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August 15, 2020 By GOQii 3 Comments

Being The Force Of The Police Force: Nandu Ughale User Journey

During this entire COVID-19 pandemic, one cannot deny the role that our frontline heroes – the police force have played by tirelessly working to ensure that lockdown rules were followed and providing assistance wherever required. While our unsung heroes do their best to protect us from the pandemic, who is protecting them? Good effort in the service of others rarely goes unrewarded. Let’s look at the story of one of our heroes, Nandu Ughale from the Nashik Police Force.

Being an Active Force of the Police Force!

Nandu Ughale has served the Nashik City Police for over 13 years. Before joining the force, he hailed from a poor farmer family and came from a remote village in Maharashtra. Facing great difficulties and challenges, he got himself a graduation degree and joined the police force. He was always enthusiastic about running and slowly began participating in various running and cycling events at national and international levels. He says that he has won so many medals and trophies that he’s lost count but is determined to add more!

In his first international trip to Australia in 2015, he managed to bag gold medals in the 400m and 1500m category, silver in 200m and 5000m, and bronze in 21km. He was elated that he had done his country proud – that too without proper training, diet or facilities at the time. He was going to participate at another event in Japan this year which got cancelled due to the pandemic. Apart from these athletic events, he has participated in numerous half and full marathons.

Beginning of a New Journey Towards Good Health

In the wake of the Pandemic, Shri Vishwas Nangare Patil, Commissioner of Police, Nashik, handed over GOQii trackers to the entire police force. He explained the features of the band, how to track and sync with the app as well as interact with the coach.

While Nandu Ughale was already at his prime and was quite an active athlete, how could GOQii help him? There were still a few areas for improvement which his GOQii Coach identified. Though he was active, his activities were not structured. Small changes were introduced by his coach:

Begin with a proper pre and post workout meal which included dates and bananas for pre-workout and eggs for post workout.
To improve digestion, he was asked to add buttermilk to his lunch
Morning detox included a glass of lemon water with a dash of cinnamon and honey upon waking up
Chana or grams for mid meals to avoid long gaps between lunch and dinner

With these changes, his stamina improved along with sleep duration and quality. He lost 5kg and increased his muscle mass. Another noteworthy change after GOQii was the introduction of the habit of walking – which even his colleagues developed. Earlier, they used to patrol on bikes but now, they make it a point to walk down the roads which has helped a lot in ensuring people follow movement restrictions. To this he says that petrol is saved and so is their health.

What Does Police Officer Nandu Ughale Think About GOQii?

He says that GOQii helped him realize that he is not just serving the country and society but he needs to serve himself – his health as well. His coach has constantly motivated him to focus on himself first so that he can focus better on his duty towards the country. He adds that age is just a number and if you’re determined and sincere, you can stay fit throughout your entire life without any illness or diseases.

We salute the efforts of Nandu Ughale and his dedication to serve the country as well as remain fit and active!

Gear up as we’re going to share more insights on the life and journey towards an active lifestyle of our Police Force in the coming weeks! For more successful user stories, check out Healthy Reads within the GOQii App.

#BeTheForce

July 30, 2020 By GOQii 1 Comment

Get Ready For The New Normal With the GOQii Vital 3.0

When 2020 began, we all imagined new beginnings, new resolutions, made a list of places to travel to, thought of picking up new hobbies and probably exploring new ventures. All those glorious plans came to a standstill when the COVID-19 pandemic came to our doorstep. With almost half a year in lockdown, all our plans had to be flushed in what we would like to call writhing anguish. But amidst all the chaos and fear, we did not stop innovating, rebuilding and taking caution. This led to the creation of something unique which proved useful during the crisis – the GOQii Vital 3.0.

What is the GOQii Vital 3.0?

In May 2020, we announced the launch of a major breakthrough in early COVID-19 detection tracing through our new device, the GOQii Vital 3.0 which is one of the world’s first major disruptions in COVID-19 prevention. The wristband comes with sensors to detect body temperature which is an early symptom of COVID-19. Apart from tracking body temperature, the device also measures your blood pressure, heart rate and sleep while keeping a check on your step count and calories.

The GOQii Vital 3.0 has an inbuilt temperature display and thermal sensor that has two ways of temperature monitoring – the continuous monitoring feature and the on-demand feature for users who would like to check at their convenience. The temperature range is 77°F to 113 °F with an accuracy of +/- 0.3 °F.

Other Features

Apart from detecting body temperature, the GOQii Vital 3.0 also has some other exciting features:

Tracking steps, distance, calories burned and active time
24×7 heart rate monitoring
Blood pressure monitoring
Exercise mode
Auto sleep tracking
Connect with phone for notifications

Partnerships and Study

Given the advanced preventive health capabilities of the platform, GOQii’s Brand Ambassador Akshay Kumar has donated 1,000 GOQii Vital 3.0 bands to Mumbai and Nashik Police who are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. The Mumbai Police department was the first organisation in the world enabled to remotely track and manage the health of its Personnel via the GOQii Preventive Health Platform.

