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January 18, 2018 By GOQii Editor Leave a Comment

“Good health is easily accomplished by just learning to live healthy and fit”

2 years back

Renu_Scan1

As of Nov 2017

Like every other corporate professional, her excuse for not keeping fit and healthy was her busy schedule and family. She would go for a walk as and when she felt she had the time. It was clearly not a priority for her. Being a foodie she had no concept of portion controls. She ate to her heart’s content. The end result of all this Renu Rajani, 50, was 25 kgs on the heavier side along with low metabolism and thyroid. Her condition scared her to no end and she decided to take matters into her hand to rectify her habits and become healthy. One year of disciplined lifestyle change that included exercise, eating right and sleeping well has helped her shed over 12 kgs and she is still counting. Today, she walks 15-20 k steps on an average daily, apart from 45 minutes of Yoga every day. How has she been able to transform herself? Let’s hear Renu’s story in her own words

Until mid-2016, I used to pride myself with my busy schedule, international travels and when it came to my weight gains, justified it for lack of time, about being busy with growing children and time needed at home beyond my job. Also, being a foodie, I enjoyed the richness of food, at home as well as outside. I never believed in the concept of portions control. All my New Year resolutions were short-lived. Also, amount of catching up on work late in the evening made it just impossible to wake up the next morning for a fitness routine.

My idea of fitness was just about an easy walk if I found the time. During the last 10 years, I was introduced to Fitbit and walkathons by my organizations, but I could not discipline myself. I had stopped swimming due to lack of time and I had stopped using bicycle some 15 years back. Over the last 10 years, my sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle had got me to acquire thyroid and I had to go on routine thyroid dosage. Doctors gave varied advice, some who took a view that since I had thyroid and started on medication, it should reduce my weight with some exercise. Some were of the view that given low metabolism with thyroid, it was difficult to reduce weight. I was then 25 kgs overweight.

It was difficult for me to take that 25 kgs and move around. I felt lethargy. Later in mid-2016, I started feeling stiffness in my knees, found it difficult to climb down stairs and felt swelling in my lower legs towards the evening. I found it difficult to drive back home from work. Initially, I thought it was temporary, but soon, it became a routine habit for me to come home and put my legs in the warm water to relax. My family and friends said I was ageing and that I should stop driving and have a driver. Not that I could not afford a driver, but I felt it would just make me more immobile and I would lose my freedom by restricting my activities.

I visited the doctor again and was suggested a full health examination. The examination revealed that apart from thyroid, I had borderline cholesterol, BP and Sugar. While I was thankful to god that I did not actually get into these health issues so deep, it was certainly a warning sign for me to rectify my lifestyle and in the process improve my health. I decided to accelerate my fitness journey as that was the only way to be healthy.

Soon my quest to my fitness journey started. I began with a regular walk every morning. In the process, I came across a group that performed Yoga and Pranayama in my neighbourhood. Doing Yoga at 6 am in morning meant I wake up at 5 am and walk/carry out my warm-ups. I took this seriously and had shed some 6 kgs with regular walk and yoga in about 4 months. I started to change my lifestyle influenced by my Yoga group. I started drinking water in the morning before warm-up, started carrying food from home to office, started to ensure, I slept on time to wake up for my fitness pursuits.

In the midst of my fitness journey, one day I came across GOQii in my office. It was being offered as a trial to all VPs in my organisation. I got one as well. Unlike other times where I have been introduced to a program and, I chose to not be active, this time around I took it very seriously. I thoroughly understood what GOQii does. I had an introductory call from my coach to set up goals for myself. I liked the discipline and methodical approach of GOQii. Some of my peers who were introduced to the same program used to joke about coach chasing them up for an appointment. But, having gone through a disease scare, I felt this was important and being pushed by a coach was needed. In fact, it’s the discipline and the routine set by my coach that helped me shed another 6 kgs within 6 months.

