“Entrepreneurship is not as glamorous as it looks in magazines. Entrepreneurship is a lot of hard work and practically involves working 24/7 to make your dreams happen.”
In a freewheeling chat with Entrepreneurs Today, Nandini Kumar addresses the current challenges people are facing in terms of nutrition and how getting swayed by the nutritional choices of celebrities is not the right way to build a healthy lifestyle.
An alumnus of the University of Westminster, London and King’s College London, with a double Master’s degree, Nandini Kumar is a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, AfN registered Nutritionist and the founder of Nourish Kind. When asked about how her journey began, she expresses her keen interest in the concept of external lifestyle and food, which is partly the reason why she chose this path or founded her very own venture.
A Unique Approach
Interviewer: How do you differentiate your approach to nutrition as a health coach?
Nandini: “When it comes to health and fitness my ideology is not a regular one. I have always been of the view that it is all aspects of our lifestyle when in balance leads to good health and not just working on one aspect of it. My mantra is to stick to our roots and not complicate our food.”
The point at issue, in Nandini’s opinion, is that people keep making nutritional choices based on what their favourite celebs say or the current fad they come across. She asserts,
“Most people fail to understand celebrities have numerous gym instructors, dermatologists, dietitians, and a whole team of people working towards making the celebrity look better. Moreover, celebrity professionals are highly focused on their looks and there is a considerable amount of time a money invested in that aspect. As people who are working in other fields, the same nutrition plans that suit celebrities might not fit all.”
This is where Nourish Kind steps in by providing people with individual holistic plans that are not influenced by celebrities or fads. Nandini says,
“At Nourish Kind, I wanted to focus on local food and indigenous cultures to promote a healthy lifestyle and that has been our approach. I am inspired to work in this field because I see how impactful my work can be and help people to improve their health and well-being.”
Nandini’s Expertise
There is a lot Nandini brings to the table regarding nutrition owing to the double master’s she pursued. Her MSc in Global Public Nutrition helped her gain more perspective on weight loss goals and exposed her to the domain of public health and the challenges people usually face globally like malnutrition, undernutrition, and overnutrition.
During her education, Nandini also studied one of the most prevalent health issues obesity, and how these health conditions can lead to type 2 diabetes. She also studied micronutrient deficiencies, known as hidden hunger, and their severe health impacts despite adequate caloric intake.
The program deepened her understanding of food insecurity and the economic, political, and environmental factors contributing to inadequate access to safe and nutritious food. This included analysing policies and programs aimed at combating food insecurity, such as food assistance programs and community-based nutrition interventions.
Her studies at King’s College refined her ability to address clinical nutrition issues. She gained a comprehensive understanding of how nutrition impacts disease prevention, management, and treatment. This included learning about nutritional interventions for managing chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Owing to her education, she also has a good understanding of nutrition at both macro and micro levels. This allows her to address nutritional challenges holistically, designing public health interventions and providing individualised clinical nutrition care.
Her academic foundation has empowered her to develop innovative, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based approaches to health and wellness. This is the cornerstone of Nourish Kind, enabling her to effectively address contemporary nutritional challenges while honouring traditional dietary practices.
Services Offered
There are several services offered at Nourish Kind. Some of these are:
- Lifestyle Change Over Dieting: Nourish Kind prioritises sustainable lifestyle changes over restrictive dieting. Their focus is on achieving fat loss and overall health rather than just a number on the scale. They promote balanced eating to ensure clients receive the necessary nutrients without extreme restrictions.
- Emphasis on Local and Seasonal Foods: Nourish Kind advocates for consuming locally produced, seasonal foods. This practice supports local agriculture, ensures freshness, and retains nutritional value.
- Education for the Underprivileged: Nandini Kumar dedicates time to educating underprivileged communities on the importance of nutrition using locally available fruits and vegetables. This education empowers these communities to make healthier choices without financial strain.
- Rejection of Trendy Diets: Nourish Kind rejects trendy diets and the allure of fancy Western foods. They emphasise the importance of native foods, which are inherently balanced and suited to local biological needs.
- Holistic Definition of Health: Nourish Kind defines health holistically, encompassing physical, mental, and emotional well-being. They aim to help clients achieve a state where they can perform daily tasks without pain, enjoy restful sleep, and live without the fear of food.
- Personalised Nutrition Plans: Nourish Kind offers personalised nutrition plans tailored to each individual’s unique needs and health goals. These plans incorporate traditional and locally sourced foods, ensuring they are nutritionally balanced and culturally resonant.
The Initial Struggle
One primary issue Nandini faced, which is common among new entrepreneurs, was the lack of a support system comprised of fellow entrepreneurs. Recognising the importance of surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals, Nandini was fortunate to find such a network among her university friends, who were also focused on their entrepreneurial pursuits.
Despite this support, Nandini initially struggled with a lack of confidence in starting her own venture. It wasn’t until she recognized the unique value she could offer and the gap she aimed to fill in the nutrition market that she felt a sense of responsibility to launch her business, Nourish Kind.
What the Future Holds
Interviewer: What are your goals with Nourish Kind?
Nandini: “We want to build a world of better nutrition for everyone. This starts with our nutrition-based consulting. We are also launching a children’s book for nutrition to spread awareness about this topic among young ones.”
Nandini also adds that they look forward to working on nutrition education through Instagram and beyond, as she believes,
“The habits we pick up early are the ones that continue in life. I am working on launching a children’s book about nutrition to educate people about healthy nutrition habits. Education happens at all ages using diverse mediums, hence there is more in the works to target people of different age groups and ensure everyone is leading a healthier lifestyle.”
A few years down the line, apart from launching a nutrition-based chain, Nandini will also be working towards starting an NGO of her own for the underprivileged to focus on UN goals related to health and nutrition.
Interviewer: Can you tell us more about the plans you have with the NGO?
Nandini: “We will address the Sustainable Development Goals charted by the UN, SDG 2 to end hunger and achieve food security, and SDG 3 to achieve good health and well-being. The NGO will collect leftover food from restaurants and deliver it to unprivileged backgrounds. This has been one of my passion projects and coming from a philanthropic family.”
