Yoga, meditation and morning prayers help TruckBhejo CEO clear the clutter & stay positive

Health is way beyond just the body. It is mind, body, relationships, environment, and even our businesses for that matter that need to be healthy.

Being son of a truck driver, Nilesh Ghule, Co-founder, CEO, TruckBhejo's upbringing has been simple and always had an element of endurance.

"And hence since my childhood, stability and sustainability became two important aspects of everything I would do. So is the base of my health regime too. A good nutritious diet, exercise, and ample rest – I balance these three aspects to keep the body in good shape and healthy. Keeping up with health is a continuous process and we have to be at it every day. This is how we build our immune system, resilience and agility for mind, body and businesses," he says.


Workout
Ghule has always been a very active person all thanks to his love for sports especially cricket. "I have participated in various cricket tournaments since school days at different levels. This has ensured that I am always a match fit and ready to compete. Good part of sports is it imbibes commitment in you. It helped me not just stick to my practice sessions and exercise routine but made sure I stayed committed to my dream to be an entrepreneur.

"I follow a daily routine to jog for five kms, mix it with weight training for 30 minutes, and cricket practice twice a week for six hours. Over the weekends, I experiment with yoga too as it helps me bringing balance to my active regimen," he shares.

Diet plan
In his childhood days, Ghule saw how truck drivers had relatively less choices on long haul drives. Research says that between 55-85 per cent of the truck drivers globally are overweight making them prone to high blood pressure, strokes, diabetes and such illnesses.

"This made me take cautious efforts to not binge on and follow a simple, nutritious and well-balanced diet routine. I keep a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian to take care of my carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and protein needs. I take small portions of the meal at regular intervals with lots of fluids in the form of juices, and health shakes. This keeps me full and light the same time," he says.

Mental health
Everything that Ghule does to keep his body and business healthy all these are integrated. We suffer because we break the chain somewhere, he feels.

"As Manly Hall said, 'an unhealthy mind, even in a healthy body, will destroy health.' Making sure the mind is engaged and active is the first step. To unwind and slowdown is the next. As I am more on the field, I indulge in yoga just to break my pace. It works like a reboot and your system is upgraded. This also helps me to make sure I am not running behind growth in business at the cost of other parameters. This even helped me building a technology-led start-up with a traditional business mindset and staying committed to the returns for all the business partners. I also resort to meditation as that has helped me stay away from unnecessary thoughts keeping the clutter at bay and allowing to take critical decisions on time. But nothing can beat the power of daily morning prayers. It’s the dose of positive energy and enriching thoughts that helps me drive through the day," he says.

Mind food
Ghule eats fresh fruits and vegetables to keep his mind sharp. He explains, "You will always find me carrying fruits along. They are the natural source of energy and refreshes from any sort of fatigue. Serotonin which is the key hormone influencing our mood, creativity, and also sleep, and appetite, is produced in our gastrointestinal tract. Rich in fibres, minerals, and vitamins, fruits and vegetables help in staying light with the gut, ensures healthy digestive system and provides high energy. We need to understand that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body so unless we are physically fit, we can't keep our mind healthy. There is a saying 'Jaisa anna vaisa mann' (what you eat, your mind becomes like that). Mental health is significantly influenced by what we binge on," he says.

Soul
For Ghule, being soulfully healthy is to attain inner peace in every single action and work that he does during the day.

"The soul is healthy when there is no stress when you go to the bed. Immersing myself in daily prayers, meditation, and listening to light music helps me be at peace. But more than these, what gives me inner happiness is the tangible positive change we could bring in the lives of the truck drivers through TruckBhejo. I could achieve this because I looked at health as an integrated health system and not a mere physical or mental aspect of it," he ends.