Easy & Healthy Chunky Bean and Veggie soup–by Priya Prasad

Many of us are only eating at home and need quick and easy recipes that will soothe us during this country wide lockdown to fight COVID-19.  If you are looking to quickly use leftover veggies or just need something comforting and low calorie you should try this bean and veggie soup! It’s a good recipe to meal prep over the weekend for the family and serve on weekdays!

A fitness teacher I follow on social media once said her secret to a successful day is being prepared, especially the night before. She joked that sometimes she puts toothpaste on her brush to save time in the morning. That’s generally not necessary for most of us, but I’m a big advocate of meal prepping for work lunches. I don’t mind eating the same thing for the week for lunch (but will change it up for dinner).

This soup is filing because it contains a lot of beans. Your local market may sell a “15 bean soup” mix in the dry food section. For this recipe, I just used 1/2 cup of each type of bean I already at home (chick peas, red kidney, black, and king) and 1/2 cup of wild rice (not needed but also because I had it at home). Wash and soak the beans overnight or at least for a couple of hours.

Drain, fill a pot with water, and cook the soaked beans on medium hit. Stir often. You’ll know when the beans are cooked (time will vary based on the type of bean you’re using, how long you pre-soaked, and the quality of your stove).

While the beans are cooking, chop any vegetables you want to include in the soup. I used celery, bell pepper, beans, zucchini, spinach, and methi (fenugreek) leaves. The spinach and methi were last minute adds, mainly because I had some greens that needed to be used pronto!

For flavor, be creative. I used salt, paprika, long Thai chili, and a bay leaf.

Pour 2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth into a pot, add the chopped veggies and any spices, cook on medium heat. Add the cooker beans when the veggies look almost done.

This volume was enough for 1 week (5 days) for lunches for me. Adjust the amount of beans and veggies accordingly. The broth will be adsorbed by the beans and veggies, especially by day 2. This makes it easy to transport to work (little to no liquid) but keeps the flavor.

Rashi Chowdhary: The Thyroid Series Part 1

Rashi Chowdhary. To Vogue India, she is the winner of the Nutritionist of the Year Award 2019. To India, she is one of the leading celebrity nutritionists with clients to boast of including Bahubhali’s Tamannaah Bhatia and the new sensationin Bollywood Rakul Preet Singh. To Dubai, the place she now calls home, she is the creator and face of the Protein Bake Shop. To me…she is my friend of a decade long friendship that grew through our own personal ups and downs. She is also the woman who helped me balance my hormones and start magically living a life free of hormonal issues just by changing the way I eat.

In this series, we decided to do topics that affect a large majority of the population – both male and female. This is a three part series and you will be getting different fun material that will hopefully change your life. This series will cover Thyroid issues, how to manage having thyroid, how to ween off medication and how to manage weight gain or emotions that come with hypo and hyper thyroid. So, without any further delay, let’s get started with the basic insight on thyroid from Rashi:

Thyroid seems very common these days in both women and men. What is the root cause of thyroid? Is it something  we eat that ends up triggering it over time ?

We use to believe that thyroid is genetic and only if someone from your family has it, the chances of you having thyroid at some point were high. Now we know that this is far away from the truth. Before I dive into why we get thyroid issues, I really wanted to talk a little bit about some uncommon symptoms that go unnoticed and can delay diagnosis. Living with Thyroid can be really hard and knowing that you have it can help you put efforts into the right direction and get started on healing it.

If you resonate with any of the following symptoms, please get your Thyroid levels tested.

1. SIBO can be very common amongst thyroid patients. I don’t usually like making my clients do too many tests cause the diet I give is super anti-inflammatory, I do a 2-4 Week gut cleanse with most clients and know that even if they have a digestive issues like gas, bloating, belching etc, all of those anyway disappear in less than 2 weeks, if they continue, then I make them run some tests and most often the ones with SIBO, take longer to heal and also have underlying hypothyroid that has gone unnoticed.
2. Period Issues: I’ve spoken a lot about this on my Instagram, Both hypo and hyper thyroid can have an effect on our menstrual cycles so irregular periods, very scanty bleeding or heavy bleeding and mood swings.
3. Loss of smell or taste for food: Hypothyroid particularly can have an effect on your sensory pleasures like taste and smell when it comes to food. This is also one reason, people tend to gain weight cause they can’t taste and smell food the way they use to so they feel the need to eat more to feel satisfied.
4. You skin turning slightly greyish and really dry, losing one third of your outer eyebrow and sudden hair  loss are also signs of thyroid, but these are not uncommon nor are they early signs.

Coming back to the causes, we now know, most people have auto immune Thyroid and have no clue about it.

So the first cause I would  like to cover is this. In auto immune thyroid, your body starts to attack your own healthy thyroid cells, it confuses it for an unhealthy foreign particle. Your body thinks it ix protecting you, but actually it is just working against you. From all the research I’ve done, one of the reasons this particular cause is so common is because of the consumption of wheat. Even if it’s organic. The structure of Glaidin in wheat is very similar to that of the cells of thyroid gland, Wheat ,on getting digested, has an acidic reside and also causes inflammation in the gut. Your immune system is actually trying to protect you by attacking the Glaidin cells but due to “molecular mimicry “ it attacks the healthy thyroid cells causing Auto immunity.The solution is to drastically reduce the consumption of wheat in every form. There are other reasons for auto immunity as well. It could be a medication ( which is why it is important to ask your doctor about side effects before popping any pills)

The second and lesser known reason why thyroid disorders are so common amongst women is because we menstruate and that causes a whole lot of fluctuations in Progesterone, Estrogen and other hormones. Since so much is now changing with how we are externally, the amount of stress we take, the type of jobs we do , that sometimes, internally,, our body finds it hard to catch up. Our hormonal shifts are natural but our inability to balance those and our inability to create a nourishing environment mentally and physically to heal them is what causes  disorders like Hypothyroid. Have an important business trip coming up, and we will pop a pill to delay our period, if our partners don’t want to use a condom for protection, we pop a contraceptive DAILY, bloat, feel like throwing up but still continue to have it so they can enjoy sex  (I have no issues if you love sex without a condom too, but if its taking a toll on you, please speak up) We are sleep deprived some days because we have deadlines to reach and the stress we put on ourselves to keep it all together causes more hormonal chaos. All of these lifestyle issues coupled with the fact that we have hormonal shifts every month, makes women at a higher risk of developing Hashimotos, which is an auto immune hypothyroid. We are 5-8 times more likely to have thyroid than men. Lastly, for a lot of women, taking OCP’S has become very common and we now know that taking OCP’s depletes our nutrient stores specially zinc. Zinc helps in the communication between your thyroid hormone and cell receptor. Just by depleting zinc, the pill can prevent you from making and activating thyroid hormone.

If one is on thyroid  meds how should they manage taking the meds? Do Certain foods help the absorption better ?   

Before we jump to medication, I highly recommend if you are reading this and you are concerned about your thyroid gland, get a complete thyroid panel done. You need to get the following done. TSH , total T3 , Total T4, Free T3, Free T4, and Anti bodies ( TPO + TG) Reading these levels properly is very important.

TSH

TSH is the hormone that tells your thyroid to make more thyroid hormone. TSH test becomes worthless..If your hypothalamus and pituitary are not doing their thing cause the stops on the signaling pathway can get messed up for various reasons. You can’t rely onTSH alone, if you have symptoms.

Regular ref range is 0.5 to 4.7 but in most cases above 2 means you will have symptoms and can treat this as a warning sign.

 

Free T4

Your thyroid makes mostly T4, also known as thyroxine. Thyroxine is the storage form of thyroid hormone — it circulates in the bloodstream, then your tissues store it. When an area of your body needs energy, it gets converted into the active form, T3. .

Optimal Free T4 range: 10-23 pmol/L (but above 11 means the imbalance has already started)

 

Free T3 – TRIIODOTHYRONINE

When your tissues ned energy, they convert T4 into Free T3, the active form. Sometimes your thyroid makes sufficient hormone, but you don’t convert it, so you’ll get hypothyroid symptoms. This is generally the reason your energy levels fizzle out mid way in the gym.

