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November 27, 2021 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

How Kaushik Dey Went From Simply Working Out To Living A Healthy Lifestyle

Being healthy encompasses many factors. While it involves working out, it isn’t just about working out or being active. You have to also look at other parameters such as nutrition, sleep, managing stress, et al. In fact, even introducing new habits and tweaking existing ones can do wonders for your health. All of this might seem difficult to manage by yourself, but when you get the right guidance from a certified expert, it can really change your life – as experienced first hand by our Player, Kaushik Dey.

Lifestyle Before Joining GOQii

Kaushik Dey is a 40 year old engineer who works for a Public Sector Unit based in Delhi. Since 2011, he has been involved with the Yog Organization and practices Yoga on a daily basis.

“Being active was part of my life, prior to GOQii. But, what GOQii did was help me prioritize my activities and diet practices,” says Kaushik Dey.

In 2017, he was given a basic GOQii Tracker as a gift with which he also got a free 3 month coaching subscription. While going through the instruction manual, he got to know about the GOQii Ecosystem and personal coaching.

Making Small Changes and Introducing New Habits

Currently, his coach is Dr. Naina Sudarshan. She regularly takes updates and shares articles and exercises, guides him with his exercise routine and helps him if there are any issues.

“Personal coaching helped me understand what I was not doing right. It helped me understand diet and exercise the right way. Personal coaching has been the game changer for me,” says Kaushik Dey.

He also says that interacting with his GOQii Coach on a daily basis has taught him how to manage his health the right way by adding new habits at regular intervals. Apart from Personal Coaching that helps Kaushik keep a watch on his diet, exercise, stress levels and sleep, he says that he has also benefited a great deal from GOQii Play – the interactive video coaching feature within the GOQii App and by gathering a lot of information from GOQii Blogs.

“I used to run regularly and then I developed Plantar fasciitis. Coach Sheetal Tiwari guided me to improve my health through Yoga classes on GOQii Play. Coach specifically mentioned some exercises that helped me a lot, otherwise I was seeking medical help such as pain injections”.

Kaushik alone doesn’t derive the benefits of GOQii, but his 10 year old daughter also exercises with him regularly. Kaushik has been a regular on GOQii PRO for the last 6 months and has taken an extended 1 year subscription. He is joined by his daughter for the GOQii Pro classes and he says he exercises with Coach Urvashi and Parwage Alam to name a few. Kaushik proudly says that his daughter is probably the only kid who is a regular on GOQii Pro.

This April, he and his entire family were affected by COVID-19. While the first 5 days were tough, from the 6th day onwards he started practicing yoga and exercise in quarantine. His GOQii Coach helped him tackle the situation well. Having a healthy lifestyle helped him and his family a lot. Everyone is fit and fine now. Kaushik says that it is due to GOQii that they were able to manage themselves well and fight COVID-19 successfully. It is during this time that he took a couple of doctor consults from the GOQii App.

“GOQii is a part of my life,” says Kaushik. He further adds that GOQii’s personalized coaching helped him manage his exercise routine despite his stressful public sector job.

Kaushik believes that GOQii is a good platform and has been actively advocating it to his friends, colleagues and society members. “Consistency is key. GOQii has inspired me to be more active and manage my time well. I will continue to be on the GOQii Platform as it is doing noble work. If you are a fitness freak and GOQii is with you, you can make a difference in your fitness routine and see the changes just like I did.”

What Does Dr. Naina Sudarshan Have To Say About Kaushik Dey?

Kaushik has been an active GOQii player for more than 3 years now and I have been his coach for about 2.5 years. His goals were to lose weight, reduce fat percentage and cholesterol levels while maintaining his health.

Though Kaushik is a self-motivated and active person, his diet and shift work were major hurdles for his goals. But I can’t remember a day Kaushik has not updated me about his diet and activities including the days he had to go through COVID-19 this year. His regular updates helped me go into small details in his diet and correct them every day.

I was also able to follow up with his daily activities like yoga, GOQii PRO classes, tracking his sleep and stress levels. During his time with GOQii, he was able to reduce about 4-5kgs of weight, lower his body fat percentage as well as cholesterol levels. I am sure over these years he has learnt a lot through GOQii on how to maintain his health.

