Stay Fit, Not Just Thin

This new year, turn over a new leaf. In fact, several leaves—raw and cooked— and make a resolution to fill your plate with a lot of greens and coloured veggies, says  nutritionist Madhu Tangri. Providing dietary consultancy for the last three years, she suggests that we should not make promises we can’t keep. “Instead, adopt the right approach to make relevant changes in your lifestyle to achieve your weight-loss goals. Also, have a nutritious diet to managing stress, and maintain the right mind-body balance,” she says.

Madhu, who advocates staying fit—not just thin—says, “People think fitness is a humongous effort – it is not. Making a few small changes in our diet and lifestyle will lead to a big change. Never forget that our bodies need all the nutrients – be it vitamins, proteins, minerals, and even carbohydrates and fats. Depriving the body of any of these will create major physiological imbalances. On the other side, stuffing ourselves with any kind of food can also lead to problems. The secret lies in eating right, not eating less.”

Usually, she starts with a health history consultation, to determine what the client wants to achieve. It gives her an idea of any pre-existing medical conditions, such as high BP, excess weight, high cholesterol, etc. Then she designs programmes to suit her client’s needs. Her patient list ranges from a nine-year-old child, to a 50-year-old corporate honcho. “I lost 16 kg in just 11 months, without any heavy physical exercise. Madhu suggested some simple changes in my diet and lifestyle, which helped transformed my life,” smiles Neena, one of Madhu’s patients. Not just weight loss, there are many thalassemic and anaemic patients who have benefitted from Madhu’s dietary consultancy. “My haemoglobin level went up to 10 from 8, in just 6 months, using absolutely natural ways,” says 30-year-old Rashmi. She agrees that changing one’s lifestyle can be stressful, so the key to long-term success is to embrace 
changes slowly.

Trained in principles of nutrition, health, lifestyle management and behavioural psychology, Madhu specialises in weight loss, stress management and nutritional makeover. She also undertakes corporate and group workshops on health-related topics, such as the right diet for children, and stress management.

Madhu works under her banner, Foods For Life.
She can be reached at 9871040810, or madhu.foodsforlife@gmail.com ."

This article has also been published in Friday gurgaon