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Aspire! Achieve! Inspire! Harit Panchal User Journey

Harit Panchal User Journey

Being healthy is not a race, it is a marathon. As we all know, running a marathon is no easy task. If you’re not prepared or willing to learn, it can get extremely difficult. More often than not, when you want to push your game to the next level, you will need help. Harit Panchal knew this and decided to take a step on to the next level with GOQii.

Living Healthy From Day One

Weighing around 85 kg, Harit Panchal had always been mindful about his eating habits and fitness. Walking and/or jogging have been a part of his routine forever! His family is also mindful about their diet. They do not eat junk food or takeaways, use very little oil and sugar. Thanks to this habit, no one from his family suffers from health issues.

Taking It Up a Notch!  

In March 2017, Harit Panchal was introduced to GOQii by a friend, since he was always interested in fitness. Harit wanted to run marathons as well and shared this determination with his new GOQii Coach.

His GOQii Coach introduced him to healthy habits that he had to follow. He woke up every morning and was asked to drink warm water with lemon, honey and turmeric powder. Before he began with Pranayama, he was asked to consume soaked nuts. He performs breathing exercises for around 40 minutes everyday.

His breakfast was a traditional one, consisting of upma, poha, idli and thepla, etc. Lunch was a traditional affair as well, consisting of Dal, Rice, Roti and Vegetables. He began including fruits as mid meal snacks. His dinner was similar to his lunch but was light.

Biscuits were his weakness earlier. He stopped consuming them completely. As of today, he completes more than 10k steps. Has begun with planks and can hold it for 1 minute, 20 seconds.

Thanks to the change in his habits, he was able to reduce 11kg in the past 2 years. How he weighs on 74kg and is quite healthier and fitter than before. He has also participated in 2 marathons since joining GOQii – a 21km and 10km in 2018. For his mental health and to maintain a hobby after his retirement last year, Harit Panchal took up watercolor painting – an activity he was passionate about since childhood.

Being the Change

Harit is quite regular with blood donations. On his 50th birthday, he had completed 50 blood donations. At the age of 59 today, he has donated blood for the 74th time. He did so on World Blood Donation Day.

Harit Panchal is a volunteer for an NGO which serves subsidised food to the relatives of patients admitted in KEM Hospital, Parel. He easily spends around 30-45 min every thursday distributing food. Apart from this, he also volunteers for a charitable cause for juvenile prisoners. Volunteering here involves inculcating good habits in juvenile prisoners, creating cultural awareness, prayers and other fun activities.

Earlier this year, he participated in the India Steps Challenge and claimed a backpack and shopping bags as gifts. He was among the top 1000 players of ISC.

When asked about GOQii, he said that he appreciates the contribution of his coaches towards his increased awareness about health and fitness, the guidance he received for marathon training as well as the constant follow up through calls and chats. His endeavour is to stay fit, participate in a marathon every year and live disease-free with the help and guidance from his GOQii Coach!

To know more about Harit Panchal’s story, join him LIVE on GOQii Play this Sunday at 11 AM!

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Pleasuring Yourself: Is it Good and Healthy? Part I

masturbation myths and benefits

Kanika is studying in college. In her biology class, she read that stimulation of the clitoris leads to pleasure. While many of her friends studied and forgot about it, Kanika decided to try it out… and it worked! In fact, it worked wonderfully well! Gradually, she started doing it whenever she felt the urge and it felt blissful!

Kanika masturbates and it is perfectly normal and healthy. Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one’s own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys or combinations of these. It is frequent and common among both sexes and all ages and for many, it is the first sexual encounter.

Here is What Happens in the Body When You Masturbate

1. The Genital Area: When you start becoming aroused, several physical responses occur, including an increased heart rate, faster breathing, and increased blood flow through the body, including the skin. Muscles contract, and with the increased blood flow, genital organs such as the clitoris get bigger, in a male, the penis is enlarged. In a woman, the vaginal wall becomes more lubricated and the uterus even moves position to create space for penetration.

2. The Brain: It is said that the orgasm happens in the brain and physiology is a small part! The prefrontal cortex of the brain in women appears to be more active during masturbation than sex, which appears to happen when touches are imagined rather than felt. This is seen much more in women. As stimulation continues, the nerves in that area also become more responsive. Touching the erogenous parts of the body initiates the physiological responses described above. If sustained, usually leads to orgasm in most people.

Within the brain there is an increase in hormones, including dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin as you start masturbating. These are ‘feel good’ hormones, which reduce feelings of stress, and increase feelings of bonding between individuals. During masturbation, it is just you!

3. Blood: There is an increase in blood cells that help fight infections. In one small study, sexually active women had higher immunoglobulin G (IgG) at ovulation than sexually abstinent women. IgG is an antibody response and is the most common antibody expressed in blood. It acts directly on pathogens by either paralysing target cells or by immobilising them and marking them for disposal.

