Roshni Sanghvi: “Nutrition shouldn’t scare you as it should be your plus point.”
Nutrition, health and fitness aren’t commonplace in most Indian households. Add to that the lack of awareness and we have a wild mix of unhealthy, negative diet and lifestyle choices. Roshni Sanghvi is dedicated to change this and introduce nutrition as the prevention for health complications. She is an award-winning Plant-based Sports Nutritionist and a renowned Body Transformation Specialist based in Bangalore, India.
Roshni has a cumulative experience of 10+ years, has an astounding figure of 12000 happy clients worldwide and has been covered in over 300+ articles, blogs, interviews and podcasts. Additionally, she is trained under prominent figures like Jim Stoppani (trainer to Dwyane Johnson) and Jillian Michaels (celebrity training from Biggest loser fame).
Discover some surprising facts about vegan diets, misconceptions, health tips and more about Roshni in this illuminating conversation with Storiyaan.
Interview
Questions and answers
You were the first Indian to represent on a national bodybuilding stage being on a 100% plant-based diet. How challenging was it for you to reach this position and finally represent India?
Honestly, it wasn’t that challenging because I had excellent training program and an amazing coach, who is also a plant-based bodybuilding competitor. A plant-based diet is also more effective as your body builds much faster and you have better recovery. I was on a high- carb based plant diet and hence, I didn’t suffer any health irregularities.
Could you elaborate to us on the Animal Flow Program and what are its benefits?
The animal flow program helps you connect to the ground and is movement inspired by animal. Some of the benefits include building muscle-bound and mass and staying lean. Moreover, Animal flow can be practised from the comfort of your home.
What strategies and ways do you approach while working on the nutrition and fitness of the clients that make you different from the other nutritionist?
Our team consists of psychologists, gynaecologist, diabetologist and nutritionists. This is because food is intrinsically wired with mental & physical health. Our clients can also use our in- house exclusive app to monitor their food diary and get customised exercise routine. This further helps us develop a sustainable and suitable lifestyle modification strategy for them.
You have faced hurdles in the past regarding body image and weight problems. How difficult was that phase for you and what made you summon the courage and willpower to overcome the traumas?
When I initially moved to India, I was obese and my body fat percentage was very high and I was given the responsibility of looking after a fitness Centre. But I was facing difficulty in the management as coaches wouldn’t take me seriously due to my weight. This was disheartening and I looked at it as a motivation and I decided to educate myself in the field of nutrition and fitness.
Being a sports nutritionist you have trained yourself in multiple alternative therapy forms such as the Wim Hoff breathing method and QiGong meditation. How are these training beneficial for an individual and what major purpose do they serve?
Weight loss is not all about calories and workout, it’s about your attitude and relationship with food, including so many different things at different levels. Therefore, alternate therapy forms can be beneficial. QiGong is very special to me because it is a form of moving meditation. I also practice the Wim Hoff breathing method.
Your method of coaching is backed by science. What are these ways that you use to train your clients in a unique way that impact their lives positively?
More than fussing over calorie counting and macronutrients, I believe in focusing on holistic lifestyle changes. We keep up with research happening in the industry and only provide evidence-backed steps and strategies. Furthermore, fitness education and awareness increase the chances of a client following the strategies.
You have trained some prominent figures such as Jim Stoppani (trainer to Dwyane Johnson) and Jillian Michaels (celebrity training from Biggest loser fame). Could you share with us some changes you observed in the international and Indian fitness industry?
Firstly, training under them was an incredible experience. And secondly, the differences lie not in the industry but in the fitness mindset. In India, people visit a nutritionist when they suffer from health problems and don’t look at nutrition as a form of prevention. This is unlike foreign countries where fitness and nutrition are practised on a large scale.
Besides helping to achieve a number on the weighing scale, you also help in healing multiple other body problems. Could you elaborate on how an individual can get rid of diseases with proper diet charts and exercises under your guidance?
Nutrition, lifestyle change and fitness play a crucial aspect when it comes to disease management. A lot of metabolic diseases like PCOS or PCOD, thyroid, hypertension and diabetes and mostly caused by nutritional, environmental, lifestyle and health factors. So we first help the clients identify the causes or factors and help switch their lifestyle for good. After which we focus on their nutrition. We also make changes like incorporating mindfulness practices.
Having worked in the fitness industry for more than 10 years, what are some of the misconceptions you came across while training your clients handling their sceptical minds?
The constant and common misconceptions are fruits are bad for you, dairy is good for you etc. A plant-based diet is crucial when it comes to your gut health. It is also the only diet in the world that not only helps with reversing, but preventing lifestyle diseases.
We all know that Health loss is everything lost. What would be your advice to people on the importance of a healthy diet on proper time and maintaining fitness?
My advice will be to take up changes in your lifestyle which you can sustain in the long run. For example, if you start eating only fruits before going to bed, do so only if you can continue it for the rest of your life. If you won’t be able to maintain a certain diet, then avoid it as it can lead to unnecessary guilt and stress.
Quick 5
- Your cheat food – Indian Chaat
- Your idea of fitness in one line – It should make you happy
- Biggest motivation to you is – My partner Karan
- One thing that you practice daily – Mindfulness practices
- Describe yourself in a word – A change-maker