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March 8, 2019 By GOQii 3 Comments

Championing the Health & Fitness Space | International Women’s Day

What does it mean to be a champion? Is a champion someone who always wins? Is a champion someone who strives in the face of adversity? Does a champion believe in their self, perseveres and never gives up? There are many different parameters that can be used to define what a champion is or should be but there are some that stand out from the rest. On International Women’s Day, let’s read through the accomplishments of some of our Indian women who have redefined what it means to be a champion by being a daily source of inspiration and motivation to many!

Rujuta Diwekar

“When we go through nutrition transition and give up on our local, native, regional food and we begin to adopt a food system, which has no resonance to our region, culture, that’s when our waists start spilling out in a protest for you to go back to your more local diet.”

A nutrition and exercise science expert, Rujuta Diwekar is a vocal champion of using our common sense and un-complicating the act of eating. In a career spanning more than 15 years, Rujuta Diwekar has worked with clients from all walks of life – from businessmen to homemakers, students, celebrities and sportsmen including Kareena Kapoor and Anil Ambani. She emphasizes a blend of traditional food wisdom and modern nutritional science for a healthy body and mind, best reflected through the mantra – Eat local, think global. She is also the author of 5 best-selling nutrition books.

Sucheta Pal

TheHealthSite.com

Ranchi girl and ex-IT professional Sucheta Pal inspired an entire nation towards healthier living and fitness through Zumba. She is India’s first Zumba Education Specialist and the brand ambassador for Zumba in India. In 2018, she was felicitated by the Hon. President of India as the “First Lady” for women wellness. Over four and a half years, she has trained nearly 3,500 Zumba instructors and has represented Zumba and India in multiple international fitness conferences from FIBO Germany, IFEX Indonesia, AFAA Japan conference, Asia Fitness Convention, Bangkok and others across the world. She is also a fitness TV-show host of Zoom TV’s Zumba Dance Fitness Party and has featured in several fitness shows on NDTV, Mtunes and TLC. Definitely a champion of heath and fitness in our books!

Pooja Makhija

http://www.dssc.co/delhi/2018/02/08/nourish-eat-delete-celebrity-nutritionist-pooja-makhija/

Ace Nutritionist Pooja Makhija has successfully transformed the bodies and lives of thousands of people! She’s a nutritionist to celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and Sushmita Sen. Pooja believes in nourishment over weight loss – food is fuel, it is your friend and not your enemy. To date, she has published two books – Eat Delete and Eat Delete Junior. She feels that people are seeing food for its calories rather than its true value. According to her, eating the right food can prevent lifestyle diseases such as high cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes.

Sonali Swami

https://naidunia.jagran.com

A mother of two, Sonali Swami is definitely a source of inspiration for every fit mom out there! An IBBF athlete, she has bagged a bronze at the WBBF Asian Championship 2016, won Fit Factor India 2014, won Muscle Mania India 2014 in Fitness and Model’s Physique Categorory, secured 6th place in Asian Body Building Championships 2017 and is among the country’s Top 10 bodybuilders – all this while starting her journey towards bodybuilding at the age of 37! She firmly believes that age is just a number and you can start training regardless of your age, it doesn’t matter if you’re a teenager or in your 60’s. She advises people to be patient, consistent and never give up.

Yasmin Karachiwala

The fitness guru that Bollywood swears by! Yasmin Karachiwala boasts of a clientele that includes the likes of Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhat. She owns a gym called Body Image, she was the first BASI certified Pilates instructor in India and established the first Pilates studio in Mumbai. She often shares workout videos with her followers and fitness enthusiasts on social media. She has also co-authored a book on Pilates. Yasmin does not believe in a diet and prefers making smarter food choices. Her mantra is to strive to be the best version of yourself!

Deepika Mehta

http://deepikamehta.in/

After a near death rock climbing accident in 1997, doctors told Deepika Mehta that she wouldn’t walk again. This wasn’t acceptable to someone like her who possessed a great zeal for life. She sought alternative approaches and found yoga. Since then, she has been learning and practicing various forms such as Pranayama, Ashtanga Yoga and meditation. Deepika has had her own TV show called Yoga City. She has a vast clientele including celebrities, individuals and corporates all over the country. She has been a master trainer on the show “The Biggest Loser” in India. In 2014, she was featured as one of the three women redefining beauty ideals in India in Vogue Magazine and has been the face of Elle India’s 2015 fitness campaign. She has also given a dance/yoga presentation and talk at the TedX event at the UN Headquarters in NYC.

