lifestyle change Archives

June 11, 2021 By Smruti Bhat Leave a Comment

What’s Healthier: Coconut, Wheat or Almond Flour?

If staying home to protect yourself from the ongoing pandemic has probed you to take a closer look at your pantry, then we’re sure about now, you’re reconsidering your flour choices. When we talk about flour, most of us think about “wheat flour” as it is a kitchen staple. It is the flour that we have been having since ages to make chapatis. But, there can be plenty of other reasons that would want you to switch from wheat flour to coconut or almond flour. Maybe you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance or just want to switch to a healthier alternative given the current scenario. So, we have listed a few differences between these three flours to make it easier for you to choose between coconut, wheat or almond flour!

Nutritional Take On Coconut, Wheat & Almond Flour

Nutrition	Coconut	Almond	Wheat
Calories	480	580	366
Carbs	59g	20g	76g
Protein	18g	21g	9.7g
Fat	15g	12g	1.5g
Fiber	38g	12g	12g

Coconut Flour

Health benefits of coconut flour: Coconut flour is gluten-free. It has a good moisture absorbing capacity and helps to give a good crumbly and dry texture to the baked goods. But, it has a higher content of phytic acid which leads to low nutrient absorption. Also, it has antioxidants and antimicrobial properties that support a healthy metabolism.
Cooking with coconut flour: Coconut flour is a versatile flour used in gluten-free and paleo baking. It can be used to prepare bread, muffins, cookies and cake. As it has a drying effect, it can be counteracted by using eggs while baking. The egg yolk provides moisture, whereas egg white offers structure to the baked goods.

Almond Flour

Health benefits of almond flour: Almond flour is incredibly healthy but contains more fat and calories. This makes this nutrient dense flour the best choice for a keto diet. It provides good vitamin E content which is a powerful antioxidant and magnesium that helps improve blood sugar levels.
Cooking with almond flour: Almond flour is commonly used in the preparation of pancakes, cakes, muffins and cookies. Other than baking, this flour combined with egg can be used to coat vegetables or meat and thereafter, bake or fry them. As it is free of gluten, it can be mixed with wheat flour to make pizza dough, pasta or bread.

Wheat Flour

Health benefits of wheat flour: Wheat flour is rich in fiber, minerals and protein. But it has gluten that makes it inappropriate for people who have gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Phytic acid in wheat flour is higher which reduces the nutrient absorption.
Cooking with wheat flour: Wheat flour can be used in making rotis, puris, ladoos and even quick breads, cookies and cakes.

Summing It Up

Although as Indians, wheat flour is functional in our regular diet, we can definitely opt for almond and coconut flour as well. All the above-mentioned flours are healthy in their own ways and can be used together to reap nutritional benefits. So the choice between coconut, wheat or almond flour is solely based on what you want to prepare and what you’re looking for.

If you’re still unable to come to a decision on whether you should opt for coconut, wheat or almond flour, you can reach out to your GOQii Coach by subscribing to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

Your GOQii Coach can take a look at your habits, goals and let you know what would work best for you! For more articles on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads!

#BeTheForce!

May 10, 2021 By Akshay Karlawar Leave a Comment

Tips To Alleviate & Avoid Back Pain

Back pain usually originates from the joints, bones, nerves or muscles. It is one of the most common complaints. Back pain may be felt as mild chronic pain going on for years or just for a few seconds or minutes. It can be felt as continuous dull ache, appearing at intervals as well. Constant, sharp pain is usually found in one place or it radiates to other areas like limbs. It can also present a weak, tingling sensation or numbness.

Few Facts About Back Pain

The spine consists of bones, joints, spinal cord, nerves, tendons, ligaments and muscles. Back pain can originate from any of these or overlying muscles
In a majority of cases, back pain is self-limited. Most common back pain symptoms are due to inflammation or trauma which may be mild or severe
The two most common conditions that cause back pain are degenerative spinal disc disease and spinal disc herniation
Innocent causes of the back pain include ligament tear, muscle strain, ruptured or herniated spinal disks, and irritated joints. Environmental factors that cause or aggravate back pain include arthritis, posture at work, obesity, psychological and physical stress.
Some other causes include – lack of core strength that creates too much strain on the back, tight muscles which cause inflammation and tight hip flexors as they extend towards the lower back via the pelvic girdle due to improper posture.

