PCOS, PCOD, or related health issues have become a common scenario in today’s fast-pacing world. But what are we doing to recover from it?
Changing diet, starting to eat health products available in the market, medicines, and more.
Harshita Joshi from Indore also did the same when she was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) in 2018. However, as we all know, the result of trying the above-mentioned is NOTHING. She also came across the same results, but she didn’t gave up.
A Short Backstory
It was the time when she was a BTech student and lived alone in Indore. Stressful period for all students, and for Harshita it brought PCOS. She was constantly tired and had mental breakdowns, but didn’t know what was the reason behind it.
She started looking for healthy alternatives to her then-diet hoping to improve her condition. But finding preservative-free food—impossible.
Desperate and determined, she decided to help herself and started trying different product combinations.
But little did she know, what started as small trials will soon turn into a full-fledged brand.
It wasn’t long after that when the pandemic hit and we all were under lockdown. Now that added more to her stressed life and health. Bole to life hila ke rakh diya sabka.
And for Harshita, staying at home resulted in weight gain, which is another major issue with PCOS. Although, many were facing this issue but with PCOS, weight gain is not a good news towards the road to recovery.
Mindful Decisions and Shocking Revelations
She decided to turn to exercising and avoid unnecessary eating and giving to her cravings.
But reading food labels revealed that everything we eat is chemically processed or treated in one way or the other. Moreover, no matter how much they say, but packaged foods are laden with sugars, stabilizers, and preservatives to extend shelf life.
Now, one thing was clear that she cannot rely upon those products and had to find her own way out.
Greek Yogurt and A2 Milk to the Rescue
Yes, Greek yogurt became her go-to product to satisfy her cravings. Next, while researching more food options to mix and match, Harshita was introduced to A2 milk by a friend.
A2 milk is rich in A2 beta-casein protein. It is light on gut, thus, easy to digest. It is sourced from cows like Sahiwal and Gir.
The Eureka Moment
Now, while enjoying A2 milk and Greek yogurt, one day an idea struck her. What if, Greek yogurt has the benefits of A2 milk?
BAM!
This marks the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey because an Idea is all it takes.
Turning the Life’s Path: The Road She Took
A few years later, when lockdown eased in 2021, Harshita started working at Four-Serv Global and was performing well. But kuch missing hai wali feeling lingered as if she was looking for something that aligns with her goals and values.
She was witnessing girls and women facing health issues with PCOS and PCOD, while she found something to help her to a great extent.
With a burning desire to develop a clean, nutritious, and healthy product, Harshita (IT professional) left her job to enter the business world.
However, it took her a year of research, and in May 2023, at the age of 25, she successfully launched Jogurt.
Yes, a type of yogurt made from A2 milk.
Yo girl, you did it.
It is free of all bad inputs like: preservatives, additives, stabilizers, artificial colors, sugar, and others.
But How She Do It?
She conducted extensive research online, consulted with nutritionists, and visited the farm where she sources her milk to carefully choose the best ingredients. “The A2 milk in the Greek yogurt contributes to its high protein content after double straining and is easier to digest,” she explains.
From fresh A2 milk to perfect yoghurt
It is time-consuming but simple. Here’s how she makes Greek yogurt from A2 milk.
- Fresh A2 milk is pasteurized by heating to a specific temperature (85° C) then cooling it (45° C). Then yogurt culture is added.
- The milk is then incubated for 10 hours in summer and 16 hours in winter. It gives a perfect consistency to the yogurt.
- Next, comes straining (double-strain) to separate thick material which is whisked.
- Then the end product is chilled for 5 hours before flavors are added.
- Most importantly, she adds monk fruit instead of sweeting agents and avoid stevia refined or raw sugar.
- Fruit flavored varieties have only fresh fruits and chocolate flavor has untreated cacao added to it (which she source from a vendor).
After all this hard work, she successfully prepared 11 Jogurt varieties.
Challenges and Solutions
Packaging was her biggest challenge because yogurt, being a perishable product, needs mindful packaging.
Paper cups came handy for hand-to-hand selling, but for retail sales, they won’t work.
For that, she opted for HDPE plastic cups, but since it was more like compromising her commitment to sustainability, she stopped using them.
As for now, she is still looking for durable sustainable options in containers to carry on her retail sales. However, she is using paper cups to serve her loyal local customers without compromising on freshness and quality.
Next challenge: Managing everything alone got difficult.
Especially when large batches are to be made and milk pasteurization and incubation is the critical stage. So, she hired one of the house helpers.
Next challenge was the pricing. Since she is providing good-quality products, she cannot follow the lower launch price strategy. No profit is more important than the quality and health of her consumers.
Success Tastes Sweeter Without Sugar
Hard work + smart work pays off, eventually.
During first 3 months of hitting the market, her brand’s revenue was around Rs 2.8 lakh per month.
However, without retail sales, in a month with high local sales, revenue reaches around Rs 6 lakh, where she sells around 1,000 units each of 250 and 100 grams cups.
She spread awareness about A2 milk via social media and stays transparent to her customers. This is her secret to build a homegrown brand with loyal customer base.
What’s Next?
While looking for sustainable packaging solutions, Harshita is looking forward to expanding to Mumbai and other cities after conquering Indore.
However, this would require a production unit and a good amount of investment.
Harshita from Indore, who was once struggling with PCOS, is now helping hundreds of people to overcome their health challenges by eating healthy. It shows if our aim is clear, we can always find a way out.
