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Power Of Immunity – Part 2

headache

In my last newsletter, I spoke about the importance of the lymphatic system and how a poorly operating system can cause major diseases like cancer.

A poor lymphatic system can also be the reason one struggles to lose weight.

Allergies, sinus, and other immune related diseases, usually get treated with conventional medicine, I am not against this, if it works, use it. But, first make sure your lymphatic system is working well, as it’s this system which boosts immunity and prevents or heals the above related conditions.

In cases of cancer, if doctors suggest the removal of lymph nodes, I strongly suggest second and third opinions. Removing lymph nodes if not necessary, can cause more serious problems in the future. Sometimes cancer cells may have already passed through those nodes to other parts of the body, so removal may not be necessary.

Our body has different parts that contain lymph nodes responsible for removing and cleansing deadly toxins.

It’s a common practice to have one’s tonsils removed during a severe bout of flu and cold. Try never to do that if it can be avoided. Your tonsils have an extremely important role to play in your lymphatic system, so goes the same for an enlarged spleen. Many say these parts of the body don’t have roles to play, but they do.

The lymphatic system, a system of lymph fluid and lymph nodes, is vital for

  • Elimination of toxins. The lymphatic system can be aptly described as the garbage disposal of the body and is responsible for filtering and eliminating toxins.
  • The immune system. The lymph nodes house a high concentration of white blood cells that increase when the body is fighting off illness or infection.
  • Weight loss and weight management. Toxicity is a huge part of the weight loss puzzle. If you don’t support your lymph system, you will have even more trouble losing weight and gaining muscle tone.

The most important thing to remember about the lymphatic system is that it relies on our movement. Unlike the cardiovascular system with the heart automatically pumping fluid, the lymph system relies on our body movements as a pump.

This means that exercise, even a simple walk, can stimulate your system to work well and drain toxins out from the body.

The older we get, or even if we are sick or bed ridden, we must make attempts to walk or move so we can help the lymphatic system work.

While all movement engages the lymphatic system, walking is an accessible exercise that everyone can fit into their daily routine. If you don’t have the opportunity to walk around outside, take occasional breaks to simply walk in place.

Deep Breathing

You know how I emphasize on ‘Vitamin O’ being the most important vitamin we need. Well the lymphatic system needs it too. The more you breath, the deeper you breathe, try breathing from your diaphragm, all this helps you stimulate this amazing system.

Yoga

In the deeply restorative practice of Yin Yoga, poses are held for at least 3 minutes, and up to 10 minutes. The pressure of your own body in these prolonged holds can help release areas of lymphatic congestion. Additionally, many of the poses reverse the flow of gravity and twist the body, aiding in lymphatic flow. You can also focus on poses that stretch the hips, since the groin area contains a concentration of lymph nodes.

Legs Up Against The Wall

In this pretty self-explanatory yoga pose, lymphatic circulation in the lower body is maximized. By reversing the flow of gravity in your legs, you circulate the lymphatic fluid and encourage the elimination of toxins.

Dry Brushing

The lymphatic system is pretty close to the surface of the skin. It doesn’t take deep pressure to help release lymphatic congestion, which is why dry brushing your skin is so helpful. This process requires just a few minutes before your shower and stimulates lymphatic flow. You simply brush your body with a stiff, dry brush and this activates the lymphatic system.

Sitting

Have you heard of the modern epidemic called “Sitting Disease?” Studies show that prolonged periods of sitting correlate to an increase in degenerative disease. Research shows that exercise doesn’t reduce the risk of sitting… the only way to reduce the risk is to not sit as much.

Perhaps one factor influencing the correlation between sitting and disease is lymphatic function. Movement engages lymphatic flow, but sitting creates stagnation of lymphatic fluid. Remember, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump so you have to be the pump!

Hot And Cold Showers

Alternating between hot and cold showers stimulate the system to work better.

Lymphatic Massage

These are professional massages that are done to help cleanse the system.

Important: Major lymph nodes are situated under the arms, where the breast connects to the armpits and the inner groin areas along the thighs. We need to keep these nodes open for breathing and release of toxins through sweat.

Don’t use antiperspirants, that block these nodes to prevent one from sweating.

Avoid wearing under wire bras for a long time as these block the nodes.

Avoid tight underwear for long periods of time.

Select apparel like cotton that allows the skin to breathe and the body to naturally let go of toxins through sweat.

Do all of this to improve your own immunity without the dependency on heavy medication and drugs. Your body is designed to heal itself, it has the powerful inbuilt mechanism to do so. Start your own healing, and the sicker you may be, the more requirement for helping your lymphatic system and immunity.

