Archives for April 2020

April 30, 2020 By Palak Mittal 5 Comments

Does Apple Cider Vinegar Really Promote Weight Loss?

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has gained a lot of popularity for its weight loss properties but the real question is, does it really help one lose weight? Before we delve deeper into that, let’s understand what ACV is.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

ACV is acidic in nature due to its main component of acetic acid. It is prepared by the fermentation of crushed apples. It is the acetic acid which has numerous health benefits. Some of these include:

Helps controlling blood sugar levels: Acetic acid present in Apple Cider Vinegar can improve the ability of the liver to utilize sugar more efficiently from the blood.
Decreases insulin levels: If the ratio of insulin and glucagon reduces, it helps in increasing the fat burning process. This is done by acetic acid.
Helps in boosting metabolism: which increases the fat burning process.
It reduces fat storage and suppresses appetite resulting in low intake of food.
Controls blood pressure naturally
Helps in reducing bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol (HDL).
Alleviates the symptoms of PCOS.

What Does Research Say?

One of the researches done on humans (Japanese) states that Apple Cider Vinegar can really help in reducing weight and body fat.

Researchers gave 1 Tbsp (15ml) of ACV, 2Tbsp (30ml) of a placebo drink daily to 144 obese Japanese adults for 12 weeks, along with their usual diet and exercise routine. After 12 weeks, it was found that those who consumed 15ml of ACV per day reduced 1.2kgs, 0.7% of body fat, 0.5” of the waist and 26% Triglycerides. Those who consumed 30ml of ACV per day reduced 1.7kgs of weight, 0.9% body fat, 0.75” waist and 26% Triglycerides (same as 15ml).

On the other hand, those who were fed the placebo increased 0.4kgs and slight increment in waist circumference too.

So, the bottom line is that 1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar per day can lead to weight loss and the reduction in body fat percentage, belly fat, and blood triglycerides.

How Do You Add ACV to Your Routine?

Mix 15-30ml of ACV in a full glass of water. However, it is always advised to break the doses 2-3 times a day preferably, at least 15 mins before a meal. If you can’t drink it due to its pungent taste and smell, then it can be used:

As a salad dressing with olive oil
For pickling of vegetables

Please Note: Do not consume ACV directly. Always dilute before consuming to avoid burning of the throat and stomach lining due to the strong acid. Also, excessive usage of apple cider vinegar may be harmful due to the acid content. Always consume within the safe limits or else it may lead to the erosion of teeth enamel and loss of potassium.

We hope this article helps you. Before you begin using Apple Cider Vinegar, do consult your doctor, nutritionist or dietitian. To know more about ACV, browse through classes by nutrition experts on GOQii Play. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

#BeTheForce

April 29, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Shreyans Ravrani Shifts From Illness to Wellness!

At the age of 38, Shreyans Ravrani led a lifestyle which wasn’t very different from the working professionals of his age group. As a Gujarati, his diet involved regular consumption of oily food and sweets, something he never realized can be detrimental to his health. He didn’t maintain portion control nor eat a balanced meal. Physical activity was almost nil and to add to it, his stress and sleep were negatively impacted due to work pressure and traveling.

He had joined GOQii in 2017 as he found the personal coaching feature appealing but did not stick to his plans or take being healthy seriously. In June 2019, Shreyans Ravrani was diagnosed with high cholesterol and fatty liver disease. He was faced with 2 options – either live with the prospect of lifelong medication or adopt a healthier lifestyle. He chose the latter and his life changed since then.

Making Positive Changes

Shreyans Ravrani realized he had to reduce his weight. He weighed 77kg with a BMI of 29. In order to get healthy, he renewed his subscription with GOQii in July 2019 and got more serious about utilizing personal coaching. He already was consulting a dietitian and he started to validate all her suggestions and inputs with his GOQii coach.

