Latest news with #Mitahara
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kareena Kapoor Khan's fitness and diet secrets REVEALED
For nearly two decades, Kareena Kapoor Khan has remained a fitness icon, from her early size zero days in 'Tashan' to post-pregnancy transformations that inspired millions. Now, her longtime nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar has pulled the curtain back on what truly keeps Kareena fit, healthy and glowing. Diet Hasn't Changed Since 2009 According to Rujuta, Kareena has been following the same basic meal plan for over 15 years. From khichdi with ghee to early dinners, her routine proves that sustainability, not trends, is key. Daily meal structure The actress reportedly eats a handful of almonds, raisins, or figs and for breakfast she follows it up with a helping of Poha or paratha. For lunch, the diva has dal-rice or cheese toast and a mango or mango milkshake for her evening snack. And dinner? Khichdi or pulao — always with ghee. Kareena reportedly eats khichdi up to five times a week, especially while at home. On sets, she prefers dal and rice, and leans towards roti and sabzi when home. 'It Works. It Keeps Me Happy.' Talking at the launch of Diwekar's new book Mitahara, Food Wisdom From My Indian Kitchen, Kareena earlier had revealed, 'My cook is exhausted because I make him make the same food for 10-15 days… Same dal-rice, dahi-rice. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [화제] 갱년기 불면증으로 고생하셨던 분들 '이것' 먹고 푹 주무세요! 리피어라 더 알아보기 Undo He asks, 'What am I cooking?' But I can be really happy eating khichdi five times a week. It works. It keeps me happy with a dollop of ghee.' Her discipline also extends to early dinners by 6 PM and lights out by 9:30 PM, allowing for early-morning workouts. Yoga: The Heart Of Her Fitness Kareena calls yoga 'a part of my soul' and has practiced it for over a decade. While she mixes in Pilates, strength training, and breathing exercises, yoga remains her core practice, one that centers her mentally and physically. A Minimal Yet Powerful Wellness Philosophy Kareena's wellness routine underscores a deeper philosophy. Eat real, seasonal food, move mindfully, respect your body's rhythm and most importantly, stay consistent. For fans looking for a crash diet or magic trick, Kareena's approach may seem 'too simple.' But that's precisely the secret, simplicity that sticks. Kareena Kapoor 'Flirts' with Husband Saif Ali Khan on London Vacation: 'Why So Hot?'
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Hindu
Rujuta Diwekar's cookbook Mitahara spotlights seasonal dishes from her kitchen
Ever since I have been following celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar's work, I have wanted to ask her one question: 'do you eat out?' 'Growing up, no one really ate out. The first time I did, was when I was in Class VIII. Eating out to celebrate wasn't really a concept then. Even today, I eat out only when I am travelling and opt for regional delicacies. Dal khichdi tops this list and is available world-over,' says Rujuta, who has been promoting eating home food, and championing local, seasonal produce for years. A philosophy she has carried forward in her debut cookbook, Mitahara (published by Dorling Kindersley). The book, Rujuta writes in the preface, 'aspires to help you explore the full potential of something as simple as khichdi by cooking it at home and not having it delivered to you from a cloud kitchen. It aims to remind you of the forgotten wisdom of eating in sync with the seasons'. As someone who discovered the joy of cooking during the pandemic, Rujuta says she never prioritised cooking in her early years but the lockdown changed things. 'It was a journey of self discovery and adventure. I discovered that cooking isn't a menial task; it is creative, engaging, and entertaining. Cooking is a life-saving skill, and making a meal for yourself is the OG form of self love and self care,' says the wellness expert who started with dishes like khichdi, usal (a spicy curry made from sprouted legumes), batata (potato) bhaji, and puris. 5 combinations for everyday eating Rice/puran-poli/bajra roti with ghee White butter with ragi dosa/ragi roti Use dals and peanuts in chutneys, podis and eat them with idli, upma, etc Buttermilk/chaas with jeera and salt, especially after a large meal Use besan to make bhajjias and pakoras with rare gourds that are wild, uncultivated During this time, Rujuta writes that she 'woke up every day longing to cook more', and this newfound love was why she agreed to work on Mitahara. 