Celebrity fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala and actor Soha Ali Khan were in town for a panel discussion on ‘Snack Smart for a Healthier Family and Stronger Immunity’ at The Park on April 25. Organised by the Almond Board of California, also present at the informative discussion was Ritika Samaddar, regional head, dietetics, Max Healthcare, and together they discussed the benefits of almonds, meal-planning, the right way to snack and more. Post the talk, Yasmin and Soha sat down for a quick chat with t2.
YASMIN KARACHIWALA
Pilates trainer Yasmin Karachiwala's mantra is simple — eat a handful of almonds everyday. Yasmin, for whom nuts, and especially almonds, is a powerhouse of energy, talks about the importance of almonds in the diet, her upcoming manual for Pilates instructors and more.
As a fitness expert, you keep propagating the consumption of nuts in your sessions and in your books. How significant are nuts according to you?
For me, nuts are super important and especially almonds, because they’re easier to find and they can’t go bad very easily. Other nuts don’t have the longevity that almonds have. So for me, almonds are extremely important. I’ve always had them and, whenever I travel, I feel insecure if I don’t have a box of almonds in my bag. Even now, when I was coming, I stopped at Starbucks to get a black coffee and I picked up almonds. I have to have almonds in my bag because sometimes when you’re on a flight and it doesn’t take off on time, at least you know that the almonds are going to rescue you. I know the benefits of almonds are far more, the fat value in almonds is just perfect. California almonds are my favourite brand.
Almonds are consumed in different forms — soaked, roasted and raw. How can one get optimum benefits?
So for me, bheego ke rakho is too much of an effort. Also, I actually like the skin of almonds. I feel there’s something amiss without the skin. I like the fibre in the skin so for me, a whole almond is important. Maximum what I’ll do is I’ll roast it. I use a lot of almond flour for cakes and breads. As for the optimum effects, it depends on how much almond you are having and if it’s in its purest form. Also, it’s difficult to measure in powder or liquid form. However, it is very important to have a handful of almonds a day and not more.
How religiously do you include almonds in your diet?
I’m very clear. I know that for my lunch I need to have protein, vegetables and carbs. So I will make sure that there’s chicken or fish or eggs. In the evening I love having a cup of coffee, so that’s when I have my almonds.
We also talked briefly about including almonds for those hitting the gym regularly. Can you elaborate on it?
The best way to have almonds is to have it with a banana pre-workout. It gives super energy. Post-workout too you can have a few more almonds, not more. Almonds give you a lot of energy for your workout.
Your last book was The Perfect 10. What will be your next book about?
My next is not a book, it’s a manual. Since I train individuals to become Pilates instructors, I’m starting my own Pilates academy where I’m going to train. It should hit the stand by the end of the year. It takes time because you have to take down each exercise, break it up, explain the pros and cons of the exercise. The manual will not be for any reader or fitness enthusiast but for a Pilates instructor.
SOHA ALI KHAN
Soha Ali Khan who can eat "lauki" (bottle gourd) and "dal chawal" every day, holds almonds as significant. Looking for interesting big and small screen projects, Soha talks about the significance of eating right and striking a balance between work and family life.
How important have nuts been in your life?
To be honest, I used to think that nuts would make me fat and that they have lots of calorie content and I used to stick to fruits and vegetables. Later, I understood the importance of having good calories and good fats and also the importance of filling up your stomach with good food so that you don’t feel hungry two minutes later, which is what a lot of high-sugar foods make you feel. As a child, my mother used to give me almonds, but I think through college and all I didn’t have so many because that’s when I was in charge of my food. And now in the last six years, I think I have become the best version of myself because as a parent you want to be a good role model. So in the last six years, I’ve really stuck to that — having a fistful of almonds everyday. I’ve seen the benefits of that in my life. It’s not really what you’re eating, it’s what you’re not eating as a substitute and that has been valuable for me.
How particular was your mom, Sharmila Tagore, about food?
She was very particular about our food. I think with working mothers, you are busy and want to be a good parent as well and one of the most important things you can do is provide good nutrition for your child. So I think even for me, even though I’m there with Inaaya, she’s in school for eight hours of the day. So I make sure that she has her handful of almonds, eggs and every nutritious food because then I know at least she’s covered; I know that she’s getting the protein, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, fibre from these things. At least I feel like I’ve done my part.
How has your fitness regimen changed?
It has hugely changed because earlier I used to just play sports. When I was in my 20s and early 30s, I just exercised. Now I realise that if I want to continue to play badminton and other sports, I need to strengthen my body, my knees and my back, which becomes prone to injury in the 40s. I know lots of people who think that they’ll go and play badminton and they’ll lose weight and they’ll become fit. You have to go to the gym and lift weights and do strength training so that you can go to the court and play badminton and not injure yourself. So now I do core strength training. I train my core muscles, I do squats, I do lunges, I do push-ups because I want to be able to handle my own body weight for many decades into the future. I think strength training in your 40s is very important because you start to lose a lot of muscle content, especially as a woman. And that turns to fat and then hormonal changes happen and that’s awful. As we age we are dealing with perimenopause, menopause and all kinds of changes that happen to our body and one of the ways I find happiness and equilibrium is after a good workout. I feel like it really brings a lot of things into balance.
Moving beyond fitness, when are we seeing you next on the screen?
Honestly, I’m finally bored of being at home and hanging out with my daughter. She’s incredibly cute and I miss her even today but I am finally bored and now looking for work. I did Hush Hush (2022) last. Chhorii, which is yet to come out on Amazon, is a horror movie where I’ve explored my dark side for the first time. It was interesting for me with a few hours of prosthetics and some scare, which is fun for me. I definitely want to do a lot more when it comes to work but I want to strike that fine balance between being around at home and also being creatively engaged at work.