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Prioritizing Health: Kuntal Goswami’s Post-Pandemic Pursuit of Wellness

Kuntal Goswami - GOQii Health Stories

The COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for individuals to recognize the significance of their health and well-being. It prompted people to adopt healthier lifestyles, prioritize self-care, and be proactive in taking preventive measures to protect themselves and others. This is true for our player Kuntal Goswami, who, after the coronavirus hit India, realized how important it was for him to maintain and stay healthy. Let’s find out how he managed it.

Life Before GOQii: Kuntal’s Struggle with Health

Kuntal Goswami, 34, based in West Bengal, works in a power plant. His job entails sitting at the desk as well as stepping out for work. He also works shifts, due to which he has no daily routine. His lifestyle was bad. He says, “I had bad eating habits. I would eat anything with no proper portion control and no exercise routine, and I had started gaining weight. I weighed 84 kg. My blood pressure was also on the higher side. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, that I realized I had to alter and bring about a change in my health.”

Identifying the Issue & Making Lifestyle Changes: Kuntal’s Journey to Wellness

Kuntal started searching for smartwatches on Amazon and found GOQii. Prior to that, he had seen the Akshay Kumar ad, which further prompted him to purchase the GOQii smartwatch.

Kuntal was happy with coach Nabanita Das’s call, and the first goal that he fixed with the coach was to lose weight, lower his BP issues, and reduce the dosage of medication.

Coach Nabanita’s Insights: The Transformation of Kuntal Goswami

Initially, the coach set 3-4 new habits for Kuntal to follow. “When I started coaching, Kuntal weighed 84 kg, his HRA was 67, his BMI was 30.1, his waistline area was 38 inches, and his BP was 119/79 mm of Hg (with medication). I set his step target to begin with at 6000 steps and ensured that he was able to complete 6k steps daily,” says coach Nabanita Das. Thereafter, the coach introduced detox water and added protein to his diet. Kuntal says within 3 months he started seeing results for the better.

A Remarkable Transformation: Kuntal’s Success Story

“Though it was challenging for him to maintain his routine due to his shifting duty, I gave him a diet that can be carried, is easily available, and is loaded with good nutrients. In addition, he booked and joined pro classes and reached a minimum 15 k steps on a daily basis,” says the coach.

Kuntal’s endless efforts and discipline helped him achieve what he aimed for. Following a total of 118 habits and listening to his coach, in the last 2 years, he has lost 19 kg of weight healthily. His current weight is 65 kg, his waistline area is 32 inches, his BMI is 22.5, and his HRA score is 86 now. That is not all, his BP is under control, and the doctor has prescribed a lower dose of medicine to control his BP. “We are now waiting to see how soon the medicine can be stopped,” says Nabanita.

The coach credits her player and says, “ Kuntal has been a great learner. It requires some sacrifices, discipline, consistency, and determination to achieve the health goal that Kuntal had set for himself. “It’s commendable how he has done it.”

Walking, yoga, meditation, and having a properly balanced diet have all become routines and part of his life now.  When asked how Kuntal feels now, he says, “I feel very confident in myself. Thanks to GOQii, it has helped me lose weight through small but sure lifestyle changes. My outlook towards life has changed.”

Kuntal has now become an advocate of a healthy lifestyle and has recommended and suggested to his colleagues to modify their lifestyles and stay healthy.

In conclusion, the remarkable journey of Kuntal in transforming his lifestyle and achieving lasting health is a testament to his unwavering dedication and hard work put forth. By embracing positive changes and making conscious choices, Kuntal has not only improved his physical well-being but also demonstrated the power of determination and self-discipline. His inspiring story serves as a shining example of how personal growth and perseverance can lead to a healthier and more fulfilling life.

If you suffer from similar issues or know someone who does, share this article with them and subscribe to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

Find more inspiring health stories here.

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Natural Mouth Fresheners

mouth-freshner

Many a times, when I ask my players to avoid having sweets or fruits immediately after a meal, their usual reply is, ‘oh! But, this is a very Indian thing. We don’t feel complete finishing the meal without a sweet or a fruit. We are accustomed to this post meal sweets ritual since ages and we need that to refresh the mouth and the breath from the typical smell of our spice rich meals!’ Or else, most say they need to keep chewing some mint flavored gum or some artificially flavored mouth freshener when they are working for long hours or while traveling.

But, how about replacing these artificially flavored, preservatives added, empty calorie loaded mouth fresheners with more real, natural, very nutritious breath fresheners which are present in abundance in the nature and which are readily available in your kitchen cabinet?

