In this episode of Magical Mornings, we featured Munmun Ganeriwal, a Professional Nutritionist, Fitness Expert and Yoga Teacher. She is the founder of ‘Yuktahaar’ and has won the award for the Best Nutritionist by Femina. Over the past 18 years, she has worked with many clients, personal leaders, actors, celebrities which includes Bollywood Actor Taapsee Pannu and South Superstar Nayanthara. She has professionally trained people, students and homemakers across the world.
Here’s the interview of Munmun Ganeriwal with UnitePod.
Q. How did your journey into a successful Nutritionist, Fitness Expert and a Yoga teacher start? Were you always interested in being health conscious and fit?
Munmun: 19 years back, if you were a bright kid, you either became a doctor or an engineer. So that time I was also in MIT Pune and studying to be an engineer. I really hated the subject. Fortunately, I came across a gym and started working part time as a fitness trainer. After that I realized my calling for it. Then I dropped myself out of engineering and subsequently finished masters in Nutrition Science and overtime did fitness and yoga courses.
Q. What are your thoughts about organic food and a vegan diet? When you encounter a client or a prospective fitness club member who is committed to a diet that differs from your own, how do you remain objective?
Munmun: Food, I believe, is a personal choice. So as a professional, my job is to give right information to my clients and audience. I never take decisions on their behalf but I rather help them.
Q. For most of us it has been a rough phase between maintaining a healthy diet and dirty- binging, where one could say it’s more of a yoyo cycle. Can you share some tips and advice to remain constant in our fitness and diet?
Munmun: This yoyo thing happens when you make drastic changes in your lifestyle. If you would say no to sweets and fries and live only on salads and sprouts for a week, you will see that you end up binging everything fried and sweet for the next two weeks. So, the best way is to always walk the middle path. Exercise and moderation, where you eat what you like, in a more balanced way.
Q. Some people drink coffee to fuel their workouts while other drinks it as the first thing in the morning. As a Nutritionist and a Fitness Expert, what is your take on caffeine, health and fitness?
Munmun: Coffee is a great thing. But the question is what kind of coffee. When the coffee comes from good quality beans, freshly ground, then it’s an anti-inflammatory food. Having said that, I do not advocate drinking it first thing in the morning or as a pre workout fuel. Two cups of freshly brewed coffee in the whole day, one after breakfast and one after lunch, is good.
Q. Being healthy and fit requires not only physical strength but also mental toughness. What is your inspiration and what advice can you give our listeners for motivation?
Munmun: I get inspired by everyone who is self-made because I am self-made too and I know what it takes. As far as fitness is concerned, I only aspire to be better than what I was yesterday. My advice to everyone listening is to take one day at a time and better yourself with each passing day. If you are stronger and fitter than what you were yesterday, you are clearly winning.
Q. People have been debating whether cardio or lifting weights provides better results. What is your take on this?
Munmun: My take on this is to just stop debating and start doing because that is what we really need to do. People can do cardio or they can lift weights, they can do yoga or zumba or whatever they want. Just do something and do it consistently. Keep doing it whether you decide to do it even twice a week, just keep doing it week after week, month after month, because the problem is that people aren’t doing enough. Variety of exercise isn’t a problem because we already have too much variety.
Q. What tips can you give about how to prevent or deal with post workout soreness?
Munmun: A bit of soreness is actually good. There is a chart which we use in the fitness world to gauge the level of soreness. On the scale of 0-6, 0-2 is considered minor soreness, 3-4 is moderate and 5-6 is extreme soreness. If you score 4 or more, then the intensity and volume of exercise you are doing should be reduced dramatically. Also, the amount of rest between exercises should be increased.
Q. What is the one common myth about your profession or field that you want to debunk?
Munmun: I am happy you asked me that question. Anyone who has successfully lost weight or who has a good body is not qualified to be a nutritionist or fitness specialist. You need to have formal educational qualifications to become one.
Q. Nowadays, intermittent fasting has become a new trend. What is your take on that?
Munmun: My take on this trend is that like all other trends, it has an expiry date.
Q. Finally, what message do you have for our listeners and where can they connect with you online?
Munmun: The messages that I have for my listeners is stay happy and stay healthy. They can connect with me through social media and emails.
Thank you so much. Now we know how to connect with Munmun. Thank you for debunking all our queries and giving us such amazing tips and advices. That was appreciated. We all love you. All love.
Munmun: Thank you for having me here.
That’s a wrap of another episode of Magical Mornings, featuring Munmun Ganeriwal who dropped out of MIT and aspired to follow her passion and became a Nutritionist and Fitness Trainer. She founded ‘Yuktahaar’ which is essentially a diet, exercise and lifestyle intervention program that promotes a holistic approach towards sensible and sustainable weight loss and improved health.
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