Anshu Bahanda: Everywhere you turn, someone’s pushing the one perfect way to lose weight. Keto, paleo, fasting, high carb. It’s like a never ending buffet of conflicting advice. And then there’s that person online who swears they lost 20 kilos eating nothing but something completely outrageous. And you’re left wondering, what’s real, what’s hype, and where do we even start? Well, we’ve done the digging. Based on expert opinion and the latest research, this is your ultimate 25-26 diet guide. So you can cut through the chaos and find what actually works for you.
Welcome back to the wellness algorithm, where we go beyond the hype and find out what really works when it comes to your health. This is your host Anshu Bahanda from Wellness Curated. If you’ve opened Instagram or TikTok lately, your feed is probably flooded with diet advice. Keto before and afters, no carb challenges, green juice cleanses, anti-inflammatory hacks, plant-based glow-ups and a few celebrity approved meal plans thrown in for good measure. Here’s the problem. The louder the noise, the harder it is to know what’s actually worth your time. And what will be wasting it or worse still, harming your health. That’s why today we’re cutting through the confusion with the Ultimate Diet Guide: What really works? And I couldn’t think of a better person to join me for this than someone who’s built her career on sustainable, personalized, science-backed nutrition, dietitian Vidhi Chawla. Her approach is not about extremes. It’s about designing a diet that fits you and your life.
So let’s start with the biggest questions that our listeners have. For 25-26, there are more diets than ever. If someone wants results this year, tell us what should they be following and what should they be avoiding?
Dt. Vidhi Chawla: So to be honest, you know, they should start with something simple. They should focus on balanced diet and the timings are not erratic, they are not maintaining a very big gap. They should avoid crash diets and export extreme low carb diets. And I can see, you know, a lot of detox cleanses are available in the market. So avoid those detox cleanses also as they give quick, you know, fixes, they may give you benefit for some time, but for long term they are not good.
AB: Okay, so at the moment the things that are exploding, that I’m seeing, there’s AI generated meal plans, I’m seeing everyone around me going crazy about this and there is this huge hype about ultra targeted anti-inflammatory programs. What do you think is credible and what should be avoided?
Dt. VC: When you talk about no oil diet, they are really a red flag. We need healthy fats for hormones and brain function. When we talk about AI generated plans, they can help you to structure or to have some information, but they miss that personalization and customization according to the person and the anti-inflammatory eating, yes, that’s a green flag. You can do it. That’s one trend that really works for individuals. So yeah, you can go for that now.
AB: Tell me now, one of the most compelling studies this year has found that swapping ultra processed foods for minimally processed home cooked meals has helped people double the weight loss without changing the calorie count. Why is food quality such a game changer? And how can listeners apply this like right now? How can they apply it to their lives?
Dt. VC: So when we are consuming, you know, ultra processed food that really, you know, confuses our hunger. Because there are a lot of chemical engineers sitting behind and making those ultra processed foods creates that imbalance inside our body and also that drives inflammation. So you should say no to ultra processed food. It really harms you. But a simple start. I would say do a pre planning thing if you have less time for making home cooked meals. Or just start with one home cooked meal a day, start with small, be consistent on that and gradually just move towards the second step.
AB: Thank you. And tell me something Vidhi. The Mediterranean diet has been named the healthiest diet for the eighth year in a row. I’d love to hear your take on this because there’s Americans, there’s Asians, there’s Africans, there’s people sitting far away from the Mediterranean, would it still work for them?
Dt. VC: It’s kind of a balanced diet because it has veggies, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins in them. It’s all about adapting the principles, the foundation. So when you following a Mediterranean diet you can replace the olive oil with your, you know, mustard oil, seasonal fruits and vegetables according to your local origin you can consume. So it’s not about the region, it’s all about actually a balance.
AB: So that’s interesting because I mean just taking that context, you’re talking about healthy oils and they eat a lot of fish there. Now a lot of Indians are vegetarian. So how would you balance something like that?
Dt. VC: Say instead of, you know, non-vegetarian your fish, you can include other omega 3 sources, you can include more nuts and seeds in your diet which may provide you that good fats which you’re getting from that. And for protein intake you can include, you know, lentils, legumes in your diet.
AB: So you’re basically saying that look at something like a Mediterranean diet and adapt it for your local environment and use local foods, which is a big thing. You know, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for us, it’s good for the food we eat. Now Vidhi, I want to ask you something that’s, very big deal: Not every diet works for everyone. So how do you figure out what approach will work best for somebody?
