Search Results for: mental health

October 31, 2019 By GOQii Leave a Comment

The New Age Health Horror of Diabesity

When someone says “horror”, what do you imagine? Definitely nothing pleasant but something extremely scary, right? Do you picture ghosts and demons? If your perception of horror is limited to only supernatural occurrences, you might want to take a big step back. While supernatural entities are subjective, health issues are very much real and their stats are horrifying to say the least.

Recently, we came across a study titled ‘Finding a Policy Solution to India’s Diabetes Epidemic‘ by Karen Siegel, K. M Venkat Narayan and Sanjay Kinra. The study indicated that ‘In India, 35 million people have diabetes—a number expected to more than double by 2025, disproportionately affecting working-age people’. That means over 70 million people. Isn’t that scary?

Diabesity, which is a combination of Diabetes and Obesity, is even worse! Can you picture it? Obesity is a key risk factor for diabetes. India has the world’s largest number of people with Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) and Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG), which are the precursors for diabetes. Obesity and IGT are mostly found in younger populations.

Major Causes Leading to Diabesity

Globalization: facilitates access to various pre-packaged and processed foods. In fact, there is minimal physical activity as we have one touch access to almost everything! Surely, we are growing economically but at the cost of our health.
Nutrition Transition: There is a major shift observed in the meal patterns of Indians today. People are turning more towards western foods, foods that are pre-packaged, ready to eat foods, high in calories, sugar, aerated drinks, hydrogenated fats over the simple traditional food which are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber and other essential nutrients.
Higher Percentage of Abdominal Fat: Abdominal obesity is the key factor of insulin resistance and development of diabetes.
Malnutrition During Pregnancy: Because of the co-existence of underweight and overweight, children are often born underweight and adapted to a low-nutrition environment. Low-birth weight infants are more susceptible than those of normal birth weight to obesity and diabetes, especially when raised in an Obesogenic environment.
Lifestyle: Most people today lead sedentary lifestyles devoid of much movement. Even at work we’re glued to our desks and laptops. This accounts to minimal physical activity. At the same time, the stress factor is the maximum with respect to targets/goals associated with work, family and social circles.

How To Keep It At Bay

Keeping Diabesity at bay actually involves 3 very simple and basic lifestyle modifications:

Make Healthy Food Choices: Choose whole grains and its products over refined ones. Incorporate more fruits and veggies daily. Opt for products less in sugars, fats and high in fiber. Make a habit of reading nutritional labels before buying a product. Do not forget “MODERATION IS THE KEY”.
Exercise: Make it a point to exercise on a regular basis. Exercising will not only keep you active but also help reduce insulin resistance, improve cardio vascular strength, tone your muscles, and increase Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Exercising releases endorphins which is a feel good hormone that will also help you relieve stress(both physical and mental).
Stress Management: Managing time and stress is essential to stop the release of the stress hormone Cortisol which makes you crave for foods that are high in carbs. All that you eat when stressed is stored in the body as fats, especially in the belly. Meditating regularly before going to bed, deep breathing during stressful moments, indulging in your hobbies, exercising, completing your work on time, etc. will help curb stress levels. It is not a single factor that would work but both.

If you want to learn about effective ways to manage obesity and diabetes, or want effective exercises to combat both, tune into GOQii Play and get live coaching from renowned experts you can even interact with.

We hope this article on Diabesity alarms you enough to make necessary lifestyle modifications before its too late! Stay healthy and #BeTheForce!

October 26, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

If You Must Take Control, Control Your Health! | Sakuntala Rao User Story

At some point in life, you can’t help but wonder that as you get older, things change. Life passes you by in such a blur that most times you’re unable to take control. Health issues begin to surface as medication and doctor visits become more common. While things seem bleak in this fixated downward spiral, there are individuals who think otherwise! At the age of 60, our player Sakuntala Rao can proudly say that life didn’t pass her by. She’s living it, breathing it and enjoying it to the fullest with good health… but was it always like this?

Early Life and Health Issues

Hailing from Bangalore, Sakuntala Rao had two major concerns – sleep issues and fluctuating weight. Albeit, she was aware of the reasons for both her concerns but was unable to find a viable solution. She attributes her sleep issues to high levels of stress. Being a control freak, she used to get worked up when things didn’t go the way she wanted. She had trouble falling asleep and used to wake up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep. Less sleep hours and disturbed sleep were regular occurrences.

On the other hand, her weight was something she had always struggled with. This was due to her travel routine for work, her diet which was completely erratic, marred with junk food, untimely eating, and zero portion control. As she puts it, her eating habits were all over the place.

To add to this, she was under medication for hyperthyroidism for 14 years before she underwent Radioactive Iodine Therapy which reversed her condition the wrong way. She developed hypothyroidism since most of the gland was destroyed during the procedure. This again contributed to hormonal imbalance leading to weight gain.

She often tried fad diets from time to time. Though she lost a little weight, she would gain it back in a month or two. Her daily routine was also devoid of any physical activity. After her retirement in 2017, she got herself a personal trainer to help her get active. She decided she wanted to focus more on health and fitness. That’s where GOQii came in!

