Archives for April 2016

April 28, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

‘GOQii has been a great enabler for me to get back to an active lifestyle and I am enjoying this positive change”

Ashwani Sood and his Oxfam trail Walk experience captured beautifully

He is lively and young at 55 and can put any youngster half his age to shame with his enthusiasm and zeal for life. From being an inactive person to a completely super active in one year is worthy. Despite being a member of the senior management he finds time on a daily basis to do his workout no matter where he is. He is a great advocate of Active Sunday and does not miss it irrespective of which city he is in. If he is in Delhi he attends the active Sunday’s in Delhi.

Let’s hear Ashwani Sood’s story in his own words.

I work with a French multinational Pharma Giant Sanofi. I am on the board of management of Sanofi India and part of the senior management team. Until one year ago my life was that of a boring corporate professional without any physical activity whatsoever. I would come back from work and feel exhausted so much so that it left me no energy to do anything. So I would just lie around on the couch and watch TV.

Prior to that life wasn’t any good either. For 15 years I was based in Gujarat and 400 people were working under me and we used to have these annual health check-ups. I was declared overweight and I was asked to reduce 5-6 kg. I tried but nothing worked.

2014, I got posted to Mumbai. Here I was staying in a gated community and the environment was conducive for me to work out. The environment was a booster in the sense that I would see so many people exercising and going for runs or walks and that interested me in working out or exercising. It came as a big game changer in my life.

Just as I was getting used to the idea of getting fit and changing my lifestyle for the better, GOQii band came as a boon. We were given the band in office and asked to try it out and give feedback. What started with trying out the fitness band, has today become a part of me. GOQii has changed my lifestyle for the better. I came on board GOQii in March 2015. My health goal was to get a disciplined routine in my life and reduce weight and also I would like to run a marathon. Clearly, I was confident of achieving the first goal to begin with.

My coach NahidKhilji, gave me my first challenge which was to start with clocking 8000 to 10000 steps daily. Initially, it was a tough task. But, soon I was able to achieve this goal. I had stopped taking the elevator to the office and also started taking small walks. I would try and see to it that I complete the required amount of steps daily. This eventually led to increasing my activities. I started swimming regularly, playing badminton. From being sluggish, I was back to being active. “If there is a will there is a way.’ I had only one motive when I started on GOQii to clock 10,000 steps.

I used to also get constant reminders for ‘Active Sundays’ but I never went for it. Then one day I decided to go and since that day, there is no turning back. I try and attend every Active Sunday when I am in town and if I am in Delhi I go for Active Sunday’s even there.

Just as I started doing all of these, my coach then threw another googly at me and told me why not do the 100KM trail walk challenge and I was all game for it. I wasn’t sure I would be able to do it but, my coach was confident and that gave me confidence in myself. I went for a practice session in Mumbai. It was a 25 Km walk to Haji Ali. We started the walk at 10.30 pm and I was among the first few to complete the walk. It was an amazing experience. The walk was brilliant I could easily manage it and above all having been in Mumbai I had never experienced the city in thick of the night and believe me it was beautiful and an eye opener.

This boosted my confidence and thereafter I went for all Oxfam Practice sessions. I participated in Oxfam Trailwalker- Team GOQii Yankee. We completed the 100 Kms within 48 hours. It was challenging but mentally we were all strong to be able to push ourselves, motivate each other and go forward. The trail walker I realized it was a ‘game of mind over body’. After Oxfam, I upped my target to 12000 steps daily.

GOQii has been a great enabler for me to get back to an active lifestyle and I am enjoying this positive change. I have lost 3 kgs and I am drinking 2 liters of water daily. My wife has also been very supportive in helping me follow my diet plan. In fact, I have learned a lot in terms of diet. What to eat, when to eat etc. I have, in fact, removed all items that had sugar in them.

My biggest achievement apart from my goals has been that I have also been able to inspire a lot of my colleagues. Many of them have now become part of GOQii family.

And last but not the least I would like to say the karma points is another big motivator. The whole aspect of Karma brings unique positivity to help the society.

I have so far donated about 11000 points to about 9 causes, walked 4.5 million steps and 2800 plus KMs.

What does Coach Nahid Khilji have to say about Ashwani Sood

Ashwani is one the most amazing persons I’ve come across. He started with a sedentary lifestyle and today, I am proud to say he is more active than even few of our health coaches. It’s purely his enthusiasm, dedication, and discipline towards fitness that has got him to the spot that he is in currently. I remember from 5-7k steps to 10K steps its 12k steps in a day currently! Now most of his Sundays are spent in super active Sundays. They say age is not a barrier; he has proved it and is much agiler than people half his age. And, trust me when I say this, he doesn’t say no for any kind of challenges. Right from going off sweet for a month, to just have fruits a day to the interval training and super awesome step count. I feel so proud today to be his coach. I have faith too.

