About ASHWINI PRAKASH CHAUDHARI

Ashwini believes that Fitness is key to all good things in life and wants to lead a healthy lifestyle for herself and others. According to her positive habits can create a new “YOU” a “HEALTHY YOU”. Armed with a Post Graduate Diploma in Food Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, she is now also pursuing Diabetic Educator Certification. Prior to joining GOQii she has worked as a National Nutrition Group Head and has also had an experience with reputed hospitals, gym and slimming centers. She is adventurous, foodie and loves to travel to new places. She is passionate about Dance and considers it to be one of the best ways to be healthy. She also loves photography and swimming. Ashwini says, “Fitness is not about being better than someone else…. It’s about being better than you used to be”.

June 8, 2020 By ASHWINI PRAKASH CHAUDHARI 5 Comments

A Quick 6 Minute Workout You Can Do Anywhere

It has been over 3 months now that we have been indoors and activity levels haven’t been the same as before. So if you’ve been thinking how you can exercise at home, here’s a quick 6 minute workout to help you out! This 6 minute workout is designed to help you reap all the benefits of a workout using only your body weight, a chair and a wall. You won’t need any special equipment and can perform this routine anywhere! We’d say it’s perfect for the lockdown!

The Quick 6 Minute Workout

Jumping Jacks: This classic cardio move is a great way to warm up. It improves strength and endurance, increases metabolic rate, burns calories and is great for your heart and lungs as well!

Wall Sit: Wall Sits are great in working out the two groups of muscles in your thighs. Repetitions of Wall Sits would naturally give you thighs that can withstand prolonged strenuous activities.

Push-Ups: work many muscle groups at the same time, giving your body a full workout! You can work the quads, hamstrings, calves, chest, shoulders and arms all at the same time with a few push-ups. It stimulates metabolism and blood circulation, allowing you to burn more calories throughout the rest of your workout.

Abdominal Crunch: Crunches work on the Rectus Abdominis Muscles. It is a core working exercise and burns less calories comparatively but, they move in a controlled manner, flexing and releasing the core muscles, thus helping you build abs.

Step Up Onto Chair: This exercise is great for targeting your quad and Gluteus Maximus Muscles, giving you strong, powerful legs.

Squats: are great for a total lower body workout. They effectively work most of the major muscle groups of the butt, hips and thighs. Squats are also a versatile exercise. Squats engage the core muscles of the body. The result is a tighter, flatter abdomen and a stronger lower back.

Triceps Dips On Chair: It is a triceps-strengthening and a most effective body-weight exercise. Dips target your triceps – the muscles on the back of your upper arm.

Planks: help in strengthening the midsection, upper-body and lower-body muscles along the front of your body. Planks also strengthen the inner core muscles that support your joints. It helps in reducing belly fat and back pain. At a time, it works on all your core muscles.

High Knees Running: This is a nice warm-up. High Knees Running on Spot is good practice for runners and athletes to improve running form and develop lower body muscles. It also enhances your strength, speed, balance and flexibility. What’s more? It provides you more energy, burns calories, builds muscles and enhances blood circulation.

Lunges: are easy-to-learn, safe and an incredibly effective exercise. Lunges target the quadriceps, but involve additional muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, calves and core muscles, making them an important exercise for toning the lower body.

Push-Up & Rotation: This exercise is great for building shoulder stabilization and strengthening your entire core. Don’t let your hips drop when you go into side rotation. Try to keep everything in a straight diagonal line throughout.

Side Plank: works your entire core but particularly targets an often weak muscle called the Quadratus Lumborum. It helps to reduce risk for lower back pains, improves your balance and structure.

Perform the above exercises in rapid succession with 20 seconds for each exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest in between. Don’t forget to stretch before you begin!

These 6 minutes that you will give to your body and your health are equal to 0.5% of your day! So go out there and get fit the HIIT way! Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

For more exciting, quick workouts, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to fitness experts on GOQii Play.

Stay home, stay safe, get active and #BeTheForce

May 10, 2019 By ASHWINI PRAKASH CHAUDHARI 4 Comments

Planks: The Quick and Easy Way to Stay Fit!

With everyone’s busy schedule, even squeezing in a 15 minute workout seems like a stretch. Quite honestly, we all want to be fit, lose weight, gain muscle, reduce belly fat or increase stamina and so on but very rarely find the time to do it.

In such a scenario, it is necessary to think about which workouts consume less time but are more effective. There are many exercises that you can perform at any time, anywhere and with no equipment. One such workout that not only keeps you fit but improves your focus, posture, balance and core is a Plank.

Planks strengthen your mid-section, upper-body and lower-body muscles along with the front of your body. It also strengthens the inner core muscles that support your joints. At a time, it works on all your core muscles.

