The basic principle is to put weight loss on the back burner and listen more to the cues of hunger. It shows you the path to heal your relationship with food…writes Pallavi Moulick
The most ironic fact about intuitive eating, is it is not very intuitive for most. It takes intentional effort to get to that point.
Eighty per cent of women in the US alone are dissatisfied with their bodies. Moreover, longing for a thin and ideal body is international in nature.
The impact of diet culture is rippling. But here are some of the top ones to consider:
* Certain groups of food are heavily demonized
* Makes you feel unworthy of enjoying the good moments of life
* Pressure on every woman especially brides and new mothers to lose weight is immense
* Excessive emotional eating behaviours if your weight does not reduce in the timeline you need
Now the list is endless. The by-products of the impacts are feelings of lethargy, eating disorders, mood swings, guilt, shame and anxiety.
Chronic dieters know that they will always gain the weight back. Dieting has a negative connotation to it even while thinking about it. Now that the supposed villain is floating around everywhere in the world, it is time to find the main protagonist. Unfortunately, like a hero in a movie, science and the human body is not black and white. There are multiple perspectives that come into play when considering intuitive eating.
The basic principle is to put weight loss on the back burner and listen more to the cues of hunger. It shows you the path to heal your relationship with food. It encourages tapping into your inner wisdom of what your body needs. It also leads to acceptance of your ancestral form of eating. It values fullness over starvation. It nudges you to respect your body.
But the reality is, as of now, that most focus is on just losing weight. So how do we find a common ground between intuitive eating and weight loss? The best way to look at diet culture vs intuitive eating is to ask the right questions.
* How many kgs did I lose? Vs Am I feeling stronger every day?
* How can I avoid carbs in this meal? Vs Am I feeling satisfied with my meal?
* What will others think when they see my body? Vs Am I feeling healthy in my body?
* Am I eating a 1,200 calorie diet? Vs Am I eating according to what my body and mind need to function properly?
The thought of losing weight is weighing on pretty much every woman’s mind. There are deeper roots of the diet mentality than what seems on the surface. Somewhere it stems from the patriarchal viewpoint of seeing beauty in thin bodies. The body does its best to conform to massive changes in life and protect itself. But if the main source of fuel is heavily restricted, the body responds back in the same non-loving manner.
Good things take time. There is a reason this statement has proved to be true time and again. So let’s make small shifts in our eating mindset, daily movements for optimized health, and make nutrition and fitness a lifestyle instead of a short-term weight loss goal.
Including foods rich in healthy fats is also very essential. Try to add olives, nuts, avocados and seafood which provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E…writes Siddhi Jain.
Ever since the world has been hit by the pandemic predicament, attention can now be channelled towards more important concerns like that of health and nutrition, especially that of children. Sitting inside our safe spaces has allowed us to invest time in adopting better eating habits for our pretty little ones.
A well balanced and nutritious diet plays an essential role in the holistic development of a child. The tiny toddlers tend to be highly selective when it comes to food which might miss out on the crucial components of their nutritious needs. It is therefore very important to ensure a substantial intake of nutrients for a child’s proper growth and development which further can be provided with desirable milk powders or supplements. During the growing years of a child’s life, some nutrients carry more weightage than others like that of proteins.
Right from the initial years of infancy through adolescence, proteins fuel a child’s physical and mental growth leading to stronger bodies and minds. Protein is a crucial component because it is responsible for building tissues such as muscles, skin and bones. Kids require more proteins during their childhood than at any other time in their lives. As suggested by the National Academies of Science, 1-3 year olds should get at least 13 grams a day, 4-8-year-olds should get at least 19 grams a day and 9-13-year-olds should get at least 34 grams a day, says Yashna Garg, CMO E-Commerce, ZeoNutra.
Here are a few things she suggests to focus on in your child’s development years —
Try to engage your kid in as much physical activity from their initial years itself. Activities like — dance, skating, cycling, swimming, etc. will not only help them to grow physically but mentally as well.
Including foods rich in healthy fats is also very essential. Try to add olives, nuts, avocados and seafood which provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E.
The best results are found by consuming just the milk powder in the milk without additional sugars. The compound has clinically the ideal amount of sweetness to intake by the kids to help them grow well.
Kids these days are in high contact with electronic gadgets which restricts brain development and also increases lethargy in them. It is suggested to pursue them in brain teaser activities and reading books.
Our vision is a world where nobody will have to compromise with taste to achieve their health goals… Sakshi Bakshi speaks with Puja Gupta.
Foods that benefit for dietary goals will surely satisfy us for our healthy lifestyle. Nucros is a new-age subscription-based food/beverage provider that combines the latest nutrition science with natural ingredients for delicious meal plans to help achieve dietary goals.