GOQii has partnered with Thryve, a German healthtech company focusing on aggregation and analysis of health data generated by wearables, medical devices and other health data sources. Thryve’s machine learning-based algorithms provide actionable insights on infectious diseases like COVID-19, depression and other medical conditions. They help health services to uncover the underlying patterns, detect people’s health progress trajectory and lead health-care with proactive insight provisioning. Through this partnership, GOQii will conduct a clinical study in India to check the accuracy of early detection of COVID-19. Detection of characteristic changes in body temperature and other vital data enable early detection of COVID-19 symptoms. The combination of Thryve’s unique machine learning-based algorithms and GOQii’s Vital 3.0 Smart band will usher a breakthrough in technology advancement to address the current crisis in timely detection of COVID -19 that has engulfed the globe.

So what are you waiting for? Get ready for the new normal! Go pick your own GOQii Vital 3.0 now and say hello to good health and great healthcare!

You can get it here: https://bit.ly/3ij2nez

Or simply download the GOQii App and head over the GOQii Health Store!

Please note: this is only a screening device and not a medical device. It is recommended that it be used for screening purposes only. All data collected by GOQii is subjected to HIPAA, GDPR and relevant data privacy guidelines.

#BeTheForce

June 3, 2020 By Dr. Vaidya's 1 Comment

Stressed Out? Natural Ways To Manage Stress During Lockdown

It is normal to feel sad, stressed, confused, scared or angry during an epidemic outbreak. Hearing constant reports about the illness and death caused by the outbreak world over can be hard to take. But even amid the pandemic, it is important to make sure that you take care of your physical and mental health. We must cope with the stress and anxiety that the pandemic brings. Stress and anxiety can trigger ailments such as insomnia, depression, high blood pressure and more. It may also lead to an imbalance of the three doshas; vata, pitta and kapha in the body, depending on an individual’s constitution. Here are some ayurvedic tips that can help you manage stress and anxiety during this time period:

How To Manage Stress During Lockdown

Eat right and hydrate well: Eat foods that help you relax. Choose foods that help reduce stress. All fresh fruits, lightly cooked, spiced vegetables and whole grains will revive your tired mind and body. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to flush out any disease-causing toxic matter from your system. You can also add some calming teas like peppermint or chamomile to your daily diet. Use this time to get restful sleep of 7-8 hours – this can also drastically reduce stress and anxiety.
Exercise is a good way to de-stress: Yoga is a great way to exercise all parts of your body, while also soothing nerves and balancing the mind. Some of the yoga poses that can be practised are child’s pose, bridge pose, standing forward bend pose, eagle pose, extended triangle pose and extended puppy pose (you can find explanations and demonstrations of each of these poses online). Simple pranayama exercises can also help restore vitality to the energy channels of the body, release tension, and offer support to the mind and the nervous system.
Create a sense of structure and routine in daily life: At the most fundamental level, our physiology is very much adapted to and supported by some sense of regularity. This is precisely why the daily routine is such good medicine for anxiety. The routine itself has a very grounding and stabilizing effect on the system; it creates several familiar and comforting reference points throughout the day. This, in turn, sends an affirmation to the body that all is well and we can be at ease. Adopting a daily routine is also an act of love and self-care. Our routines provide us with opportunities to take care of our health and well-being, despite what else might be going on in our lives. While one is at home, try and keep a routine like one is actually going to the office. Don’t stay in pyjamas all day, eat at the same time and schedule the day with virtual meetings like you would at the office. These seem like inane steps but really help.
Meditation: Meditation, even if practised for as few as 10 minutes each day, can help you control stress, decrease anxiety, improve cardiovascular health, and relax the mind. It consists of the silent repetition of a word, sound, or phrase while sitting quietly with eyes closed and a good posture for 10 to 20 minutes. This should be done in a quiet place to get rid of any distractions. Sitting is preferred to lying down to avoid falling asleep. Relax your muscles and breathe through your nose naturally. During a meditation session, all worries and thoughts should be dismissed by focusing on the word, sound or phrase.
Abhyanga: Abhyanga or self-oil massage utilizes the absorbing properties of the skin to not only nourish but also provide a healing and calming effect on the mind and body. Daily massage with natural oils like sesame, coconut, almond, tea tree, etc pacifies all the doshas to provide relief from fatigue, stress, and promote peaceful sleep.
Avoid unhelpful coping strategies: Habits like drinking alcohol and smoking may not help cope with stress and anxiety. They not only harm you physically but can also increase levels of stress and anxiety and reduce immunity. It is better to avoid such practices.