Free T3: above 5.5 pmol/L means thyroid function is moving towards hypo.

 

Antibodies  (TPO + AT)

If either one or both of these antibodies test high, that means your immune system attacks the thyroid. That means you have one of two autoimmune thyroid diseases — Hashimoto’s thyroiditis if you’re hypothyroid, and Graves’ disease if you’re hyperthyroid .Ideally both should be less than 10 or negligible but if they are a double digit or more, it is a cause of concern.

Is it possible to manage this over time with  just nutrition? What are your recommendations to get off the meds, lose weight and feel better ?

YES! Of course it is and you will be surprised to see how the levels mentioned above will start to improve and change within 6 weeks of doing some of the stuff that I’m recommending.

Food to avoid/ Minimize to heal thyroid issues:

We’ve established that gluten causes inflammation that slow down thyroid function. It triggers auto immune response in the body that attacks the thyroid. Many clients who struggle a lot  have benefited with just excluding gluten from their meals. Wheat, barley, rye, and spelt have gluten. Make sure you avoid all the wheat products too, semolina, vermicelli, broken wheat, wheat pastas, breads, cakes of corse.

Next on the list is.. no surprise.. Sugar! Cause its what any inflammatory disease feeds on! The inflammation increases every time you have sugar which hinders healing of your thyroid.

Third on the list is Soy. It’s a big no because it’s a genetically modified food and also it has phytoestrogens which makes the hormonal imbalance worse. So keep off edamame, tofu, mock meats and use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce!

Here’s one more food you need to avoid SPECIALLY if your thyroid antibodies are high and your thyroid problem is auto-immune. Most of my clients resist this one, But only those who are able to actually stick to this long term, are able to reverse autoimmune Thyroid!!! LENTILS!! you need to avoid legumes and lentils. These have lectins that worsen the auto-immune response. Lectins block the thyroid hormone and you may end up with thyroid receptor problem, where the cells become resistant to the hormone. In this situation, the thyroid hormone pills will not help at all and your dosage will go on increasing and so will the weight!

Avoiding these foods will allow your thyroid to heal; it will make you feel much better and will resolve many of your symptoms too. This is the reason I put up the story about “only people who are really dedicated to the process can see progress when it is autoimmune” It’s hard, but at least there’s hope for a cure in food.

Nutrient deficiencies and thyroid

Whether you want to prevent or heal your thyroid, here are some basic nutrients that are directly linked to Thyroid when they are deficient.

Iodine (1mg), Omega 3 (2000mg), vitamin A (2tsp spirullina OR 1000 IU), vitamin D (1000 IU), selenium (200mcg) and zinc (50mg) are crucial for thyroid hormone production and activation. Iodine is naturally available in sea vegetables, fish. Salmon, herring, walnuts, flaxseeds, have omega 3. Green leafy vegetables, carrots, chicken liver can give you vitamin A. Brazil nuts, gray niger seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds contain good amount of selenium. Zinc is available in cashews, egg yolk, chicken, lamb.

You can include these foods in your daily diet but the amounts won’t be adequate to meet the requirements. It’s wise to get these nutrients through supplements to ensure you get enough of them to treat your thyroid.

 

To Be continued–Coming up–real life clients who successfully healed their thyroid through Rashi’s recommendations and meal plans!

To contact Rashi or follow her on Instagram and Facebook, see her information:

http://www.rashichowdhary.com/

Instagram:@rashichowdhary

YouTube channel: youtu.be/KaAvdzJzyLE

FaceBook:   http://www.facebook.com/#!/RashiChowdharyInchLoss

Email:  mail@rashichowdhary.com

If you missed the previous posts from Rashi, please take a browse through her interviews on Reshie Rambles:

 

Interview: Rashi Chowdhary: From Kareena Kapoor to The Protein Bake Shop to Size Fit!

Interview: An expert’s advice: Rashi Chowdhary Nutrition and Inch Loss Expert

 

 

Rupal’s Yogasthenics:The new revolution in Bollywood

Rupal’s Yogasthenics. The catchy phrase I saw in a media article regarding celebrity trainers caught my interest. I emailed Rupal, the owner of Rupal’s Yogasthenics in Mumbai and within an hour we had decided to do an interview together. I have not yet met her in person, but she is so easy to talk to, and we chat on Whatsapp like we know each other. She trains some of the biggest names in Bollywood: Anurag Kashyap, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sharmila Tagore, Saif Ali Khan and many more. She has also trained Hollywood director of Shakespeare in Love,  Penny Madden. So let’s see what this custom workout is and how Rupal her self looks like a million bucks!

With Shakespeare in Love director Penny Madden

1. Tell us how you got into yoga and fitness and the transition into Bollywood ?

A: I was never too much into academics. When I was in school I saw my father doing yoga and how it helped him not only physically but mentally too. He introduced me to Yoga. And my mum pushed me to pursue it and said it’s the best way to channelize your energies and it was my ultimate, actually IT IS MY ULTIMATE AIM TO SEE EVERY PERSON PRACTICE YOGA AND UNDERSTAND ITS POWER. In the beginning I only practiced for myself. Later on I started training people to be teachers. Took up students. Went on a break for my wedding and again pursued yoga but this time with Functional Training. Yoga increased my performance and endurance so much. At the place where I worked out I met my first celebrity client and my all time favorite person, Anurag Kashyap. He asked me if I can train him and I readily agreed. On wards, I started training Zoya Akhtar and Harmeet Singh (Meet Bros fame) My best time was training Soha Ali Khan for Pre-Natal yoga and fitness. The results got me to Saif Ali Khan Pataudi and Kareena Kapoor Khan and then Riteish Deshmukh and Jackky Bhagnani.

And it just kept following…

Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap

 

2. How do you come up with “Rupal’s Yogasthenics” and what is the concept include? 

A: After my wedding break, when I started training in Functional Training and yoga, the concept of calisthenics and yoga really caught my attention. It was the best thing that happened to me. The results for most cases became quicker and I started researching more on the subject and would prepare routines of Yoga With Calisthenics which was very effective. That got me the idea of RUPAL’S YOGASTHENICS. It bridges the gap between traditional and modern fitness training. This combination assured our bodies were supple and strong both at the same time.

I strongly believe:

You have to not consume limitations, you have to be obese in commitment, you have to be lean in self-doubt and you have to develop muscle in your soul. We are not a quick fix, it is a life long journey. Nothing will come easy.” 

This went perfectly well with what and how I teach. 

3. What type of yoga practice do you teach and what recommendations do you have (how many days per week, type of yoga etc) for weight loss? 

A: I teach multiple styles of yoga. Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Yin Yoga, Classical modified Ashtanga yoga and last but not the least RUPALS YOGASTHENICS, my brand of workouts. I train in Kettle bell and Flexibar too. These add to the practice and are a good rehab tool for people with injuries or ones prone to injury. Yoga is a way of life. It’s done 24×7. But physically, I’d recommend yoga 5 days a week. With breaks in between for the body to recover and it also depends on the persons background in yoga and fitness.. Three things I believe in during all my practices: STRETCH, SORE, ENDURE.

4. Surya namaskars are considered to be a full body workout. I have done many sessions with instructors from the Bharat Thakur yoga practice where the warm up is 108 surya namaskars in about 18 minutes. What are your thoughts on this and should this be done daily?

A: 108 suryanamaskars can be daunting to a yoga novice. But to many celebs and fitness enthusiasts, it’s an elixir for the mind and body.

Whether it’s a novice or a seasoned yoga practitioner, what’s important is getting rest in between sets of Suryanamaskars. I do not recommend this on a daily basis. Moderation is the key. If you overdo it, your body will start acting up. I believe that Suryanamaskars are the traditional version of a Burpee in functional training. Every yoga practice should compose of all sides of stretching to benefit better. Suryanamaskars are just one part of the vast yoga practice.