Why is it good for Health?

  1. It’s good for you! Literally! It is FINE to masturbate and release that pent up energy. An excessive of it is not! Read more in the next article. The hormones dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin are released during masturbation. These are ‘feel good’ hormones, which reduce feelings of stress, and increase feelings of bonding between individuals. During masturbation, it makes you feel fulfilled. (Not undermining your partner here but this feeling comes up in many!). A study found a 74.6% increase in pain tolerance with masturbation, and pain detection ability increased by 106.7% due to the release of related hormones.
  2. It is an exercise since the increased blood flow and muscle contractions during masturbation helps to exercise the pelvic floor effectively.
  3. Cleaner vagina: Since the secretions from the vagina during and post orgasm keep it clean and at a normal acid-base level, thus decreasing the risk of infections, and the increased lubrication.
  4. A beautiful fire lights up the brain: The hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum and hypothalamus combine to get you to your peak. In a female, during masturbation, the brain’s prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain heavily associated with creative thinking turns up the volume. In the case of partner sex, it seemed that certain elements of it are actually turned off, specifically the part that seems responsible for self-control, overtime for you.
  5. Becoming sexually aware: Masturbation also helps you figure out what you like sexually. Where do you like to be touched, stimulated. This can help you guide your partner if any.
  6. There are speculations of reduced prostate cancer with frequent ejaculation.
  7. It might help some men to practice solo and then with a partner. It might help you to understand how long it takes you to orgasm.

Well, coming back to Kanika, she read this article, and had the following questions. And we are here to help her

Kanika: Will my partner know that I masturbate? Is it correct to masturbate even though I have a partner?

Me: Your partner will never know unless you tell and pleasuring yourself is fine! Don’t be guilty, just enjoy!

Kanika: Will I lose my sex drive in the long run?

Me: There is nothing scientific about losing your sex drive because of masturbation. But yes, since you release the energy, many people report that the urge to be physical with the partner reduces. But for many, the physical act is equally important.

Kanika: Is it okay for women to masturbate?

Me: Yes. Yes. Yes.

Kanika: My friend seems to be addicted to masturbation. How do I know if I am addicted? How much masturbation is good or bad?

Me: That’s tricky.  Let us look at it in detail.

Stay tuned for the next article!

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Motivation and Determination go Hand-in-Hand | Kalpana Sharma User Journey

Kalpana Sharma

Household chores can be quite healthy for you as they help you stay active! But like any journey towards good health, you have to support your activity with proper nutrition, sleep and manage stress as well. In most cases, individuals find it difficult to do so. This may be due to fatigue, lack of motivation or proper guidance. So what happens when you get the motivation you need with proper guidance? Let’s look at how they helped Kalpana Sharma!

Lifestyle Before GOQii

Kalpana Sharma, a 36-year-old housewife residing in Pune is married with 2 children, aged 9 and 3 years respectively. Prior to joining GOQii, she had no time or inclination to workout or manage her diet. She was too occupied with household chores and taking care of her family.

Apart from being inactive, she suffered from high acidity for almost 4 years due to unhealthy eating habits. She also had breathing problems due to weight issues. The meals prepared in her household were cooked in ghee and oil. The consumption of sweets was high as well.

Determination to Start a Healthier Lifestyle

During her second pregnancy, Kalpana Sharma weighed around 96kg. This was a frightening experience for her as she did not want to cross the 100kg mark. She knew she needed a drastic change. After her delivery in 2018, her husband gave her a GOQii tracker with a 3 month subscription as an anniversary gift.

Her husband motivated her to lose weight and get fit. Her health goal was to lose weight and get rid of acidity. Her GOQii Coach suggested she eats Fenugreek seeds that were soaked overnight, first thing the next morning. She had to include salads before lunch in order to reduce the portion size of her meal.

For dinner, she avoided carbs and switched to paneer and salads. She was asked to avoid sugar in her tea and coffee and eat sweets occasionally. On the exercise front, Kalpana began cardio for 30 minutes for 5 days a week. She also began walking after dinner. Her GOQii Coach shared some workout videos with her which she used to follow.

Embracing the Change

Under her 3 month subscription, Kalpana Sharma lost 3kg. This motivated her to extend her membership to 12 months. She weighed 88kg then and further reduced her weight to 71kg. Seeing the speed of her results, she wishes to lose another 3-4kg.

As per her GOQii Coach, she has been as consistent as possible with her habits. She switched to healthier alternatives while cooking. For instance, she began using jaggery instead of sugar. Any cakes or cookies she baked were made of whole wheat flour and jaggery.

Due to her healthy cooking methods, Kalpana has been able to improve the health of her entire family! She has even begun innovating her own cooking methods by opting for low fat alternatives.