Causes and Tips To Avoid Back Pain

Obesity: is a common cause of back pain. As a heavy body contributes to increased pressure on the spine, maintaining a healthy body weight can help reduce your back pain. If you’re seriously overweight, those extra pounds could be straining your spine. Lose some weight and you just might lose the pain. A weight-loss program that includes regular exercise is bound to make your whole body feel better. A nutritious diet, lifestyle modifications and healthy weight can prevent back pain.
Poor posture: is a common cause of back pain. Maintain correct postures while standing, sitting and while lifting things. While using a computer or laptop, try to take breaks frequently and practice stretches which will lower your chances of getting back pain. Take regular short breaks in between work. Just getting up from your chair can help break the cycle of clenched muscles.

Tips To Reduce The Pain

Applying a cold compress to the affected area can numb the pain temporarily by desensitizing the underlying nerves.
Heat application through a heating pad, warm bath or hot water bottle can stimulate blood circulation in the area and loosen the tight muscles.
Massage therapy could provide short-term relief from acute and chronic back pain.
Frequent massages may be costly, but getting a massage once a month can be effective and affordable as well. It is important to select the massage best suited to your problem.
Consume a healthy diet consisting of Vitamin D as deficiency and insufficiency can cause or worsen back pain. The correction of it plays an important role in the treatment of chronic back pain. Foods like Fatty fish, liver, egg yolk and mushrooms can improve Vitamin D levels.
Avoid high-inflammatory foods such as sugars, trans fats and processed foods to prevent back pain.
Train with proper form, regular rehab-strengthening of lower back with exercise such as back extension, superman holds can help strengthen rhomboids to improve posture.
Stretching itself can damage muscle fibers as you’re just tearing them by stretching them instead of contracting them. If you want to stop feeling sore, aggressive stretching is the last thing you’d want to do.
Quick fixes: A foam roller can help in releasing tight muscles. You may look a little weird if you’re the only person in your gym who doesn’t stretch before exercise and prefers to foam roll a sore muscle rather than stretch it out, but your muscles will thank you for it!

We hope this article helps you alleviate and avoid back pain. If any of the tips above helped you, do share your experience in the comments below! For more tips on improving health and fitness levels, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

Do get such tips directly from a GOQii Coach, subscribe to GOQii now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

Stay home, get active and #BeTheForce

April 17, 2021 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Take The Best Route Forward! Lakshmi Ajitha Gets Healthier With GOQii

Being healthy is a consistent effort. No amount of crash dieting or overworking yourself at the gym for a few months can resolve health issues which have piled up over months and years. Many people find it difficult to follow a healthy routine. Sometimes, all you need is a little encouragement and the right guidance to get you started – something out player Lakshmi Ajitha realized through her association with GOQii!

Life Before GOQii

Lakshmi Ajitha is a 33 year old working professional from Bengaluru. She said that she’s always been on the heavier side since puberty. Post marriage, her weight only increased due to hormonal and lifestyle changes. Since the lockdown in March 2020, she only gained another 5-7kg. When someone would comment on her weight, she would turn to crash diets and quit them with zero consistency. Junk food, indulgence in sweets with no restrictions, eating out and lack of physical activities only contributed to her weight gain and slowly, all sorts of health issues such as thyroid and PCOS began creeping up on her.

In August 2020, a fitness challenge was rolled out in her company, and all who registered, received a GOQii tracker with 3 month subscription. Being someone who always lacked the inclination to do any kind of activity, she thought this might finally motivate her. So, she registered for the challenge and then there was no looking back.

Changing Habits To Improve Lifestyle

Lakshmi says though she received the tracker and had a coach assigned, she never took it seriously for at least a month. Then in October, when she was away on a 2 week vacation, there were numerous messages on her app from her Coach, expressing concern over her inactivity and not interacting with her. She felt there was someone who was really worried about her health and wished to help her.

She then had a call with her GOQii Coach Priyanka Mangla, who understood everything about her lifestyle, diet pattern and daily routine. She then slowly introduced small changes like a basic walk everyday to complete 5k steps, increasing water intake and cutting down on her tea intake from 5 cups a day to just 2 cups in a week. These changes also included avoiding maida, all kinds of processed food, reducing rice intake while increasing fruit and vegetable intake. Most importantly, her Coach taught her how to control sweet cravings which was a major challenge.

Lakshmi Ajitha says her coach never forced anything, always gave alternatives and gently guided her to the right foods. She always gave a reasoning as to why she should or shouldn’t do something. The Coach was also strict with her logging food and activity everyday.

Lakshmi says the best thing she liked about her Coach was that she appreciated even the smallest of her achievements, understood her body and suggested suitable options.

