)
  • August 2017 (9)
  • July 2017 (11)
  • June 2017 (13)
  • May 2017 (14)
  • April 2017 (9)
  • March 2017 (6)
  • February 2017 (7)
  • January 2017 (11)
  • December 2016 (10)
  • November 2016 (8)
  • October 2016 (9)
  • September 2016 (7)
  • August 2016 (12)
  • July 2016 (11)
  • June 2016 (10)
  • May 2016 (12)
  • April 2016 (17)
  • March 2016 (18)
  • February 2016 (8)
  • January 2016 (7)
  • December 2015 (5)
  • November 2015 (10)
  • October 2015 (8)
  • September 2015 (10)
  • August 2015 (14)
  • July 2015 (11)
  • June 2015 (14)
  • May 2015 (9)
  • April 2015 (13)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (6)
  • January 2015 (12)
  • December 2014 (14)
  • November 2014 (11)
  • October 2014 (6)
  • September 2014 (14)
  • August 2014 (14)
  • July 2014 (7)
  • June 2014 (3)
  • May 2014 (8)
  • April 2014 (5)
Devesh Srivastava

Devesh Srivastava Lowers His HbA1c from 6.7 to 5.8 With GOQii

Have you ever suffered from a cold or fever and thought to yourself that you can manage this? In fact, there’s a good chance that with some medication and rest, the symptoms of a cold or fever have subsided. But, when you deal with issues such as Diabetes and … [Read More...]

Achal Agarwal

Achal Agarwal Loses 37kg, Reverses Lifestyle Diseases & Gets Healthier With GOQii

When we think of weight loss, the first thing that comes to mind is to eat less and exercise. Theoretically, this is the right way to go about it. But, this is not as easy as it sounds. It requires a great level of determination and willpower. However, once the decision to succeed is made, […]

Ruta Pandya

How Ruta Pandya Managed Ulcerous Colitis & Arthritis With Lifestyle Changes

We’ve always spoken about how you can manage lifestyle diseases with minor tweaks to your habits. But sometimes, it isn’t enough. Especially when one condition leads to another. Our player Ruta Pandya suffered from a condition called Ulcerous Colitis and a series of other medical issues which she battled for years. After fighting an uphill […]

Suneeta Mane

Suneeta Mane Goes From Stagnant To Unstoppable!

Health conditions arising out of lifestyle or hormonal imbalances can seem like a death sentence. These health conditions not only affect your wellbeing but also your mental health and it can seem like a bottomless hole you can’t crawl out of. But that’s not true. If you are determined, you can not only crawl out […]

  • HOME
  • HEALTHY LIVING
  • FITNESS
  • HEALTHY RECIPES
  • USER STORIES
  • KARMA
  • BUY GOQii

Copyright ©2016 GOQii