The next member of our team is Ravinder who is our Business Data Analyst. Ravinder has made such significant contribution to the inner workings of Empeal and has managed to catapult the Empeal application to greater success. In this blog Ravinder walks us through his experience so far with Empeal and how the company has made an impact to his life.

“I have always been an active person and I have always enjoyed being involved in sports. It is for this reason why I was so enthusiastic to participate in the Empeal team step challenge. I found that the competition improved my consistency as I was continuously striving to stay on top and to meet my set walking targets each day. Through speaking to my teammates at work I found that I was unknowingly keeping them motivated and engaged in the competition as we all enjoy some friendly competition.

In relation to my mental health the Empeal app has given me control to see a clear picture of how I am doing which allows me to make improvements in specific areas if needs be. For example, I have been able to review my nutrient intake on a daily basis and this helped me to stay on track. I have also been able to take a look at my sleeping patterns and view my stress levels. These insights in particular have given me great insight into ways I can uplift my mood and improve my mental health.  

As Empeal is a health and wellbeing company, it always encourages its employees and their clients to increase movement throughout the day especially when sitting for long periods at a time. With this encouragement and past practices, I give myself a short break every 40 minutes and I enjoy taking the time to play some table tennis or snooker that is available at the office”.

Blogs

Meet the Team - Ravinder Singh



The next member of our team is Ravinder who is our Business Data Analyst. Ravinder has made such significant contribution to the inner workings of Empeal and has managed to catapult the Empeal application to greater success

Meet the Team - Ravinder Singh

The 15th of September each year is marked as Engineer’s Day in India in remembrance of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, an Indian civil engineer and statesman. As a technology company, with presence in India, Empeal felt drawn to highlight this important day in order to acknowledge and recognise how far we have come as a society. Technology is responsible for catapulting us into modern day life and is a big catalyst for change.

Looking back at how far Empeal has come over the past few years is due to great engineer’s work regarding artificial intelligence. From this we have been able to improve our service to make it more accurate, more personalised, and more beneficial to the end user. It is true that technology has been the culprit of change for many major sectors over the past 20 years, including media, climate action and healthcare.

In the words of our COO Aurobinda, “We have moved so fast through the technology process, we are now standing at 5G or the 5th Generation of mobile communication without realising it”.

Aurobinda takes us through his own experience with the change of technology and how it has so dramatically changed throughout his own lifetime,

“We firstly began with 1G which was an Analog standard of telecommunication such as pagers. We then moved to 2G which was first generation mobile phones that evolved into 2.5G and 2.75G without us realising. From here we swiftly moved to 3G for faster data transmission which also evolved into 3.5G and 3.75G. It was at this point this point when the world started moving towards SMART-Phones which changed how we used the internet completely. After this once 4G hit we quickly moved to mobile broadband and began the rise of Apple and Android who ruled the technology space”.

There is no doubt that technology has massively changed throughout the world in a very short space in time but today is the time to remember where we have come from.

Engineer’s Day is celebrated as a tribute to all the great engineers who have contributed in the past, who are driving our present and for the future talent waiting in line to exhibit their skills. The theme for World Engineers Day 2021 is Engineering for A Healthy Planet- Celebrating the UNESCO Engineering Report. To make a healthy planet we all need to be physically and mentally healthy. By the help of Empeal you can always stay healthy and fit. On this special day of engineers who help shape our society, you too can shape your way with Empeal.

engineering day

The 15th of September each year is marked as Engineer’s Day in India in remembrance of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, an Indian civil engineer and statesman. As a technology company, with presence in India, Empeal felt drawn to highlight this important day in order to acknowledge and recognise how far we have come as a society.

Engineer's Day: India

We are thrilled that both Sohini De and Aurobinda De had the opportunity to speak at the AI Possible Summit hosted by Altada Technology Solutions on April 29th in Miami, USA. This event showcased upcoming trends in emerging technology, ethics, and how AI will shape our future.

News

News & Media

We are thrilled that both Sohini De and Aurobinda De had the opportunity to speak at the AI Possible Summit in Miami. This event showcased upcoming trends in emerging technology, ethics, and how AI will shape our future.

AI Possible Summit

Thrilled to have gotten the opportunity to be chosen by Tangent Trinity College as one of five start-up companies to be showcased at the Irish Innovation Seed Fund event. It was an unforgettable experience to have met Minister for 

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

 Vice President Christian Kettel Thomsen, 

The Irish Innovation Seed Fund Programme will provide vital capital to innovative Irish companies at the crucial seed stage and will be an important step in developing the Irish equity ecosystem.

IISF

The "Irish Innovation Seed Fund" Programme will provide vital capital to innovative Irish companies at the crucial seed stage and will be an important step in developing the Irish equity ecosystem.