Although, I started slow. My initial goals were very basic – drink 3-litre water daily, walk 5000 steps a day, have minimum 6 hours of sleep, have smaller portions of meals more frequently (I started to have 5 smaller meals, rather than 3 big meals). I tried some simple changes – walk/cycle rather than using the car for short distances, climbing steps rather than taking the elevator, perform regular stretches to increase my activity levels. I started recording my Yoga sessions to be able to continue with Yoga during my official travels outside of Bengaluru. Food for me during international travels remained a challenge. Each time I travelled overseas, I came back with 1 Kg added in 2 weeks trip.

GOQii coaches are well trained and I have been lucky to always get a good coach. I have been a unique case of having had 7 coaches in a span of a year. 3 coaches went on long leave and each time I felt very sad about losing a good coach. On the positive note though, having the wisdom of more coaches is valuable as well. While I found one of them too easy on me and hence wanted a more pushy coach, there were two of them who pushed me beyond my stamina. Although one of my goals was weight reduction, my first priority was to get fit. I realized despite my trying, body did not cooperate. I chose to ask for a coach who would have coached age group of 40-50 women. I then found the right coach as per my needs and goals set. I am happy with my current coach Pooja Rao now.

I feel very good about myself now. My coach has slowly made me realize that I could have the right nutrition I need and could have a balanced meal with low carbohydrates. She regularly looks at my logs, suggests me any changes to food if required, has advised me on sleep, water, exercises, nutrition, etc. I feel motivated to continue trying various activities.

Over the last year, I have reduced a total of 12 kgs. Apart from my step count, Yoga/meditation and balanced food, I have been an active cyclist. I had discontinued music many years back and got back to practising music now. A month back, I also joined Salsa to add a fun activity that can also contribute to fitness. I feel lighter and feel encouraged to try more activities. I have built my stamina over the last year. I walk 15-20k steps a day, apart from 45-60 minutes of Yoga every day.

3 months back I felt encouraged enough to start with high-intensity workouts. While my knees cooperated, I realised I needed 2 hours daytime sleep to cope with 30-45 minutes of high-intensity workout. I decided to take the advice of the GOQii doctor, who asked me to check on Vitamins B12, D3 levels as I felt fatigued.

Thanks to two consultations with GOQii doctor Viral Thakkar, which I found very helpful, I realized that I needed to first address my vitamin deficiency levels to be ready for more intensive workouts.

I am encouraged to see friends who have participated in marathons, given I am able to do 10-12 km fast walk, I am now feeling motivated to someday run a marathon. Given, I am an older age group and not an athlete in my early years, I am hoping will be able to make a beginning someday soon.

The best part of GOQii is that it not only gets you fit but also socially responsible. The karma points that we earn to be active can be donated to various causes listed on GOQii’s karma platform. To date, I have donated approximately 10000 Karma points (~1000 points earned every month based on my activity).

Health is wealth. In the busy lives that we lead, health keeps becoming a distant dream and ailments keep getting added. GOQii is leveraging simple tips combined with human connect from its coaches to help people be healthy. Good health is important and it is easily accomplished by making fitness a part of daily routine and learning to live healthily.

What does coach Pooja Rao think of her player Renu Rajani

Renu is a very focused and a determined player. Despite not having coached her from day one of she getting on to the platform, the one factor I realized about her is that she is extremely hardworking and puts in a lot of efforts to achieve her goals.

The main challenge with Renu is that she has a lot of travelling in her schedule it may be domestic or international due to which being on track with her exercise and food is always a challenge, never the less she tries to make it up once she is back by setting new targets for herself.

The best thing about Renu is, she understands the portion control of her meal very well which is a challenge with all new players and once that is understood then controlling food becomes easy.

When it comes to exercise, she is open to trying out new things like cycling, yoga, HIIT, salsa-dancing and now new challenge is to participate in a Marathon.

