health benefits Archives

September 17, 2022 By Sunita Arora 5 Comments

The Magic of Indian Masala Chai

The word Chai actually means tea in English and Russian. In India, it is also known as Masala Chai. More appropriately, it means spice blend. Tea has become a daily part of Indian life. It is now a key element of our culture which has spread throughout the world. Masala Chai is an everyday drink in most parts of India. It is common for Indians to delight themselves with 2 cups of it per day.

In almost every street corner and even office spaces, you will find a Chai Wallah (tea vendors) who prepares this traditional beverage. They prepare this rich Masala Chai over an open fire in small stands and stalls and serve it in clay tea cups called Kullarhs.

Well, you can prepare it yourself! This may be the right tea for you, to give you the strength and energy during the day and to take you on an amazing ride through the world of Indian tea. Let’s prepare it together! Have a look at our Masala Chai benefits, recipe and get your ingredients ready.

Some amazing Benefits of the Indian Masala Chai

Improves Digestion: The spices used in Masala Chai help in regulating the digestive system. It also helps in keeping your gut healthy. A spice like Ginger aids digestion by improving circulation and delivering oxygen to organs so they can perform optimally.
Supports the Immune System: It is known to strengthen the immune system and keeps common infection at bay. It helps provide relief when infected with common cold and cough.
Improves Heart Health: Cinnamon, one of the main ingredients in Masala Chai, helps lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure. Drinking Masala Chai can prevent cardiovascular disease when consumed regularly over long periods of time.
Relieves Aches and Pains: The spices found in Masala Chai can alleviate common aches and pains. These health benefits derive from the anti-inflammatory properties of many of the ingredients in it, specifically ginger and clove.
Reduces Nausea: Spices like Ginger and Cardamom are well known for their ability to reduce nausea and seasickness. Masala Chai soothes an upset stomach and alleviates stomach pain associated with nausea.
Boosts Energy: It is a wonderful experience having a hot cup of ‘Masala Chai’ after a hard day’s work. Caffeine is a natural stimulant in Masala Chai which boosts energy and gives you the kick which you need to start your day.
Boosts Metabolism: Tea is known as a heat generating food in Ayurveda. It helps speed up metabolism. Ingredients like ginger, clove, black pepper and cardamom helpincreaset loss and increases the metabolism of the body in a short period.
Contributes to Reduce Sugar Levels: Ingredients used in Masala Chai such as clove, cinnamon, and cardamom helps in preventing diabetes by increasing the insulin sensitivity of the body and lowering one’s blood sugar levels.
Relieves PMS: It can be your best friend to fight the symptoms of PMS the natural way. Ingredients like ginger, clove, and cardamom work as natural painkillers when you are experiencing period pains. It calms your nerves, keeps you in a good mood and relaxes your muscles.

Authentic Masala Chai Recipe (Serves 2 cups)

Ingredients

Water: 1 cup
Milk: 1 cup (organic whole milk, almond milk, oat milk)
Black tea/ loose leaf: 1 ½ teaspoon
Jaggery Powder: 2-3 teaspoons (more or less) or maple syrup, honey, brown sugar
Clove: 2-3
Cardamom: 2
Cinnamon: ½ stick
Peppercorns: 3-4 (optional)
Ginger: 2 slices or crushed
Star Anise: 1 (optional)

How to prepare

Lightly crush cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, star anise, and peppercorn and add in boiling water
Add black tea/leaf and boil it for 2-3 minutes
Add sugar and milk
Bring it to simmer twice or more
Turn off the heat and strain it into your favorite mug
Your Masala Chai is ready!

A common myth is that green tea has more health benefit than black tea. This is simply not true. It is because all tea (Black, Green, and White) comes from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, they offer the same benefits. The spices which we have used in our Masala Chai are well known in Ayurveda for many health benefits.

Ginger is anti-inflammatory and improves digestion, prevents and manages stomach ulcers, protects against symptoms of cold and flu, and stimulates blood circulation. It also reduces blood cholesterol by improving liver function
Cinnamon has Anti-fungal, Anti-bacterial properties. It helps in lowering LDL cholesterol and has a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes
Cardamom is considered as a kidney cleanser. It is known to enhance appetite, improve digestion and provide relief from acidity in the stomach. It is also considered beneficial to the urinary tract system
Cloves are well-known for its anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and antiseptic properties. They’re also known to heal ailments of the digestive system and promote good digestion as well as metabolism
Black Pepper is a powerful anti-oxidant. It improves digestion and promotes intestinal health. It is an effective remedy for respiratory conditions including colds, coughs, and flu
Star Anise aids digestion, alleviates cramps and reduces nausea. It also helps in preventing constipation, supports good sleep, promotes bone and skin health.

