health tips Archives - Page 20 of 24

October 26, 2021 By Neha Morche 2 Comments

These Harmful Ingredients in Aerated Drinks Can Destroy Your System!

I was with friends recently and during our conversation I realized that my friends had erratic eating habits and moreover, they were all addicted to aerated drinks or what is commonly called as ‘Soft Drinks’. While they were not bothered about what an aerated drink could possibly do to their health, most of them were under the impression that it’s good for health or rather nothing can happen if they consumed aerated drinks. When I realised this, I told them how soft drinks aren’t good for health. And that was it… in the next few minutes I was flooded with questions like why one should not have aerated drinks? What does it contain?

I explained to them that soft drinks are carbonated drinks made of water, sugar or artificial sweeteners, flavors etc. Technically, carbon dioxide is dissolved into water at low temperatures under high pressures and carbonation machines are used to make it fizzy. Also, phosphoric acid, lead acetate, methyl benzene, potassium solvent, sodium benzoate are all present and if you read the label on the bottles you will find all these names.

Reasons Why Aerated Drinks Are Bad For You

Phosphoric acid present in aerated drinks damage bones and the enamel of teeth
Lead acetate damages kidneys and nerves
They contains aspartame (an artificial low-calorie sweetener) that makes you feel hungry and crave food. That may lead to loads of calories and ultimately unhealthy weight gain
Some people who are addicted to soft drinks are deprived of nutrients and that could lead to malnutrition
Aerated drinks have zero nutrients so no nutritive value
They dehydrates the body
According to research, an aerated drink has Ph of 3.4 (that’s acidic) but is acceptable to human system as its below Ph 7. Albeit, it can create hyper-acidity
If consumed along with meals, the nutrients in the food will not be absorbed.

If you are addicted to aerated drinks, you need to know that they have an effect on oral hygiene. If you need to have a soft drink then use a straw to reduce direct contact with teeth. Secondly, rinse your mouth with water after consuming a soft drink.

Are “Diet” Drinks Better Than The Normal Ones?

There is nothing good about aerated drinks and particularly “Diet” drinks which are misrepresented to be a healthier option. The only difference between a diet drink and a normal one is that to make it sweet they don’t add sugar but use artificial sweeteners. They’re both still carbonated and still dehydrate the body. To add to it, artificial sweeteners are chemicals which may have harmful consequences if consumed in excess.

Instead of going for aerated drinks, you can try healthy options such as a coconut water, lime water, buttermilk or fresh fruit juices. We hope this article helps you make an informed decision and choose the right option the next time you’re tempted to grab a can or a bottle of your favorite soft drink.

It’s time to #LevelUp your health! What do you think will be a good alternative for you instead of a soft drink? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! Want to know more interesting facts? Ask your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more articles to help you live healthy, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

October 15, 2021 By Navnee Garg 5 Comments

Washing Hands Can Save Your Life and Here’s How!

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, WHO deemed washing hands as one of the standard precautionary steps! While we are still quite far away from the pandemic ending, have you ever wondered how washing hands can help curb the spread of the virus or any infection?

Fact: Washing hands can prevent about 30% of diarrhoea-related sicknesses and about 20% of respiratory infections?

So how does this work? How does something so simple help save so many lives?

The Science Behind Washing Hands

Washing hands definitely plays a key role in the battle against COVID-19. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean water. If one does not wash hands properly, the germs get onto hands and may spread while shaking hands, touching other objects, sneezing and coughing. Washing your hands properly reduces these risks and stops viruses such as the coronavirus from spreading.

According to Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Washing Hands prevents from infection because:

People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it. Germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth.
Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks while people prepare or consume them. Germs can multiply in some types of foods or drinks, under certain conditions, and make people sick.
Germs from unwashed hands can be transferred to other objects like handrails, table tops, or toys, and then transferred to another person’s hands.

How to Wash Your Hands?

Washing hands is a day to day task, but if done with ideal steps, it can surely make a positive difference. CDC (Centre for Disease Control), an international organisation, recommends cleaning hands in a specific way to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.

Follow these steps:

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

WHO recommends that “If your hands are not visibly dirty, frequently clean them by using alcohol- based hand rub or soap and water.” CDC recommends washing hands with water and soap but in case water and soap is not available, only then a hand sanitizer with at least 70% alcohol can be preferred to wash/clean hands.

This is because:

Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes but they DO NOT ELIMINATE all types of germs.
Hand sanitizers are not recommended when you get your hands greasy or visibly dirty.
Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals, like pesticides and heavy metals, from hands.

Click here for the right way to use a hand sanitizer: https://goqii.com/blog/the-correct-way-to-use-hand-sanitizer-to-kill-99-9-germs/

When Do You Wash Your Hands?

According to WHO, Wash your hands:

After coughing or sneezing
When taking care of a person who is ill
Before, during and after preparing food
Before entering your home
Before eating your meals
After using the toilet
When hands are visibly dirty
After handling animals or animal waste
Before and after using gloves

Washing your hands is an easy, cheap, and effective way to prevent the spread of germs and keep kids and adults safe from the virus and various diseases. Let’s spread awareness among our kids by demonstrating the correct technique of washing hands, by making this a regular part of their routine with their eating habits, giving frequent reminders to each other and carrying sanitizers in the community areas.

For more information and safety tips, connect with a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Let’s end this pandemic together and #BeTheForce

August 30, 2021 By Swati Savla 1 Comment

Easy Home Workouts To Keep You Active!