Irish Innovation Seed Fund Event

Siobhan McCarthy is a Quality Assurance Specialist in the Pharmaceutical industry. Siobhan works full time in a highly regulated environment. She studied Biochemistry BSc (Hons) at UCD and Information Systems at Trinity. Siobhan’s current role involves review and approval of validation documentation to allow lab, computer and manufacturing systems to be released for use in pharmaceutical manufacture and testing. She is married to Dave and has 3 children Caoimhe (12), Sean (11) and Rachel (7). Caoimhe loves music and drama. Sean is an ace at basketball and Rachel is a budding gymnast! In her spare time she likes to run and swim. As a family, we enjoy the park run on a Saturday morning! check out Siobhan’s interview below:

Career success involves ensuring that the work life balance is managed for my needs. For me, this means that I can enjoy my work and have time to do the things that I enjoy outside of work. It’s also about feeling that I make a difference in the work I do in my day job.

Do you think female execs get the support they need from their work environment to be ambitious? *

Yes, by and large I think they do. In particular, in the area I work in, there are a good proportion of females in senior management roles. A senior manager I have worked with has 4 children. She was afforded time off when required to support her family. In busy times, she was there to support audits and frequently worked late to support business needs. The flexibility afforded to her by the company facilitated a happy working environment.

How does one create a supportive environment at work and home? How do you balance work and personal life? *

A good supportive family really helps. If I can be in work and know that my kids are well looked after at home that keeps me happy. I always ensure I have at least one evening that is free for me to do as I please. In my “free” time I like to run & swim. I prioritise exercise over shopping!

What advice did you receive early in your career that has stayed with you throughout your journey?

You are the master of your own destiny. There is no point in having a negative attitude and complaining about something unless you are willing to do something about it yourself.

I think I am resilient. I don’t get too stressed (in general) about anything. If I fail at something I can try again another day.

Why do you think diversity is so important in the workplace?

I think diversity in the workplace allows us to appreciate different cultures. When you are actively working, talking and generally being with people from different cultures and backgrounds it becomes the norm. Society is made up of many different people and when you engage with as many different people in the workplace as possible you get an appreciation and respect that you would not otherwise know.

Any female role model who has inspired you over your career and why?

Not really anyone that I can think of that inspired my career but lots of female role models out there are inspiring in what they have done for their causes. I do admire the Mary’s (Robinson and McAleese) in their roles as former presidents of Ireland. In recent times, I think what Vicky Phelan has achieved and what she continues to do in highlighting the cervical cancer scandal in Ireland is phenomenal.

Another cracking interview with Siobhan and some fantastic answers. Come back tomorrow for the final in our series.

Interviews

Siobhan McCarthy is a Quality Assurance Specialist in the Pharmaceutical industry. Siobhan works full time in a highly regulated environment. 

International Women’s Day interview – Siobhan McCarthy

An engineer by training, a marketer and Editor by profession, she has 25+ years of experience. Her passion lies in areas of Education and Wellness. Now she joins Empeal, to work on an area close to her heart.

An electrical engineer by training, a market researcher & business strategist by choice, I finally got the chance to work in a category which is very close to my heart, Health & Wellness.

After college, I worked in mainstream engineering for about 5 years, running up and down boilers and continuous casters in Steel Plants, working in automation of railway reservation systems until the monotony made me stop, unhook and move away from mainstream engineering.

That was when I got baptised to Market Research. A whole new world opened for me. I was conducting research, both quantitative and qualitative across metros, small towns and villages. Trying to interpret the findings and designing suitable business strategy was exciting. Soon I moved over to one of the largest media conglomerates in India. I was incharge of a business vertical and also edited the largest read Bengali women's magazine.

On the 25th year of my work-life, I took a break. The last 6 years I travelled the world, worked with NGOs and taught school children.

Now, I wish to be back full time. I wanted to work for a category which is close to my heart. Both Education and Wellness are areas I am passionate about. So, here I am. With Empeal. Waiting to begin my last marathon!

Meet the Team - Madhumita Chatterjee

Meet the Team - Madhumita Chattopadhyay

Empeal is continuously seeking ways to help, prevent, and manage chronic diseases for individuals. As part of our mission, we are continuously conducting research and improving our service to accurately meet the needs and preferences of both health professionals and of individuals who are looking to improve their health. We are currently building our 

 that will enable us to easily match and deliver the correct health program to the right audience or individual. In the past Empeal has found that chronic health conditions are affecting individuals, which are in turn impacting organizations, health services, insurance payouts and many of global socio-economic aspects. COVID-19 exasperated this even further. 