Having a history of thyroid losing weight is always a bigger challenge and despite her lifestyle, she has still managed to drop 10 kg by working twice as hard as a normal individual.

At 50, she epitomizes the adage- “It’s never too late to begin “ completely.

January 16, 2018 By Nida Kazi 9 Comments

To be Healthy – do you have to go on a diet?

Most of who are on the higher side of an “acceptable weight spectrum” and trying to lose weight, and you declare your intentions to the world, then you have to be prepared to battle questions such as “Oh, you must be on a diet” since you have decided to lose weight. Day in and day out you will be asked this question and you will just not be able to wriggle out of the situation.

As days pass it only gets annoying when people can’t stop staring at your food plate, followed by the responses such as do you only eat salads, do you live off of them? How do you survive? Or are you allowed to eat rice or roti? leave alone desserts.

Does being health conscious mean that you have to be on a diet 24×7 365 days a year?

No, is the answer to the above question but sadly, the perception at large is that to be health conscious one has to go on a diet.

Let us first clearly understand what is diet?

The textbook definition of Diet is that ‘it is a sum of food consumed by a person or organism’. Going by that, diet is anything and everything one eats. So there you go, every single person and every organism on earth are on a diet every single day.

Although today, the word diet implies intake of specific nutrients for health or weight management.

Now the third definition which most people think of when you talk about “Diet” is that you have to eat as little as possible, you have to eat everything raw and the food has to be bland and tasteless.

Does it mean that we have to go on restrictive diets to be health conscious? What is being healthy? Does it mean hitting a particular digit on a weighing scale? Does it mean you have to shrink down to size 0?

What if you have those 8 pack abs and look as if you just walked out of the magazine cover, but have very bad sleep cycles and blood cholesterol shooting right through the roof? Does that term you as being healthy?

According to the WHO, health is, “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Our definition of health is not even close to the real meaning. In the clamour of following fads and trying to fit into the picture perfect images created by media and peers, we let go of other aspects that make us healthy. In order to look a particular way, we let our mental and social well-being take a back seat.

Yes, it is important to eat the right food but, do we really have to be so rigid about it?

The most important thing to keep in mind is doing everything in moderation, eat fruits and salads daily but, don’t skip the roti altogether. Go for that piece of cake every once in a way, just don’t overdo it.

The most neglected aspect of being healthy is being mindful. Be present in the moment, especially while you eat. Do not be all over the place, or engrossed in your phone as you shove down the food.

One thumb rule to follow would be to ‘chew your water and drink your food’. Yes, that’s right!! Chew each morsel so well that it is literally liquid before you gulp it down. And when you drink a beverage, take a sip, swivel the liquid in your mouth. Let all your sensory ends of your tongue get activated and experience the flavour of the beverage before it goes down your throat. Believe me, your gut will thank you for it.

Your body already knows what it needs and how much but you need to tune in and give it time to do its job. When you eat with full attention and take your time, the gut sends a signal to your brain when you’ve had enough. This helps you cut down your food intake and yet make you feel more satiated than ever.

Remember it’s not what you eat but how you eat it is what’s more important.

Be active. Do what you most enjoy doing. Go for a run if you like, or just stroll around with a pet. Swim if you have to. Post your exercise you should feel good about yourself, not want to hit the sack and stay there all day.

And most of all do not forget to pay attention to your mind. A sound mind resides in a sound body. But, if you let go of your mind no matter what you do for your body it won’t work quite well enough.

Practising some deep breathing and meditating for a few minutes a day works magically for your mental well-being. If you are not a fan of meditation, then listen to some music to uplift your mood or How about going for a deep tissue massage? All these remedies will help you to calm down your mind and de-stress.

Do not fear to socialise with friends just because you are on a diet. Mingling with like-minded people makes you feel happy and boost your morale. There is no better therapy than sharing a laugh with some good friends.

