reduce acidity Archives

January 18, 2023 By Vandana Juneja 1 Comment

Effective Ways To Improve Gut Health

Gut health – we all have heard this term and we also know that keeping our gut healthy is desirable and advantageous to our overall well- being. A healthy gut is important not only for our digestive system, but our immune system, heart health, brain health, maintaining optimum weight and many other aspects of health.

How Do We Know That Our Gut Health Is Good?

Well, there has to be a balance between the good and bad gut microbiome that are present in our digestive system. The microbiome present in our body consists of trillions of bacteria, fungi, yeast and other microbes, the bacterial cells being the most. In fact, there are more bacterial cells in our body than human cells! It is not wrong to say that the microbiome function as an organ and that too a very crucial one for our overall health.

When our gut health is not good, the symptoms that one can face include indigestion, bloating, constipation, acidity, acid reflux, chronic fatigue, acne, inflamed and aching joints, anxiety, depression and so on. So, it is very important to check for the root cause and fix it, rather than taking temporary measures.

Effective Ways To Improve Gut Health

Include Fibre in your diet: Fibre helps to regulate bowel movements by absorbing water into the colon, making the stools soft and easy to pass through the intestines. Good sources of fibre include- fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and pulses.
Have foods rich in Prebiotics: Prebiotics are basically food for the gut microflora that humans cannot digest but keeps the gut bacteria healthy. These include fibre from legumes, beans, oats, banana, berries, asparagus, apples, garlic, onion and leeks.
Include Probiotics in your daily diet: Probiotics are live bacteria found in certain foods and supplements. These include curd, yogurt, fermented food items like Kombucha, Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Kefir and pickles. Before taking probiotic supplements, it is advisable to consult your physician first.
Drink plenty of water: Drink eight glasses (about 2 litres) of water each day to keep yourself hydrated. This is a general guideline as the exact water requirement depends on your body weight, activity levels and the environmental condition.
Reduce/Manage stress levels: Stress can have a major impact on our gut health because it affects the regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters that control your gastrointestinal function. So, if you are feeling stressed, seek help or try to manage it with meditation, yoga, exercise, pursuing a hobby, talking to family and friends.
Avoid Processed/Sugary food items: Sugar feeds bad bacteria in our gut which can cause bloating, discomfort and gas. So avoiding or reducing sugar intake can help promote good bacteria growth. Similarly, processed foods are stripped of the majority of nutrients and are loaded with artificial colours, preservatives, sweeteners, trans fats – all of these increase inflammation in the body and impact gut health.
Exercise regularly: Regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve your gut health, as it helps build immunity to fight against viruses and bacterial infections. So, the more active you are, the healthier gut you will have!
Sleep well: The quality of your sleep can affect your gut health, so get your 7-8 hours of good quality sleep. Follow a good sleep hygiene, avoid using electronic gadgets before sleep and avoid caffeine late in the day. You can also practice deep breathing or meditation to induce sleep.
Antibiotics: Avoid taking antibiotics unnecessarily, as they kill the bad as well as good bacteria in the gut. In case it is unavoidable, do include probiotics in your diet to replenish the lost good bacteria.
Avoid Alcohol: Alcohol causes depletion in gut bacteria and inflammation, so it is better to avoid or limit your intake.

These simple yet very effective ways will help you keep your gut healthy and contribute to your overall wellbeing. If this article helped you, let us know in the comments below!

For more on maintaining and improving Gut Health, check out Healthy Reads. You can also speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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October 22, 2022 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

The Art Of Reducing Medication & Getting Healthy With GOQii

If you speak to anyone who has lost weight the right way and maintains their health, you’ll begin to understand that it is an art that requires patience, dedication and consistency. Without these, your health will spiral downwards. Our Player Hema Sangani realised this as she took the decision to get healthy with GOQii. Here’s how Hema Sangani painted her Health Story.

Lifestyle and Women’s Health Issues

A dentist by profession and an artist by passion, Hema Sangani is 52 years old and resides in Bhavnagar. As a dentist, her routine can be quite hectic and over the course of time, long working hours left her with no time for physical activity.

She also drank copious amounts of tea on a daily basis and that, coupled with some other habits led to her developing medical issues which included acidity, hypothyroid and women’s health issues. At the age of 44, due to an Ovary Cyst, she had to undergo hysterectomy to avoid malignancy.

She also gained a lot of weight and weighed around 75kg with lots of fat around her tummy and thighs. With all these issues, her only option was medication. She was on medication for Thyroid and Acidity – taking as many as two antacids a day.

Her husband was aware of the issues faced by Hema and figured that there might be a better way to maintain good health and manage the condition without popping pills. After a fair amount of research, he came across GOQii and gifted it to her.

