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December 22, 2014 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

‘Never Say Quit’ -Experience and lessons from 100 km trail walk

The morning of 5^th December, 2014, 04:30 am at Garudmachi, amidst the lap of nature in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra was nothing less than being vibrant. The silence of the night was broken with the chattering of the trail walkers getting ready of their big walk and a band playing on one side.

I was excited just by the thought of participating in the Oxfam-GOQii 100 km trail walker for the first time. I knew of it as an adventure race but it had another challenging task of raising funds- a minimum of Rs 50,000. Last year, I tried to put a team together but was unable to do so. People did not want to even attempt because of having to collect funds. I found that silly but could not do much.

This year when Vishal Gondal asked me to be part of his GOQii team and yours truly readily agreed. As a team ‘Force of Good’ comprising of Vishal Gondal, Harpreet Gondal, Vandana Trivedi and myself had pledged Rs 100,000 for Oxfam Fund raising and have managed to raise 80% and the balance will be raised in few days as we still have time.

Oxfam’s Mumbai Trail Walker is the world’s 3 most difficult and beautiful trek I was told. This trail walker in the Sahayadri hills was nothing but pure trekking. For mountaineers and trekker this would be a known playing field but for many out there it was an absolute blind trap. The 100 km trail walker in my sense is a test of your endurance, physical fitness, mental strength, team spirit, leadership skills, crisis management and the power to make the right decisions.

For me personally this was the first time that I was going to walk 100 km in the Sahyadri hills at a stretch. I am a regular walker in the Sahyadri and the Himalayas but yet this was not going to be easy. My focus was on finishing with in the said time frame along with my team while at the same time enjoying the walk with them. Timing was not so much of a concern initially.

Just as we were about to start, we noticed the Indian Army’s Maratha Regiment guys. They were participating for the first time and aimed to finish the trail walk in within 14 hours. We were glad to photograph ourselves with these Army men.

We started the walk at 6 am on 5^th Dec from Garudmachi-High Places Management Development Centre. To get to our first check point we had to walk 10.5 km and the trail passed through tar, mud , an uphill trek path ending at Tamhini main school.

The trail was entirely a trek trail in the Sahyadri hills with lots of up hills, dry open field and forest walks and few tar road walks. The morning walk to CP1 (check point) was pleasant but by 11 am the mercury was rising making it difficult for many to walk and slowing down their pace. This was also the trail while many got cramps on the way due to dehydration.

For me the trail personally was an easy going trail but, I had decided to walk with my team come what may. We had planned it well. We walked at a pace that was easy for all. Our aim was to finish the trail walker without any injuries and we managed that well. We rested well, ate well, slept well and thoroughly enjoyed our walk. Along the way, I also helped several people with first aid as I always carry a first aid kit with me and also gave few people tips on how to walk. Being a trekker and mountaineer it comes naturally to me to be able to help people and ease their stress.

My team and I slowly and steadily managed the walk from CP to CP through the various different types of straight trails, uphills, downhills and sultry hot weather sweating away but yet focused on our 100 km mission. Our target was to get to CP6 (62.5 kms) by 3-3.30 am. We reached CP4 at around 10 pm and we decided to have dinner and leave for CP5 immediately. We started off for CP4 at around 12 am and in the next one and half hour we were at CP5.

The other thing that kept us going was our 20 member support crew that used to eagerly wait for us at each CP. They would bring us food, water, electrolyte drinks also helped us with taping our feet, some stretching and they did it all so tirelessly.

As the walk started we were surrounded by an eerie silence of the night and had our headlamps and the bright sky full of stars and the moonlight for company. The night trail took us through a mud path, trek path and Tar road ending at Luthravan. I set the pace for my team and they just followed me. What really got us through so fast were the reflector markings on the trail which were absolutely perfect.

Walking in the dark proved fruitful as most of your fears are suppressed and all your focusing is on the walk unlike, unlike in the daylight where you end up being a bit over cautious. Thereafter our target to reach CP6 was in 2.30 hours and cover 12.5 km.

The route to CP6 once again began on a tar road. For 7 km we walked on the tar road under the bright moonlight and did not have to use our headlamps. Then it took us through a trek path and last few Kms again on Tar road we did manage to reach in 2: 15 hours. We had completed 62 kms on the first day. By 4 am the team had crashed. We had decided to get at least 3 hours of good sleep and start in the morning by 7 am.

Next morning at CP6 we met lot of our other team mates which was wonderful and motivating as well. By this time many had given up due to injuries or some did not have the sheer strength to continue or feel the urge to move forward.

