While you’re pruning the portions, eating home-cooked meals and chomping healthy with a vengeance, it pays to glean the gospels from the experts themselves for the best takeaways on healthy tips to emulate. Cue into the secret diets of five ace celeb nutritionists and make notes right away.
1. Jhanvi Kanakia Sanghvi
Her celebrity list includes names such as, Kriti Sanon (Mimi), Sanya Malhotra and Radhika Madan (Patakha), and Vikrant Massey (Chapaak), through their recent character weight gain and loss.
Morning ritual
I swear by not waking up to a stimulant like tea or coffee, and instead, eat a handful of dry fruits and nuts in the morning. I usually have my coffee one to two hours after waking up. By avoiding consumption of any stimulant for at least the first one hour of waking up, I make sure my body wakes up naturally and isn't pushed to release the anxiety hormones which can put my body through a churn through the later part of the day.
Meal timings
Being a small eater, and tucking in smaller meals every two hours, I avoid overeating at any meal. If I like a dessert, I never club it with lunch or dinner. Instead, I wait for one-and-a-half to two hours, after my previous meal is well digested. I eat the indulgence once I feel my stomach is empty and ready to take on the next meal. This keeps me feeling light at all times instead of feeling acidic or bloated. I also make sure to chew my food well and eat slowly; I'm always the last one to finish my meal at the table.
Early dinner
A childhood habit in our family of early diners is to always have dinner between 6.30 to 7.30 pm. If I am stepping out for a late dinner, I make sure I have eaten something at 6.30-7:00 pm, which is my regular dinner time to make sure I do not overeat. I seldom feel guilty about what I have eaten as all my meals are always well planned and informed choices. To ward off temptations, I always eat at regular intervals.
2. Prateek Kumar
His celeb count includes Shahid Kapoor, Mira Rajput Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, and Dhavani Bhanushali.
Say yes to workouts
I keep my workouts as the first task of my day. I usually workout before anyone wakes up in my family so that no one can disturb me. After my workout, I have a glass of warm water with haldi, lime, grated ginger black pepper and apple cider vinegar. This is a great antioxidant and helps me build my immunity and helps prepare my gut. I wait for 30 mins and then have a scoop of BCAA (branched chain amino acids) as it’s extremely low on calories and helps my body with the aminos it needs post a workout session.
Simple meals
Usually, I skip breakfast and have my first meal at 1:00 pm. I do have a few cups of black coffee before meals but don’t consume any coffee post eating. This allows my gut to recover and relax and I start my day with warm and simple food that's easy on my gut. I also ensure I run after my last meal as this habit ensures that I don’t binge later. My meals are normally a mix of rice, vegetables and single sources of protein such as chicken, eggs, tofu, lentils.
Smart snacking
Snacking smart is a habit that works well whenever I feel hungry. I end up consuming a bowl of fruit like watermelon or oranges, or a bowl of chicken clear soup loaded with vegetables. While fruits give me vitamins, chicken clear soup with veggies gives me loads of amino and fibre. Both of them fill me up, are low on calories, and are extremely nutrient-rich.
3. Shweta Shah
Geeta Basra’s pregnancy and post-pregnancy intake.
Chew on ginger
I chew ginger before every meal with a pinch of pink salt. This is a simple habit, practised by our ancestors too. It soothes my stomach and draws maximum nourishment from the food I eat. The healing power of ginger, combined with the antioxidant content of pink salt, is a great way to maintain blood pressure and keep coughs and colds at bay. It is also a good taste enhancer.
Don’t mix food groups
There are certain food combinations that I avoid. Viruddhahara means incompatible food combinations. We usually combine two or more food items to get nutrition and make our food preparations tasty and delicious. But, there are some food items that must be eaten separately as the condition and time required for their digestion are different. This includes – cereal with juice; milk and banana; fruit smoothies with milk; fruit with a meal; cheesy food with a cold drink, honey with warm water; lemon with cucumbers, milk, tomatoes, yoghurt.
Power of ash gourd juice
I drink ash gourd juice everyday. Ash gourd is also called wax gourd, winter gourd and ash pumpkin, or petha in Hindi. I blend about 250 gm of petha and juice of half a sliced lemon, strain and sip. This works beautifully in fobbing off acidity, ulcers, piles. It is great for skin and hair, and hydrates and relaxes at the same time
4. Suhasini Vishwanathan
She configures the diets of people you know: Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma.
Snack on fruits
I eat fruits as a midday snack. It doesn’t make me snack on empty calories or make me crave coffee. Over time, I have realised that having fruit also reduces my sugar cravings and stops me from overeating at my main meals.
Control your gluten intake
I streamline gluten in my diet. Whenever I have chapati for dinner for more than two days in a row or even have bread a couple of times in the week, my stomach feels weird, and my bowel movement is improper. The genetic test indicates gluten intolerance. Hence, I make sure I do not over-indulge in wheat and wheat products and choose more rice and millets. Especially during travel, I try to stay away from wheat as it helps me enjoy my trip without any gut issues.
Eat veggies
Packing in a variety of vegetables and ensuring that my weekly menu has no repetition is standard practice for me. This way, I get the best of nutrition from what is local, in season, and a varied platter that is not just light on the stomach, but also on the pocket. I use a teaspoon of oil as a measure when I cook food and this has made me realise that I enjoy the natural flavours of food.
5. Neha Sahaya
Her celeb roster boasts of celebrities such as Kajal Aggarwal, Tanisha Mukherjee, and Sahil Salathia.
Start with good fats
I start my day with fat. My first ingestion brings in nuts, seeds, coconut oil or avocado. This helps me maintain my blood sugar levels and at the same time, avoid any cravings for carbohydrates that I may have. I believe in eating small meals. Every three hours I make time for a small meal. I feel it is the healthiest way to keep my food cravings in control. This habit works wonderfully as nothing is a quick fix for lifestyle diseases; a small effort goes a long way.
One diet mantra that I always follow is to include protein in my main meals. A good amount of 15 to 20 gm not only keeps me full for a longer duration but also helps me build and maintain lean muscle mass.
6. Rajat Jain
Designs the food intake of fashion designers Shivan and Narresh, and HH Princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur.
Morning ritual
As soon as I wake up in the morning, I drink close to two warm glasses of water before I have coffee, tea or breakfast. Water makes up 60 per cent of our body, and this early morning hydration works beautifully for the great functioning of organs, tissues and many bodily functions. Taking time to eat breakfast (even if it's quick or on the go!) is something that I treat as non-negotiable. Rushing through a meal leaves me feeling unfocused, lethargic and unpleasantly hungry. Food provides the body with energy and eating constantly throughout the day is an important form of self-care for me.
I love having vegetables and I eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark green, red, and orange vegetables in three servings a day. Even if it is small portion size, I add it along with my meals for that power punch.