Archives for August 2019

August 31, 2019 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

“I Made a Positive U-Turn In My Life” – 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’.

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.

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’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

August 28, 2019 By Pradnya Shinde Leave a Comment

Should You Go 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

August 24, 2019 By GOQii 2 Comments

Win a Backpack Within 1 Day in the India Health Quiz

If you have been actively participating in the GOQii India Health Quiz, you are well aware of the awesome rewards and the points required to claim them. Recently, we came across a user who was able to win a Backpack within 1 day. Sounds impossible? It isn’t.

Let’s see how this user won a backpack within 1 day!

Doing the Math

If the target points required to win a backpack is 500, then ideally you will have to play 10 quizzes and get all the answers right. But you only begin with 15 keys to participate in the quiz. It is possible to not get all the answers right or even get eliminated in the first round.

There’s a possibility that you might have to play around 20+ quizzes. So how exactly did this player get more keys?

Collecting Keys

A new player begins with 15 keys. To get more, this player engaged in the various activities required to earn more keys. He began with completing his 6000 steps target and collected 4 keys.

He then proceeded to take the HRA test within the app to earn an additional 10 keys. This brought the total number of keys he possessed up to 29, which meant he could play 29 quizzes. He also went on to invite 2 of his friends to download the app using his referral code. This gave him 10 additional lives as well.

Playing and Claiming a Backpack

Once he was geared up with everything he needed, he played 21 quizzes. He scored:

50 in 4 quizzes
30 in 7 quizzes
15 in 4 quizzes
5 in 6 quizzes

This brought his total points to 500. During the course of the quiz, he lost some lives but was able to win a backpack within 1 day using this technique! Although he was informed that the backpack would reach him within 2 weeks, he was happy to receive it within 6 working days.

That’s it! Winning a backpack in the GOQii India Health Quiz is that easy! If you put your mind to it, nothing is impossible.

Try using this technique and let us know if you were able to win a backpack in the comments below! There’s a live quiz every 30 minutes and lots of opportunities to earn keys and lives every day!

What are you waiting for? Invite your friends, complete your tasks and #BeTheForce in the GOQii India Health Quiz.

August 22, 2019 By Navnee Garg 1 Comment

Healthy Fats vs. Unhealthy Fats: Weight Loss, Heart Health & More

“Fat” used to be a bad word in nutrition. Years ago, your doctor might have recommended that you limit or avoid fat in your diet. You will be surprised to know that all fats aren’t bad. In fact, some ‘healthy fats’ lower your cholesterol level and help keep you healthy.

What are Dietary Fats?

Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth. They also help protect your organs and help keep your body warm. Fats help your body absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones too. Your body definitely needs fat.

Healthy Fats vs Unhealthy Fats

Since fats are an important part of a healthy diet, rather than adopting a low-fat diet, it’s more important to focus on eating more beneficial “good” fats and limiting harmful “bad” fats.

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are known as the “good fats” or “healthy fats” because they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your overall health. Adding more of these healthy fats to your diet may help to make you feel more satisfied after a meal, reducing hunger and thus promoting weight loss.

Sources: Olives, Avocado, Nuts, Peanut butter, flaxseed, walnut, soymilk, tofu.

Unhealthy or “Bad” fat are the Trans Fats. Small amounts of naturally occurring Trans Fats can be found in meat and dairy products but it is artificial Trans Fats that are considered dangerous. This is the worst type of fat since it not only raises bad LDL cholesterol but also lowers good HDL levels.

Sources: Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough, Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded fish), Anything containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, even if it claims to be “Trans Fat-Free”.

Saturated fats, while not as harmful as Trans Fats, can raise bad LDL cholesterol and too much can negatively impact heart health, so it’s best consumed in moderation.

Sources: Red meat, butter, ice cream, chicken skin.

Tips to Add More Healthy Fats to Your Diet

Instead of obsessively counting fat grams, aim for a diet rich in a variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts, and beans, with two or more weekly servings of fatty fish, moderate amounts of dairy, small amounts of red meat, and only occasional fried or processed meals.

Say NO to Trans Fats from your diet. Check food labels for Trans Fats. Limiting commercially-baked goods and fast food can go a long way.
Limit your intake of saturated fats by replacing some of the red meat you eat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish, and switching from whole milk dairy to lower fat versions.
Prefer Omega-3 Fats: Include a variety of fish sources as well as plant sources such as walnuts, ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil.
Cook With Olive Oil: Use olive oil for stovetop cooking rather than butter, stick margarine, or lard. For baking, try canola oil.
Eat More Avocados: Try them in sandwiches or salads. Along with being loaded with heart- and brain-healthy fats, they make for a filling meal.
Go Nuts: You can add nuts to vegetable dishes, use them instead of breadcrumbs on chicken or fish, or make your own trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.
Snack on Olives: Olives are high in healthy monounsaturated fats and make for a low-calorie snack.
Dress Your Own Salad: Commercial salad dressings are often high in unhealthy fat or added sugars. Create your own healthy dressings with olive, flaxseed, or sesame oils.

We hope this article helps you make more informed decisions on eating healthy fats. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Want to know some Healthy Fat based recipes? Stay tuned for the next part of the article!