Among our GOQIi teams few members had retired due to injury. In all we were 16 teams a total of 64 of us were walking the trail. Teams that continued their aim was to finish the trail walk within the given 48 hours. And am I glad to say that out of 16 GOQii teams 11 teams were complete teams of 4. Of the 64 participants 57 completed the entire trail and only 7 individuals retired. Of these 57, 85% were first timers including me.

One of the GOQii teams- SNOWLEOPARD led by Kuntal Joisher, a mountaineer who is aiming to be on the top of the world ( Mt Everest) the coming Summer of 2015 and Luke Coutinho, GOQii’s master coach completed the feat in 26 hours and were ranked among the top 10 teams. The other Ace team lead by KK ( Krishna Kumar) also a mountaineer completed the trail as a team in 31 hours despite one member of their team injured.

The second day walk was good trails. It was to a large extent easy on all of us. So we were able to make up on our timings. Just as we were feeling the fatigue, Vishal came up with this wonderful on the spot poetry – while we were walking from CP7 to CP8-

The poetry was something like this –

My wounds are competing for my attention

My body has given an SOS to My Brain

But mind is on a trail walk, having fun with my mates

And, tells my wounds and my Brian there is no ‘Pain without Gain’

So keep walking till the end

And the poetry was enough for us to keep moving with a smile on our faces. Finally ‘Force of Good’ completed the trail walk in 37:35 hours.

All in all, it was a fantastic experience. One met so many strangers on the way who were on the same path to accomplish this treacherous feat that we had undertaken. Many strangers became friends. I realised the trail walk was just not another just endurance event but actually imparts many a life’s crucial lessons.

Among a discerning few, the desire to enjoy the experience and deepen the bonds within team members was prominent, completion time being only a by-product. So some of you train for the Bangalore trail walk, the one learning that I take back from my experience is Stay strong and ‘Never say Quit’.

Route Snapshot:

Over all 100 km within 48 hours that included tar road, mud path, open fields, stones strewn roads and forest routes.

December 18, 2014 By Jyoti Sawant 1 Comment

“Get ready for the big day” – fitness for Brides & Grooms

It is that time of your life when you want to look the best and fit. It’s your big day when you are going to tie the knot with your groom or bride and get hitched for life. So if you’re on your way to get married, now is a good time to take your health and appearance more seriously.

*Diet: If you’re over weight or underweight consult a dietician to help you with a healthy balanced diet. Resist the temptation to crash diet. Instead of skipping meals, focus on what you eat: keep a food diary for two weeks and you will soon recognize your weak points. Eat healthy for a brighter fresher look, cut down on junk food and sugar, but go gaga over salad, sprouts, green leafy vegetable and of course water.

*Get enough protein – Your body uses 20-30% more energy to digest protein foods than carbohydrates. Make sure you have some protein rich food such as like fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, milk & milk products, nuts like almonds & walnuts, tofu, soybean or pulses during each meal.

*Make time for fitness – There’s no way around it, no quick fix or magic pill. Exercise is the magic pill! Not only does it help you shed pounds, it also reduces stress, rejuvenates your mood and helps you sleep. If you are just starting out after a long break from exercise, commit to 10 minutes a day and build up from there. Start any kind of cardiovascular exercise like jogging, walking, swimming, cycling or aerobics.

Below are few home remedies that will help maintain your Skin and Hair.

*Cleansing (Papaya): Cut a ripe papaya with skin, in the size of a bar of soap. Store it in your fridge. Everyday rub the pulp over your face and neck in a circular motion like you would with soap, keeping the skin side towards your palm. Rinse a bit later, this hydrates the skin well. Do this twice a day.

*Moisturizing (Aloe Vera): Aloe Vera is a gift for the skin. Massaging extracts of Aloe Vera all over the skin, provides essential nutrients, leaving your skin smooth and glowing.

*Hot oil hair massage: Apply olive oil and almond oil because they are healthy in nature and will enrich your hair with fatty acids and vitamins.

*Home made hair mask: Take 1 banana and mash it. Add 3 to 4 drops of almond oil and mix it well and massage it into the hair. Keep it for 30 minutes and wash with a mild shampoo.

Use these tips on regular basis to make your hair and skin healthy and soft.

*Sleep well – Get eight hours of sleep and do not take unnecessary stress. Research shows that stress and lack of sleep contribute to weight gain. Simply being conscious of the stress, trigger in your life and having a plan of how to deal with them when they come up will make a world of difference. You can’t always control, what comes your way, but you can control how you react to it.

