Munmun Ganeriwal is a Mumbai-based nutritionist and gut microbiome specialist who has been working with actor Taapsee Pannu since 2018.
Ganeriwal has helped Pannu prepare for her look in various films, including Manmarziyaan [2018], Game Over [2019], Saand Ki Aankh [2019], Thappad [2020], Rashmi Rocket [2021], and Annabelle Sethupathi [2021], without depriving the actor of the pleasure she derives from eating.
In the foreword to Ganeriwal’s new book Yuktahaar: The Belly and Brain Diet, Pannu writes, “This book will bust many myths, and set the record straight once and for all. It will also help you realise that if you want to lose weight or rid yourself of any disease, extreme forms of diets or torturing your body with insane workouts is never the solution.”
The book has published by Penguin Random House India.
Edited excerpts from an interview with the author:
How would you explain the concept of 'Yuktahaar?' What is the philosophical framework that it is based on? Could you talk about some of the training you underwent?
‘Yuktahaar’ is based on the concept of gut microbiome, and how it affects our health. The trillions of microbes in our gut not only influence our physical health [including weight loss] but also how we think, behave, react, and respond to situations in life. Interestingly, both yoga and Ayurveda have long believed that our gut is at the centre of ‘deep health’ — physical, mental, emotional.
When I dove into research from both modern science and ancient wisdom to know more about how we can manipulate our internal eco-system in a way that it works for us vs against us, I was intrigued to know that both the sciences agreed that food is the most powerful tool, followed by exercise, good sleep hygiene, and practices of meditation, deep breathing. Quite interestingly, Lord Krishna has also, at different places in the Gita, talked about the importance of eating right, sleeping right and practicing yog and dhyana [meditation].
As far as specialised training goes, I have been formally studying Gita under a competent teacher for few years. In fact, the word ‘Yuktahaar’ is itself borrowed from the Gita [6.17]. In spite of finishing my Masters in Nutrition, I regularly attend international gut microbiome conferences, and stay in touch with the scientists through emails to discuss any paper that I find important. I have studied yoga formally from the Sivananda lineage of yogic traditions, and Ayurveda has always been an intrinsic part of my lifestyle. Yuktahaar: The Belly and Brain Diet is the outcome of all my studies, research, and two decades long experience. It is the only programme in the world that combines traditional Indian foods, ancient Indian yogic practices, and Ayurveda principles with gut microbiota study to understand and fight obesity and other diseases.
What does “a gut-balancing lifestyle” look like? What makes you say, "You are not what you eat; you are what your microbes eat?"
I say this because the microbes we harbour in our gut ultimately determine the fate of our weight [and health]. If we are truly concerned about losing weight, we need to stop our obsessive fixation on calories and every passing diet trend because doing so, we end up disturbing the balance and diversity of our gut flora even more. Yo-yo dieting messes with our gut bacteria big time; the more your weight goes up and down, the bigger the mess is. Since the microbes play a significant role in our long-term physical and mental health, we need to adopt a broader view, and stop pursuing diets; instead we need to shift our focus to a balanced lifestyle that comprises a wholesome diet, consistent exercise, proper sleep, and deep relaxation mechanisms to recover from daily stresses of life. This is what we do in 'Yuktahaar: The Belly And Brain Diet.' It is a 10-week programme to lose weight, reset your metabolism, support immunity, and restore your physical and mental health.
How do you work with clients who doubt the efficacy of Ayurveda? What are some of their concerns? How do you help them shift from suspicion to ambivalence to trust?
As a consultant, my job is to only inform my clients of the best course of action that they can take to lose weight or feel better or get rid of their chronic symptoms. It is they who ultimately decide what they want to do. Having said that, by my experience, I would say that people at large trust Ayurveda and its principles. They only want to ensure that the person giving out the advice is well-versed and educated in the subject. That is their concern. Trust is earned I believe, and in my case, I have been fortunate that people sign up for my program and are eager to work with me only because they have faith and they believe that it is worth their time and money.
You have worked with Taapsee Pannu, Rakul Preet Singh, Nayanthara, and Ekta Kapoor. What are some of the joyful and challenging aspects of working with celebrity clients?
I am someone who was studying to become an engineer, and then made a switch to nutrition and fitness just out of sheer passion. That was 2000-01, years ahead of 3 Idiots. Taking a plunge from a coveted career to study nutrition and fitness was unheard of. Even after 20 years, I derive joy out of my work, irrespective of who or how successful my clients are. Working with celebrity clients is rather inspiring for me. I get inspired by their discipline, their will to achieve their goals, their time management skills, their humbleness in spite of their superstar status and so on.
Working in the film industry involves adapting to long working hours, frequent travel, and diverse weather conditions. How do you factor in these elements, and changing client needs?
Yes, these I would say are the challenges of working with celebrities and actors. Changing client needs means a change in their food plan, exercise plan and so on. It also requires me to stay in touch with them throughout their shoot schedules so that if there is any change in their location, weather condition, call timings etc then I can tweak their plan accordingly. With each actor, the approach is different that largely depends on the actor’s personal preferences, shoot requirements etc. It is difficult to generalise. For instance, Taapsee’s meal plans are based on the location that she is shooting at. Presently, she is shooting in Lucknow, and her diet chart has meals like matar chaat, kebabs and naan, chicken nihari and so on. For Rakul, I may not do the same but alter her plans based on her workout intensity and fitness goal.
