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6 Natural Painkillers To Relieve Common Ailments

natural painkillersWhen faced with even a minor headache, muscle tension or other pains, popping a pill seems like the easiest way out. It has almost become a habit to such an extent that we don’t even think twice before gulping down a painkiller or an antibiotic. What we fail to realize is how toxic such dependence can become! “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” said Hippocrates. On that note, I will be listing down some foods that act as natural painkillers. The good news is that they do not have any side effects!

6 Natural Painkillers & Their Uses

1. Ginger & Turmeric
Ginger and Turmeric have powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. They are far more effective than drugs like ibuprofen for pain relief. Ginger helps block the formation of inflammatory compounds and also has antioxidant effects. Both the herbs can be added in tea, milk, hot water and smoothies.

Turmeric also improves blood circulation and prevents blood clotting. Turmeric’s active ingredient curcumin is responsible for lowering inflammation in our body, acts as a pain reliever for headache, menstrual cramps and even normal body aches. Gulp down a glass of turmeric milk or ginger + turmeric water before sleeping and say hello to a super relaxed body the next day!

2. Cloves
Cloves have been long used since ancient times to treat toothaches. Cloves may also help ease nausea and treat cold. They may also help relieve the pain associated with headaches, arthritic inflammation and toothaches. A compound called Eugenol is responsible for the pain relieving properties of cloves. Rub a small amount of clove oil on gums for battling gum issues or dip a small pulse size cotton ball in clove oil and keep on aching tooth to get immediate relief.

3. Plain Yoghurt
Plain yoghurt has been long used to ease the symptoms of bloating and inflammation. The healthy bacteria in yoghurt improves digestion and helps in relieving abdominal pain. Try having a bowl of curd with some black salt, asafoetida and roasted cumin powder for long term good gut health. Buttermilk made from low fat milk is also a good way to treat indigestion.

4. Green tea
Green tea is emerging as the new age miracle food. It is packed with polyphenols, antioxidants and helps reduce inflammation and muscle damage. The miracle compound present is an antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which helps blocks pain signals and provides relief in body ache, menstrual cramps, headache and even arthritis.

5. Peppermint
Most of us have heard of and even used a small green mint pill, popularly sold as a capsule to relieve stomach ache! It actually contains extracts of Peppermint which is known for its therapeutic properties. Mint has a cooling nature and can help in relieving indigestion, nausea and headache. Menthol, peppermint’s main active ingredient, is found in the leaves and flowering tops of the plant. So next time before you pop a pill for stomach ache or indigestion, try a cup of mint tea.

6. Asafoetida
Asafoetida, commonly known as ‘Hing’ in Indian households is a common ingredient used in curries and vegetables. It is known to reduce bloating, stomach ache and gastric issues. To effectively relieve abdominal pain, try applying Hing paste on the naval area. A powder consisting of roasted Asafoetida, cumin seeds and carom seeds works wonders for digestion and reducing bloating. It has antioxidant and anti- inflammatory properties which make it a very useful common kitchen ingredient.

Hopefully, this article on natural painkillers will help you rely less on pills and more on natural ingredients which can help you relieve common ailments. Do share your thoughts in the comments below!

For more tips and articles like this one, check out Healthy Reads or ask an expert by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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Devyani Chaudhari Overcomes Acidity & Stress Issues With Lifestyle Changes

Devyani Chaudhari

Does work rule over your “me time”? Are deadlines more important to you than the quality of your meals? Are you prioritizing your work over your health? If yes, then you might have a lot in common with our Player Devyani Chaudhari. Like most working folks, she didn’t have a work-life balance and paid for it with her health. After some major health issues, she adopted GOQii and along with her coach made some sustainable changes. Here’s how her Health Story unfolded. 

Working Hard But Not Working Out 

Based in Dombivli, Devyani Chaudhari, aged 54, worked in the supply chain side of a pharmaceutical company. She would work from 8.30am to 9pm and thanks to this, she wasn’t able to pay much attention to her lifestyle.

This erratic lifestyle was an addition to ongoing personal issues such as stress due to a toxic work environment, her son’s health, loneliness due to her husband’s death – all of which often lead to suicidal thoughts. She would constantly suffer from terrible stomach aches and high stress levels. To add to it, she also faced a disturbed sleep cycle.

While she tried to manage her lifestyle by eating her meals on time and working out, nothing really worked. “My son took it upon himself to try and find a solution for my issues. He did research and found out about GOQii,” says Devyani Chaudhari. 

Making Changes That Worked Out 

Devyani came on board the GOQii platform on 16th October, 2019. Her initial health goal was to lose weight. But, her coach revised that to ensure she first gets over her acidity issues which were extremely intense. Due to acidity she would throw up frequently and had developed ulcers. 

