wellness tips Archives

August 19, 2020 By Mamta Joshi 4 Comments

A Complete Guide To The Benefits Of Oil Pulling

Immunity has become a common discussion during these pandemic-stricken times. No doubt that good immunity is the key to a healthy and disease-free body. The Ministry of Ayush has listed some immunity boosting measures for self care during the pandemic and oil pulling is one such Ayurvedic procedure.

What Is Oil Pulling?

It is an ancient Ayurvedic practice known as Kalava but not many are familiar with it. It is known to improve immunity and prevent more than thirty systemic diseases when practiced regularly. The oral cavity harbors billions of microorganisms, some of these contribute to the development of systemic diseases. In oil pulling, edible oil is swished around the mouth, continuously for 20 minutes like a mouthwash. Ayurveda believes that the tongue is connected to every organ of the body. Microbes and toxins build up in the mouth and swishing oil in the mouth for a prolonged amount of time draws out impurities from the mouth. Oil acts as a cleanser before these microbes get a chance to re-circulate and spread.

How To Do It?

It is quite simple, no side effects and involves a few steps with just 1 ingredient.

Take 1 tbsp of coconut oil.
Swish it around in the mouth, between teeth, all over the gums, tongue, towards the cheek for 20 minutes.
Spit out the oil and rinse your mouth well with water.

Caution: Oil may thicken and clog your drain so spit it in the dustbin. Children shouldn’t do it as there are chances they’ll swallow the oil.

Initially you may find it difficult to swish oil for long, so just start with 5 minutes and gradually build it up to 15–20 minutes. Coconut oil contains lauric acid which is proven to be anti-inflammatory and can kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, virus and fungi. Early morning is the best time to practice, even before drinking water. During sleep, the body detoxifies and the tongue gets coated with a white film which is full of toxins and microbes.

Benefits Of Oil Pulling On Oral Health

Oil pulling is beneficial for oral hygiene as it reduces a number of harmful bacteria in the mouth. It is helpful for conditions like:

Bad breath
Bleeding gums
Plaque
Cavities
Oral candidiasis
Gingivitis
Reduces tooth pain
Reduces problems like dry mouth, sore throat and chapped lips
Gives whiter teeth, pink lips and gums.

Benefits To The Skin

When you oil pull, you constantly exercise your facial muscles which encourages blood flow to your face. Oil Pulling can:

Reduce wrinkles, fine lines, dry face and other signs of aging
Improve skin elasticity
Reduce double chin
Define your jawline

Apart from the above, it can call help with:

Improving gut health, metabolism, digestion and immunity
Detoxifying the mouth and body
Improving energy levels and sleep
Balancing hormones
Reducing acne, eczema, psoriasis and other skin problems
Alleviating headaches and migraine
Providing relief from stiff joints and allergies

We hope you try this ancient Ayurvedic method of detoxifying your mouth and body. Do share your experience with us. For more articles on health and wellness, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

August 17, 2020 By Palak Mittal 6 Comments

What’s More Important For Good Health: Sleep or Exercise?

Have you found yourself in a predicament where you stayed up too late, got only a few hours of sleep, woke up groggy and went half asleep to the gym? But what is actually good for you – is it sleep or exercise? Both, actually.

Sleep and exercise are key components of a healthy lifestyle. You can’t choose between sleep or exercise as you need both. Slacking on either one of them can affect the other.

What Happens When You Sleep Late and Wake Up Early?

Due to minimal sleep, your circadian rhythms shifts. This means you’re “exercising during your biological night” when you should still be sleeping and that’s counterproductive. Your muscle cells, which also have circadian rhythms, recover and perform better during your body’s biological daytime than they do during the biological night.

Obviously, working out when your whole body is awake is crucial when it comes to your muscles and getting a proper amount of sleep also helps prevent injuries during exercises. In fact, a lack of sleep can weaken your immune system (which prevents you from working out) and can also lead to weight gain and health issues like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, i.e. precisely what exercise aims to prevent. But on the flipside, regular exercise promotes more restful sleep. So, working out at the right time can actually bank you some quality shut-eye rather than curb it.

How To Sleep Better For Better Exercise?

Whether you need to set an earlier bedtime or find a different window for working out, make sure you’re not putting yourself in the position to decide between these two titan pillars of wellness. Consider revolutionizing your to-do-list routine in a way that makes you happier to achieve these goals.

Stay away from heavy and oily foods before bed for better sleep. Also, keep away from electronics an hour before you go to bed as the back-light from your cellphones can affect your sleep. Try to be as comfortable as possible, which means wear loose clothing and keep yourself warm.

Try these tips for sleeping better. In fact, you can also try breathing exercises to help you get better sleep: Click here to know more.

We hope this article has helped you and you don’t need to choose between sleep or exercise! Rest well, exercise and #BeTheForce!

Do share your thoughts in the comments below!

May 22, 2020 By Soni Thakur 4 Comments

Is This The Best Time To Make A Positive Lifestyle Change?

There are a number of people who motivate themselves to make positive lifestyle changes to eat better, exercise more, practise yoga and sleep adequately. They have tried before, probably declaring another attempt as a New Year’s resolution. After working hard for a week or two that resolution was found resting in the corner due to lack of time, energy and motivation.

Making a lifestyle change is challenging especially when you want to make so many changes at a time. It takes time and requires your full commitment and dedication once you are ready to make a change.