Soha Ali Khan stayed fit throughout her pregnancy

5. How do you combine weight training,cardio and yoga for your clients to see Results?

A: It’s when I practiced and analyzed for a year and a half I realized it’s the deadliest combination of workouts. That’s how I came up with my brand of workouts, Rupal’s Yogasthenics. Yoga is a form of cardio, as well as weights. I modified the strength postures of yoga to weight training like how you do a weighted squat or a lunge with weights. It gives you strength, flexibility, focus, it’s a form or rehab too. Yoga and weights can be done together to call it Rupal’s Yogasthenics and sometimes separately done to maintain the purity and essence of its individuality. I do a lot of Yogasthenics exercises with both Anurag Kashyap and Saif Ali Khan. They also do both separately. To know how,  you’ll have to come and workout with me 😉

6. Let’s talk Bollywood! My absolute favorite who motivates me for years now to go workout is Kareena Kapoor Khan. Tell us how she got fit with you post pregnancy ? (Specifics or a weekly training split would be great info) 

A: Kareena Kapoor Khan is the most gracefully stylish and highly ambitious a woman. I’ve never known someone so down to earth in the industry. She is highly motivated. I started her training after I’m trained Soha Ali Khan for her pregnancy. And she’s truly a star in my class too. Never says never. I combined light weight training and Yoga with lots and lots of cardio/ running. I make her do yoga postures and cardio alternatively. Weights and cardio alternatively.

A-lister Kareena Kapoor Khan with Rupal

She does a class with me every single day and all the sessions are highly intense. But again, she never says never. She will give me a look but eventually she will do it all with equal interest and passion. An example of one of my classes with Kareena:

 

Start with 5 reps of Suryanamaskar A & B 

I start with 3 Variations of Squats 25x4sets

Ardhachandrasana 30secs hold -1min each side x 2sets 

Quick step -30 sec x 2 sets 

Utkatasana (all 3 variations) 30sec hold x 1set each 

Kettlebell swings single hand 30-30 each side. 

Garudasana – 30 sec hold each side x 2 sets

Samasthiti – 30 sec hold once

Ekpadpashchimmottanasana- 30sec-1min hold x1 set 

Quick step – 30 secs x 2 sets 

Natrajasana -30sec x 1 set 

Yogasthenics Variation plank setsx 10 sets

Back stretches (good spine health)

 

Relaxation in diaphragmatic Breathing. 

 7. The ever graceful Sharmila Tagore is a client of yours. Given  her age, what type of routine do you do for her and what benefits does that give her ? 

A: Sharmila Aunty has only been as graceful by the age. I do a lot of stretching keeping in mind limitations and a tad bit of strength training that’s required to maintain the required amount of muscles in the body. I do sukshma vyayam with her. The idea is maintaining functional independence. A regular workout that includes strength and balance and flexibility definitely helps achieving that. To work out every day for 30-45 mins  is what I aim for her when she’s in town and when we workout together. 

 

Evergreen award winning actress Sharmila Tagore

8. Saif Ali Khan gained weight for the Netflix drama Sacred Games. Now he has an upcoming film Kaptaan which he has to lose weight for. As a male in his 40s how did he achieve that with you? How did you manage his outdoor  schedules ?

A: Yes, he totally did! You will see that in his upcoming movie. We started training when he was halfway through the movie Kaptaan. As a male in his 40s his dedication, discipline and patience was very much required. He was very enthusiastic the first time we met to train. He trained every single day with me. We did tons of yoga postures and stretches. He made sure to do cardio every day and strength training every alternate day in the beginning.

I was traveling with him for his outdoor schedules and we would train twice a day and go for runs on his free days in between. I would go on sets too. He has outdone himself with his dedication and time management and motivates me to do more.

 

Sacred Games star Saif Ali Khan after a workout session

9. Every workout plan  comes with diet as the main ingredient. What kind of diet do your recommend your clients and does it align with the principles of yoga and Ayurveda? 

A: I follow the traditional diet and suggest everyone the same. The most nutritious yet cheap and the most simple yet tasty food comes from Indian kitchen. There are certain food habits I follow, two of my mains are:

1. A tsp if ghee and oil is a must every day.
2. Reduce the five whites in your diet; Sugar, Salt, Maida (White flour), White rice (Use brown rice instead), Milk.
3. Have a minimum 8 glasses of water each day
4. Consume 6-8 small meals instead of 4 large meals every day

Yoga and Ayurveda go hand in hand. We do follow that in the yogic Sattvic diet.

Some commoners like eat only seasonal fruits and vegetables, consume your last meal three hours before you go to bed etc.

10.What is your personal workout and diet plan that makes you so fit and balanced? 

A: This is the nth time I’m asked this question.

My workouts are a variety of forms. I do my Rupal’s Yogasthenics Workouts and combine it every day with a 5km run in the nights... I’m also a flexi-bar and Kettlebell trainer. I have trained in Crossfit. I enjoy the best of both or you can say all worlds 😉

I never ever skip my yoga practice each time I do any form of workout. I suffer from sciatica so I do a lot of strengthening and stretching. When it comes to diet….

I eat everything from my kitchen and outside I indulge once a while in my favorite roadside Paani Puris and Pav Bhaji, you can call that my cheat meal.

I definitely watch my food when I’m at home.

I start my morning with a glass of water(sometimes warm) and a fruit or a soup and fennel tea.

Mid morning I have a nice Gujarati breakfast with Green tea or dry fruit tea or lemon tea. Late morning a juice or Coconut water. I carry lunch that consists of A portion of vegetable curry and rice and a portion of salad. Evening snacks consist of sandwiches, sometimes seasonal fruits. Dinner is salad or soup, and if I’m too hungry lentil curry Khichdi.

Well folks, how empowering was that? Yoga and Weight training combined is a way of life and Rupal definitely can get you to a whole new world!

To learn more about Rupal’s Yogasthenics Workouts visit:

Website: http://rupalsyogasthenics.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rupalsyogasthenics/

Instagram: @rupal_sidh

 

 

 

 

PhD Nutritionist Dr. Angie Kassabie talks how diet is not just eating and entering the high profile world of Politicians, Hollywood and Bollywood

 

Angie Kassabie, Ph.D., is an internationally acclaimed expert in nutrition, health and fitness, image consultation, and personalized diet programs. As a self-proclaimed “food psychologist,” Dr. Kassabie specializes in emotional eating and the mind-body connection. She is at work on a book about nutrition and holistic health.
Dr Kassabie is the founder of AND Diet. AND Diet offers balanced nutrition and calorie intake, a unique selection of various international recipes, prepared with extra virgin olive oil and AND DIET herbs, to achieve goals.

She has worked with international celebrities Silvester Stallone, John Travolta, Britney Spears, Robert De Niro, Jean Claude Van Damme. She worked with European Celebrities like Azis, Anelia, Andrea, Stefan Danailov and Reni. Kassabie supervised the ex-minister of Bulgaria’s Diet and she currently supplements the European Bulgarian parliament from her kitchen. She has worked with the cast of 300, The Expendables and the Killing Season

1.How did you start off in the nutrition world and working for the politicians in Bulgaria?

It actually started off surprisingly, as I wanted to go into a different field. I finished school at a very early age and I wanted to get into show business, but I ended up working as the doctor working for everyone in the show business! I started off by giving diets to normal people and I had a patient who was very young with very serious psychological issues. She was seeing one of the other dieticians in Bulgaria. So this dietician told this girl that she was never going to lose weight and that she had the kind of issues that would make her fat all the time. This poor girl had a huge complex after that.  I was at the store one day and I saw this girl and met her and I ended up doing her diet for free. At this point, I was still a student. While I was helping her, I graduated. Turns out, the prime minister of Bulgaria was a client of her mother. Now he wanted to know how this girl lost so much weight as he also wanted to lose weight right before the elections.  So, he called me, and he had success in losing weight.  When he won the elections, people asked him how he lost so much weight and he told everyone that I had helped him. So that is how I started.

2. Tell us a bit about how you went from being a nutritionist for politicians to really famous celebrities in Hollywood? I am sure it was an exciting journey and our readers will want to know. 

 

Once the news was out I had helped the prime minister, I started working with the owner of Warner Brothers in Bulgaria. They heard about me and called me for an interview and then the first actor I saw was Stallone.   Then through Warner Brothers, I transitioned through them to Sylvester Stallone,  Eva Longoria, the cast of the Expendables, Gerald Butler, the cast of 300, Chuck Norris, Superman, Robert DeNiro. It all started off so surprisingly.