So, my take on being health conscious is that you should be able to enjoy life to the fullest while feeling good about yourself. Eat healthy unprocessed foods in most of your meals on most days of the week, but don’t shy away from letting go once in a while. And, take care of your mental health along with your physical need.

So what is your take on being health-conscious?

January 6, 2018 By Shimpli Patil 10 Comments

Body detoxification – A way to rejuvenate and re-energize

Most of us are worried when we put on that little extra weight. Recently, one of my pals came to me cribbing about her weight gain. she said that she had tried every possible diet… but nothing seems to work on her! she was desperate that I do something for her.

Amidst listening to her cribs and complaints, I noticed that she looked absolutely dull and was feeling terribly lethargic. It seemed like someone’s sucked all the energy out of her. A detailed conversation with her led me to discover that she was over-exerting herself at work and ending up binge-eating to counter stress.

This, in turn, was followed by unreasonable crash diets and excessive exercise to burn up the excess calories. Little was she aware that her body was actually in dire need of some essential nutrients which could make her healthy for the better.

Today, most of us lead a very fast-paced lifestyle. And this lifestyle is associated with certain inevitable factors such as stress, pollution, physical exertion, few negative habits such as drinking alcohol and smoking etc. As one’s body gets continuously exposed to these factors, there comes a point wherein the body gives up. The body gets weighed down by huge amounts of toxins which essentially needs to be flushed out.

These toxins include waste products that result from normal cell activity, such as ammonia, and also the chemicals that we consume almost daily through the air, water and food like flavoured enhancers, food colours, pesticides and preservatives. A cumulative load of these toxins is known to slow down the body metabolism which in turn results in weight gain and other health-related issues such as indigestion, impaired immune function, low energy levels, lethargy, fatigue, poor concentration, headache, dull skin and so on.

The body has its own ways of detoxifying itself. The liver is the main organ which has detoxification as its primary function. The other organs like intestine, kidneys, lungs, skin and blood work together with the liver to ensure that toxins are transformed into less harmful substances and excreted from the body via urine, stools, sweat or breath.

Just as your car engine needs servicing so that it runs better, your body organs also need to be cleaned at regular intervals so that they perform their functions well and at a faster rate. One way to cleanse your body is through food by including various detox foods into your diet.

Detox foods include the ones that are power packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and water. The antioxidants neutralize the toxic free radicals that are generated due to stress, excessive exercise, air pollution, etc. whereas fibre and water draw out and eliminate toxins by increasing the frequency of bowel movements and urination.

While detox dieting is a great way of cleaning your body internally, it can be beneficial to lose weight as well.

How is that possible? As detox foods cleanse the liver by flushing out the toxins, it actually gives relief to the liver by reducing its workload. This gives the liver a chance to focus on its next important function which is fat metabolism. Thus, many of whom I know have found that detox dieting is a wonderful way to kick off those extra kilos or to get over a weight loss plateau. Apart from weight loss, the other benefits of detox foods include improved digestion, regular bowel movements, and improved energy levels, lowered levels of fatigue, improved concentration and glowing skin.

Now the next big question is how often should you detoxify yourself? According to me, at least once a week and preferably choose a day which is followed by what you call “a cheat day”. So after having an exhaustive week and a fun-filled Sunday where you break free and grab that cup-cake or a pan pizza, Monday is a perfect day to detoxify yourself. A detox food menu would ideally include colourful fruits, all kinds of veggies – either stir-fried or in the form of soup/juice/salad, beans and lentils, nuts and dry fruits, oats, beverages such as green tea, coconut water, Aloe Vera juice and many more.

Remember, we are keeping the proteins at bay just to avoid burdening our digestive system and kidneys with extra work as proteins are heavy to metabolize. Thus, milk, cheese, butter, cream, eggs, meat and meat products are out of the list. Other foods to keep away during detox include wheat products, excessive sugar, unhealthy fats (saturated and trans fats), processed foods, artificial sweeteners, caffeine and alcohol- that goes without saying!