Dt. VC: So I would say if you can’t go for those expensive, expensive tests, always listen to your body. I always, you know, emphasize before any medical, big disease or medical issue comes into your body, your body talks to you. So listen to your body and personalize your diet accordingly. If you are kind of facing hair fall, I’d say just like for example, if you’re facing, you know, hair fall or brittle nails, that means your diet is deficient in protein.
It may be deficient like zinc or biotin deficiency. So start including foods accordingly. Or if you need a supplement, you can add on a supplement. Supplement also. So here we’re talking about diet. So you can include like lentils, you can include eggs, you can include nuts and seeds or maybe sprouts, you can sprout your lentils.
That way you can use it. Or if you’re having a poor digestion, you are seeing a lot of, you know, gastric reflux. So your body is talking to you. Okay, so you can include more probiotics in your diet. Maybe your diet is lacking in that. So in the probiotics you can include more yogurts for sure. You start by including fermented vegetables, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha. Start including. So always listen to your body. Personalize your diet accordingly. Every diet revolves around a balanced diet. Okay? A balanced diet is a diet which has all the nutrients in the right quantity, right? So make sure you’re including all the nutrients like your energy giving nutrients, your carbohydrates, fats, your muscle building nutrients, Proteins, your protective nutrients. Those are vitamin minerals, you know, through fruits and vegetables.
AB: Vidhi, what are the best diets for weight loss?
Dt VC: Absolutely, when it comes to weight loss there isn’t a one size fits all plan. Instead. focusing on good or bad foods, I would like to guide people towards a balanced diet which has all the nutrients present in it like, the five nutrients, macronutrients, micro those, are carbohydrate fats and proteins and vitamin minerals along with fibre and roughage. So here we’re talking about macronutrients like you know macronutrients are the nutrients which are required in large quantities – carbohydrates, protein, fats and we’re talking about micronutrients, those are vitamin minerals which we are getting to fruits and vegetables. I usually say you know how to build your plate with half vegetables, one quarter lean protein, one quarter whole grains with a thumb size portion of healthy fat, this simple formula works wonders.
AB: Vidhi with that in mind, how much protein should we eat in a day?
Dt VC: See, protein needs vary depending on your age activity level and health goals. The baseline is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. But if the person is looking forward to weight loss, or building muscle or staying active, a range of 1.2-2 per kg body weight is the requirement, you know, of the person. So for example if a person you know weighs seventy kg, they would typically need between eighty five to one twenty grams of protein daily, so when they are active right, And yes eating too much is not good when extremely high protein intake is done for a longer period especially, from the supplements that can put stress on the kidneys in people who already have kidney issues and for a healthy individual if a person is taking moderate high protein diets that are safe.
AB: Thank you. Also, tell me now, Vidhi, I was. You’ve worked with women a lot, right? You worked with women balancing hormones, you worked with new moms, you worked with, you know, women with thyroid with PCOS. How do things like hormones, age and metabolism shape how a diet will work with you? And can you give people some easy solutions to deal with these challenges?
Dt VC: All right, so when we talk about, you know, hormonal changes happening, I talk about PCOS. Okay, so, so if you’re having irregular periods, you can just adapt a seed cycling process in your diet pattern. What is that when you are getting your periods? Like, you know, if you’re having irregular periods, you can start up with your 1 tablespoon flax seeds and 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds on the first day of your period. And after 15 days switch it to 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon sunflower seed. That really creates a balance of estrogen and progesterone hormone. So this way you can just balance your hormones like I talk about thyroid. Okay. So if you want to, you know, I can’t tell you detailed things but I can give you a few tips, you know, which may help someone.
AB: Yes, I know, I know that was a huge question I asked you. But yes, just the little tips.
Dt. VC: You know, they’ll usually leach out calcium a lot and they see iron deficiency and all. So start including calcium rich foods in your diet, like green leafy vegetables, you know, dairy products and all, and also iron rich foods. You can also start including coriander seed water in your diet. That really helps in reducing the thyroid levels. So this way you can make a few changes. But I will again emphasize on a balanced diet because the foundation needs to be very strong. Okay. If any diet, anyone telling you to cut something, omit any particular food group or nutrients so, that’s a red flag I would say.
