Nutrition specialist Suman Agarwal shares her inimitable experiences with Pujya Gurudevshri and what she realised to be the secret of His success in the Diet Abhiyaan

Suman Agarwal founded Self-care – The Natural Way to promote the benefits of wise nutrition and has been counselling as a Nutritionist & Fitness Consultant for the past 10 years. She has a certificate in Food and Nutrition from Oxford University, UK and also a certificate in Fitness Training from the National Institute of Aerobics. Mrs. Agarwal was Pujya Gurudevshri’s nutritional advisor during the Diet Abhiyaan in 2009.

When Pujya Gurudevshri came to meet me on 14th of January, 2009, I thought how will I ever make this person lose weight. Combined with all His health issues, travel schedule and lifestyle – it would be an uphill task. But, I’m glad to say I was proven wrong. Every visit with Pujya Gurudevshri was a victory, in every single way.

Determination

Whether it was health or weight, His determination was firm and He proved me wrong each step along the way. I’m happy to say that nobody can ever compare with Pujya Gurudevshri in terms of dedication. He’s given not 100 but His 500 percent. What is even more incredible is that He inspired hundreds of others to do the same.

I found an astounding quality in each follower of Pujya Gurudevshri that came to me, and that was their mind full of determination and devotion. I knew right away that nobody would lag behind. I meet thousands of people with similar goals of weight loss and better health and there is a clear demarcation between those who come through Him and those who come on their own. I can say that 100 percent success was achieved by His followers as compared to a 50 to 60 per cent overall. He is the motivator; I am just a tool. He is the Parasmani that turns every stone into gold.

Building Blocks

We all know what not to eat. But what should we be eating, we are unsure. When a building is constructed, it requires three elements: bricks, cement and sand. Similarly, there are three building blocks to the human body: proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Being vegetarians, our primary source of protein is from lentils, pulses, milk and yoghurt. We receive fat from dry fruits, ghee, oil and milk. Everything else we consume is carbohydrates. If we ate according to the way our ancestors did, we would not be in the same situation we are in today.

Breakfast consisted of fruits, milk, roti, upma, poha, or paratha for them. But we forgot all that and followed the Western diet – giving into the myth that eating only fruits, soups and salads was the way to better health. Following this nutrition pattern blindly, we’ve created an unhealthy eating pattern.

Leading a Health Conscious Life

If we examine an Indian meal such as idli-sambar, it consists of everything required by our bodies. From secretions of enzymes, bile juices and hormones to the maintenance of haemoglobin, antibodies, nails, and hair all require fats and proteins in order to operate smoothly. So, it becomes crucial to eat a balanced meal.

It is said in the scriptures that our body is the temple and in order to achieve anything of significance, even spiritually, it is necessary to maintain our health. Pujya Gurudevshri is there to take care of the soul, it is our responsibility to care of our bodies.