'I did not want to write any recipes for weight-loss, or anything that did injustice to India's culinary wisdom,' she says. With Mitahara, Rujuta has taken a seasonal approach to recipes, and primarily features Maharashtrian dishes that she grew up eating. Think vangi bhaat, bajra raab, thalipeeth and loni in winter; dahi poha, kokum saar, aamras puri in summer; ukadiche modak, narali bhaat, shewla bhaji in the monsoon; and also dishes like amboli, ambe dal, and besan cheela that are consumed when seasons change. As a child, Rujuta says she grew up eating only dishes that 'had a name in Marathi'. 'My mother would bring home fresh vegetables from work every evening, and this is what we cooked with,' she says, 'I am a fourth-generation working woman in my family. My mother, ajji (grandmother), were all working women who were always interested in our good health, and making food that was light and nutritious. The recipes were diverse, tasty, and did not take up too much time.' With Mitahara, she gives readers the freedom to play around with the recipes. 'Cooking can be a breeze if you let go of the checklist, food pictures, or recipe. If you did not remember to put in an ingredient, it probably was not important to begin with. Allow this book to be your framework. Then take over, put yourself in the dish and, only then can you truly own it', she writes in the book. 'When you cook, and share recipes, you begin to realise there needs to be room for everyone's choices and the need to compromise. Only then can we thrive as a society. If we don't encourage this in our kitchens, we will lose out on our culinary heritage. A dish is yours only if it has a bit of you,' Rujuta says. It comes as no surprise that Rujuta does not have Swiggy and Zomato on her phone. She often refers to cooking as a classical art form, and also mentions how cooking styles change when people change. 'Earlier, I would make my rice and usal separately. Over time, I made it together as a one-pot meal. I also realised that not all ingredients go together,' she says, adding that legumes such as moong, lobia (black eyed peas), chawli (cowpeas), etc make for great one-pot meals. Lastly, Rujuta says apart from cooking, there is no bigger joy than feeding others. 'It allows women to be seen and appreciated. Cooking is a skill that comes with practice; less technical and more experiential.' So, what are you cooking today? Priced at ₹691, Mitahara is available online
Indian Express
21-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Rujuta Diwekar on the 3 superfoods that can keep us fit: ‘Our mothers knew best, trust their food wisdom'
She may be a celebrity nutritionist now but what many may not know is that Rujuta Diwekar (51) began as an aerobics instructor. An average scorer and not too academically inclined, she thought a knowledge of diets could help her clients better. 'So when I came to know that SNDT University, Mumbai, had collaborated with IIT Mumbai for a new postgraduate course on sports and nutrition, I signed up and cleared the entrance test. We were just seven girls. Nutrition science back then was like the last resort for those who didn't have any other option,' she recalls. She, however, made the space that nobody wanted her very own. She dived into treatises and research on food sciences, understanding how each morsel affects the human body. The year was 1998, when an aspirational India was eager to globalise, evident through lifestyle changes like fashion, fine dining and fast food. It was the age of convenience, fads and indulgence. Along came processed foods, burger chains and heat-and-eats. Understanding food molecularly, she realised what processed food laden with chemicals would do a decade later— a nation with one of the highest burdens of chronic illnesses like obesity, heart disease and diabetes. That's when she chose to swim against the tide and tell people why they needed to return to traditional wisdom and food heritage that had sustained generations. 'I was just continuing what our mothers and grandmothers practised for centuries — fresh, natural, simple and functional food that keeps you disease-free. That was their only concern. They treated food as nurturing, as a healthy discipline,' says Diwekar, whose books became synonymous with weight loss, though she intended them to be more than just diet guides. 'It was my way of saving local and seasonal produce,' says the nutritionist, who is now also working to preserve native roots and shoots on her farm. 'We have lost so many herbs to climate change, so I'm trying to save those. My local food movement is about education and advocacy, about reconnecting people to the food that's in their DNA, so they choose it willingly — not because it's a fad.' Her latest book, 'Mitahara' (mindful eating) by DK India Publishing, goes a step further. 