Search Results for: home workout

January 5, 2017 By Divita Bhatt 2 Comments

All you want to know about NEUROBICS?

Medical science is working wonders on a daily basis to make one healthier. And, health does not really mean just physical well-being but, includes being stress free with a healthy mind. To be healthy, regular exercise is a must. There are various ways you can exercise. Some take to running ( cardio) , some take to gyming or playing a sport and some take to Yoga or Aerobics.

Everyone is aware of the benefits of Aerobic exercises on our body but, how much do we know of – Neurobics?

Neurobics is a term coined by Lawrence Katz and Manning Rubin to describe exercises that help the brain stay fit. Its primary goal is to help you remember, along with the ability to learn new information.

Neurobics has basic 3 concepts namely:

Involve one or more senses in a new context.
Involve your full attention.
Break your routine in a significant way.

Here are few examples of this super interesting exercise form:

Use your non-dominant hand for your daily tasks like brushing your teeth, holding a glass, writing, combing your hair or holding your phone.
Visit unusual shops/parks or places or take a new route to reach to the same destination.
Change order of your meals – Start with dal – rice and then go for chapatti and veggies.
Keep your eyes closed while doing activities like dressing up, reaching to your cupboard/chair, sitting in the car and wearing your seat belt.
Add some new odours in your day. For example, start your day with mint tea rather than your usual tea/coffee.
Visit some park, sit at a place, close your eyes and try to visualise what is happening around.
Go on a drive with a friend or any family member without having any destination in mind. Let them tell you when to take left or right.
Change interiors of your room – if it is not possible to move bigger furniture, just play with the smaller things like painting/wall piece/photo frame.
Choose entirely new curtains/bed sheets for your room and make yourself notice them every day.
Listen to some new language and try some of the pronunciations.
Make it a family activity – everyone eating with their non-dominant hand/everyone writing their own names with the non-dominant hand.
Try tongue twisters. They train a lot.

Try with activities which you don’t do generally – balancing a book on head/juggling/making toys or shapes from clay/identify things from your drawer while your eyes closed.

These activities are challenging as well as fun at the same time. Your kids and elderly at home– all can train their minds for better memory and co-ordination and keep several neurological conditions away like memory loss. Do these regularly, invent some similar exercises and have a super brain workout!

August 5, 2016 By Divita Bhatt Leave a Comment

ADD “LIFE” TO YOUR “STYLE”

Yes you read it right…! When we talk about lifestyle we mostly forget the two basics of the entire concept, the “Life” & the “Style”. It’s not about flaunting or getting attention from others, it’s all about living your life the way you have been and making all things around you the way you like – that is what is ‘YOUR’ style. And that’s why it is more worth saying adding life to your style, rather than adding style to your life.

Small things in our daily routine, our home as well as workplace makes a lot of difference to our lifestyle. And, when we talk about a healthier life style, it’s all about our workout and eating habits that matters most to our fitness and in a broader way – wellness.

Wear your Attitude to Workout: Yes, more than your gym ware, it’s your face and your body language that makes you ready for workout. And, of course a great combination of vibrant colored gym ware and trendy sport shoes only adds to your energy. They give yourself a mental warm-up before your actual warm up. Assigning a space for all your workout accessories like gym bag, workout clothes, socks, shoes, towel etc. instead make a dedicated space in your life for workout. And, every morning or any time of day when you have to work out, just reach that place and you will feel the force within.

Sing-along your fitness: Music has that energy to help you run for your goal. And, when it comes to music for workout, select your favorite songs that are full of energy and that motivates you. Making that energetic playlist and playing it while you walk, run or work-out is something that will add to your energy and the force to work harder and push you to extremes. Make sure that the duration of the playlist is at least three to four times of your workout duration, so that you shuffle it and don’t get bored. Also update it every now and then with newer tracks of your choice.

Re-design – Re-arrange your surroundings: Your surroundings at home and workplace are the places where you spend most of the time and see the things around. Refurbishing or making it look good makes you feel good the whole day. Posters of anything you like – cars, celebrities, quotes or natural landscapes, miniature models, cartoon characters, soft toys, showpieces, smiley balls or tags, good luck plant or any other tiny indoor plant kept in your bed room, kitchen or work place gives you the positive vibe and keeps you up in anything you do in and around that place.

Eat right – prepare right: Eating right is very important but, equally important is to prepare and present it in the right way. If you are the one who carry meal to work, packing it in trendy and colorful lunch box makes you look forward for packing as well as having the meal at the right time. Also, you can pack it in different colored boxes when you take multiple meals in a day. The way you cut and serve the salad also makes difference in how it looks and how it feels while having. Instead of cutting it the same way every time, use different sizes and shapes in routine, like cutting salad in cubes, slices, splits, cross slices, grated and sometimes eat it uncut.

So that’s how small things make big differences in the way you live. At times routine makes our life so monotonous that we forget our own likes and dislikes and keep moving with the pace. That’s the time to pause, think for our own style, our own way of doing things and kick start towards a better and healthier lifestyle by adding “LIFE” to our “STYLE”.

