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6 tips for Mindful Drinking

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Most adults admit they turn to alcohol to help them cope after a stressful day.Even though it might seem like a few drinks can relieve the pressures of the day, in the medium to long term it can actually add to them – whether they’re work, financial or family related. Stress can also be an excuse for people to drink more than they should, especially if they don’t realize the negative impact it can have on their health and well-being. 

Here are 6 tips for mindful drinking :

  1. Eat first and eat enough.

By the time most people get to a happy hour, they’re starving. Ordering a platter or salad is always a great option because it has fiber and protein and won’t lead you to consume tons of fried or junk food.If you are still hungry after an appetizer, order a regular meal. You are likely to be more satisfied and end up eating fewer calories than if you were to just snack on tons of things around you.

  1. Pace yourself with water.

It’s easy to pound two or three drinks quickly, especially after a long day. To limit your alcohol intake, start with a big glass of water and lemon and order a sparkling water in between drinks. This will force you to stay hydrated and limit going overboard on booze.

  1. Skip the mixing and fruity stuff.

Stay away from mixed drinks. They’re high in calories, but not satiating. Don’t switch from beers, to shots, to liquor, to margaritas, to whatever.  Bad idea.  Don’t start with beer and then switch to hard liquor either.  You’re already drunk so you won’t be able to tell how much liquor you’re consuming, which is when things go downhill quickly.  Pick something and stick with it.

  1. Keep count

Drink in moderation, of course. More than four drinks in a sitting for women, or more than five in a sitting for men is considered binge drinking.  Remember tip number 2— sipping water between alcoholic beverages is a great way to slow down the count.

  1. Day-drink wisely.

Weekends can mean prolonged drinking over the course of the day. Choose drinks that are lower in overall alcohol content like beer, wine, and wine spritzers to avoid overconsumption and allow you to stay in the action for the whole day. Don’t forget to get some high quality calories from your meals and consider a break for an hour or two without alcohol throughout the day. 

  1. Rest up, before and after.

Don’t drink after strenuous physical activity or after a night of poor sleep. And be sure to get a good amount of sleep after a night of drinking. Alcohol can lower blood sugar levels, and hitting the bottle on an empty stomach or after a tough workout only depletes those levels further.

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“Finally, it’s your own discipline and routine that will help you stay fit and healthy”

Brian Pereira

Brian Pereira

He leads a busy life with lots of travel in a month which gave him no time to work out. Being an event producer is no mean task you have to constantly be on your toes. But, that also meant not enough sleep, bad food habits, and high cholesterol levels. Brian, however, did not make excuses instead he decided despite the busy schedule, he will have to make that extra effort if he wants to get healthy. Today, his efforts have paid off with his cholesterol levels lower, being active by clocking 10000 steps daily and getting better rest and sleep. Let’s hear Brian’s story of change in his own words….

I am an event and conference producer. My event happens once a year at the end of the year but it can be pretty stressful at times when you are managing a large scale event.I am also a freelance journalist and have my own blog and website. Given my work, I travel extensively both domestically and international.

Due to extensive travelling especially when its international travel, the body clock goes haywire, eating patterns get upset, sleep patterns get disturbed and sometimes even the water intake is not as much. I have now consciously cut down my travels.

I got a GOQii band sometime in November 2015 as it was a giveaway in my own event. That was the time when my annual event takes place. It was a stressful time for me. The event ended on November 30th. But, I had not removed the GOQii band for almost 2-3 weeks because I immediately went on a vacation after my event. Then one day I just picked it up and decided to try it out.

At this particular point, my cholesterol levels were high. My sleep cycles were irregular and had digestion issues as well. I, however, considered myself fit because I would occasionally manage to do some exercises. But, the other issues had to be controlled. It was a wake-up call and I knew I had to do something about it. Therefore, I decided to try the GOQii band. I connected with my coach Shiba Akhtar. I discussed all my issues with her and also mentioned I was taking medicines to lower my cholesterol.

