Showing posts with label Alia Bhatt diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alia Bhatt diet. Show all posts
Women should take a moment to appreciate their bodies-Alia Bhatt
8:56 AM
The actress opens up about body positivity and lessons learnt about fitness as a new mother
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; January 18, 2023)
After giving birth to a baby girl last November, Alia Bhatt is back to yoga and her fitness regime, but is in no rush to look a certain way. “Listen to your body” is her mantra, something that she has learnt over the years as an actress and now as a mother. In a chat with Bombay Times, she particularly stressed on this aspect of body positivity. She told us, “I really want to talk about this. A lot of women struggle with their new appearance post pregnancy. They tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves to get back to looking a certain way. Everyone wants to lose weight and I can relate to that.”
She added, “I love food, I love to eat and I had to lose weight because films are a visual medium and you need to look healthy.”
Alia said, “You have to look appealing. In today’s age, with every picture appearing on social media, girls even before pregnancy are constantly worried about how they look. Women should take a moment to appreciate their bodies.”
The actress had a special message for new mothers like herself. She said, “So many pieces have to come together and things need to go right for you to bring a baby into the world. I want you to appreciate your body for keeping you safe during that time. It’s not just about getting back in shape, but building your immunity, and then, everything will follow.”
She continued, “Now when I work out, I don’t do it to become thin or make my waist look smaller. I do it to be healthy. The idea is to be fit and not starve yourself by following some unhealthy diet. I made a decision to never be hard on myself even if there’s extra bloating or chubbiness here and there. I am going to celebrate it. I won’t torture myself. Just take effort to remain healthy, like eat your veggies, include protein in your diet, do yoga and go for a walk. Do basic things to be healthy. Take a moment to appreciate yourself.”
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CHILDBIRTH IS A MIRACLE IN EVERY WAY, SAYS ALIA
In a post she shared on Instagram last December, Alia wrote, “One and a half months post-partum, after gradually re-building my connection with my core, and with full guidance from my teacher, I was able to attempt this inversion. To my fellow mamas, listening to your body post delivery is key. Do not do anything your gut tells you not to. For the first week or two during my workouts, all I did was breathe, walk, find my stability and balance again (& I still have a long way to go). Take your time, appreciate what your body has done. After what my body did, I have taken a vow to never be hard on myself again. Childbirth is a miracle in every way & giving your body that love and support that it gave you is the least we can do (sic).”
Alia Bhatt is mindful of her habits, and for her, listening to her body is key-Anshuka Parwani
4:09 PM
From ensuring her routine was intense enough to break a sweat, to consuming comfort food to her heart’s content, Alia, say her wellness coaches, took small steps to keep herself in good stead during pregnancy
Sonia Lilla (MID-DAY; January 5, 2023)
A month and a half after her delivery, Alia Bhatt took to her social media handle to share an update on the progress she had made in her fitness journey. In her motivational post to all new mothers, she encouraged them to “listen to your body post-delivery, and not do anything that your gut tells you not to”.
And while the actor stated that the three weeks that followed her delivery were spent in “walking and finding my balance” alone, her yoga trainer, Anshuka Parwani attributes her ability to return to ship-shape post-pregnancy to her active lifestyle. “Alia is mindful of her habits, and for her, listening to her body is key. She was active from the get go, and her [training] pattern was similar to what Kareena [Kapoor Khan] followed,” says the trainer who catered to both actors during their pregnancies.
Admitting that pregnancy can be emotionally challenging for women who “haven’t seen their body in a certain way”, she says staying active is integral to positively impacting the parasympathetic nervous system. “This in turn affects your hormonal system as well.”
She encouraged Bhatt to work towards breaking a sweat during her training. “As long as we were being safe with the [choice of] exercise, we were still adhering to a holistic practice. The suryanamaskars that we followed were challenging. Since it is easy to lose muscle mass during pregnancy, we continued to train with light weights to retain the muscle tone. Apart from resistance bands, body weight was also employed in her regimen. So, as long as the practice is alerted keeping one’s safety in mind, one can follow a well-rounded regimen.”
Weeks after her delivery, Bhatt caught the attention of social media users when she left Parwani’s yoga studio, with fans commending her for shedding her post-pregnancy weight in no time. However, Parwani says a discussion on weight-loss never occurred between the two. Using medical opinion to decipher when it would be safe for her to resume training, she brought Bhatt back to the studio after four weeks.
“It’s important to know that this period can vary for each woman. Some women may need three months of rest before resuming. With Alia, we worked on bringing the muscle-memory back, because returning to the original routine after nine months is hard. Building the mind-body connection, and core strength are the aspects that pose a challenge. Also, you need to be mindful of avoiding injuries both during and post-pregnancy. This is because the process of delivery alters the body and the muscle strength. Alia started with breath work, and then progressed to mobility training. Subsequently, we worked on core and pelvic floor training.”
