Healthy Living

October 16, 2018 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

Age no Bar, if you’re determined to achieve your goals

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Transformed Shankar Sabadi

Every day is another chance to get stronger, to get better and to live healthier. At 54 years of age, Shankar Sabadi from Hubli in Karnataka proved that age is just a number if you are really determined in achieving your goals. He joined GOQii on 1^st May 2017 and has turned his life around in an unbelievable fashion.

A businessman by profession, Shankar was not always appealed by the idea of staying healthy. His friend had to persuade him for almost a year before he decided to give it a try. At the age of 54, Shankar was fairly content with his life, not feeling the need to stay healthy. His bigger apprehension of joining a health platform was being asked to restrict himself from doing things and eating stuff that he has been fond of. However, he was aware that it was important to keep an open mind and not give up when starting a health journey. Soon and surely his attitude changed and also the state of his health, in a good way.

Initially, Shankar’s health goals were to reduce his belly fat which was at 46 inches, then reducing the 15 tablets he was popping on a daily basis, improving his calcium levels and lastly getting rid of unhealthy eating habits. Already having a medical history of high blood pressure, he started slow and gradually eased into his regime.

When asked about his routine, this is what Shankar had to say:

“My coach Anagha started by inculcating, simple but healthy habits like having 2tbsp of Sesame seeds daily in the morning, having small and frequent meals, not eating fruits after sunset etc. I also reduced my consumption of salt considering my history with high BP and started taking small walks after every meal. As I started feeling more comfortable with the program, I decided to take my goals a notch higher. I focused on shedding some weight and also burning some belly fat. Though I could have never imagined myself doing any of these earlier and achieving my goal, joining GOQii induced a new-born confidence in me. 8 months into the program, the results were miraculous. I reduced more than 80% belly fat reaching a waist size of 36 inches from 46 inches and also shed 15kgs in weight.”

“My BP is back to normalcy and cholesterol levels dropped significantly. I used to take 8 pills a day for my cholesterol and BP and now I don’t take only 1 for BP. All my other Tabs for calcium and pains etc have also been stopped completely. My stamina and endurance are much better now, I couldn’t walk 100 metres without getting tired but, now I walk to achieve my target of 10000 steps daily. I walk for over 2 km a day. I also completed a trek of 252kms in 6 days, covering an average of 40kms per day and not once did I feel the need for any kind of medical attention. It was a proud moment for me. Overall, it has been a wonderful time for me and I look forward to achieving more and always stay healthy,” he adds.

At this age, it is easy to say Shankar has achieved wonders.

This is what his coach Anagha Kulkarni had to say :

“We started our journey on 1^st May 2017. The most amazing thing about him is that he is very determined and enthusiastic to learn and improve. We focused on his diet primarily and encouraged him to eat more meals but in lesser quantities, from three meals a day, it went up to 5. He has been an active player on the app since the beginning and seeing his determination gives me the incentive to help him further. We maintain a good contact on the app and I get all the data about his meals and activities regularly. I’m very proud of the trek he completed, which would’ve been an impossible task for someone of his age. Now, we are just working on muscle strengthening and maintaining his current health routine.

Shankar Sabadi’s story has set an example for everyone who thinks it’s too late for them, and use their age as an excuse for not leading a healthy lifestyle. As mentioned earlier, age is just a number if you are really determined to make your dreams come true.

“Do not go gentle into that night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light”– Dylan Thomas

October 9, 2018 By Navnee Garg Leave a Comment

Navratri : Keep it Healthy!!

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India with its varied cultures, festivities abound. We just completed lord Ganesha’s festival and now Navratri, where we welcome Goddess Durga, starts from tomorrow, the 10th of October. With festivities come the problem of eating plenty and eating sweets. This Navratri let’s focus on eating healthy as it will help you detoxify your body and also cleanse your mind, leaving you with a great feeling.

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Here are some healthy tips to relish this season:

Prefer small meals and do not starve yourself. Binge on fruits, nuts and juices whenever you are hungry and try to stay away from the sweets, this will help you maintain the glucose levels in the blood.
Hydration is the key to Detoxification. Drink lots of water and fluids like coconut water, lemon water, juices, green tea and buttermilk.
Indulging in fibrous meals helps to reduce the carbohydrate intake. Combine carbohydrate-rich foods like potato, sabudana (Tapioca Sago) with fibre-rich vegetables such as spinach, capsicum, cabbage, tomato, bottle gourd etc. Also, prefer healthy cooking methods like roasting, grilling or baking over deep frying, this helps in avoiding excess fat/oil consumption.
Protein need not be missed, when Amaranth (Daliya) is in the Navratri Include milk porridge or Namkeen daliya (Salted oats) along with the meals to add protein to your plate.
Kuttu (Buckwheat flour) is an excellent combination of carbohydrates (70-75%) and protein (20-25%). Preferring chapattis over pooris will help to avoid acidity or indigestion.
Samak rice (Barnyard millet) is another energy dense option which can be included in any quantity.
Defeating sugar craving with fruit raita (yoghurt), apple kheer, dates, porridge or Samak rice kheer will keep you guilt free.
Healthy snacking can help you get the required vitamins and minerals. Binging on roasted makhanas (fox nut), mixed roasted nuts, baked chips, and roasted peanuts is always better than consuming the fried Navratri Namkeens which are available in the market.
Substituting sugar with jaggery or honey is also a great option.
Opting for skimmed milk over full crème milk will help keep calories in check.

