Model actor Sameera Reddy has won over the internet by documenting her weight loss journey, setting achievable fitness routines for both working women and mothers and demonstrating that doing flutter kicks, with her daughter sitting on her, isn’t just confined to athletes. “I’m investing in me, my health, my body, my happiness and my mind,” she had written on her social media post last year while documenting stories that made fitness fun rather than a goal-setting routine. She did some intermittent fasting, positive thinking and chose a sport to break the tedium of being just another gym rat.
‘MORE THAN COUNTING STEPS, I STEP OUTDOORS AND SLEEP WELL’
That’s why when we ask Sameera about whether she does the 10,000-step daily routine around which the latest fitness conversations take place, she centres us immediately with her practical wisdom. “Ideally, more than steps, I like stepping outdoors with my children. We walk and cycle a lot. Half of my workout is over playing with my children! Not only that, I feel that the one wellness regime that works for me best is sleeping well. It is important to give yourself time to rejuvenate. Eating on time is also a regime I follow on a daily basis. I am very particular about getting perfect rest even on crazy days. I sleep as soon as my kids sleep. So yes, having a command over your body in terms of good sleep and good eating habits is a must,” she tells us.
‘HOW MY DAD MADE SNACKING ON NUTS A CHILDHOOD HABIT’
Most importantly, Sameera is all for switching over to nuts, particularly pistachios, as a snacking routine. It was her father who introduced her to the goodness of pistachios in her childhood. “My love for pistachios, or pistas as we call them, goes way back. It was a family eating ritual when my father would keep a mix of dry fruits, or simply pistachios, at hand for munching through the day. Little did we know then that he was promoting good snacking habits. Even when I was pregnant with my children, my father kept telling me how pistachios would strengthen my body before childbirth,” says she.
WHY PISTACHIOS ARE THE NEXT SUPERFOOD
Pistachios are being touted as the next superfood after almonds as they are rich in protein, fibres and anti-oxidants. And they have a luxuriant flavour profile that doesn’t quite make them boring. A serving of pistachios provides about 37 per cent of the recommended daily vitamin B6 intake or 1.3 mg mandated for adults. Vitamin B6 plays a vital role in the body, particularly in relation to protein metabolism and cognitive development. Pistachios are among the lowest-calorie nuts, which don’t throw your total calorie count haywire. They have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory functions and being rich in fibre, encourage a healthy digestive system and promote gut health.
The high protein content and concentration of amino acids make pistachios a major draw for vegans and vegetarians. Because pistachios have low caloric values and high fibre and protein content, they are incorporated in many weight loss diets with a study in 2020 showing how they helped reduce body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference in males and females with obesity. Besides when it comes to non-communicable diseases, pistachios can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems. Their low glycaemic index (GI) means they do not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar and according to a meta-analysis in 2020, helped in reducing fasting blood sugar levels.
‘I GIVE PISTACHIOS TO MY KIDS AS AN IN-BETWEEN SNACK’
That’s the reason Sameera replicates her nut-snacking habit among her children. “When they are tired after their school and play routines and want to eat something between 4 and 5 pm, I always bring out a platter of pistachios and dry fruits. Both of them, especially my three-year-old daughter, love cracking the shells of the pistachios and having the flavoursome nut, holding it patiently between their fingers. Just like my dad, I’ve introduced them to pistachios at a very early age. When my daughter was about eight months old, I started smashing pistas and badaams in her food. I wanted both my kids to get accustomed to the taste of nuts so that they could easily grow up with known flavours and coopt them in their daily diet,” adds the model-actor.
And since these days she is particular about her workout routines, Sameera keeps a packet of dry fruits and pistachios in her bag, munching on them for her dose of energy, before and after her sessions.
.jpg)
0 Comments