In your book, you recall that Taapsee Pannu told you, “See I am a sardarni. I love food, and I just cannot bring myself to eat something that doesn’t appeal to my taste buds.” How did you strike a balance between health and taste while putting together a meal plan for her?
I firmly believe that there should be a balance between health and taste because no one can stay on a diet for long if it does not consist of foods that they like to eat or that they find tasty. It’s like fighting a losing battle. At the onset, Taapsee told me about foods she would not like to see in her plan. For instance, she is not fond of poha, dates, soups, salads, peanut butter etc. Once I had a fair idea about her taste buds and her preferences, then I suggested a plan to her that would work for her, and at the same time, is inclusive of what she likes to eat. She loves to eat chhole bhature for example, and I suggested her a traditional sourdough, gluten-free recipe of the same. I have included it in the book.
You have worked with her on gluten and dairy sensitivity, sluggish metabolism, acid reflux, and inefficient digestion. This must have required a lot of discipline and monitoring, especially because different filmmakers have different requirements from their actors. How involved are you in helping your celebrity clients achieve the look they need for each film?
Well, the involvement depends on the character that the actor is playing. If it requires a complete transformation, for instance what Taapsee had to do for Rashmi Rocket, then I would go to the extent of supervising each and every meal that is being prepared for the actor. I would also visit the actor on set if the actor needs my help and so on. For other times, the extent of involvement is lesser. Usually, a brief is enough, and I would chart a plan based on the brief given to me by the actor.
How do you manage expectations from non-celebrity clients who want to look like their cine idols? How do you work with them on building a positive body image?
Krishna has said that expectations are the root cause of all mental disturbances, be it anxiety or fear or frustration. So taking a cue from the Lord himself, I, at the onset, set their expectations right. Result is an outcome of effort, not someone’s celebrity status. If non-celebrity clients put as much effort, they can look like their cine idols.
The thing is that most of the time, they are not able to put equal efforts not because they are lesser hardworking but simply because their lifestyles, obligations, responsibilities; in short, their world so to speak is contrastingly different.
Once I make them aware of these realities, it isn’t difficult anymore. They start enjoying their individual journey and are always content.
You mention that India has “thousands of lentil varieties” but “most of us eat only a few.” What are some of the reasons behind this lack of diversity in our lentil consumption? Does this have to do with lack of knowledge about their nutritional value, or the cost factor?
The Green Revolution, that started around the 1960s, witnessed policy makers, agri-scientists, and Indian farmers chase high-yielding varieties so much that India lost almost lakh varieties of indigenous crops. Since the time of the Green Revolution, there has been reduced cultivation of indigenous varieties of not only lentils but also millets, rice, barley etc. Now after so many years, consumers aren’t even aware that there are varieties other than moong, chana, toowar, etc that exist, let alone their nutritional value or cost. In my book, I have prepared tables of different lentils, millets, fruits, veggies, and even fish varieties so that readers can bring diversity in their diets. If we want to stay truly healthy, diet diversity is extremely important.
You mention that exercising in moderation can reduce damage done to the gut microbiome but exercising too much can cause gut hyperpermeability. What does this mean in simple terms? What are some ground rules that people should set for themselves?
It means that the dose makes the poison. Krishna has also advised that instead of clinging to the extreme end of any ideological spectrum, we must recognise moderation as an important discipline [Bhagavad Gita 6.17]. Too little or too much exercise, both are unhealthy. Some simple ground rules are if you like to work out every day, then know that it is important for recovery to take one day off in a week. If you are a beginner, and just building a new exercise habit, then know that you do not have to exercise every single day. Start slow and gradually build up. The most important thing for beginners is to be consistent with what they are able to do currently.
How can people take care of their mental health by learning about the gut-microbiome connection? What are some of the foods that you recommend consuming and avoiding?
Learning about the gut-microbiome connection can give a lot of hope. To know that depression or anxiety may have originated in the body, and not in the brain or mind, can be a relief for many. Since diet is the most dominant factor that shapes our microbiome composition, what we eat or not eat can affect our mental health.
Out of the many things I talk about, one is the ‘right quality’ of food. Right quality of food is not about measuring calories or carbs, but it’s about eating foods that are devoid of any NOVA ultra-processed ingredients, those ingredients that are never used in kitchens, such as high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, hydrolysed proteins etc. If you go by the NOVA classification, you will realise that foods that are assumed to be healthy — for instance, mass produced gluten-free bread, cartons of almond milks etc — are processed junk in disguise.
On the other hand, a samosa is often looked down upon as unhealthy and fattening. When made at home, samosa is devoid of ingredients characteristic of the ultra-processed food group. Not that I am advocating that one should eat samosas all day or every day. A bowl of khichri, for example, sits at the top of the hierarchy, as it is packed with more nutrients than a samosa. But is a samosa healthier than the pack of mass-produced bread picked up from a swanky specialty store? Hell yes!
Chintan Girish Modi is a writer, journalist, commentator, and book reviewer.
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