Making Lifestyle Changes & Reducing Medication

Upon joining GOQii, Hema Sangani’s 3 primary goals were to:

Reduce weight
Reduce acidity levels and the antacid medication
Control thyroid medication

She was assigned to Coach Parul Massey who understood Hema’s needs and worked out a plan to achieve her goals slowly. “We started this journey by setting the goal of reducing acidity by including buttermilk in meals and reducing the quantity of tea consumed during the day,” says Coach Parul. Slowly, Hema reduced her dependence on tea.

Along with some changes in nutrition and diet, Hema also got motivated to join GOQii PRO classes within the GOQii App. She began joining these live sessions by experts for basic workouts in the morning. The one-on-one guidance during these sessions helped her get more active than before. She also began meditation to reduce stress levels. Now, she regularly attends GOQii PRO classes in the morning.

To know how Hema Sangani painted her Health Story, get the complete picture by watching this episode of GOQii Health Stories where she speaks to our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal:

What Changes Did Hema Sangani Experience?

After making several lifestyle changes by eating right, on time, exercising regularly and meditating, Hema Sangani was able to reduce her medications. After 3 months of joining GOQii, her acidity medication reduced to one tablet and she reduced the medication for her thyroid issue as well. She also witnessed an inch loss.

“I love GOQii and I keep telling my husband that It’s one of the best gifts that he has given me till date,” says Hema. She has been a GOQii Elite Player for about 204 days till 17th October, 2022.

Hema continues to paint her Health Story but what about you? Do you want to make a positive lifestyle change and manage health conditions the right way? Speak to an expert by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads.

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February 11, 2022 By Neha Sharma 3 Comments

12 Amazing Home Remedies To Reduce Acidity

Acidity can literally be a pain to deal with but before we move on to home remedies to reduce acidity, it’s important to know its origin, symptoms and causes. Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) is produced in the stomach to digest food and it plays an important role in digestion but sometimes, HCL is produced when there is no food inside the stomach and it leads to the eruption of the lining of the stomach, giving rise to acidity.

Sometimes, the acid finds its way to the esophagus and you experience inflammation and a burning sensation in the food pipe. This needs to be treated as soon as possible as it may lead to ulcers. Meal timings, physical activity, proper sleep, no stress, less consumption of tea or coffee, moderate intake of alcohol and modification in cooking are some of the key points which help keep acid under permissible limits.

Simple and Effective Home Remedies to Reduce Acidity

Let’s look at some simple but amazing home remedies to reduce acidity which can be easily included in your daily routine:

Basil Leaves: are easily available. One can chew a few leaves of basil or can have basil tea as its calming and soothing properties help reduce acidity.
Fennel Seeds: can be chewed after meals to increase the rate of digestion and they help in reducing acidity. Fennel tea can be taken 1-2 times a day or it can be infused with water and taken on an empty stomach to curb acidity from morning itself.
Buttermilk and Curd: are always considered important for digestion and lactic acid present in them normalizes the acidity in the stomach. You can also add roasted cumin powder, a pinch of black pepper and a few leaves of mint & coriander to ease digestion.
Ginger: Grated Ginger can be boiled with water and that water can be taken the whole day or before and after meals to increase the rate of digestion. Ginger tea with honey can be taken without milk to reduce acidity.
Banana: gives instant relief from acidity. It can be taken during morning or mid morning and can also be combined with curd.
Ajwain: Ajwain water can be taken on an empty stomach (1 tsp of ajwain can be soaked in a glass of water overnight) or ½ tsp of ajwain with a pinch of black salt can be taken after meals to ease digestion.
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp of cumin seeds can be soaked overnight in a glass of water or can be boiled in water and its water can be taken after meals to increase the rate of digestion.
Cold Milk: gives instant relief from acidity and one can have a cup of cold milk to neutralize gastric acids in the stomach. For those who are lactose intolerant, other options should be taken into consideration.
Cardamom: Chewing 1 cardamom pod after meals prevents acidity, flatulence and aids in digestion.
Coconut Water: turns the pH of the stomach alkaline and thereby prevents acidity and the lining of the stomach from getting ruptured.
Aloe Vera: Always go for fresh aloe vera! Mix the pulp with some water and have it 2-3 times a day. Otherwise, you have to go for organic aloe vera juice.
Lemon Juice: Have some lemon juice in lukewarm water on an empty stomach the first thing in the morning. It helps a lot in reducing acidity.

These are a few home remedies which you can use to reduce acidity. Last but not the least, positive lifestyle modifications also go a long way. Before you switch to any of these foods, consult your doctor, coach, nutritionist or dietitian.

We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on acidity, digestion, nutrition and other lifestyle issues, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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