Body Line

Are you healthy,happy and performing optimally? Or more importantly,are you eating well? It is well-recognised that people who skip breakfast lag behind in their daily work and have a low attention span,especially during the morning hours. Many persons suffer from afternoon energy crashes,leading to frequent tea or coffee intake to boost energy levels. Unbalanced diets lead to an increase in the rate of absenteeism among children,youngsters and grown-ups alike due to frequent incidences of sickness,which adversely effect their productivity level too. Richa Jain,a dietician based at Panchkula,has been working in the field of health care for seven years now. Richa,who is in her late 20s,has over 700 clients to boast of,both from the corporate world,and individuals who seek treatment from her for diverse problems like high cholesterol,diabetes,osteoporosis,hormonal imbalance,high blood pressure etc. Her clientele ranges from NRIs living in Dubai,USA,Canada,UK,to those in the cities,in cities as diverse as Ahmedabad,Kanpur,Delhi,Ludhiana and Jaipur,and of course the tricity.

For those who seek treatment for weight control,her ‘diet plan’ is surprisingly inclusive of almost all foods – differing for each individual on the basis of his or her ‘body type’. Richa prepares diet plans for each of her clients herself,and monitors it regularly. “Each person differs from others genetically and thus,the effect of food intake on his/her body type varies according to the genetic structure. A piece of bread may provide energy to one person,and spell trouble for another in terms of hyper insulin reaction,or for a third person,cause a rise in fat deposits,” she points out.

Richa and her team at ‘Svelte’,her company,analyse an individual’s bio-energy (called prakriti in Ayurveda),which reflects a person’s genetic make-up. Richa points out that Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement,transformation,and structure. Known in Sanskrit as Vatta (Wind),Pitta (Fire),and Kapha (Earth),these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. Says Richa,”Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shape our nature. If Vatta is dominant in our system,we tend to be thin,light,enthusiastic,energetic,and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our nature,we tend to be intense,intelligent,and goal-oriented,and have a strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails,we tend to be easy-going,methodical,and nurturing. Although each of us has all three forces,most people have one or two elements that predominate. An important goal of ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance,determine where they are out of balance,and offer interventions. Thus,my approach is different for each individual,customised as per his or her bio-energy.

“We then prepare individualised tailor-made food plans for each client taking into consideration his/her age,medical history,test reports,activity,lifestyle and unique bio-energy.” Richa adds that the food plan is kitchen-friendly,cost-effective and very satiating. You can contact her at 0172-2596081 or 9988741643.