'Everybody thinks home-cooking in our rush-hour life is complicated. As a fourth-generation working woman, I relied on recipes from my maternal lineage — one-pot meals that are fuss-free, nourishing and logistically easy. All you need are 30 minutes and a pressure cooker,' says Diwekar, who believes in keeping a kitchen simple: some pots, pans and a few accessible spices. As a nutritionist, she insists weight management is about keeping to the food we grow up with. 'Let's look at science. We inherit our gut microbes from our mothers and the maternal bloodline. These organisms carry the memory of ancestral food. That's why when you eat something simple like dal-bhaat, you feel comforted and secure; you feed these microbes. But when you eat something alien — like quinoa or kale — they don't recognise it or have the enzymes to digest it. So even healthy foreign foods can cause gut issues,' she explains. This is not to say she opposes trying different cuisines. 'Think of eating out like learning a new language. You may know a few words for occasional use. Restaurant food should be treated similarly,' advises Diwekar. Familiar food, she says, aids weight loss. 'Observation studies show that people who eat what they like, eat less overall. Calorie intake drops. Over time, they lose weight, stay happy and motivated to exercise. They even recover better post-workout because they're eating the food that puts them at ease.' Diwekar, a proponent of using a teaspoon of ghee daily for its good fats, believes many Indian foods are underrated. She makes a case for pickles, which preserve produce year-round without additives. 'They only use oil and salt. Yet they're on the 'avoid high salt' list. But pickles were never side dishes—they're condiments. Their complex flavour satisfies our cravings and reduces the urge to snack on chips or pizza,' she says. Rice, she feels, is unfairly maligned. 'It's the best prebiotic, with resistant starch that feeds good gut bacteria. It also contains B vitamins and antioxidants. Rice is our circle of life, used in our birth and death ceremonies, used for both diarrhoea and constipation. Again people look at rice without context. Clinical studies are done with plain rice. But in India, rice, a carbohydrate, is seldom eaten alone, it is always paired with protein, legumes, lentils and fibre. Our traditional thali has a small portion of it in the centre, with other foods meant to be had with every morsel,' Diwekar reasons. Her super fruit? The banana. Traditional menus use everything from its fruit, leaves to its stalk. It contains complex carbs and fibre that delay digestion and slow blood sugar release. Potassium helps reduce blood pressure. 'It's such a filler food.' According to her, many meals can be made with just these core ingredients. 'Our cooking is so sophisticated and calibrated to the palate that you can do thousands of dishes with the same ingredients. Yet each will be complete and you won't need supplements.' Diwekar has an easy way to declutter all the advisories and voices on healing diets. As a nutritionist, she follows the global gold standard for dietary advice, which is FBDG — food-based dietary guidelines. 'That means I should talk about foods you're familiar with. Our mothers and grandmothers followed this intuitively through home-cooking. If you just go back to their kitchens, you will find all your answers. Trust them,' she says. So what's India's weight loss conundrum? Diwekar doesn't think Indians are lazy or less aware. 'Everyone knows they should eat healthy and walk 10,000 steps. That same Indian walks 15,000 steps abroad. But do we have an enabling environment? If you want home-cooked food, you need a gender-neutral kitchen. If you want healthy snacking, you need nutrition grading and front-of-pack labelling. We need walkable neighbourhoods and clean air. These are collective policy matters but essential for any anti-obesity drive,' she explains. Diwekar didn't set out to be a celebrity nutritionist. 'One of my first clients was filmmaker David Dhawan's wife Karuna. Remember this was before social media. So your first client almost decides who the rest of your clientele will be. Her son and actor Varun Dhawan found our recipes light and comforting in the middle of a busy day. That's when I realised that I would write books to reach out to more and more people,' she says. And she will continue till she finds that people following her advice have remained fit and trim 20 to 30 years later. Simply by eating right.