These were the changes he incorporated:

Took sugar and fried food off his diet
His breakfast included oats or idli.
For lunch, he reduced his chapatti intake to 3 and included lots of salad and buttermilk
For dinner, he mostly had soup or a light khichdi.
He stopped snacking on processed foods and shifted to fruits, roasted chana or makhana along with green tea.
He began walking for 2km every day but that wasn’t enough to burn fat. So he began running in August. Initially he felt breathless after 350m. By November, he could run 5km a day. From a strenuous activity, his running time now became his “Me-Time”.

As a Jain, he was used to fasting which helped him control his hunger pangs even as he reduced his meal portion. He says, fasting gives you mental strength and distracts you from the thought of food, which he was able to do successfully.

Levelling Up The Game!

By November 2019, Shreyans Ravrani participated in and completed his first 10k run within 65 minutes. In December 2019, he did it again but completed it in 60 minutes. He was happy that he managed to beat his previous time so quickly.

Between July – November 2019, he had reduced 14kg. Seeing this, his coach had to ask him to cut down on his running and add some strength training routine to his workout. He ensures that he completes his quota of running by spot jogging at home even during lockdown!

He regularly participates in health challenges organized by GOQii with the GOQii App from time to time including the current 30 Day Quarantine Burn Challenge.

What Does Shreyans Ravrani Have to Say About His GOQii Coach?

Shreyans is extremely thankful to his GOQii Coach for her contribution towards his transformation. He thinks the best part is that he can ask questions as and when they arise in his mind and get them answered by an expert quickly. She is also a constant motivator, following up with his habits, progress as well as guiding him in the right direction. He feels it helps when you have someone monitoring your habits and giving you timely feedback.

What Changes Does He See in Himself?

Apart from weight loss and his vitals returning to normal, he says the complete change of mindset towards health and fitness is worth it! His entire family is now more aware and diet conscious. Every member makes sure to burn off extra calories as and when they indulge.

Do you want to make a lifestyle change as well? Download the GOQii App and subscribe now.

For more inspiring user journeys, read here: https://goqii.com/blog/category/user-stories/

#BeTheForce!

April 28, 2020 By GOQii 1 Comment

Sangeeta Jajodia goes from a Simple Housewife to a Super Woman!

They say being a housewife is a full time job, and quite rightly so. As one among many, 52 year old Sangeeta Jajodia from Mumbai, led a very busy life. Her routine revolved around tending to the needs and demands of her grown up children, cooking, cleaning and regular household chores. During her free time, she watched TV or browsed through her mobile – this is how she summed up her life before GOQii.

Apart from her daily chores and normal walks which were required, she never indulged in any physical activity. She had no restrictions on food, she would sleep late and wake up early to prepare food for her kids. All of this led to acidity, cholesterol, fatty liver and weight gain. She says that she had never been underweight nor obese.

In 2017, after a family wedding when browsing through the pics, she realized that she had gradually put on a lot of weight. She decided that she needs to lose weight. Not knowing where to start, she decided walking was the one thing she could do. Seeing her interest, her son gifted her a GOQii and with it, a key to a new life which began taking shape from January 2018.

Life after GOQii

Initially, Sangeeta Jajodia was very reluctant to follow her GOQii Coach’s instructions – even simple things such as adding a salad and fruits to her diet – something she hadn’t done before. Slowly, she began adding salads to her dinner and her lunch as well. Now, she includes them daily.

Apart from adding salads to her diet, some of the changes included:

Adding fruits in between her main meals to avoid the long gap she used to have before.
She had to exercise portion control while eating her meals.
Drinking 2 cups of green tea and cinnamon water before going to bed
Eat dinner by 8 PM
Regularize eating and sleep timings
Apple detox twice a week which includes adding a few pieces of apple and cinnamon powder to a jug full of water, leaving it overnight and consuming that water throughout the day. On these days, she avoids grains and dairy products
1 hour walk every day and does basic home workouts shared by her GOQii Coach
She takes her 10k step target seriously and walks even if she’s on vacation.

Sangeeta Jajodia Makes the Shift!

