These 5 women nutritionists are giving us some serious health and fitness goals
Consulting a nutritionist is the right start towards a healthy lifestyle. These five women nutritionists can help you get on the right track – and stay there.
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Sometimes, life gets into a vicious circle of stress and starts taking a toll on your health. You begin to binge eat, find no time to exercise, and watch the fat pile up. Some women have physical ailments like hypothyroidism and PCOS that cause weight gain as well.
There’s always confusion about eating right. How do we eat right? What foods do we eat to keep healthy and fit? This dilemma sometimes leads us to the extreme – fad or crash diets.
This is where nutritionists can help. Since each body is different, they can provide customised solutions depending on particular needs. Consulting a nutritionist is the right start towards a healthy lifestyle.
HerStory has curated a list of five nutritionists helping people with their “health” goals. All of them believe that there’s a definite connection between healthy living and having a cheerful, positive outlook.
Khyati Rupani
Khyati Rupani
Growing up, Khyati wanted to become a doctor. But when she got admission to colleges in remote areas, her family refused to let her go. So she signed up for a BSc in Nutrition instead. She liked it so much that she decided to pursue a career in nutrition and clinical dietetics. In course of time, she became the youngest woman to be appointed as Chief Dietitian at Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai.
While on her maternity break, Khyati would often turn to Google and Facebook and visit communities of mothers. There she found many women who had weight issues, post pregnancy. She soon started using social media groups to connect to women with weight loss problems.
She formulated a weight tracker online and in just six months, more than 150 clients had enrolled Khyati decided to turn it into a full-blown entrepreneurial venture, starting with the Balance Nutrition Facebook page in December 2013, and the platform balancenutrition.in in August 2014. The venture is thriving today with members from over 65 cities across the world.
Namita Jain
Based in Mumbai, Namita Jain is a wellness expert whose books have been endorsed by celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Saina Nehwal, and Hema Malini. She was a nutrition partner for the Miss India pageant in 2012, and a celebrity nutritionist on the Food TV channel. A wellness specialist, Namita believes there are no shortcuts to losing weight. She also believes that anything drastic or magical will not work – only diet and exercise will help.
A wellness specialist at Bombay Hospital, Namita is also a consultant to the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI). She has written 12 books on food and nutrition. She advocates eating real, fresh food, and says an apple, an orange, or some watermelon can be much better than a “diet snack”.
“If you go on a sudden fad diet, you could end up binge eating. It is best to go to a nutritionist and find out what you can and shouldn’t eat. Another mistake people do is that they eat healthy food through the day but binge and eat a very heavy dinner. This is not good for you. You should always keep dinner as light as possible,” she says.
Nmami Agarwal
Nmami Agarwal with Manushi Chillar
When Manushi Chillar won the Miss World title in 2017, one person who was part of her team and came into the spotlight was Nmami Agarwal, her nutritionist. The Founder of Nmami Life has celebrities like cricketer Gautam Gambhir and former Australian captain Michael Clarke as part of her clientele.
From weight management, PCOD, thyroid-related weight loss, and nutrition for children to diets for pregnant and lactating mothers, management of diabetes and cholesterol, and diets for senior citizens, Nmami Life offers nutrition-aided solutions for different age groups with consideration for each person’s unique health demands.
Nmami Life was chosen among the 50 best wellness companies in India, and has received the World Health and Wellness Congress Award as well as the Asia Brand Excellence Award in 2017.
Shona Prabhu
Shona Prabhu
Shona Prabhu is a nutritionist and the Founder of NutrifyMyDiet, which aims to help members with health and diet queries. She believes diets mean not fasting, but eating healthy, and becoming aware and enjoying the food you eat. Shona has worked with junior, national, and Olympic-level athletes by providing them with customise programmes, supplement strategies, and support during their travel and competition. These include the Phogat sisters, Inspire Institute of Sports (of JSW), the national men’s and women’s hockey teams, Netkalappa Aquatics Centre, Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy, and Bengaluru Football Club, among others.
She believes superfoods are the way to eat healthy. She lists sprouts, made from any pulses (mung, horse gram, cowpea), yoghurt (a good source of B12 and calcium, and a natural probiotic), green leafy vegetables (drumstick leaves, amaranth, methi), and pomegranate and guava (rich in vitamin C) as must-haves in your diet.
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Dr Shikha Sharma
Dr Shikha Sharma
Dr Shikha Sharma is the founder of Dr Shikha’s NutriHealth, which offers comprehensive health and diet management programmes. She uses technology and Vedic nutrition concepts to provide personalised advice for good health and wellbeing. The venture is based on the concept of nutrigenetics, which combines modern medicine with the principles of Ayurveda. The startup analyses blood test reports and prakriti - body type - before designing and prescribing diets.
It uses technology like proprietary nutrition software for diet planning and management and smart health solutions like a weighing scale that measures fat, hydration, etc. It is connected to the personal mobile app, which connects you to a personal nutritionist and health adviser.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)