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Exercise Is Good For You, But Exercise SMART!

exercise smartIn our zeal to get fit, sculpt an attractive body or lose weight, we may tend to overdo it when it comes to the exercise we choose. When you find yourself struggling to get the body results you want, one enrolls themselves for more complex and intensive training, longer hours in the gym, fad diets and crazy supplements.

What we need to remember, like everything else, is that our body parts and organs have a life. There will be natural wear and tear as we age and that principle remains the same for all of us. It’s true that the right amount of exercise can delay this and keep degeneration at bay and that’s what ensures us a better quality life as we age. A life free of knee, back and/or joint pain.

The media including Hollywood and Bollywood have blown the whole concept of exercise way out of proportion. Everyone wants to read about diets or exercise regimes of these super stars. Spending 2 hours in a gym or working out thrice a day is apparently what you need to get a model like a body or that of your favorite actor.

Extensive spinning, extremely heavy weights, running more than a marathon in a year, MMA mixed with weight training, kickboxing integrated with weights, etc. all require special nutrition plans if you are really into all of this.

These are great forms of exercise and we would all like to think of ourselves as long distance runners but, is your body prepared for it? Are your knees ready to take the massive stress? Is your back strong enough to brace impact and support you for the rest of your years without giving way?

Getting involved in intensive exercise is not your solution or compensation for binge eating over the weekend.

Your knee has a fluid (synovial) that runs around it and as this dries up due to stress (exercise) improper sleep (recovery) and poor nutrition, you will be left with excruciating pain that will severely alter your lifestyle.

Exercise Smart Is The Way Forward!

Short but productive workouts. 1 hour is a number. Break away from it. The best workouts get over in 25-30 minutes, saving you valuable 30 minutes of your day to use it for things that are meaningful to you. Tough to break from it if you have always been a “1-hour” gym person but, try.

After 45 minutes of exercise, your body generates ‘cortisol’, a stress hormone, that tells your body to ‘STORE FAT’. This becomes counterproductive to your whole goal or working out. Body builders and athletes have longer training schedules because they have supporting sports nutrition plans and they sleep over 8 hours for recovery.

Exercising smart is:- 

  • Keeping a day of recovery between intensive workouts or allowing for enough muscle recovery time
  • Doing max sets with minimum rest between sets (depend on your fitness goal)
  • You should be maxed out post 30 minutes and you should feel energetic
  • Warm up and cool down will allow you to be more productive

Break away from traditional exercise methods. Mix it up, challenge and push your body. Consistent walking, is one of the best exercises ever, something that works beautifully with a balanced nutrition plan and great sleep. You can lose fat and tone up if you exercise smart!

Remember that consistency is key! 

Meeting and exceeding the 10,000 steps daily is one of the best benchmarks when it comes to your walks. Re-evaluate your exercise schedule and how you feel after each workout. Don’t just think ‘ NOW’, consider the future years as well.

We hope this article helps you exercise smart for great results! For more on fitness and home workouts, check out Healthy Reads or ask an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce 

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Healthy Eating: Homemade Protein Bars

protein bars

Want to stock up on your winter protein supply? We’ve got you covered with these simple, healthy, no bake, sugar-free homemade protein bars. You can make these protein bars using ingredients available in your kitchen. It is quick and quite suited for winters! 

What You Will Need 

  • Dates – 1 cup 
  • Hot water – 1 cup 
  • Almonds – ½ cup 
  • Cashews – ½ cup 
  • Walnuts – ½ cup 
  • Pistachio – ½ cup 
  • Rolled oats – ¼ cup 
  • Desiccated coconut – ½ cup 
  • Flax seeds – 1 tbsp 
  • Pumpkin seeds – 1 tbsp 
  • Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp 
  • Cardamom powder – 1 tsp 
  • Cinnamon powder – 1 tsp 
  • Jaggery powder – 2 tbsp 

How To Prepare 

  1. In a bowl, add the dates and hot water and soak the dates for 1-2 hours until it softens. Once soft, remove the seeds and blend it in a mixture to a fine, smooth paste. 
  2. Heat a pan and add almonds, cashews, pistachio, walnuts, oats, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Dry roast this for 5-7 minutes until they turn crisp and slight golden. 
  3. Time to add the desiccated coconut in the pan and sauté just for 1-2 minutes and remove all the contents in a bowl.
  4. In the same pan, add the dates paste and allow it to cook for 5 minutes until the paste thickens and loses some moisture.
  5. Now add the roasted nuts and seeds mixture to the dates paste and season it with cardamom powder, cinnamon powder & also add the jaggery powder. Mix it well until everything comes together.
  6. Grease a mithai tray or plate with some ghee/ oil and spread the mixture uniformly. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until it sets completely and using a knife, cut it into bars and enjoy! 

Highlights Of The Homemade Protein Bars 

  • Power packed with energy, micronutrients, minerals, fiber and healthy fats. 
  • A perfect guilt free, sugar free, preservative free alternative to granola bars and energy bars.
  • A great way to start the day in winter, it is filling and keeps your sweet cravings away.
  • Works as a perfect post workout snack.

We hope you enjoy this Protein Bars recipe. Do try it out and leave your feedback in the comments below. For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce  

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Is Quinoa Really Worth The Nutritional Hype?

quinoa

With the rise in awareness about the right food for good health, people are changing what they eat. New foods or superfoods specifically, are added to the everyday routine foods to get an add on benefit. One such highly popular or highly trending food is “Quinoa” (pronounced as keen-wah)

What is Quinoa?

