‘If Kareena wasn’t in the picture, my work would not have the reach it enjoys now’: Rujuta Diwekar

Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar has always been in the limelight – facing the good, the bad, and the ugly with a pinch of salt. “The love and trust that I wholeheartedly receive from my audience, readers, and listeners makes me stand out. It gives me the strength to stay authentic and not live post to post and nervously count likes, shares, and subscriptions. Ever grateful for that,” Diwekar said in a candid conversation with indianexpress.com.

Diwekar, who is out with her Audible podcast Secrets of Good Health Season 2, shared that apart from the palpable excitement to see how it is received by the audience, she has been busy with her farming project at Sonave, her ancestral village in Maharashtra. And, of course, whipping up some seasonal dishes! So, we made the most of the opportunity as we quizzed her on everything under the sun – her fame, her thoughts on nutrition and portion sizes, and her fondness for Kareena Kapoor Khan.

Excerpts:

The top 3 things that 2024 should be about when it comes to nutrition and wellness?

Sustainability should be at the top of any list. A diet and a lifestyle that you can live with for the next 30 years, or at least five years, and not the one that you need to change in the next two weeks. And know that health is multifactorial, so vote for governments that put policies regarding health at the heart of their campaign. Clean air, open spaces, and regulation of junk food marketing are more important than ever in the era of climate change.

How important is it to stick to ghar ka khaana (homemade food)?

More important than brushing your teeth daily. It prevents most diet-related diseases and helps keep your medication down if you are already dealing with one.

Why is Kareena Kapoor Khan a favourite client?

Because if she was not in the picture, my work would not have the appeal or the reach it enjoys now. Also, she is disciplined, driven, and down to earth. It is hard to not like anyone with half those qualities.

Karisma, Kareena, and Rujuta enjoyed a home-cooked Maharashtrian thali (Source: Karisma Kapoor/Instagram)

Carb, protein, fats – too much emphasis is placed on these. Is it the correct way to approach meals?

As correct as choosing whom to marry based on skin colour or bank balance. The key is to count what matters. Is it local, seasonal, and traditional? And are you hungry enough to eat and sensible enough to stay off-screen while at it?

Can you tell us about your collaboration with Audible?

It is special to me. I enjoy working with Audible’s professional, accommodating, and compassionate team. I respect the fact that they had the vision to bring out Season 1 during the lockdown and that they have the vision, budget, and manpower to allow me to record Season 2 from home and put in the man-hours to clean the audio in their studios.

I hope that season 2 of Secrets of Good Health receives the love that Season 1 did. It has some interesting FAQs and topics that we did not address in Season 1.

What makes a good portion size and why?

The portion that accounts for the time of the day, season, your state of mind, and appetite is the right one. Because we are human and appetite is a moving entity. We deserve our permission to eat wholeheartedly without over-eating. It is a skill that every human being has but the weight loss narrative is so strong that we all inherently believe that we are overeating. We have turned into a generation that does not feel worthy of food on its plate for ‘health’ reasons.

Understand what is good for your nutrition needs (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Top 5 tips for an absolute beginner

* Listen to your grandmother, not the influencer.

* Eat local, not low-cal.

* Exercise 30-60 minutes daily.

* Sleep is underrated, fix an early bedtime.

* Get off the scales, it can lie to you.

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