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March 1, 2025 By Dr Ashwin Nanda 2 Comments

Tension or HYPERTENSION

hypertensionI can’t count how many times in my 12 years of medical practice a patient with just a headache has eventually been diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension). Whenever a patient complains of a headache, I always make it a point to check their blood pressure (BP), as it is a very common symptom of fluctuating BP. This often presents around the temples but can also be felt at the back of the head (occipital region).

What is Blood Pressure?

The pressure exerted by the column of blood flowing in the arteries once it has been pumped by the heart is called systolic (higher value) blood pressure. Diastolic (lower value) BP refers to the resistance in the arteries, which is always present due to their elastic tone.

Blood Pressure Categories:

  • Normal: Up to 120/80 mmHg
  • Pre-Hypertensive: 130/90 to 140/90 mmHg
  • Hypertension: Above 140/90 mmHg

A person is diagnosed with high BP if three readings taken on separate days are consistently high.

BP - HypertensionSigns & Symptoms of Hypertension

If I have to look for signs of high BP, these symptoms should raise suspicion

  1. Headache
  2. Feeling of tiredness.
  3. Difficulty breathing
  4. Heaviness in the eyes / blurred vision.
  5. Irritability
  6. Severe cases: Heart attack or haemorrhagic stroke

What Causes High BP?

High BP is common in adults over 50 but is increasingly being diagnosed in younger people due to poor lifestyle choices, such as:

  • Lack of sleep—Irregular sleep cycles disrupt the circadian rhythm.
  • High salt intake—Excess salt from processed foods, snacks, pickles, and sauces.
  • Smoking—Nicotine constricts blood vessels, increasing BP.
  • Obesity—Being overweight adds strain to the heart.
  • Lack of exercise—Sedentary lifestyle leads to poor heart health.
  • Stress—From chaotic city traffic, financial strain, and work pressure.
  • Other Causes: BP can also rise due to secondary conditions like thyroid disorders and narrowing of arteries supplying the kidneys (Renal Artery Stenosis).

Why is it Important to Maintain Normal BP?

Persistently high BP damages the internal lining of blood vessels, gradually affecting the brain, kidneys, and eyes. This can lead to serious complications such as:

  • Stroke (brain damage due to reduced blood flow)
  • Kidney failure
  • Hypertensive retinopathy (damage to the eyes)

All of these complications can be prevented by keeping BP within the normal range.

Managing High BP Naturally

Since lifestyle choices are the single most important factor in controlling BP, here’s how you can manage hypertension without medication:

  • Sleep Better:
    • Aim to sleep by 11 PM and wake up by 6-7 AM to regulate your circadian rhythm.
    • Avoid using screens before bedtime to improve sleep quality.
  • Diet Adjustments:
    • Reduce salty foods such as crisps, salted nuts, pickles, and processed sauces.
    • Eat more potassium-rich foods like bananas, spinach, and lentils.
  • Exercise Regularly:
    • Engage in 45 minutes of brisk walking, 30 minutes of swimming or cycling, or 30 minutes of aerobics at least 5 days a week.
    • Strength training also helps improve circulation and heart health.
  • Manage Your Weight: 
    • If overweight, aim to lose 1-2 kg per month until you reach a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25.
  • Reduce Stress: 
    • Practise deep breathing or meditation daily.
    • Set realistic personal and professional goals to avoid unnecessary stress.
  • Stay Socially Connected:
    • Engage in social activities and maintain a healthy support system. A positive social life can improve mental health and reduce stress-induced BP spikes.

When to Consider Medication?

If lifestyle modifications do not lower BP within 6 months, it’s time to consult a doctor to explore medical options.

Additionally, if hypertension is caused by an underlying condition (such as thyroid disease or renal artery stenosis), treating the root cause can help normalise BP.

Even the word HyperTENSION (high BP) has ‘TENSION’ in it! Managing stress and adopting healthier lifestyle choices can significantly improve your heart health.

Have you successfully managed your BP through lifestyle changes? Share your experiences in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

October 22, 2023 By Pradnya Shinde Leave a Comment

Benefits of Minimalism You Need to Explore to be Happy!

minimalismIn my last article, we saw what minimalism is and how to begin the process. Moving further, let’s see how minimalism can add quality to your life and health!

Benefits of Minimalism

  1. Less Anxiety and Stress: There is a direct correlation between material possessions and the amount of stress that a person experiences. When you own less, you worry less about losing it or keeping it organized. More so, a clean and tidy home keeps you at peace.
  2. More Happiness: It’s never wise to rely on things for happiness! More so, giving away things you don’t need will make you feel more satisfied and happy instead of hoarding them with no purpose! It’s awesome to know how little we need to be happy.
  3. More Time: When you don’t spend time organizing your stuff or buying new items, you get more time to do things that really matter. You also get more time to exercise, explore your hobbies or spend time with friends and family.
  4. More Energy: Minimalism definitely saves a lot of your energy. That’s because you don’t need to exhaust yourself while taking care of too many things! You have to make fewer decisions while shopping, which prevents mental fatigue. When you shop and clean less, you are more focused on things you want to do. You live with a better purpose!
  5. Increased Fitness: When your mindset shifts to minimalism, you prefer going for eco-friendly options. For instance, walking instead of taking your vehicle or even cycling! Fewer household gadgets mean that most of your work like washing clothes, cleaning the house, etc. will be manual which will definitely help you burn more calories!
  6. Better Diet: When you choose quality over quantity, you avoid the bulk storage of food and grocery. You will eat fresh and even avoid storing junk and processed food at home. Eating clean and fresh home-cooked food is way more nutritious and healthy!
  7. Environment-Friendly Lifestyle: Getting rid of unwanted things doesn’t mean increasing waste. Think about how you can repurpose used items into something functional. When you feel there is no more use of the item, you can donate or resell it. It promotes the reuse of goods and creates less waste.
  8. Saves Money: This is the reason many people get attracted to minimalism. When you spend on only what you need, you end up saving a lot of money and who doesn’t want to do that?
  9. Getting over Materialism: You’re confident without an expensive car or fancy clothes. You understand you don’t need to own something because someone else has it. You get less attached to things because you don’t rely on things to be happy.