HEALTHY OPTIONS FOR NAVRATRI:

BREAKFAST	MIDMEAL	LUNCH	TEA BREAK	DINNER
Dalia porridge	Coconut water	Grilled vadas with chutney	Green tea with mixed nuts	Paneer (cheese) tikka with vegetables
Fruits kheer	Lemon water	Kuttu roti, sabzi, raita and salad	Tea with roasted makhanas	Milk and fruits
Fruit shake with nuts	Fruit infused water	Baked sabudana Tikki, raita and veggies	Jasmine Tea	A bowl of vegetable and salad
Samak Rice Kheer	Fruit bowl	Samak rice with curd and veggies	Baked chips/ namkeen	Pumpkin and bottle gourd soup

Always prefer homemade meals and avoid “Vrat Special Thalis” (fasting food plates). It is a good way to avoid unnecessary oil and fatty foods. Have a healthy and fruitful Navratri this season and don’t forget to enjoy Garbha, as this dance form is an excellent cardio session.

We at GOQii wish you all a Happy Navratri.

October 5, 2018 By Gitanjali Bahl 3 Comments

Choose the right activity to stay fit

Who does not like to look good and fit? Everyone does. Off late you are also finding many who are conscious about wanting to be active. Many are obsessed with losing weight. All are aware that these changes will not occur overnight and hence exercising is very important.

Exercising regularly is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. It lowers your risk of serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure. It can also tone your figure and improve your sleep. Not only is exercise good for your body, it’s also good for your mind, mood and memory. Walking, doing household chores, climbing the stairs, playing a sport or dancing the night away are all good examples of being active.

Being physically active has other advantages such as easing depression, relieving stress and anxiety, enhancing one’s self esteem and improving one’s overall outlook towards life. You don’t have to spend long, boring hours in a gym to reap these benefits. Whatever your age, health limitations or fitness levels, you can develop an exercise program that’s fun and rewarding and fits well within your life parameters.

If you’re not ready to commit to a structured exercise program, think about physical activity as a lifestyle choice rather than a single task to check off your to-do list. Look at your daily routine and consider ways to sneak in an activity here and there. Even very small activities can add up over the course of a day.

Having said the above, making the right choice of exercise goes a long way in helping one be fit. Making some random choice of exercises can prove to become a deterrent towards you getting fit.

Let me sight few instances of wrong choice of exercises-

1) A person who is on the extreme heavy side ( Overweight) should ideally not op for running as an exercise as it requires to expend more energy and also running will put undue pressure on the joints which will lead to joint damage and injuries.

2) An osteoporotic man who is over 50 years old going to gym to lift weights. Though it is commendable that he is trying to stay active at his age but, lifting heavy weights despite osteoporosis is just straining the joints further.

Another important aspect to take care is never overdo it.

Research has shown that mild to moderate activity is enough to change your life for the better. You don’t have to sweat buckets or run a single step. Moderate activity means:

That you breathe a little heavier than normal, but are not out of breath. For example, you should be able to chat with your walking partner, but not easily sing a song.
That your body feels warmer as you move, but not overheated or very sweaty.

Therefore, making the right choice of exercise is a must.

The factors that are essential for choosing exercises:

-Purpose of exercise

-Age to perform exercises

-Weight

-Interest to exercise

-Medical condition if any

-Daily Routine to be able to spare time for exercise

-Daily Nutritional intake

Always, remember gym is not the only option for one to exercise and stay active. There are exercises that can be done at home, office or a park in the outdoors depending on your interest and purpose.

You can stay Active

-By going for a simple walk

-Brisk walking

-Yoga

-Simple strength and Stretch exercises like push-ups, planks, abdomen exercises that can be done at home

-Aerobics

-Cycling and Hiking

-Play a sport such as Badminton, Tennis, or any other sport

-Play with your kids

-Dancing

-Martial Arts

-and Running

Once you know the purpose to stay active you can automatically choose the right exercise for yourself. Consider all the factors and accordingly make a choice. Preferably if you can get a professional advice before starting on any exercise regime.