It is a pseudo-grain but because of its nutritional resemblance to grains, it is considered as a grain. If we look at its source, it is a seed available from the Chenopodium Quinoa Plant. It was widely produced only in South America and the Incas used to call it “the mother of all grains”.

In the year 2013, it was named “The International Year of Quinoa” by the UN because of its valuable qualities and potential to fight world hunger.

Is It Really Worth Including In Our Meals? 

The answer is yes and there are several reasons for it. 

  • Quinoa is non-GMO and a naturally gluten-free grain
  • It is one such plant-based food exception that it is a complete protein: a complete protein means where all the essential amino acids are present which the body cannot produce until we feed it through food. It specifically contains lysine, methionine and cysteine amino acids which generally all plant-based protein food lacks
  • High antioxidant and inflammation reducing capacity: It contains flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol which help in acting as an antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-cancer and anti-depressant
  • Fibre-rich grain source: 17-27gm of fibre is found in 1 cup of Quinoa (185gm approximately) which is a lot more as compared to other grains, which helps in reducing the total fat/lipid percentage in the body
  • Helps in Improving Blood Sugar Control: One definitely because of its fibre-protein content and another because it contains compounds that inhibit alpha-glucosidase, one of the enzymes involved in digesting carbohydrates, resulting in the delayed breakdown of carbohydrates and hence slow release of sugar in the blood
  • Because of its high magnesium content (1 cup cooked quinoa can provide one-third of daily requirement), it is recommended to have it often to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
  • Helps in reducing weight: As Quinoa is high in fibres, proteins and has a low glycemic index, it can make one feel fuller for a longer time, reducing frequent hunger pangs
  • The nutritional content of one cup of cooked quinoa is 222 calories and 4 grams of fat; with 39 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fibre and 8 grams of protein

Quinoa also contains few anti-nutrients like saponins, phytic acid and oxalates. However, they do not affect health when cooked properly. It can be used as a replacement for any grain like rice, or can be added to cold salads, soups, sprouts, etc. Click here for some interesting recipes you can try using Quinoa. 

We hope this article on Quinoa helps you! Do share your thoughts in the comments below! To learn more about grains, food and healthy eating in general, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce 

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GOQii Raises $50 Million In Series C Funding

GOQii Funding

GOQii Management Team Post Pandemic

GOQii raises $50 million Series C Funding from Sumeru Ventures, Modality and others for expansion across insurance, digital therapeutics and international markets

  • Funding raised across equity preference share, notes & debt
  • Funding to grow the insurance and digital therapeutics vertical in India
  • Funding to also expand in international markets

GOQii Inc announced its Series C funding round of $50 million led by Sumeru Ventures. GOQii is a smart tech-enabled healthcare platform that brings together the entire preventive healthcare ecosystem to its users. GOQii’s offerings include fitness trackers, app, coaching, a health store, insurance and many others. GOQii strongly believes that preventive healthcare is the only viable, long-term, mass-market solution, not only in India but around the world.

The company has raised funding across equity, preference shares, notes and debt. The equity round was led by Sumeru Ventures. Sumeru Ventures is a global fund with a focus on next generation technology areas.

Modality (Digality), an award winning provider of primary health care and community services across the UK, also participated. Other investors included 9 Unicorns, Venture Catalysts, funds advised by MegaDelta, Mitsui, The Times Group, Ascendo, Akbar Khan and Sanjay Narang. The venture debt funding was led by Blacksoil Capital and Trifecta Capital.

GOQii’s existing investors include Mitsui, funds advised by MegaDelta, DSG Consumer Partners, Galaxy Digital, Denlow Investment Trust, Edelweiss, Cheetah Mobile, GWC, Mr. Ratan Tata, Mr. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Mr. Pravin Gandhi, Mr. Amit Singhal.

Vishal Gondal, Founder and CEO, said “We are delighted to onboard Sumeru Ventures and all other investors. GOQii has been a pioneer in the connected health ecosystem in India. We are strong believers in the positive impact preventive healthcare technology can create in the lives of millions of people in India and globally. This funding round would help GOQii not only strengthen its current offerings but also expand in insurance, digital therapeutics and international markets, where the foundation has already been built by us over the years.”

Saumen Chakraborty, Managing Director at Sumeru Venture, commented on the transaction “We are delighted to invest in GOQii and join this shared journey of positive impact making. Health is a fundamental need which can not be met with the traditional curative infrastructure alone. GOQii has been a significant contributor to the preventive healthcare ecosystem in India. We are confident that this funding round would help GOQii scale it to further heights.”

GOQii recently also made senior level additions to its team. Last year it hired Rohit Pareek, a senior investment banker, as CFO and Head Corporate Development. Rohit has previously worked with Jefferies, JM Financial and The Times Group.

GOQii has been at the forefront of creating awareness about preventive healthcare in India. GOQii has been the first official partner of the Fit India Movement. GOQii’s solutions have benefited millions of customers to manage as well as avoid chronic health conditions by inculcating healthy lifestyle changes.

GOQii would use the funding to grow the insurance and digital therapeutics vertical in India. The solutions would be first of its kind offerings taking the benefits of digital health to a large section of the population. The insurance product would reward users for healthy behaviour by way of a health insurance. GOQii is also targeting several therapeutic areas across diabetes, women’s health, radiology, etc. through its digital therapeutics offerings.

GOQii is also set to launch its international offerings focusing on various solutions around preventive healthcare.

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