Technically, I had started using my GOQii band from December 2015. I had done my tests prior to going on my vacation and my bad cholesterol was 200 but after I started using the band and following my coach’s instructions on various aspects such as increasing water intake to 2 litres, sleep patterns gradually improved. I started walking a lot and being active. Instead of taking cars or auto, I tried to walk for distances which were manageable.

Then I set goals for myself on the band from 6000 steps it went to 7000 steps and those goals were easily achievable without going out in the park, just in the commute as I commute by public transport. Now, I clock 10,000 steps daily however the goal is to increase this and clock 12k steps daily.

I also cycle during the weekends and walk for about 40 minutes to an hour in the park. The band actually helped me get on a fitness path. What has also really changed in the last two months is my diet. I am off red meat now, and when I go for events or conferences I stick to plain curd rice or just rice and dal. My coach has also introduced some new things in my diet like watermelon and flax seeds and oats. These things I wasn’t taking before all new things have been introduced. Fruits and assorted nuts also I have daily. And, I am avoiding lot of rich foods.

I am happy with my achievement so far. But, again it’s not only the band making a difference it’s a combination of things. It’s a strict discipline that I have now chalked out for myself. It’s been very difficult at times with my hectic schedule but I have tried to keep to my new routine. Success comes with a lot of hard work.

If you want to achieve your goal you need to maintain discipline and follow your coach’s advice. My coach has also been giving me some exercises to do. My current goal now is now to reduce the waist…belly fat. After three months when I went for my test my cholesterol levels were lower.

I am in constant touch with my coach. It’s this constant communication with the coach that is helping. I am sure together we can make it work. Also, what I like about my coach is the fact that she is not too pushy as she knows my lifestyle. But, the thing is that I listen to her and I am disciplined. We do make frequent changes if something is not working out. Having said this my coach is pushy on two things water intake and the oil that is used for cooking. In fact, taking her advice I have changed my cooking oil and now I use only olive oil.

I do indulge in rich foods once in a way probably during festivities or some family functions. But, I immediately try to burn it off next day.

The GOQii concept is pretty good because there is somebody to monitor you and make you understand. Prior to GOQii, I was going to purchase a FitBit band but then when I talked to people who were using it they told me that it’s only a step and pulse tracker. It does not really take care of the whole thing. You need a holistic ecosystem just as GOQii has. Many often forget: half the battle when it comes to fitness is just being able to objectively and easily assess how active you are on a daily basis. Here is where the coach helps.

The coach is always pushing you and keeps you motivated. It should not just be about steps and sleep. It should also be about diet and wellness, overall wellness. Finally, it’s your own discipline and your routine that will help you stay fit and healthy.

I am feeling much better than what I was in November and more relaxed that I can think clearly, I can sleep better. I am mentally calmer and at peace. GOQii has definitely helped me get more fit and heart-happy.

What does Coach Shiba Akhtar have to say about Brian

Brian has come up with goals like;

*he wanted to get fit/ a complete wellness
*wanted to improve his sleep quality
*wanted to live stress free life
*cholesterol was >200
*bloating
*indigestion

Prior to GOQii his Lipid profile reports showed

Triglycerides-127
Cholesterol-251
HDL-39
LDL-196

I set up few SMART goals for him;
*Advised him to work out either walk/aerobics 3-4times in a week and sent him aerobics links for the beginners.
*Since his water intake was low, we increased the water intake to 2 litres daily.

I kept a check on him on a daily basis.Meanwhile, I was also working at his cholesterol levels. Advised him to take lots of fibre and omega-3 rich foods.By the end of December, both his water intake, sleep cycle and digestion had improved. He was also clocking higher steps at around 7000 and doing his workouts. I also regularly kept sending him tips on how to lower cholesterol.

