Pooja Lodha – Holistic Nutrition Coach
Ms. Pooja Lodha is a holistic nutrition coach. From the past seven years, she has been running a clinic set up in Pune and Mumbai and recently has also begun to consult in Nagpur. She does online consultation for her clients across the globe. She is a Type 1 diabetic since childhood but instead of that condition limiting her physically and mentally, welt the help of proper nutrition support she has been living an extremely active and fulfilling life. She is currently learning Latin dance forms and piano too. Her passion for managing herself got her to this profession to help people to achieve their health goals and motivate them towards a healthier lifestyle. Ms. Pooja has been the only South East Asian Type 1 diabetic who was invited to run 16km for the ‘Global hero’s Run’ to the USA in 2006. She has received a ‘lifetime achievement’ award for diabetes and exercise. She has also won the ‘Winner in you’ award by Shashi Anand.
Ms. Pooja is a Nutrition Counselor (Sophia College, Mumbai), Diabetes Educator (International Diabetic Federation, London) and Certified Child Nutritionist (Stanford University)
Her approach is holistic. She designs diets for weight loss. weight gain, people affected with cancer, pre and post pregnancy diets, diets for better skin and hair, diets for marathon runners and diets for children.
Diabetes and Cancer
Diabetes is a metabolic syndrome in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Juvenile also called Type 1 diabetes usually develops during the teenage years when the body’s immune system turns against its own insulin-producing cells. The more common form of diabetes. Type 2 develops with age and is often the outcome of unhealthy diets and a sedentary lifestyle. Today India is referred to as the diabetes capital of the world with nearly 35 million diabetics
Diabetes is also found amongst 18 percent of people having cancer. Most individuals may know they have diabetes, when diagnosed with cancer, while others may only discover it after a cancer diagnosis or during treatment.
Diabetes and different types of cancer arc strongly connected. Type I diabetes tends to occur with cervical and stomach cancers. Type II diabetes is found to occur with liver, kidney, breast, endometrial, pancreatic, and colon cancers.
Managing blood sugar levels is important and needed to live a healthy life as fluctuations in sugar can disturb day to day living with diabetes. Living with diabetes since 28 years has taught me how to manage blood sugars in different stages of life as a child, as a teenager to a grown-up adult. For example as a child I recall just before the exams my sugar levels use to rise however increasing the insulin dosage helped me manage the sugars at optimum level. Even as a teenager and as an adult situations kept changing but sugars were managed all the time. Being a diabetic, it is very important to maintain good sugar levels all the time so that one can live a normal life and achieve their dreams.
Diabetes management is very important during cancer treatment. Cancer and cancer treatment can bring about metabolic changes that cause or aggravate symptoms of diabetes. Also, high blood sugar levels can weaken the immune system, which needs to be strong to fight cancer. Diabetes could delay cancer treatment or increase the risk of infection during cancer treatment.
Good nutrition is important for both these conditions. Treatment for cancer and cancer affects your appetite and how the body digests, absorbs and uses food. Malnutrition caused because of cancer can make you tired, weak and unable to receive the treatments that you need to get better. So a good diet plan will help you to manage your blood sugar levels, which in turn helps in building immunity to fight cancer. Some foods which can be avoided for both these conditions are sugar, milk, refined flour, bread and pasta. Limit the intake of salt. Include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Exercise regularly, meditate and get a sound sleep.
Whether you are a cancer patient or a diabetic, sugar which I call as the “sweet poison” when managed well helps in the recovery of cancer at a faster pace and keeps blood sugars under control.
OUR CLIENTS SAY
I had signed up for Weight Loss program and have lost 10kgs in 3 months. Excellent results with continues follow-ups by Ms. Pooja without any exercise as I was bedridden due to some back issues, but in spite of being bedridden I could lose weight with the diet plan given by Ms. Pooja
I had signed up for Weight Loss program and I have lost 15kgs in 7 months. Great follow up by Ms. Pooja. I not only lost weight but there was an improvement in my overall health and certain health parameters, gained a lot of confidence too.
I had signed up for Fat Loss with Maintaining Weight program and I have lost 7% Fat in 2 months without losing weight. It’s a really great program. It has changed a lot of things in my regular behavior on and off the court, it helps me stay a lot calmer, even during my cycles. I used to have pain during my cycles earlier, now that has also reduced a lot, it barely hurts. I have started staying a lot happier, earlier I used to get annoyed really easily on the court if things used to not go my way or even during my cycles, I used to get cranky, but now I can stay calm even at such situations. The diet allows me to eat everything but in the right way, so eating everything but in the right way also makes me happy.
I had signed up for Weight Loss program and I have lost 4kgs in 2.5 months. It was helpful to bring down my weight by some extent and also was good for bringing down my acidity level.
I had signed up for Weight Loss and Fat Loss program and I have lost 7.5kgs and 5.5% Fat in 3 months. It is really a great program in 3 months. It was a great experience as first I was being too angry and I was not calm. And now after the program, I am too calm and I am not being angry. And now I am calm and quiet on and off the court. It is not just about the diet but it is also doing the workout. My patience used to lose very early but now my patience has been improved as it does not lose. As being a vegetarian, I have got the perfect diet. The benefit was that not only lost my weight and fat but also gained strength n not feel tired when I play and train. It is an awesome diet. It is not just about how you eat and it is about what food do you eat. Healthy food keeps you stay fit. I am feeling too happy and I am very proud of the program. I have loved this diet. It was a great difference before and now.
I had signed up for Weight Loss program and I have lost 3kgs which was my target and have maintained it. I use to have acidity and constipation but it has been resolved after doing this program. The program has helped me to understand various types of food of which I wasn’t aware of in the beginning it was difficult but after some time I got used to it.
I had signed up for Weight Loss program and I have lost 8kgs in 2 months. Very properly planned diet – Not only lost weight but additionally started feeling much better, happier and energetic.The best part was weekly visits and talking with Pooja which helps me keep on track and was answerable to her – otherwise, I would not have followed it so strictly.
I had signed up for Weight Loss program and I have lost 10kgs in 2 months. I loved the overall experience and I felt the best thing about the plan was not to compromise much on daily habits and it was very user-friendly. The programme was customised after a detailed briefing session with me. I did not feel nervous, frustrated or hungry as the food proposed was a part of my daily routine just that it was only arranged in a systematic way. I had to travel a lot in two months and that is why I couldn’t lose 10 kgs but I am happy with 6 kgs as I managed to do so even if I was traveling a lot. I could bring this plan as my lifestyle and it has benefitted me to follow a lifelong healthy lifestyle.
I had signed up for Weight Loss program and I have lost 5kgs in 2 months. The most important thing was that the program was easy to follow not just when I was enrolled for it but also afterward. It was tailored to my food likes as well. 2 yrs on I still follow it. I was able to achieve my weight loss goal and with the same program also maintain it.
I had signed up for Weight Loss program and I have lost 6kgs in 3 months. Good experience and the programme really helps to lose your weight. Pooja follows up with her clients regularly which others don’t normally.