Although there are a variety of innovative solutions to tackle chronic health conditions that ranges from telemedicine, remote patient monitoring to online health and wellbeing consultations and programs, our market research is suggesting there is a lack of solution which are effectively using data to help individuals attain health outcomes for prevention and self-management of these conditions. We are also finding despite variety of solutions; practitioners are not able to understand if their recommendations are being followed by the individuals to attain their desired health outcomes.

Some of the issues that individuals face:

Cannot priorities health and wellbeing activities unless unwell

Find it difficult to get motivated or stay motivated

Even when following recommendations of experts, find it difficult to follow 

Lack of on demand personalised solutions under one roof

If using wearable for monitoring, it is restricted to the hardware

Lack of one platform with various choices of experts

Some of the issues that health practitioners face:

Practice management systems, teleconference or zoom group meetings all solve various purpose but they are not all under one roof

Low take-up of technology from patient/client perspective as it is ‘another’ technology that they must use

Lack of getting complete view of patient/client health status under one roof to prioritise and offer targeted recommendations for better health outcomes

Lack of ability to track progress of the individual and adherence to recommendations real time.

At Empeal, we believe this needs a data driven, clinician led approach.

Initial profile creation data with emphasis on individual’s goals and circumstances to give users access to relevant experts and programs (1/1 or group).

 Fully digital access to personalised content in various formats and video calls and chat functions based on level 1 data.

 Continuous profile building from Step 2 activities and other integrated data sources to refine recommendations further and continue till goals are reached.

 This gives users confidence and comfort to use the system and take further steps to improve next level of their health and wellbeing.

This then empowers individuals to align what they want with what they need and enable them to take action. This in turn helps in prevention as well as self-management of their health conditions for effective result. To help us learn more about your needs and health coaching preferences please fill out this very short survey, 

Empeal's Future - Predictive AI Recommender Engine Part 1



Empeal is continuously seeking ways to help, prevent, and manage chronic diseases for individuals. As part of our mission, we are continuously conducting research and improving our service to accurately meet the needs and preferences of both health professionals and of individuals who are looking to improve their health.

Empeal's Future - Predictive AI Recommender Engine Part 1

We are delighted to say that we have been chosen as on one of the top 50 innovations within the health and wellbeing sector for the Blue Tulip Awards. This is a great honour for us to be recognised as a digital health solution with a difference. We believe that innovations in healthcare can provide unique opportunities to transform our society and to keep healthcare effective, accessible, and affordable to all. Throughout the Blue Tulip Awards we have showcased our innovation as an AI driven platform, which helps users in prevention and self-care of chronic conditions through data driven, clinician led programmes encompassing nutrition, lifestyle & behavioural support.

Blue Tulip Award

We are delighted to say that we have been chosen as on one of the top 50 innovations within the health and wellbeing sector for the Blue Tulip Awards. This is a great honour for us to be recognised as a digital health solution with a difference.

The Blue Tulip Award

 year has brought new challenges as HR leaders prepare for the future of hybrid work while also trying to manage an evolving set of employee expectations. At Empeal we have seen through partaking in in-depth conversations and research that in this new normal of remote/hybrid working, employers have been struggling to manage health and wellbeing of the workforce. In particular employee burnout has always been a struggle for HR professionals to deal with. According to Irish Life Health, the ICD now defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”. It has also been established that burnout results from 

, like having overly demanding or unclear job expectations, working in a highly pressurised environment, or experiencing dysfunctional team dynamics. This is further analysed in Gartner’s latest report on human resource professionals. It states that some of HR leaders’ biggest challenges are rising turnover rates, employee burnout and a lack of future of work strategies.

It has been highlighted in a Gartner report (

HR Leaders Monthly Magazine, September Edition

) that in 2020, most organizations added new wellbeing offerings or expanded existing ones in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These offerings spanned the four main pillars of wellbeing: mental and emotional, physical, financial, and community well-being. This information concurs with a recent Industry Dive webinar on ‘Managing Burnout in a Hybrid Work World’ which stated that the pandemic has led to an increase of employee burnout as employees are increasingly experiencing blurred lines between their work-life balance. However, it has been proven that once burnout has been identified amongst employees within an organisation it can then be far easier to treat.

There are a few key factors which can assist employers to burnout in its workforce. This includes frequent employer- employee interactions which let the employees know that they are supported. Other exercise’s which are worth implementing include companies encouraging team building exercises, interactive meetings where business is not discussed, and employers monitoring qualitative feedback and as well as quantitative feedback of employees.

The Top Five Priorities for HR Leaders 2022

), change fatigue can greatly contribute to employee burnout. The definition of change fatigue is negative employee responses to organizational change that harm outcomes it can also contribute to employee burnout. Employers can try and reduce this issue through building team cohesion and trust amongst its workforces.

At Empeal we try and combat these issues through supplying leaders with an AI-driven digital health platform. Our aim is to help leaders understand employees through non-intrusive methods and data-driven decision making while ensuring a safe space for staff.

