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Four pillars to lead a healthy and happy life

yoga-for-healthy-happy-living Recently, I had published a blog on how certain yoga asana, if followed with some attitude, can tune your behaviour and imbibe good qualities in you. If you have not read that blog here is the link to the same https://goqii.com/blog/best-yoga-poses-with-attitudes/

Having said that yoga is not about asana alone and pranayama, yoga is a way of life. Good health depends on the long-term commitment and the foundation for that needs to be built on four important pillars. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is state of physical, mental and social well being.

The Four Pillars of a healthy lifestyle is AHAR (Food), VIHAR (Recreation), ACHAR (Routines), VICHAR (Thoughts)

  1. The first Pillar is AHAAR

AHAR means food. “Annam Brahma—means the food is Brahman (Lord of creation). There is an old adage which says, “As the food so the mind, As the mind so the Man”. This saying depends on what you eat, how you eat and when you eat. Every bite you put in your mouth counts for your well being and lifespan, but this does not mean you start binge eating. Eating in moderation is key to maintain a healthy life.

According to Ayurveda, our food is categorized into three segments: Sattvik, Rajasic, Tamasic,

Satvik food is very simple food and gives loads of energy and keeps the mind stable. This food type includes Milk and milk products fresh fruits, dry fruits, seasonal veggies, unrefined cereals, pulses, spices like ginger, pepper, turmeric, cumin, honey, jaggery, Ghee, and oil

Rajasic food creates a restless state of mind. These foods are difficult to digest like non-veg, non-sprouted beans and pulses, garlic, onion, unseasonal veggies and salt.

Tamasic food creates a lethargic state of mind. This includes food which is stale or cooked over a long period. All refined, processed, artificial flavoured foods, deep-frozen foods, pickles, jams, beverages, deep-fried foods, liquor, tobacco, drugs.

The ancient literature says, “One should break one’s night long fast at the time of sunrise and end ones last meal at the time of sunset”. Going by what our ancient literature says, we all know BREAKFAST should be our first meal and that should be king sized. Whatever, we eat in the morning is absorbed and assimilated to the maximum. Food taken during the lunch should be easily digestible and dinner should be the lightest meal of the day.

When you eat food. Your state of mind will decide how food is going to be utilised by the body. Eat your meals with full concentration. Chew your food well and enjoy the subtle taste of each food items. Most important avoid using mobile or watch TV while eating food.

  1. The second pillar is VIHAR

Vihar means recreation. The literal meaning is moving or walking. Stress is a common factor these days. Everybody is stressed on a day to day basis and the reasons for stress can vary and spend time with oneself is a big task. Recreation, relaxation and enjoying family time rejuvenates the body and mind. It’s a kind of anti-depressant for us.

Spending some time in activities which you enjoy clears off mind, relieves depression and anxiety, elevates your mood and gives a feeling of well being.

Active creative hobbies like gardening, painting, playing musical instruments engage all sensory organs and releases pent-up emotions and recharges the mind. Playing sports is another way of relaxing body and mind.

Relaxation is the cornerstone of well-balanced personality. Maintain the relaxed attitude throughout the day. Relaxation is an art which needs to be cultivated. It is important for our body, emotions and our nervous system. Regular exercise or relaxation keeps you fit and keeps disorders at bay.

  • The Third pillar is ACHAR—(Routine)

How often is it that your day goes unplanned and you get hassled with too much work in the day? Our mental health and being are dependent on better routines (achaar). Regularity and sincerity are two major components of a good routine. The best example of following a routine is the SUN-It rises and sets daily without any excuse.

Plan your day in advance. Incorporate all necessary task for self, work, food, recreation and sleep. The solutions to many of our difficulties in life lie in setting out right habits and right routines. Dr Abdul Kalam had said, “You cannot change your future but you can change your habits and your habits will surely change your future”

  1. The fourth pillar is VICHAAR (Thoughts)

Our intellectual health is rightly dependent on how we think. Our thoughts are food for our mind. Buddha says, “Based on your thinking you become the person you are”. If you think you are weak, you will be weak. If you think you are strong, you will be strong. Manage your thought process correctly. Always develop a good attitude and enlarge your vision.

Good thoughts process can be added in daily life by reading good books, scriptures, attending Satsang (religious discourses), reciting holy mantras, observing rituals, recollecting good experiences and thinking positive in all situations.

So let me share a quick small recipe for happiness with you.  If you add this in your life this might add spark to your life.