In 2017, I was super excited to participate in my first ever 100km Oxfam Trailwalk. I began practicing regularly and then I realized that I was going through severe back problems. The result of the back pain led to my doctor forbidding me to participate in the Trailwalk and I missed the event.

I kept myself strong and promised that next year I will surely participate in the Trailwalker with a strong back bone. I started doing back strengthening exercises, worked on my diet and after some time I added Plank to my workouts. This workout has helped me to reduce my back pain, improve my posture, balance, and overall fitness.

How To Hold A Plank

Lie face down with forearms on the floor and hands clasped
Extend your legs behind the body and rise up on the toes
Keeping your back straight, tighten the core and hold the position for 30-60 seconds (or as long as you can)

Plank Variations and How to Perform Them

There are different variations for the plank which are a little difficult to perform. Let’s explore them!

Side Plank: Roll to the side and come up on one foot and elbow. Make sure your hips are lifted and the core is engaged. Hang tight for 30-60 seconds (or as long as you can)
Reverse Plank: Start by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Place your palms on the floor, below your shoulders, squeeze your buttocks and thighs, and then push your body up into a reverse plank position. Alternatively, you can begin by placing your elbows rather than your hands on the floor, for a less dramatic lift. Keep your body in a straight diagonal line from your shoulders to heels. Ensure that your hips are in line
Dynamic Prone Plank: Starting with a standard plank position, raise the hips as high as they can go and then lower them back down. Continue this movement for as long as possible. Make sure the Back stays straight and the hips don’t droop.
Plank to Push-Up: Starting in a plank position, place down one hand at a time to lift up into a push-up position, with the back straight and the core engaged. Then, move one arm at a time back into the plank position (forearms on the ground). Repeat alternating the arm that makes the first move
Jumping Jack Planks: There are planks, and then there are planks with pop! Start in a traditional plank (shoulders over the wrists and the body in one straight line) but keep your feet together. Then, simply do jumping jacks with the legs, moving them out to the sides, then back together. Aim for 12-15 hops (out and in is one)

Fun Fact: Just by holding a plank for 30 secs a day, you can make your core stronger. It also helps you lose fat!

One word of caution is being careful when performing planks. Overdoing it could lead to injury. This is important if you have back pain or an injury. If you’re trying it for the first time, get into it slowly and gradually till you can hold the plank for longer duration. The duration can be increased with practice.

Points to Remember

Keep breathing while doing the Plank. In essence, don’t hold your breath
Ensure that your hips, head or shoulders do not drop
Don’t place your hands very close, it can create internal rotation and instability in your shoulder joint
Try to hold the Plank in a proper position for a short duration rather than holding it in a wrong position for a longer time

What do you think? Try out planks and its variations and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

April 20, 2018 By ASHWINI PRAKASH CHAUDHARI 5 Comments

Power of Pomegranate: Very Nutritious

There are many fruits available with good nutritional value and fibre in them. But, while many are seasonal fruits and can be enjoyed only for a specific period of time, there are many others which are available through the year such as apple, banana, pomegranate, etc. Couple of month’s back I wrote about the benefits of an Apple. As every fruit has its own benefits Today, I am going to tell you about the ‘Power of Pomegranate’.

As a fruit, Pomegranates are high in carbohydrates and low in fat than other food groups. It contains no cholesterol or saturated fats. It is a good source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibres. The fruit is also a good source of antioxidant vitamin-C and many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as a Pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), folates, pyridoxine and vitamin K, and minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, and manganese which give a properly balanced nutrition for good health.

Pomegranates have most powerful antioxidants among all fruits. Antioxidants in pomegranates include polyphenols, such as tannins and anthocyanins. In fact, pomegranates may have even more antioxidant power than cranberry juice or green tea.

Pomegranate contains approximately 50 percent of our daily recommended vitamin C, as well as pantothenic acid (B5), which may help us in preventing muscle cramping and insulin resistance. As it is a good source of Vit C and dietary fibre, it improves resistance to outer infections caused by the viruses. Eating pomegranates regularly helps strengthen our immune system in the body and protects us from harmful diseases.

Again, the dietary fibre helps our digestive system becoming smooth and controls bowel movements. It also helps in improving blood circulation in the body. As its low in fat and has zero cholesterol, it helps to reduce the weight. The soluble and insoluble dietary fibre content reduces extra fat deposits all around the body.

Regular consumption of pomegranate is found to be effective against prostate cancer, the antioxidants present in pomegranate help in the combination process of free radicals in the body. Daily intake of pomegranate juice reduces the thickness of fat accumulation in the arteries. So it helps to fight and cure cardiovascular diseases. The fruit’s anti-inflammatory properties protect against asthma, piles, diarrhoea and other diseases. Studies show that pomegranates may have benefits to relieve or protect against depression and osteoporosis.