We aid leader’s to better support their workforces mental and physical health through our data-driven, coach led programmes that encompass nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management. We also give users digital access to relevant coaches and support groups with similar issues, so they can look after their health and wellbeing at their own time and in full privacy.

Managing Burnout in the Workplace - Irish Life Health

Gartner (2021) HR Leaders Monthly Magazine, September Edition (hr-leader-monthly-magazine-september.pdf)

Gartner (2021) Gartner Webinars, The Top Five Priorities for HR Leaders 2022 (oct7mwhittlerlamotta_792492 (1).pdf)

Hybrid work and burnout

This year has brought new challenges as HR leaders prepare for the future of hybrid work while also trying to manage an evolving set of employee expectations. At Empeal we have seen through partaking in in-depth conversations and research that in this new normal of remote/hybrid working.

Employee Burnout in a Hybrid Work Culture

Empeal is a preventative and self-managing technology designed to help keep people out of hospital. The app provides ways for patients to maintain their lifestyles and gives recommendations to keep healthy.The users can access multiple coaches through the app. It provides access to nurses, nutritionists, physios, whatever they need. The app uses measurable metrics to create individual wellbeing programmes and enable healthcare professionals to aid more patients.

Sohini De mentioned- " the product is built around enabling healthcare professionals to aid more patients while maintaining a personal touch. She said that the work done by the AI engine would allow a professional that might treat 10 patients a day now to treat 100. and from user side”.

digitalhealth

Empeal is a preventative and self-managing technology designed to help keep people out of hospital. The app provides ways for patients to maintain their lifestyles and gives recommendations to keep healthy.

Business Post - Empeal Keeping People Out of Hospitals

In this week blog, our heath coach Morena Magnanini, explains why Intermittent fasting is one of the simplest strategies that can help you lose fat, gain muscle and live healthy.

This isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. (1) That’s an important distinction. When you go on a diet, you eventually go off it, and usually return to your old habits that made you overweight and less healthy in the first place. Lost weight returns, blood pressure goes back up, and so on. But when you make lasting changes to your behavior, the benefits of those changes can continue.

Intermittent fasting — alternating between periods of eating and fasting during the week —According to many in the health and fitness field, is on the edge of becoming the latest weight loss fad. A book called The Fast Diet, it is probably a very detailed beginner’s guide written by a medical doctor, Michael Mosley.

Some nutritionist, trainers recommend fasting every day for up to 16 hours and consuming food only during a short “eating window.” Others suggest going without food once or twice a week for 24-hour periods — having dinner one night, for example, and skipping breakfast, lunch and snacks the next day, then eating a normal dinner.

But getting people to eat healthier is difficult enough. Getting people to stop eating altogether for stretches of up to 24 hours? Yeah, not that easy!

Of course, when it comes to weight loss, there are few absolutes, suggests Dr. Stephen Freedland, associate professor of urology and pathology at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

Caloric restriction, has been shown in research to produce many health benefits, says Freedland. Reducing obesity alone could prevent or slow the progress of a number of diseases, including cancer. The goal is to reduce what he calls “total caloric intake.” If someone can fast two days a week and then eat normally for the other five days, that goal could be achieved. Yet data on fasting suggest that people who practise periodic intense caloric restriction tend to overeat later.

In fact, the actual act of dieting is very difficult because you still have to eat every day. So, every couple of hours you are making a decision about food

On what we see with our clients here at Wind of Change is that a more sensible approach, might be helpful to compensate for the occasional indulgence by eating slightly less during the remainder of the week. “You want to have cake on Friday night because it’s your birthday? Have the piece of cake. Just eat slightly less the other six days to compensate. That’s very reasonable.

Yes, possibly. If one already has a diet poor in vitamins and protein, eating less food could lead to vitamin deficiency and muscle loss. Of course, this can be offset by taking multivitamins and doing strength training. Fasting can also lead to malnourishment if taken to an extreme. Also fasting can elevate cortisol levels, and one of the cortisol’s side effects is that raises blood sugar. A no, no for people with Type 1 and 2 Diabetes, and Metabolic Syndrome.

So, what are the benefits of Intermitted Fasting? (3)

Weight Loss:Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight and belly fat, without having to consciously restrict calories. Insulin resistance:Intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance, lowering blood sugar by 36% and fasting insulin levels by 20-31%. This should protect against type 2 diabetes.

Inflammation:Some studies show reductions in markers of inflammation, a key driver of many chronic diseases.

Heart Health:Intermittent fasting may reduce LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood sugar and insulin resistance. These are all risk factors for heart disease.