Currently, he is guiding his family, including his two children, by motivating them to be active. He proves that a balanced diet, mindful eating habits, staying physically active and living a healthy lifestyle is not just limited to an individual with a specific health goal, but it’s equally essential for everyone in the family.

Does Kaushik’s journey inspire you? Want to make a lifestyle change? Subscribe for personalized coaching now and crush your health goals with the help of a GOQii Coach: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

To see how others have benefitted from using GOQii, read more user stories on Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

September 18, 2021 By GOQii 1 Comment

Recover and Reclaim Your Health – Yashas Ranganath User Journey

More often than not, we find ourselves moving passively through the world revelling in all it has to offer and more. Wading way beyond moderation in the beauty of excesses till the consequences of our actions pile up. Lifestyle diseases are caused because of indulgence in unhealthy habits, something that one of our players Yashas Ranganath found out first hand. How did he manage? How did he recover? Let’s find out!

Life Before GOQii

Yashas Ranganath, an IT professional from Bangalore led quite a normal life. He used to eat, drink and do whatever he pleased, paying no attention to health and fitness. His physical activity was almost nil and he paid no attention to his lifestyle to even make a change.

In 2016, he was diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. He was also admitted to the hospital for a severe migraine attack and put under medication for both. His health only got worse with time. In September 2018, he was hit by a stroke due to a cyst in his left brain. This left the right side of his body completely paralyzed.

Enter GOQii

Initially, Yashas Ranganath had joined GOQii in 2015 when he was exploring the market for a good fitness tracker. He chose GOQii as he was intrigued by the personal coaching feature. However, he says he completely wasted that subscription and did not take it seriously at all.

In December 2018, after 50% recovery from the paralysis, he began thinking about making lifestyle changes. He turned to GOQii and renewed his subscription. He says that his life took a complete positive turn after that!

Making a Positive Lifestyle Change

Yashas’ goal was to get all his vitals under control and completely recover from paralysis. His GOQii Coach advised him to completely stop the consumption of oil, sweets, salt, junk food and all types of processed food. He was also asked to stop eating maida and consumed bottled beverages. From a foodie, he had turned into a monk – eating to live and not living to eat. But his sole focus was recovery and he was ready to give up on everything.

His daily routine became structured in terms of eating habits, activity and sleep:

He wakes up at 4 in the morning to leave for work at 6:30 AM. He eats his breakfast and lunch at work – both are customized to his requirement.
His breakfast consists of upma, poha or idli. For Lunch, he eats 2 cups of rice with salads and vegetable curry.
Dinner consists of chapatti with a curry.
His coffee intake is limited to 1 in the evening and he eat fruits as mid meal snacks.
Under the rare occasion when he eats out, he manages to customize his food.
He exercises for 2 hours a day, doing what his physiotherapist suggests along with numerous stretches recommended by his GOQii Coach. He concludes this with 15 minutes of meditation.
He has also started cycling and performs Yog Nidra at night.

After following this routine, Yashas says that he feels no cravings at all and doesn’t even get tempted after seeing other enjoy different delicacies. He enjoys his current lifestyle modifications.

What Changes Did Yashas Ranganath Experience?

When he joined GOQii in 2018, his weight was 75kg, HBA1C was above 8 and blood pressure was 200/170. He now weighs 63kg. His vitals improved drastically too with his HBA1C at 5.4, blood sugar – fasting at 80-90 mg/dl and postprandial at 80-100 mg/dl. Blood Pressure is 130/80. He is on minimal medication, feels more active physically and positive mentally. He has also made a 90% recovery from his stroke.

“You have to get hit before your eyes are opened and then you change in ways you never thought you could,” says Yashas.

His wife and parents are overwhelmed with his recovery. He attributes the change in his lifestyle to his GOQii Coach and says her contribution has been 100%, constantly guiding him on what to eat and what not to eat. Yashas has also explored the features on the app like Play and watches videos as and when he finds time.

Recently, Yashas Ranganath spoke to our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal about his recovery and journey with GOQii. You can watch the entire episode of GOQii Health Talks here:

What Did His GOQii Coach Have to Say About Him?

