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“I Made a Positive U-Turn In My Life” – Aurobindo Saha

Aurobindo Saha

He is 40 years of age, 5 ft 4 in and weighed 88kg with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and was a pre-diabetic. He was a sure shot recipe for disaster. But, as they say, better late than never! The first thing Aurobindo Saha did was that he quit smoking. He realized it was just a matter of saying ‘I Can’. Soon thereafter, he started an exercise routine and the result of all the hard work is that today he has lost weight, he is a runner and he is a positive example for others!  Let us hear his story of transformation in his own words.   

Quoting from the movie The God Father II, “Good health is the most important thing. More than success, more than money, more than power”. We human beings, who are so insignificant in the entire universe, however, claim ourselves to be the most intelligent living beings, forget this very fact. What a pity that is.

My story was somewhat this – 5 years ago, I weighed 88kg and had all the possible medical issues such as high cholesterol, high LDL, high blood pressure, getting nearly diabetic – not the best combinations one can have. However, I came to my senses sooner and quit smoking first. I quit not because of these medical issues but one day, I just decided I had enough of smoking. This is when I got the feeling ‘I Can’.

I soon started to exercise and lost some weight. But, I was unable to sustain the momentum, the routine I had started and sprung back to weighing 90kg with a blood report that guaranteed me a heart attack any day. My doctor only told me ‘come back to your senses’.

aurobindo saha_Manhattan

Running with the Manhattan Skyline in the background

Coming Back to My Senses

This is when I started thinking seriously about what could I possibly do to reverse my situation. I came across GOQii as the ‘manna from heaven’. I needed an overhaul of my present self and needed a complete lifestyle change assistance and GOQii seemed like the perfect fit. Earlier, I had a pedometer but that did not help. For a drastic lifestyle change, a step-monitoring machine like a pedometer and regular fitness band can help to some extent, but the most important help you can get is from the person who guides you in your everyday routine.

Aurobindo saha_swiss alps

Running in the Swiss Alps

This is where technology meets human. GOQii provided me with a coach who hand held me through the journey from October 2016 onwards. Today, I am clearly a much healthy person having lost weight, using the fitness band and following my coach’s advice. Occasionally, I go in for a Doctor Consultant as well to show my blood reports.

With GOQii and my Coach’s expertise and help with nutrition charts, exercise and cardio workout suggestions, constant motivation, vigilant monitoring of what I am eating and when I am sleeping, I am happy to say that I made a positive U-turn in my life.

I run not only to keep myself fit but also to feed my soul. As a traveler, I run where I get a chance and with every run, I build everlasting memories of raw, natural beauty experienced in places across the globe. Each step in these runs brings me closer to the goal of living a healthy lifestyle.

aurobindo saha

Aurobindo’s Medical chart 

I now weigh 69kg, my cholesterol, LDL, HDL, sugar level and BP are all normal.  Initially, I reduced 20kg in 5 months of being on GOQii.

What Did Aurobindo Saha’s Coach Say About Him?

“Achievement is impossible without dedication!”

These words aptly describe Aurobindo Saha. His dedication and excellent willpower have always enabled him to achieve great milestones in areas of health and other areas of life as well. His health journey started with a health goal of weight loss, reduction of cholesterol and blood pressure. Thanks to his motivation, we could achieve much more than what we had planned.

The mere weight loss came along with a host of other lifestyle changes such as improved water intake and sleep quality, timely meals, regular exercise, etc. His doting efforts to log in his daily activities, food and water enabled me to keep a close watch on his lifestyle. With his readiness and enthusiasm to learn and inculcate new habits, he has managed to achieve milestones that will have a lasting impact on his life. I salute his dedication and brilliant self-control!

We hope Aurobindo Saha’s journey inspires you! If you want to share your journey to a healthier you with GOQii, click here and fill the form!

#BeTheForce

 

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Healthy Eating: Recipes With Healthy Fats

recipes with healthy fatsIn the previous blog, we saw how Healthy Fats Are Good For Us. We now know that a nutritious eating plan doesn’t mean cutting out all fat, just focusing on healthier varieties. Not sure how to get started? How about some easy & delicious recipes that would not only add “Healthy Fats” to your intake but also satisfy your taste buds?

Try these recipes with healthy fats!

1. Salad with Flaxseed Oil Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Chopped Romaine Lettuce – 3 cups
  • Mixed Green Vegetables – 2 cups
  • Flaxseed oil – ¼ cup
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Soy Sauce, Low Sodium, Wheat-free – 2 tablespoons
  • 100% Maple Syrup – 1 tablespoon
  • Ground black pepper – ¼ teaspoon
  • Sea salt – ¼ teaspoon

Directions:

  1. Chop greens and place in a large salad bowl.
  2. Drizzle Flaxseed oil directly on greens and rotate bowl to evenly coat the greens with the oil.
  3. Squeeze the juice of one lemon directly onto the greens.
  4. Add soy sauce and maple syrup into bowl.
  5. With clean hands, toss the salad to evenly distribute the Flaxseed oil dressing throughout the salad.
  6. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Serve immediately in colorful salad bowls.

My Special Tip:  To fully enjoy, create a salad bar that includes some great toppings, including cherry tomatoes, grapes, sliced reduced-fat cheddar cheese, cucumbers and thinly chopped red, orange and yellow bell peppers.

2. Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Fat-free Chocolate Milk or Low-fat Chocolate Soy Milk – 1 cup
  • Ripe Banana – 1
  • Peanut Butter – 1 tablespoon
  • Ice Cubes – 4 to 6

Directions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor.
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Serve Cold

3. Kale Salad with Fresh Strawberries and Toasted Almonds

Ingredients:

  • Kale Leaves – 1 large bunch (9 cups bite-sized pieces kale leaves)
  • Juice of 1 medium orange, divided
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, divided – ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon
  • Pinch of salt
  • Orange Zest – 1 tablespoon
  • Honey – 2 teaspoons
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Sliced strawberries (or blueberries, blackberries or raspberries) – 1 cup
  • Dried currants or raisins – ¼ cup
  • Slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted – ¼ cup

Directions:

  1. Remove and discard center ribs and stems from kale leaves. Tear kale leaves into bite-sized pieces.
  2.  Combine kale, half of orange juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Massage kale by scrunching small amounts with your clean hands, then releasing and repeating. With massaging, kale will soften, somewhat deepen in color and become more fragrant.
  4. Make the dressing by whisking remaining orange juice, orange zest, honey and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk remaining ¼ cup olive oil into the juice mixture to combine well. Set aside.
  5. Pour the dressing over kale. Add strawberries, currants and toasted almonds. Toss gently.
  6. Let salad ingredients marinate for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

4. Avocado Chicken Salad with Kale

Ingredients:

  • Shredded Rotisserie Chicken – 1 cup
  • Half Avocado Chunked
  • Lemon Juice – 2 teaspoons
  • Chopped Dill (Shepu) – 1 teaspoon
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1 teaspoon
  • Kale, torn into bite-sized pieces – 1 cup

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, massage the kale with olive oil. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
  2. In another bowl, toss together chicken, avocado, lemon juice and dill, breaking down the avocado slightly for a creamier texture.
  3. Top kale with chicken salad and serve.

That’s it! Do try these delicious recipes with healthy fats and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

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6 Health Benefits of Playing Sports

health benefits of sports

Do you remember the days when you were active and indulged in sports. Be it a game of football or cricket in your alley or shooting 3 pointers at your college’s basketball court, running all over the place with your friends created cherished memories. If this was an integral part of your childhood, you are familiar with the health benefits of playing sports!

Sports ensures that you are active both mentally and physically. As you grow older, sometimes due to responsibilities, work, family or other reasons, we tend to give up on our favorite hobby. We have seen so many cases where a person who used to play a sport, gave up and gained weight.

In most cases, once they began playing their favorite sport once again, their body accelerated much faster than the others and they lost all the stubborn fat they couldn’t get rid of otherwise. This happens primarily because your cells have the memory of being active. Remember that it is never too late to start again! 

Sports as an extracurricular activity in school and college not only gave you a break from your studies but also helped you get healthier. How you ask? Let’s find out!

6 Health Benefits of Playing Sports

  1. It teaches you to be patient, have a fighting spirit, and never settle for less in life.
  2. Studies show that, children who have been into sports or are blessed with super active genes are quick learners, very social, perform better at any given task, are more attentive in class and their grasping powers are much better than the others.
  3. Sports at an early age helps in life-long fitness habits.
  4. Earlier it was believed that any type of physical exertion can make a person feel more tired and less attentive. This belief was nothing more than a myth. Active people are more intellectual and perform better as compared to sedentary people.
  5. Looking at the growing occurrence of Teenage Obesity, sports can be a great and fun way to help them get back into shape.
  6. Any sport or activity will give you a dash of endorphins, reducing any kind of stress and keeping you happy!

So don’t sit back and think you’re too old for this or too old to get back to the sport you love! Wake up your inner child, grab your equipment, play a sport and encourage those around you to as well!

Happy National Sports Day!

#BeTheForce

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Should You Go Grain-Free?

grain-free

In the past few years, imperical evidence emerged, coaxing us to stay away from all the foods we enjoyed so much in order to live a strong, healthy and disease-free life. Now, along with sugar, fats and diary, you even have grains joining the list of dietary outcasts. How did this happen? Is it necessary? Let’s find out if you should go grain-free!

What is Grain-Free?

Have you ever thought about skipping rice, chapati or your favorite rotis for losing weight quickly? Ever skipped all grains which includes wheat and its products, corn, rice, jowar, ragi, and bajra? That is called going grain-free. It is when you eliminate all grains from your diet.

If you have followed a specific diet like Keto or Paleo, you know that they involve skipping grains. Another reason people avoid grains is the discomfort in digesting them. The specific known culprit is Wheat! But there is hardly any reason enough that suggests grains are unhealthy or promote weight gain.

Are There Any Benefits of Going Grain-Free?

The immediate benefit of going grain-free is that you will notice some weight loss and reduction in bloating. 80% of dry matter of grains is carbohydrates. Reduced intake of excess carbohydrates helps in reducing weight quickly as it also reduces water retention. Hence, skipping grains makes you feel light. It works for short-term weight loss.

However, if you want to go for long-term weight loss, skipping grains might not be such a great idea as it may lead to nutritional deficiency. Whole grains are a major source of Vitamin B in our diet. Restricting it for a long time may lead to deficiency and cause problems. Going grain-free is not for every person. You can get the same benefits by skipping sugar and processed foods. For long term weight loss, go for grains!

What to Watch Out For!

If you are insistent on going grain-free, then plan your diet in such a way that you can cope with the vitamin loss. For instasnce, include green vegetables in your diet. You can go grain-free for a specific period but avoid going long term. Remember that eating whole grains is good for your heart and it reduces the risk of cancer as well.

If you are skipping grains due to digestive discomfort, then take the IgA anti-gliadin antibodies test to see if you have gluten sensitivity followed by endoscopy to check for celiac disease.

Gluten is a protein present in wheat and it will cause you discomfort if you have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. If you have either of these conditions, avoid wheat, rye and barley. You can safely eat other grains.

To sum it up, you can enjoy eating rice, idli and parathas in moderation. Avoid refined cereal!

We hope this article helps you come to a conclusion on whether you should go grain-free or not! Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

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