Recipe for Happiness:

Ingredients:

2 heaped cup of patience

1 heart full of love

2 hands full of generosity

1 hand full of understanding

Method:

Mix all the ingredients, sprinkle generosity and kindness

Add faith and mix well.

Add a dash of laughter. Spread over a period of time

Serve smilingly to everyone you meet to spread happiness.

Have a healthy, Happy life ahead!

 

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Steam or Sauna- which is better for health

steamsauna

After a long tiring day or a hectic week, we all deserve to relax and rejuvenate ourselves and get pampered. There is no better way to do this than by visiting a health spa/gym with a steam room and sauna? Isn’t it?

Did you know that there are health benefits to using a sauna or steam room?

But, in the Sauna vs Steam room debate—which treatment wins?

Steam bath also called as Turkish style bath provides moist heat. The temperature in a steam room may range from 100 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, but it may feel warmer because of the high humidity.

The gentle warming of the muscles through steam treatment is increasingly found to improve your health and feeling of well-being. The steam room helps to open up airways which improve your breathing and alleviates congestion. The wet heat from the steam room thins and opens the mucous membranes in the body, which helps to relieve pressure. This helps in releasing congestion and sinus relief

For people with bronchitis and asthma, sitting in the steam room might not suit you. This could vary from person to person. If you are stressed and anxious about sitting in a steam room, you can opt for taking steam inhalation (using a bowl). The moist heat will loosen the sputum and clear the airways.

The steam room also increases metabolism and can help in weight loss. The steam room causes you to sweat, which means that your body is losing excess resulting in shedding some pounds. The sweat also helps to remove toxins and cleanses the body.

Being in the steam room can also decrease your body’s production of cortisol— the stress hormone. In fact, the simple act of sitting quietly for ten minutes provides that benefit. When the cortisol level drops, you can feel more in control, relaxed, and rejuvenated.

The pain you feel after working out is called delayed onset muscles soreness (DOMS). Moist heat works best for muscle recovery. So it’s best to take a steam bath after a good intense workout at the gym. A steam room can also be used before a workout, as it helps to loosen up the joints and increase flexibility.

Steam bath helps to boost immune system. Exposing your body to warm water stimulates leukocytes, which are cells that fight infection. Steam bath also helps to clear out any impurities from the skin which is especially good for those who have acne.

Now let’s understand what is Sauna?

The sauna uses dry heat method. In a sauna, the temperature range is about 170° to 190°F. The dry heat from a sauna soothes your nerve endings and warms and relaxes muscles, in turn relieving the tension from your body and minimizing joint pain. This is especially beneficial for those who suffer from illnesses such as arthritis, painful migraines and headaches, saunas can be used as a means of calming the body and relieving it of stress.

The heat from the sauna helps the body release endorphins, a feel-good chemical that reduces the effects of stress on the body which can relax you enough to sleep better. Sauna is better for muscle relaxation and lowering blood pressure. Sauna opens up your pores and increases blood and lymphatic circulation, which will effectively aid in softening your skin.

Sauna improves blood flow to our skin, which helps in the growth of new skin and also removes all the dead cells that were building up previously. Thus, Sauna helps you look younger. A sauna will help to eradicate blackheads to give you clearer skin.

Sauna helps in improving endurance during sports. Our body has a certain level for heat tolerance. Regular use of saunas increases the heat tolerance threshold. This leads to significant improvements in endurance, feel less fatigued and maintain energy levels during sports.

A sauna can make your hair look great. We have a special gland called the sebaceous gland on our scalp, which releases compounds that help condition and moisturize our hair. Spending some time in the sauna activates this gland, which will then release these useful compounds, thereby helping to make hair look great

So, the debate continues. Each has its own benefits.

To decide which one is better for you, you might want to ask yourself, which steam room or sauna is closest to me? Do I prefer dry heat or moist heat? Which facility am I likely to use on a regular basis?

Before you hit steam or sauna room…do consider the below precautions.

Precautions: Do make sure that you don’t stay in there too long—spending too much time in a sauna can lead to excessive thirst and too much time in a steam room can cause dizziness or even a rapid heartbeat.

It is advisable not to spend longer than 15-20 minutes inside. It is important to drink plenty of water prior, as well.

It is advisable to wear a towel and flip-flops or shower shoes when inside a steam room.

So, Get yourself relaxed, rejuvenated on this weekend in a different style.

NOTE: If you are pregnant, immune-compromised, or recovering from surgery, avoid the steam room and sauna until you get the green signal from your doctor.

