Search Results for: nutrition

May 16, 2016 By Chhavi Goel Manglik 2 Comments

Cherry and its 10 Health Benefits

Cherries are native to Eastern Europe and Asia Minor regions. They belong to the “drupe” family of fruits such as plumps, peaches, apricots etc. The two varieties of cherries that are popular are Sweet-Cherry and Tart-Cherry. Cherries are drupe fruits with a central “stony-hard” seed surrounded by fleshy edible pulp.

Who does not like Cherries? Most like it for its taste. But, cherries are not only all about for its sweet taste but, they are one of those fruits which is low in calorie but, rich in phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Both sweet as well as tart cherries are packed with numerous health benefiting compounds that are essential for wellness. Tart Cherries are a hit among athletes and sports persons.

A study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, found that runners who downed 24 ounces of tart cherry juice for 7 days leading up to a race noted significantly lower amounts of muscle pain and a faster recovery.

Let’s look at some of these benefits in detail:

Skin food: It contains antioxidants like Anthocyanins, Cyanidin, Quercetin help in reducing the free radicals from the body making skin glow and young.

Anti-cancerous: It is enriched with fiber, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), carotenoids, Anthocyanins this play a vital role in preventing a cancer.

Reduces Inflammation: Presence of phytochemicals reduces the inflammatory enzymes action giving relief from the pain of Arthritis.

Reduce muscle pain: Cherries give relief from the muscle inflammation and soreness that on the other hand, lowers the muscle pain.

Heart food: Presence of Phytosterols & Anthocynanins reduces bad cholesterol levels & regulates PPAR. It raises the regulation of genes responsible for fat and glucose metabolism; which in turn lowers the risk of heart stroke. Also, it is enriched with potassium that regulates the heart rate which controls the blood pressure/hypertension.

Best for diabetes: It is furnished with Anthocyanins, lowers the insulin resistance& raises the tolerance for glucose (glucose tolerance). Cherries have low glycemic index of 22-25 ranging on the variety of it.

Reduces the risk of Gout: Eating cherries may lower the levels of uric acid, nitric oxide, CRP levels that reduces the forming of uric acid crystals which prevents from swelling and stiffening of knees, thereof lowering the risk of Gout.

Boost sleep: The tart of cherries a type of antioxidant that binds free radicals named Melatonin, inhibits the inflammation & oxidative stress. This not only helps in improving sleeping hours and the quality of sleep, but also has its positive effect on the people having disturbed pattern of sleep.

Reduces fat: Cherries help in the decreasing the tummy/belly fat.

Prevents Alzheimer’s: Cherries are rich in Flavonoids and Procyanidin, which protects neurons (neuronal cells) that inhibits oxidative stress and dementia. Thus, protects from Alzheimer.

May 11, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

“I thought I knew all about fitness until my GOQii Coach broke all myths”

He has been a fitness freak for the last 15 years. But, he was always under the impression that he knew it all until one day when all his myths about fitness and nutrition were busted. Now along with his regular fitness regime and better eating habits, Samir Dedhia is aiming for four pack abs and take his fitness to the next level…..let us hear from him what changes has he personally brought within himself after so many years of fitness training and how he took his fitness to the next level…..

I have been working out in the gym for the last 15 yrs. I have been on supplements and done lots of R&D on fitness and health. For the longest time, I thought I knew everything about diets, health, and supplements. In fact, my friends used to take advice from me on how to work out what to eat. I was their default go-to man for all their queries on fitness and nutrition. I had reached the stage in fitness where I was now looking for a fitness tracker or some device that could take my fitness to the next level.

What attracted me to GOQii is the product itself. I found it very different from the rest of the fitness products in the market that were there. It was different in the sense that, you have gyms, you have dieticians and you have things like the pedometer and they are three different things. And this was like two things combined i.e. an activity tracker and a coach who is a nutritionist. I became a part of GOQii since the beginning of its start in 2014.

GOQii was a total game changer for me. It has been a fantastic eye opener. The way my coach Vrushali dealt with me, the tips that she gave me on a real time basis was actually required by me at that point in time when I came on board to be able to take my fitness to the next level. Also, she broke all the myths I had on fitness and nutrition.

Broke myths in the sense that I had my own assumptions and presumptions about how fitness should be, diet etc. The myths I had around the combination of foods that you take, what to eat when, how much of carbs should you eat, and not mixing fruits with meals, water intake, what helps you to reach fitness goals etc.

For the last 15 years, my daily routine has been to work out for 45 minutes 6 times a week. Also, following a heavy diet has been a part of my routine, but everything was built on my myth. And then when I interacted with my coach all these concepts I had, were broken instantly and I am clear now on all concepts of fitness and nutrition.