Cancer:Animal studies suggest that intermittent fasting may help prevent cancer. Brain Health:Intermittent fasting increases a brain hormone called BDNF, and may aid the growth of new nerve cells It may also protect against Alzheimer’s disease

Anti-aging:Intermittent fasting can extend lifespan in rats. Studies showed that fasted rats live as much as 36-83% longer. *Please consult your doctor or your health practitioner before giving intermittent fasting a try. Have patience with it for at least a few weeks and see what happens. If you’re not feeling better, or if you’re feeling worse, stop. If you’re experiencing benefits, that’s great, keep it up

 * Nandi. 2018. ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING: POSSIBLE BENEFITS AND HOW TO TRY IT. [ONLINE] Available at: 

https://askdrnandi.com/intermittent-fasting-possible-benefits-try/

. [Accessed 25 June 2018]. * Roger Collier. 2018. Intermittent fasting: the next big weight loss fad. [ONLINE] Available at: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3652955/

. [Accessed 25 June 2018]. * Jay Davidson. 2018. INTERMITTENT FASTING: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS ?. [ONLINE] Available at: 

http://drjaydavidson.com/intermittent-fasting-benefits/

IS INTERMITTENT FASTING THE NEXT BIG WEIGHT LOSS FAD?

The Future Health Summit is a two-day event that provided many opportunities to connect with other companies in the healthcare industry. We were delighted that our CEO, Sohini De, was asked to speak at this event as part of the "Digital Transformation" session, sharing Empeal and how we are enhancing healthcare using technology. We were also shortlisted for the Innovation Award and our CTO, Aurobinda De, took to the stage on the first day of the event. He pitched our innovative, digital solution to managing healthcare in front of both the judges and an audience. We were also delighted to end the event with winning the social media award for our content posted throughout the event!

futurehealthsummit

The Future Health Summit is a two-day event that provided many opportunities to connect with other companies in the healthcare industry. 

Future Health Summit 2022

Ankitha, is a miniature artist and has been into the profession for approximately 5 years now. Before this, she worked as an RJ for an year. She has a master’s in Microbiology but chose to take Miniart as her profession since that’s what brings her gratification. Her profession demands her to sit down for 12 hours at a stretch, skip meals and mess up her sleep cycle. It’s a backbreaking pain but at the end when the client is holding their world in their hands and having a glint in their eyes, she says, it’s all worth it. Every art piece is a baby of the artist and Ankitha takes utmost pride in being an artist.

1. What does the slogan, “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change” mean for you in your work life?

 The way of work for every woman should change. It should be filled with passion and self driven. Women need to be given equal opportunities as men instead of gender stereotyping. That’s when there would be blossoming of innovations and changes.

2. What barriers have you faced, as a women, in becoming successful in your field? How did you overcome them?

 I did face and am facing quite many challenges career wise because I am a woman. Things like marriage , moving out of city, period cramps , PMS etc take a toll on our moods. The responsibility to run the house is another sweet pain. One excellent decision I’ve made in my life helps me overcome these- I made my passion as my profession and that passion keeps pulling me back into my niche!

3. What does the idea of power mean to you?

 Responsibility ! It’s not how much power we have that matters , it’s how efficiently we use it and bring out the best that matters. For example, if I am a social media influencer, that’s a power I have. Now it’s in my hands how I put across right things and smartly inspire my followers to do the right things or to just post trendy and bombastic matters just to attract more followers.

4. How important is it for women to lift each other up and what does it mean to you?

 I would say it’s as important as watering a plant. The true enemy of a woman is another woman and not a man. Often we see women talking bad or judging another woman. Jealousy has become the USP of women. It’s higb time we break it. There is an unsaid universal bro-code among men. Why not women? The day we all unite is the day no one can break us.

5. On International Women's Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?

 Never ever give up. Never get convinced that you’re born to do only what a stereotypical wife/sister/daughter/daughter-in-law/grand daughter/woman is expected to do. Love yourself, nourish yourself. Don’t be too busy giving away everything to your responsibilities that you forget to keep some for yourself. Nourish your passion, have your own path.

You could visit her social media page through the link below to see some of her beautiful art.

Ankitha, is a miniature artist and has been into the profession for approximately 5 years now. 

Women's Day Interview- Ankitha Prakash

At Empeal we take a holistic approach to health & wellness. We do it by supporting individuals with sleep, activity, stress, and nutrition to create long lasting results. In this interview we are joined by Ulrika Gervais to discuss weight management and the steps we can take to achieve optimal health and wellbeing. Ulrika is a qualified Nutritional Health & Lifestyle Coach and a Business Coach at Nordic Balance and has a deep passion for health and wellness.