From a nutritional aspect, waking up to a glass of warm water with freshly squeezed lemon does wonders for your lymphatic system.

Empower your body’s natural defence system by nurturing your lymphatic system. Incorporate these practical tips into your daily routine to optimize your immunity and overall well-being. Remember, your body is designed to heal itself. Take charge of your health and unleash your innate healing potential! For personalised guidance on enhancing your immunity, connect with our experts through GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. Start your journey towards optimal health today!

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5 accompaniments to avoid to keep you healthy and to lose weight

I am a foodie! Being a Marwari, our meals are not simple staple food and contains lot of accompaniments along with basic roti, vegetables (sabzi), dal (lentils) and rice. In my quest for personal fitness and wanting to lose weight, I initially struggled for few months. I kept wondering why am I not losing weight in spite of eating at regular intervals, not cheating, not eating out, limiting high fat food intake, proper exercise routine, good 8 hours sleep and also resorting to meditation to remain stress free ?

These questions kept lingering in my thoughts and one fine day my health expert analyzed my routine, my diet and figured that there were few dishes that I should be avoiding or limiting my intake on if I need to lose or maintain my weight. That’s when I found the solution and achieved the best results on this journey!

I would like to share with you all about the most common 5 side dishes that people love, but, should be avoided or have it once in a while if you are on weight loss journey.

(1) Papad

Ahh!! That crunchy crispy papad.

Rice and dal seem like an incomplete meal without Papad on the side. Papads can be deep fried–extremely unhealthy – or roasted – which is equally unhealthy! They can be made from rice, flour, potatoes or chickpeas and are mixed with a variety of spices, salt, and oil. An uncontrolled serving of Papad can amp your calorie intake and exceed your daily budget. The increase in sodium can lead to water retention, bloating, and constant thirst and may even cause an increase in one’s blood pressure. Since, most of them consume more Papad in one sitting it may lead to acidity, and digestive problems too. When fried using same oil many times, the reused oil becomes transfat leading to cardiac issues and high cholesterol. When dry roasted, acrylamide is formed due to the presence of sodium benzoate. So, be mindful.

(2) Pickles

A spoonful of pickle can spice up any meal. In fact I have seen people can take their meal only with pickles without any veggies sometimes. It works well with curd rice; adds a punch to Potato Breads (Aloo Paranthas), and makes Theplas (Breads made of various grains) the best dish to snack on! Pickles stand out as flavorful, low-calorie vegetables and is high in vitamin K. However, pickles are loaded with calories because of the oil they are preserved in and their nutrition content is almost zero, as the vegetables and fruits are minced and dried, which takes away the nutritional value. Like Papads, they are high in sodium due to the use of excessive salt for preservatives which might lead to hypertension if taken in excess. So Again the same funda…Eat in limit!

 (3) Salad dressings  

Salad…salad and just salads!!! Most of the weight loss dieters say they are on some kind of only salads diet! But, still not losing weight?

If you think having salads at the start of your meal will help you eat one less parantha, then go ahead and have a bowl. But, this salad helps only if it is not loaded with high-calorie dressings. Adding dressing to a salad can make the calorie content soar. Dressings such as Thousand Islands and Mayonnaise are loaded with calories, most of them fat. Stick to olive oil, lemon or low-fat yogurt instead!

(4) Soups

Salads are mostly accompanied with bowl of soup. And, one is right in thinking that a soup can be a healthy meal. It can fill your stomach and make you go less on other carbohydrate foods. But, if the soup is loaded with toppings such as cheese, cream, and croutons, it’s far from being healthy. Stick to clear soup with pieces of veggies and meats; shun all cream-based soups. And never pick up the soup sticks or dinner rolls that accompany your soup in a restaurant. That’s another side you don’t need! Go for more of homemade soups without any corn flour and also avoid packaged one as they are also high in sodium being added as preservative. Rather you can add oats flour as thickening agent. You can also opt for healthy cold soups.

(5) Boondi Raita

This curd based mixture is a hot favourite with most of us. Curd is high in protein, calcium, probiotic and the perfectly aid in digestion. It’s good to have curd daily for a healthy gut. The problem begins when you add fried snack to it. Boondi is nothing but fried globules of chickpea flour. The addition makes it a high-caloric food. When fried in reused oil, it becomes transfat and thus may lead to heart issues. So you can opt for veggies in curd or spinach, cabbage, pomegranate, carrot, cucumber, onion and the likes instead of a friend snack in curd.

So be mindful with all these above foods and get fitter and healthier.

