TBI Green Influencers: Nutritionist Neha Shares What’s Best For Young Millennials

One of the biggest undoing of our generation is leading a sedentary lifestyle day in and day out. With incredibly demanding, goals-oriented jobs, we run from pillar to post to get things done, without so much as sparing a moment for ourselves.

Whilst a healthy lifestyle entails packing in some amount of exercise and the right amount of zzzzzzs everyday, the most important of the lot is what you eat on a regular basis. Watching what you put in your mouth is extremely necessary to get your daily dose of nutrients without putting on extra kilos.

We spoke to Neha Ranglani, integrative nutritionist and health coach about how office going millennials should chalk out their daily eating plan.

Start your morning right to set the tone of the day, says Neha.

“Start your morning with some natural hydrating liquid like lemon water or herbal tea and then munch on a fruit at least half an hour before eating a healthy breakfast. Breakfast can be anything from vegetable brown rice poha, millet idli, oats dosa, ragi chila, chia pudding, to millet parathas – all of which provide the fibre and carbohydrates with moderate protein and fat to fuel us for the day ahead and feed the good bacteria in the gut.”

And not just breakfast; all your meals are extremely important. And what’s even more fundamental to doing it right is eating your meals the same time every day.

“The best timing for lunch is between 12-2 pm when the digestive fire is at its peak and helps absorb and assimilate most of the food we eat. It’s always good to have regular meal timings as it helps set the body clock and prepare the body to do its job at its best,” says the nutritionist.

She suggests that an ideal lunch is where one has 3-4 varieties of food with a big portion of raw salad—a bowl of cooked veggies, a bowl of dal and a small portion of grains like roti or rice.

Ranglani also highly advocates mid-meal snacking: “I do recommend healthy snacking between meals which include nuts and seeds, makhanas, chana, sweet potato or fruits as they add up to your nutrient intake during the day and help you to avoid overeating during meals.”

We also asked the nutritionist the best time for an average office-goer to finish dinner, and the best foods to eat especially if you live alone in a different city away from home. Ranglani says for general good health, it’s best to wrap up dinner 2-3 hours before hitting the bed as that gives the body a lot of time to rest and repair while sleeping, rather than diverting its energies towards digestion.

It’s always good to have a light dinner. “Dinner should ideally be more of soups, stir fry, sprouts and quinoa and less of heavy carbs. If one is living away from home, then making one-pot meals like millet khichdi, quinoa pulao or healthy bowls really makes life easier,” she adds.

PRO TIP #1: Pack in 7-8 hours of sound sleep everyday and be mindful about stress management.

PRO TIP #2: Good breathing techniques coupled with some meditation helps deal with situations more calmly and keeps our organs as well as our health under check.

Eating right and getting just the right amount of sleep are non-negotiable if one wishes to lead a healthy life. Intersperse that with some form of exercise thrice a week and you’d be in your best form ever!

Also Read: 5 Ways to Have Jaggery That Will Enhance Its Health Benefits!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: [email protected], or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Similar Story

Karim’s to Peter Cat: The Fascinating Tales of India’s Most Legendary Restaurants

Peter Cat, Tunday Kababi, Paragon and more — here’s the history behind some of India’s most iconic restaurants that have gained popularity across the world.

Read more >