Since she is a working lady, extensive working hours lead to irregular eating patterns and she used to consume a good amount  of junk food too. “Toning the body was always on the agenda,” she says. She tried doing Zumba but due to the high intensity, she could not match up or would end up experiencing some pain.

Devyani was advised to cut down on junk food and instead eat healthy food at regular intervals. Her coach Madhu Soni started with small changes and tried to regularize her meals. Starting with Ajwain, Saunf and Jeera water on an empty stomach, she also asked to take lemon-honey water on alternate days.

Slowly, her meals began to get regularized and intake of junk food reduced considerably. After a few months of opening up and sharing a good rapport with her coach, one day she timidly told Coach Madhu Soni about her urine incontinence. She had been using diapers and feared that her colleague might soon find out.

Based on this, Devyani was advised to do Strength training and then finally walking was her winning strategy which helped her to shed off the excess fat from the body. From 72kg she slowly came to 65kg. Unfortunately, she met with an accident and hurt her ankle and was unable to workout after that. Her weight went back to 77kg. Now, her weight is 75 kg and she is working on reducing it further.

Devyani Chaudhari Makes A Complete Shift! 

Owing to some of the changes that Devyani Chaudhari made in her lifestyle, her acidity issue is cured completely. Her stress levels have also gone down considerably. The regular intake of Ajwain, Saunf and Jeera water in the morning and reduced stress played an important part in reducing her acidity levels.

Before, she used to take pills quite often for her sleep issues but now, her sleep quality has improved and the frequency of taking pills has also reduced. Her dependency on diapers has stopped as well. 

Coach Madhu Soni’s advice on meditation and chanting the Om Mantra has had a positive effect on Devyani. This helped her quit her previous toxic job and take up a new one with positive people around. Devyani Chaudhari credits her change to her coach saying, “I got a guide and motivator in my coach”.  

Does this health story inspire you? Do you want to make a sustainable lifestyle change like Devyani? Subscribe for personalised health coaching here to get started now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring Health Stories, check out Healthy Reads. 

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GO GREEN this Ganesh Chathurthi

Ganesh Chathurthi The environment is paramount. If we keep our environment clean, it automatically creates a healthy atmosphere for us to live in. The environment encompasses a whole lot but, among all environmental issues, ‘pollution’ is one that is widely talked about as it affects all of us on a daily basis. It is no secret that the city deals with a lot of pollution after Ganesh Chaturthi. Let’s take a look at the various things we can do to compensate for or speed up damage control.

In a year old report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), 13 of the top 20 most polluted cities are from India. In the aftermath of each festival, it goes from bad to worse. It’s not just land and water that are affected, but loud music above acceptable decibels also affect our health and the health of the animals around us. More so, there is an incredible amount of waste generated during this period. So what can we do to restore balance to the environment on an individual level?

The way we take care of an expensive electronic gadget is different from the way we take care of the green tree in our vicinity. The difference is that we are incapable of understanding the loss of rare natural resources. Each time we use any natural resource, it seldom occurs to us how we are going to reproduce the same rare resource.  The day we decide to think about our future generations, is the day when we will put efforts to save the environment.

One of the recent examples set by Mr. Kaustubh Tamhankar, a common man from Thane, Maharashtra, has proved that we can lead an eco-friendly lifestyle. For the past 12 years, he has not generated a single piece of garbage in his house. How has he been able to do this? Very systematically, everyday he segregates wet and dry garbage in his house. With the wet garbage he makes vermin-compost. It is his determination and motivation that has kept him going. Today, he has also encouraged his neighbors to do the same.

Going green is easier than you think. There are little things you can do every day to help reduce greenhouse gases and make a less harmful impact on the environment. Taking care of the Earth is not just a responsibility – it’s a privilege. If you search through the internet you will find thousands of ways on how do we adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle but the real struggle is to adopt.

Some of the simple ways which could become a part of your eco-friendly lifestyle could be:

  1. Reduce, Reuse & Recycle: This helps to cut down on the amount of waste we throw away. They conserve natural resources, landfill space and energy.
  2. Go Solar: Increasing demand for electric power has resulted in many businesses resorting to alternative sources of energy. Solar energy is a sustainable choice and one that can be used in various applications.
  3. Carpooling: Carpooling reduces air pollution and traffic congestion, something that benefits all of us! It saves money and reduces congestion on our roads and highways. For short distances, use a bi-cycle to travel. It is pollution free and healthy.
  4. Plant Trees: The simple act of planting a tree benefits the environment in many ways – from filtering air to reducing soil erosion, providing shade and helping recycle water.
  5. Conserve Water: Water conservation is the most effective and environmentally sound method to fight global warming and help in reducing scarcity of water.

If we all do our part, we can help reverse the effects of global warming.  We owe it to ourselves and each other to help make a difference.

