At BrilliantRead Media, our aim is to bring to our community some of the finest stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this endeavour, we invited a passionate entrepreneur – Nandini Kumar for an exclusive interview with us. Nandini is an Entrepreneur, Leader, Health Coach, Certified Nutritionist, Wellness Consultant, Change Enabler and Mentor. Let’s learn more about her exciting journey, her background and her advice for our growing community.
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Nandini:
We are aware of your contributions to the ecosystem; talk us through your background and your journey, please;
My professional journey began in the year 2021 when I started my own venture by the name NourishKind by Nandini Kumar. Health and wellness is an area that I have always been inclined towards and it is this inclination which led me to do a diploma in Diet and Nutrition and then later on I took up the Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching Program from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, New York.
I am of the belief that with nutrition other aspects of our lifestyle also play a key role in achieving a healthy body and mind which is why Health coaching came into the picture and I decided to get a deeper knowledge in this subject.”
Now I am a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and help my clients live a healthy lifestyle with a holistic approach towards health.
Currently, I am doing my Masters in Global Public Health Nutrition from the University of Westminster, United Kingdom.
How did you discover your passion as a ‘Health Coach’?
As I grew up, I discovered every aspect of my life was intricately connected to my nurturing passion for food. I became conscious of my own lifestyle and like everyone else I started embarking on different diet trends and workout routines to stay fit and healthy. Some diets failed, some worked.
All of it promised me weight loss and none gave me a healthy body. In the process, I started to feel I am losing my health as in hair loss issues, weak bones, no glow on the face etc.
This is when I turned to extensive literature research on traditional and contemporary human diets. It was further fuelled by my own experiences and curiosity regarding staying fit and eating right.”
In the process, I realized that there is an evident and utter disregard and blatant thoughtlessness behind the decisions of choosing what fuels our life and souls which leads to being stuck in the vicious cycle of dieting and diet culture. I saw around me that the weight loss industry has made it more about looking good than feeling good.
It is then when I decided to practice and further cultivate my desire to understand the relationship among food, body, soul and community. By incorporating my past experiences, present actions and future possibilities, I planned to move forward with an eclectic and multidimensional approach to healthy, sustainable and joyful living.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
I have always believed that all of us have something good for us in store. Maybe we don’t get it now but sooner or later we will and life is all about facing challenges so, I believe things always work out for the best.
It does not mean that one has to keep sitting and do nothing about it but a positive mindset will always direct you in the right direction and to cope with the stress of challenges that life throws at me, I swear by practising some breathwork and journaling down my thoughts and emotions to have better clarity of things.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
It is undoubtedly my parents. They have celebrated my smallest victory as if it was a festival. They have left no stone unturned to make me who I am today and will always continue to do that I am sure.
It is them who made me realise the importance of wellness and how important it is to wake up early, exercise, have a good start to the day to have an even better day.
So, of course, I owe it all to them and today what I am doing I want to do it for them. What motivates me every day to do better is to see a smile of pride on their face.
What are some of the strategies that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
I would say living a mindful life is itself a way to evolve and grow as a person. Leading a mindful life helps me achieve a balance in all aspects of my life.
Of course, I am no perfectionist but I make sure not to be hard on myself and put myself first wherever it is required.”
I have always believed that it has to be me vs me because in the process I never want to leave my sanity. When you have peace of mind, things become easier to achieve.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
To believe in yourself is the key I feel because when you’re headstrong and you have unconditional faith in yourself then I think nothing can stop you from achieving what you want.
What advice would you give to our readers?
Well, as a nutritionist and a health coach I would like to convey to everyone that we as a community need to stop glorifying slim bodies because when we do that diet culture comes into the picture which is actually messing with a myriad of people’s lives.
We have to focus on feeling good and not looking good and that comes when you focus on health and wellness and not just weight loss. Follow a meal plan that suits your culture, region and something that you can follow for a lifetime and not for just 30 days.
For once think about the people who do not even get one meal a day and the ones who get all the meals and still are not grateful for what they have on their plate. Food is fuel so be grateful for what’s nurturing you. Be kind while nourishing yourself not just in terms of food but also with your thoughts.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
It is definitely going to be the feedback that I receive from my clients. Helping people change their lifestyles for good brings me the utmost satisfaction.
It also excites me to talk about the diet culture and make people aware of the side effects it brings along with it.
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