Soon we planned to get new goals
* To clock 10k steps
*exercises to reduce his waistline
*Meals

I advised him to do exercises such as the Russian twist, crisscross, leg raise, reverse crunches, heel touch for 30min for his waistline reduction. I also advised him to sip green tea, take sugar and fat in moderation, include lots of Salads and Fruits in his diet, small and frequent meals were also advised.Brian met the 10k steps target easily, simultaneously he was motivated to keep himself hydrated.

On, Jan 16 The lipid profile reports showed

TG-106
Cholesterol-136
HDL-32
LDL-80

Drastic improvement from the previous report.

He has started working to boost his HDL. I advised him to switch his oil from rice bran to canola/olive and opt for sea foods.Brian is reaching his goals flawlessly. We are working hard to get goals on time. I have now introduced TABATA and NeilaRey. I closely monitor his diet through the logs. After the introduction of Neila Ray, walk/running well we also introduced cycling. He has been doing well so far and meeting all his targets.

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5 tips to eat safe outside your home

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Eating outside your home comes as a big relief for most of us especially when we want to have something different from the regular routine “Ghar ka Khana”.

No matter how much we love home cooked food, there comes a point in time when we all crave for outside food even if it is not prepared in the best hygienic way. And well, it’s the first thing foodies like me look forward to do when on holidays or socializing.

Usually,nutritionists and dieticians always emphasize on healthy choices and mindful eating practices while eating out. But sadly, eating healthy i.e non-fatty, low calorie foods alone don’t help to stay healthy and fit. While we pay attention to the fat or sugar content and the processing method of the food while eating out, it’s also equally important to make sure what is served on our plate is safe enough to be consumed.

Failure to adhere to proper safety measures can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, stomach upset, and in worst case can lead to a serious episode of food poisoning or food borne illness. Thus,a mere act of enjoyment and pleasing the taste buds ends up putting extra stress on our digestive and immune system.

So what’s the alternative? Is there something which can take care of both-the taste buds and our body’s system? The Answer is YES

Here are 5 simple tips which can help us lower the health risk and ensure that the food safety part is not completely ignored!

1) Look for eateries having open kitchen or at least which allows a view of the kitchen

Food safety is all about what goes beyond the scenes i,e inside the kitchen and depends on the person who is cooking as well as the one who is serving the food. Hence, opting for places or restaurant joints that have open kitchen or dining place which allows you to have a view of the kitchen area helps a lot. This will give you some idea of the cleanliness of the kitchen premise, the utensils/equipment and also whether the chef and other kitchen staff are taking care of personal hygiene or not.

2) Go for places/joints which are always crowded or have high visitor ratio

Apart from ensuring that such restaurant is popular and serves tasty food, it will also ensure safer food. This is because crowded places have high turnover of food, and hence chances of getting served stale food reduces (example-the left over gravies and sauces or foods such as cooked rice from previous day).

3) Avoid opting for dishes which are too exotic, off beat or off seasonal

This is largely to play safe as we never know which ingredients go inthe preparation of such foods. Also,it’salways best to avoid dishes which have offseasonal food ingredients say any fruit or vegetable, because storage method of such foods then is a big question?Which if not stored properly as per the protocol can impose a potential risk for food toxicity.

4) Prefer cooked foods over raw or cold foods

This is applicable while eatingin the roadside eateries or joints as they often use food items like chopped onion, peeled potatoes, chutneys etc; which are pre prepared and if not covered and stored properlycan be subjected to contamination from flies, pests etc and thus become a potential health hazard. Opting for cooked foods ensures that at least some microbes get destroyed due to heat.

For example:

#Go for grilled/toasted sandwich instead of regular sandwich

5)Beware of what you eat during buffet set ups

** Avoid having cut salads, cold pastas and fruits in buffet set ups like weddings or in hotels since they are likely to sit there for a long time before they actually go into our plate.We can have soups, grilled/sauteedveggies or steamed starters instead of salads in such situations to fill ourselves and save us from overindulgence.