So what are you waiting for get ready to be fit and look beautiful before the D Day!

December 1, 2014 By Shimpli Patil Leave a Comment

Preparing for the 100 km Trailwalk – What you need to remember and do

Walking is one of the easiest things one can do. We all do it every day. But, how does it feel when I say let’s walk 100 km in 48 hours!! “Are you kidding me???” That’s exactly how I reacted when I came across the 100 km Trail walk challenge. It is indeed a crazy bet!!

I have been into dancing and fitness for years. But, I never wanted to stop at just being fit. There has always been a kind of restlessness within me, an unreasonable desire to try out something new that I would remember for life and proudly tell my grandchildren about. That’s when I decided to push my limits and test my endurance and willpower, and there was ‘No way’ I could say a ‘No’ to this breath-taking Challenge-100km Trail Walk.

I am not the only one doing this. There is a GOQii Army along with 1000s of people across India who are participating in this event, training for it day in and day out.

Apart from training, there are 2 most crucial things that we need to pay special heed to.

Nutrition and Hydration

Let’s check out what we need to do before, during and after the trail walk, considering we just have 3 days to go for the big day

NUTRITION BEFORE THE TRAIL WALK (3 days prior)-

We need to keep our Glycogen stores ready. Glycogen is nothing but a storage form of Glucose (energy), which disintegrates to release glucose in the bloodstream when body demands energy.

The only way to build up the glycogen stores is to Carbo-load our body 3 days prior to the event (exactly how the marathoners do). Many people consider it as a “golden opportunity”. That’s simply because we have all the liberty to relish the foods which are otherwise considered “fattening”.You might think I am joking, but we need this to blow up our glycogen reserves, which would ensure sustained energy supply during the event.

It’s a complete carb-treat for 3 days! We need to have a mix of complex and simple carbs. We can enjoy Rice, Rotis, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Fruits, Dry Fruits, Breakfast Cereals (Oats, Cornflakes, Wheatflakes, Muesli), whole wheat bread with Peanut Butter, Daliya (broken wheat), Idli, Dosas, Biscuits, Noodles, Whole Wheat Pasta, Spaghetti, Nachos, Tortillas. Go for tomato sauce in pasta/spaghetti/nachos instead of cheese sauce. Cheese stuff is too acidic which might just slow down our body.

Acidic body equals to Less Oxygen to the cells. Thus, along with carb-loading, we also need to make sure we keep our body alkaline. Oxygen breeds in an alkaline medium, and our cells need maximum Oxygen during this period. Quick ways to ensure alkalinity- Grab a glass of lemon water twice a day or simply sprinkle lemon over your food before you eat or go for a bowl of sliced cucumber during lunch and dinner. Stay off Naans and Tandoori rotis. Most importantly, we need to stay miles away from the road-side food or unhygienic food as we don’t want to fall ill few days before the event or ever.

HYDRATION BEFORE THE TRAIL WALK

3 days prior, we need to double our water intake. If you drink 3 litres on a regular basis, you got to drink 6 litres now. This is just to make sure our body cells are well hydrated and well energized.

NUTRITION DURING THE TRAIL WALK

Surprisingly, you don’t feel very much hungry during the walk as your primary focus is on walking and completing it. Now that doesn’t mean you should forget to eat. We need the sugar boost, we need the food! Carry dry munchies with you such as dry fruits, nuts, khakras, biscuits, cookies, rice puffs or wheat puffs, roasted chanas, peanuts, foxnuts (makhanas), soya nuts, energy bars, etc. and munch on them at regular intervals not only for energy but to prevent acidity and headache caused due to large meal gaps.

When you halt for breakfast/lunch/dinner, make sure you aren’t loading your body with too much food. It might just make you sluggish and sleepy, making it difficult for you to get going again. Ensure that you effectively follow the ‘Portion Control’ mantra rather than going overboard with eating.

HYRDATION DURING THE WALK

Though we don’t feel the hunger, our thirst centre is very much active and we need to quench our thirst at regular intervals. It’s important that we don’t GULP down water but patiently SIP it.

Apart from plain water, we also need electrolytes (Sodium-Potassium) to prevent cramps/spasms while walking. Carry a small 250 ml bottle filled with ORS (electoral/ glucon D/ enerzal/ lemon water with salt) and make sure it lasts for the 10 km distance, which means we need not even over consume the electrolytes. Remember, moderation is the key.

NUTRITION AFTER THE TRAIL WALK

Now this feels Wow!!! It’s time to celebrate! It’s time to rest and recover. Along with carbs, we now need adequate good quality proteins as well.

