Interview with Delhi based nutritionist Lovneet Batra on wellness

In conversation, Lovneet Batra shares her route to a healthy lifestyle, effective diet and exercise regimes and the viral trends she’s unimpressed with.

You might already be familiar with nutritionist Lovneet Batra courtesy of Instagram reels where she offers quick-yet-effective tips on everything from superfoods to the correct vitamins. The Delhi-based nutritionist and health educator is all about nourishing the body from inside-out and finding a balance between fruits/vegetables and vitamins/minerals. The easiest and most effective route to a healthy lifestyle, according to Lovneet Batra is the one you stick to. She’s a strong purveyor of following sustainable eating habits which is what we talk to her about.

What is your idea of a healthy lifestyle? Is there a mantra or definition you live by?

A healthy lifestyle is a way of living that allows you to explore life at its highest potential. It’s not just the absence of illness but a state that enables you to enjoy various aspects of life. The mantra is simple changes that can stay for life. The code may be unique to different individuals but one must be able to sustain it, not just follow fads or trends blindly.

What, according to you, is the biggest hindrance to leading a healthy lifestyle?

Setting up unrealistic goals with an all-or-nothing approach. We don’t live in a perfect world, in order to lead a healthy lifestyle start with habits that resonate with your life and build up slowly.

What are the biggest health food myths?

Myth, one superfood can make or break your health. Truth, our health is defined by a series of habits that we live by every single day, both good and bad. There’s no magic pill.

Is an occasional “indulgence” okay, or is it too damaging to the goal?

Eating and celebrating your favourite food without guilt is important. Our relationship with food should be one of balance and not extremes.

What do you eat in a day to stay healthy?

I’m addicted to simple home-cooked meals. A typical day starts with 1 litre of water, 30ml wheatgrass shot, soaked almonds, walnuts and tender coconut water. My breakfast is usually sprouted moth. For a midmorning snack, I have pomegranate or orange. My lunch is homecooked dal and rice. In the evening I have soaked peanuts and puffed jowar as a snack. Dinner is amaranth roti and sabzi.

What about your wellness routine – is there a process you follow?

Early mornings are my strength. My 4 hours (5am-9am) before the world around me starts buzzing are sacred to me for my wellness.

Nutrition or health-related tips, that you always share with your clients?

Listen to your body, it always guides you in the right direction.

An Instagram-led wellness trend you advise against?

Overloading on black coffee while fasting.

The best way to approach weight loss and your advice on food/supplements and workouts to achieve the same.

Analyse your current starting point: your habits, your goals and the gap that exists between them both. Find your nutrition balance and the code that is sustainable.

Tell us about your book, ’50 Desi Super Drinks’? What for you is the most effective, easy recipe to follow.

People often look for “magic potions” to wellness and often end up with an overpriced product with its fancy name and fancier health halo, without a real sustainable solution in hand. My book encourages readers to appreciate the remedies right in front of us but take them for granted because they are too easily available.

Recipe of Lovneet Batra’s Kanji (a vegan probiotic and immunity boosting drink):

Probiotics help in boosting our immune system and have been shown to increase the production of natural antibodies. Kanji is a natural vegan probiotic winter drink that can ward off a respiratory infection.

Serves: 2
Serving Size: 1 glass
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Fermentation Time: 7–10 days

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. coarse-ground mustard seeds
4–5 peeled and chopped carrots
1 large peeled and chopped beetroot
6–7 cups filtered water (or enough to cover the vegetables)
1 tbsp. salt (according to taste)

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar and cover it with a lid or cheesecloth.
2. Let the jar sit in a sunny spot for at least one week—stirring with a wooden spoon daily.
3. Once the kanji develops a tangy flavour, it means the drink is fermented.
4. Strain the drink.
5. Put the drink in the refrigerator to chill.

Header and Featured Image: Courtesy Shutterstock.