Diwali is around the corner and here’s a guide to celebrate smart!

Instead of sweets loaded with refined sugar and deep fried namkeen, here’s a list 10 easy-to-make, healthy alternatives to your Diwali delicacies that’ll keep you light, energized, and still in the spirit of indulgence! 1/10 Quinoa Kheer:

Cook quinoa in almond or regular milk, add dates for sweetness & cardamom. Top with chopped nuts

Paneer vs Tofu

What is the difference? Is one better than another?

When to have what?

A thread to break this down so you can make informed choices 1/8 Understanding basics Paneer is a fresh, non-aged cheese made from milk that has been curdled with lemon juice or another acid.

Tofu, on the other hand, is a bean curd made from soy milk. Like paneer, it’s curdled and pressed to form a block.

Snacking has taken a turn for the worse with an abundance of unhealthy choices like biscuits, bhujia, chakli & samosas- high in sugar, trans fats that leave you feeling sluggish

Here are some healthier, easy to prepare alternatives for snacking to fuel your body the right way: 1. Peanut Salad: Roast peanuts and add chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber, herbs and seasonings

Is whey protein safe? Will it cause cause kidney stones? Does it contain steroids? Can it cause heart attack? Will it damage my liver?

A thread demystifying common whey protein myths Before getting into the myths, let’s understand what is whey protein.

Whey is the watery substance of the milk that separates while making paneer. When it’s heated and the water evaporates, what is left is whey protein. It’s simple.

Another reason to have your ‘Adrak wali Chai’ or Ginger Tea

Ginger, a popular spice used globally & especially in the Asian countries, has been shown to suppress the growth of cancer cells in the Gastro Intestinal (GI) tract

Slightly technical information but worth a read: Ginger contains over 400 different compounds and its active components including 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol exert anticancer activities by suppressing the growth and inducing cell death in variety of cancer cells

Popular breakfasts in India are carb heavy- Poha, Upma, Paratha, Idli, Dosa- all of them! More carbs in alu paratha & masala dosa

If you’re a vegetarian struggling with healthy & protein rich breakfast options, here’s a list of 7 breakfast options with approx. 20 g protein 1. Chickpea Salad with Paneer

Chickpeas: 45 g
Paneer: 50 g

One of my absolute favourites during winters is the traditional Indian Gajar Mooli Achar

It’s a fantastic source of prebiotics, probiotics and micronutrients

Here's a thread on how it's beneficial for health and a super easy recipe to make it at home: Probiotic Benefits: Gajar Mooli Achar undergoes natural fermentation, leading to the growth of beneficial bacteria like lactobacilli. These probiotics aid in gut health, improving digestion, and boosting the immune system.

"4 hours sleep" is glorified, especially in MBA colleges where students brag about completing assignments and sleeping only a few hours every night.

Here’s a thread on why sleep is important, stages (REM & NREM) & their impact When you sleep only for 6 out of the 8 recommended hours, do you lose only 25% of your sleep? Not quite.

Let me introduce you to the two stages of sleep- REM and NREM

Food is important, and so are the utensils you cook them in.

Amidst the information (and mis-information) overload and the many options to choose from, here’s a comprehensive guide on the safest cooking utensils to use in your kitchen! Non-stick cookware: Non-stick cookware is typically made with a base material (often aluminium), coated with a layer of non-stick material

The most common non-stick coatings are polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon

These are generally safe if used correctly

Peanuts, popularly called as the "Poor Man's Protein” are inexpensive, full of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

Let's explore how this humble legume (Yes, they are actually classified as legumes, not nuts) packs mighty nutritional benefits and the best ways to consume them: 1.Protein: Peanuts are a fantastic source of plant-based protein, making them an excellent option for vegetarians and vegans.

100 g of peanuts have approximately 25 g protein and 50 g fat (watch out for quantity in case you’re trying to lose weight)

Hypertension or high BP accounts for ~ 28K deaths each day. It’s a chronic disease & treatment is often life-long

Diet/lifestyle play a critical role in managing hypertension along with medication

Below are few tips as validated by International Society of Hypertension (ISH): Hypertension is a condition where the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries is consistently too high. (Systolic BP>= 140, Diastolic BP>= 90). Over time, if left untreated, hypertension can lead to damaged arteries.