July 28, 2016 By Bansi Mehta Vora 7 Comments

Quick healthy dinner recipes

In today’s fast paced life, we are constantly chasing our goals and in the process neglecting our health and body’s needs such as rest, sufficient sleep, lots of nutrition and water. Only when we listen to our body’s needs, will it help us in return, to achieve our targets and support our daily activities.

There are innumerable reasons for not eating nutritious foods. Some of the reasons are lack of time, cooks at home or sometimes its sheer lack of knowledge on what to buy from the market, how to match two ingredients and what to do with the leftovers etc.

Well, I have tried to easy your difficulty by sharing some of the quick and easy recipes which may help you sort out dinners for all your 5 busy working days! I am sure you will love these dishes! Enjoy it guilt free! These dishes will not only do justice to your workouts but, also ensure good nutrition supply for a healthy and energetic you!

DAL KHICHDI

Serves 1; preparation time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

15gms Daliya
10gms Yellow moong dal
10gms Chana dal
25gms Bottle gourd
25gms Cauliflowerv 25gms French beans
10gms Green peas
1 Tomato
2-5 curry leaves
2 big green chilies
A tiny piece of cinnamon

2 cloves
1tbsp oil/ghee
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp mustard seeds
1/2tsp hing
1tsp red chili powder
1tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp garam masala
1tsp kitchen king masala
Salt to taste
Coriander for garnishing

Method:

Wash and soak the mentioned dal and daliya for about 10 minutes
Chop bottle gourd, cauliflower and French beans to medium sized cubes.
In a pan, put some oil, let it heat, then add mustard seeds, hing, cumin seed, curry leaves and green chilies. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and the kitchen king masala. Mix well.
Add the chopped veggies and green peas. Mix well.
Now drain and add the soaked dal and daliya mixture. Mix well.
Add about 250 ml water, mix well for a few minutes. Add salt to taste
Now transfer this into a pressure cooker vessel and let it cook for 15 minutes.
Once the cooker is done, you will notice the ingredients have been cooked leaving no water behind, if there is some water left, let it cook for another 5 minutes.
Transfer it in a serving plate, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with chilled curd.

PAV BHAJI

Serves 1; preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

10gms Yellow moong dal
10gms green moong dal
15gms white peas
10gms red gram dal
25gms cauliflower
25gms green peas
20gms green capsicum
2 tomatoes

1tbsp ghee
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp hing
1tsp turmeric powder
1tsp red chili powder
2tsp Pav Bhaji masala (or add as per your taste preference)
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak the pulses and legumes for 10 minutes in hot water.
Chop cauliflower in small pcs. Mix it with green peas.
In a pressure cooker vessel, mix the pulses, legumes, cauliflower and green peas, with water and add some salt. Let it cook in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, finely chop green capsicum and grate the tomatoes and make a puree. In a pan, add some ghee and let it heat. Add cumin seeds, hing, and let it simmer. Now add green capsicum and tomato puree, let it cook. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, and pav bhaji masala. Cook this on low flame.
Check if the pressure cooker is done. If yes, remove the pulses mixture and mash it lightly.
Now add the pulses mixture to the cooked tomato puree mixture. Mix well until everything blends well and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Transfer in a serving bowl. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and serve with multigrain breads and piece of lemon.

BESAN PANCAKES:

Makes 3-4 pancakes, preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

100gms besan flour
1 big tomato, shredded
1 big cucumber, shredded
30gms bottle gourd, shredded
Coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 green chilies (optional)

1tsp red chili powder
1tsp turmeric powder
2tsp ginger + chilies paste (if available, to make it spicy)
2tbsp curd
Salt to taste

Method:

In a bowl, take besan flour. Add shredded tomato, cucumber, bottle gourd and coriander leaves.
Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger chilies paste and curd. Mix well. Add very little water if required. We need a slightly flowing consistency of the batter to make pancakes.
In a pan, heat 1tsp oil, spread the batter, top it with some green chilies and some coriander leaves.
Let it cook on both sides on medium flame.
Serve it with green mint chutney mixed with some curd.

ANEER FRANKIE:

Makes 3 Frankies.

Ingredients:

15gms pearl millet flour (bajra)
15gms white millet flour (jowar)
10gms whole wheat flour
Salt to taste
60gms Paneer, shredded or crushed
30gms Yellow capsicum, finely chopped
30gms red capsicum, finely chopped

30gms green capsicum, finely chopped
Coriander leaves, finely chopped
2-3tsp Kapol’s Frankie masala
1tsp jeera masala
Salt to taste
Ginger chilies paste (if available and to make it spicier)

Method:

Make a roti dough by mixing all the three flours with water, some oil and salt. Cover it and keep it aside
In a bowl mix all the capsicums and coriander.
Add salt, ginger chili paste, Frankie masala and some jeera masala. Mix well. You may add come dry mango powder if you like it tangier. Add the shredded paneer to this mixture.
Mix well and make (3) rolls of this mixture.
Using a rolling pin, make 3 rotis of the dough.
In a pan heat some oil and cook a roti. Let it cook properly front and back. As the texture changes, add some green phudina chutney (optional) and spread it over the roti. Then keep a paneer roll on one end of the roti, and gently roll the entire roti. Let it stay on the pan if you like it crispy.
Serve it with ketchup, green phudina chutney or chilled curd.