Joining GOQii and Making a Lifestyle Change

In 2018, her husband got her a GOQii tracker as a gift. She explored the app, learned about the coaching mechanism, live video coaching by experts and blogs which motivated her to stick with GOQii. She was assigned a GOQii Coach when she signed up. Her goal was to just get fit which, with help from her Coach, got narrowed down to her two major issues – improving sleep and weight loss.

The first habit set by her GOQii Coach was an early dinner. She was also asked to perform Pranayama as demonstrated by GOQii Play Coach Ronak Gajjar. Sakuntala Rao was also given a few links to meditation which she was asked to listen to after Pranayama. She was also asked to stay away from her phone for at least an hour before bed.

All of this together, with the realization that she cannot control everything and that she needs to let go at times, helped her calm down. This reduced her stress greatly and thus, improved her sleep quality.

She wasn’t asked to change much in her diet as she had already started eating healthy. Only a few tweaks were made. For instance, including protein in each meal. She also began intermittent fasting on the 16/8 pattern – Her last meal being dinner at 6 pm and she breaks her fast at 10 am the next morning. The first thing she drinks is a glass of warm water followed by Ajwain (soaked overnight) and pink salt followed by nuts.

Her lunch consists of 2 rotis, some curry, and a large bowl of salad which consists of carrots, cucumber, radish, avocado, capsicum and some seeds mixed with curd. She consumes a cup of coffee and eats a fruit before that. Dinner consists of one roti, some curry, soup and salad.

Currently, she has set her goal as reaching a weight of 60kg in order to fall under the normal BMI range and maintaining that level.

Experiencing the Change

Sakuntala Rao says that her sleep has improved significantly. She is now able to sleep for an average of 7 hours and doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night. Her weight has reduced from 79kg in July 2018 to 70g when she last checked. She feels that progress has been difficult but consistent. She thanks her GOQii Coach for being persistent and following up with her, ensuring she keeps on track.

Now, she believes that mental health is just as important as physical health, especially after the age of 60 with people talking about Dementia and Alzheimer’s everywhere. She has enrolled herself for a dancing class as a hobby and she is also associated with a group called Silver Talkies. They cater to people over the age of 55 and get them involved in various social activities. The group has also planned a dance performance for early November in support of a social cause.

Her current physical activities include functional workouts 4 days a week, walking for at least 4 days and attending dance class 2 days a week. She attempted swimming but gave up as she couldn’t overcome her Aquaphobia (fear of water).

What Sakuntala Rao Thinks of GOQii

Sakuntala Rao praises her GOQii Coach for helping her make such a positive lifestyle change. She said her Coach was very prompt in her responses, be it a comment or a problem. She is very pleased with the fact that her Coach personalizes her entire routine keeping her age in mind. She also shares a lot of information which is educational and useful.

Has this story inspired you to make a change? If anything, it tells us that even if we can’t control everything, we can certainly control our health and the choices we make. Want to share your story with us? Fill this form and we’ll reach out to you.

Keep inspiring, stay motivated and #BeTheForce

August 3, 2019 By GOQii Leave a Comment

“Being Healthy & Fit is Lifelong Habit” – Prashant Pathak User Journey

His rant of just work and no play was similar to the other professionals. His quest for a healthy and fit life was often disrupted by the fact that he does not have the time nor the motivation to do anything. Prashant Pathak always had an excuse for leading an unhealthy life – he blamed his job and erratic work hours… until one day, when his wife stepped in to make him realize that he had to change. It’s been four years that he has taken to being physically active and Prashant Pathak is now running marathons and walking the healthy trail.

Prashant Pathak Tells His Story:

My typical day usually involved going to work in the morning, eating anything that was available with no proper regulation on diet. I would sometimes remain hungry for long hours. Once I got home, I would eat a heavy dinner. On days I was on travel, I would head out to work, and the rest of my day was filled with eating out and hanging out back at the hotel. As a result, I had become overweight and weighed 94kgs and was just few KGs from being obese. My BMI was 29.

I tried but could never get into a regular exercise regime. My challenge was to find time for a workout. I would look at my schedule and invariably come up with an excuse to not workout. Every time it would be a new excuse. There was an impetus and aspiration to workout but energy levels were very low with no motivation and hence, no action. One fine day back in 2015, my wife gifted me GOQii. I was surprised but it was a clear indication that I had to do something about myself.

Goal Setting, Achievement and Transformation

My first health goal when I got on the GOQii platform four years ago was weight reduction and to be energetic throughout the day. My first GOQii Coach and I set small monthly goals in the beginning that could be easily achievable. It was delivering results. My coach started me with only a 15-minute workout that was doable. I had absolutely no activity of any kind for so many years and suddenly to be able to do exercise was not an easy task. But 15 minutes I felt was good enough to begin with.

My Coach simultaneously fine-tuned my diet pattern as well. I started having pre and post workout meals. I was having 6 small meals instead of three bulky meals. Secondly, I also started eating fruits. I have stopped tea/coffee with snacks. My water intake also increased.

Clearly, in the last 6 years or so, I have not been so engaged with any kind of program for over a month. But, the GOQii program has been good. The very fact that somebody is monitoring you, makes you accountable.

