Most people think that chefs only eat butter and cream and don’t care at all about the nutrition in their food. I would like to think I’m not a typical chef then. Yes, I cook with cream & butter if the dish requires it but I also cook with quinoa and spinach and eat organic muesli with fruits every morning with spirulina powder sprinkled on it!

Its always been very important to me to achieve a kind of balance in my life… not just with Healthy Food vs. Indulgent Food but also Work vs. Travel, Party vs. Shanti and one of the most important things to me- Yoga vs. Sleeping till late.

Our SSU episode today features a dynamic, young Yoga teacher Tanvi Mehra, who has opened a really cool space in Mumbai. The space, Tangerine Arts Studio, doesn’t just offer Yoga classes but everything from Zumba to Bhangra.
In this over-crowded metropolis we call our home, there is a serious lack of spaces dedicated just for activities. Where you can learn something, practice an art and also discover what it means to belong to a community of people who are interested in the same thing.

It was awesome to start off the episode doing a headstand with Tan (as she is called by her friends) and then to actually whip up some healthy goodies from her studio itself.

It’s strange to me when friends moan & groan about losing weight, the answer is simple. Introduce some balance into your life and your body, your skin, your mind & your spirit will all align themselves perfectly, just like a good head stand!

DETOX JUICE-

They say you should juice your vegetables and eat your fruits! This is my every day post- yoga fix. I change the veggies around to mix it up a bit, some days I add beetroot and it becomes PINK. Some days I stick to Spinach & other greens. Some days I add a bunch of flax seeds & sunflower seeds. Some days I add a tsp of Spirulina Powder. You can’t really go wrong when you stock your kitchen up with these goodies.

HOMEMADE MUESLI-

Another every day fix for me is my bowl of Fruit + Yogurt + Organic Muesli + Organic Honey. The combination of sweet fruits with creamy yogurt & crunchy muesli is yummy and it fills you up without filling up on junk. Again, get creative with the Muesli by adding your favourite nuts & seeds & grains, you can go wrong as long as you stick to Whole Foods which haven’t been refined or processed.

AVOCADO QUINOA SALAD

Quinoa is one of the most protein rich foods you can eat with twice the fiber than other grains!! Just that should be enough reason to incorporate it in your diet. Add to that Avocado which prevents cancer, is packed with vitamins & minerals and is just delicious and you have a healthy, tasty salad that will leave you feeling satisfied without feeling over-stuffed.