Exercise Helps in Preserving Lean Mass Which We Tend to Lose Post 30 - Shikha Mishra



1. Tell us more about yourself and your profession.

I have more than 12 years of experience in this field, I also hold sports nutritionist degree, was associated with Apollo hospital and Apollo clinic for a long time. Now I have my own practice.

I believe in a holistic approach to health and fitness. Food plays a very important role in disease management and prevention, that’s why I love to teach people how to use nutrition in the right way.

I handle clients with all health problems like weight loss and gain, diabetes, pcod, thyroid, arthritis, cholesterol, heart problems, uric acid, gut health, liver function, child nutrition and sports nutrition etc

Health is not about the following something for a few days or months. Changing the overall lifestyle and adopting healthy habits will help in getting fit and healthy.

I think a lot of people feel eating healthy means avoiding normal food and just eating boiled and tasteless food. But I like to educate people about how to make healthier choices without restricting or dieting. Life revolves around food, you should enjoy it.

2. What is your fitness mantra?

My fitness mantra includes very basic things I eat very balanced home-cooked food which helps in managing my hormones because we as women are always prone to some and other hormonal issues.

I also try to eat food which can help in managing my gut health like lemon water, virgin coconut oil, nuts, seeds, fermented food and salad with good protein.

It’s always important to select correct fitness routine, I like to go to the gym and also practice yoga, that way there is no boredom in my routine. I keep myself very active the whole day so I don’t become sedentary.

I try to sleep on time which helps in proper recovery of the body. I look forward to each day with positive energy and enthusiasm.

3. What are some of the major misconceptions about diets and exercises?

There are many misconceptions about food and exercises:

a) Coconut is bad for health – for a longer period of time people were advised to avoid coconut now its superfood. Coconut oil contains MCT. Your body metabolizes MCTs differently than other types of fats, absorbing them directly from your small intestine and rapidly using them for energy.

b) Women get muscular if they lift weights, in fact, it helps in preserving lean mass which tend to decrease post 30.

c) You should do more crunches to lose stomach fat. Spot reduction is a myth. Overall fat loss is important.

d) Avoid fat to get healthy. Fats are an important component of hormones and for overall body functions selecting healthy fat is important.

e) Egg yolk is unhealthy – it’s loaded with vitamins A, D, E and K along with omega-3 fats and also rich in folate and vitamin B12.

4. How can one maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Good health and fitness is not a fad. It is a pre-requisite for a healthy life. One has to stop the constant fad diets and unrealistic goals that can cause great harm to one’s physical and mental health.

Balance your intakes with the right amount of nutrition according to your lifestyle and activity, appropriate foods, regular moderate exercises, meditation and good rest are essential pillars of fitness.

Any fitness activity performed mindfully and with full awareness will make a person healthy and energetic.

Stress and inactivity can make anyone drained in energy. This can result in a weak immune system which will disturb overall health and can lead to weight gain.

5. How can one build a successful career in your field?

One of the fastest-growing fields in healthcare is nutrition. In fact, with obesity on the rise and more people concerned with the links between diet and overall quality of life, the demand for nutritionists and dietitians is expected to grow at an impressive rate. In addition to a bachelor’s degree, Master degree in Food and nutrition is important.

Keeping yourself updated with new researches is very important, never miss learning new things. Doing extra curses like Sports Nutrition, Pediatric Nutrition Specialist, Diabetic educator always adds value to knowledge.

Demand for nutritionists and dietitians can vary from city to city, state to state and region to region.

Your work will always speak about you, once you start practising and you are good at it automatically you will become successful.

6. What is one piece of advice you would like to give someone who wishes to lose weight?

1) Set a realistic goal for yourself because we all have different body type, shape and genetic predisposition.

2) Keep more parameters to check progress, not just number on weighing scale, overall fat loss, inch loss is also important.

3) Watch your protein intake since most of the people don’t eat enough of it, protein keep us full for a longer period of time and burns more calories to digest.

4) Increase overall physical activity doesn’t just depend on exercise, it increases total energy expenditure.

5) Include weight training at least 2-3 times per week –more muscles means better fat burning process.

6) Fix your sleep if you have disturbed sleep cycle it will affect your growth hormones and cortisol levels which will interfere in the fat-burning process.

7. How do diets and exercise contribute to overall well being and happiness?

Exercise is not just about running a marathon and having big size muscle, exercise can improve your physical and mental health, decrease your waistline even can add many healthy years to your life.

If you exercise regularly it can give you an enormous sense of well-being. You will feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep quality will be better and you will be more relaxed and positive about many things in life.

Exercise helps in preserving lean mass which we tend to lose post 30.

Your body needs proper nutrition to function well. Eating well helps to reduce the risk of physical health problems like heart disease and diabetes. A balanced diet and certain foods also improve quality of sleep. It boosts your energy levels and your general health.

Eating a variety of foods that meet your daily nutritional requirements can help you improve your overall health and fitness.
Your brain functions best when it gets high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate sleep, appetite and mood. Since about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, taking care of your gut health is very important.

For more diet and health-related information, you can reach out to her on Facebook @Shikha.Mishra.dietician and Instagram @dieticianmishra.

Interview By - Benil Joseph