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Devyani Chaudhari Overcomes Acidity & Stress Issues With Lifestyle Changes

Devyani Chaudhari

Does work rule over your “me time”? Are deadlines more important to you than the quality of your meals? Are you prioritizing your work over your health? If yes, then you might have a lot in common with our Player Devyani Chaudhari. Like most working folks, she didn’t have a work-life balance and paid for it with her health. After some major health issues, she adopted GOQii and along with her coach made some sustainable changes. Here’s how her Health Story unfolded. 

Working Hard But Not Working Out 

Based in Dombivli, Devyani Chaudhari, aged 54, worked in the supply chain side of a pharmaceutical company. She would work from 8.30am to 9pm and thanks to this, she wasn’t able to pay much attention to her lifestyle.

This erratic lifestyle was an addition to ongoing personal issues such as stress due to a toxic work environment, her son’s health, loneliness due to her husband’s death – all of which often lead to suicidal thoughts. She would constantly suffer from terrible stomach aches and high stress levels. To add to it, she also faced a disturbed sleep cycle.

While she tried to manage her lifestyle by eating her meals on time and working out, nothing really worked. “My son took it upon himself to try and find a solution for my issues. He did research and found out about GOQii,” says Devyani Chaudhari. 

Making Changes That Worked Out 

Devyani came on board the GOQii platform on 16th October, 2019. Her initial health goal was to lose weight. But, her coach revised that to ensure she first gets over her acidity issues which were extremely intense. Due to acidity she would throw up frequently and had developed ulcers. 

Since she is a working lady, extensive working hours lead to irregular eating patterns and she used to consume a good amount  of junk food too. “Toning the body was always on the agenda,” she says. She tried doing Zumba but due to the high intensity, she could not match up or would end up experiencing some pain.

Devyani was advised to cut down on junk food and instead eat healthy food at regular intervals. Her coach Madhu Soni started with small changes and tried to regularize her meals. Starting with Ajwain, Saunf and Jeera water on an empty stomach, she also asked to take lemon-honey water on alternate days.

Slowly, her meals began to get regularized and intake of junk food reduced considerably. After a few months of opening up and sharing a good rapport with her coach, one day she timidly told Coach Madhu Soni about her urine incontinence. She had been using diapers and feared that her colleague might soon find out.

Based on this, Devyani was advised to do Strength training and then finally walking was her winning strategy which helped her to shed off the excess fat from the body. From 72kg she slowly came to 65kg. Unfortunately, she met with an accident and hurt her ankle and was unable to workout after that. Her weight went back to 77kg. Now, her weight is 75 kg and she is working on reducing it further.

Devyani Chaudhari Makes A Complete Shift! 

Owing to some of the changes that Devyani Chaudhari made in her lifestyle, her acidity issue is cured completely. Her stress levels have also gone down considerably. The regular intake of Ajwain, Saunf and Jeera water in the morning and reduced stress played an important part in reducing her acidity levels.

Before, she used to take pills quite often for her sleep issues but now, her sleep quality has improved and the frequency of taking pills has also reduced. Her dependency on diapers has stopped as well. 

Coach Madhu Soni’s advice on meditation and chanting the Om Mantra has had a positive effect on Devyani. This helped her quit her previous toxic job and take up a new one with positive people around. Devyani Chaudhari credits her change to her coach saying, “I got a guide and motivator in my coach”.  

Does this health story inspire you? Do you want to make a sustainable lifestyle change like Devyani? Subscribe for personalised health coaching here to get started now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring Health Stories, check out Healthy Reads. 

#BeTheForce 

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Are Superfoods Super Good or Super Fad?

superfoodsAnything that sounds fancy won’t necessarily benefit our health. Lately, the word “Superfoods” must have appealed to you all. Well, what exactly are Superfoods? Why do we call them Superfoods? Though there’s no scientific definition, as per the dictionary, the definition of superfoods is “a food considered exceptionally good for one’s health and for boosting the immune system owing to its naturally high content of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, or omega-3 fatty acids”. So basically, superfoods offer a dense concentration of nutrients with small quantities of food. 

