Kamna Desai Interview
"Most people start their day with a blood-sugar spike without knowing it — fixing that one habit can change your entire life.”
1. How would you introduce your journey from Clinical Dietetics to founding Nutrition Quest?
The journey has been incredibly rewarding. I began practicing Clinical Dietetics in 2001, when very few people even understood what Dietetics meant or what a Dietitian actually did. Over time, a perception grew that a Dietitian’s role was limited to helping overweight individuals lose weight or helping underweight individuals gain it. To be honest, it was frustrating to be recognized only for that, especially when our expertise goes far beyond weight-related issues.
Gradually, I started working closely with patients struggling with metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalances, and lifestyle-related diseases—some even in advanced stages. Through this experience, I realized that people needed preventive, practical, and health-focused guidance, not just disease-based interventions. Founding Nutrition Quest became the natural next step—an avenue that allowed me to shift from treating conditions to empowering individuals and communities with the knowledge to stay healthy for life.
2. What major change have you seen in people’s understanding of nutrition over the years?
I’ve noticed both positive and negative changes. Earlier, it was extremely challenging to convince people that nutrition could truly make a difference. As I mentioned, most people believed our role was limited to weight management. They didn’t know diabetes can go into remission with a structured diet, or that PCOS can be managed—sometimes even reversed—through nutrition. They were also unaware of how drastically athletes can improve their performance with a well-designed eating pattern. Specialized fields like onconutrition, renal nutrition, and bariatric nutrition were hardly known, but today people are far more aware of them.
However, increased awareness has also brought confusion. Social media is overflowing with unqualified content creators and self-proclaimed experts who spread misinformation. As a result, many people are confused about what’s right and what’s wrong because there’s just too much conflicting and unverified advice online.
3. What common mistakes worsen metabolic or hormonal health in your patients?
Three mistakes come up repeatedly in my practice:
1. Skipping meals:
Many people still believe skipping breakfast or dinner accelerates weight loss or improves their condition. In reality, constantly avoiding meals or fasting for long intervals disrupts glucose regulation, increases cravings, and worsens metabolic or hormonal issues.
2. Convenience eating:
In today’s fast-paced life, very few people make an effort to prepare healthy, balanced meals. Breakfasts often mean cornflakes, muesli, or bread; lunches and snacks are usually from corporate canteens or ready-to-cook packets. Eating out or eating from packets has become so normal that no one questions it, yet this is one of the biggest contributors to rising disorders today.
3. Following fad diets:
These social media trends are neither scientific nor sustainable. Fad diets—especially those that are overly restrictive or extremely low in calories—lead to nutritional deficiencies, stalled progress, and worsened metabolic or hormonal health. They rarely align with the body’s needs.
4. As a Public Health Expert, what’s one nutrition rule everyone should follow?
Build every meal around whole, minimally processed plant-based foods—vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds—while limiting ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. This single shift dramatically reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers at a population level. Incorporating indigenous and seasonal produce further improves dietary diversity and nutritional value.
This simple rule makes healthy eating easier and strengthens community health governance. It’s also aligned with global health recommendations from WHO and the CDC.
5. What misconception do you find yourself correcting most often during your training programs?
That “healthy eating has to be complicated or restrictive.”
Most people think a good diet requires exotic foods, expensive supplements, or avoiding entire food groups. In reality, the basics—balanced meals with adequate protein, fiber, and whole foods—do most of the heavy lifting. Sustainability will always outperform perfection.
6. What should people check before trusting any supplement or nutraceutical?
First, check the form of the nutrient, as its bioavailability depends on the compound used. For safety, I always advise people to look for:
Third-party testing or certification
Transparent ingredient lists with clearly stated dosages
Evidence-based claims, not buzzwords like “detox” or “metabolism booster”
Safety disclaimers, including who should avoid the product
If a supplement promises instant results or sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
7. What simple daily habit can improve someone’s health in just a month?
Include protein in every meal.
This single change stabilizes blood sugar, reduces cravings, supports hormones, boosts energy, and helps build lean muscle mass. Most people unknowingly start their day with a blood-sugar spike—fixing that alone can be transformative.
8. Which celebrity do you think aces the game of nutrition?
Celebrities definitely have an advantage when it comes to making wholesome nutrition accessible because they have the means to do so. Many have promoted clean and healthy eating, but the one name that stands out to me is Virat Kohli.
He has truly mastered the game of nutrition alongside cricket. When a young Virat entered the field, he wasn’t at his healthiest, and there were bigger stars around. Yet he transformed his fitness through disciplined dietary changes and rigorous training, which dramatically elevated his performance. He eliminated junk and processed foods, adopted clean eating, and later shifted to a mostly vegetarian diet—while still meeting all his protein and nutrient needs.
His journey is proof that disciplined, focused dietary habits can lead to peak performance and overall well-being. It’s a powerful lesson for today’s youth.
9. Fun one — If India had to follow one nutrition challenge for a week, what would you choose and why?
I’d pick the “Real Food Week Challenge.”
For seven days, no packaged or ultra-processed foods—only whole, fresh, traditional Indian foods. Most people would instantly feel better digestion, better energy, and fewer cravings. It would also make everyone realize how heavily our diets now depend on convenience foods without us even noticing.
10. Last Message
Try to include more variety in your diet. By adding a wider range of seasonal vegetables, fruits, grains, pulses, beans, nuts, and seeds, you reduce the long-term need for multivitamin or mineral supplements. A diverse diet makes your meals more complete, sustainable, and culturally aligned.
Bio:
Kamna Desai is a seasoned Clinical Dietitian, Sports Nutritionist and Public Health Expert. She is also the Founder of Nutrition Quest, a platform dedicated to preventive and holistic nutrition. With over two decades of experience, she has worked extensively with patients facing metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalances and advanced clinical conditions. Her deep expertise spans across specialized fields such as paediatric nutrition, autoimmune protocol, renal nutrition etc
Driven by the belief that nutrition is the cornerstone of lifelong health, Kamna strongly advocates for evidence-based, reliable and long-term health practices that support healthier futures for all. Kamna actively conducts nutrition training sessions and workshops in MNC's like JP Morgan Chase & Co, Tata Motors and KPMG, where she addresses misconceptions and guides corporate employees toward sustainable, science-backed dietary habits.
Recognized for her clarity, practical guidance and result-oriented approach, Kamna was rated amongst 'The Top 10 Best Dieticians in India' for 2023 and 2024 by DrugResearch. She continues to inspire individuals to embrace healthier lifestyles through mindful eating, balanced nutrition and informed choices.
Interviewed by: Shantanu Singh
Edited by: Shantanu Singh
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