Namrata Purohit

https://twitter.com/namratapurohit

The youngest Stott Pilates instructor in the world at the age of 16, Namrata Purohit has trained celebrities such as Kangana Ranaut, Jacqueline Fernandez, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Elli Avram, Malaika Arora, Neha Dhupia and Lauren Gottlieb to name a few. When she was 19, she completed all the courses on Stott Pilates and is also a certified Barre Instructor. Along with her father Samir Purohit, she is the co-founder of The Pilates Studio, which is the first in the world to have pilates and a simulated altitude training room under one roof. At 21, she launched her first book titled The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Being Fit. She was the official fitness partner to Femina Miss India Organization since 2011, official Fitness Partner to Miss Diva (2013 & 2014) and along with her father, were official Pilates coaches to the 2014 Mumbai City FC team. She was also a national level squash player and a state level football player.

Shilpa Shetty Kundra

http://www.priyaadivarekar.com/2018/06/shilpa-shetty-kundra-interview-international-yoga-day.html

Apart from being a successful Bollywood Diva, Shilpa Shetty Kundra also follows an active and healthy lifestyle by practicing yoga, healthy eating and exercise. According to her, Yoga inculcates a sense of discipline and self-control. On days when she isn’t able to workout, she practices Pranayama. Being a health enthusiast, she decided to foray into the health and wellness space with the simple aim of spreading awareness. Shilpa’s Yoga DVD was a huge success. Her YouTube channel is a one-stop-shop for all fitness enthusiasts across the globe. Her first book ‘The Great Indian Diet’ went on to be an award-winning one and still remains one of the bestsellers in the health segment. Her second book, The Diary of a Domestic Diva, aims to share quick and hassle-free methods that lead to cooking healthy, nutritious and delicious meals.

P V Sindhu

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sports/cricket/251216/2016-pv-sindhus-olympic-silver-marks-a-glorious-year-for-badminton.html

Picking up badminton at the age of 7, P V Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic Silver Medal. Fitness definitely plays an important role in her overall game which includes 8 hours of training. Her daily schedule includes Yoga, Pranayama, Running and Swimming, along with push-ups and sit-ups. In nutrition, she eats a zero sugar and high protein diet. She won a silver medal in Women’s Singles at Commonwealth 2018. She was also a silver medalist at the 2017 BWF World Championships and 2018 BWF World Championships consecutively. In the Asian Games 2018, held in Indonesia, she grabbed another silver medal. Sindhu came into international attention when she broke into the top 20 of the BWF World Ranking and was the first ever Indian women’s singles player to win a medal at the Badminton World Championships. In 2015, she was awarded the Padma Shri. In 2018, she became the first Indian to have clinched the BWF World Tour title defeating Nozomi Okuhara in the finals.

September 7, 2018 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

Is guidance necessary to lead a healthy life?

Final-ecosystem-V2

We deal with a variety of problems in our everyday life. Many factors inherent in our home, school, society, occupation, and relationships pull us in different directions. We often find ourselves in such a state of confusion and bewilderment that it is difficult to steer ahead without the help of a proper guide. This blog is focused on bringing out the importance of proper guidance to lead a healthy life.

Even the best need guidance to improve. An expert guidance offers a lot more than you are aware of and one of them is not falling for the marketing stunts. While most products claim things like “Gluten Free” “Low calorie” and “No preservatives” there still are many ingredients in them that make it an unhealthy consumption. With the help of proper guidance, you are in a better position to make a more informed choice.