 

3.  How was it to work with action heroes like Stallone and Van Damme? These are already very fit men celebs – so what was their goals when they came to you? Share with us how you transformed them and some interesting experiences you had along the way.

For every movie, they have to get ready for the role they are playing. So they may need to drop weight, or gain weight or bulk up. My team and I took care of everything that has to do with their food, workouts, diet plans, skin. My whole team was on site working on each and every one of the stars. Stallone’s goal was that he wanted to stay fit.  He has always been fit and is a super professional but every professional has some weaknesses.  Having Italian roots, he loves pasta! He also loves the Lebanese Baklava and he sneaks in those food items! Those types of food from time to time makes you want more food.

 

With Stallone

4. So what kind of diet was he prescribed?

Diet wise, he was more on lean proteins and refined carbs. He likes porridge/oatmeal in the morning, scrambled eggs, he likes desserts a lot! Because of that, wee normally give him the desserts low in calorie, high in protein and low in sugar. And they taste really really good. We make a high in protein chocolate fondant. That is one of the first things he tried and that is what made him start following our plans.

5. Interesting, so do you supply the foods to the actors working with you?

Yes, we supply all the foods for all the celebrities on set. We had a kitchen on set. So it was not just Stallone but all the actors on that set. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, etc.

6. Did they all have different nutrition plans or did they all eat what was made that day on set?

Of course they all had different nutrition plans. There are menus, and they have to choose off the menu and according to their nutritional status we send them the plan. Every one of them trains differently, so they all have completely different food plans and quantities.

Angie Kassabie with Jean-Claude Van Damme

7. I noticed you created your own plan called the AND diet. Can you talk about what that is and how did you come up with it?

I came up with that because I say diet is not only food but a combination of things: Lifestyle AND, Workout AND movement AND the way you drink (water and drinks anything) AND the way you look at things. The core of everything comes before nutrition. That is what affects us psychologically by making us look better, making us feel better, improves self confidence and do better at work or school. When you feel good, you present that out everywhere. So that’s why I say AND because it is not only diet. It is about changing people’s life, the way they think. I change their character more than I change their weight. I work in person with each and every one of my clients, celebrity or not celebrity. And when you don’t see results, you stop wanting to follow that kind of plan. This gives you the yo-yo dieting effect where you start wanting more food, wanting to cheat more, etc. So I work on a daily basis with my clients. They take their weight every morning, I check on everything they eat, especially the first two weeks. I give them a food plan. I change their diets according to their tastes because I believe diet starts with pleasure. If there is no pleasure, there is no diet.
8. Let’s talk Britney Spears – am a personal fan of her. She went through lots of ups and downs in her personal life as well as career and it certainly showed in her body. How did you help her?

She had to change the way she thinks about food. She got back in shape without too much effort. She did not really have to go to extremes. What she was eating was the big issue. There was no nutritional value in what she was consuming. We basically started off getting her back on track. The first 10 days, we focused on regulating her meals. And then after that we got into starting off the full plan. She dropped a lot of weight starting from the first month. Close to 10kg!

9. You also helped both Alia Bhatt and Mouni Roy from India with their diets in Bulgaria. Let’s start with Alia who is a vegetarian. What were her challenges and what recommendations did you give her for her diet chart? 

Bollywood started off Hollywood  I was working at the Warner Brothers Bulgaria studios where they are now shooting the movie Brahmastra with Alia Bhatt and Mouni Roy and many other big stars.  Warner Brothers referred me to Alia. She had some nutritional issues, so we started off there.  She had some problems with the food she was eating.  We started taking care of her meals and she got into a very good shape during her shoot. We had a certain diet to cut off the bloating, all the refined carbs, the gluten. We got her on my special detox that cleanses her body of all the toxins.  It gets rid of all the cellulite in the body I gave her some of my supplements and we got her back on track and released some of the bloating and annoying feeling. Keep in mind she is shooting for long hours every day. She works out a lot but because she is a vegetarian she was not getting enough protein. She gets it from plants but it was not enough.

With Bollywood A-lister Alia Bhatt

10. Mouni Roy has lost a ton of weight!! Everyone wants to know what her diet and workout was. Can you share some specifics?

Mouni is my favorite person.I love her. She is so humble, so down to earth and she has a great personality and she has a great body and she puts in a lot of effort to keep it that way.

She has a very thin structure with tiny bones. She is not one of those people where even if they are skinny, they still look big.  She worked out, got into yoga. I gave her our special coffee we provide and that managed her appetite a certain level and we got her on track with her meals. She does not usually have so many meals but instead a lot of snacks. She showed me some of the Indian snacks which are very good but very fattening. She is also a vegetarian and barely has eggs. From all the celebs I have trained from Hollywood to Bollywood, Mouni has a very special place in my heart.

Mouni Roy, with Angie for her upcoming movie Brahmastra

11. What kind of diets do you recommend men who are trying to build muscle and lose fat?

They have to have enough consumption of protein and carbohydrates. To build a mass of muscle you need 1/3 of your plate to be carbs. Decrease the amount of dairy and sugar to the minimum. And if you keep the sugar level low, the body does not produce any fat. So we balance the insulin through the refined carbs like brown rice, potatoes. We barely have pastas and no bread because bread has sugar.

12. Many women travel and work and have less time to cook at home yet want to stay fit or get fit. As someone like you who travels quite a bit,  How can that be achieved with eating out ? 

I will tell you how I do that. I believe there is nothing called diet. I don’t believe in anything that is low calorie and low in carbs, unless there is a goal behind it. I want all the people to live a happy, normal life with pleasure. I do not want people to be stuck in trouble and worrying about what they will eat and not be able to socialize with friends. The most important thing is calculating the amount of food they are intaking. It is important to focus on having regularity in your meals, as if you have regular meals, you have smaller quantities.

In terms of eating out, it is absolutely fine to eat out. For example, in Lebanese cuisine, we do not order big plates like American or Italian food like a burger with fries or a big portion of pasta, etc. We order a bunch of small plates and go from there. We need to figure out what are we eating? So you take portions of each dish on your own plate so you can see the quantity of food you are eating. And that is how you can balance the meals.

Going into extreme diets is not healthy. You will drop a lot of weight and muscle mass and muscle does not come back. It turns into fat.

 

13. Indian diets have a myth of being unhealthy and high in carbs yet if we look at the traditional meal it is very balanced. What Indian foods are recommended in a healthy diet and what should be considered “once in a while cheat meals”? 
Indian food is balanced and spicy. From one perspective spicy food is very healthy as the chilli boosts your metabolism and very high in antioxidants. But that makes you want to eat more. When I look at Indian food, I do not see it as unhealthy with the exception of the fried bread. Even with friend bread I don’t say don’t eat it, limit it. Bread that is fried or the ones with sugar and milk, when it has that sweet taste and melts in your mouth, it makes you want to eat more like croissants. I do not believe Indian food is not allowed in the diet. The Indian way of eating is wrong. Most Indians, (not everyone but the ones I have worked with), they snack a lot. It is the snacks and nibbles all day that contributes to the weight gain. You never gain weight from breathing the air.

On set with the cast of ‘300’

14. Women who have just delivered a baby and trying to lose the post pregnancy weight. What do you recommend for them ? 
Due to the hormones, we try to cut all processed foods. If you want to drop weight fast, you get off sugar, dairy which makes you retain more water and the main issue with pregnant women is the water weight. I try to get them to eat clean especially the first 60 days post-delivery.  Until the time you get your first menstrual period post pregnancy, your body is not the same internally. After the 60^th day, everything starts to get back on track but getting into a certain diet plan is difficult.

15. Anyone looking at you would say you are very fit and totally hot! What’s your own personal diet and workout regimen that is sustainable?

