Neeha Nagpal is a lawyer by profession and a fitness enthusiast by passion. 36 years old Neeha is a well- known lawyer and activist based out of Gurgaon. She has vast experience of over 13 years in commercial law and litigation. Neeha embarked on a personal journey two years back towards health and fitness through close understanding of nutrition. She is now committed to making a difference in this space by leveraging her personal transformation story and learnings thereof and taking it to a larger platform to help many others like her. In 2018, Neeha received the Forbes ‘Tycoons of Tomorrow’ Award.
Nutrition, the science and study of what we eat and how it affects our health has never been more important than now. What has often seemed like a fad, has finally transformed to a matter of literally – life and death, as populations across the world fight obesity, allergies, reactions and other attendant maladies all connected in some way to the way we eat, what we eat and how much we eat.
We often hear – You are what you eat – that popular saying that emphasizes the fact that food in itself is medicinal, or that your health is marked by your food habits. If you eat right, you won’t need medicines at all, it purposes to say. However, people often either fail to understand the gravity of these words or tend to forget them in the long run. What exactly do we eat, and how does one know its effect on the human body? Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins – where do they come from and how do they impact our body, health and well-being? The answer lies in the study of nutrition.
Nutrition and food play a vital role in the life sciences – perhaps the most vital one. Every living organism, after all, is a machine and a machine needs fuel to sustain itself. For plants and animals, nutrition serves this purpose: to refuel us from time to time with essential nutrients. However, as human beings, one also eats to satiate their taste buds or to seek instant gratification through the richness of culinary traditions. This means that lifestyle forgoes close control over the kind of food a person is consuming in favor of pleasurable gastronomic experiences. Consequently, one does not get the right nutrition, leaving vulnerable to illness and diseases.
Nutrition Knowledge & Health Consciousness
Underatanding nutrition empowers us to better decision making as regards our own health. Just like the knowledge of law helps us in acting with with caution and maintaining the social contract, thereby avoiding a breach of the rules and regulations vital for the functioning of the society. Similarly, one needs to think of this society as their body. For its proper functioning, everyone has to follow certain rules and regulations in terms of nutrient intake and avoiding damaging food. But a person can only follow these rules if they have knowledge of nutrition and food. In the long run, such knowledge will help develop a mindset to eat right and prevent disease, therefore, living a body positive life.
At the same time, it is reasonable to imagine that the nutritional knowledge deficit canot be overcome overnight. That’s where a guided programme led by a certified practitioner can help us all.
For example, a Nutrition Coach or Health Coach is today a necessary aid to the healthcare system. He or she can work closely with health aware individuals, patients, wellness seekers or even doctors help clients develop sustainable and mindful habits for a healthy and body positive life. In doing so, a Nutrition Coach/Health Coach also has the privilege of helping others lead a healthier lifestyle.
Nutrition Coaching/Health Coaching industry has witnessed exponential growth in the last decade across the globe. Previously overshadowed by skepticism, the health coaching market reached $6 billion in 2017, a 15% increase from 2014. By 2022, the market is forecast to reach $7.85 billion, with 121,000 practicing coaches.
Living in the unprecedented era of COVID-19, the pandemic having upended our lives, who can ignore health as a major priority? For perhaps the first time ever, the need for health consciousness has transcended all other concerns of our lives simply because the pandemic has ushered with it a need to develop sustainable habits for boosting immunity and staying healthy.
Health & Nutrition Coaching Practice
Health and Nutrition coaching is going to be a definitive career choice for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Thanks to digitalization and growing work-from-home phenomena, the investment for setting up a Nutrition Coaching or Health Coaching practice is also not expected to be large. This gives rise to many exciting possibilities and makes nutrition coaching accessible to one and all for perhaps the first time in our history.
It is certain to suggest that studying to be a certified Nutrition Coach or Health Coach has never been this exciting yet. Not only does it bring in large and varied socio-economic benefits, but has the potential to change the lives of everyone connected with you, for the better.