Are Superfoods a Fad? 

Superfoods are largely plant based and the high amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in them can prevent many chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, ward off inflammation and have huge health benefits. It can be taken by everyone including children. However, there is no specific list of superfoods yet, it includes a wide variety of food and every now and then, there is a new addition to the list. Though Superfoods are coined by marketers, as they are all natural and incorporated just as a supplement to our daily balanced diet, they cannot be considered as a fad. But always and as with everything else, superfoods need to be consumed in moderation. Anything that’s healthy can work against our body if it is taken in large quantities. Do not over do with any one variety of superfoods. It is good to take in varieties for maximum benefits while getting a wide array of vitamins and minerals too. Researching or consulting a nutrition expert or health coach would be ideal before trying any new superfood you come across. 

What Are The Best Ones? 

  • Nuts and Seeds like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds, etc. provide proteins, fibers and unsaturated fat
  • Quinoa: is an ancient grain, a very good alternative for animal protein especially for vegetarians and also good source of iron, zinc, vitamin E, and selenium
  • Avocados: are a rich source of monounsaturated fat (Good fat) with 20 different vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients too. They can be made as a healthy spread on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise. 
  • Olives and extra virgin olive oil: Both Olives and Olive oil are very high in vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants. They are also rich in monounsaturated healthy fats that can protect our heart, prevent cancer and osteoporosis
  • Moringa: Moringa leaves are rich in antioxidants and iron. Apart from these, they have 15 times more potassium than bananas and 7 times more Vitamin C than oranges! They are also packed with many vitamins and minerals and protect cell damage and boost immunity.  
  • Dark Leafy greens: Spinach, Amaranth, beet greens, Dill, Fenugreek, Kale, Mustard, etc. are excellent sources of minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium, folate, zinc. They are also rich in Vitamin A, C, K and folate with a lot of fiber
  • Broccoli: Having high calcium and collagen content, broccoli helps in making strong bones. 
  • Seafood especially salmon: provides Omega 3 fatty acids
  • Berries: All type of berries including strawberries, blueberry, black berries, cherries are robust in antioxidants along with vitamins and minerals
  • Beans and Legumes: are loaded with fibers, vitamins, minerals, including B-vitamins, iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium. 

How to Choose Superfoods? 

If you observe the list of superfoods, most of them are least processed and plant based. Keeping this point in mind, make sure you avoid food that is processed and marketed as superfoods. It is better to look at the food label before you buy and read the label for its nutritional facts, ingredients like sugar content, sodium and other chemicals which can do more harm than good. Choose something that is natural and least processed but remember, just adding superfoods to your diet may not make you healthy. Having them in the right quantity, with a balanced meal, right exercise and healthy lifestyle habits are equally important. 

Certain superfoods may not be suitable to everyone due to allergies, such as allergies towards nuts or seeds. People with any acute or chronic health conditions need to consult their dietitian before they try any new food. Healthy people can always include one or two superfoods daily to enjoy optimum health! 

We hope this article helps you. For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads. To get more information on superfoods, how to choose them and what to eat, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr 

#BeTheForce 

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Yogesh Shah Manages Multiple Illnesses & Gets Healthy With GOQii

Yogesh Shah

Often, managing just one condition can be an insurmountable task. Imagine working your whole life, while your physical, mental and emotional health just spiral downward, while the number of pills you take keep increasing. Our Player Yogesh Shah was in such a predicament where he was dealing with multiple illnesses but managed to overcome them with help from his GOQii Coach Deepali Sharma. Here’s how Yogesh Shah wrote his own Health Story. 

Dealing With Multiple Illnesses 

Based in Ahmedabad’s Mani Nagar, Yogesh Shah is a 63 year old retired Government Employee. He said that he had a hectic schedule. “There were times when I would work from 7am to 11pm, never even having the sun’s rays hitting my body for years,” he said. 

