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1.Tell us more about yourself and your profession.
l am a dedicated macrobiotic health coach who strives to meet my client’s nutritional goals. I have designed numerous diet plans to suit all dietary needs. “I feel one should eat in a balanced manner to nourish their cells. Keeping their main focus on holistic health and preventive cure”- Dietitian Mehak Sethi
EXPERTISE＆SKILLS
- Background in nutritional science
- Excellent planner of customized therapeutic diets.
- Engaging and motivational.
- Knowledge of numerous dietary needs.
- Expertise in weight management.
- therapeutic diet assistance.
WORK HISTORY
- Gave clients nutritional counseling based on medical conditions, workout and diet needs.
- Planned nutrition based on requirements for weight loss and recovery。
ACADEMIC SUMMARY
- MSC FOOD AND NUTRITION (University of Delhi )
- Specialization: Therapeutic Nutrition
2.What is your fitness mantra?
“Today, more and more youngsters are joining the race to get that perfect physique or figure. They integrate ancient philosophies and natural practices to stay healthy”. My mantra to fitness is 'Eat to Nourish Your Cells'.
"We often talk about eating in terms of weight loss, and we forget what eating actually does. But when we visualize eating to nourish our cells, we begin to see the true purpose of food, and can't help but want to honor its ability to thrive."
3.What are some major misconceptions about diets and exercises?
- Exercise is more important than food to lose weight
No amount of exercise can make up for a bad diet. Exercise doesn’t earn you a brownie. While exercise is the most important habit to improve overall health, it’s only responsible for 20 to 30 percent of a person's weight. While 70 to 80% of weight loss will occur based on what you eat(diet), and 20 to 30% will be based on your workouts in the gym.
- Lots of cardio for weight loss
Yes, cardio or aerobic exercise do burn a lot of calories while you’re exercising. But what about when you’re not exercising? If you increase your muscle mass, your overall metabolism increases and you’ll burn more calories throughout the day during your normal daily activities.
All of your muscle fibers need calories to stay alive!
Muscle loss starts to happen in your thirties and decreases 3 to 5% per decade. After the age of 50, it can be upwards of 1 to 2% per year. Muscle loss can have a negative effect on your metabolism and regular strength training is the best way to prevent it.
- I need to be my “ideal” weight
We’re human beings who don’t fit into the same mold. Good health can’t be generalized into body fat percentage, waist circumference, body mass index, and weight. They're good guidelines, but numbers don’t reflect reality.
There are many variables that can affect our weight—from genetics to stress. We can sabotage ourselves by not exercising, eating poorly, and losing sleep, but there are many things out of our control. Your ideal weight shouldn’t be a number—it should be whatever weight helps you live the healthiest life possible.
4.How can one maintain a healthy lifestyle?
Everyone longs to be healthy and happy. After all, what's the point in working hard toward a long and healthy life if you can't enjoy it? While focusing on a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating right is great for your body, balanced living means protecting your mental and emotional health, too. And stress reduction needs to be at the top of your to-do list.
“Life is all about balance…the better the balance more is the longevity “ -Dietitian Mehak Sethi
5.How can one build a successful career in your field?
Its time for a more holistic and preventative approach to the treatment of disease – one that counts diet and nutrition as central components in the health and welfare of any patient.
One deserves a career that makes you excited to get out of bed every morning and that’s what I feel every morning since I decided to be a macrobiotic health coach.
When it comes to exciting careers, health and wellness is a fast-growing, future-proofed profession that offers a way to change people’s lives—both clients’ and your own.What can be better than promoting health?
A major part of this momentum is nutrition, especially as people become more interested in improving their health. With seemingly conflicting nutrition news and research, there’s a strong need for professionals who can translate complex information and deliver it in a way that’s meaningful.
Best of all, choosing a career in nutrition gives you flexibility when it comes to tailoring your career, because the field has a breadth of opportunities. One can become a Certified Nutrition Specialist/ Clinical Dietician./Dietetic Technicians./ Health Coach./ Health Educators and Community Health Workers./ Holistic Nutritionist./ Licensed Nutritionists./ Nutrition Specialties/ nutrition therapists,/nutritional product developers and the list goes on…
6.What is one piece of advice you would like to give someone who wishes to lose weight?
The first and most important way of keeping to a diet is to redefine it. It must be something you can do and live with. Only then can it be sustained. Of course, one needs to establish both short-term and long-term goals. A healthy diet is a cornerstone of preventative care.
My suggestion to you will be to try to balance items like dairy and oils, along with meats and poultry. Try to avoid sweets, overly salty foods, trans fat-heavy foods and overuse of alcohol. Pay attention to calorie count—your needed amount will vary based on your size, age and gender.
Healthy eating and exercising can truly improve overall well- being and one does not need to give up everything they love in order to achieve good health and wellbeing-Dietitian Mehak Sethi
7.How do diets and exercise contribute to overall well being and happiness?
Staying healthy is at the top of nearly everyone’s priority list, and our daily choices can determine just how healthy we are. Not everything is in our control, but the habits and approaches we take to our health can often make a difference between being healthy and unhealthy.
Two areas we have the most control over are our diet and exercise. These can both have huge effects on overall health, and can be some of the main factors in preventing disease and other complications later in life. Preventive healthcare measures like proper diet and exercise can also help your budget.
The largest benefit of a great diet and regular exercise is the way it helps your body stave off diseases and other conditions. Your body’s immune system is a complex machine, and diet and exercise can heavily affect it. Too many of the wrong foods can put you at risk, but the right foods complemented by appropriate exercise can actually boost your body’s ability to fight diseases.
Both diet and exercise, especially the latter, can have major effects on your mood. Chemicals in the brain called “endorphins” make you feel happy and positive, and these are triggered by most forms of exercise.
Diet can have many of the same effects, and there are indicators out there suggesting that proper diet and exercise are two major factors in overall mental health. Both help reduce stress and can increase brain activity. Endorphin stimulation can also help prevent depression and raise self-esteem.
Weight is one of the key factors involved in heart disease, high cholesterol or blood pressure and several other conditions. The top two factors that influence weight is diet and exercise.
Sleep issues are a concern for millions of people around the globe, and diet and exercise can influence your sleep habits. Exercise, in particular, can directly impact your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. It’s recommended that you don’t exercise heavily or eat right before bedtime, but proper habits in both areas can turn restless nights into comfortable ones.
- Mehak Sethi
Interview By - Anshika Sharma
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