Look out for a good mix of carb+protein in your meals-

Milkshakes or Fruit Smoothies, Paneer Roll or Paneer toast, Hummus with Pita bread, roasted Chicken or Chicken gravy with bread/rotis, Yogurt sprinkled with crushed nuts/chopped fruits/pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds, Sprout Chaat with chopped veggies, Egg and Cheese toast, Grilled Fish with Boiled Potatoes and Salad, Bean rice (Rajma-Kidney Beans) with curd.

These are a few ways of ensuring that your muscles are well treated with proteins for recuperation and that your body is fuelled with a good power supply (carbs).

HYDRATION AFTER THE TRAILWALK-

You can get your water intake back to normal, but make sure it doesn’t go below 3 litres.

12 glasses or 3 litres is what our body needs to stay hydrated even on a regular basis.

So folks, gear up for the Mega event of your life, feel the rush and say it out loud- “BE THE FORCE!!!”

October 17, 2014 By RITA PEREIRA D’SOUZA Leave a Comment

Eat Right at School

Every parent has a nightmare in planning what should they give their child in his or her Tiffin box so that their child gets healthy and adequate nutrition. Similarly, the child thinks how yummy his or her Tiffin is going to be today.

As a mother of a 2yr old, I am too concerned about how my child could eat the right type of food at school. But, being from the field of nutrition the knowledge gained has empowered me and I would like to share this knowledge with all of you so that you can plan and healthy and balanced meals for your children.

We as parents need to instil in our children healthy and good eating habits right from the start. Looking at the current scenario kids eating habits are poor and they spend lot of time indoors playing on computers and watching TV thus increasing their sedentary time which in turn increases the incidence of childhood obesity in school going kids.

We all know that kids during their growing years require eating adequately nutritious food for their overall development. Lack of any nutrient can cause deficiency and stunted growth. Also considering that high level of concentration is needed to be maintained at school in order to grasp what is taught, kids need to be fed well and this is not only in terms of quantity but quality too.

3 meals which the child eats at school can be considered as

Breakfast
Snack
Lunch

As we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day – but you will find many kids skip this meal. Kids who tend to skip breakfast happen to have low concentration levels in class. They also lack energy for physical activity and they tend to eat lot of junk available within the campus or outside.

Eating breakfast every day we will only build a stronger immune system and these good habits are carried through in life. It also helps in keeping the weight in check in kids. Breakfast also boosts body metabolism, the process by which the body converts food to energy. It also provides power to the brain therefore as parents it is very important to decide what exactly kids need to choose for their breakfast. Foods chosen for breakfast should be rich in whole grains, fiber and protein while low in added refined sugar which will increase the attention span and will boost the kid’s memory helping them grasping more knowledge.

Many a time kids skip breakfast due to reasons such as no time, tired, wanting to sleep little extra, no availability of quick readily available breakfast at home. Therefore, it is important as parents that we need to be well organised, and plan ahead for the next meal so that you don’t need to be rushing doing the same in the morning.

Examples of healthy quick fixes for kid’s breakfast are various Dosas like carrot/beetroot, small and cute coin Dosa, yummy chapatti roll stuffed with veg, idli upma, fruit smoothies, sandwiches, milk, and yoghurt

We need to prepare innovative, colourful breakfast which helps in engaging the little tummies. Another important aspect is that parents should be a role model to their child. Breakfast should be made a family affair where in all family members eat together. So if parents have a healthy balanced breakfast at the start of the day, kids too will follow you in forming this good habit.

Another hurdle why kids skip this meal is that they do not have appetite for morning breakfast so parents need to pack a healthy morning snack like sandwich, fruit bread, whole wheat or multigrain biscuits or dried foods etc.

Next we come to lunch which many kids eat at school. Lunch re-energizes our body several hours after eating our breakfast. Also many kids tend to skip their breakfast so their lunch becomes all the more important meal as it helps the child remain active for the entire day and also carry out after school activities. Lunch should be a combination of proteins and carbohydrates like chicken salad wraps, veg noodles, whole wheat pasta etc

Another aspect about eating right at school is that school canteens should have healthy menus approved by kids. The canteens should be monitored for hygiene and food quality and taste. Oily and fatty foods should be not sold in campuses. Salads should be part of the menus.

Finally, kids need to know what they are eating and therefore it is important to have nutritional healthy eating as a part of the core curriculum through which kids can develop their taste buds and understand the importance of balanced and healthy meals on the go