It has become almost impossible to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into your busy one. Like kryptonite for Superman, a busy schedule is often the excuse for many individuals to refrain from leading a healthy lifestyle. This is where the role of a guide or a mentor comes in, when there’s someone to motivate you and push you to do your best, you’ll eventually start taking out time to concentrate on health and fitness. Everybody needs guidance in life and this isn’t just restricted to health and fitness but every other aspect and the interesting part? Even the best need guidance, for example, Lionel Messi one of the greatest football players, the world has ever witnessed trains under a coach. Why? Because there’s no limit to how much one can progress and someone to guide you in the right direction is essential. In the case of health and fitness, it always possible for you to walk in the wrong direction without understanding what your body actually needs. You may come across a time when your workouts aren’t yielding results and you have come to a halt, but with expert guidance, there’s always a solution to your problems and your trainer will help you get past the barriers in the best ways possible. As human beings we all require support, and taking it from the right sources is what makes the difference. At GOQii, we focus on providing every individual with the guidance and support he/she requires to make the best of their lives. We are proud to be the force.

With the help of our GOQii coaches, players around the world who previously led sedentary lifestyles are now active GOQii champions. Everybody has the power to bring change within themselves and we try our best to help you conquer it. With proper guidance, the potential to achieve is endless.

June 2, 2018 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

“I am now more focused and there is the much-needed clarity in my health”

SWAROOP AND HIS MOM AT BKC run 10k

From being lazy and waking up at 10.30 am in the morning to crushing finish lines at various runs across the city for the last two years, he has surpassed his goals-beyond what he even thought possible! He is today a GOQii Champion and leads the Powai Chapter of GOQii Active Sunday. His mother accompanies him on Active Sundays. Here is Swarup Choghale success story, in his own words.

I was very active till I was in college. I was into a lot of adventure activities and Taekwondo. I wanted to join the army. I applied and got through the test but I failed in medical. They said I had a defective nose that was not suitable for high altitudes. But, I went and got my nose operated and tried again but, I still did not make it as they said this problem could not be rectified through a surgery. I gave up the idea of joining the army. I went ahead to do my CA and after passing out got a regular job. Once into a regular job, everything took a back seat and it only worked and work.

I seemed to have reached a personally unacceptable plateau, which I couldn’t improve on without devoting too much time to fitness in an already hectic lifestyle.

I currently am a fund accountant with a Mumbai based Hedge Fund. I work in shifts and due to this hectic work schedule my sleep and food habits were completely haywire and had taken a toll on me. I had no form of activity as I would wake up not before 10.30 am in the morning and I used to be so tired that I would laze around for a bit and then have a brunch and again leave for work. This routine continued for few years.

I was aware that I had to get back to a fitness regime to turn things around for myself and see some positive results. Unfortunately, how to achieve the necessary levels of fitness in a structured and progressive manner was something I was struggling to understand. I naturally presumed this would require a personal trainer, lots of time and money.

Then one day sometime last year, I was browsing news channels and I happened to watch Vishal Gondal’s interview on NDTV where he was talking about himself and how GOQii started.

After seeing that interview I could relate to Vishal’s story as I was also in the same state where I had a regular job, bad food habits-I ate whatever and whenever and I had no form of exercise and I was putting on weight. I didn’t realize how much my overall fitness had steadily and declined over the past few years. Then I went on the net and read more about GOQii and tried to understand what is GOQii and how it works?

After reading the introductory material, it was apparent to me that this was exactly what I needed. I needed a band to track my fitness also a personal coach or trainer who could help me keep track of my fitness at all levels. It was also clearly obvious that this was not only radically different approach from anything I had come across before.

Soon after I came across an advertisement that said if you spend Rs 1.5 lakh on your SBI Credit Card you can get a free 6 months GOQii subscription. I was quite taken by GOQii and the benefits it could provide. So I got all my family and friends and told them if they wanted to buy anything they could give me cash and I would buy it on my SBI credit card and I managed to shop for Rs 1.5 lakh in a month and I got a free 6-month subscription in May 2015. My coach is Heta Kothari and my health goal when I signed was to get into better shape. Get better waistline and hips.

I went for my first GOQii Active Sunday to Sion Fort and really liked what we did and I completely got hooked on to it. I decided I will never miss an active Sunday. I also met many similar people like me at this event who in their middle age (mid-30s and early 40s and 50s) were trying to get into fitness.

Sundays have never been better Swarup training with Goqii at Active Sunday

Thereafter my first big event was to enrol for the 100 km Oxfam trail walk in November 2015. I completed the trail walk successfully. Soon after the trail walk I took to running and was consecutively running marathons. I took part in every run that came my way. I did my first 21 km than Half Marathon and prior to that the Powai Marathon 10 km run, followed by IFS BKC run.