In Minimalism, you start spending on experiences rather than stuff. For instance, instead of gifting something material to your kids on their birthday, you can maybe plan a camping, hiking or rafting trip which will add more experience and perspective to their lives!

In short, Minimalism is more of a mindset than a lifestyle, it is empowering. There is no rule of how many things you own, it is about your mindset. You can explore more of your own benefits in your journey.

#BeTheForce

November 27, 2021 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

How Kaushik Dey Went From Simply Working Out To Living A Healthy Lifestyle

Kaushik DeyBeing healthy encompasses many factors. While it involves working out, it isn’t just about working out or being active. You have to also look at other parameters such as nutrition, sleep, managing stress, et al. In fact, even introducing new habits and tweaking existing ones can do wonders for your health. All of this might seem difficult to manage by yourself, but when you get the right guidance from a certified expert, it can really change your life – as experienced first hand by our Player, Kaushik Dey. 

Lifestyle Before Joining GOQii 

Kaushik Dey is a 40 year old engineer who works for a Public Sector Unit based in Delhi. Since 2011, he has been involved with the Yog Organization and practices Yoga on a daily basis. 

“Being active was part of my life, prior to GOQii. But, what GOQii did was help me prioritize my activities and diet practices,” says Kaushik Dey. 

In 2017, he was given a basic GOQii Tracker as a gift with which he also got a free 3 month coaching subscription. While going through the instruction manual, he got to know about the GOQii Ecosystem and personal coaching. 

Making Small Changes and Introducing New Habits 

Currently, his coach is Dr. Naina Sudarshan. She regularly takes updates and shares articles and exercises, guides him with his exercise routine and helps him if there are any issues.

“Personal coaching helped me understand what I was not doing right. It helped me understand diet and exercise the right way. Personal coaching has been the game changer for me,” says Kaushik Dey. 

He also says that interacting with his GOQii Coach on a daily basis has taught him how to manage his health the right way by adding new habits at regular intervals. Apart from Personal Coaching that helps Kaushik keep a watch on his diet, exercise, stress levels and sleep, he says that he has also benefited a great deal from GOQii Play – the interactive video coaching feature within the GOQii App and by gathering a lot of information from GOQii Blogs. 

“I used to run regularly and then I developed Plantar fasciitis. Coach Sheetal Tiwari guided me to improve my health through Yoga classes on GOQii Play. Coach specifically mentioned some exercises that helped me a lot, otherwise I was seeking medical help such as pain injections”.

Kaushik alone doesn’t derive the benefits of GOQii, but his 10 year old daughter also exercises with him regularly. Kaushik has been a regular on GOQii PRO for the last 6 months and has taken an extended 1 year subscription. He is joined by his daughter for the GOQii Pro classes and he says he exercises with Coach Urvashi and Parwage Alam to name a few. Kaushik proudly says that his daughter is probably the only kid who is a regular on GOQii Pro.Kaushik-2

This April, he and his entire family were affected by COVID-19. While the first 5 days were tough, from the 6th day onwards he started practicing yoga and exercise in quarantine. His GOQii Coach helped him tackle the situation well. Having a healthy lifestyle helped him and his family a lot. Everyone is fit and fine now. Kaushik says that it is due to GOQii that they were able to manage themselves well and fight COVID-19 successfully. It is during this time that he took a couple of doctor consults from the GOQii App.

“GOQii is a part of my life,” says Kaushik. He further adds that GOQii’s personalized coaching helped him manage his exercise routine despite his stressful public sector job. 

Kaushik believes that GOQii is a good platform and has been actively advocating it to his friends, colleagues and society members. “Consistency is key. GOQii has inspired me to be more active and manage my time well. I will continue to be on the GOQii Platform as it is doing noble work. If you are a fitness freak and GOQii is with you, you can make a difference in your fitness routine and see the changes just like I did.” 

What Does Dr. Naina Sudarshan Have To Say About Kaushik Dey? 

Kaushik has been an active GOQii player for more than 3 years now and I have been his coach for about 2.5 years. His goals were to lose weight, reduce fat percentage and cholesterol levels while maintaining his health. 

Though Kaushik is a self-motivated and active person, his diet and shift work were major hurdles for his goals. But I can’t remember a day Kaushik has not updated me about his diet and activities including the days he had to go through COVID-19 this year. His regular updates helped me go into small details in his diet and correct them every day. 

I was also able to follow up with his daily activities like yoga, GOQii PRO classes, tracking his sleep and stress levels. During his time with GOQii, he was able to reduce about 4-5kgs of weight, lower his body fat percentage as well as cholesterol levels. I am sure over these years he has learnt a lot through GOQii on how to maintain his health. 

Currently, he is guiding his family, including his two children, by motivating them to be active. He proves that a balanced diet, mindful eating habits, staying physically active and living a healthy lifestyle is not just limited to an individual with a specific health goal, but it’s equally essential for everyone in the family.

Does Kaushik’s journey inspire you? Want to make a lifestyle change? Subscribe for personalized coaching now and crush your health goals with the help of a GOQii Coach: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

To see how others have benefitted from using GOQii, read more user stories on Healthy Reads. 

#BeTheForce 

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