While India is slowly unlocking from a close to 4 months of lockdown, it brings with it a little scare and susceptibility to contract the virus. In my case, I’ve made a point to stay physically active within the 4 walls of my apartment. Initially, it was difficult to balance it along with household chores but gradually, the importance of exercise to keep this COVID anxiety and depression at bay, dawned on me. I’ve managed to chalk out some easy home workouts to ensure that getting fit never gets boring.

Easy Home Workouts To Get Active Indoors

Virtual Workouts: We’re social animals and right about now, that’s what we miss the most. Here, you can kill two birds with one stone. Create virtual workout groups with friends or distant family members via Zoom or Meet. It will not only help you connect with your family and friends but will also keep you fit and active.
Dance Fitness: You don’t have to be a great dancer or know all the moves. All you need is music and your feet! Along with family members, this dance party can keep you healthy! It’s an excellent workout which helps burn extra calories.
Barre: This form is quite a different routine from the regular bodyweight exercises. It’s a form of workout inspired by movements from Ballet. Don’t worry, you don’t need Ballet classes to attempt Barre. You can do this at home without any special equipment. A simple dining chair for support and water bottles for weights will suffice. It’s a great blend of cardio, strength training, flexibility, balance and core conditioning.
Stair Circuit: In my society, as people were barred from going out, our staircase was unused for days. So I took it up as my next workout. As the name suggests, walking up and down the stairs as a warm up, followed by a circuit routine of stair pushups, squats to step, steps up, tricep dips with variations in each for the next set.

I hope these easy home workouts help you add some flavor to your routine. Before you begin, ensure that you’re doing some of these easy home workouts with the correct form and posture. If you’re stuck, you can tune in to GOQii Play and look for sessions on Dance Fitness, Barre Workouts and Stair Workouts as well as join LIVE classes by experts on GOQii Pro within the GOQii App! To read more on fitness, lifestyle and nutrition, you can check out Healthy Reads.

You can also check with your GOQii Coach for more variations on home workouts by subscribing to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

How are you keeping fit at home? Let us know in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

August 4, 2021 By Dr. Viral Thakkar Leave a Comment

9 Steps For Building and Mainting Immunity

In the wake of the ongoing pandemic, maintaining one’s immunity has become a must. However, even if not for any random virus flying off, one’s immunity is the biggest strength against any onslaught of a virus and bacteria. Taking care of one’s self is a lifestyle. It must be down as a means to protect one’s body. I’m writing this article touching on a few aspects of maintaining one’s immunity. Since these worked for me, I believe it might work for you all as well. Being healthy has to be imbibed in one’s lifestyle just so no virus or bacteria can affect you.

How Do You Build Immunity?

If only maintaining immunity was as easy as popping a pill, life would have been a bed of roses. But it’s not! You have to work for it to earn it. One’s immunity depends on the way one is born, to one’s genes! But, we are talking about factors which are in one’s hands. The thumb rule is to listen to your body, it never lies. And, most of what your grandmother said was right in terms of health… keeping all that aside, here are a few quick tips to build up your immunity.

No Stress & Yes to Happiness: Stress can wreck any organ in your body. Let go and be happy. Remember, if you are stressed over Corona, you are at risk. A happy and positive person is less likely to fall sick usually.
Maintain Personal Hygiene: Wash your hands with soap before and after eating, bathe, wear breathable clothing and follow all the instructions in basic science textbooks of a 2-3 class child. It will help to prevent a lot of infections!
Seasonal Vegetables and Fruits: Every area is known for its own vegetables and fruits as per the season. For instance, the Saag in North India is awesome during winters. It’s a must have. And yet you get it during summers in some regions. That’s a big no! Watermelon is a fruit of the summer. It is best to have it at that time.
Home cooked food is the best because there is no adulteration. It should be cooked by a healthy person who has no infectious disease, be it your maid, or a house member. I strongly believe that basic hygiene like washing hands before touching food, washing the vegetables before cutting, etc. must be followed. In fact, these are taught in our curriculum in primary sections!
Back to Basics: Consume natural food, have good nutrition and avoid unnecessary medication. By natural food I mean raw vegetables and fruits. Refer to your doctor/nutritionist for your diet plan if you are unable to do so.
Daadi maa ke nuskhe (Grandmother’s Secret Recipes) might just work better than medications for basic ailments like cough and cold. See what works best for your body. As a child, I remember my mother giving me ginger juice mixed with honey every day in the morning during winters. I hardly had a runny nose during childhood. When I grew up, teenage took over and the orthodox medicine said that medicine is the best cure, but it didn’t work for me. Even at this age, ginger juice and honey is my prevention from cough and cold and I’ve no idea why it works for me! Try and find what your remedy is!
With respect to air borne infections, we need to protect our body, especially the orifices from where we breathe. So for the nose, take very little cow ghee/castor oil/any kachhi ghanni (cold pressed) oil and rub it inside your nostrils. The thick ghee captures the dirt and germs in the nostrils itself. For your skin, apply virgin pressed coconut oil.
Sun is a Friend: Basking in the morning sun is good. Don’t overdo it but remember that the sun is the best and the strongest natural disinfectant. So if you do not have a medical condition, and if the doctor has not advised otherwise, make the sun your friend. I do not deny the ugliness of buildings since people dry their clothes outside, but remember one’s clothes are best disinfected in the sun.
Exercise: Are you a yoga person, jogger, swimmer or gymmer? See what suits your body and get into shape. Pranayam though must be followed by all.

We hope this helps you build and maintain your immunity against the coronavirus. For more articles on immunity, nutrition and the coronavirus, check out Healthy Reads. To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, sign up for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Stay safe, stay healthy and #BeTheForce