So, add the ingredients mentioned above in your regular tea to make it a complete Indian Masala chai. Do share your experience in the comments below!

For more on tea, check out Healthy Reads. You can get more valuable insights on the food you consume directly from your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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September 6, 2022 By Soni Thakur 7 Comments

Why You Should Eat Your Fruits and Juice Your Veggies!

How many times have you drank fruit juices? How often do you eat your vegetables? Although we agree that doing both is quite healthy as fruits and vegetables are naturally good and contain all the vitamins and minerals needed by the body, we also need to consider that we might be doing it wrong! Why do you ask? Let’s find out why you should eat your fruits and juice your veggies!

Benefits of Eating Fruits Instead of Juicing Them

No doubt that juices nourish your body with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. In its liquid form, all the nutrients of whole fruit will be readily available for your body to absorb, however, juicing removes some of the important nutrients which can be rescued by eating the whole fruit.

Eating whole fruits provides your body with fiber that gets eliminated during the juicing process.
A whole fruit protects you from the sensitivities that can be caused due to the heat generated by the juicer, ultimately decreasing the nutritional value of the fruit.
Your blood sugar will not spike. Whole fruits are recommended for people with Diabetes
Fibers present in whole fruits keep you full for longer and provides some relief from constipation
As a snack, whole fruits relieve hunger pangs and the digestion process takes some time when compared to gulping down a juice in one go. Eventually, it helps in mindful eating and keeps us fuller for longer.

Benefits of Juicing Vegetables

Eating vegetables is good for your health. However, there are certain benefits of juicing them that you can incorporate in your daily diet for maximum health benefits.

Juicing vegetables makes you incorporate more than one vegetable at a time.
Juicing a large volume of vegetables will provide more vitamins than eating a green salad with just one or few veggies.
Juices of some variety of vegetables are found to be more effective in lowering blood pressure and relaxing the muscles which line blood vessels.
Vegetable juices may increase the speed of detoxifying your body as it is readily absorbed and digested.
The water content and vitamins of some vegetables are lost during the cooking process. So juicing your vegetables can help in retaining these vitamins.

Points to Remember

Our digestive system is designed to handle fiber and extract nutrients from a variety of foods, including whole fruits and vegetables.
Modifications can be done anytime depending on your need, situation and availability.
We need at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit each day
Vegetables and fruits of similar color generally contain similar protective compounds. In order to gain more benefits, it is best to choose fruits and vegetables of different color and variety.

We hope this article helps you make a healthy shift. Remember that there is no hard and fast rule to this. Do what works best for you but before following this, do consult your dietician or nutritionist.

For more on nutrition, fruits and veggies, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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May 19, 2022 By Mubasheera Chaiwala Leave a Comment

Pranayama To Detoxify The Body, Mind And Vital Organs

Pranayama is the yogic practice of breath control. It means the ability to expand our health by controlling the breath. There are various ways and positions to practice yogic breathing.

The combination of pranayama and meditation has positive effects in curing various problems like acidity, stress, anxiety, skin diseases, improved blood circulation, and managing lifestyle disorders such as thyroid, PCOS, controlling blood sugar and blood pressure.

We breathe daily, right? So what is pranayama? Why Pranayama?

Pranayama is slow, deep breathing, in a rhythm. The breathing that we do normally is not in rhythm and is non-harmonic. It is in pranayama that gets our mind and organs in sync. There are various pranayama practices which you can do daily.

1. Kapalbhati Pranayama
This is a famous pranayama practice also known as The Skull Shining Breathing Technique. Kapalbhati has physiological effects on cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems.

Benefits of Kapalbhati Pranayama:

It Generates heat in the system to help dissolve toxins and waste matter.
Daily practice helps in adding luster to your face and you get glowing skin
Improves digestion and can help alleviate gastrointestinal problems like acidity, indigestion and flatulence.
Improves the function of kidneys and liver as it provides a gentle massage to the organs.
If practiced daily helps in reducing belly fat.
Kapalbhati helps reduce stress in the eyes, thus reduces dark circles around the eyes.
It triggers your abdominal region, so it’s beneficial for diabetic patients.
It improves the blood circulation problem in whole body parts.