Diet is 70% of your weight loss. Being fit is totally different. Some people are born fit and lucky, but most of us are not so we have to work hard to build that beautiful body. If you want that model look you see in pictures, you have to work out a certain way.  Some of the ways when you start working out with heavy weights, especially if you are a woman, it may not be good for that person. Some people already have bulkiness in their legs, so adding more weight to that is not going to give you that look. But that 30% is a huge result when you add it in with the right diet.  I don’t recommend doing only cardio. I recommend having some cardio and a weight program where you are doing lighter weights and an intensive workout with very short breaks in between. This will boost their metabolism and count as a cardio as well.

16. Anything else you want to add in?

Anyone can drop the weight they want but they have to have consistency. It is all about consistency and changing the way you think and accepting that life is not easy. But life is beautiful when you think about it in the right way. You can’t say I can’t live on fruits and not eat them. Fruits are very good. Fruits are delicious, but you cannot live only on fruits, or only on veggies. You have to have a little bit of everything. Elegancy starts from your plate. When your plate is elegant, you are going to look elegant yourself.

Kassabie with Antonio Bandaras

 

Contact information

Twiitter: @angiekassabie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/AngieKassabieOfficial/about/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angiekassabie/?hl=en

Royal Ballet Company to Bollywood’s Boot camp Master: Cindy Jourdain talks about dance, fitness and Bollywood!

Ballet.  Muay Thai. Functional Training.  HIIT…you name it, its all at Cindy’s Boot camp gym in Mumbai, India.
I have been following Cindy’s Instagram posts for a few months now and loved each and every workout she posted.  I even borrowed some of her moves to incorporate in my routine.
When curiosity killed the cat, I did some research on this expat who was toning some of the hottest women in India….and I found another surprise.
Cindy is a ballet dancer who used to dance for the Royal Ballet Company for many years. A dancer–and as many of you know, dancing is my passion. I wondered..how did she get from a prima ballerina to a fitness coach…From Europe to India?
So I sent her a quick note asking her if she would be open to doing an interview. Within a day she and I had connected and in less than a week, she had responded to all my questions whole heatedly.
Please join me in getting to know the very talented Cindy Jourdain:

1. Tell us how you got to Mumbai from Europe and what inspired you to open Cindy’s Boot camp?  

Katrina Kaif is the one who flew me over From London to Mumbai to look after her fitness regime. Mumbai was never on the map but I’m very grateful to Katrina for the opportunity it gave me. Cindy’s Bootcamp started materializing in my head after about one year of being one and off in Mumbai. I immersed myself in the culture as much as possible and did some thorough market research before taking the plunge and settling here full time.

 

With Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif; Cindy’s first Bollywood client

2. Your background in dance, theater, direction and fitness is impressive! How do you incorporate all these artistic forms into being a trainer and the owner of a boot camp that is so popular now in Mumbai? What exercises do you recommend that is inspired from all these forms into your current routine?

My background has forged a very strong personality, it is my credibility and what makes me different from everyone else here.

I wanted to be true to myself and use the experiences I had as an athlete, a performer and a woman to create something unique that made complete sense to me instead of joining another renowned fitness establishment for example. I’m likely to recommend sequences of movement just like a choreography in dance or flow in yoga, it’s the grounded seamless and yet powerful quality I’m after most of the time.

 

 

3. What type of routines did you have when you were in ballet? Being a professional ballerina requires hours of training and a special diet from what we have known from movies like black swan or reading up on it. Tell us about your routines in diet and training during that time.

Ballet is an incredibly demanding profession. There’s no in between. It’s all heart and sacrifice. That’s how I was brought up through the professional ballet schooling system even if I feel I grew up quite a balanced young woman with a real need for normality and a strong outside life.

A typical day for a professional ballerina with the Royal Ballet Company is ballet class in the morning for 1h30 to prep your body for the rest of the day and continuously work on your technique. The afternoon can have 2 to 3 rehearsals scheduled depending on the productions and the roles you are dancing. These rehearsals can be 1,2,3 hours plus….. Then it’s shower & make up time for the show usually at 7.30pm, you try and fit some food somewhere in the middle but everyday is go go go really and soon enough food takes a back seat if you’re not careful! The show comes down at 10.30pm and it’s late before you’re home. I have done these days over and over again for 15 years professionally. There’s no time for much but ballet! When it comes to ultimate health and being able to avoid injuries as well as sustaining a lean yet strong physique it’s a fine balance really, the truth is there’s very little recovery time or extra time for a good strength and conditioning program (which is always prescribed in sports for athletes along with their specific training), ballerinas also can’t rehearse on a full stomach, there’s a lot of snacking involved and most of us really end up over training! Is it healthy in the long run probably not but the body adapts and the mind conquers so…I think there’s much more awareness now though and both artists and management are trying to make the right choices when it comes to schedule, fuel, recovery and training

4. Today, strength and fitness is coming before weight loss and looking painfully thin. If someone has limited strength and wants to get to being able to do a pullup or gain strength, how does one even start? Any specific recommendations on a weekly routine? Does this vary for men and women? How long would it take?

I’m glad it’s going this way even if I’m pretty sure we’ll see the skinny frame back into fashion soon with the same industries backing it up, It’s the way the cookie crumbles, the world is after constant recycling of the same thing repackaged differently, redesigned, revamped, re branded, you get my point. I never give generic advice in interviews, there isn’t one person the same but what I will say is that everyone can get their first pull up or back squat their own body weight if that’s what their goal is. You start by identifying your weaknesses and addressing your bad lifestyle habits then you put a plan together which has to be thought through with the person responsible for the plan and implemented until the end.

 

Cindy Jourdain; Ballet

5. You have some popular faces coming to your boot camp classes in all ranges of age. The current talk of town Sara Ali Khan (Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh’s’s daughter making her debut shortly) has lost lots of weight and is a regular at your classes. How did she do it and how did you train her to lose all the extra weight to become fabulously fit? Any specific routines and eating plan she followed?

Sara joined the classes recently and enjoyed the group atmosphere. She was eager to do well in class but the weight loss is a result of what she did before she joined so you would have to ask her that question. At the camp I saw an improvement in her mental focus, her form and general conditioning. The celebs or top influencers who join my classes let go of their profile as soon as they step through the door for that hour and train hard just like me, just like you.

 

Training Sara Ali Khan in her bootcamp class (2nd from right)

6. What type of diet do you recommend your celebrity or normal clients? The bootcamp classes are quite taxing on ones body…can you give a sample meal plan you recommend in India for vegetarians?

One diet never fits all. The idea is to find nutritious food that suit people’s body and an eating plan that fits their lifestyle. After my classes people have to rehydrate and make sure that fuel gets back in. There’s a recovery day in between classes and I talk about anti inflammatory food often to contribute towards optimal health. India has a lot of superfoods and Ayurvedic herbal remedies available such as wheatgrass, chia seeds, flaxseeds, moranga & triphala powder to name a few which are really soothing to the body and packed with anti oxidants, raw proteins, essential vitamins and minerals suitable for both veg& non veg. Grains and pulses such as Dahl, beans & quinoa for example contain a decent amount of proteins and will suit vegetarian requirements however it’s more  macro ratio, quality, quantity, timing & frequency that will make a difference when it comes to fuelling for training

 

7. What is something you personally have learned and have achieved since moving to Mumbai from Europe? Has the way you eat changed since you are in India now and a fitness instructor vs a ballerina?

 

I’ve learned to be more patient, I’ve learned to be more present and in the moment, I know that I can survive and thrive on my own anywhere in the world and that’s a big one for me!

Regarding my own diet since changing industry and moving to India, I tend to eat more healthy fat and less refined carbohydrates. I stay away from dishes full of sauces and try and stick to my mind & body beautiful mantra as much as possible which involve sleeping 8hours, drinking plenty of water, staying away as much as possible from wheat & dairy, alcohol, no caffeine & no nicotine.

There you go folks…a winning combination of art and fitness along with the determination to be the best. I definitely learned a lot from her and will be in her class on my next trip to Mumbai for sure;-) See a taste of her class here:

For more information on training with Cindy, see her details below:

Cindy Jourdain

www.cindyjourdain.com

Instagram:

www.instagram.com/cindy_jourdain

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/cindysbootcamp

Indian Cell : +91 7045 476632

 

 

Traveling Series: My way of staying healthy on the road

Many of you know I have been traveling for weeks away from home, eating out and staying in hotels. This can take a toll on the health, the diet and the waistline. It is so easy to give in to a moment of being on the high of being in a different place, on an expense account and amongst colleagues who love to eat nice meals. I have been there the last couple months. But if you want to preserve your healthy mind and body, you have to have the discipline to pick and choose the best you can. This series will chronicle different aspects of how I do this whilst on the road. I have had years of practice and a lot of help to be able to do this. I still have a lot of nutritional guidance.