STUFFED MOONG DAL DOSA

Makes 7-8 dosas

Ingredients

10gms Green moong dal
10gms Yellow moong dal
10gms Urad dal
10gms Red gram dal
10gms Lentils
10gms Bengal gram dal

For the stuffing:

40gms Paneer, shredded
40gms corn kernels

Coriander leaves
15gms coconut, shredded
2 green chilies, finely chopped (optional)
Ginger chili paste
Salt to taste
Grounded black pepper
1tsp garam masala
Dried mango powder (aamchur) to taste

Method:

Wash and soak all the dals in 3 cups hot water for 15 minutes.
In a bowl, mash the paneer, corn and coriander leaves.
Add salt, ginger chili paste, garam masala, some grounded black pepper, dried mango powder and finely chopped chilies (optional). Mix well.
The soaked dals must have become tender. Grind this in a mixture with minimal water. We need the batter to be dense and have flowing consistency.
In the batter add some salt and grounded black pepper.
In a pan, heat some ghee, pour a spoon full of batter and spread it in round motion.
Let it cook on the bottom. Flip it, and let it cook for a few minutes. Flip it again and check if it’s slightly brown.
Then add some of the paneer and corn stuffing on the dosa. Let it cook for a few minutes.
Fold the dosa in two, or you can roll it all the way. Cut in pieces and serve with green phudina chutney or some tamarind chutney.

June 1, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 5 Comments

“To bring about any lifestyle change you need to be honest with yourself”

He tried gym workout with a personal trainer for the longest time but, it did not work. It did not give him the required results. All he did was put on more weight. His family members were worried for him as he was single and yet to be married. A little gift from his sister and his own determination and dedication helped him get on the fitness path and change things for himself for the better. Let’s hear Rahul Singh’s story in his own words.

I am a chemical engineer and I work with a firm that deals with Chemicals. Just to give you a background of my physical stature. I am 6’2” and my weight was around 112 kg around December’15. I was into fitness. I used to go to the gym regularly. My job involves lots of travelling. I travel across pan India and abroad as well. Whenever I was travelling I used to do treadmill in the hotel gym. But there were no effects felt on me. This was despite the fact that I had a personal trainer and also did intensive work out. My weight never shrunk.

My eating habits were not good. I never ate on time and never ate right. I used to have all the junk foods and did not keep a check.

Then one day my sister and folks a home were worried for me as I was getting on the heavier side. That is when my sister gifted me a GOQii. The idea behind giving me the band was also to get me fit and healthy before I get married. I did not know anything about GOQii. I started with a fresh slate.

My coach is Dr. Sangeeta. She started this journey for me and told me what to do and what to focus on. She said that only if I am dedicated and put in efforts will I feel the change. My health goal was weight reduction. As per my height, the ideal weight I should be is around 88-92 kilos.

I got on to a fitness regime. I started cycling and it was Dr. Sangeeta’s idea. I started with around 7-8 km daily and now my stamina has been extended and now I do 100-120 km in a week. Daily I ride about 30 km and weekends I do long rides.

Along with my activity, my coach has also given me food tips which I am following. Earlier I was inclined to junk food like McDonalds. Dr. Sangeeta told me to start with raw food, to start eating salads. I started having salad half an hour before eating food because of that I felt less hungry and thus the actual food intake was comparatively less as compared to the previous one.

My family members also noticed this and my mom joked saying that one month’s food supplies now lasts for two months. I am focusing more on raw foods such as salads and fruits. I have started eating a fruit every day, at least one fruit a day. Earlier, I used to eat one fruit a week, maybe not even that. Now this has all become a habit, it’s not like I’m forced to do it. If I don’t get fruit in a day I feel my meal is not completed.

The result of all this discipline is that I have lost 7-8 kg. I am at 102 kg. All thanks to GOQii. What has amazed me is that I have brought about only a lifestyle change and changed my eating habits and I am doing it diligently.

GOQii as a band is very good. The person using GOQii has to be very honest and very crystal clear in his ideas. You have, to be honest with updating your daily logs and input all your daily activities, daily logs in the app. You have to also be honest with your coach. If you’re hiding things about what you are eating and doing then you are likely to not benefit. I am happy with my coach and she has actually she has taught me so many things and brought new ideas and concepts to the table that has helped me a great deal.

With regard to step counts to be very frank, for the past one and a half month, I’m not actually counting my steps. I’m actually counting my kilometres of cycling and I do share it with Dr. Sangeeta on a daily basis. But, I guess on an average daily when I go 30-35 km it’s almost same across my target of 12000 steps. I’ve seen it usually reaches 10000-11000 step mark. And in my daily activity, 3000-4000 are my average steps which I do. So I’m easily at 13000-14000 steps daily. And the target steps for me is 12000, so I cross that.

I like this band and I’m one of GOQii’s ardent fans. People around me are also seeing the change in me and I am recommending GOQii to people who I think need it.