Here I am enlisting few of them:

  1. Water: Dry mouth is the foremost reason behind that foul smelling breath. Drinking water more often keeps your mouth moist and promotes the release of saliva, the enzymes which keep cleansing the mouth from the growth and collection of foul smelling bacteria. You can make it more refreshing by infusing the water with cut pieces of lemon, mint leaves and a small piece of ginger. Keep it overnight in the fridge and drink that water in the morning.
  2. Fennel Seeds: Many of our elders still use these very refreshing seeds as an after meal ritual. Apart from giving a distinctive sweet taste to your mouth, they are excellent to prevent flatulence and acid reflux and promote the secretion of gastric juices for better absorption. Roast them, store in an air tight jar and chew them after meals.
  3. Mint Leaves: Why to go for an artificially scented mint flavored mouth freshener, when you can have the original and much more nutritious mint leaves in your kitchen garden or in your refrigerator. Chew the raw leaves or drink a mint tea by boiling them in water and experience an instant freshness in your breath.
  4. Parsley Leaves: Chew on the raw Parsley after meals or garnish your curries with it. Recent studies suggest that this ancient herb may help in reducing the ‘garlic breath’ through a process of ‘enzymatic deodorization’.
  5. Lemon Candies: These refreshing and nutritious treats come in handy when you experience prolonged mouth dryness. You can create lemon ice cubes by mixing lemon juice with water. As they melt in your mouth, the lemon’s tartness triggers saliva production, effectively moistening your mouth and providing a refreshing sensation.
  6. Cinnamon: Chewing on cinnamon sticks kill the bad smelling bacteria by releasing essential oils in the mouth, and it’s peculiar taste is great to freshen you up. You can make cinnamon mouthwash as well by boiling few sticks in water and using the cooled down water for mouth wash.
  7. Citrus fruits like oranges and berries: These antioxidant rich fruits are again great to cleanse your mouth by destroying the toxins and the germs. Start your day with a fruit or have them as mid meal snacks, as these are the times when the mouth is usually dry for a longer time.

If the bad breath is not because of any underlying illness like tonsillitis or other buccal (oral) cavity infection, these are the sure way to feel refreshed throughout the day.

The bottom line is to figure out the reason behind that bad breath (like dry mouth, bad bacteria) and choose the right method or ingredient for yourself to get rid of the bad breath.

We trust you found these natural breath fresheners beneficial. If you’re looking for personalised guidance on holistic health, consider subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. Share your thoughts in the comments below and explore more health topics in Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

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Top 5 Habits You Need To Avoid After a Meal

avoid after a meal

There are a lot of myths regarding nutrition and food floating around on the internet. Some of them include things we should do and should avoid after a meal. When it finally comes down to facts, what’s the right way to go? We have briefly listed down the top 5 habits you need to avoid after a meal. You might know some of them but you might not be familiar with the reasoning.

What Should You Avoid After a Meal?

  1. Smoking: It is the most important habit that people should avoid after a meal. Smoking 1 cigarette after eating food is equivalent to the ill-effects of smoking 10 cigarettes. The chances of cancer are more in such cases. This is primarily because the body’s absorption rate increases after eating, which means that the harmful effects of tobacco (nicotine) are amplified as well. You could be risking damage to your intestines, heart, lungs and other internal organs.
  2. Fruits: It is advised that you should not eat fruits along with your meal and immediately after it as well. Fruits that are eaten after a meal cannot be digested easily in the intestine which causes air bloating in the stomach. Fruits are best absorbed when consumed as a meal in itself. You can have them either before or after a meal with a gap of at least 2–3 hours.
  3. Tea: Whenever you eat a heavy meal, keep yourself away from tea for a while. Tea leaves contains acids in it. When this acid enters the digestive system along with food, it makes the process of digestion (particularly proteins) process slow and difficult by hardening them.
  4. Bathing: Whenever we bathe, the blood-flow towards extremities increases and this is how you feel fresh after a bath. But, after eating, blood-flow towards the digestive system should be high, and not the extremities, so as to maintain the normal digestive system. That is why people are advised not to take a bath immediately after eating.
  5. Sleep: There always has to be gap of 1-2 hours between your meals and the time you sleep. Sleeping immediately after eating will result in improper digestion as efficiency of the digestive system decreases. Also, sleeping immediately may lead to gastric problems and infection in the intestines. Habitually sleeping immediately after eating will also increase the chances of obesity.

We hope these facts help you make better choices, bust myths with reason and eat healthy. Have you ever been told to avoid something before or after a meal? Let us know in the comments below!

For more articles like this, check out Healthy Reads. To know more about eating habits you should avoid or to introduce new habits to help you get healthier, speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Is This The Best Time To Make A Positive Lifestyle Change?

positive lifestyle changeThere are a number of people who motivate themselves to make positive lifestyle changes to eat better, exercise more, practise yoga and sleep adequately. They have tried before, probably declaring another attempt as a New Year’s resolution. After working hard for a week or two that resolution was found resting in the corner due to lack of time, energy and motivation.

Making a lifestyle change is challenging especially when you want to make so many changes at a time. It takes time and requires your full commitment and dedication once you are ready to make a change.

Some Tips To Make A Positive Lifestyle Change

  • Make a plan you think you can stick to
  • Start small
  • Choose one behaviour change at a time
  • Make some friends with the same goal
  • Ask for expert support

As we are all in lockdown, it’s a good break from our fast-paced life. We were complaining about not getting enough time to work out, to eat healthy home-cooked food, to meditate to relieve stress and ditch that alarm clock and sleep a little more. Well, here it is!

This is the best time to make a lifestyle change and reset our biological clock back to normal by balancing all four important components of our body which are: Balanced diet, Exercise, Adequate sleep and Stress management.

We hope this article helps you make a positive lifestyle change. For motivation, healthy recipes and more, you can check out the GOQii Blog or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play for home workouts, meditation, emotional wellness, learning music, yoga and more! 

Stay home, stay positive and #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 […]