It’s easy to assume that BMI measures your health. However, one can appear to be fit but can actually have dangerous levels of body fat internally

What matters is Body Composition

What's Body Composition? What's Skinny fat? What's the healthy fat %? How to measure?

Read on: BMI or Body Mass Index only takes height and weight into account. It doesn’t factor skeletal mass, muscle mass or body fat mass into the equation, which is why it’s not a reliable measurement.

Which cooking oil is the best? Is it refined oil or olive oil? Mustard oil or ghee?

I have written about this previously, but given so much of misconceptions around it, here’s a thread demystifying cooking oils to help you choose the right one! 3 Things that you should consider:

1. The Smoke Point

Just like liquids have boiling point, oils have smoke point. Unlike water that starts boiling at a certain temp, oils catch fire & burn when heated beyond their smoke point. When this happens, they release harmful chemicals.

You have more genetic material of the bacteria in your body than your own. You exist because they exist

Primarily residing in the gut, it influences every aspect of your health- immunity, skin, sleep etc

You can keep your gut bacteria thriving by eating right. Here's how: Your diet plays a crucial role in shaping the composition & no of species in your gut microbiome.

Certain foods promote growth of good bacteria, while others create dysbiosis- a condition where the bad bacteria take over.

There are 3 main levers to change/cure your gut

Navratri fasting can be both spiritually enriching and physically nourishing.

That being said, there’s no denying that the foods we eat during fast are carb heavy.

Here’s a list of what you should eat and what to avoid to make your meals more balanced and healthy- What to eat?

1. Coconut flour: Mix coconut flour in your rotis/puris for healthy fats and balanced blood sugar rise, or have your meals with coconut chutney on the side.

Traditional vegetarian Indian diets are protein-deficient.

Although I've written a lot about vegetarian sources of protein, I'm often asked about this over & over

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to complete your daily protein requirement being a vegetarian: This guide is divided into 4 parts

a) Protein Requirement Calculation

b) Sources of Protein in Vegetarian Diet

c) Variety of Proteins for completing Amino Acid Spectrum

d) Easy Hacks to increase protein

So much hype about Avocados, Berries, Kale and Quinoa!

Let's dive into the incredible world of Indian cuisine and explore why it often outshines Western superfoods in terms of nutrition.

A thread on common western superfoods and their Indian (and often better) alternatives Quinoa vs. Millets: While quinoa is praised for its protein content, Indian millets like Rajgira are just as protein-rich and offer a variety of essential nutrients (more iron). Plus, they're eco-friendly and locally grown!

Sugar is a sneaky poison, hiding in many foods under devious names.

It's tough to spot, but vital to know what to look for if you want to cut back.

Here are some of the most common sugar aliases seen on food labels: 1. Dextrose: This is a type of sugar that is chemically identical to glucose and is often used as a sweetener in processed foods

2. Maltodextrin: This is a carbohydrate that is often used as a thickener or filler in processed foods and can have a sweet taste

You may have heard a lot of health experts referencing to Phytonutrients

But what are Phytonutrients?

Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, especially with such jargons

Here’s a thread explaining phytonutrients & simple/effective ways to include them in your daily diet: Phytonutrients is a catch-all name for the thousands of natural chemicals found in plant foods (phyto = plants). These are the substances that give these foods their characteristic taste, smell, and color.

Excess Sugar consumption is the root cause of many chronic lifestyle diseases.

Here are 10 incredible things that will happen to you if you cut-off refined sugar for just 30 days! 1. You’ll get rid of addiction:

Sugar makes the brain release Dopamine, which sends the feel good signals. Dopamine is a natural, essential chemical to make you feel motivated and happy.

But when sugar stimulates the same, it is isolated, purified and refined.

As a nutritionist, one of the questions I get asked often: Which cooking oil is the best? Refined oil or olive oil? Mustard oil or ghee?

Using the right cooking oil goes a long way in overall good health.

Here's a thread demystifying cooking oils & help you choose the right one The 3 things that you should consider:

1. Smoke Point of the Oil

Just like liquids have boiling point, oils have smoke point. Unlike water which starts boiling at a certain temperature, oils catch fire and burn when heated beyond their smoke point, & release harmful chemicals.