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April 26, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

“Whatever I choose to do, I do it to get out of my comfort zone”

She is extremely hard working and does not give up easily. She does not like doing anything out of the ordinary. She loves to get out of her comfort zone and challenge herself. She started trying herself at outdoor activities such as trekking just three years ago. Today, she is lighter and fit with loads of stamina and very comfortable in the outdoors. Now she is getting ready for her next big challenge- trekking to Everest Base Camp. Let’s hear Harpreet Gondal’s story in her own words.

It all started with me wanting to go to Hemkund Sahib- a holy place for the Sikhs which is at a fairly high altitude in Uttarakhand, so I started trekking in the Sahayadris and working out regularly to be able to make the holy trip. I started training with a personal trainer from January 2013.Unfortunately, the Uttarakhand landslide led me to cancel my plans and then came Oxfam Trailwalker in the picture. So, I focused my energy to prepare for the 100km trail walk with a bunch of girlfriends. We started trekking once every month and proudly called our group the “Trekkerinas”.

Ever since I started working out there has been no looking back. GOQii has helped me to further strengthen my resolve to exercise every day. Having successfully completed the trail walk only led me to believe that I could do more. Thereafter, I did two 10km runs and finally the 21km in January 2014. I got encouraged to do more and that’s when a bunch of us GOQii players decided to go do the Markha Valley Trek in Ladakh. It was our first time to Ladakh and high altitude trekking.

Though I completed the trek, I would not term it to be a success for me. But, it did teach me a lot about myself and my body. This is where my coach and the GOQii team (Anusha and KK) were very helpful. Just watching and listening to people like them made me believe that I should keep training and keep trying. This motivation and the sheer will to keep going and not let being a mom, wife, being overweight etc pull you down was all thanks to GOQii.

When I got on to GOQii sometime around early 2014, my health goal was to become fitter to be able to do all the adventure activities that I strived for. That’s been my sole goal. Of course, I want to shed the extra kilos but, being mentally and physically stronger has always been a bigger goal for me. I also wanted to make a permanent lifestyle change, I have oscillated enough with yo-yo diets and wanted to get over that phase. GOQii has helped me make a lifestyle change and now I feel far more comfortable with my body, my self-image, more peaceful and happy with the way I lead my life.

With GOQii, I have realized that you shouldn’t wait to shed that weight and then attempt the adventures you always wanted to do, there is no right time, just go ahead and start doing why you want, you will learn in the process but, of course, one must focus on training to their best capacity and capability.

GOQii has made me conscious about the correct food habits to adopt not just for myself but for my children as well. I am more aware and conscious of my physical well-being and I absolutely love the control I have on myself now.

As for EBC, I would say whatever I choose to do, I do it to get out of my comfort zone. I have been looking forward to this challenging trek. Going to the mountains for me is a ‘Soul Spa’.

What does Coach Hardika Vira have to say about Harpreet Gondal

Harpreet is extremely sincere and dedicated. Knows what she wants and tries her best to achieve it.We were working on her inch loss and she desired to become fitter and lighter so that she could trek easily. She has been truly dedicated to workouts from the start. Currently, she is working more on her endurance and strengthening exercises, – there’s a good combination of workouts to be done for a longer duration, low intense to improve stamina and endurance and strengthening exercises to help improve lower, upper body and core strength which is very important when you trek. But, not to forget about the rest period that is required for complete recovery of muscles.Nutrition wise – We ensured healthy balanced meals throughout the day. Concentrated on good pre and post workout meals.

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April 25, 2016 By Megha Mahajan 1 Comment

10 dietary changes that can help control diabetes

Diabetes! Yes,the one word that makes your mind wander in so many directions. You find yourself asking questions like: Will this last for ever? Will I ever get better? How can I overcome this? Well, these are smart questions that anyone should ask. And, yes. You can and will get better. You just make a few tweaks in your lifestyle and you should be just fine. Some of the symptoms and pointers of diabetes ware pointed out below:-

While it may seem like an insurmountable hurdle. A wall that cannot be breached, there are thousands of diabetics with good testimonies. Aged people who have lived with diabetes so much so that they sometimes forget that they have diabetes. How can this be your testimony? Well, the pointers below show some of the things you can do to kickstart your own journey to overcome diabetes.

Yes! These tips will get your campaign against Diabets underway and you will begin to see a big difference in no time at all. Of course it’s not going to be easy to let go of all your favorite meals. But, no one is saying you have to get rid of them all at once. You’ve just got to be smart about it.

