Meet Deep Health Coach, Simrun Chopra, a Certified Deep Health Coach and the Founder of Nourish with Sim, who has been transforming lives with her programs based on daily workouts combined with proper nutrition advice and active meal planning.
Having a deep understanding of modern-day health and fitness issues, Simrun believes fitness is an integral part of everyone’s life which should not be limited to just looking good, losing weight and worrying about physical attributes. Owing to her pragmatic approach to health and fitness issues, she cherishes working with 8000 clients who have chosen at least one of her offered programs.
Knowing more about Simrun Chopra, a certified Deep Health Coach, Abhinav from the Sportz Business Fitness Magazine brings an exclusive talk with her, where she has talked over a lot of issues including PCOS and some rookie mistakes that millennial are committing blindly following social media posts.
Read the excerpts to know more:
Q.Could you please shed some light on your profile (Deep Health Coach) and how have you been transforming tons of your clients?
Deep health coaching is about focusing on you as a whole being. Not just about looking good, losing weight, or worrying about your physical attributes. As the name suggests, it is much deeper. It is about you as a unique individual. Your thoughts, your motivations, how you react to situations, what makes you happy – your overall health and wellbeing really, including both physical and mental aspects of your life. I use fitness and nutrition as the route to getting people to focus on their health.
Over the last two years, I have been privileged to work with more than 8,000 clients who have opted for one of my programs. My programs are based on daily workouts combined with proper nutrition advice and active meal planning. All I ask for is 30 minutes of one’s day for exercise, which is definitely not too much to ask for. Combined with proper eating habits and careful meal planning, I have seen amazing results in my clients.
Q.Can you share an anecdote about your venture into the field?
Eight years ago, I had a lot of problems – physical and mental. I was over-weight, struggling with PCOS and a bad back and barely able to look myself in the mirror. I was fortunate enough to have a smooth pregnancy and post the birth of my son, something happened that spurred me into action. A friend of mine, visiting me to meet my infant son, called me a beached whale. While it was said in jest, it stung. I had to do something about it. The decision to take control over my body, mind and overall well-being has been one of the best decisions of my life to date. I hired a personal trainer, started watching what I eat and as I steadily got stronger and fitter, the weight I was losing stayed off. I lost 25 kilos and the rest as they say, is now my story.
Q.What do you suggest as in diet to those who can’t hit the gym on regular basis but still want to stay fit?
I don’t believe in diets. I believe in eating what you like. Cutting off foods that you are familiar with or like is unsustainable. Your focus has to be eating sustainably. You need to enjoy what you eat, and that is the only way to ensure that your eating habits become a long-term part of your life. For me, meals are not about expensive ingredients. Here too, it has to be what, that is easily accessible and available, things that you and your family like and enjoy eating. It just needs to be healthier, and that is where Nourish with Sim comes into play. How do you make the same delicious things you like that is now less fattening? What kind of portion controls do you exercise for yourself while your family eats their fill? How do you keep things interesting at the dining table for yourself and your family while you follow my program? These are answers that we provide on a daily basis to those on my programs.
Q.How have you been connecting to your clients at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and what were the major challenges you faced dealing with them?
We haven’t really faced any challenges during lockdown or after. My business is a digital one, and the delivery of the programs are website based, making it very easy for my clients to get their daily workouts, nutritional advice and meal planning support.
Q.How do you tailor your client’s diet in response to their medical condition and food preferences?
We begin by doing a lot of research into the client, their current dietary intake, their medical issues or specific conditions. All of this is to arrive at a very specific diet that we create specifically to address the client’s problem. This could be as often as daily modifications to address an ongoing problem.
For example, let’s take Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Each person faces IBS differently. The triggers are varying and are relevant to their own situation in terms of diet and lifestyle. We conduct elimination protocols to identify what is causing the problem and then create specific diets to help the client move forward.
Q.What is PCOS and how it can be diagnosed and treated through right eating?
Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome is a condition that affects a woman’s hormones. Women with PCOS produce higher than normal levels of male hormones that cause them to skip menstrual cycles and make it harder for them to get pregnant. Perhaps the most painful part of PCOS is the formation of many cysts in the ovaries. PCOS also causes hair growth on the face and body, and sometimes even baldness. It also contributes to long term health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
When it comes to diet and its impact on PCOS, weight management and insulin production and resistance are the two most important factors. Losing weight and keeping your sugar levels in check are essential factors to controlling PCOS related symptoms. Following a diet that meets a person’s nutritional requirement, keeps your weight under control and promotes good insulin levels is the best. I have found from personal experience, that regular exercise is a powerful addition to your routine, in order to manage PCOS.
Q.How do you see people changing their eating habits in a bid to boost their immunity, at a time when most of the people are getting misinformation through WhatsApp forwarded messages, what is your take on this?
We are surrounded by misinformation all the time. It is incumbent upon us to be careful when consuming diet and nutrition related information. With wide-spread misinformation spreading like a virus these days, we have to carefully check sources before believing anything to do with diets, nutrition and the health benefits of certain foods or products. Words like ‘superfood’ are thrown about all too often these days, and sometimes, it could be the furthest thing from being a benefit to you.
When it comes to boosting immunity, there have always been certain items that have stood the test of time, from ancient history to our more technologically based times today. Consuming foods high in Vitamin C is always good because it helps fight off infections as they are thought to increase white blood cell production. Broadly speaking, getting enough rest, eating more plants and whole foods, healthy fat and fermented foods or probiotic supplements are all beneficial. Add to this, regular exercise, proper hydration and limiting your sugar intake definitely aids your efforts at fighting off infection and increasing your immunity. Ginger, turmeric etc. are also known to have immunity boosting properties.
Q.Are Vegans diets better than animal-based foods in terms of nutrients like protein and fats? If yes, then tell our readers why and how can we bring this phenomenal change in our food eating life?
A good diet is made up of Carbs, protein, healthy fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals and water. Whether you get these requirements through vegan or animal based foods, these are crucial for the human body to function. I definitely recommend the addition of greens and vegetables to your intake, but broadly speaking, if the essentials are consumed, I don’t believe that any one form of diet is better than the other. Everyone must focus on getting what is required. To adopt a proper Vegan diet, there are certain supplements that are required. It would be best to consult your doctor before embarking on such a diet.
Q.What are the rookies mistakes that millennialsmake in terms of supplements and food habits?
- Following trends on social media that are not evidence based or scientifically proven. Just because one person has a positive reaction to spearmint tea does not mean that it will work for everyone.
- People who are ok working with fad diets or quick fixes like crash diets etc.
- People consuming supplements to achieve a certain goal. Supplement by definition means “in addition to”. If you are not consuming what is required, supplements do no work.
Q. How do you see Indian platter in terms of nutrition, can you list a few Indian superfoods?
The typical meal is very well balanced. Proteins come from dals, legumes, lentils or common dairy products like paneer and curd etc. Carbs come from rice and breads. Curd and things like idli provide the required pro-biotics for improved gut health. There are plenty of vegetables available through the year across India that includes a wide variety of greens. All in all, an Indian meal is well balanced and nutritious.
When talking about superfoods, Indian herbs and spices like ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg star anise and other items found in the traditional ‘spice-box’ are relevant. Consuming these add to overall health and well-being.
Q.What kind of dietary recommendations do you recommend for the Indian geriatric mass?
- Adding protein into every meal.
- Consuming fibre through the day through fruits and vegetables.
- Dark, leafy greens have to be consumed at least three times a week.
- Add a probiotic into your diet, like curd.
- Make sure a minimum of 2.5 – 3 litres of water a day is consumed.
- Limit processed food intake to bring down sodium levels.
Q. And the last, how do you manage your daily workout schedule and what are your key fitness goals and vision for a healthy living in this new year of 2021?
I have a standard routine every day. I workout in the mornings to make sure I get my daily dose of exercise. This came about over time. It has to become a habit.
For me, getting better is about bringing fitness and proper diet and nutrition into my lifestyle. Some key aspects are:
- To be better than yesterday.
- Improvement needs to be a continuous journey, not just a fixed time goal.
- Trying to improve my fitness and endurance.
I want people to look at fitness and good health as a key component in their lives. Not just for great pictures on social media. It has to become a focus. It has to become an integral part of everyone’s life. I try to impart the skills and the training to create habits that will stand the test of time.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