Some Tips To Make A Positive Lifestyle Change

Make a plan you think you can stick to
Start small
Choose one behaviour change at a time
Make some friends with the same goal
Ask for expert support

As we are all in lockdown, it’s a good break from our fast-paced life. We were complaining about not getting enough time to work out, to eat healthy home-cooked food, to meditate to relieve stress and ditch that alarm clock and sleep a little more. Well, here it is!

This is the best time to make a lifestyle change and reset our biological clock back to normal by balancing all four important components of our body which are: Balanced diet, Exercise, Adequate sleep and Stress management.

We hope this article helps you make a positive lifestyle change. For motivation, healthy recipes and more, you can check out the GOQii Blog or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play for home workouts, meditation, emotional wellness, learning music, yoga and more!

Stay home, stay positive and #BeTheForce!

March 13, 2020 By Vandana Juneja Leave a Comment

Strength Training Benefits For Aging Bodies

Strength training is important for everyone, not only to improve muscle strength but to maintain and improve your overall health, regardless of your age. Whether you are 25 years or 65 years, some form of strength training should be included in your routine. Though the strength session will be different for all, according to the age group.

In this article, I would like to talk about the changes in our body that happen once we cross our 30s/40s (and they may not be pleasant ones) and how strength training is important to help us reverse these changes and improve the quality of life!

I have experienced the positive changes that my body has undergone over the last 4-5 years just by incorporating a strength training routine in the form of workouts with weights, using my own body weight and practicing yoga. One can even use resistance bands or other gym equipment.

What Happens As We Age?

The human body changes as we age. Some of the effects are obvious as we cross middle age. Even healthy, normal ageing includes:

Slower metabolism
Decreased muscle mass and strength
Increased body fat
Reduced bone density
Increased bone porosity
Stiff joints
Slower reflexes and reaction time
Decreased aerobic capacity

These are normal changes that we may experience as we age. Although, the severity varies from person to person. One of the most important reasons to exercise and specifically include strength training is to slow and minimize these changes.

Benefits of Strength Training

1. Increases Muscle Mass
As you age, you lose muscle mass. It is a condition called Sarcopenia. People who are physically inactive lose between 3 to 5 percent of their muscle mass per decade after the age of 30. It accelerates at around 65. By the age of 70, the average adult has lost 25 percent of muscle mass. This is mostly due to disuse and inactivity. Any kind of exercise can reverse this loss and build muscle mass and strength. Weight lifting, strength training, and resistance training are the best. After six months of twice-weekly strength exercise training, the biochemical, physiological and genetic signature of older muscle is “turned back” nearly 15 to 20 years.

2. Improves Bone Health
Bone fractures and breaks are all too common in older adults because of loss of bone density and osteoporosis. There can be other causes of osteoporosis and it may need to be managed medically. However, there is plenty of evidence that exercise can improve bone density. Osteoporosis can also be prevented and treated through strength training. Like muscles, bones become stronger when they are active. Weight-bearing exercise strengthens bones by making them produce more cells.

3. Improves Functional Ability/Movement
Increasing strength through training is essential for improving overall day to day functions. Older adults can gain more mobility, walk a greater distance and even reduce the need for assistive devices like sticks and walkers with regular strength training.

Building strength also helps with all kinds of other functional movements like walking, sitting on and getting up from a chair/bed, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, etc. This in turn just makes life easier and gives you the confidence to involve yourself in many other activities you always wanted to do.

4. Boosts Metabolism
Strength training is one of the best ways to boost your metabolism (the rate your resting body burns calories throughout the day). When you do strength training, your body demands more energy based on how much energy you’re exerting. That means some calories are burned during the workout and more calories are burned after the workout while your body is recovering to a resting state. Also, Testosterone and DHEA, the hormones that affect strength and energy levels, decrease as you age. But with regular strength training, these levels can be enhanced within 8-12 weeks.

5. Improves Brain Health
Getting older can put you at risk for loneliness and social isolation, depression and other mental health issues. Building strength which increases mobility, function and improves overall health, also boosts your mood and overall quality of life. Resistance training can also slow down the cognitive decline associated with aging. Lifting weights improves memory, attention span and the ability to resolve conflicts.

6. Improves Health Conditions
Strength training reduces blood sugar levels and improves sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which helps blood sugar get inside the cells and thus improves the way the body uses the blood sugar. If strength training is properly applied, it simultaneously engages both the muscular system and the cardiovascular system. When our muscles are stronger, there is less demand placed on the heart. This allows the lungs to process more oxygen with less effort. The heart pumps more blood with fewer beats and the blood supply directed to your muscles is increased.

How Often Should You Do It?

Recommended intervals are 3-5 times per week for 20-30 minutes at a moderate intensity-level or 2-3 times per week for 15-20 minutes at a high-intensity level. Before you begin any workout, check with your doctor especially if there is a medical condition associated. Take professional help as knowing the proper technique will help you prevent injuries. Focus on activities that target larger muscle groups as they will give bigger returns.

We hope this article helps you care for your muscles a little more and helps you improve your physical and psychological well-being as well. If you’re about to begin your strength training routine, #LevelUp with LIVE coaching sessions from our experts on GOQii Play.

Apart from strength training, there are many more ways to live longer. Explore the secrets to longevity in our IndiaFit Report 2020.