Here I am now, in Europe, a vegetarian and trust me, it is not always easy (this week is already difficult and its only been a day or two!). My first step is always to have a plan. Start with planning out your meals. I know how to pick and choose on a menu the best thing I can eat, but in certain places, its been difficult when the salads are not the loaded American salads, but a plate of lettuce and tomatoes with a block of cheese. Not ideal to fill the stomach. So, for me, I am lucky to have a nutritionist friend who plans my diet charts keeping the location in mind. One thing I am still learning and coming to terms with is: to lose fat, you must eat fat. The right kind. Through the next 30 days, join me in learning how to pick the right foods off a menu, how to plan your meals and how can you workout during the long days of working and socializing.

If you have your own tricks, please do share with me! I always want to learn new things…one thing I refuse is to starve. I need to eat or I cannot function. Or sleep.  I will be posting my favorite go-to snacks and meals int he different countries I visit; my favorite workouts and how I fail and pick myself back up. It is never easy, but for me..the first step is planning out that I eat well. 80% of the battle is food. 20% is working out.  Stay tuned for videos, posts, tips and lots of fun in the coming days and weeks! I may not write posts every day but follow me on instagram: reshie2000  and you will see some of my fitness tricks I have been using to keep wellness on the top of my priority. With that, I say in German: Guten Tag!

 

 

 

 

Reza Katani- Katrina Kaif, Fitness and the basics of how you can keep your 2017 resolutions!

He is known through India as Katrina Kaif’s trainer. The man who changed the body of one of the sexiest women in India also has a gym in England, trains his clients there and has time to be with Katrina Kaif 24/7.

 

He recently also took care of the fitness needs of the entire Dream Team Tour in the USA. In an extremely candid interview on the most natural way to train your body, how to view fitness, and all things Katrina Kaif, Reza Katani talks to me on Christmas Eve to gear everyone up for their 2017 resolutions! Please listen to the audio interview in the link below:

 

Reza training Katrina Kaif

Further details on Reza Katani:

Website: http://www.parkviewhealthclubs.com

Email: info@parkviewhealthclubs.com.

Twitter:  @RezaKatani

Instagram:rezaparkview

 

 

 

National Athlete and Competitor: Kristen Wueste

I met Kristen at the gym I workout in, Lifetime Fitness in Johns Creek, GA. My old trainer pointed her out to me telling me she competes in national level competitions. I was intrigued since then. I had a few training sessions with her and was so impressed with eh way she pushed me and kept the training sessions fun yet functional.  My travel schedule didn’t allow me to have a proper routine with her but my curiosity increased on how she works all day and finds time to compete in national level competitions and how she pushes herself to do her best time after time. I was so thrilled when she readily agreed to do the interview for my blog! Please be super inspired like me of Kristen’s journey and advice on fitness:

1. What motivated you to take part in the national level competitions and how have you progressed over the years?

I grew up in a very athletic family and that has always been a way of life since I can remember.  Over the years I’ve done just about every sport, but have been drawn to endurance sports for the last 17 years, specifically running until an injury at 31.  I started cycling since the run injury needed 6 months lay off to heal.  My brother and father do triathlon and encouraged me to pick up the sport since I was cycling and soon would be running again.  My first year competing I was 32 and did very well on a regional level so I hired a coach after my first year and I’ve seen nothing but progress over the past 7 years.  As a fitness professional I understand the importance of having a smart progression plan.  Even moreso a knowledgable coach who can see things you as an athlete cannot or will not.  I also love the idea of having to perfect 3 sports.  I’m never bored and LOVE the challenge each training session brings.

2. What specifically goes behind training for the different competitions? Specifically, what changes in your diet (example plan?), training regimen and how you handle doing this around daily lifestyles (does this change during training periods?)  

The difference between someone who is just getting in shape for general fitness versus a competative athlete is quite different.  Our annual training plan is based on when we peak for our “A” race(s).  usually you can be in top form about 1-2 times a year.  Doesn’t mean you cannot perform well in other races, but to be in peak shape, the training plan is quite intense and there’s a lot of volume, especially the longer the distance. First and foremost, I eat from the ground 90% of the time.  I do enjoy chocolate and my wine, but I keep it in moderation.   My nutrition cycles around my training regiem.  At the end of the day, it’s important to be metabolically efficient and organic in my approach to food.  Metabolic Efficiency is paramount for anyone who is looking to improve the way their body functions, competative or not.

As I stated earlier, I am a fitness professional so I am on my feet a lot during the day.  Finding a coach who understood my lifestyle was huge because your training is only going to be benefitial if you recover properly from it. Finding that balance between work, training, and performing to my abilities took a few years and several coaches till I found what worked.  Most weeks I’m training 8-10 hours a week, but when I start building towards my “A” race, it can increase to upwards of 13-15 hours a week.  And the intensity also increases.  The only change I make to my diet is I add more food as the duration, volume, and intensity goes up to make sure I’m not starving my body.

3. Once you have seen your ranking in a particular race, how do you change your training plans to place higher in the next set of competitions?

I don’t know my final rankings until the season is over.  I don’t really focus on that as the end goal because that can really take away from the reason I got into this sport to begin with; to have fun.  My main focus each race is to do the best I can.  If I get a personal record and I place 20th, I’m stoked.  My moto going into every race is this: You are already in a world of pain so dig deeper into the well and goin after a reward.

4. How does one start from a novice to even begin thinking of doing a trialthon and/or a national level race?

Anyone can do a triathlon.  I think there is a misconception about the sport since most media coverage only shows Ironman which is the longest distance.  But a sprint distance takes around 60-90 minutes.  My recommendation is to hire a coach.  Get a good training plan set and then you can work on your weaknesses should you find yourself wanting to grow into the sport.  And age isn’t a limiter.  My father is 66 and does them.  

5. What  kind of strength training do you do to keep stamina and strength for these races?

This is an excellent question that I think a lot of endurance athletes don’t take serious enough.  It plays a big part.  In endurance sports, you are doing 1000’s of repetitions so it’s very important the the core and stabilizing muscles are strong and flexibilty good.  Without that, you run a higher risk of injury.  Each year I’ve tried different forms of strength training to see how my body responds.  This year, I found that a mix of pilates, yoga, and weights worked magic.  Beyond that I would say the resistance training I have in my cardio workouts preps me for the type of race I do.  So, for instance, if it’s a hilly bike course, I might add in lower gearing workouts or go ride hilly courses to build my leg strength.

6. You are one of the best personal trainers keeping your clients engaged with different exercises to build strength and lose weight or gain muscle. What are your top favorite routines that are different from the norm of going into a gym and just lifting weights?

Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say.  I don’t necessarily have a favorite per say.  I follow NASM guidelines for progression, but it’s all based on the body I’m working with.  I am very passionate about what I do so I like the challenge of working with all ages, genders, special needs, people with past/present injuries, etc.  If the person is motivated, I’m going to do my part as a professional to help them reach their goals.  And when that happens, help them identify new goals to keep them going.

7.What is the next goal for you? Olympics?

The next goal is prepping for Age Group Worlds for 2017. I am also really considering doing Off Road Triathlon next season.  I’ll keep doing this sport until I loose interest.  I hope that never happens, but if it does, you’ll still see me somewhere in the fitness relm.  