Since getting on the GOQii platform the results have been nothing short of outstanding. Today, my day to day routine has drastically changed. I am part of a group called ‘you2can run’ so on alternate days I go for a run (6-7 km) and other days I go to the gym to work out. My workout lasts for about an hour daily. My coach has been guiding me very well.

On an average, I clock 10000 steps daily and on weekends I would easily do over 20,000 steps. I also have a trekking group with whom I go trekking on weekends.

Besides getting active, the biggest benefit that has come through because of GOQii is the impact it has had on my mental wellbeing. Today, I can handle any stressful situation very well. I am mentally better prepared now. For me, it has been a paradigm shift in my approach to fitness, nutrition, sleep etc. It’s something revolutionary that it completely changed my understanding of the subject.

On the nutrition front, I have been health conscious but did not know a whole lot of things. I did not know that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. I used to never have breakfast as I would always get up late. Now I make it a point to have breakfast daily. I got to know when to eat fruits and when not to. Have frequent but small meals. Never had salads but, now in mid-afternoon meals, I have salads.

Earlier, I would not have proper sleep because of which I would feel drowsy at work. Now that does not happen as I get at least 7 hours of sleep daily. Over the last one year of using GOQii, I have achieved my goals and also learnt a lot in the process. This year my goal is to run 21 km consistently and after that do a full marathon (42Km) and I am working towards that.

My journey has not been for too long, but certainly, GOQii has changed my attitude towards life. I have started enjoying this stage of middle age. With all the activities that I am doing, I am excited and positive. The change and the positive attitude is reflecting in my work and at home

The one person who has been happy and also inspired by me is my Mother. She is 65 years of age and she runs along with me. She has been participating in the 5 km runs and has also started going to the gym to work out.

What does coach Heta Kothari have to say about Swarup?

Swarup has been my player since May 2015. Right from the intro call I learnt that he is someone who loves exercising and the outdoors. On and off he had been into gym workouts, taekwondo and earlier was with NCC as well. His long-term goal is to run a full marathon and improve his fitness levels. We started with working on regularizing his exercise, making it smarter (interval training) rather than extensive and then graduated to a gym routine.

Alongside, his diet needed a few tweaks which we worked on one after the other; small changes like 1) Replacing proprietary drinks with healthier nuts 2) Regular breakfast (earlier he would skip this important meals, at times) 3) Portion control (cutting down on fried stuff particularly) 4) Trying to make him eat more variety 5) Clarifying his concepts of carbs (there were myths he associated with) 6) Adding a Pre workout meal to his schedule 7) Adequately increasing his protein intake 8) Adding fibre to his meals, multigrain, veggies, salads and fruits 9) Adding 2 healthy snacks to his meal schedule All these changes he has beautifully adapted to. With regards to workouts my challenge right from the beginning was never to push him towards exercising, rather it was (and still remains) to get him into a structured and a dedicated schedule. From the first week that he came on board, he has always made it to the ACTIVE SUNDAY events.

2 months ago he wrote to me, ”Sundays never felt better, a good workout, better breakfast and best sleep!”. Treks, outdoor camping, river rafting, waterfall rappelling….he has done it all while on board with GOQii. Several months later one Sunday I messaged him “Did you make it to the Active Sunday event today?” he wrote back “ It’s ingrained in my system now, thanks for the push”…that’s when I knew we have made a lifestyle change here. Post this he has been a part of The Powai Marathon 10 Km run, The Oxfam Trailwalker Event, and he has completed The Thane Hiranandani HALF MARATHON!!!

In his own words, “I am now more focused and there is the much-needed clarity in my health.

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April 25, 2018 By Trupti Hingad Leave a Comment

Know all about Yoghurt and its benefits

yoghurt 1

The summer heat is killing! Wish I could eat something that’s chilling and soothing for the stomach, is the thought process that most of us go through. There are lots of summer foods and coolants available but nothing as handy as yoghurt and yes it is also one of the best foods for weight watchers.

Let me share some facts about it!

Personally, Yoghurt has always been a part of my diet. The reason it was added to your meals is to have a healthy gut. As a child, I never understood these nutritional nitty-gritties, it is only when I started studying nutrition, I learnt about the benefits of curd.