Do not make diabetes “complex.” Make eating “complex” to keep diabetes “simple.” Just as in everything else, a lot of effort has to go into your overall lifestyle if you are to conquer diabetes. Just be conscious and you’ll make headway. To eliminate diabetes, take a step towards improving your eating habits and you’ll feel a lot better generally.

SOME DIETARY CHANGES YOU NEED TO MAKE

1.Eat Complex To Live Simple: Eating complex doesn’t mean you have to stop eating everything. It simply means make your carbs complex over simple ones, as these are the best type of carbohydrates for diabetics. Complex carbohydrates digest slowly in the body and maintain steady glucose levels in the body.

2. Make fiber important part of your diet: Fiber refers to plant-based food that slows down the breaking of carbohydrates and keeps you feeling full for longer periods of time. Yes, fiber can go a long way in improving your situation.And it all gets better. You don’t have to go over and under in search of fiber rich foods. You can get your fiber fix by following these simple tips:

Do not sieve the flour
Eat whole fruits over a glass of juice
Choose whole grains and whole pulses
Eat more vegetables
Do not peel the edible portion of the fruit for example -apple,guava,pear ,peaches
Make soups and salads your best friends

3. Choose healthier versions of your favorite food

Instead of these	Choose these
White bread	Brown bread
Normal roti	Bran roti/multigrain roti
Meat	Fish
Normal rice/parboiled rice	Brown rice
Sugary or flavored cornflakes	Plain cornflakes/oats
Sugar	Jaggery/honey
Mayonnaise veg sandwich	Hungcurd vegetable sandwich
Normal chocolate	Dark chocolate
Creamy cheesy dip	Salsa dip
Whole milk	Skimmed milk
Salted nuts	Unsalted nuts
Soda	Salted fresh lime
Potato sticks	Raw veggie sticks
Fried chicken	Grilled chicken
White pasta	Whole wheat pasta
Fruit juices	Whole fruits

It surely can be very difficult to do away with all your favorite meals. Instead of doing away totally, you can instead opt for close alternatives as shown above. Choose the healthier version of your favorite meals and you’ll thank yourself for it.

4. Say “NEVER AGAIN” to Trans-fat: Trans-fat is basically obtained chemically by the hydrogenation of oils. It will make your condition worse!

To avoid trans-fats, avoid these; Chips, Cookies, Pasteries, Margarine.

Incorporate healthy fats by following these simple methods

Introduce olive oil,rice bran over butter or ghee
Chicken lovers dont forget to remove the skin of it
Prefer healthy ways of cooking such as grilling,baking and roasting over fried
Enhance flavour of food by using more of herbs and spices instead of oil,that will not only give you good taste but also prevent you from consuming extra oil as well as provide you benefits of antioxidants
Prefer fish over red meat as it is full of good fat
Serve fish 2 or 3 times week instead of red meat.
Use hung curd as dressing over mayonnaise
Prefer baked chips over fried

5. Choose Low-glycemic index foods

Glycemic Index – Glycemic index refers to the rate at which a particular food raises our blood glucose levels. Foods with high GI spike our blood glucose level and vice-a-versa. Again, fiber is your hero! Fiber rich foods have lower glycemic index – another reason why you should take them.

Low GI Sources- Whole nuts , whole cereals, cherries, oatmeal, apple,vermicelli,whole dals,prunes, yoghurt plain, soymilk,whole milk,peaches,channa dal,peanuts.

6. Eat small but frequently – The logic here is, heavy meals spike our glucose levels. So small frequent meals will keep our metabolism high, while maintaining glucose levels.

7.Walk and Exercise are your best friends

Exercise is important as it helps to maintain IBW which is very important for diabetics. Exercising helps your weight loss efforts, and is especially important in maintaining IBW.

8.Limit only high caloric fruits

Except for some fruits like mango,banana,chikoo; one can eat any fruit but in prescribed amounts only.

9. Use functional foods in the diet– These foods provide “extra benefits” to your diet. Apart from nutrition, it provides you a number of benefits. Functional foods are full of antioxidants, unsaturated fatty acids and are also rich in fiber. So do not forget to include them in your diet. Foods like mustard seeds, flax seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, cinamion,cloves, chia seeds.

10. Before sleeping ask yourself the following questions:

Am I taking too much of alcohol? If the answer is no, then you are okay.

Am I taking medication properly? If yes, give yourself a pat on the back

My feet are clean? No? Then rush to the bathroom!

Am I feeling stressed? If your answer is yes? Chill with music and take deep breaths. Remember nothing comes at the cost of your health and ensure you feel some relief.

Have I checked my weight?

