Having completed her MBA from the Indian School of Business in 2006, Varsha quit her cushy corporate job in investment banking to start Vinegar with a seed capital of Rs 5 Lacs. The stars continued to shine and by 2012, she had 7 franchise stores across India and Vinegar was a brand worth Rs 12 Cr.
Yet, behind the facade of success, excessive stress was chipping her health away. The strain of working 80+ hours a week, managing the operations of the company, and building up Vinegar all took their toll. A high-stress life didn’t leave room to focus on her health as she was only leading a single-breath life.
She knew something was not quite well. Varsha’s relentless devotion to her work and mindless disregard for my health eventually led her to develop an auto-immune condition – “Nephrotic syndrome”
What followed by were countless conversations with doctors and experts, with going back and forth but not being able to heal from within. Varsha went on later to discover alternate therapies and functional medicine that led her on a unique path to healing herself. Head onto this interesting conversation of Varsha Bhawani with Storiyaan to know how she has been helping countless individuals living a priceless life.
A Priceless living with Varsha Bhawnani
Interview
Questions and answers
‘Health is Wealth,’ what does this aphorism mean to you?
Health is wealth and it is priceless. I believe if you are healthy mentally and physically then you can achieve many of your financial goals. For many of us, it is also a means of livelihood. We all need to be healthy to achieve our professional goals. It’s priceless and more important than being rich.
Health is your greatest asset and wealth. Being healthy is not only the key to living longer, it can also help you balance your life and improve your relationships. Oftentimes, it can be a necessity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You may not have as much time or money to spend as you like, but you always have time for being healthy.
What significance does your profession hold for you and how does it serve society and people in positive ways?
Every profession is one source of livelihood for people and a means to an end. If I have a patient or someone as a client who comes to me and I help them, then I’m actually helping them in transforming their body or healing a disease that they are suffering from. This realization gives me a lot of contentment and satisfaction than the money I am getting out of it. When I work with a client and help them reach their goals, I genuinely feel that I am taking part in their healing which is extremely rewarding for me as I have been through a similar journey of finding my way to healing and health in the past.
At what point in your life, you started realizing the importance of health in daily life?
I was honestly taking my health for granted because as a college student and even during school, I hardly fell sick. I would not understand people when they said that they fall sick very often. Then one day, I had my nephrotic syndrome attack because of my lifestyle. That’s when I started taking my health seriously.
Since you have a fashion venture, according to you what role does ‘fashion’ play in creating your own identity?
The fashion venture was before I started functional medicine. I don’t own a fashion venture now. However, fashion to me is not only a way of self-expression but also represents your personal choice. Fashion is one way of creating an edge when you’re going to a meeting or catching up with people. Along with that, it shows your creativity and the society you belong to.
If there’s anything that defines us as humans, it’s our fashion. Fashion is a part of each of our lives and it represents our personality, choices and thoughts.More than anything, fashionis an extension of your personality and an expression of who you are.
How did you redeem yourself after being diagnosed with a kidney disorder?
I had a nephrotic attack in 2016 and then I kept going to different nephrologists and a lot of doctors constantly in 2017 and 2018. They put me on steroids which were supposed to be for six months. The doctors maintained if I continue to relapse then I may have to be on steroids or immunosuppressants for the rest of my life. That made me think that if the doctors are not able to help me then I will have to help myself. I started researching ample medical papers, and YouTube videos and it took me 2 years to figure out what was wrong with me. Once I realized this, I started maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Do you think a healthy lifestyle is a form of ‘self-love’? If yes, then how would you link the two?
Healthy lifestyle is definitely a way of self-love. When you take care of yourself, you put in a lot of effort. Although it’s not easy, once habitat it’s addictive. You learn to become focused and disciplined. You are less depressed and you eventually become clear in your career path.
These days, it’s very easy to let yourself go with life, especially when we’re all so busy. We don’t pay attention to our physical and mental health, which leads to all sorts of problems in the long run. We may have no idea that we’re neglecting ourselves and therefore a healthy lifestyle is an important aspect of self-love.
What are the major roadblocks you faced in establishing your position as a health coach?
I did my MBA and had a fashion venture. I was not from a medical background. When people got to know about this, they became apprehensive. “From finance to medical, how do you think it’s going to work?” This was the usual question. So initially, it took some time for them to acknowledge my past and struggles but fortunately now they know and understand me and my work.
People from a finance and fashion background are usually looked at with skepticism when they choose to pursue a career in the medical industry. Their understanding of fashion is only about taking care of one’s appearance and that I’m stepping into the medical healthcare industry to mint some money. Fortunately, I have been in a position where I can address this issue by expressing my own story.
What are the pros and cons of social media in influencing people, especially about health?
The pros are that there is a lot of information available to the people out there which is free and doesn’t cost a lot of money. This can be helpful to people who are just starting out, have time constraints, or cannot afford to go to a professional. The cons are that there is a lot of varied information. There are also a lot of self-appointed health coaches out there claiming to be able to help you with all sorts of different things, promoting products, programs and services which they haven’t been accredited to do by any professional body. This I think, is a very dangerous thing.
How do you motivate people for developing a healthy lifestyle?
I motivate people by giving them small goals that are not likely to scare people. Generally, it is difficult for one to follow lanky goals. So, I motivate them this way, the other thing that I tell people is, “If you take care of your health now, you’ll have fewer problems later.” This means keeping in mind what is important and focusing on those things in life. It enables me as a coach to stay engaged with my clients and helps them with their own life skills development. We work together on creating a daily routine that allows participants to check in with themselves regularly – and I always stress to my clients to go back to the basics.
If you are a leader, your words have weight and power behind them, and therefore once people understand that you mean well to them, they build a bond with you and follow your guidance.
Since people are very busy nowadays, what are some of the health hacks that don’t demand much time?
One of the biggest things that people can do is become mobile. A person can always talk while walking and try to bring in 10,000 steps a day walking. They could also try biking or swimming for five times a week. All of these activities are great ways to stay away from sitting down all day. People should also avoid coffee for no reason. I believe a workout keeps 15% of your body healthy but the other 85% is taken care of by nutrition But, if you are not engaging in 30 minutes of exercise daily, then you should change that habit immediately.
Rapid Fire
- Your mantra in life
Your body is your temple, therefore keep your body clean and healthy.
- Healthy lifestyle for you is
A healthy lifestyle is a wealthy lifestyle.
- Your inspiration
Dr.Terry Wahls
- How often should one exercise?
4-5 times a week.
- Your fitness icon
Virat Kohli.