 

 

 

Tripti Gupta Interview Part 2: Tripti talks about Kangana Ranaut, macros and how to eat for Thyroid, Diabetes, PCOD

5. What do you suggest in terms of macros for foods for people not on a regimented diet but want to eat healthy? What should we be looking for in terms of:

a) Total Daily macros

Total daily macros should comprise of up to 75% good quality carbs which could be in the form of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, legumes and high fiber cereals.

b) Nutritional Content

One must stay away from artificial colors, preservative agents and foods high in trans fats. When we check the nutritional composition of any food, the fiber content in that meal plays the utmost importance.  It’s the quality here which matters more than the item or quantity. For example,  good quality fats such as olive oil or rice bran oil is better than a small fraction of fat Similarly, more of carbs in a particular food item in the form of jowar (Indian flour to make rotis) is better than less of carbs but in the form of maida (Another flour). Protein again plays a vital role whether it is healthy trans fat free protein such as chicken, eggs or is it sausages, salami and cold cuts which are rich in trans fats.

c) Protein vs Fat vs Carbs?

15% protein vs 10% fats vs 75% carbs is the best combination for person with ideal body weight. It is also essential to ensure each of these are trans fat free and wholesome fresh meals… which is the need of a healthy, active body. Choose Grade A proteins such as dairy, egg whites, fish over pulses & legumes. Choose desi ghee, olive / rice bran /ground nut oil over vanaspati, butter, margarine and processed fats. Choose high fiber whole grains such as oats, jowar, wheat and brown rice over white rice, maida and starchy cereals.

6.You worked with Kangana Ranaut to help her get into her character as a top supermodel in the movie “Fashion”. Talk in detail to us about the transformation she had to go through and what exact diets and exercise she followed to get that look? Were there any roadblocks?

Kangna was already waif thin when she met me for Fashion. But most people are not aware that for a thin person to lose weight is as difficult or even more difficult  than having an overweight person to lose weight. Getting a slim waistline to a flab free, chiseled one was in itself a challenge.  Our aim was to get the chiseled flat abs of a supermodel as well as flawless skin. In fact, it was with Kangana that the journey of “Eating Right for not only a fabulous body but also flawless skin” began for me. Getting the coffee & chocolate loving Kangana to eat fruits, fresh veggie juices and green tea was a challenge. We worked on a diet together which would help her shed inches, achieve flawless skin and keep her energy levels high and the beautiful actress did a great job. She was determined and always wanted to carry a body of international standards. Working with Kangana was a delight, her loving, child like warmth, down to earth attitude and devoted hard work is simply amazing. Even today in Bollywood, she is one of the very few Bollywood actresses who stands out on any international platform for her work & performance as well as a fabulous body. I would still call “Fashion” as the movie where she had the best body and skin she ever carried in any film.

Kangana Ranaut looking like a super model for her role in Fashion

 

7. There are a ton of supplements and “weight loss” aids out there such as Raspberry Ketone. Do these help in weight loss or metabolism boosting or are they complete myths? What supplements do you recommend and what do they do to contribute to weight loss? What about green tea?

 

Anything that cannot be sustained lifelong is temporary. Ketone diets were originally created for Epileptic patients to meet their medical needs and limitations in food. Using these tools for a normal, healthy individual is not advisable, in fact one should feel truly blessed of possessing a completely healthy body and not abuse it. Instead nurture it, take care of it and don’t do anything to spoil it. The only supplements that support weight loss are exercise and rest. I would call these your lifelong supplements of health. Food and water has to be supported with rest and activity for life to enjoy a healthy, happy and fit body.

Green Tea is great substitute to other hot beverages. Lower in calories & caffeine, high on antioxidants and a natural diuretic, green tea also acts as a  digestive drink and promotes weight loss when consumed regularly instead of milk tea.

 

8. What foods should people with each of these common health issues use to naturally cure these issues:

 

a) Thyroid issue:

Weight management meals, Fat soluble Vitamins such as Vitamin A D,E,K rich foods to ensure healthy hormones and a Omega 3 rich diet. One must stay away from foods containing goitrogens such as raw cabbage, cauliflower, soyabean, broccoli, etc.

 

b) Diabetes:

Fenugreek seeds, Green tea, Dark green vegetable juices, low glycemic index foods, small portions sizes, high fiber meals, Omega 3 rich foods and Weight management meals

 

c) High Cholesterol:

Onion juice, garlic, Omega3 rich nuts such as Flaxseeds, Chiaseeds, deep sea fish, high fiber foods, fenugreek seeds, ensuring balance of fat soluble vitamins, green  & white tea.

 

d) PCOD:

Weight management is the common factor here, consuming low fat, high fibre, omega 3 rich foods combined with an active lifestyle can be the best cure for the above issues naturally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. In the celebrities you worked with or the beauty pageant contestants, have you encountered a situation where you thought “this is going to be a challenge” and got the desired results and how?

 

There have been many challenges in dealing with public figures, supermodels and Beauty Pageant contestants. One such challenge I recently faced with a Femina Miss India 2016 finalist was being under weight. She, being extremely tall for an Indian model with a height of 6.1ft., had lost a tremendous amount of weight which resulted in getting a highly disproportionate figure despite of having all the other promising qualities. As a judge for the Miss Perfect Body sub contest, we noticed this. Her body became her drawback and hence she lost her opportunity of reaching the top. It was a challenge to get her to eat the right proportion of carbs, protein and fat such that she would only gain healthy muscle weight proportioning out her body We worked on her diet and eating patterns in such a way that her body has regained the right balance of proportion with strength, health and glowing skin. Under my consultation and guidance she has achieved her dream body and will be again contesting the coming year.

 

Tripti educating the Miss India contestants

 

10. We know celebrities work hard on their bodies and workout 2-3 hours a day and eat a very strict diet. How does one get the enviable Katrina Kaif abs in terms of diet and exercise? Please advise!

The key word is here is DISCIPLINE and not overly strict. One can never achieve the perfect body or perfect abs without their perfect plan. A good body is a plan which has to be created, followed and then maintained with will power, determination and a lot of effort. One need not be strict, but one should not get bored and complacent with the ideal plan which is the real challenge. A whole lot of celebrities go carb free, but that’s not always the requirement. One needs to plan their eating techniques well backed up with the right exercise to manage an overall daily total caloric intake.

Loading on fresh vegetables and running are the most successful tools in beginning your journey towards the impeccable Katrina Kaif Abs 😉

Kangana’s perfect supermodel body in the movie Fashion which won her a National Award.

There you have it folks…Tripit Gupta has told us exactly how to look at food, plan our perfect diets and told us how to get those perfect abs! Tripti’s contact info is below….I would strongly advise you to work with her if you are looking for the right plan to help get you back on track or look good for an event….Call Tripti and her team!

Tripti Gupta Contact info:

Andheri | Bandra | Chowpatty | Online

Website: www.ipink.in

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/TriptiGuptaiPinkTheColorofHealth/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tripti_Gupta_

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/ipink_by_triptigupta/

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The official dietician for The Femina Miss India Pageant Tripti Gupta talks about her journey, macros and how to stay fit after 40! (Part 1 of 2)

I found Tripti Gupta and her team very causally looking to get to the mode of doing interviews for my blog a few months back. However, at the time, I had also come to a realization that my blood reports for triglycerides were very high and I needed to make a change in my life. As I read through Tripti and her team’s accomplishments and subsequently talked to a dietician on her team, Monica, I realized that I could use this myself to get myself motivated and on track. So my blog interview took a backseat and I started to get Tripti and her team to monitor me weekly. Compared to other dieticians, her price was very reasonable and what I loved was that she followed up herself every few days with me to see my progress and Moncia would whatsapp message me if she did not hear from me every other day to see how my progress was going. Just that helped me stay on track because I knew I would report to someone. For the first time in 3 years, I got back to a weight 10 lbs lower than what I was. Just what my doctor had ordered me to do. And the best thing is, i never ever felt like I was starving! And Tripti graciously said she would do an interview for my blog. So meet the magician herself in a very very frank interview on her journey of how she started and how she coaches the Miss India contestants to look their best for the big day! (Part 2 talks about how she coached Bollywood superstar Kangana Ranaut to look like a supermodel for the national award winning movie “Fashion”).

 Tripti Gupta:

1. Talk about your background and what motivated you to get into this profession and adopt the theories you promote for a healthy lifestyle?

