Rashi Chowdhary is a nutritionist and an inch loss expert, who has done an intensive 5-year degree course in human nutrition. She is also a certified diabetic educator and has a fantastic YouTube Channel where she talks about how to reverse auto-immune diseases like diabetes and PCOD with small but effective lifestyle changes. Rashi is also the Founder of the theproteinbakeshop.com and is a young inspiring entrepreneur all set to make it big in the health and fitness world.
We recently had the lovely opportunity to catch up with her to talk about her journey into health, nutrition and fitness. Go check out her interview below!
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You are amongst the most qualified and sought after inch loss experts and nutritionists in the country and Founder of Protein Bake Shop. Walk us through your incredible journey and tell us how it all began?
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
I am so grateful for how far I have come, but I know I have a long way to go and in my mind, I have barely begun. I’ve been working on making people’s lives healthier and happier since the past 10 years now. But my real effort started only when I struggled with my own hormonal issue. I overcame endometriosis without the use of Oral contraceptive pills or any other medication and I am free from it for over 5 years now. Only after I discovered that I had it, did I start digging deep and understood, how misinformed most people are about nutrition. We were literally educated the wrong way. And we still are in so many ways. There are so many concepts that do not hold true to your current lifestyle’s and circumstances and we hear the best nutrition schools and the most renowned nutritionists prescribe exactly that.
I was lucky enough to struggle with my condition so I couldn’t understand what really works and then I started to apply those concepts with my clients too. Then I saw clients like Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic clients plus clients with metabolic issue recover and heal so quickly, I realized how amazing this new found knowledge was. Based on these new principles I started Protein Bake shop so I could literally spread the word and educate people about how conventional nutritional advice does not apply to us anymore and is doing more harm than good. In 2012, when I launched the first Grain free bakery, people were not familiar with paleo and grain free food. But because I had already seen how it was working beautifully in my clinical practice I was convinced this would work.
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2017 Women Fitness Org
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Introduce us to a day in your life.
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
I wake up by 5 am on most days of the week. I absolutely hate exercising but in my mind it is an absolute must, so I finish that and get it out of the way by 7 am. My clinic starts at 9 am so I have an hour before where I usually push in a blow dry and check my emails or make to do lists ( I love TO DO lists) Clinic appointments are between 9 to 6 pm and I break for lunch between 1 and 1:20 pm. Post 6 Pm I usually have some protein bake shop to take care of but I usually take 3 days off post 6 pm in the week to meet friends and just chill.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine?
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
I keep switching it between cross fit, resistance training with free weights and there is a whole lot of running. I get bored very easily so I have tried some of the best Crossfit gyms in Dubai, trained with many different trainers and running is something I do if I land up skipping gym for any reason. I’m in control of it so it makes me feel very comfortable. I use to do a lot of 5 k’s and now I am for 7 or 10 k’s to feel like I have had a good workout.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Tell us about the food/meal routine that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
I follow the 80 / 20 rule. My food is extremely clean! I’ve gone grain free since a while and only seen benefits every since in every area of my life. I genuinely believe that food has a massive impact on how we think, feel and behave and that make us the people we are. When you eat food that heals your gut, you will be happier and are able to make better decisions. You feel calmer and more in control of your emotional state. I have my solid reasons to eat clean because only then I am able to easily say no to a lot of foods that add absolutely no value to my nutritional status. Sweet potatoes, avocados, nuts, meats, veggies, fruit and a lot of ghee. My food comprises of all the things. I use to be a sugar addict which is also the reason I started protein bake shop, but now, thanks to the Peanut butter truffles, I don’t give into my cravings for sugar easily. I always keep them handy with me.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have written about how to drop a dress size in 30 days. Would you like to share with us some tips from this guide?
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
Yes! You can actually drop a dress size in 30 days. It’s possible but let me tell you, clearly, that it is not easy. You DO NOT Need to starve. If you feel hungry, there is a problem with the diet I have given you, not your will power. But the meal plan that I provide needs to be followed with Precision, there needs to be consistency, you should not be checking your weight, a bit of working out needs to be included and boredom will be part of the process. I always ask people to look for excitement in other things and not food alone. We tend to EAT OUR FEELINGS because food is the only thing we have control over and we are all looking for that certainty in today’s uncertain times and anxiety driven lifestyle. So it is understandable, but it won’t help us reach our body and fitness goals. The key is to eat according to your Gut health, your hormones and your personality type. This combination seems to work well with me and my clients at my clinic.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You are also a diabetic educator. Share with us a few diet tips for someone who has diabetes.
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
Diabetes is reversible. And I have seen this with over 100 clients. If their HBA1C is 12, it can come down to normal levels 5.5% in about 8 months. Once you maintain 5.5 %for 3-6 Months, your endocrinologist, will himself ask you to get off the glucophuge. If you are already on insulin, this process can become tougher and will require you to do a lot of Weight training to build some active muscle tissue that improve insulin sensitivity, but it is not impossible. I recommend a high fat, moderate protein, moderate carb approach for diabetes. Adding in supplements like Omega 3 and Chromium Picolinate are a must in most cases due to their insulin mimicking qualities.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Introduce us to your unique bakery, Protein Bake Shop. How were you motivated to start this up?