Beginning a weight loss journey can be daunting for anyone and it can be hard to receive the right advice for your own individual journey. Ulrika tapped into her experience with working with clients and was able to give some great tips,

“Weight loss is a very complex journey and understanding the underlying reasons why you are overeating or why you have gained weight is an important start. Everybody is different and it is not as simple as calories in and calories out. It is best to seek professional advice at the beginning as cutting down calories but not changing your diet or understanding how to fuel your body is going to leave you hungry and slow down your metabolism and possibly putting more weight on then you started with. It is also important to focus on the quality of food going into your body and to learn how to properly fuel your body with the right amount of fats, protein, and complex carbohydrates. Most people have the proportions wrong, and the majority of their diet is high in carbohydrates like bread, pasta, potatoes etc. and low in non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts etc. Fiber 

and protein are also key for weight loss and increasing these in your diet is probably the most important step you can take in your weight loss journey. Another tip is to practice swapping refined sugars with natural sugars and then gradually cutting down on your sugar intake.

Bad eating habits is another common issue individual’s often struggle with and in Ulikra’s opinion planning meals is a game changer.

“Planning your meals and snacks for the week can greatly help reduce bad eating habits. What works well is combining this with a shopping list as this will help you stick to the plan. Some other useful advice includes going for walks after lunch and dinner as this can help with distractions and is good for blood sugar balancing. When it comes to eating you should try stick to three main meals, two snacks and not eating after dinner if possible”.

Similarly, to Empeal, Nordic Balance highlights the important of taking a 360-degree approach to health. For Ulikra the reasons behind this are simple,

It is important to look at a person’s overall health and wellbeing to give them the best advice, it is important to look at all aspects of a person’s life such as nutrition, movement, stress, and sleep. If you are aiming for long term success in your health goals, you can’t really work on one separately without the other. I have seen that often people find lifestyle changes hard as you have to tune into yourself a bit more and ask yourself inner questions”.

In any weight-loss journey it is important to think about the big picture and not just to focus on fast results. Seeking expert advice and empowering yourself with the correct information can be a significant aspect to working on barriers to positive change.

“It is important to take a gradual approach to weight loss and to take it slow. Often the small changes make a big difference in the end. In the start working with a professional can be really important to help individuals gain an understanding of how to properly fuel your body and to understand what barriers they have that is holding them back. Planning is also an important element to success. Small things such as bringing runners to work for a lunchtime walk is one positive step in which a person can take. In the mornings, I find that many people have a high carbohydrate breakfast, like toast and jam or cereal, but it is important to incorporate some protein into your meal such as eggs, yoghurt with nuts and seeds or a smoothie with added protein powder are some good options. Starting the day with high protein meal may help with blood sugar balancing throughout the day, and hopefully prevent afternoon slumps. Hydration is also key you should aim to drink one and a half to two liters of water a day. It is important to remember that weight loss is a complex journey, and you should remember to be kind to yourself”.

weightloss journey

At Empeal we take a holistic approach to health & wellness. We do it by supporting individuals with sleep, activity, stress, and nutrition to create long lasting results. In this next interview we are joined by Ulrika Gervais to discuss weight management. 

Ulrika Gervais discuss Weight Management 

Recently we celebrated Lifestyle Medicine Week, collaborating with numerous experts in their respective fields. We were delighted with the opportunity to interview Dr. Mark Rowe, practicing family physician, founder of Waterford Health Park and an expert in positive health and lifestyle medicine! Mark talked about the encouragement and support he offers to help people make positive change, where we can close the gap between where we are right now and a better version of ourselves in terms of our health, wellbeing and vitality. There is a growing awareness of the importance of our lifestyle habits, and more and more evidence to suggest that our habits are key to living a happier and healthier life.

We also conducted a panel discussion with a talented panel of experts within their respective fields. Edelle O’Doherty-Nickels, a nutritional therapist and founder of Knowledge4Health, gave us insight into the importance of educating people on the value of a healthy, balanced diet and why we should reduce our intake of processed foods. She talked about the coaching aspect to provide individuals with the knowledge and ability to make these lifestyle changes. Edelle also brought to our attention the impact sitting down all day can have on our health and the significant negative impacts it can have.

Padraic Dunne, senior lecturer in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, immunologist and psychotherapist, discussed how not all stress is bad but how it is important to have only a healthy level of stress, where we don’t become distressed and overwhelmed. He mentioned how all the pillars of lifestyle medicine are intertwined and improving one aspect will benefit other pillars. As the body and mind are connected, too much stress can affect both your mental and physical health.

Ola El Garawany talked about how coming from a conventional medicine background as a pharmacist, she wanted to gain more knowledge and explore functional and lifestyle medicine in addition. She discussed how important a health coach is in the journey of making lifestyle changes, one may know vast amounts of knowledge however, to have someone to motivate you and reaffirm why making these changes are so beneficial, can have a huge impact.