It’s not only the fruit even its peels have nutritional benefits. In recent times, Chinese researchers have claimed that the pomegranate peel does hold immense potential as it contains double the antioxidants than the fruit pulp contains.

As it is a good source of Vitamin C, the growth agent helps heal wounds and form scar tissue. It acts a protein agent to build body mass and is an important player in the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones and teeth.

1 tbsp of pomegranate peel powder should be taken twice daily with water for preventing bad breath. Again the peel helps in cough relief. The mixture of peel powder in hot water and gargling with that water helps relieve sore throats. The fruit consumption also helps in the prevention of hair fall. Daily intake of pomegranate will also make your skin glow. Because of all these qualities, the pomegranate is called a super fruit.

The pomegranate arils make a perfect garnish for salads and other dishes also. Its juice is used in soups, jellies, sauces and different other types of cakes and its juice also add natural sweetness to the dishes with a unique flavour.

Try them sprinkled over salads, swirled into yogurt, or blended into a smoothie.

You can have pomegranates with a bowl of curd and 2 tsp of Flax seeds.

Spinach and pomegranate salad or juice will be a good combination for detoxifying the body.

So if you have not been having Pomegranate start doing so from now on a daily basis.

October 18, 2017 By ASHWINI PRAKASH CHAUDHARI 2 Comments

Dark Chocolate and its health benefits

Whenever I think about chocolates my taste buds get active and my saliva starts rolling……. And I guess it’s the same with every one of us. From the time we start understanding our taste buds, chocolate is the most common food we crave for and this craving continues even as we age.

People have different choices in chocolates such as milky, Cadbury, jelly, liquor-filled chocolates, dark chocolate, candies, bars etc., but in all these Dark Chocolate is the most nutritious. In 100 grams bar, it contains 50-70% cocoa and 11 grams of fibre. It also has plenty of iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium. However, one should consume it in moderation.

A study conducted by the University of California tested the theory that, as Dark Chocolate is believed to increase your metabolism; these benefits may cancel out the calories consumed. It may not be an obvious food choice for dieters, but research findings suggest that eating dark chocolate in moderation could actually keep you slim. Adults who consumed dark chocolate frequently had a lower BMI (Basal Metabolic Index) than those who didn’t, despite them often eating more calories and not exercising more.

Like tea, dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are compounds that act as antioxidants. Dark chocolate has the type of fat in chocolate may actually increase the good HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and will not increase the bad LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the blood.

Dark Chocolate is our hearts Best Friend. Yes!!! You heard it right our Hearts best friend.

A recent Harvard study concluded that eating dark chocolate may have a reduced benefit on blood pressure. This is likely due to the flavanols found in chocolate that contain at least 50 to 70% cocoa, which appear to result in mild blood vessel dilation. Compounds called phenols are present in cocoa-rich chocolate. These antioxidants are the same as the ones found in red wines.

Dark chocolate is rich in brain-boosting chemicals when you have got a tough exam coming up? Boost your IQ and indulge your taste buds at the same time by snacking on a few squares of chocolate which will help you to improve blood flow to the brain as well as improving their ability to form new memories.

Dark Chocolate not only offers many amazing health benefits, it is also a great pick-me-up snack so can help you stay energized for your workouts. It is high in energy-boosting chemicals including theobromine (a stimulant found in many popular energy drinks) and caffeine. Have 1-2 squares of chocolate in the afternoon or before a workout to help stay energized for a longer period of time.

Skin is the most sensitive organ of our body, the skin creams are great for keeping our skin looking more youthful, they can only do so much; to really keep the wrinkles at bay, you need to look to your diet. Research has suggested that, when it comes to fighting free-radicals, dark chocolate could be even healthier than fruit! When tested and compared to juices from ‘superfruits’ such as blueberries and pomegranate, dark chocolate was found to be higher in antioxidants.

Dark Chocolate makes you happy

Dark Chocolate is known to be high in mood-boosting chemicals and findings published in the scientific journal Nutritional Neuroscience have suggested that the food can even help reduce the symptoms of depression. As we talk about the taste buds when the taste buds are stimulated with pleasurable flavours, there are endorphins released in the brain. These endorphins are the feel-good compounds of the body. Chocolate contains chemicals that cause the brain to release compounds that trigger the ‘feeling of love’.

In moderation, if you consume 2 squares of dark chocolate every day you can continue to be healthy as well as fit for a long period of time.

“Note to self- Eat lots of Chocolate when times get rough and eat even more when times are great.” So always keep a smile on your face, a rainbow in your heart and some dark chocolate on hand! To make healthy lifestyle choices click here.