Erratic work hours led to bad eating habits, disturbed sleep and high levels of acidity as he consumed a lot of tea. Yogesh Shah told us that this was his routine for 36 years of his work life. While he was extremely dedicated and diligent towards his work, it took a toll on his health. He suffered from multiple issues which included weight gain, diabetes, hypertension, disturbed lipid profile, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, gastric trouble, anxiety (8-10 attacks a month), palpitations and cervical pain due to a surgery he had 4 years back. 

Till 2021, he used to pop 18 tablets daily. Around Dec 2020, he was consuming 26 tablets which included medication for COVID. Despite the issues, he was positive and did not let his conditions damper his way of life.

“I realized I was not doing the right things and that this was taking a toll on my health but, I did not do anything about it,” says Yogesh Shah. The health issues started around 1992 and aggravated in 10 years. His family was worried and felt helpless about not knowing what they could do to help him.

Making A Positive Shift 

He wanted to get better, reduce weight and control his illnesses but was not sure how to go about it. Then, just before retirement, he got to know about GOQii from two young women in his office. They motivated him to go for it. Yogesh Shah purchased GOQII from Amazon in Oct 2021. Initially, he found it difficult to decipher and understand GOQii but, slowly and steadily he was able to understand how the platform works.  

He followed all the instructions given to him by his Coach Deepali Sharma. She introduced small changes which had a big impact. Over the course of time, he has been able to improve his health and control his illnesses. He says, “Initially I could not understand my coach but then slowly, I started understanding. Some of the changes she brought about made quite a difference.”  

His daily routine begins with praying, then gardening in his little kitchen garden. He follows this up with morning meditation for which he follows Coach Rounak Gajjar on GOQii Play. He also follows Coach Sheetal Tewari and Coack Bhumika Unniyal for yoga, meditation and pranayama. 

Currently, he walks about 15km on most days whereas before, he would feel breathless even after 1km. On the International Day of Yoga on June 21, he walked 21km. He says that he now wants to participate in the GOQii Trail Challenge 2022. 

“Coach Deepali has given me a lot of habits and I follow them religiously. Hence, I have been able to make a change!” he says.

What Are The Results Of Yogesh Shah’s Efforts? 

“Nothing will work unless you do. You need to work hard to achieve your goal. This is something which my Player Yogesh Shah has proven with flying colours,” says Coach Deepali Sharma. “Initially, he had multiple issues like weight gain, uncontrolled sugar levels, disturbed lipid profile, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, gastric trouble, anxiety and palpitations.

He used to feel tired after a kilometer walk and now, he is on 21km, which is equivalent to a half marathon. His HbA1c came down from 8% to 6% with almost controlled Fasting blood sugar. Episodes of anxiety dropped drastically from 10-12 episodes to almost nil now. Symptoms like shivering, headache, restlessness are completely out of our book, which were quite prominent before,” she says.

“It’s not stress that kills us but it is our reaction to it and Mr. Yogesh was outstanding in cultivating that positivity with intrinsic motivation. Stress was affecting his sleep a lot. With hard work and determination, he is now out of his anxiety medicines. We worked on setting a sleep-wake cycle as well and relaxation exercises also helped us a lot. I have seen an incredible improvement in his sleep from 2-3 hrs to an average of 5-6 hrs as of now. He is a person with a clear vision and that’s the reason we lost good weight. He is 71.25kg (latest) which was  82 kg when we started. This was achieved by keeping post sunset meals light, adding healthy snacks and carb control,” says Coach Deepali Sharma. 

As of now, Yogesh Shah’s medication has been reduced to 13 pills. You can view Yogesh’s entire journey as he speaks to our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal on an episode of GOQii Health Stories.