2. Anulom Vilom
Also known as Alternate nostril breathing, it has various benefits for the body internally and externally. Oxygen is pure and required by the body for every single process to take place and therefore, it is vital for us to breath right and Anulom Vilom serves the purpose. It is the best way of balancing the Tri Dosas (Tri means “three” and the meaning of dosas is impurities) in our body i.e. Vaat, Pitta and Kaffa. All three are the cause of all diseases. So, it is important to balance them. Our body gets ill when Tri Dosas are not in harmony.

Benefits of Anulom vilom Pranayama

It can provide some relief from mental health problems like Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Tension, etc.
Improves the working of the lungs, beneficial for most respiratory problems like (Bronchitis, Asthma), etc.
Best breathing technique for boosting your memory – makes your brain sharper, increases concentration and gathers focus.
Improves your immune system, so it can cure general issues like cough & cold.
Alternate nostril breathing is an ideal breathing technique for maintaining your heart healthy.

3. Sheetali Pranayama
The meaning of the word “Sheetali” is cooling down. This pranayama practice is a process to cool your body down. It gives the feeling of coldness by decreasing the body temperature, thereby having a positive impact on our nervous system and endocrine glands. Extremely helpful during the summer season.

Benefits of Sheetali Pranayama

It is useful in managing disorders related to tongue, mouth and throat.
It is very beneficial in treating diseases of the spleen.
Helpful in fever by cooling the system down.
Controls and manages high blood pressure.
It purifies the blood.
Improves sleep quality and is best for fighting Insomnia.
It calms the mind, as it is an effective stress buster. Once our mind is calm, we can easily deal with negative emotions like anger and anxiety.
Effective in hyperacidity. Excellent for people who have GERD and face issues with acidity and indigestion.

There is another breathing practice similar to Sheetali, known as Sheetkari pranayama.

Both are similar, the only difference is the way of breathing. In Sheetali, we breathe in by folding the tongue and breathe out from the nose. In Sheetkari, we inhale through the teeth and exhale from the nose.

Benefits of Sheetkari Pranayama

Effective against dental problems like bad breath, bleeding gums and pyorrhea.
Balances body temperature.
Calms the mind, reduces emotional excitation and mental tension.
Can help you manage depression, anxiety and panic attacks.

As a yoga instructor, I get these questions a lot of time: What is the best time to do pranayama? Generally, morning is the best time for a breathing exercise as it helps us activate our organs. Plus, on an empty stomach, we achieve optimum benefits. To know why morning yoga is beneficial, you can have a look at my previous article: https://goqii.com/blog/benefits-of-practicing-morning-yoga-at-home.

We hope this article helps you! For more on yoga, check out Healthy Reads. You can also get tips and learn more about yoga and pranayama from experts by subscribing for GOQii’s personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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February 10, 2022 By Soni Thakur 9 Comments

7 Reasons Why Pulses Are Good For You!

Pulses have always been an important part of the Indian diet, preferred for their nutritional content of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. There are hundreds of variety of pulses grown, some of the popular ones are – Lentils, Dry Beans, Cowpeas, Chickpea, Tur Dal, Black beans, kidney beans, etc. Moreover, they are very economical and easily available throughout the world.

If Pulse was an abbreviation, it would surely mean:

P – Protein Rich

U – Universally Distributed

L – Low Cost

S – Source of dietary fiber

E – Easily Available

Pulses are often considered to be a poor man’s food because of their low cost and availability and are often neglected for more expensive alternates. While there is nothing wrong with exploring options, why should one ignore such a versatile and rich source of plant protein?

Reasons to Include Pulses in Your Diet

Pulses are good for all age groups irrespective of whether it is fed to babies, a preschooler, an adolescent, an adult or the elderly! Pulses are good for everyone. In adolescents, it helps promote growth and development. In the elderly, it helps in maintaining and replacing the wear and tear of tissues.
They are widely distributed, affordable and reachable for all income groups. Pulses are heart healthy and a good source of vegetarian protein.
They are low in saturated and trans fat, in essence, they help in lowering blood cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and maintain a healthy weight.
Pulses have shown potential in helping to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as Diabetes, Cancer and Heart diseases.
They are dried seeds that can be easily stored for a long time with proper care. Hence, reducing food wastage and loss.
Red kidney beans are high in antioxidants and fight inflammation and boost metabolism.
When Cereals are taken with Pulses, it improves the protein quality due to mutual supplementation. Cereals are high in Cysteine and methionine and pulses are high in lysine.

These reasons are good enough for you to rush to your grocer and pack your kitchen with a variety of pulses!

We hope this article helps you! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on nutrition, explore Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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