** Besides this, make sure that all other foods kept at buffet table are maintained at proper temperatures; cold food should be kept cold, hot food should be kept hot when you serve them on your plate.

Remember, next time when you head out just follow these simple tips to make sure you enjoy your time away from the kitchen without thinking of the extra calories or worrying about food poisoning…think good nutrition!!

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Why is GOQii the best startup to work at?

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Two years ago when I first walked into the 7th-floor office of GOQii to meet Vishal Gondal, the first sight was that of some youngsters playing loud music and doing Zumba. I was told it’s a regular routine at the office. If it’s not Zumba then its Tabata or skipping or indulging in some physical activity while at office. Then I saw some weights, exercise ball, kettle bell lying around. My first thought was it was a small startup, few people so it’s just one way to probably relax at work. But, the best part is this fun atmosphere continues even after 2 years of being in operation and with close to 100 odd employees.

No wonder that it is rated among the top 10 best startups that one should be looking at to work for in 2016 by a leading news website. The website rated it based on the new exciting business in the wearable space that GOQii is operating in. But, GOQii apart from the business that it operates is a cool startup to work at for varied reasons.

GOQii founded by gaming geek Vishal Gondal in 2013 with the basic premise to get people to follow a healthy lifestyle by making small changes in their life. GOQii which operates in the wearable space combines a fitness band with personalized coaching to help people lead a healthy lifestyle. This ideology was not meant only for their ‘Players’(customers) but, also to be practiced within the company. One of the values of the company is ‘Practice what we Preach’.

Being a startup there is pressure to perform and deliver but not at the cost of a bad work life balance. The company provides a work atmosphere that is lively and not monotonous. For all here at GOQii, the two main aspects that have attracted them or have kept them back is because it is a great learning place for one’s career and secondly, you can just be the person you are and do not have to change yourself to prove your abilities. It is one company that does not hire basis your degrees but hires basis your attitude and persona.

Says Gondal, CEO of GOQii “We hire people not for their degrees but for their passion. We want people to be themselves at work and have the same persona as their personal life.”

The coaches who are responsible for motivating and changing people’s lifestyle for the better say that they are motivated within the office and therefore are able to motivate their players. The one thing that strikes a chord with all coaches is the ethical practice followed by the company and that they are not focusing on weight loss but on leading a healthy and holistic lifestyle.

The learning curve at GOQii is fabulous, there are great mentors within the company who are approachable including Vishal who is the CEO. These Mentors may work in a completely different department but, you get unlimited, time with him/her to talk and understand any issue. The work culture is open and there is a lot of freedom for you to work your way while you bear in mind the ethical values of the company.

As one employee from the tech department says: “Two years at GOQii has been enriching for me. I being an IT professional have got an opportunity to learn beyond just technology. I have had the opportunity to work with various departments and in the process learned people management. GOQii has not limited me from doing anything.”

Apart from the work culture and the cool people working for the company, GOQii also takes care of its people. Being in the health industry, the company has been instrumental in getting its employees to lead a healthy lifestyle as well without imposing any rules or regulations on them.

“I had a bad work life balance but, I can vouch and say now that I am a much healthier person now. I eat well and sleep well. I am not stressed at work and I do not wake up thinking ‘Oh shit’ I need to get to work. But more eager to get to work daily,” says one woman employee who works in the HR department.

It’s not only about an open work culture, flexibility or ethical values at work, but also the fun things that happen within office- the regular workout sessions, Zumba session for fitness, work from wherever you want to as no specific desk space is allotted, work sitting on a beanbag or on an exercise ball so long as work is getting done.

I would be doing injustice if I do not talk of the healthy food that is served for lunch. Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays the employees get healthy organic food and Tuesday and Thursday is Vegan organic all free of cost. There are also regular outdoor activities such as runs, walks, hikes or treks conducted across India where players and coaches meet. Last but not the least, the karma culture is a part of GOQii Life where employees along with coaches and players are invited to volunteer with a social organization and do good for the society.

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