Ilona Madden from RightFood4U kindly sat down to share with our viewers her insight into the important role nutrition plays in Lifestyle Medicine. Ilona talked about the struggles people have with implementing diet changes and how, as a nutritionist, she assists her clients in increasing energy levels. She also gives us insightful information about the impact sleep and stress has on diet and how they are all interlinked.

lifestyle medicine week

Recently we celebrated Lifestyle Medicine Week, collaborating with numerous experts in their respective fields. We were delighted with the opportunity to interview Dr. Mark Rowe, practicing family physician, founder of Waterford Health Park and an expert in positive health and lifestyle medicine!

Lifestyle Medicine Week

In this era of widespread remote working, employee engagement and wellbeing matter more than ever. Isolated workers need to feel a sense of community and get support from their employers in line with their company’s values.

From boosting physical and psychological health to enabling better employee communications and performance management, Irish talent tech companies are leading the way.

The five companies showcased below provide companies around the world with cutting-edge digital solutions to enable streamlined, effective work by HR departments, managers and employees.

Most are also focused on integrating with the existing technologies used by companies, meaning those in charge of IT budgets can maximise their legacy investments.

Click on the link below to read more: https://irishadvantage.com/irish-talent-tech-firms-boost-global-engagement-and-productivity/

Irish talent tech firms boost global engagement and productivity

This next discussion is between our founder Sohini and Elysia Hegarty who leads the Future of Wellness service offering within Cpl's Future of Work Institute. As Empeal is the technology partner for CPL it is always great to get the opportunity to have discussions about the future of wellness technologies.

This next interview describes the benefits that come along with wellness technologies and also the challenges that individuals are currently facing in this post covid-19 world we are all living in. To learn more about Empeal and the role wellness technologies have take a look at 

Wellness Technologies with Elysia Hegarty

Our CEO and Founder, Sohini De appeared on That Great Business Show Podcast with Conall O'Móráin and Jamie Heaslip. They engaged in an honest, warm and enlightening discussion ranging from what 'wellness' really means to where Empeal began and where we're going.

Sohini joins Conall and Jamie at the 53:10 minute-mark. 

That Great Business Show Podcast Interview

Health and wellbeing can be a complicated topic, and finding the right intervention can be even more complicated and tiresome. One thing that is clear is that the solution is not a one-size fits all. That’s why Empeal takes multifaceted approach to health and wellbeing, taking into account the whole person and their environments to achieve sustainable and long-lasting changes to a person’s health. Empeal offers users support with fitness, weight management, stress reduction, sleep, and wellbeing. However, we recognise that changes within these areas do not happen in isolation. The key to actually achieving sustainable change is to embed these changes into our complex social structures. That’s why we at Empeal offer over sixteen functions for users to engage with in order to effectively embed their personalised health and wellbeing goals into their lives and the environment around them. To accommodate the complexity and individuality of a person’s health, Empeal tracks users overall health progress in the areas above. This is made possible by monitoring sleep patterns, tracking calorie intake and calories burned, water intake and physical activity. Empeal also monitors heart rate variability to track users overall stress. These functions raise awareness to the users overall health and provide users with the ability to not only to track progress in their goals, but to see how these changes in health and wellbeing are effecting their overall health and wellbeing.

Identifying and tracking goals while important for kickstarting change within users is not effective on its’ own, that’s why content is delivered to empower users on their journey. As users move through their health goals they will also have access to knowledge and education to support their progress and provide a better understanding to their goals. Empeal has an extensive library of evidence-based, and user-friendly content that vary from healthy recipes for weight management, tips and tricks for each of the lifestyle areas (i.e. stress management and sleep) to educational content to develop a better understanding of why these lifestyle areas are important for users so they can gain more autonomy in their health journey. This content is delivered to users according to their goal and their progress.

Users aren’t alone in their health change journey either. To help make these changes long lasting and sustainable, users are supported on app with AI and machine learning, as well as the having access to a live human health coach. AI and machine learning technologies are in place to keep track of users goals and to help maintain motivation. This is done through daily target reminders and check-ins if users are disengaging from their set goals. To enhance users support even further, each person has access to connect and consult with a health coaches at any time. Knowing that there’s a professional there for them each step of the way is a great motivator and can help users develop a better understanding of their situation, and provide support during pitfalls and setbacks that are expected on any health change journey. Aside from AI and professional assistance in health goals, Empeal recognises the value of social support and community when engaging with health and wellbeing goals. Group support is another valuable function on the Empeal app. Group chats can be created for different group dynamics and sizes to bring people together that are working together in creating healthier habits. Contests can also be organised within these groups to increase motivation and social engagement while working through these goals.