Staying in touch with near and dear ones can also help reduce anxiety and promote positive thoughts and environment around you. During these difficult times, we must take care of our physical and mental health and take preventative measures like practising personal hygiene and social distancing till the tide passes over. We hope everybody stays safe and healthy! This too shall pass.

We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more tips on managing stress, tune in to our emotional wellness experts on GOQii Play.

Stay home, stay safe, manage stress and #BeTheForce

June 2, 2020 By Akanksha Khullar 3 Comments

Effective Tips to Boost Your Immunity

As we prepare to welcome the monsoons, along with the ongoing pandemic, the change in season might affect some of you as you may show symptoms of cold and flu. During this time especially, it becomes important to protect your body against any illness or disease caused by bacteria or viruses. The best way to prevent cold and flu is to boost your immunity!

Types of Immunity

Specific Immunity: Is related to specialized cells located throughout the body like thymus, lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, lymphoid tissues, etc. which respond to invasions of foreign materials/microorganisms like bacteria, virus, fungi produced by or entering the body.
Non-Specific Immunity: Is related to the physical barriers like skin and mucous membrane. They form the first line of defence against the entry of microorganisms or foreign substances in your body.
Others: These include mobile cells like leukocytes and lymphocytes. They are released in the blood and carried to the site where they are needed when any microorganism invades the tissue.

How To Boost Your Immunity

Each person has a different spectrum of immunity ranging from good to bad. But there are certain things you can do to try to boost your immunity.

Have Nutritionally Adequate Meals: There are supplements in the market claiming that they increase immunity. However, it’s best to do so by consuming foods that boost your immunity. A healthy immune system is dependent upon a healthy eating pattern. Malnourishment leads to low immunity as nutrients like zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid and vitamins like A, B6, C and E are needed to maintain an optimum immune system. Some foods that boost immunity are Vitamin C rich foods like oranges, grapes, kiwi, pineapple, lemon, etc, along with broccoli, ginger, garlic, turmeric, green tea, etc.
Boost Gut Health: Gut health is directly related to our immunity. The healthier the gut, the healthier the immune system. Adding prebiotics and probiotics like yogurt/buttermilk/curd, garlic, onion, apple, bananas, oats, flaxseeds, wheat bran, apple cider vinegar, Kombucha, Isapgol, etc. to your diet as they boost gut health, which in turn boosts your immune system. As they have good bacteria, they prevent digestion issues as well. For healthy digestion, make sure you avoid too spicy and junk foods, avoid long gaps between meals, hydrate yourself well, be on the move throughout the day, have a light dinner and keep stress away. Also have lots of fibre in the form of raw fruits and salads, oats, nuts, etc.
Get Active: Exercising regularly for at least 20-30 minutes helps to bring in a healthier you by improving bones, muscle and joint strength. It prevents various metabolic disorders like diabetes, cardiac issues, etc. It also increases blood circulation which allows the proper functioning of T cells – which is a type of white blood cell that guards the body against infections to work efficiently and prevent us from getting any kind of viral infection or disease. A regular workout schedule even reduces stress which is a major contributor for low immunity.
Curb Alcohol & Smoking: Alcohol and smoking are scavengers of our immune system. Try to limit the intake of the same to avoid cold or flu as they affect the liver and lungs respectively which helps in detoxification. They lead to medical problems like cardiac issues and blood pressure, which if uncontrolled, leads to cardiac attack. Smoking leads to respiratory tract infections like tuberculosis and bronchitis and alcohol also leads to fatty liver and in severe cases, leads to liver cirrhosis. Drinking and smoking also leads to cancer.
Get Sufficient Sleep: Make sure that you get at least 6-8 hours of sleep everyday as enough sleep helps our bodies recover from everyday stress, both physical and mental. If you feel that your sleep is disturbed, try to be active throughout the day, avoid caffeine or alcohol before sleeping, keep the bedroom cool and keep the electronics away before sleeping and do some deep breathing or unwind yourself.
Reduce Stress Levels: Stress is directly linked to our immune system as it secretes cortisol which interferes with the functioning of T-cells. To keep your stress in check, practice yoga, meditation, socialize on the internet and practice positive thinking or deep breathing in your regular routine.
Maintain Good Hygiene: Wash your hands for 20 seconds under running water frequently in a day with soap or use a hand sanitizer with alcohol to disinfect yourself from germs frequently. After entering the house, make sure to immediately wash hands with soap to avoid infection. Wear a mask as instructed by WHO if you’re stepping out. Also, make sure to wash raw fruits and vegetables before consuming them.

Good immunity is the pillar of a healthy body and very important for providing longevity to life. Try the above tips and boost your immunity to live a long and healthy life. For more tips on immunity, check out Healthy Reads or view LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Stay home, stay safe, boost your immunity and #BeTheForce