GOQii

Blog

By 4 Comments

5 Simple Lifestyle Changes To Manage Hypertension

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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, join live, interactive sessions conducted by experts on GOQii Pro. You can book a class via the GOQii App.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

By Leave a Comment

Exhausted At Work? Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Burnout!

Everything You Need To Know About Burnout

Have you ever woken up on time and still felt tired? You reach work but can’t stop yawning. Random bouts of sleepiness take control as concentration slowly slips away! Ever wondered why even a short commute made you feel like you ran a 200m race? What you’re feeling might be more than just “because I slept late last night”. In fact, what you’re experiencing might be burnout. Not the tyre burnout, but a medical condition that many people face on a daily basis.

WHO recently has declared ‘Burnout’ as a medical condition.

What Is Burnout?

Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. In simple words, burnout is a state of emotional or physical exhaustion at a workplace.

What Causes Burnout? What Can It Result In?

  • Stress due to the inability to meet demands
  • Lack of concentration due to the overwhelming amount of work
  • Performance issues due to the lack of control over tasks
  • Sleeping problems due to an imbalance of work and life
  • Mental problems due to a lack of social support at home or at the office

Even though these are just some of the causes and effects of burnout, what really matters is how we treat this occupational phenomenon.

Burnout Can Be Treated In Several Simple Ways

  • Take some time off work: You could use up your ‘sick days’ or simply ask for a ‘medical leave’. During your leave you shouldn’t have any contact with your workplace as the entire point of the leave is to relax and clear your mind.
  • Set aside time for relaxation: Certain techniques of relaxation like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises are known to be de-stressing and can clear your mind of troubles.
  • Know your work-limits. Learn to say ‘no’ when you’re already burdened with work.
  • Most importantly, you must keep your cool by doing what relaxes you.
  • Remember, that burnout causes one to feel negativity, so always stay positive!

A Long-Term Solution

Alexander Den Heijer, an inspirational speaker who aims to help people flourish once said,  “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” In this case, it is not the person that must be treated, but the workplace environment.

  • A workplace with a casual dress code, fun and positive environment can be a very effective in eliminating burnout.
  • Stress-busting activities are an easy way to create a feeling of positivity. These activities could be going for walks, having flexible schedules or laughing with your colleagues.

These types of environments are known to increase workplace efficiency and decrease stress and exhaustion. If the workplace can successfully be turned into a fun environment, it can reduce, if not completely eliminate burnout.

Your Health Is More Important Than Work

Even though burnout can lead to some serious emotional and physical conditions, it can, fortunately, be treated easily. With the right care and attention, your workplace can be swiftly converted from a place where you feel burdened with work, to a place that brings you positivity.

If you feel like you might be getting burned out, try these simple relaxation techniques. More so, you can also practice yoga to improve focus, build concentration and beat stress.

If nothing works and you need help, reach out to our experts by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Was this article helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

By 3 Comments

7 Effective Ways To Beat Stress

stress bustingI was quite shocked to find that every 1 out of 5 of my clients was suffering from stress. After digging a little deeper, I found that the root of their problems, the most common factor causing stress was Expectation!

Any form of expectation that isn’t fulfilled turns into a negative thought process that can either cause stress or depression. Be it a job, a boss, colleagues, family or friends, any expectation can sometimes lead to disappointment. It isn’t necessary that we get all the symptoms of depression every time. If something constantly hurts you or stops you from thinking anything else, you are stressed!

If you feel like there is nothing you can do in a stressful situation, here are 7 surefire ways to beat stress!

7 Ways to Beat Stress

  1. Breathe Deep & Let Go: Spiritual Masters often say – Forgive everyone and yourself, accept everyone and yourself, love everyone and yourself. Whenever you go through any bad experience, take a deep breath and tell this to yourself.
  2. Set a Goal: Spend half an hour with yourself every day. Do any of your favorite activity in those 30 minutes. If I ask you what’s your hobby and nothing comes to your mind, you need to spend 60 minutes for yourself.
  3. Bunk: Sounds immature? Once in 6 months, I strongly recommend that you bunk your routine. Go out with your loved ones, do what you love or explore new places. When you return to your routine, you will be recharged.
  4. Make a Memory Box: It can either be your hard disk or a physical box. Store all the memories worth cherishing in the form of papers, photographs, videos or objects. Go through this memory box regularly to cherish positive memories and be happy!
  5. Treat Yourself: You don’t need to prove anything to anyone as long as you are giving your best. When you feel exhausted, take a break. You should be the first one to reward yourself and value your work. It could be in the form of your favorite dish (don’t overdo it), a favorite activity or a pass time.
  6. Say No to Negativity: Never entertain negative thoughts. Whenever you get negative thoughts, divert your mind with positivity. Meditation, singing, dancing, a conversation, or anything else – pick whatever is available and possible.
  7. Smile: You look your best when you smile. Spread the charm everywhere!

Which of these 7 ways to beat stress did you like the most? Do you have queries? Share them all in the comments below!

To read more on how to beat stress, check out Healthy Reads or get more tips directly from your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

By Leave a Comment

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. 

#BeTheForce 

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

We’ve always advocated that lifestyle diseases can be managed with a balanced, healthy and holistic lifestyle but can they also help you manage a terminal condition? Our Player Ananda Mukherjee, with help from his GOQii Coach, was able to battle such a condition. Here’s how his inspirational Health Story unfolded. Going From Slender To Overweight  […]

The Right Guidance With Gradual Change – Rishikesh Ayre User Journey

Do you want to make a positive lifestyle change but don’t know how? Does it take every ounce of motivation for you to move? Do you need a nudge in the right direction? These are all valid questions and you’re not alone. Sometimes, we want to begin something new but don’t know where to start. […]

Venkatrao Alaparthi Loses 20kg With Guidance From His GOQii Coach

While earning a good livelihood is important, is it taking more life out of living? Long working hours, being seated most of the time with no physical activity and bad eating habits can take a toll on your health over a period of time. If this sounds relatable, you might have a lot in common […]