Getting Alia to eat right!
Bhatt’s nutritionist Dr Siddhant Bhargava tweaked her diet frequently to ensure that she was on track to gaining no more than the nine to 11 kilos that is recommended during pregnancy. “While ensuring that [the health of the actor and the baby] were addressed, we’d take a call on adding or reducing [calories] after studying her scans. Alia’s diet comprised comfort food, whether that was dahi chawal, or anything else that she wanted. We usually calculate every gram of food, including the oils and vegetables she consumes. But during her pregnancy, we didn’t have a very strict routine.”
Like he would while creating a diet chart for a pregnant woman, Dr Bhargava added iron supplements, folic acid, and a good share of greens and fruits in her diet. Sugars, on the other hand, were eliminated. “There are too many myths associated with pregnancy, and women are encouraged to have large quantities of ghee and jaggery because these are considered healthy food items. These recommendations were born out of a good place, but if you consume these foods unchecked, it could cause trouble. All of these things lead to excessive weight gain. When you add extra sugar to a pregnant woman’s diet, the chances of developing gestational diabetes increases. The child could also develop insulin resistance. So, we did not disregard traditional nutritional advice, but found ways to work around them.”
While Dr Bhargava paid heed to the fact that the actor would want to return to shape to resume her work in the industry, weight-loss, he says, was not part of their conversations. “Only three weeks after her delivery did we take up any diet-centric conversations. Post-pregnancy, one’s calorie requirement increases. Breastfeeding takes away a large part of your caloric intake, and we wanted to make no compromises there, because we wanted the baby to receive the best nutrition. Now that it has been three months, we’ll start adding some restrictions to her diet.”
Prod him if Bhatt follows a low-carb diet, and he responds in the negative. “She consumes about 80 grams, which is equivalent to four rotis.”
Alia Bhatt, Sara Ali Khan, Bhumi Pednekar, Kartik Aaryan's nutritionists open up on things their client will or won't do
8:24 AM
Never have I ever...eaten ice-cream before bedtime, had fruits with milk, or skipped breakfast? Two nutritionists catering to five celebrities between them, on things their fitness-conscious clients will or won't do
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; August 19, 2020)
Never Has Sara Ali Khan Ever, Eaten Carbohydrates For DinnerSara's nutritionist, Dr Siddhant Bhargava says that while the actor has never been a heavy carb-eater, she will consume it around lunch, if she must. "Sara must train as soon as she wakes up, and either eats eggs, or nothing at all, before doing so. Post-workout, she's usually hungry, and that's when she has carbs. Hence, she avoids consuming carbs at night. But, that's a preference. If one is not on a low-carb diet, carbs can be consumed at any time in the day. As long as the total number of calories consumed from protein, carbs and fats, remains constant, one's weight isn't affected," he says.
Never Will Alia Ever, Eat Boiled Sabzi
"Only yesterday, I tried to add boiled vegetables to Alia's chart, and she called to express her displeasure," laughs Bhargava, adding that as far as Sara is concerned, "she will eat everything".
"She is a foodie. She has a good relation with food. She won't go on a guilt-trip. If she is hungry, she will eat whatever is in front of her, even if that is gulab jamun. But, she has an understanding of the portions she requires. She knows she is an actor and will shed the weight she gains, whenever needed."
Never Has Shraddha Kapoor Ever, Eaten Banana With Milk
Shraddha's trainer Maahek Nair says she will not consume the two foods together since they "diminish the digestive fire, and produce toxins, which can cause problems like sinus, cold, cough, allergy, and congestion."
Bhargava says his clients, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar and Sara Ali Khan, will not eat high-fat and high-sugar foods together. "The combination of fats and sugar delays the arrival of what we refer to as hedonic breakpoint, beyond which sweetness becomes less palatable. For instance, you can have two to three spoons of sugar, and after that, any more of it will seem too sweet to consume. But combine sugar with [saturated fats], like in the case of a gulab jamun, and you can keep consuming it without feeling dissatisfied. That's why people can eat eight to 10 of them in one sitting. So, I recommend that my clients don't mix the two."
Never Has Bhumi Ever, Left For An Outdoor Shoot Without Packing In Her Must-Have Snack
"Apart from zero-sugar brownies, Bhumi carries 20 to 30 portions of almond and hazelnut rocks, which are ideal to eat when hungry, and when meal options are limited," says Bhargava. Nair says quick-eat solutions need to be rich in protein, and also convenient to access. "Shraddha has organic protein bars, nuts and protein cookies. Fresh fruits are another option for her. Kartik carries protein shakes and meal-replacement sachets. Nuts, like almonds and walnuts, are rich in protein, and help in maintaining lean-muscle mass, while reducing inflammation."
