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Ways To Balance Your Hormones Naturally

balance your hormones naturally

Hormonal imbalances occur when there is too much or too little hormone in the bloodstream and because of their essential role in the body, even small hormonal imbalances can cause side effects throughout the body. While some hormone levels fluctuate throughout your lifetime and may just be a result of natural aging, other changes occur when your endocrine glands get impacted either by external or internal factors.

Importance of Rebalancing Hormones

It is extremely important to balance your hormones as soon as you become aware of the changes that happen to your body. Every other day, I come across a player who has a hormonal issue and it makes me want to pen down the importance of balancing your hormones. Here are some of those points: 

  1. The more balanced your hormone levels, the higher you function – physically, mentally and emotionally
  2. A healthy hormone balance boosts your brain health
  3. Balancing your hormones helps you control your appetite, weight and mood
  4. It helps fight harmful bacteria, viruses and promotes an overall clean function

What Changes Will You Observe? 

  • More energy, productivity and a positive outlook towards life
  • Less cravings for sweets, junk and fatty foods
  • Clear Skin (no acne and scars)
  • No hair fall
  • Increased libido
  • No muscle cramps or loss of energy
  • Regular periods
  • Well balanced metabolism
  • More easy weight loss
  • Improved sleep
  • Lower mood cravings

Ways to Balance Your Hormones Naturally

  • A portion of protein and Fiber in every meal: Consuming adequate amounts of protein is extremely important for hormones that control appetite and food intake. Protein and fibers will also boost your metabolism, which is important for weight loss – weight being a common issue of hormonal imbalance.
  • Regular Exercise: Simple walking or indulging in any sort of physical activity can turn out to be magical for you. You can choose any workout regimen like strength training, cardio, zumba, dance or body weight exercises –  whichever suits your health goal and schedule.
  • Healthy Fats: By including healthy fats in your daily diet you can rebalance your hormones naturally. Choose unsaturated fats over saturated and avoid consuming trans-fat. Some healthy fats include vegetable oil, oil from nuts and seeds, avocados and unrefined cold/wood pressed extra virgin olive oil. 
  • Eating foods rich in Omega 3: Fatty acids may help increase insulin sensitivity which can be helpful in weight loss as well as in rebalancing your hormones. Sources of Omega-3 fatty acid foods include fish and other seafood (especially salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines), walnuts, flax and chia seeds, seaweed, kidney beans, cod liver oil, and brussels sprouts. 
  • Manage Stress: It has been found that nearly 55% of the population in India is either dealing with chronic stress or depression which causes serious health issues including hormonal imbalance. So it is important to manage your stress. This can be done by talking to a person you are comfortable with, reading a book, deep breathing, meditation, yoga, walking, practicing gratitude, etc. 
  • Sleep Tight: The regulation and metabolism of several hormones are influenced by interactions between the effects of sleep and the hormones like the growth hormone, cortisol, melatonin, leptin and ghrelin which plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy levels of hormones that control appetite and blood glucose levels. So in order to get the results by implementing the above suggestion, it is important to get adequate sleep as poor sleep has been associated with imbalance of many hormones. Aim at getting 7-8 hours of good quality sleep to balance your hormones naturally.

Your hormones can be your best friend and worst enemy if not taken care of. So for that, eat healthy, stay active, sleep well and engage in healthy behaviors. We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on hormone health, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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The Importance Of Knowing If You’re Thirsty Or Hungry

thirsty or hungryAm I thirsty or hungry? That’s the question I have started asking myself when I get hunger pangs. This has happened to me quite often when I have just had a meal and I feel hungry within an hour. One day, I decided to conduct an experiment on myself wherein I just placed a glass of water and a bowl of almonds in front of me on my work desk and continued working. I had just finished my meal and was waiting for the hunger pang to hit me. I got the pang and before I reached out for the bowl of almonds, I grabbed the glass of water and gulped it down. Thereafter, I did not feel the need to eat the almonds.

Why Do We Confuse Thirst & Hunger? 