My first step when I began my health journey was to form habits and build consistency, while trying to reduce weight. So, for the first two years I concentrated on these aspects. From 94kg I reduced to 87kg. I admit that it was pretty tough. Although I was committed and had focus, it was still tough sticking to working out on a regular basis and eating healthy. Slowly and steadily it started becoming easy to the point that being healthy indeed became a habit.

In the last two years, reducing further from 87kg to 73kg was not so tough. From walking 4-5 km daily, I have taken to running marathons regularly. My exercise routine currently, as guided by Coach Parwage via his class Bhaag Marathon Bhaag on GOQii Play, is 3-2-1 Configuration. Where in 3 alternate days I run 5-10 kms, 2 days I do core strengthening exercises and other exercises such as lunges, planks sit-ups etc. 1 day I alternate between cycling and swimming and 1 day, which is usually Monday, is my rest day.

As a result of this, I am positive and feel very energetic. My overall well-being has gone up. Mentally & physically, I am stronger now. The impetus and the consistency in being healthy comes from the GOQii App and the GOQii Coach. I will never forget what my coach has taught me. She helped me get over all my cravings such as junk food and sugar.

No more do I encourage samosa parties in office. Earlier we would gorge on samosa and all that is unhealthy. Now, even if it is a party in office and a cake is being cut, I politely say no

and people are amazed at me. What makes me happy is that I have become an inspiration to many who think that they will never be able to get back on track. After seeing the progress I made they see a ray of hope for themselves.

Giving It Back Like a Champion

This is one of the key reasons I chose to be a GOQii Champion and started the Palava Chapter in the outskirts of Mumbai. The champions programme is a first-hand experience for players. Only if you believe in being healthy will you be able to motivate others. I totally believe in this concept and even if I am able to improve one person’s health I will be happy. Giving back is what I learned from GOQii.

Giving back brings me to the concept of Karma on the GOQii Platform. The dimension of karma is an added advantage. Earlier you would sweat it out for yourself but here, you are not only sweating it out for yourself and your health but in the process are also helping somebody else who is in need, which is very enriching.

Did you find the story of Prashant Pathak to be inspiring? Would you like your story to be featured next? To write to us, please click here.

June 20, 2019 By Dr. Viral Thakkar Leave a Comment

Pleasuring Yourself: Is it Good and Healthy? Part II

In this article, I am addressing Kanika’s queries on myths of masturbation, how it affects relationships and sex life.

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

Me:

Do you feel distressed by doing it? If you think masturbation is causing any kind of discomfort or distress it is best to visit your doctor.
If you feel some kind of pain during the act, it could mean you have hurt yourself accidentally, or you are not doing something right. Correct it!
While there is no benchmark, stating one can masturbate ‘a particular’ number of times in a day or week. However, till the time, the act does not disrupt your life in any particular way, it is ok.
If it is adversely impacting your relationships, stop it! Speak with a doctor and your partner (if he/she is understanding).

The Best Thing is to Talk it Out With Your Healthcare Professional

Kanika: My friend does not get the urge to masturbate. Is that normal?

Me: Of course! Everybody is made differently, and has different needs. It is fine if you have never masturbated and do not want to!

Kanika: Well that is good for her, but she also told me that masturbation causes blindness and a low libido? Im worried!

Me: Kanika, let me tell you some weird myths which float around masturbation. These are silly because there are no biological connections. I have explained in the earlier article, as to what happens when one masturbates.

Masturbation will NOT cause:

Decreased libido, impotence or erectile dysfunction
Penis shrinkage or curvature
Blindness
Hairy palms
Low sperm count
Infertility
Mental illness

Kanika: Tell me, is it the same for women and men?

Me: Logically, yes! It is the stimulation of erogenous zones of the body. It is pleasurable for both and both can masturbate for their partners too!

However, a Few Might Experience

Chafing or tender skin if they are too rough, but this will usually heal in a few days. In men, there might be a slight swelling of the penis, if done too frequently.
At times, people feel guilt but like I said, it’s just the physical urge of the body combined with the fireworks of the brain. It’s just fun! Nothing to be ashamed about.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Aggressive masturbation is unhealthy for men and women both. You might hurt yourself! In men, too tight a grip can result in decreased sensation for some time. This can be solved through change of technique. In women, it might lead to pain in the vagina, if the area is not lubricated, or rashes.
It is a myth that people in relationships do not masturbate. It’s a common behaviour to masturbate for the partner as well and it is normal!

Kanika: Does masturbation affect sex?

Me: Yes it does. Like I said, many people observe an increase in urge with the partner. Also, it makes you aware about your own body. You can share with your partner what you like and don’t.

In fact you can tell him/her what makes you orgasm. However, if you feel masturbation is overtaking the role of sex with your partner, then I will be concerned! It is time to speak with your partner about what you like and don’t. Sex in a relationship is extremely essential.

Kanika, it is appreciated that you have asked these questions. It is best to clarify doubts than to be in doubt. I hope your doubts are cleared now. Tell your friends to read up and ask questions in the comment section below!

#BeTheForce