THINK GLOBAL, EAT LOCAL!

That's what globe-trotter Kareena Kapoor's diet is all about, finds Urvashi Ashar

 Actor Kareena Kapoor is busy shooting in Venice for Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambakht Ishq. And one wonders how the vegetarian is coping with her diet and staying away from the Venetian wonders. BT speaks to her dietician-nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar who lets us in on Bebo's flabto-fab story. "Kareena was always into workouts. She exercised diligently but saw little results. It was when she met a common friend who had lost tons of weight post delivery, that she decided to consult me. But the best thing about Kareena was that she loved herself and her body even when she was plump, and she loves it even now.
    In spite of being a Punju and a complete foodie, Kareena, before she met me, was on a 'mythical' diet. She tried hard to avoid the bananas, cheese, parathas… food that everyone usually considers 'fatty'. She was clueless, and ate randomly, and her 'selfmade diet plan' was based purely on trial and error. It would have, on the contrary, been better had she consumed the bananas, cheese and parathas. The first thing I changed about her diet was the long gaps in between meals. I got her to eat every two hours instead, and that made all the difference," says Rujuta.
    Called the 'chana-singdaana' girl of the fraternity thanks to her constant munching of chana and peanuts on the sets, Kareena has stunned everybody. "While she was shooting for Tashan, a private number flashed on my phone," narrates Rujuta. "It was Anil Kapoor asking me what magic I'd done. He made Bebo his official dietician, so much so that before he popped anything into his mouth, he sought her permission with a simple 'Main yeh kha sakta hoon kya?'" laughs Rujuta.
    Talking about Tashan, did the nutritionist go the extra mile the day Kareena had to wear a bikini? "I think a woman should be bikini fit 24 x 7, 365 days a year! And no, I didn't make Kareena starve; she on the contrary had a normal day and ate her normal meals. Many people still think that Bebo survived only on orange juice. But that's not true. Kareena's simply eating right, and in fact eats more today than she ever did in the past. Some people even believe that she is anorexic, not true again! And there are many who are waiting to see her put on all that weight she has lost. Well, it's not going to happen. Because what the actor has done is adopted a new, healthy lifestyle. And when you do that, your fat cells shrink as a response. Alternatively, when you're on a crash diet, you lose lean body weight, your metabolic rate decreases gradually and the body ages faster. You deprive yourself of food, which is the most primitive form of punishment, your blood sugar levels are unstable and it's the worst thing you can do to yourself."
    Claiming diets like compensation, detox, weight loss, maintenance to be 'shams', Rujuta says, "It's all about eating the right thing at the right time and place, and in the right quantity. Kareena can eat whatever she wants, all that she needs to do is decide in advance and 'plan' it. Her diet plan doesn't deprive her of any food group," informs the dietician, adding that Bebo definitely had the famous HPMC apple juice when she was shooting in Ladakh, indulged in cake and pie in Bangkok and also makes it a point to have Christmas pudding every year. Does being a vegetarian make it more difficult? "Vegetarianism is a global phenomenon. To organise a vegan diet is not that difficult anymore. The only thing that happens due to vegetarianism is that Kareena's food choice gets limited. But honestly, ten out of ten times she manages wonderfully."
So what does Bebo do to eat right when she is travelling? "Her diet plan, her calcium and her vitamin B supplements. And if she is shooting in a remote place, she'll carry along with her packets of chana, peanuts, yoghurt and soy milk. Calcium supplements, as they're more prone to osteoporosis. The vitamin B supplement complements her vegan meals."
How often does her diet plan change? "I have her schedule with me, and know where she is headed. I try to locate some good restaurants for her and suggest what she should eat where. I try and locate local health stores where she can pick up her yogurts, packs of soymilk and fruits. My motto is 'Think global, eat local'. I encourage all my clients to have the local food wherever they go instead of having them carry packets of khakhra from back home," says the expert.
So currently in Venice, what is Bebo gorging on? "Wholesome pasta with gorgonzola cheese. She's filling herself up with malta, minestrone soup. When she's in Bangkok, she feasts on Thai curry, steamed rice and noodles. And in New York salads and soups. When Bebo was shooting in Ladakh recently, she ate momos and thupka noodles! You see, the diet changes with the place you're in. For example, in a place like Ladakh, which is 3,500 m above sea level, you get dehydrated, so you automatically up the carbohydrate and liquid intake. The logic behind increasing the carbs in your diet is that if there aren't enough carbs, you can't store enough water. So sometimes it's essential to have a carb-rich diet," explains Rujuta. "It's when you're working and active that you must have carbs. So when Bebo has a night shift, her diet changes all over again. In the night your digestive capacity is hampered, and a night shift means sleeping during the day, so the sleep is not as deep and comfy as night sleep. So there's not enough rest. There are a lot of things that complement your diet. You need enough rest, you need to workout, and Bebo is very spiritual too. This helps her with her willpower and mental strength. All these aspects simultaneously go a long way in getting results. Your body responds to food according to your state of mind and degree of contentment. And Kareena is very content."

Rujuta Diwekar

PICTURE PERFECT: Kareena Kapoor