Do you suffer from similar conditions? Did this story inspire you to make a lifestyle change? Then reach out to a GOQii Coach and subscribe for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring Health Stories, check out Healthy Reads. 

#BeTheForce  

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#DiscoverYourTrail With The GOQii Trail Challenge 2022!

GOQii Trail Challenge 2022As the old saying goes – You can’t keep a good thing down, we are finally back with the next edition of the GOQii Trail Challenge! Thanks to the pandemic, it’s been almost 2 years since we challenged you to take this 50km journey with us where we explored something more than just nature.

We explored hardships, camaraderie, teamwork, motivation, inner strength, fortitude and most importantly, through the many stories that emerged from the GOQii Trail Challenge, we not only observed the beauty that nature held, but we observed ourselves deeply and discovered something new about ourselves! 

How The Trail Can Help You Discover Yourself? 

While we can throw in a couple of adjectives that might strike an emotion, there’s nothing in the world that hits home harder than real life experiences. 

One of our participants had never even done a trek, let alone a 50km trailwalk that requires a decent amount of preparation and training. In fact, she decided to take the challenge to prove her colleagues wrong – all of whom believed that she’d give up halfway. As the journey began, she realized that it’s not an easy feat. 

Pooja as she approached the finish line

Her partner gave up and while this participant thought she’d be alone, she discovered that GOQii is not just a brand but a family, as no one is alone on the trail. Another participant who had been walking solo, paired up with her and motivated her to reach the finish line. She said that every participant she encountered only motivated her to push herself. Somewhere, she believed that she couldn’t complete the trail but as she reached the finish line, in all that awe and surprise, she found a new sense of pride and confidence! You can read Pooja’s heroic journey here.

Shankar Sabadi walking with a makeshift splint

Speaking of heroic journeys, here’s one that taught us a lot about fortitude, determination and not giving up in the face of adversity. Despite encountering a severe injury on the trail, Shankar Sabadi managed to complete the 50km trail using a makeshift splint for his broken arm. His determination to complete the challenge was overwhelming, even for us. He exemplified what it means to not give up and push forward, no matter what.

Sanket Bhirud (L) along with Anusha Subramanian (R)

The previous trailwalk wasn’t just about the struggle of able-bodied people but we also had a participant who had a disability. Being blind, Sanket Bhirud was accompanied by Anusha Subramanian as they raised awareness about inclusion of disabled people in the outdoors. We learned here that no matter who you are or what your circumstances, with enough determination, strong will and good teamwork, you can overcome any hurdle or barrier.  

These are just a few stories from the GOQii Trail Challenge. While walking in the lap of nature, having to rely on your teammates and fellow walkers for support or even crossing a river, you might discover something about yourself that you never did before. It’s not just a trail walk, it’s about finding yourself!

A Few Other Reasons Why You Should Participate

Apart from discovering yourself, you can take the GOQii Trail Challenge to: 

  • Challenge the capabilities of your body and test your mental strength 
  • Connect with mother nature on a deeper level 
  • Enjoy a break in the heart of nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the city 
  • Meet and interact with like-minded people
  • Strike out the “achieve the impossible” target of your checklist for the year 

How Can You Participate In the GOQii Trail Challenge 2022? 

Anyone can participate in this event, as long as they are above 18 years of age. ELITE GOQii Players and past participants are eligible for a special offer on this year’s registration fee. 

The 50 km nature trail is in Mandangad, a village situated at the extreme north of Ratnagiri District in Maharashtra, approximately 4 hours from Mumbai. The journey to Mandangad will begin on Friday, 9th December, from the GOQii office in Mumbai by bus. The 50km trailwalk will be held on Saturday, 10th December 2022. We will return to the GOQii Mumbai office on Sunday, 11th December by 4.00 PM. 

You can register as a single participant or as a team of 2. Please visit www.goqii.com/gtc for more details! 

We hope to see you this year at the GOQii Trail Challenge 2022 as you #DiscoverYourTrail

#BeTheForce  

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]