We hope this article helps you make informed choices for your weight loss journey. Have any tips on healthier accompaniments? Share them with us in the comments below. For more guidance on nutrition and weight management, explore Healthy Reads or consult a certified expert through GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Healthy Eating: Vegetable Stuffed Ragi Paratha

vegetable stuffed ragi parathaAre you getting the most out of your breakfast? Do you find it difficult to make it more nutritious? Today, let’s take a healthy twist on the normal wheat paratha! Let’s try a Vegetable Stuffed Ragi Paratha which will give your body a punch of calcium along with required minerals!

It is slightly different in color, but definitely worth the try!

What You Will Need:

  • Ragi Flour – 1 cup
  • Water – 1 cup
  • Cooked Peas – ½ cup
  • Shredded Carrot – ½ cup
  • Jeera – ¼ tsp
  • Mustard Seeds – ¼ tsp
  • Ginger Finely Chopped – 1 tsp
  • Curry Leaves Chopped – 1 tsp
  • Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
  • Coriander Leaves Chopped – 2 tbsp
  • Green Chillies – 1-2
  • Plastic paper
  • Oil
  • Salt to taste

How To Prepare

Vegetable stuffing preparation:

  1. In a mixture blender, add boiled peas, jeera, green chilies and make a coarse paste.
  2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle, then add ginger & curry leaves and fry it for few seconds.
  3. Once done, add the green peas mixture, carrot and salt. If the mixture seems dry, add a little water and sauté for a while.
  4. Now switch off the flame and add lemon juice along with coriander.

Paratha preparation:

  1. Put a pan on flame and add 1 cup of water in it along with salt. Once hot, add the Ragi flour and switch off the flame.
  2. Mix thoroughly with a spatula and allow the flour to rest for 5-7 mins.
  3. Knead the mixture well to make a soft dough after resting it.
  4. Make equal quantity of balls from the dough and flatten them.
  5. Dust a flattened ball in flour and roll it into a thin paratha on a plastic paper. Repeat the process for all balls.
  6. Now take one Ragi paratha, place the vegetable stuffing over it and spread evenly.
  7. Slightly wet the edges of the paratha and place another paratha over it and seal the edges by wetting your fingers.
  8. Dust with flour and slightly roll the paratha.
  9. Now heat a pan, brush some oil and allow the paratha to cook.
  10. Once golden brown, flip and allow it to cook on the other side.
  11. Your healthy, hot Vegetable Stuffed Ragi Paratha is ready! Serve it along with some raita.

Highlights of the Vegetable Stuffed Ragi Paratha

  • It’s a good switch from regular breakfast and it is quite nourishing for children too.
  • The wonderful combination of vegetables provides beta carotene and antioxidants.
  • Ragi is great for reducing blood cholesterol, managing blood sugar and aids weight loss too.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Do try it out and leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more delicious recipes with Ragi, click here! To get access to more healthier recipes and advice on nutrition, consult a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Papaya and its health benefits

papaya

This spherical or pear-shaped fruits was called the “fruit of the angels” by Christopher Columbus because it was very delicious, sweet with musky undertones. This tropical angel fruit is none other than Papaya. Originally from the tropics of America, the Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought papayas to many other subtropical lands to which they journeyed including India, the Philippines, and parts of Africa. Packed with great health benefits, Papaya has been used since quite long for medicinal uses in day to day life.

Every part of a papaya tree, from the fruit to the leaves, contains some medicinal properties and this makes Papaya, a great fruit option to include in your diet.

Health Benefits of Papaya:

1) Lowers cholesterol – Papaya is rich in fiber, Vit C and antioxidants that help prevent cholesterol which builds up in your arteries.

2) Helps in weight loss – Being very low in calories and high in fiber content, leaves you feeling full and also clears your bowel movement, making your weight loss regime easier.

3) Boosts Immunity – A single Papaya contains ample amount of Vit C and Vit A, which helps boosting the body’s immunity and hence is very good for those who are suffering from fever, cold or flu.

4) Good for diabetes – It is low in sugar and still sweet in taste, hence popular amongst diabetic people.

5) Helps ease menstrual pain – Women, who are suffering from menstrual pain, should help themselves to several servings of papaya, as an enzyme called Papain helps in regulating and easing flow during menstrual period.

6) Anti – ageing and Papaya – The antioxidants in Papaya help in controlling premature ageing and helps you to get a younger look.

7) Good for the Skin:  Papaya can also be applied directly on the skin and can be used as a face pack to get its benefits. It helps to get rid of acne and skin infections as it helps to open clogged pores. It is also good to cure the skin infections and wounds that don’t heal quickly.

What is interesting about this fruit is that while, it finds its place in fruit salads, Papaya also works as a meat tenderizer and used in non-vegetarian cooking. One should thus consider having Papaya everyday for all the health benefits that it provides. We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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