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
I struggled with a massive sweet tooth myself, Use to have a lot of diet colas to keep my calories low and have the sugar. Clearly it didn’t help. I was unfit, my mind was unfit and lazy and I had hormonal issues. I worked on my diabetic clients and those having issues like PCOD too and realized that the principle I had been using needed to be put out there. So I developed all my products based on those principles as a way to educate and inform people against the old conventional ways of eating that we have been taught. Some of the major one’s being, dairy is good for and your bones, whole wheat is better than rice and natural sugar in the form of fruits, dates and honey is ok to consume in any amounts you like.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What according to you are the 5 Must-have components/foods in an Indian Meal?
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
White rice, Ghee, Nuts but not peanuts (Peanuts are not nuts, they are legumes), haldi are some of the most essential and must have Indian foods that heal the gut and help overall wellbeing.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Would you like to tell us about the changing scenario of fitness in India over the years?
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
A lot has been changing really fast in the health and Fitness Industry in India. Small home grown health businesses getting funding, use of smart health apps and structural changes in the way people are now running businesses is causing a disruption in the health market. As close as 2 years ago, people were unfamiliar with concepts like paleo, grain free eating, keto diets etc, and now this is all people are talking about. We have dedicated radio station channels talking just about keto diets/ low carb diets and their benefits in Chennai.
Organic food, gluten free and dairy free eating is becoming popular with so many restaurants offering these options in their menu. A lot has to do with how Bollywood celebs have taken fitness to a whole new level. Having a 6 pack is now considered so normal in the Bollywood industry. And with social media taking over in such a huge way this sort of a lifestyle is becoming more accessible and easier to do for regular people. From gym Akhadas to global gyms coming in and now more niche ways of working out like Pilates, resistance training and cross-fit are finding their ways in people’s lifestyle. As recent as 15 years ago, a dietitian was someone you went to only when you were in a hospital, but now having a nutritionist on speed dial is becoming a lifestyle for a lot of people. We are now understanding that eating well and working our often keeps us happier and are willing to spend a decent amount on looking and feeling good. What was a luxury earlier is now becoming an in disposable part of our lives. The total retail market for fitness is valued at 0.76 billion USD in India and is expected to cross 1.18 billion in this year.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What would be your Top 5 Nutrition Tips for college going girls?
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
#1: Love and accept yourself for who you are and who you are becoming, and take full responsibility and ownership with how your body looks and feels. Stop blaming it on Thyroid, PCOS, hereditary. I feel a lot of young girls behave like victims to these issues when intact they have control over the situation. Your health doesn’t deteriorate overnight. It is a collective product of your habits and the daily choices you make.
#2: Follow the principle of Fat first. Which means, waking up and having a tablespoon of Ghee, coconut oil or butter as soon as you wake up. Have this over having carbohydrates from fruit / bread/ cereal or chapati. Reason being very simple, clear, effective and scientific. When you have anything with carbs in it, Your blood sugar levels rise making you hungrier and wanting more carbs. When you replace this with good Fat, you have a better blood sugar response that helps blunt your insulin levels almost stopping the mad hormonal cascade that follows after carbs. Help you heal your gut. Burn fat and helps in reducing sugar cravings .
#3: Sugar is sugar is sugar. Weather it’s from Chocolates, Fruit juices or Fresh fruits. If you are struggling with metabolic issues, and have some weight to lose, Be carb conscious irrespective of the source of carbs. Needless to say that the carbs from fresh fruit is obviously better than that from refined sugar forms, but it will really help if you aim to keep your total carb count between 50-100 grams a day based on your activity levels, lifestyle and health concerns.
#4: Going low on fats from ghee butter nut butters avocado and egg yolks is on wow the worst things you can do. Your sex hormones am made from cholesterol. If you go very low on fat, you are guaranteed to land up with hormonal issues. Going low on fat should only be acceptable when you have reached a genuine plateau as far as weight loss is concerned only after your high fat strategy has failed.
#5: Water is the most under rated nutrient. Hydrate often. Your body will love you back for it.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding nutritionists who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in this field?
Ms. Rashi Chowdhary:
“Fail fast” with your nutrition strategies with clients. If one strategy doesn’t work, fail at it fast and try something else, try something different. Never waste time doing the same thing again and again with your clients. Never follow anyone else’s footsteps. Your own clients and their problems will eventually shape your own nutrition method. Every body is unique and has a different metabolism so no one diet fits all. Keep learning because so much is changing so fast in the nutritional science field. Never give up on someone who has come to you for help. The toughest cases are always the best ones cause in the end you get to learn so much. I absolutely LOVE hearing “I have tried everything to lose weight but nothing seems to work” in the first session. That instantly gives me a thrill and I start thinking of different new ways to deal with the case.
As far as owning your very own business is concerned, what really matters is the intention you started it with. Spend enough time thinking about what your end goal is and have a very clear vision of where yo want to take your business. The first few people who you hire, make or break the company, be wise with who you choose to be part of your work family.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2017 Women Fitness Org