Slim, not shady: What is the anti-inflammatory diet that celebrities are now following for weight loss

If you are a celebrity who has recently undergone a weight transformation the Internet has two guesses you are on Ozempic or following an antiinflammatory diet The second one could be the easier and healthier option for youIn an lateOctober interview with Galatta India Vidya Balan credited an antiinflammatory diet for her weight loss Balan further claimed that she had not worked out for the whole year for the first time in her life adding that Amura a nutrition group based in Chennai helped her figure out how to manage her weight She is not the only celebrity to follow this diet Samantha Ruth Prabhu has endorsed its benefits too In the West Jennifer Aniston and Tom Brady have advocated for itNutritionists hormonal health experts and Ayurvedic experts too back this dietRecently Vidya Balan revealed that an antiinflammatory diet was to credit for her recent weight loss In the West Jennifer Aniston and Tom Brady have advocated for an antiinflammatory diet PicGetty ImagesOf course inflammation is not new Health experts have been aware of it and how it shows up in the bodymdashas acute or chronic inflammation The first is when your body has a fever or swelling due to an injury while the second occurs in clinical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis obesity exposure to toxic pollutants or due to an unhealthy diet smoking stress sleep problems and lack of exerciseldquoIt is like the new buzzwordrdquo says Saleha Bawazir a clinical nutritionist ldquoBut honestly inflammation has been there in our bodies since man existedrdquoAs for why it seems to affect us now more than ever Bawazir ascribes it to the modernday lifestyle which includes sedentary jobs air pollution processed food intake and high stress According to a review published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care lifestyle diseases also called noncommunicable diseases NCDs are responsible for 52 per cent of fatalities in India So prevention must be taken seriously But is that why this diet is getting popular now ldquoI think there is a shift in the medical field in the way that they consider food Food is not just sustenance anymorerdquo says Bawazir ldquoYou realise that modernday diseases such as metabolic syndrome diabetes thyroid and others cannot just be cured with medicine alonemdashtreatment needs to be supported with lifestyle changes And if you are already on an antiinflammatory diet these diseases are preventable as you wonrsquot go into a state of inflammationrdquo she continues Bawazir adds that children too can follow this diet as a preventive measureRajeshwari Shetty Jiahjeet Kaur Dharmishtha Dagia Amrita Kaur Rana Saleha BawazirA quick Google search is all you need to know the list of inflammatory foods These commonly include refined grains like white rice wheat refined flour red meat processed meats processed sugar fried foods sugary drinks and alcohol among others But what exactly do they do to your bodyRajeshwari Shetty Head of Department Nutrition and Dietetics at SL Raheja Hospital in Mahim explains that inflammatory foods disrupt the gut microbiota and change hormonal levels which leads to weight gain She emphasises the importance of identifying food sensitivities and allergies ldquoBefore following this diet you have to do a food intolerance test or an allergen test to know which food items are responsible for inflammationrdquo she says adding that different foods affect each individual differentlyShetty further explains ldquoThese inflammatory foods are cut out and select food items which will reduce the inflammation are prescribed in the diet Certain diets known as Mediterranean diets are antiinflammatory because they focus on fresh foods Such diets already have extra virgin olive oil fatty fish rich in omega3 and nuts and seeds An antiinflammatory diet doesnrsquot focus on one food itrsquos different food items acting together to reduce the inflammationrdquoGlobally several health organisations like the World Health Organisation American Heart Association United Kingdomrsquos National Health Service and American Diabetes Association all recommend a Mediterranean diet This type of diet has been proven to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes Additionally Shetty says that an antiinflammatory diet helps prevent early Alzheimerrsquos improves cognitive functions boosts mental health and improves sleepThe ghosts of diet trends like keto paleo calorie deficit and intermittent fasting still linger The ldquono sugar no maida no fried foodsrdquo advice sounds like every other diet we have tried before no In contrast to those diets though the antiinflammatory diet might be more tailormade and complementary to medication and those who practise it note several other benefits too ldquoI think the first thing I noticed was that my skin began to improve I tend to have dry skin because of my time in the kitchenrdquo says Chef Aditi Keni who has been on the diet for the last nine months and adds that she also saw a spike in energy levelsJiahjeet Kaur popular as The Painless Period Coach on Instagram is a clinical nutritionist who follows what she preaches ldquoThis diet is not a plan to be followed for a few months I think itrsquos a lifestyle changerdquo she points out adding that she sends out a prep sheet to her patients before they begin this diet The prep includes cutting out alcohol getting the right amount of prescribed sleep and curbing stress using tools like yoga meditation and journaling prompts Kaur adds that when she first read about the diet she tried it as an experiment and the benefits convinced her to keep at itTo track progress and to test the reintroduction of some foods like those that contain gluten she encourages patients to take photographs ldquoWe generally ask them to take pictures of their face nails hands and their problem areas where they previously had rashes or irritation They can compare any sort of bumps or redness We ask them to track how well they slept as well as their mood in the dayrdquo she says adding that the diet has proven to improve overall health Kaur who suffers from PCOS says that she has noticed this diet improved her hormonal and menstrual health as wellAyurveda too has mentions of how dietary habits environment and lifestyle impact inflammation along with recommendations on how to curb it Amrita Kaur Rana a content creator and follower of Ayurveda began researching this diet through a scientific lens some years ago As a creative cook she stirs her modern diet with Ayurvedic principles and has managed to find a balance ldquoThere was a time when I was overweight and my lifestyle was different At that time I used to have bloating belching and feel uncomfortable Those are also inflammation signs in our body along with excess flatulence and acidity But when I started listening to my body I understood how to balance my dietrdquo she saysRana recommends adding herbs and spices to the diet and eating hyperlocal meals but she says she also adds barley quinoa avocado and tahini to her meals To her itrsquos what keeps her diet interesting and allows her to cook creativelyChef Keni who runs Additive Consulting has cooked for several celebrities on an antiinflammatory diet and says that this is one diet that is easy to cook Keni learned the principles of cooking for this diet at Hinterland Village Eco Resort in Kerala ldquoOne of the biggest things is that you need to know where your ingredients are coming from This diet has quicker cooking methods but you are better off buying produce that is seasonal and from a farmersrsquo market It requires you to make a mental shift and not only eat but also buy mindfullyrdquo she saysKeni says that if one wants to follow a more Western diet they can eat raw foods avocados and berries But an Indian version of the diet is easy to cook as well as it includes buttermilk pachadi and curd rice among others She adds that as this is a Mediterranean diet one can cook fish and eggs and eat more fruits as well And if you are eating out Keni says that brown rice biryani whole wheat tandoor roti salmon or tuna sushi sans sauces miso soups seaweed salad and stirfried vegetables with no soya sauce are some of the options you can pick fromThe switch was an easy fix for Dharmishtha Dagia a public relations professional who was put on this diet after her weight would not budge But as the diet is turning into a fad she emphasises the need to consult a nutritionist instead of blindly following what celebrities do ldquoAnyone can tell you about a certain diet but there are certain nutritionists who can figure out whether your case could actually involve inflammation or some other issue Everyone needs to go to a nutritionist firstrdquo she concludes