Finally prevention and management of health conditions to promote good health and wellbeing to the Irish population is important to Empeal. It is believed that everyone should have access to a healthier and happier life. On the Empeal app, users with chronic illnesses or disease have the opportunity to connect with medical devices and to store the users medical reported. There is also opportunity to for users to create reminders (i.e. for medication) to support the management of their condition or illness. Empeal has developed in app features with the whole person in mind. Each users journey on the app is different depending on their goals and life circumstances, and with the functions available in app personalising each person’s journey has never been easier.

digital intervention

Health and wellbeing can be a complicated topic, and finding the right intervention can be even more complicated and tiresome. One thing that is clear is that the solution is not a one-size fits all.

Digital Health and Wellbeing - How Can Empeal Help?

We were delighted to recently attend Enterprise Ireland’s India Ireland Business Seminar in Clontarf Castle thanks to the Ireland India Business Association, Priyasha Churiwal and Ross Curran for the invitation. It was great to have the opportunity to listen to our Tánaiste Leo Varadkar speak about the close ties between the two countries along with hearing Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, greet the delegates with ‘Namaskar’ and ‘Dhanyabad’. We also had the chance to catch up with David Flood, Tarun Mathur and many others. A particular thanks to Akhilesh Mishra, Indian Ambassador to Ireland who is a keen to improve trade collaboration between India and Ireland, along with the endless support for innovation and the start-up ecosystem.

empealinindia

We were delighted to recently attend Enterprise Ireland’s India Ireland Business Seminar in Clontarf Castle thanks to the Ireland India Business Association, Priyasha Churiwal and Ross Curran for the invitation.

India Ireland Business Seminar

Recently we attended an interesting conference known as ‘Keepwell summit’ where amongst many speakers, two of them stood out with their back to basics perspective: Neil O’Brien a renowned wellness expert and an amazing Caroline Mc Guigan from Suicide or Survive.

Coming from a corporate background for over 2 decades, I get frustrated how we unnecessarily make things very complicated. Especially jargons; one of my friends in our team always slags me when I get stuck in that rut. At the conference too, those who spoke in simple language from their heart, stuck with everyone and I am sure will do so for long.

Mental health in the corporate world is a big theme nowadays and I am afraid it should not be one of those policies that get stuck in procedure files and it becomes another “ticking the box” activity with few mindfulness classes only.

It needs a cultural shift; Openness to talk about it is a good start. We all know about the link between productivity and mental health. This does not have to be big mental health problems but even small things like a new mother back to work, worried about her child or it can be as simple as someone just needing a compassionate listening ear. Unfortunately, in most cases I come across, apprehension in a person’s mind to discuss anything at work, is a big issue. We need to look at options for how we can encourage talking in a safe environment because feeling from the heart, even at the workplace, can work wonders. There are few corporates who are trying to promote this. So, possibly creating ‘Best in Class’ industry standard of actionable points may be the answer?

The pressure of looking and doing things certain ways give rise to anxiety and panic attacks. Till one day it results in burnout or a full-blown meltdown resulting in the breaking down of all relationships in one of the biggest aspect of our lives. Personally, I think this pressure to look and do things in certain ways, curtails creativity and innovation at the workplace and companies are losing out harnessing the full potential of their valued employees. So, let’s have a dialogue about it and see if we can generate some actionable ideas which companies can choose from?

MENTAL HEALTH AT WORKPLACE: LET’S GO BACK TO BASICS

We are honoured to win the #BestStartUp in #Fingal last night at the #FingalBizAwards. Our sincere thanks to Fingal County Council Fingal Dublin Chamber and The LINC @TU Dublin Blanchardstown. Also big thanks to all our mentors, advisors, investors, clients and MOST importantly the great Empeal (fka Wind of Change) Team! New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme Enterprise Ireland NDRC Local Enterprise Office Fingal Bolton Trust - Breaking the barriers to enterprise growth Nick Earles, John O'Dea, Conall O Móráin, Aurobinda De, Arnab Tarwani, Saurabh Kumar, Polina Mamchenkova, Dogpatch Labs.

Empeal Wins Best Startup in Fingal Award

We are honoured to win the #BestStartUp in #Fingal last night at the #FingalBizAwards

May was another fast-moving month for Empeal as everyday brought on new projects for our hard-working team. Empeal was thrilled with the announcement that we would be competing as a finalist in the Alsessor accelerator program as it proves our AI capabilities. Furthermore, our many guest speakers throughout the month enabled us at Empeal and our audience to gain valuable information surrounding chronic diseases and ways in which they can be managed. As Empeal is constantly trying to improve we carried out some market research with the help of an online survey to help us determine the needs and desires of those wanting to improve their health and wellbeing. We also partnered with our charity partner, The Irish Guide Dogs once again to support the great work this charity does and to work on our fitness and health.

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