Vrushali gave me the ideal nutritional tips for the kind of workouts I did. There were no major changes brought about to accommodate these tips. I always used to eat good healthy food but never realized I over ate or I mixed wrong food combinations like eating double carbs source in 1 meal etc. ( use to have Rice and Roti together in my meal). Then, by just altering my style of eating, I saw drastic changes which I never came across earlier when I was working out on my own.

Another major eye opener for me was that my water intake was very poor and I just realized when my coach noticed that it was poor. Now, I have at least 2.5 litres per day for the last 6 months.

What also helped me was that I was training alone for so many years and there was a certain level of boredom setting in. That was when my coach took over and kept me motivated all the time and that kept me going. Coaching has definitely added more value since I was already into all this, I was already fit and this was an add-on. After a point coaching helps as it makes you accountable.

On a real-time basis, there are a lot of ups and downs that a player has and you need someone to constantly monitor you and keep your focus. Vrushali used to tell me Samir you are diverting from your goals. You need someone at all times.

Overall fantastic change in my life to the extent that I picked bands for wife- cousins – business partner- gym buddy- office staff etc. etc.

What does Coach VrushaliAthavale have to say about Samir Dedhia?

Samir is a disciplined, dedicated person who works religiously on things once he is convinced about. There were very few visible things which needed to be changed in his routine like the correct combination of foods, increasing his protein intake which was not matching his hardcore workouts and improve water intake. We started with one habit at a time wherein the first habit was to reduce his carbohydrate intake at a time in a meal i.e instead of having rice and roti both at a time, we changed to consume either of them. This made a lot of difference in body fat%. We then moved to make sure his protein intake is sufficient enough to help him reach his goal of getting a lean body and along with this proper intake of fiber and increased intake of water.

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May 4, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

“Little changes in lifestyle will help you live smart “

He is part of the senior management in an automotive company. He travels 14 days a month and his works long hours that sometimes stretches into late nights. He tried to manage and fit into a workout regime twice or three a week but could not be regular. At 52, he wanted to change his lifestyle but ,was unable to do it on his own. He needed an external stimuli……and guess what he found it and today he is active and has learnt to eat and live smart……let us hear Bharatendu Kapoor’s story in his own words….

I head the spare parts business of a Mumbai-based automotive company and my job involves procurement of spare parts for all our projects and supply spare parts to all the auto divisions including truck and buses division. My work also involves travel for about 12 to 14 days in a month and long hours on a daily basis.

This daily routine and constant travel led him to adopt irregular food habits. I would never have food at the right time. However, I would try and work out twice or thrice a week for about half hour to 40 minutes. I was not regular though with the workouts and the days were not fixed.Sometimes I would go for walks but again it was not very regular.

Such was my irregular routine for several years. Then one day in November 2015, through an engagement program my company bought 200 GOQii bands. I was one among the 200 employees who got the band and my journey with GOQii started.

GOQii was a boon in disguise. I am 52 years old and I was going through this thought process of wanting to change my lifestyle, considering the job I do. Given my age and lack of understanding about exercise and nutrition, I sure needed an external stimulus to help me through this. And, GOQii was the answer.

The best part of GOQii is the coach who you can interact with on a daily basis. The coach is the external stimuli that helped me. The coach guided me on my lifestyle, nutrition, sleep etc. Sheetal, helped me make small changes and disciplined me in my eating habits. I am very conscious now of what I eat, how much I eat. It has been a wonderful experience for me in the last 5 months .

Lots of other improvements also came within me. My water intake that was very less has increased considerably. I have an alarm system that reminds me to drink water every hour.

Initially, when I started, the first month was tough and tiring for me to adjust to the new kind of fitness regime and making lifestyle changes. Eventually, as days passed I got used to it, I diligently started following the routine. I went for my regular daily walks, met my daily step target, slept well and hydrated well.

The most interesting aspect is that the results are evident and the changes were visible. I lost 6 kgs and about 3 inches. Such positive results keep you motivated. The result prompted me to refrain from using the elevator and instead take the flight of steps in Office and this has become a daily habit for me.

Believe me, when I say this that I have never been happier with myself. My main health goal when I started on GOQii was to lose 8 kgs and after 5 months I lost 6 kgs which are a great achievement for me and my coach.

If I reflect back into the 6 months prior to GOQii, the changes are very little. I have not done anything drastic. But, I have learnt how to live smart and eat smart and become more energetic. Instead of sitting on the chair throughout the day like I used to do earlier while in Office, I started walking after every two hours. So just change a little and that’s the trick.

Before using GOQii band I was barely walking 2500 to 3000 steps after I got the band I set for myself a goal of 10000 steps daily and in the last three months, I have been easily crossing 15K steps on a daily basis. Walking and exercises have become part of daily routine. People around me are noticing the change in me and that makes me feel good.