Did I walk for 45 minutestoday? If yes, you’ve done well. Feel good about it because you are on track to eliminate your diabetes

Now,time for sleep… Proper timing is essential. Get good sleep.

You can gain control over diabetes by living healthy. Eating in moderation and eating healthy can go a long way in really giving you good results.

April 20, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 4 Comments

“My dream project has been to trek to EBC”

Jitu Arora with several of his Marathon medals

From running marathons and half marathons for several years and then suddenly becoming inactive, to weighing 95 kgs and not being able to walk even 10000 steps is scary isn’t it? Jitender Arora has been through this scary phase until one day when he realized being scared is doing no good to him. And rest, as they say, is history…. Let’s here from Jitender how he brought about a healthy change in himself and getting back to being his old fit self. Jitender’s story in his own words.

For almost a decade I stayed in the US and the UK till about 2011. During, my days abroad I was extremely fit. I indulged in a lot of outdoor activities and ran marathons and half marathons regularly. I had finished 3 full marathons and a dozen half marathons. My downfall started when I shifted back to India. I got huge responsibilities at work. I was looking at functions with multiple geographies and too much traveling and erratic eating habits took a toll on me. Due to lack of any physical activity, I had also cultivated a few habits that I should not have. All this led me to put on weight and my lifestyle was also very stressful. Overall, very unhealthy. I weighed 95 kgs and wasn’t even able to complete 10,000 steps in a day it used to be a very tough task.

I joined GOQii in May 2014. The band was a gift from my wife on my birthday. She watched the review by Rajeev Makhani on NDTV and thought I needed it. She was right, I definitely needed it because I was overweight and was not really into fitness.

But, to be honest I started using it seriously only when Shimpli my coach told me about the 100 Km trail walk to be held in December 2014. I thought that is a good challenge to give myself and I started training for it. I had decided I will walk and see if I can complete it. If not, it would just be about meeting few other like-minded people and that will give me an extra dose of motivation. I seriously trained for the trail walk.

I also started with yoga and strength training because I felt just cardio was not working for me and I wanted more of a complete turnaround. I got back to my running and back to running Marathons.

On the day of the trail walk, I was confident I could do this walk within 48 hours and do it in a pretty decent time. I was only hopeful because of the training, the coaching support and the device itself helped me kind of understand my goals better and I started pushing myself a little bit more in terms of being more active by changing my lifestyle, changing my eating habits, hydrating better. A lot of these small suggestions by my coach has helped a great deal in the past one and a half years.

Ever since I got back to my healthy self, I have been challenging myself to do various things. I did the 100 KM trail walk twice in two consecutive years, I have done 12-13 half marathons in last few months, I have done the devil’s circuit in Gurgaon. My next big challenge is to trek the Everest Base Camp. And, I am going this May. I have always loved the mountains. I have done a couple of small treks. I guess for every individual who loves the mountains’ their dream is always to get close to Mount Everest. So my dream project has been to trek to EBC. It’s going to be challenging for me but, more than anything I think I am going to come back more knowledgeable and fitter and perhaps be more appreciative of the nature.

I am looking forward to my EBC trek as I am going with few other GOQii players. I treat them as my second family so that’s again a comfort factor for me.

What does Coach Shimpli Patil have to say about Jitender Arora?

Jitender is one of the most vibrant and cheerful people I have ever known. He became a part of the GOQii ecosystem in the very initial days of GOQii. When I spoke to him for the first time, he expressed that he was a very active person while in the US, but lost track of any kind of physical activity once he came back to India. He was thus aiming to get back to his fitness again. We started with some simple cardio exercises and later moved on to interval training with intense core strengthening. The best aspect was even though we wouldn’t communicate every single day, he made sure he caught up with his workouts and astounded me by sharing his workout summary at the end of the week.

We also focused on his eating habits, especially his pre and post workout meals. After a few months of coming on board the GOQii platform, Jitender registered himself for the 100 km Mumbai Oxfam Trail walk, we teamed up together. At no point in time, did I see Jitu losing his motivation to complete the walk? His energy levels started dipping, his feet started giving up, his body started aching but, his willpower was strong and that kept him going and he successfully completed the trail walk.

It did not stop here. Soon after he got himself into various activities including 10 k run (TCS Bangalore), 10 Half Marathons- including Standard Chartered, One 15 KM trail Run, 100 km Mumbai Oxfam Trail walk once again, one 30 Km Road Run (Gurgaon) and one Devils Circuit (NCR 2016) and the list continues!…he is currently preparing for his big Everest Base Camp. Jitu is a great inspiration to many, and is a perfect example of how to reconnect to the disconnected path, and stay up to it!