In addition to all of this, she has also started strength training as suggested by her GOQii Coach. She now does cardio, abs and weights on alternate days. Kalpana ensures that she sets aside time for exercise no matter how hectic her routine is. She is dedicated to the extent that sometimes she is called ‘crazy’ by her family members!

3 months back, she was diagnosed with varicose veins and her doctor advised her to not stand for long periods of time and to ensure that she doesn’t gain weight. Instead of being defeated, this has only strengthened her motivation to exercise and lose more weight!

For her daily dose of inspiration, she regularly watches Coach Tufail Qureshi’s LIVE videos on GOQii Play and follows his instructions religiously. She also follows Coach Arooshi Garg’s Cooking Show.

Kalpana is quite active on the GOQii App and has explored a few snacking options from the GOQii Health Store. She finds them very tasty and healthy. When asked what she felt about GOQii, she said that it has transformed her and she is completely satisfied with GOQii and wishes to continue for many more years!

We wish Kalpana Sharma the best in her ongoing journey towards a healthier life. Did you find Kalpana Sharma’s story of determination inspiring? Drop a comment below and let us know what you feel!

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Nothing Is Difficult If You Try Wholeheartedly! Lijo Paul User Journey

Lijo Paul User Journey

Do you remember your early childhood? All the fun times playing with your friends, running around during recess or participating in sports activities? Childhood, for most of us, is a memorable experience where we recall fun, carefreeness and other fond experiences. On the contrary, for a few of us, childhood might not be the fondest of places in our memory. It was the same for Lijo Paul.

If you’re active on GOQii Play, there is absolutely no way you’ve not come across our player Lijo Paul. A few of you might have interacted with him at some point as well. Recently, we had a chance to speak to him and we’re about to share his story with you!

Early Childhood and Facing the Odds

At the age of 2, Lijo Paul was affected by Seizures. Although he was cured through medication, it wasn’t an easy road ahead. At 6, he was diagnosed with Asthma due to dust and cold. Due to this issue, he was unable to have a normal childhood.

He was unable to walk or run a mile. Climbing stairs was difficult and participating in sports was out of the question. He couldn’t play any games that required physical activity and had to follow a strict diet. In his words, “No kid would love to lead a life where he is unable to play sports or eat the food he likes.” Lijo was affected by sleeplessness as well due to Asthma.

Every doctor and specialist that Lijo visited suggested that he exercise but for him, it meant experiencing breathlessness the next day. He had to spend his childhood with medicines and inhalers. He was also affected by Typhoid twice and vomited blood for which he was on medication again.

After college, he took up a job that consumed 16 hours of his day. Due to this sedentary lifestyle, he developed belly fat and back pain. To combat this, he finally joined a gym but quit within 6 months after not being able to see any results.

Enter GOQii

After much turmoil, Lijo Paul came across GOQii through Axis Bank. Although he was apprehensive at first, he decided to give it a go and subscribed to GOQii in September 2018.

Lijo believed in a myth that healthy food is bland and you need to raw fruits and veggies to stay healthy. This myth was broken by his GOQii Coach who made him realize that losing fat and body weight isn’t about eating boring food but it is about eating the right things at the right time.

In his own words, Lijo said that, “I always troubled my coach with lots of doubts and questions but she ensured that I received proper and adequate knowledge on the topics. She also made sure that I don’t waste money on useless products and kept a frequent track of my food intake.”

His GOQii Coach kept a track of his water intake and began including a lot of fruits and vegetables to his diet. He consumes Apple Cider Vinegar in the morning and gyms for an hour. Green gram sprouts are his post-workout meal.

Since he initially found healthy food boring, his GOQii Coach suggested recipes to make his food more interesting. His initial notion of healthy food has changed drastically. He performs a mix of cardio and weight training, hitting 1 muscle group twice a week and has increased his protein intake as well.

While on GOQii, he tuned in to GOQii Play and followed it diligently. He began following Coach Aliya Imran and her 25-day challenge to lose belly fat.

Witnessing the Change

Within a period of 7 months, he has reduced his weight from 65kg to 60kg. Lijo has seen a drop of body fats from 25% to 12-15%. He can now perform any workout he likes. There has been much improvement in his breathing problem as well.

His confidence levels have sky-rocketed! Due to his awareness about fitness, he guides his friends, colleagues and family as well. In fact, he helped a colleague with PCOS, regularizing her periods and reducing her weight from 85kg to 76kg.

Along with his GOQii Coach, Lijo Paul credits his transformation to our GOQii Play coaches like Aliya Imran, Vishakha Sodha, Tufail Qureshi, Heena Bhimani, Suparna Mukherjee and others. The changes he has experienced from being unfit to fit have made him curious. In the future, he plans on doing a certification course and build a career in fitness.

Lijo Paul believes that it is all about the mindset; nothing is difficult if you do it wholeheartedly. Has Lijo’s story inspired you? Let us know in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

 

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]