What exactly happened? Let’s get into the science behind it. There’s a little part in our brain called the hypothalamus which controls hunger, thirst and many other bodily functions and behaviors. Because hunger and thirst are controlled by the same area of the brain, it so happens that thirst produces a similar reaction in our body as hunger does. For instance, we get those grumbling and growling noises in the stomach or may start feeling dizzy or low on energy. In all probability, when we get the hunger feeling, we may not necessarily be hungry at all but that we’re actually thirsty! In fact, research shows that about 40% of people mistake thirst with hunger.

This confusion causes many people to overeat and put on those extra kilos. Therefore, it’s very essential to react wisely to save yourself from the extra load of calories. The best way to clear the confusion is, when you feel the hunger pangs creeping in an hour after a meal, rather than breaking into some snacks, drink a glass of water and hold on for 15 minutes as it might take that much time for the hypothalamus to send a signal to let the nervous system know that the body was just thirsty and that the thirst has been quenched. Then, you will not feel the need to eat and the growling and grumbling noises or the feeling of dizziness and weakness will be totally shooed away. In this way, you can also cut down on unwanted food intake/or unnecessary snacking which then gets stored as fat. But, if after 15 minutes you still feel hungry, then you ought to eat as you may be actually hungry.

Another interesting trick is that if you stay hydrated through the day, you won’t even get trapped in this cue-confusion dilemma. Because you know you have already satiated your thirst and you can be sure that the signals that you are getting are surely for hunger. I would say you must try both the experiments and check which one works the best for you. You see it’s absolutely essential to differentiate between the dilemma of thirst or hunger before we fall prey to overeating and gain weight.

We hope this article helps you differentiate between thirst or hunger. For more interesting articles on improving your health, check out Healthy Reads or for further guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Types of Fat and Fat Composition

fat composition“I can’t lose weight no matter how hard I try!” – this sentence is pretty common, isn’t it? Ever wondered why? The answer lies in the extra fat deposition on our bones and organs which become an obstacle for our weight loss journey. The key to slimming down is understanding that fat loss is more important than weight loss. Let’s study about how we gain fat and fat composition in detail!

What is Fat?

Fats are substances that help the body use some vitamins and keep the skin healthy. They also help the body store energy. In food, there are different types of fats such as saturated, unsaturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans fats. Most people consume too much of the wrong kinds of fat, putting their health at risk.

Good Fat vs. Bad Fat

Daily diet contains fat such as different oils (sunflower, peanut, rice bran, olive oil, sesame etc.), ghee (clarified butter), butter, cheese, avocados, eggs, nuts, seeds, milk, curd etc. (these are good fats). All these give us essential fats and 9kcal/g which helps the body function smoothly. They aid joint rotation, absorption of fat soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K. They’re the biggest source of energy.

The questions is where are we going wrong? How are we getting those chubby cheeks, round bellies, heavy arms and bulky thighs?

Do we consider how much fat we’re consuming when eating a 100g pack of chips? One packet of chips contains 100g but in serving portion, the manufacturer will only write 10g calories which amounts to approx. 20-28 pieces of chips which contain 160kcal, 7g fats and 16g carbohydrates. But do we only eat 28 pieces? It’s the same with burgers, pizzas, white paste, 2 minute noodles, biscuits, cookies and more. It has been shown that fat intake of the wrong kind will result in fat gain. As the body typically burns carbs for fuel and uses proteins for repair, it makes sense to cut back on bad fat while increasing good fat.

Different Types of Fat

The word “Fat” is broadly used to describe all body fats but that’s not true. There are several different types. Some fats can have a negative impact on health while others are necessary for good health. They can be stored as essential, subcutaneous or visceral fat. Each type of fat serves a different role. Some promote healthy metabolism and hormone levels, while others contribute to life-threatening diseases, including Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure and even Cancer.

