Right diet moves

“Over the years,I have discovered what works best for my body. There are certain principles that I follow. I try and have a healthy and filling breakfast. I usually eat oats,muesli or fruits. I especially avoid oily stuff. Once in a way,I don’t mind having idli,upma or poha to break the monotony,” Gandhi says. For lunch,she tries not to have roti and rice in the same meal. And even if she does have rice,her choice is always brown rice. “Mixing rice and roti gets too heavy on carbs. I’m more of a wheat person,” she says,adding,“In between my meals,I usually have a light snack every three to four hours. I don’t starve my body for too long,” she adds.

Gandhi is vegetarian and thus she pays extra attention to her protein intake. “I have sprouts and pulses – any element of high protein will do,” she says,reiterating the fact that her work demands high and contant energy. As she travels a lot for her tours,she makes sure to keep her bag equipped with cereal bars or homemade non-ghee khakras. “I avoid processed foods. Recently,I have been quite influenced and inspired by the book ‘Food Rules’ by Michael Pollan. It elaborates upon the issue of processed foods,” she reveals. Low fat yoghurt also forms a major part of her regular diet. “That’s where I get a large part of my calcium and proteins from,” she says.

Gandhi believes in maintaining a healthy food balance. “That’s because of the high energy output I need as a dancer. I have never followed any of the fancy diets because I believe that moderation is the key to being healthy. Taking an extreme step like staying off carbs completely is not an ideal solution. One must follow a diet that goes well with one’s lifestyle. That diet plan then becomes a part of the way you lead your life,” she opines.

Though she has to constantly focus on eating healthy and being fit,she does admit to indulging in “fun food” at times. “I recently got back from a tour in Rajasthan and my sweet tooth couldn’t resist the rabdi and malpua. But then I just had a bite of the rabdi and a quarter of malpua! Life’s no fun without goodies!” she smiles.

Though dance is a form of exercise,Gandhi does resort to other exercises to keep fit. She reveals,“Dance has been a part of my life for so many years that my body has become very used to it. Thus I need other forms of exercise. I usually rotate between yoga,Pilates and walks. One is aerobics while one makes up for the stretching and toning. Thus I don’t need the machines at gyms. These other forms are far more beneficial for me.”