AB: That’s interesting. Even if it doesn’t suit them. I mean just from what you’re saying, like something like gluten and dairy just doesn’t suit me. You say that if you cut out a food group, it’s a red flag.
Dt. VC: Yes, it’s a red flag. Irrespective you are having some allergy with that or intolerance with that. Okay, so if dairy is not suiting you, you need to get your lactose intolerant test. If that’s come positive, yes. You know, and sometimes with age also some people have that lactose enzyme, you know, production also reduced, but without any reason. Just following a fad and leaving dairy or feeling gluten is not advisable by me. You need to get your, you know, test done and see your symptoms and accordingly make a decision. Do not follow a fad. I would say.
AB: I see, I see. Okay, and tell me, besides this, what do you see as the biggest red flags of this year? Because a lot of diets have been surfacing this year. What signs that a program is unsustainable or unhealthy or some of them are just money grabbing.
Dt. VC: So I would say, you know, meal replacement shakes are really a red flag. I see a lot of people consuming that, replacing their real meal, you know, with the replacement meal replacement sheets. I won’t recommend those, you know, expensive powders to you. Please emphasize on a healthy diet that will do good to you. Don’t invest, you know, and because, you know, last week I had an incident with my client. So she followed some particular brand that has a lot of studies, also damages your liver. But one expert only in the field advised her, you know, and she just got them from Dubai, she went on a trip.
AB: Oh my god.
Dt. VC: So I recommend, I recommend don’t take those expensive powders. And she’s, you know, elderly person, she’s like 60 and she’s seeing good results with a healthy diet. And she was like, you know, my physiotherapist told me to consume that protein shake. Can I, you know, a meal replacement shake? So I said a big no to her and shared a few studies with her. There are a lot of types of experts in the market. So we should be an aware consumer and an aware client and check the qualification credentials of an expert also who is recommending.
AB: Okay, so that’s a very good point you made there. It’s about, from what I had said at the beginning as well, Vidhi, it’s about coming back to simplicity. I sometimes feel like as human beings we’ve lost that everything is an ultra process, everything is developed. You know, if you come back to simple food, you would not be doing meal replacement shakes. It’s when we’re getting into things which are complicated and processed and not natural that we get into stuff like that.
Dt. VC: Yes, true.
AB: But I want to ask you another thing. Now, a lot of people I know, including me, start off really strong on a diet when we’re starting, and then we fall off after a few weeks. So why is that? Is it that we’re trying to eat things in a diet which don’t necessarily agree with us, with our lifestyles, with our taste buds?
Dt. VC: Yeah. So I would say, you know, people, like, fall off the track. One reason is that they do not follow a sustainable diet pattern. Okay. They may go extreme on something and, you know, they’re not able to stay on that thing. So whenever you start any diet regime or anything, understand it’s a lifestyle, and that’s a journey. It’s not a destination that you do for like one month and then you reach the destination and you stop doing those, you know, healthy eating and living that healthy lifestyle. It’s a journey till the time you are living. So take it as a sustainable lifestyle and start with something which you really feel like, yeah, this is sustainable for me. And also, we are humans. We are on the growth mindset. Whenever we start something and get back to, you know, lack and fix mindset. So try to work on your mindset. Also, people just, you know, make a lot of mistakes on that part. It’s very important to work on mindset. And you cannot achieve your health just with what you eat. I always emphasize, you know, working on mindset is equally important.
AB: Actually. I love that. I love what you said about guilt, because I do a lot of no sugar challenges on my page for three weeks and things like that. And I always say to people, the one thing you’re not allowed is guilt. It’s okay. We’re human. If we make a mistake, it’s fine. So I love what you said there. But tell me something. Do you think stress or sleep, lack of those, lack of sleep, or just stress when people are stressed in their lives, does that play a role in people dropping off their diets?
Dt. VC: I always say, you know, sleep is something of free resource to you, for which you don’t have to pay. So always take advantage of that sleep. And when we sleep less, there’s a lot of brain fog and a lot of, you know, tiredness and low energy levels because of which one may not be able to put that effort into their diet and lifestyle. So they drop off because they’re not able to do anything because they’re low on energy. Second, when the sleep is less, they may release a lot of cortisol hormone in the body and that really bring that mood shift, a lot of mood swings in your body and you know, due to which also you just skip and you skip because when you’re releasing cortisol, the insulin hormone also don’t work properly.
