Rashmi Cherian, a Registered Dietitian & Sports Nutritionist by profession, finds the pattern of creating new year resolutions for fitness very unrealistic and strongly opposes it. “I prefer having a healthy life to having a healthy month,” she highlights. The journey was never easy, but she managed to drop a chunk of her wisdom to every house. When asked about her key to success, she says, “Being an achiever at every task and having an ambitious spirit always helps.”
Rashmi took us through the rollercoaster ride of her journey and we are back again with a new story! Dig deeper into the conversation with Rashmi to know more about her journey into nutrition and fitness.
Rashmi Cherian: Towards a healthy life
Interview
Questions and answers
Tell us the story that kindled your interest in becoming a Dietitian and guiding others as a coach?
I loved studying and reading which made me consider giving nutrition a chance as it has many terms to be learned. I was working in a hospital as a Stroke Dietitian and developing myself in this field helped me to go further about it. Later, I wished to start something on my own. Whatever I’ve received to date wasn’t planned, it just happened one after the other. I never wanted to have a company but eventually, that happened. I’m an overachiever and I am overambitious; that is what has helped me the most.
As you are a consultant, what are some issues you face the most from your clients in recent times?
Due to the information available on social media, some people have the ‘know it all’ attitude. Some also come with a closed mind and focus on only a handful of things which they feel are right. The second one would be, nowadays, people want everything to be quick and fast. Some habits are developed from childhood and hence, it’s not easy to break them. Quick fitness and lack of consistency are some additional issues that we face.
As a Nutrition consultant, could you please share with us your training style and how do you motivate clients who are indolent?
I am very particular about my fitness. Even if I’m busy, I make sure to take out time to work out and I train very hard. Motivation is something you develop over a while. I’ve been demotivated many times and that is why I’m able to connect with my clients too. I always tell my clients that weight is only one aspect of trying to be healthy because health comes in different shapes and sizes.
What were the major roadblocks you faced in your journey as a nutrition and fitness coach and what were your ways of overcoming them?
There were no major roadblocks as such because I had a very supportive family. While I was managing my business and handling clients, at every step, I developed protocols and learned something new every time. Eventually, I improved my working patterns and scaled my business.
There were no problems as such because my parents, in-laws and husband, all were in for it and were very supportive. When my son was just born it was difficult to some extent but that was just for some time and I handled that well.
What are the strategies you used to create your own identity and to reach out to as many people as possible in order to help them?
I’ve never created any strategy as such because I feel if my work is good, I will be able to deliver results and people will notice it.
I have built my identity over time and word of mouth has always worked for me. How dedicatedly I work and put efforts in improving a person’s performance or health is something that has helped me in creating my own identity especially in the sports industry.
Could you elaborate on what sports nutrition is and how does it help an individual?
Sports nutrition is the science of hydrating and fueling an athlete before during and after the training. It is a vital variable that actually influences the performance of an athlete by decreasing their fatigue and the risk of disease and injury. It also helps athlete optimize their training and recover faster. All the athletes have different nutritional needs compared to non-athletes. They may require more calories and macro-nutrients which are carbs, proteins, and fats to maintain their strength and energy and to compete at their optimum level. So when we work on the nutrition of athletes we consider quite a lot of things like their total calorie needs, macro-nutrients amounts and ratios, meals and snack timings, vitamins and minerals, recovery and performance, body assessment, blood parameters, hydration as well as their training timings, their intensity, how they feel, if they are facing any problems and so on.
How do you track the progress of your clients and keep a check on whether they are really improving or need changes or modifications in their routines?
I check what they are eating on an everyday basis. They are supposed to send me their food pictures every day. They have to give me updates on a daily basis about their exercise and their food. And at least once in 15 days, I ask them to send me a video of the exercises they are doing. This helps me stay updated about their progress and helps them improve their health.
What are the major strategies used by you to maintain sustainability when it comes to achieving the goals of your clients without giving up on their favorite food?
Some people either stop eating their favorite food completely or they overeat their favorite food. So my job is to teach them to have a balance of both. If there is a wedding or a party, please eat. There is no need to get into a diet that restricts you from enjoying your life. At times, I tell them to take a break from the diet and go out and have whatever they want, as a treat. I work on their mind rather than their tongue.
Food can be both medicines as well as poison, depending upon the situation. What are the strategies you use to create the care plan for your clients to overcome their health issues?
A lot of study and research is involved when medical cases come. We have to see specific foods and any supplements that can help. The strategies remain fairly the same. But in some medical cases, a lot of time is required to assess. We need to see food drug interactions & many other factors while planning a nutrition plan for a medical case.
Quick 5
1. The mantra you follow in life: Be your own sunshine.
2. One thing you do in your free time: Reading, Cooking, Baking.
3. One characteristic that describes you: No-nonsense kind of person.
4. The person you look up to the most: Mom
5. Your proudest milestone: When I got the national health award, felicitation by the UP government for being the most brilliant student of the year and also when I presented a research paper in Thailand.