What does coach Sheetal Shah have to say about Bharatendu?

Bharatendu’s job involves a lot of travelling at least 10 – 15 days a month. Due to his work schedules, he was unable to dedicate time daily for workouts etc . When he joined GOQii in November 2015, his long-term goal set is to lose weight. His smart goal was a brisk walk of 45 minutes initially and 30 minutes normal walk in the evening. In the second month, I shared some strength training workout videos with him. Now he does Brisk and Strength training workout regularly. His water intake was pretty low..but that has also improved now and has increased to approx 2.5 liters in a day.

Bharatendu does not have any medical conditions nor he is on any medication. He is very much dedicated to the planned goals and follows them consistently.He logs the food data and syncs the band religiously. He has lost 6 kgs in the last 5 months. In Nov 2015, he weighed 78 kgs and as of April 2016, he weighs 72.1 Kg. His target is to reach 68 Kg. He has lost inches around his waist. We are now concentrating on fat loss rather than weight Loss. I monitor his meals and other data on a regular basis and suggest him dos and don’ts about healthy meal pattern.

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April 26, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

“Whatever I choose to do, I do it to get out of my comfort zone”

She is extremely hard working and does not give up easily. She does not like doing anything out of the ordinary. She loves to get out of her comfort zone and challenge herself. She started trying herself at outdoor activities such as trekking just three years ago. Today, she is lighter and fit with loads of stamina and very comfortable in the outdoors. Now she is getting ready for her next big challenge- trekking to Everest Base Camp. Let’s hear Harpreet Gondal’s story in her own words.

It all started with me wanting to go to Hemkund Sahib- a holy place for the Sikhs which is at a fairly high altitude in Uttarakhand, so I started trekking in the Sahayadris and working out regularly to be able to make the holy trip. I started training with a personal trainer from January 2013.Unfortunately, the Uttarakhand landslide led me to cancel my plans and then came Oxfam Trailwalker in the picture. So, I focused my energy to prepare for the 100km trail walk with a bunch of girlfriends. We started trekking once every month and proudly called our group the “Trekkerinas”.

Ever since I started working out there has been no looking back. GOQii has helped me to further strengthen my resolve to exercise every day. Having successfully completed the trail walk only led me to believe that I could do more. Thereafter, I did two 10km runs and finally the 21km in January 2014. I got encouraged to do more and that’s when a bunch of us GOQii players decided to go do the Markha Valley Trek in Ladakh. It was our first time to Ladakh and high altitude trekking.

Though I completed the trek, I would not term it to be a success for me. But, it did teach me a lot about myself and my body. This is where my coach and the GOQii team (Anusha and KK) were very helpful. Just watching and listening to people like them made me believe that I should keep training and keep trying. This motivation and the sheer will to keep going and not let being a mom, wife, being overweight etc pull you down was all thanks to GOQii.

When I got on to GOQii sometime around early 2014, my health goal was to become fitter to be able to do all the adventure activities that I strived for. That’s been my sole goal. Of course, I want to shed the extra kilos but, being mentally and physically stronger has always been a bigger goal for me. I also wanted to make a permanent lifestyle change, I have oscillated enough with yo-yo diets and wanted to get over that phase. GOQii has helped me make a lifestyle change and now I feel far more comfortable with my body, my self-image, more peaceful and happy with the way I lead my life.

With GOQii, I have realized that you shouldn’t wait to shed that weight and then attempt the adventures you always wanted to do, there is no right time, just go ahead and start doing why you want, you will learn in the process but, of course, one must focus on training to their best capacity and capability.

GOQii has made me conscious about the correct food habits to adopt not just for myself but for my children as well. I am more aware and conscious of my physical well-being and I absolutely love the control I have on myself now.

As for EBC, I would say whatever I choose to do, I do it to get out of my comfort zone. I have been looking forward to this challenging trek. Going to the mountains for me is a ‘Soul Spa’.

What does Coach Hardika Vira have to say about Harpreet Gondal

Harpreet is extremely sincere and dedicated. Knows what she wants and tries her best to achieve it.We were working on her inch loss and she desired to become fitter and lighter so that she could trek easily. She has been truly dedicated to workouts from the start. Currently, she is working more on her endurance and strengthening exercises, – there’s a good combination of workouts to be done for a longer duration, low intense to improve stamina and endurance and strengthening exercises to help improve lower, upper body and core strength which is very important when you trek. But, not to forget about the rest period that is required for complete recovery of muscles.Nutrition wise – We ensured healthy balanced meals throughout the day. Concentrated on good pre and post workout meals.