After implementing all of the small lifestyle modifications suggested by her GOQii Coach, Sangeeta Jajodia witnessed a lot of positive changes in her life. To begin with, her weight had reduced from 82kg to 73kg within a year of joining GOQii. Furthermore, her acidity was gone completely. Her cholesterol and fatty liver levels are in the normal range. Apart from this, she has participated in 4 5k runs and 1 8k run last year.

What Does Sangeeta Think About Her GOQii Coach?

Sangeeta completely trusts her GOQii Coach and follows her instructions and guidance diligently. Her coach follows up with her every day and reprimands her if she doesn’t follow a habit or cheats on her diet. What Sangeeta likes the most is that if she is in a difficult situation, her GOQii Coach modifies her habits – for instance, when Sangeeta’s mother-in-law was sick and she was stressed, her GOQii Coach asked her to start with breathing exercises and meditation which really helped her out during that time. Constant suggestions and a customized solution like this is what appeals to Sangeeta the most!

Like Sangeeta Jajodia, do you want to make a positive lifestyle change as well? Download the GOQii App and subscribe to our service now!

For more inspiring user journeys, read here: https://goqii.com/blog/category/user-stories/

#BeTheForce

April 27, 2020 By Namrata Gullapalli Leave a Comment

Turn Everyday Chores Into Workouts

Social distancing can be really hard and not being able to burn all those calories while lying around at home is just unfair. Many of us don’t have any exercise equipment at home, so it’s all the more difficult to get a good workout. Well, a great way to kill two birds with one stone is to turn your daily chores into workouts.

If you haven’t seen it already, our GOQii Play coaches did a fine job of turning some of their chores into workouts. You can find those videos on our social media pages but for now, let’s see how we can turn household chores into workouts!

Sweeping & Mopping: Tune in to music and turn up the heat! Grab that mop and start dance cleaning like some good ol’ cliché in a movie, yes? NO! Instead throw away that mop, get down on your fours with a washcloth and start scrubbing those tiles. Now, this is where the gut wrenching part comes in. So all done yet? Well, Congratulations! You have successfully burnt 145 calories per 15 minutes. And for sweeping you don’t need a vacuum cleaner! Use a broom for that extra burn!
Cooking: Considering the fact that you are on a preventive healthcare platform, I assume that you are not on any fast, pre-cooked or any kind of junk food. If you aren’t then it is good for you, especially in this situation it’s good for you 2X times! As working on a good home cooked meal can help you vaporise 75 calories including all the cutting, pounding, whisking, stirring etc.
Dish Washing: Now that we have gone through the gut-wrenching part, let me introduce you to the back-bending section. Washing the dishes is a comparatively peaceful activity and needs to be done with a peaceful mind. Although you wouldn’t notice your stiff back until you are done with your chore. It is completely worth it when you finish your washing and crash on your sofa having burnt a total of 100-120 calories within 30 minutes. But don’t worry about your stiff back; it’s just your lazy muscles bent over the sink continuously.
Laundry: Doing the laundry will never feel the same once you know of its health benefits. You can burn up to 78 calories in one hour by just loading and unloading the washing machine, including hanging up the clothes for drying, which equals to 50 sit-ups. Those who prefer washing clothes by hand, you’ll be surprised to know that you can burn anywhere between 100 to 220 calories in 30 minutes. Besides, your arms will get toned from all that scrubbing, rinsing and twirling. Squat while washing clothes, your quads and calves will get a good workout too.
Ironing: With laundries in lockdown, you’re going to have to iron clothes yourself. There are some perks in it! Apart from burning 60 calories in 20 minutes, it tones your biceps. Also, note that standing rather than sitting while ironing your clothes will help you burn calories as well as wake those core muscles.

Now that you have read how you can turn your household chores into workouts, you’re all set for a healthy lockdown. You can help us a little by sharing these tips to your close ones and also by letting us know your thoughts in the comments below!

If you want an extra burn, you can also try these 5 workouts you can do at home.

Stay home, stay safe, get active and #BeTheForce!