The brand delivers customized keto, low carb, vegan, and balanced meals to your doorstep. The subscription plans include the management of various medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid, digestive issues, PCOD, weight loss, and general well-being. All plans are personalized, certified by doctors, crafted by expert chefs, and delivered to one’s doorstep.
An interview with Sakshi Bakshi to know more about the venture.
What prompted you to start the brand during a pandemic and what is the vision?
It was during the lockdown that I initiated the process and that’s when the company was formed with the idea to launch a platform where consumers can simply fill up a form, post which they would receive a call from our nutritionist. That call will discuss the subscriber’s goals and their medical history, based on which the nutritionist prepares their diet plans which are vetted and approved by our team of dedicated doctors. The diet plan is then shared with the kitchen team who then prepares the fresh meals which are then delivered to the subscriber’s house daily.
My vision is to eliminate the stigma of completely of avoiding tasty food while following meal plans. That is why Nucros Science not only prepares your diet chart but also sends you fresh meals cooked in their kitchen under their meal subscription plans. These diet plans also have dishes like Maggi and pizzas which are made using healthier alternatives. Such diet plans help the clients to be happy and content because they don’t have to compromise on the taste but rather, they learn to make healthier choices and eat what they enjoy. This also helps them to love their bodies and work hard to stay fit.
Our vision is a world where nobody will have to compromise with taste to achieve their health goals. Our mission is to provide complete convenience and deliver nutrient-calculated and macros-calculated tasty and healthy meals on a subscription basis right to your doorstep.
What sets the brand apart and why should people opt for Nucros?
The subscription-based healthy meal market in India is in a nascent stage, especially in the chronic and lifestyle disease space. Unlike other products in the lifestyle disease space which target only a specific part of the problem such as bars, teas, and drinks, we provide a holistic and convenient solution that comprises nutritious meals along with exercise and lifestyle guidance. Moreover, this is a segment that requires tailored nutrition, unlike a one-size-fits-all approach which is followed by most players.
In the women’s health market, we are the only subscription-based meal service in India, offering meals and smoothies for specific women’s health issues such as managing PCOS, boosting fertility, increasing fetal weight during pregnancy, and boosting milk supply after birth, all through natural foods with food acting as medicine.
Chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are increasingly common in India and most patients with chronic diseases have to limit or restrict their diet to manage their condition(s). What sets us apart from other players in this category including dieticians is that we ensure they get all their favorite meals and desserts thanks to a team of expert chefs, nutritionists and endocrinologists who make sure that their diet is not restrictive and they can enjoy all their meals despite their health condition.
While the weight-management market is crowded with multiple players offering parts of the solution, apart from calorie-counted and macros-calculated meals provided to their doorstep and nutritionist guidance, we also provide free monthly blood diagnostic test and consults with physicians and exercise coaches to ensure their goals and macros, micros are on track and that they are completely taken care of. And as mentioned, a customized meal plan per their preferences and allergies so that they enjoy the meals shared.
What challenges did you face while setting up with business and your key learnings?
A: The key business challenge has been the high rate of customer attrition. Most subscribers achieve their weight loss goals in a target span of 2-2.5 months and thus do not resubscribe to the plan. To combat this issue, we have diversified our business portfolio into DIY plans and retail products as alternate revenue streams. These new offerings have also enabled us to hold on to the customer even after they discontinue. We are also slowly and steadily shifting our focus from weight-management plans to chronic and lifestyle diseases for longer client retention.
As an entrepreneur, the biggest lesson learned has been to be agile. The quicker you make a decision, the quicker you can succeed or fail at it. I have consciously tried to create a culture of trial and error at Nucros, leading the team to be more creative and empowered. Thanks to a strong independent team, most tasks and decisions are made autonomously without waiting for any approval. Another important lesson learned has been to drive operations using technology. This has helped us in creating standardised and automated processes where we can accommodate over 100 clients with a smaller workforce thereby creating cost efficiencies.
What are your growth and expansion plans?
A: Since our start in July 2020, we have achieved around 10 per cent growth month-on-month till Dec 2020 and 20 per cent growth month-on-month with a total revenue of Rs 76 lacs till March 2021.We are looking to double the revenue every year with the help of our existing revenue streams and projected expansion into other tier-1 markets.
Expansion strategies for specific segments:
* Diabetes/ Heart/Renal/Liver Disease — Plans underway to expand share in this segment through doctor referrals. Future penetration plans include direct tie-up with select hospitals that can outsource meals for in-hospital patients.
* PCOS/Fertility/Pregnancy/Lactation (Women TMs Health) — Apart from the existing doctor referral system for our meal subscription program, we are planning to increase share in this market through Pan-India expansion with retail food products such as smoothie premixes and healthier food swaps for insulin resistance, etc.
* Weight Management — To increase share in this highly competitive market, we are planning to launch an app to expand our services offering and provide a seamless experience to both our meal subscription and DIY customers.