Curd or Yoghurt as it is called is it same? While most think it’s the same thing, there is a slight difference between these two.

Yoghurt is a diary product that is created by fermenting milk using bacteria called yoghurt cultures. The bacteria ferment the lactose in the milk causing it to produce lactic acid, which gives yoghurt its tangy and acidic taste. The word ‘yogurt’ is derived from the Turkish word ‘yogurt’ which means “to curdle or coagulated; to thicken”

The curd is another type of dairy product. Curds are made by curdling or coagulating the milk. This can be done by mixing edible acidic substances into the milk, such as lemon juice or vinegar. Introducing this substance to the milk will allow the milk to curdle and separate into two parts. The liquid part is the whey and the milk solids will be the curds. The whey contains the whey proteins of the milk, whereas the curds are the milk proteins or casein

Curd also contains measurable amounts of vitamins A, E and K; thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12. It also contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, fluoride and selenium, as well as saturated fats, and oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat.

We all know yoghurt is creamy and delicious. But, beyond that what else do we know about the yoghurt?

Yoghurt is a great source of high-quality protein, including both casein (80%) and whey (20%). Plain yoghurt made from whole milk contains about 8.5 grams of protein in each cup (245 g).

Yoghurt contains a family of trans fats called ruminant trans fats or dairy trans fats. Unlike trans fats found in some processed food products, ruminant trans fats are considered to have beneficial health effects. The most abundant ruminant trans fats in yoghurt are vaccine acid and conjugated linoleic acid or CLA. Yoghurt may contain higher amounts of CLA than milk.

Yoghurt contains small amounts of natural milk sugar (lactose). Many branded Yoghurts are also high in added sugar.

Yoghurt is an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B12, calcium, phosphorus, and riboflavin.

Yoghurts with live or active cultures contain probiotic bacteria (probiotics) that may improve digestive health.

Regular consumption can prevent aggravation of certain medical conditions namely High BP, IBS and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.

Yoghurt is a rich source of calcium and protein and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

In Hindu worship, Yoghurt is added in Panchamrita. Yoghurt symbolizes strength and prosperity.

Did you know that yoghurt can make your workouts less tiring by reducing the muscular stress? If yoghurt is consumed on a daily basis, it facilitates the further functioning of the active T-cells (dominant cells responsible for maintaining the immunity of the body). In case of people who follow a regular workout regime, yogurt soothes the muscle stress and post workout recovery is faster and better.

When you make it at home, it’s safe. But, when you buy from the market…. BE AWARE: Yogurt is often marketed as a healthy food. However, the sugar and flavourings added to many yogurts can make them more like junk food.

Reading the label is the first thing you should do when choosing a yogurt. The nutrition facts and ingredients list can tell you a lot about what’s in your yogurt.

How to choose healthy Yogurt –

1. When possible, choose a yogurt without large amounts of added ingredients. Instead, try to choose a yogurt with few ingredients.

2. Although yogurt already contains some natural sugar in the form of lactose (milk sugar), food companies often add large amounts of simple sugars to make yogurt taste sweeter.

3. Probiotics are the friendly bacteria that turn milk into yogurt. Look for yogurt with the “Live and Active Cultures” seal and avoid yogurts that have been pasteurized after production.

yogurt-with-mixed-berries_1339-7892

You can also make your own chia seed yogurt to make plain yogurt less tart. And, as a bonus, you’ll get extra protein, fibre and healthy fats with the chia seeds.

Recipe – It is as easy as mixing 2 cups (473 ml) of yogurt with 1.5–2 tablespoons (22–30 ml) of chia seeds and letting it sit overnight in the fridge. This is the best post workout snack.

Well, you can flavour your cuppa of yoghurt with either fruits, berries, banana, chocolate, mint coriander, mango or cinnamon and cumin spice, granola mix.

Is Greek Yoghurt healthy?

Greek yogurt has almost double the protein of regular yogurt. Unless you’re using the non-fat varieties, Greek yogurt has about three times the saturated fat than regular yoghurt. Greek yogurt contains about half the sodium of regular yogurt. Greek yogurt is also an excellent source of iodine. Greek yogurt contains roughly half the carbohydrates of regular yogurt, so It is definitely healthier and keeps your waist in check.

Let’s enjoy the cup of yoghurt in our next meal.