 

I was born underweight, but as long as I remember, I was an overweight child most of my early years of life. Not being able to wear shorts and tees like my friends, getting teased for being fat and finding it difficult to fit into teenaged clothes became a routine battle and lowered my self confidence drastically which eventually made me into a very shy girl who didn’t want to be in the limelight. I wanted to hide or at least not be noticed. I didn’t know what body shaming was then but yes, I was teased and I was conscious…very conscious. I had accepted that I was fat and would envy those who were slim. Of course the same question, like any other young girl, would come to my mind of “why am I Fat and she thin?”

However, suddenly, things changed for me in 8^th grade, just the year when a teenager gets conscious, I lost weight and tons of weight…… yes, I shrunk. I did nothing to lose it, nor did I suddenly drop baby fat. I developed Typhoid! Now that’s the most unhealthy weight loss in the form of muscle loss we know but at that point of time for a fat 12 yr old, it was a dream come true and I totally loved  Typhoid! The new body I discovered, the way my clothes now looked on me & the compliments I received unfolded a new me. I was suddenly more confident, happier & I knew by now that I never wanna grow fat again. However, as destiny would have it, I did regain the weight once again, this time gradually but by the time I reached my 10^th Grade I was fat again. I knew after my board exams this weight loss would be my sole mission. After all no teenager wants to begin college looking fat.

 

Soon after my 10^th exams I started walking. Residing next to the beautiful Gateway Of India, I would walk down to Cuffe Parade and Colaba Woods a good distance, I would take 10 brisk rounds and walk back. To add further I also joined the then very popular Rama Bans Aerobics Classes to lose weight. I overdid the exercise & ate almost nothing. I could soon see the body shrinking, the inches were shedding but so was my hair. Age was on my side so whatever little I would eat / not eat / starve or even occasionally binge seemed to work. There were bouts of weakness, low immunity and constipation setting in. I would guzzle liters of water and eat nothing the whole day, then end up with a pack of farsan (indian snacks) / chips and a whole lot of crap gladly thinking I could afford to eat what I like since I hadn’t eaten anything the whole day.  My issues became worse and by now I started feeling thin & OLD. It was a new me with a slimmer body but no strength. I knew something was terrible but didn’t know what?? This was the only way to get slim is what I believed.

 

It was now that time post boards that we were hunting for admissions and I applied for colleges at  Jaihind , HR , Xaviers , KC and was extremely excited to a college life coming up like any teenage girl until my Father decided to take me to the College of Home Science Nirmala Niketan. It sounded like an institute with only cooking & stitching and I didn’t want to do simply cooking… I wanted to be working girl, maybe an Air hostess or even a model. However, the real light my Father showed me was in the difference of Subjects Nirmala Niketan offered as opposed to the Arts Commerce & Science of other Colleges. This surely had a great combination and the specializations looked very impressive. The subject of Nutrition took my attention and I thought inside maybe this is my calling so what if it’s a Girls College of Home Science, the syllabus looks great.

 

My journey to the world of Nutrition began here which gradually evolved into passion. At a time when nobody knew what a Dietician is to even choose to specialize in this subject for an ambitious young girl was daring, but the passion of learning was stronger. I entirely credit my Father for where and what I am today. I am so glad Dad that I listened and chose to go by your wise advice.

Theories for Healthy Lifestyle-

I have no fancy theories and names… In dealing with my clients to help achieve their health goals I simply believed in one thing “Feed Your Need & Listen to Your Body”  All the rest is bookish and irrelevant. We all know that protein is good but if one gets bloated, gains weight or develops uneasiness then that is not the best diet for him. There have been so many of my clients including Indian politician & singer Babul Supriyo who was completely on a protein diet. Babul would eat only protein and workout extensively but his weight had plateaued. When I met him and analyzed his body type I prescribed him to eat Roti. At this, he first raised his eyebrows, “Are you sure you me to eat a carb??” he reacted. But his fat loss at that time was unbelievable & he got his best results with carbs rather than protein then.

 

The fact is, one healthy lifestyle may not be the same for all. We have to find what our body is happiest with, so my simple principle of working around any person’s diet plan is understanding & analyzing their current lifestyle, identifying their goal and simply making the corrections as per their body type & needs. Life is simple and so should be your food. Some Say Go Vegan, others say Go Veg while so many Fitness Professionals make Vegetarians turn to only Meat. So many theories to confuse us but the intelligent truth is…Eat what suits you and shows you results. If this kind of food makes me feel great, look great, I have fantastic medical & body composition reports then that is truly your Healthy Diet Plan, the rest has no meaning. After all we are all in search of just one kind of body and that is a “Happy Body”

Besides, let me warn you there are no shortcuts. No matter where science advances decades from today…. No pills, surgery, treatments and supplements can make you lose weight and keep it off forever without your natural diet & exercise simply because we all reside in a natural human body and not a machine or a piece of metal. Our body responds to everything, eating more, eat less, eating consistently or eating constantly. My motto is : “You are & will always be what you Eat”

2. How and when did you become the official dietician for the Femina Miss India Contestants?

I was approached by The Times Group in 2014 to educate the young pageant contestants on the importance of eating right. These were young college going girls and having battled weight as a teenager myself, I truly thought I would be able to help them out with their eating pattern. However, there was one thing different I observed with the newer generation now. Most girls today suffer from too many skin ailments- acne, pigmentation, uneven skin tone, melisma which I realized are stemming from poor nutrition and also leading to hormonal imbalance. Hence, I customized a training program on Nutrition for Health & Beauty for these young contestants.  A combination to eat right for great energy, flat abs, workout along with clear glowing skin, strong hair & nails through natural Nutrition which remains the need of every supermodel today. We had excellent results with our training sessions and ever since I have been an integral part of The Times Group training. I am glad to have gotten this opportunity of being the Official Nutrition Expert for Times since 2014 to Femina Miss India 2016.

 

Tripti with the 2016 Miss India finalists

3. Tell us details on what you prescribe them in terms of diet and exercise to be fit and lose weight for the big day?

• Eating small frequent meals through the day
• Excellent electrolyte balance is the most essential technique for supermodels and pageants.
• Most of these girls really suffer from low blood pressure, dropping sugars, dizzy spells and irregular bowels due to dehydration hence hydration becomes another important criteria
• Pre & post workout meals again form an essential part of their routine, giving them the right guidance for ensuring there is no muscle loss and more fat loss is again extremely essential
• Suggesting antioxidant rich diets for glowing skin
• Frequent snacking options when they are in between shoots, ramp walks, performances or travelling in the car
• Late night binge options.

 

4. Many readers in this blog are women approaching 40 or post 40 and have difficulties in losing weight no matter how much they workout. Tell us how the body changes and how to beat this plateau at this age and be able to see results?

 

As we age, it seems its more and more difficult for the needle on the scale to budge. We may restrict our diet, follow portion control, cut out desserts altogether, exercise and still the clothes don’t fit like we would wish them to. The metabolism, hormones, digestion and other bodily functions undergo a series of changes as we get near our 40s. Instead of fighting it we need to work around the issue. One of the most common factor and primary reason why woman over 40 can’t lose weight is because they have allowed their metabolism to slow down by not eating right and working out regularly in their 30s. In addition, estrogen levels begin to drop post 40 which is a huge reason for the body to lose more muscle and get weaker as a result.

 

Today crossing 35yrs itself is an alarm for one to start keeping a vigilant watch on your body. Get your medical reports done every 6 months. Check for your B12, D3 and Ferritin levels (which is a hormone of iron and it’s deficiency causes fatigue, low energy levels, excessive hair fall and increase to your weight). Surprisingly, this is not the same a hemoglobin hence a separate test for a 40+ is essential. Slow metabolism can further put you in the vicious cycle of gaining flab easily, bloating, water retention and in many cases become a hormonal imbalance. Remember! Our hormones are fat soluble hence the more fat we retain the more risk we endanger.  Keeping weight and blood reports in check is the only way to keep your body fit & young, stay alert n active and look fab.

 

Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2 where we talk about macros, training Kangana Ranaut and how to eat through many common diseases lke thyroid, PCOS, and diabetes.

Tripti Gupta Contact info:

Andheri | Bandra | Chowpatty | Online

Website: www.ipink.in

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Call: + 91 7498841414 | 9967978589