Wish you all a Green and Happy Ganesh Chathurthi! 

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Yogesh Shah Manages Multiple Illnesses & Gets Healthy With GOQii

Yogesh Shah

Often, managing just one condition can be an insurmountable task. Imagine working your whole life, while your physical, mental and emotional health just spiral downward, while the number of pills you take keep increasing. Our Player Yogesh Shah was in such a predicament where he was dealing with multiple illnesses but managed to overcome them with help from his GOQii Coach Deepali Sharma. Here’s how Yogesh Shah wrote his own Health Story. 

Dealing With Multiple Illnesses 

Based in Ahmedabad’s Mani Nagar, Yogesh Shah is a 63 year old retired Government Employee. He said that he had a hectic schedule. “There were times when I would work from 7am to 11pm, never even having the sun’s rays hitting my body for years,” he said. 

Erratic work hours led to bad eating habits, disturbed sleep and high levels of acidity as he consumed a lot of tea. Yogesh Shah told us that this was his routine for 36 years of his work life. While he was extremely dedicated and diligent towards his work, it took a toll on his health. He suffered from multiple issues which included weight gain, diabetes, hypertension, disturbed lipid profile, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, gastric trouble, anxiety (8-10 attacks a month), palpitations and cervical pain due to a surgery he had 4 years back. 

Till 2021, he used to pop 18 tablets daily. Around Dec 2020, he was consuming 26 tablets which included medication for COVID. Despite the issues, he was positive and did not let his conditions damper his way of life.

“I realized I was not doing the right things and that this was taking a toll on my health but, I did not do anything about it,” says Yogesh Shah. The health issues started around 1992 and aggravated in 10 years. His family was worried and felt helpless about not knowing what they could do to help him.

Making A Positive Shift 

He wanted to get better, reduce weight and control his illnesses but was not sure how to go about it. Then, just before retirement, he got to know about GOQii from two young women in his office. They motivated him to go for it. Yogesh Shah purchased GOQII from Amazon in Oct 2021. Initially, he found it difficult to decipher and understand GOQii but, slowly and steadily he was able to understand how the platform works.  

He followed all the instructions given to him by his Coach Deepali Sharma. She introduced small changes which had a big impact. Over the course of time, he has been able to improve his health and control his illnesses. He says, “Initially I could not understand my coach but then slowly, I started understanding. Some of the changes she brought about made quite a difference.”  

His daily routine begins with praying, then gardening in his little kitchen garden. He follows this up with morning meditation for which he follows Coach Rounak Gajjar on GOQii Play. He also follows Coach Sheetal Tewari and Coack Bhumika Unniyal for yoga, meditation and pranayama. 

Currently, he walks about 15km on most days whereas before, he would feel breathless even after 1km. On the International Day of Yoga on June 21, he walked 21km. He says that he now wants to participate in the GOQii Trail Challenge 2022. 

“Coach Deepali has given me a lot of habits and I follow them religiously. Hence, I have been able to make a change!” he says.

What Are The Results Of Yogesh Shah’s Efforts? 

“Nothing will work unless you do. You need to work hard to achieve your goal. This is something which my Player Yogesh Shah has proven with flying colours,” says Coach Deepali Sharma. “Initially, he had multiple issues like weight gain, uncontrolled sugar levels, disturbed lipid profile, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, gastric trouble, anxiety and palpitations.

He used to feel tired after a kilometer walk and now, he is on 21km, which is equivalent to a half marathon. His HbA1c came down from 8% to 6% with almost controlled Fasting blood sugar. Episodes of anxiety dropped drastically from 10-12 episodes to almost nil now. Symptoms like shivering, headache, restlessness are completely out of our book, which were quite prominent before,” she says.

“It’s not stress that kills us but it is our reaction to it and Mr. Yogesh was outstanding in cultivating that positivity with intrinsic motivation. Stress was affecting his sleep a lot. With hard work and determination, he is now out of his anxiety medicines. We worked on setting a sleep-wake cycle as well and relaxation exercises also helped us a lot. I have seen an incredible improvement in his sleep from 2-3 hrs to an average of 5-6 hrs as of now. He is a person with a clear vision and that’s the reason we lost good weight. He is 71.25kg (latest) which was  82 kg when we started. This was achieved by keeping post sunset meals light, adding healthy snacks and carb control,” says Coach Deepali Sharma. 

As of now, Yogesh Shah’s medication has been reduced to 13 pills. You can view Yogesh’s entire journey as he speaks to our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal on an episode of GOQii Health Stories.

Do you suffer from similar conditions? Did this story inspire you to make a lifestyle change? Then reach out to a GOQii Coach and subscribe for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring Health Stories, check out Healthy Reads. 

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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 […]