So when insulin is not working properly in the presence of cortisol, your weight loss journey also gets affected. So you lose that enthusiasm. Why is this happening? I’m taking care of my diet, I’m taking care of my activity. And when we talk about, you know, stress off their diet because stress releases cortisol and it is not only for Instagram reels that cortisol is a culprit.
But cortisol is really a culprit if in excess. Some cortisol is good. Sometimes it’s good to be in the survival mode of a sympathetic system, you know, for our body, but not being in chronic stress for a longer time. So there are two types of stress. Being acutely stressed is okay, no problem for a short period, small stress. But when that stress is a chronic stress, that will make one aboard healthy eating and healthy lifestyle because they will not be in that sense zone and they will get back to that, you know, mindset where they cannot be on the track. So yes, sleep and stress management is very important, right sleep seven to nine hours, a good quality sleep and stress management techniques are also very important during the journey if you want to be healthy and achieve your weight goals.
AB: Wonderful, wonderful. And I completely agree with what you’re saying. I mean, I feel like stress is the biggest killer of any diet. And that’s why I’m constantly talking about meditation and pranayama, breath work and things like that. But if you had to boil all your experience down, what are the top three habits in 25, 26 that you feel actually delivered results?
Whether the goal is weight loss, whether it’s better energy or long-term health.
Dt. VC: First habit, I would say start your day right, okay it’s very important. Start with some healthy drink. Do not start your day with some tannin or caffeine tea or coffee. Take some healthy water. It can be chia seed lemon water, it can be some turmeric tea, it can be any of the anti-inflammatory drinks. If you can’t go for activity outside, start with a two-minute deep breathing only and some maybe visualization or meditation to, you know, sit in and focus for the whole day. Because that’s setting up the intention and body alignment for the rest of the day. Second, home cooked meals. Okay, well I know everyone is so busy they don’t have time but pre planning really helps. Try to allot one day in a week when you can do just pre planning.
You know, keep your protein foods in one box, broiling your grains and keeping them in a box. So pre planning will help you to stay on track. You can buy a you know, magnetic meal planner, weekly planner, stick it in your fridge and you know write down all the seven days diet that will really help, you know, staying on track and achieving weight and health goals.
Practice mindful practices along with taking care of what you eat and activity. Very important. If you will not take care of your stress management and you’re eating healthy and taking care of your diet, that will not help you. If you’re not taking care of your stress management, your body will shift its nervous system into a sympathetic nervous system. And what really happens when you consume any healthy meal also and your body is in the sympathetic nervous system, that nutrients won’t be able to nurture you well. So try to adapt some healthy mindful practices and regulate your nervous system. Do stress management so that you can really get nurtured through the diet and activity also you’re doing.
AB: Wonderful Vidhi. So three things you said. Set your intention for the day. Have the right drink, have the right breath, work or whatever, whatever it is in the morning. Start your day right. You said home cooked meals and you said stress management. Those three things will help. Now I want you to give our audience one big change which you think if they made that today it’s going to help them a year from now.
Dt. VC: So I would just say you can just start with, you know, 10 minutes, walk with post 30 minutes of every meal. All right, so that will really improve your insulin activity and help you stay healthy. Be moving, don’t be sedentary.
AB: So you’re saying after every meal walk for 10 minutes but maintain a 30-minutes after 30 minutes of every meal. Okay. So you’re saying rest or whatever for 30 minutes and then walk. Before we wrap up I’d love to do a rapid-fire round. So is this whole talk about microbiome hype or the future of nutrition?
Dt. VC: Okay, so gut health isn’t a hype, it’s the control room of your body.
AB: Wonderful. Should we ever trust celebrity or influencer diets?
Dt.VC: So don’t borrow a celebrity diet, borrow this discipline instead.
AB: How do we make these diets affordable and local? Whether in India, Africa, Asia.
Dt. VC: So I would say your local plate, Thali, would do, you know, wonders to you. It is powerful.
AB: Thank you so much, Vidhi. That was an incredible chat. Thank you. Thank you for joining us today.
Dt. VC: Thank you for having me. It was really a nice session with you. Yeah. I look forward to recording.
AB: Yes, lovely. Thank you. Since we don’t charge you for this podcast, here’s a small request. Please subscribe to our page and leave us your comments. It helps us understand what you enjoy, it helps us bring you even better speakers, and it keeps these conversations flowing, all without any cost to you. So go right now. Thank you.