Never Has Alia Ever, Begun The Day Without Nimbu Pani
Bhargava points out that lemon water, owing to its ability to reduce acidity, is a good way to start the day for those affected with the issue. "After that, Alia has a wholesome breakfast, including oats and eggs. We make it sweet, by adding berries, or savoury. It has an ideal mix of protein and fats."
Nair says Kartik Aaryan kicks off his day with amla juice. "It helps improve blood sugar levels, and digestion, and eliminates toxins, making it an ideal thing to consume in the morning."
No boy is worth starving for-Alia Bhatt
8:12 AM
After a three-month break, Alia Bhatt is back in action with three films and prepping for long night shoots with nimbu paani, khichdi
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 30, 2017)
Alia Bhatt is candid enough to admit that she’s a far cry from what she looked like two years ago. She’s healthier, happier and still has her fair share of sugar and salt. But the years of feeling bloated and constipated are behind her and today the 24-year-old style icon is happy to bust food fads for young girls. “Trust me, no boy is worth starving for!” she exclaims.
On Wednesday, she spoke to fans across age groups from New York and Dallas to Dubai and parts of Africa, with dietician-nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, on how to stay fit and fine. She looked radiant despite being up since 3am and attributed it to right snacking, no gaps between meals, regular workouts with walking and cycling thrice a week.
“Everyone’s talking about gluten-free pizza, brown bread and red rice, about reducing their carb intake, and I’m eating white bread and butter at 4am. Rujuta showed me how local food eaten in moderation can be healthy,” she informs.
Alia who has been on a three-month break after her last release, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, in March, has been learning different dance forms and travelling in the interim. She will now return to action with three films in quick succession Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi, alongside Vicky Kaushal, Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boys opposite Ranveer Singh and Ayan Mukerji’s Dragon with Ranbir Kapoor.
“Her schedule and hours will keep changing. She will have rigorous dance sessions, action shoots and emotionally taxing days. She needs to look fabulous through it all,” points out Rujuta, who shocked the actress by suggesting she add a spoonful of sugar and saffron instead of honey to her daily dose of nimbu paani. “Ever since Rujuta told me that the drink is great for my hair too, I don’t skip it. Not having sugar or salt gave me cramps, it’s harmful to give it up entirely,” she warns, revealing that her sister, Shaheen, who is an insomniac and has low blood pressure tops her food with salt because she craves it. “Eating anything in excess directly affects your health.”
Rujuta explains that sugar is a coolant and an actor needs to cool down their body temperature after rigorous workouts so that they can run the extra mile on the set. So, she has advised Alia to drink lots of lassi and chhaas. The milk is strictly organic and her mother, Soni Razdan, has it delivered in glass bottles as opposed to plastic packs.
“I make my paneer and dahi from that milk too and consume it fresh. It works as a natural fat burner and gives me a good skin tone. It’s my job to look fabulous,” Alia announces, eager to start bingeing on her paneer bhurji waiting for her at home.
Joking that she owes her radiant skin to make-up, she points out that carbs are her best friend when she’s unwell or suffering from acidity. “Dal khichdi and curd rice are my favourites with a spoonful of ghee,” she says, while Rujuta points out that air-frying is a myth and far more harmful than deep-fried food. “But make sure the oil you use is peanut, mustard or coconut,” she insists.
A few weeks ago, Alia took to Instagram to share a picture of herself downing a glass of sugarcane juice. When her Udta Punjab co-star, Kareena Kapoor, spotted this she called Rujuta, who is her nutritionist-dietician, and asked if Alia was on the same diet that she is. Rujuta accented and when the two actresses bumped into each other at a party, Kareena looked at Alia and crooned, “Rujju Rujju”. It was her way of telling the younger actress that she knew her secret. “So now, I do the same with her. We’re going around spreading dietary joy,” Alia laughs.
She insists that actresses are not saints and don’t stay hungry to fit into a bikini. In fact, she shares, that when on a holiday she eats burgers and at weddings relishes rasmalai. “But once I am back, I wrap up dinner at 8:30 pm and sleep for eight-10 hours. I have different diets for when I am travelling and shooting at night,” she says.
Don’t Bollywood celebrities often take off to a certain Austrian spa to “detox”? Alia rubbishes this, saying, “When at a spa, you read, go on hikes, spend time with nature. I love spas but don’t go there to detox and binge. I do everything in moderation,” she emphasises, adding that her stomach can be quite sensitive to climate changes.
Rujuta steps in to explain, “That’s where the concept of ‘Food Miles’ comes into play. The lesser your food travels, the smaller your stomach looks. So Alia’s on a diet of jawar in summer, bajra in winter and nachni and raagi during the monsoons according to the heating and cooling properties of the food.”
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