“Yashas is one of the most disciplined player I have ever seen. He has been very regular in following
all the habits formulated for him. After the treatment of his stroke and during recovery, he used to suffer from episodes of hypoglycaemia in between. He used to feel dizzy and uncomfortable. Slowly, we started making him have small and frequent meals with portion control. We started millet based meals for better glycaemic index and on the side, he was doing his physiotherapy as well. All of which contributed to his lifestyle change.”

Yashas Ranganath made a positive lifestyle change, what about you? Subscribe to personalized coaching now to get healthier with GOQii: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Do check out more inspiring stories on Healthy Reads and #BeTheForce

September 2, 2021 By Kusum Soni 1 Comment

The Power Of Black Tea For Immunity

A powerful immune system not only prevents the attack of any foreign invaders like bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites but also can protect against degenerative diseases like cancer, heart disease. There are many beverages that can support a healthy immune system and black tea is one of them. The health benefits of black tea have been attributed to it’s decent amount of polyphenols and a wide range of flavonoids—particularly thearubigins, theaflavins, flavonols and flavones. These phytochemicals have shown antimicrobial, anti-viral, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and anti-inflammatory activities.

Black tea has beneficial physiological effects like the prevention of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease by easing inflammation and supporting the flexibility of blood vessels, which can reduce risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke. Researchers at Harvard University have found 10 times more virus-fighting interferons in the blood of people who drank black tea in comparison to people who drank placebo beverages. The researchers attributed this to an amino-acid, L-theanine found in ordinary black tea.

Various studies over the years have also linked drinking Black Tea to reduced risk of certain types of cancers, and increased number of immune cells, antioxidants that protect cells against free radical damage. The antimutagenic effect is well documented for the black tea polyphenols, namely theaflavins and thearubigins and attributed both to the inhibition of the oxidative DNA damage as well as, considerable literature demonstrates their inhibitory effect on the tumor cell proliferation. Latest research also suggests that these polyphenols even affect the balance of gut bacteria that enhances immune functions, encouraging short-chain fatty acids formation that support liver’s function.

Tea drinkers have shown lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, after an exposure to a stressful situation. Stress can suppress the immune response of the body. Thus, indirectly by managing stress, tea again improves the effectiveness of the immune system.

Tips To Include Black Tea In Your Diet

Infused Tea: Add 3-5g or one black tea bag into a cup. Fill to the top with 85-90c boiling water and steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove the tea bag or strain and serve hot or over ice.
Optional: You can add half a cup of fruit pieces into a one-quart Mason jar with tea and, later cover and let the fruit steep for another ten minutes in hot infused tea, after removing the tea bags.
You can add some lemon juice or crushed ginger or a pinch of cinnamon to infused black tea for additional antioxidant activity and flavour.
Japanese researchers have found that even gargling with black tea extract twice a day was less likely to catch flu by flushing microbes trapped in the throat area.
Inhaling boiling water mixed with Black Tea can facilitate the clearing of the passages towards the lung and facilitate the removal of bacteria/viruses trapped around the nasal area and opens a pathway for the Theaflavins to reach the lungs and protect it from infection.

Word of Caution

Adding milk may diminish the disease-fighting potential of the tea as various studies have not observed the beneficial effect of black tea consumption on the risk of coronary heart disease in subjects consuming tea with milk.
Avoid having tea with meals due to the presence of Tannins, an anti-nutritional compound, which has inhibitory effects on absorption of protein and certain minerals from food like, Iron, copper, sodium and aluminium.
Do not drink tea close to bedtime as another compound in tea called Caffeine could keep you from falling asleep.

Don’t miss on physical activity, adequate sleep and Dietary Diversification, that is, include a variety of food in your diet ranging from whole grain/pulses to coloured fruits/vegetables, nuts and seeds, lean meats, to add a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals and antioxidants in diet, to enhance body’s disease-fighting capabilities.

Enjoy your cup of tea 1-2 times a day in snack time away from meals. We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more immunity-boosting tips, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to our experts on GOQii Play.

To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Stay safe, boost your immunity and #BeTheForce!