On the physical activity front, the third month saw her completing 10k steps everyday and thereafter, she was slowly introduced to basic bodyweight exercises. Sometime during December, she experienced knee pain which turned out to be OsteoArthritis. Her coach shared exercises which would not strain her knees and now the pain is very mild and only aggravates if she does any jumping activity.

Results After 6 Months Of Making a Lifestyle Change

Her weight reduced by 14kg over the last 6 months. In October and November, where her monthly cycles used to be completely unpredictable, now they have regularised and that too without any medication. Her TSH which used to hover between 7 and 12 until October last year, has come down to 1.4 when she last checked in February.

Lakshmi says what she liked about GOQii is that they focus on giving the best routes for the user rather than constantly nagging them about different plans and subscription renewals. She feels that’s the reason why she preferred to stick to GOQii rather than switch to competitors. She also finds GOQii Play as a huge repository of interesting and varied content.

In her own words, “Taking the first step is the most challenging and Priyanka did manage to break through my laziness and pulled me on the track to good health! Her concern seemed genuine and she was well qualified which further gave me the confidence to follow her instructions”.

Does Lakshmi Ajitha’s story inspire you to make a lifestyle change? Then download the GOQii App and subscribe now! To read more inspirational stories, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

April 3, 2021 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Shreyans Ravrani Shifts From Illness to Wellness!

At the age of 38, Shreyans Ravrani led a lifestyle which wasn’t very different from the working professionals of his age group. As a Gujarati, his diet involved regular consumption of oily food and sweets, something he never realized can be detrimental to his health. He didn’t maintain portion control nor eat a balanced meal. Physical activity was almost nil and to add to it, his stress and sleep were negatively impacted due to work pressure and traveling.

He had joined GOQii in 2017 as he found the personal coaching feature appealing but did not stick to his plans or take being healthy seriously. In June 2019, Shreyans Ravrani was diagnosed with high cholesterol and fatty liver disease. He was faced with 2 options – either live with the prospect of lifelong medication or adopt a healthier lifestyle. He chose the latter and his life changed since then.

Making Positive Changes

Shreyans Ravrani realized he had to reduce his weight. He weighed 77kg with a BMI of 29. In order to get healthy, he renewed his subscription with GOQii in July 2019 and got more serious about utilizing personal coaching. He already was consulting a dietitian and he started to validate all her suggestions and inputs with his GOQii coach.

These were the changes he incorporated:

Took sugar and fried food off his diet
His breakfast included oats or idli.
For lunch, he reduced his chapatti intake to 3 and included lots of salad and buttermilk
For dinner, he mostly had soup or a light khichdi.
He stopped snacking on processed foods and shifted to fruits, roasted chana or makhana along with green tea.
He began walking for 2km every day but that wasn’t enough to burn fat. So he began running in August. Initially he felt breathless after 350m. By November, he could run 5km a day. From a strenuous activity, his running time now became his “Me-Time”.

As a Jain, he was used to fasting which helped him control his hunger pangs even as he reduced his meal portion. He says, fasting gives you mental strength and distracts you from the thought of food, which he was able to do successfully.

Levelling Up The Game!

By November 2019, Shreyans Ravrani participated in and completed his first 10k run within 65 minutes. In December 2019, he did it again but completed it in 60 minutes. He was happy that he managed to beat his previous time so quickly.

Between July – November 2019, he had reduced 14kg. Seeing this, his coach had to ask him to cut down on his running and add some strength training routine to his workout. He ensures that he completes his quota of running by spot jogging at home even during lockdown!

He regularly participates in health challenges organized by GOQii with the GOQii App from time to time including the current 30 Day Quarantine Burn Challenge.

What Does Shreyans Ravrani Have to Say About His GOQii Coach?

Shreyans is extremely thankful to his GOQii Coach for her contribution towards his transformation. He thinks the best part is that he can ask questions as and when they arise in his mind and get them answered by an expert quickly. She is also a constant motivator, following up with his habits, progress as well as guiding him in the right direction. He feels it helps when you have someone monitoring your habits and giving you timely feedback.

What Changes Does He See in Himself?

Apart from weight loss and his vitals returning to normal, he says the complete change of mindset towards health and fitness is worth it! His entire family is now more aware and diet conscious. Every member makes sure to burn off extra calories as and when they indulge.

Do you want to make a lifestyle change as well? Download the GOQii App and subscribe now.

For more inspiring user journeys, read here: https://goqii.com/blog/category/user-stories/

#BeTheForce!