She is a leading nutritionist, dietician and Holistic health coach (with an additional certification in Ayurveda nutrition). Her specializations include lifestyle dietetics and mental health counselling. She stands out from other dieticians because she does not set unrealistic goals for her clients; instead, she insists on a better and healthier lifestyle! Here is a conversation with the ace nutritionist.
Please share some general health tips with regard to a nutritional diet.
Choose a sustainable diet that can be followed in the long run and not make you feel starved. A diet that blends well with your lifestyle and fulfils your fitness goals should be the foremost priority. Secondly, eat more whole foods than processed foods. Thirdly, get enough sleep. Make sure to take 8 hours of sleep every night to perform to your highest ability. Sleep deprivation can lead to anxiety, depression, weight gain, insulin resistance etc. Lastly, focus on reducing stress. Overworking has become a badge of honour in our society, and therefore stress has become a significant issue. All this is a contributing factor to most health problems. Stress can be reduced by yoga, meditation, exercise and deep breathing.
Can you give us some healthy evening snacks options (tea time)?
Here are a few things you can add to your evening tea time (1) Wholegrain crackers (2) Oats cutlets (3) Handful of nuts (4) Ragi cookies (5) Besan/oats chilla (6) Hummus + vegetable sticks (7) Mix vegetable cutlets (8) Roasted peanuts/ makhana/channa
Are low-calorie diets safe?
Low-calorie diets deliver fast results while compromising metabolism and mental health. However, regularly eating fewer calories than your body needs can cause your metabolism to slow down. It can also lead to nutritional deficiencies as calorie-restricted diets may not provide sufficient amounts of iron, folate, and Vitamin B12, resulting in anaemia and fatigue. Calorie restriction also affects the hormonal balance reduces levels of estrogen and testosterone. Low levels of these two reproductive hormones can reduce fertility and bone formation, resulting in weaker bones.
How to avoid visceral fat in the body?
To avoid visceral fat, follow these points (i) Eat a High protein diet (ii) Regular Exercise (iii) Limit added sugar intake (iv) Avoid trans-fat (fat found in processed food) (v) Choose whole grains instead of refined carbs.