August 24, 2021 By Roopa Tandur 1 Comment

Foods That Weaken the Immune System

Do you experience high amounts of stress, get irritated by little things, aren’t able to concentrate on work, suffer from digestive disturbances or have a cold more often than usual? In fact, do your wounds take more time to heal than normal? Frequent infections? Do you feel tired all the time? All this could be due to a weak immune system!

Immunity is a balanced state of multicellular organisms having adequate defence to fight infection, disease or other unwanted biological invasion while also avoiding allergies and other autoimmune disease. The immune system also keeps a record of every microbe it has defeated so it can recognise and destroy the microbe if it enters the body again.

Bone marrow and thymus form the primary immune system and spleen, tonsils, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, adenoids, skin and liver form the secondary immune system.

Bone marrow: helps produce white blood cells (T cells, B cells) which defend the body against infectious disease and foreign materials.
Thymus: Situated at the base of the neck is most active in the neonatal and preadolescent period of development.

One of the best ways to build immunity is through nutrition. There are many foods that help us improve the immune system but there are also foods which can weaken it. During this Coronavirus pandemic, it has become increasingly important to take care of ourselves and build our immune system! In order to do that, we must avoid consuming things which can lower or harm our immunity levels.

Foods That You Must Avoid

1. Soda and Carbonated Beverages
This includes sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, which are all harmful to the immune system. These ingredients reduce levels of beneficial bacteria in your gut and have an adverse effect on glucose metabolism which has an extended effect on how well our body responds to potential threats.

Solution: Choose water with few slices of fruits if you do not like having plain water or choose green tea with lemon which has good antioxidants. Drink green Tea in moderation.

2. Processed Foods and Refined Carbs
The large number of calories in processed food may lead to health problems such as increased inflammation, reduced control of infection, increased rates of cancer, and increased risk for allergic and auto-inflammatory disease by changing the balance of bacteria in our gut – all of which weaken the immune system

Solution: Include whole grain healthy snacks which are baked or roasted and not deep fried

3. Foods & Drinks High in Sugar
Drinks high in sugar spike insulin levels which spike cortisol and suppress the immune system. Unwanted bacteria thrive on sugar and the more sugar they have to feed on, the safer they grow, which will outnumber beneficial bacteria. This can have a negative effect on our mood, blood sugar levels and immune function. Increased sugar intake makes it difficult for the body to absorb Vitamin C, which eventually decreases immunity levels

Solution: Choose whole foods and natural sweeteners like honey which promote growth of healthy gut bacteria

4. Alcoholic Beverages
Drinking alcoholic beverages affects hormones by disrupting the circadian rhythm. As sleep is closely connected to the immune system, changes in circadian rhythm can make one feel unwell by having a negative effect on the immune system.

Solution: Alternate alcohol drinks with water or choose healthy snacks to have with alcohol to limit intake of alcohol.

5. Caffeine
Increased intake of caffeine (present in coffee and coffee products) boosts cortisol levels which reduces your immunity levels. Regular increased intake of caffeine reduces the number of T cells which are responsible for destroying the infected cells of the body.

Solution: Switch to low caffeine beverage and keep check on your intake of caffeine rich foods

6. Refined Oil
Oil can be incredibly healthy, providing much-needed fatty acids like omega-3 and vitamin E but only when they’re produced the right way. Refined oils go through a lot of heat processing which destroys the nutrients that we derive from fats. Eating food cooked in refined oils leads to production of free radicals that damage the tissues and cause temporary inflammation.

Solution: Switch to cold pressed oils and filtered oils which go through less or no heat processing, keeping the nutrients intact.

7. Junk Foods
Foods high in fat, sugar and low on fiber other than creating cravings, also destroys the immune system. The body responds to fast foods the same way it responds to an infection. The moment one consumes fast food our body identifies it as a threat and starts attacking faster than usual as it would react to a bacterial infection. These repeated reactions of the body leads to development of diabetes and heart diseases.

Solution: Choose healthy homemade snacks which have no added namkeen/crispies or are fried in healthy oils

We hope that this article helps you remain healthy during this time. It is crucial to keep our immunity levels in check and avoid foods that can destroy it.

For tips on how to build your immunity, read more articles on Healthy Reads. To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!