  1. Essential Fat: Essential fat is exactly that – essential for life and a healthy body. This fat is found in our brain, bone marrow, nervous system and membranes that protect the organs. Essential fat plays a major role in hormone regulation, including the hormones that control fertility, vitamin absorption, and temperature regulation. Women need at least 10-13% of their body composition to come from essential fat to be in good health, while men require at least 2-5%.
  2. Subcutaneous Fat: This is the fat which is stored under the skin. It covers a major portion of our body fat. This is the fat we can squeeze or pinch on our arms, belly, thighs, and buttocks. We can measure subcutaneous fat as a way of estimating total body fat percentage. A certain amount of subcutaneous fat is normal and healthy, but too much can lead to imbalanced hormone levels and sensitivity.
  3. Visceral Fat: This type is also known as belly fat. It is the white fat that’s stored in your abdomen and around all the major organs such as the liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestines, and heart. High visceral fat levels can increase your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, artery disease, and some cancers.

Body Fat Composition

The proper body fat composition and distribution of fat will protect us from various risk factors and diseases. Women have different sights of fat deposition such as thighs, arms, buttocks, below the belly button, etc. Men experience this on their chest, belly, and waist. This deposition is different because of the varying percentage of testosterone (male hormone) and estrogen (female hormone).

In males, mean percentage body fat ranges from 22.9% at age 16-19 to 30.9% at 60-79 years of age. In females, mean percentage body fat ranges from 32% at age 8-11 to 42.4% at age 60-79. There is a close relation between fat and physical exercise as regular exercises helps you burn stored fat. Exercise helps you turn deposited fat into an energy source.

We hope this article helps you. To know more about fats, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Coconut-The Super Fruit & Its Many Benefits

Coconut uses and benefits

“Why are you eating a coconut? It’s so fattening!” This comment was directed at me once and I couldn’t hold myself back and burst into laughter. But, at the same time, I was not surprised at this question. Most people consider it to be a fatty fruit. If that is the case then all those who include it in their daily food intake should be fat. This should be the case not only in India but in many other countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Philippines where coconut is one of the main ingredients used for cooking.

Coconut can be consumed in various ways – fresh, dry form, coconut water, coconut oil, or coconut milk, etc. Interestingly, each form has its own significance. Coconut does have saturated fats (which is not as harmful as vegetable oil) but, it also has unsaturated fats (like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids), polyphenols, vitamin K, vitamin E and minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc and also dietary fiber.

Why Should It Be An Important Aspect Of Your Diet? 

  1. Coconut oil helps in healthy growth of hair and gives it a shine
  2. It helps control high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis as it has 50 % lauric acid
  3. Thanks to its Vitamin E content, it helps in moisturizing all skin types and it does not have any adverse effect
  4. It increases immunity as it has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties thanks to Lauric acid and Capric acid. These properties also help in digestion and help one find relief from irritable bowel syndrome
  5. It improves the secretion of insulin, hence controls blood sugar levels as well
  6. It is good for the bones as it has Calcium and Magnesium
  7. It helps in healing damaged issues and infections
  8. MCT’s (medium chain triglycerides) present in coconut help reduce appetite

It is not only a fruit that can be eaten but, it also has water which you can drink. Just like the fruit, Coconut water also has many benefits! All we know about Coconut water is that it is a refreshing drink. While that is true, let’s delve a little deep to know more about it and its benefits.

Benefits of Coconut Water 

Besides less sugar, coconut water is packed with sodium, potassium, folic acid, B complex vitamins, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron minerals… So many nutrients in just 200ml of water! Drinking Coconut water not provides the aforementioned nutrients but it also helps in many ways to conquer health issues.

  1. It slows down the ageing process and also can be applied on eczema and acne
  2. It is good for digestion as it has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial properties
  3. It hydrates our body faster than normal water as it has natural electrolytes
  4. It is definitely healthier than fruit juices because it has fewer calories
  5. It has anti-carcinogenic and anti-thrombotic properties to reduce cholesterol levels
  6. It helps in finding relief from UTI and kidney stones as it acts a diuretic

Coconut water has 40-60 calories per 200ml – which is great for your health! More so, there are various uses for coconut oil as well! So what are you waiting for? Add this super fruit to your diet now!

We hope this article helps you! For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

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 […]