October 3, 2018 By Divya Thampi Leave a Comment

Setting Myself Free from Grudges

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Having arrived half an hour ahead of time, I settled in with my laptop, a bottle of drinking water and adjusted the client’s chair carefully at the right angle. With 5 more minutes to go for the first client to arrive, I made a call to the account manager of the company which had hired my services for this project. The arrangement was that I would visit this client’s premises once every fortnight for a few hours. As I had been travelling for the last few weeks, I was resuming service after a month’s interval, and saying “hello” to the account manager seemed like a good idea. With a smile on my face and a tune on my lips, I dialled his number and waited for the response. After about five rings, I heard his voice say “Hello”. With a widening smile, I asked about his health and went on to update him about my arrival at the client site.

Anger

There was a pause on the other side of the line. Wondering if I had lost him, I checked “are you there?” He confirmed that he was. Then sounding sheepish he told me that there had been an oversight on his part and he had forgotten to update me about a change of schedule. Essentially, he was telling me that I wasn’t supposed to be there that day. My smile faltered and eyebrows knitted together, while my mind tried to make sense of what he said. I could hear him carry on saying that my travel expenses would be reimbursed and that he really was sorry about the mix-up. As the full implication of what he was saying dawned on me, I sensed the blood rush to my face. But, before my protests could leave my lips, he repeated his apology and bid a hurried goodbye.

In a matter of seconds, my breath had quickened, my jaws had clenched and I could feel anger bubbling up within my chest. Thoughts about how unprofessional he had been, how his company was taking me for granted and how his apology didn’t sound sincere, added fuel to the already burning fire.

The thing about being a practising Emotional Wellness coach is that while you can choose to not practice some of the things you preach about regulating emotions, awareness of the feelings rising and falling within the self, is not something you can completely ignore, even if you wish to. It was almost as if there were two of me. One experiencing the anger and frustration and the other observing the first, calmly. This ‘calm me’ gently pointed out to the ‘upset me’ that just a few weeks back I had promised myself that I would let go of chaotic thoughts and feelings, that had the tendency to drag me down and drain me of vitality. I tried hard to ignore that quieter voice. But it persisted.

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Parallelly, my mind had been busy plotting revenge by considering demanding pay for my lost time, writing detailed emails about unprofessional behaviour of the manager to the top boss and eliciting a sincerer apology from him. Suddenly, the quieter voice in my head took control and drew attention to the ridiculousness of all these plans (a sincerer apology? Really). It occurred to me that the situation couldn’t be reversed. No matter how much I seethed, the schedule was not going to change. Recognizing the futility of holding on to anger towards the manager, helped me consider the choices I had at this moment. I could either go on being upset, telling myself stories about how unfair others had been to me and how I deserved more respect, OR then I could spend this spare time on something more rewarding.

“Every ego confuses opinions and viewpoints with facts. Furthermore, it cannot tell the difference between an event and its reaction to that event. Every ego is a master of selective perception and distorted interpretation. Only through awareness – not through thinking – can you differentiate between fact and opinion. Only through awareness are you able to see: There is the situation and here is the anger I feel about it, and then realize there are other ways of approaching the situation, other ways of seeing and dealing with it. Only through awareness can you see the totality of the situation or person instead of adopting one limited perspective.”–Eckhart Tolle

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As I calmed myself down by slowing down my breathing, an option to view the situation from a different perspective, presented itself – Maybe there had been a genuine and unintended oversight and maybe the manager was truly sorry? I thought about all my past interactions with him and it was evident that he was indeed a sincere person who took his work and responsibilities seriously. I reflected further and was convinced that the oversight couldn’t have been deliberate. ‘He is only human and we all make errors’, I reflected, ‘I have been there too. How would I feel if I made an unintended error and someone tried to rub my nose in it?’ Turning my attention back to me, I studied my own waning anger with more compassion and recognized my emotional patterns that tended to play out on automatic mode whenever my awareness was low. As my empathy towards myself increased, so did my compassion towards the manager. Taking deep breaths, I allowed these calming thoughts to wash over me.

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“As I look back on my life, I realise that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better.” – Steve Maraboli

As the moments passed I could feel the smile returning to my lips and with a sudden sense of adventure I mentally ran through the many exciting options I had for spending this newfound time, in what had been an especially packed week. I eventually decided to meet a longtime family friend who stayed close by. A quick call confirmed that they would be more than happy to have me over for lunch and with a spring in my step I set out to explore the day!

After a wonderful time with friends and some additional time to catch my breath at home, I felt revitalized for my next assignment that evening. When the day turned to night, I received a text message from the account manager expressing his sincerest apologies and acknowledgement for the frustration I must have experienced during the day. I hastened to let him know that I had been upset for all of 2 minutes. I went on to elaborate that I trusted his sincerity and that I was not upset in the least. Saying this, flooded me with a sense of gratitude and realized that this experience had been a gift; an opportunity to practice letting go.

“One thing we do know: Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know that this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.” – Eckhart Tolle

It doesn’t come this easy every time. Each time I start to bask in the assumption that I have mastered the art of calming down, yet another episode pops up to remind me of my fallibility. But it is in those very humbling experiences, where I have been beaten by my own resentment and upset feelings that I have learnt the most valuable lessons on setting myself free from my own grudges!