A detox diet will, therefore, rejuvenate your system, re-energize you and gear you up for all the meetings and assignments lined up for the week. A word of caution here –Pregnant and nursing women shouldn’t go for Detox diet. Otherwise, it’s an amazing experience. So get started with it and feel the difference.

December 23, 2017 By Jyoti Sawant Leave a Comment

Healthy gifts you can give this Christmas

Its red and White, the colours of this festive season with lots of joy and gifts, Christmas is celebrated by all. It celebrates the birth of Jesus. The tradition of celebrating Christmas around the world differs from country to country but they all include a feast, giving of gifts to each other or cards, and enjoying church ceremony such as singing Christmas carols.

Here’s our list of Healthy Christmas gift ideas to help you fill the stockings with goodness, and inspire your family and friends to have greater health and happiness!

* GOQii Life:

Gift a GOQii band to your loved ones. GOQii band’s philosophy of adding a personal touch to the daily fitness tracking with lifestyle coach is unique. It plays a Lifestyle Coach fitness mentor for the user and they have a visual display of steps walked, active minutes, distance covered, calories burnt along with current time and date. The best of the band is the Karma points. GOQii’s philosophy has been to achieve the harmony between mind, body & soul. This gave birth to the concept of Karma, a point-based system that enables players to earn points based on the steps they walked daily and these points are then donated towards a good cause in the society. So while you get healthy and fit you also become a good human.

GOQii’s one-on-one mobile coaching and fitness tracking will help you make the shift to a healthier lifestyle. You get consistent support, motivation, focus, accountability, efficiency and expertise through unlimited text chats and scheduled video calls. So whether your goal is to feel better, have more energy, improve your diet, sleep better, or break a bad habit, be assured that your GOQii coach will help put you on your best path to success.

* Snack Smarter: Prepare your own healthy snack and organic food basket

Indian food is famous, delicious and so every day, we look forward to our three meals of the day. Something that keeps us alive and kicking, happy and curious, innovative and hence thinking- the in-between small meals that we call ‘snacks’. What if those just-filling munchies became our powerhouses? How about snacks that are delicious, nutritious and healthier and is loved by all? so now you can prepare your own snack box and give your loved ones!

* The Great Indian Diet Book:

This book tells you just how nutritious your locally grown and sourced ingredients are and that there is no need to look beyond borders to tailor that perfect diet. The book touches upon various food categories and not only tells you how to take care of your nutritional intake but also how to burn fat in the process. The combined experience of a professional nutritionist and an uber-fit celebrity who lives by the diet will open your eyes to why Indian food is the best in the world.

*Make Your Own Organic Gift Basket:

Look for inexpensive baskets and packaging materials at your local arts and crafts store and visit your local natural foods store for the following organic foods to add to your basket.

# Green tea: Antioxidant.

# Honey: Immune-boosting powers.

# Dark Chocolate: iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, zinc and selenium.

#Herbs & Spices: Is an excellent source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.

#Fruits and Nuts: Fiber + vitamin

#Flaxseeds & Mixed Seeds: omega 3 fatty acid.

So Enjoy your festive time on Christmas day and make the most of it. It is one day out of the year, and the food you eat is not going to massively impact your long-term progress. It is what you do the other 364 days that matters. So sit back, relax, eat with portion control of celebrations and have one or two glasses of wine. This is the time to enjoy good food with great company and make lasting memories. Don’t let your healthy lifestyle stop you from enjoying yourself.

Be the hit with your Secret Santa exchange this year with these above-mentioned gift ideas.

! Merry Christmas!

“Good health is easily accomplished by just learning to live healthy and fit”

To be Healthy – do you have to go on a diet?

Body detoxification – A way to rejuvenate and re-energize

Healthy gifts you can give this Christmas

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Prioritizing Health: Kuntal Goswami’s Post-Pandemic Pursuit of Wellness

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