 

 

 

 

 

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From Crawling to completing a Half Marathon, all within 12 months

 

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Since October 2014, Kamal from leading a very unhealthy lifestyle to turning an ace marathoner in a years time has now made fitness & running a way of life. Let’s hear it from him how he achieved his goals.

Kamal Karnatak is a busy CIO of an Indian MNC. He lives in New Delhi and works in Gurgaon. His office is a neat 43 km away and he travels by car for almost 2 hrs (One Side) -5 days a week.  Just as he is passionate about his work, he is also passionate about leading a healthy lifestyle and has become a great inspiration and motivation to many of his friends to follow the same. His day starts at 5.30 am and he is out for a 6 km run at 6 am on alternate days and on weekends he runs 10 km. The days he is not running he resorts to strength training. Here is how he did it?

“I was aware of my shortcomings and kept trying to get fit. I tried several other wearables available on the market until I tried GOQii. I knew about it and decided to give it a try. I found that GOQii is entirely different from other so-called fitness bands, while other tracks various body parameters, GOQii band connects you to complete health ecosystem with real people. I got on to GOQii ecosystem in Oct 2014 and since then the one big change I have brought to my life is getting a proper routine.  I exercise every day and eat five meals a day (mindful eating).”

When Kamal started using GOQii, he did not have any fixed routine for exercise. His daily routine was to travel 43 km to work in a car for 2 hrs from New Delhi to Gurgaon to and fro. Lack of any exercise, incorrect nutrition had caused indigestion and bloating. To add to these, his total cholesterol was as high as 270 and BP were 90/130 much above the normal. With the right intention to want to get healthier and fitter, he would exercise only when he had the time. He found that his normal steps per day were 3000-4000 and during weekends it used to be only 2000-3000. “I was always under the impression that I do not have enough time to exercise.”

After he got on to GOQii he was given a target of at least 10K steps per day and that for him was a difficult task to achieve.  So he added walking to his routine. Soon after 8 months of being on the GOQii platform; on a daily basis he was achieving nearly 12K steps per day and that count went up to 25-30k during weekends. “My coaches helped me to achieve that over a period of time and it was such a gradual process for me that now it has become a lifestyle,” asserts Kamal.

He Crawled to Walk-Run 42 min to a Half Marathon 

kamal karnatak

After two months of using GOQii and achieving his targets (Steps, Water, and Sleep) on a daily basis he was still not losing weight. So his coach asked him to start 1 min run and 2 min walk routine for 21 min. She also asked him to plan to participate in a 6K run within a year’s time, which Kamal says he laughingly ignored. “I still remember that on the cold morning of December’14 when I ran, I could barely run only for 42 seconds at a stretch on the first day and after that routine of nearly 20 min, I was quite exhausted. My foot muscles were soaring with pain and I thought that I may not be able to walk the next day. I shared the same with my coach and she said that do this for next 3 days and everything would be fine,” he says.

And surely it was all ok and after 8 months he could run for 42 min continuously. In November 2015, he completed his first half marathon (21.1 KM) in 2hrs 34 min. Now he is sure that if he continued to follow his regime he would surely be able to run 42 KM marathon by this year. While his goal was to lose weight, he achieved that as well and lost some 12 kg by now. The best part is that his other issues of high cholesterol and high BP also normalized.  Running he says was never part of his goal but it happened and he is glad it did.

The plan was to go from fit to fitter

Today, Kamal’s overall fitness has improved. “With the help of my coaches, I made many permanent lifestyle changes. I also realized that health is not a project as it does not have any end date, it’s a continuous process and with the right kind of motivation anything can be achieved. I, who always used to complain that I do not have enough time for exercise, now always look for exercises/walking/running excuses,” says Kamal. “My journey continues with GOQii and I feel that it would help me to become a fitter person,” he adds.

What does Coach Kruti Jain have to say?

Kamal is a focused & a determined player. His journey has always been progressive. He wasn’t very consistent with his activities (due to other priorities) earlier. But, when he joined GOQii, it looked as if he has promised himself to not fail this time.

In spite of many hurdles, he would manage to get back to the regime. He started off with the goal of losing some weight because of which he was directed towards running.

From a simple goal of weight loss, his goal changed to running a half marathon by the end of the year and he did it. Clearly emerged a winner. He is one such player who keeps his coach on her toes. His interest & obedience makes you feel responsible & you want to help him in every possible way.

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

SWAROOP AND HIS MOM AT BKC run 10k

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

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.

training with Goqii2

 

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