healthcare Archives

December 3, 2021 By Urvi Gohil 4 Comments

5 Simple Lifestyle Changes To Manage Hypertension

By now, anyone who is conscious about their health is aware of hypertension. In case you don’t know, Hypertension is basically another name for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force that blood exerts against the walls of the blood vessels. The force depends on the resistance of the blood vessels and how hard the heart has to work. Hypertension is the primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attack, heart failure and aneurysm.

An optimal blood pressure level is a reading under 120/80mmHg while a reading over 140/90mmHg is generally considered to be high. It is extremely important to keep blood pressure under control. Lifestyle management is standard and first-line treatment for hypertension.

5 Lifestyle Changes to Manage Hypertension

Kick the Bottle. Stub the Butt: Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than 3 drinks in one sitting temporarily increases your blood pressure. Repeating it on a regular basis can lead to long term changes. Heavy drinkers who wish to reduce blood pressure are advised to slowly reduce the alcohol intake over 1-2 weeks to avoid risking very high blood pressure. Also, each cigarette you smoke can increase your blood pressure for many minutes after you finish. Stopping this can help you a lot in normalizing your BP. Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of heart disease and improve your overall health as well.
Let Go of Stress: Your body produces a surge of hormones when you are in a stressful situation. These hormones temporarily increase your blood pressure by causing your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow. But when your stress goes away your blood pressure returns to normal. However, frequent, temporary spikes in blood pressure can damage your blood vessels, heart and kidney in a way similar to long term high blood pressure. Exercising 3-5 times a week for 30mins can reduce stress, try yoga and meditation, get plenty of sleep and stay happy. If you need help with yoga and meditation, tune in to our expert coaches on GOQii Play.
Reduce Sodium Intake: Even a small reduction of sodium in your diet can improve your heart health and reduce blood pressure by 5-6mmHg if you have high blood pressure. In general, limit your sodium intake to 2300mg a day or less. However, a lower sodium intake of 1500 mg a day is ideal for most adults. 1500mg = less than 1 teaspoon of salt per day. To reduce sodium in your diet, read food labels, choose foods with less sodium, avoid processed and packaged foods like noodles, soups, chips, biscuits, etc. Use herbs and spices to add flavor to your food. Cut back gradually, your palate will adjust over time.
More Fruits & Veggies: Eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy along with avoiding saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by 11 mmHg if you have high blood pressure. This eating plan is known as DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of potassium and it can help lessen the effect of sodium on blood pressure. Try to have fruits and salads on a daily basis. Going for vegetable + fruit smoothies is a smarter approach. Also try to add beetroot in your smoothies, they are known to reduce blood pressure. Individuals with blood sugar issues should consult their doctor before eating beetroot.
Exercise Regularly: Making exercise a habit can help lower your blood pressure. You do not need to go to a gym but just being active enough that you are breathing harder and making your heart beat a little faster which includes brisk walking, jogging, swimming or biking. Go for a moderate activity for at least 30 min a day for 5 days a week. This is a great way to reduce stress and also improve energy levels. Consult your doctor or coach about how and when to start physical activity once high blood pressure is detected.

We hope these lifestyle changes help you manage hypertension and curb high blood pressure! Do share your thoughts in the comments below! For more on living a healthier lifestyle, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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November 12, 2021 By Neha Sharma Leave a Comment

Can You Die From Pneumonia? 6 Serious Complications You Should Know

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs which can be caused by bacteria, fungi or a virus. It can range from mild to life threatening – when you require medical intervention at the earliest. When the air sac of one or both lungs are filled with some fluid or pus, it leads to inflammation which causes chest pain while breathing, cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills and difficulty in breathing. Newborns upto 2 years of age and older people above 65 yrs of age are more prone to pneumonia as their immunity is not strong enough to fight the infection.

Types Of Pneumonia

There are four types of Pneumonia.

CAP (Community Acquired Pneumonia): It is a type of pneumonia that occurs outside the hospital or other healthcare facilities and is caused by bacteria, bacteria like organisms, fungi or a virus like COVID-19 as well.
HAP (Hospital Acquired Pneumonia): This type of pneumonia occurs during a hospital stay and can be serious as the person is already sick.
Health Care Acquired Pneumonia: This type of acquired pneumonia occurs when patients stay for a long term in hospitals or go to outpatient clinics for dialysis or chemotherapy.
Aspiration Pneumonia: This type of pneumonia occurs when you inhale food, liquid, saliva or vomit in your lungs and that causes an infection and it also occurs when there’s a brain injury.

What Are The Complications That Occur?

Even with treatment, some people with Pneumonia, who have other health ailments, suffer complications. Here are some of them:

Bacteremia: When infection is caused by bacteria, it travels down to the bloodstream and can lead to septic shock that lowers the blood pressure and the heart cannot pump blood into the organs and organs may stop working altogether. So, if you are having symptoms like fever with chills, low blood pressure, stomach upset, fast breathing with a fast heart rate, you need to consult a doctor immediately.
Lung Abscesses: Sometimes, due to pneumonia, pus pockets are formed in the lungs and give rise to fever, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite and coughing. This basically happens when a person is having bacteremia, gum disease, weakened immune system and regular intake of alcohol.
Pleural Effusions, Empyema and Pleurisy: There are two types of layers surrounding your lungs called pleura. One from the outer side and one lines the part of your chest where the lungs sit. They help the lungs to move smoothly when one breathes. Sometimes, pain occurs while breathing and this is because the pleura swells and sometimes a fluid forms in between the layers and that is known as PLEURA EFFUSION. And if the fluid gets infected it leads to EMPYEMA.
Respiratory Failure: With pneumonia, your lungs get infected and they will not be able to transfer oxygen to organs and won’t be able to get rid of carbon dioxide from the body which leads to this condition. Symptoms are fast breathing, irregular heart rate, anxiety, fatigue, losing consciousness or bluish tint on your skin, fingertips or nails.
Kidney Failure: It’s not a common complication of pneumonia but when you are having bacteremia or septic shock, your heart may not be able to pump enough blood to your kidneys and they might stop functioning. Chances of kidney failure are high if pneumonia is coupled with other metabolic disorders.
Heart Failure: Chances of heart diseases are higher if you have pneumonia as the heart may not be able to pump enough blood and oxygen as the heart itself doesn’t have enough supply.

All the complications of pneumonia are not to be taken casually. If you experience any of the above symptoms or complications, seek medical help immediately. You can also track symptoms such as low blood oxygen, low blood pressure, increased heart rate and high body temperature with the GOQii Smart Vital. Tracking these symptoms early can help you avoid any unnecessary complications and get medical assistance on time. You can get it here: store.goqii.com/smartvital

We hope this article helps you. For more on Pneumonia and other medical conditions, check out Healthy Reads or ask your GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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October 13, 2021 By Palak Mittal 3 Comments

Fatty Liver Disease: What To Eat & What To Avoid

Our bodies have a tendency to store extra calories in terms of fat in each and every area to utilise it later for energy, or as a cushion for organs and insulation. The liver being the largest organ in the body, is partially made up of fat. However, if too much fat accumulates around the liver, it leads to Fatty Liver Disease.

Fatty liver disease is mainly associated with the excess usage of alcohol and is termed as Alcoholic Fatty Liver. However, those who do not drink alcohol at all, can also develop this condition over time and is known as Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver. Excess fat around the liver damages it and makes it difficult for the liver to remove toxins and produce bile for the digestive system.

The major plan of treatment for Fatty Liver Disease is dietary modifications and regular exercises. If the grade is too high, then one may need to see a doctor. For initial stages, the situation can be reversed completely with a few lifestyle modifications.

What Causes Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)?

Obesity: Overeating can cause weight gain which produces a load on the digestive system and the body forces the storage of extra calories in terms of fat, leading to NAFLD.
Pre-Diabetes: People with Insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance tend to store more fat in the liver as compared to non diabetics.
Over consumption of carbs and simple sugars: is linked with NAFLD as our body utilizes only what is required and rest is going to be stored as fat.
Poor Gut Health and genetics are also seen as linked with NAFLD.

Since it is a lifestyle disorder, modifying lifestyle with the right diet helps in controlling, maintaining and reversing both Alcoholic and Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

The diet should include:

Lots of fruits and vegetables
Reduced processed and packaged food with high salt and sugar
High fibre foods and less carbs
Whole grains like oats, quinoa, barley and millets
Nuts and seeds especially walnuts and flaxseeds as they are high in Omega 3
Vitamin E from Sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, olive oil or canola oil
Avocados as they are a good source of fat and fiber
Legumes

What Should You Avoid?

If you’re suffering from this disease, here is a list of foods you should avoid completely.

Alcohol: As it is completely oxidised by the liver, there is no enzyme present in the body that can digest alcohol.
Added or simple sugars like candy, cookies, sodas, and fruit juices. It increases sugar level which increases fat build up.
Fried & oily foods due to excess calories and fat.
Too much salt makes the body hold on to excess water and can be a reason to gain weight.
Simple processed carbs like white bread, rice, and pasta, as they lack fibre and increase blood sugar.
Red meat like Beef and mutton are high in saturated fat.

Other Lifestyle Modifications

Shed the extra weight
Control sugar levels well
Include Cardio and strength training consisting of 30 mins for 5 days a week
Lower down cholesterol especially triglycerides.

We hope these tips help you manage Fatty Liver Disease with ease. Before you begin with any of the foods listed above, do consult your doctor, dietitian or nutritionist. Do let us know your thoughts and queries in the comments below! To learn more about AFLD and NAFLD, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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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