Hot Topic: "Superfoods and Post-Partum Weight Loss"

With the panel of experts. From L: Rashi Chahal, Charu Shankar, Pia Desai Pasricha, Meghna Narayan, Shivali Jaggi

As the mother of an almost 2 year old, I’m often asked about post-partum weight loss. Despite prevalent belief, I put on weight with breastfeeding, as my appetite grew tremendously. I felt healthy and happy only after regular exercise and a strict control on my diet. Hence an interactive panel discussion on “Superfoods and Post Partum Weight Loss” was right up my alley.

Picture Courtesy: Mommy A-Z

The meet-up was organized by my favourite parenting group on Facebook, Mommy A-Z, in collaboration with Slurrp Farm, and the post-partum fitness center at Rosewalk Healthcare. The panelists included parents and two of the administrators of Mommy A-Z, Pia Desai Pasricha and Shivali Jaggi; chief nutritionist Rashi Chahal and wellbeing specialist Charu Shankar of Rosewalk Healthcare; and co-founder of Slurrp Farm, Meghna Narayan. It was held at the luxury maternity hospital Rosewalk Healthcare in Panscheel. Sapna Tomar, a clinical dietician and lifestyle coach trained in the UK, was part of the audience, and added her bit of wisdom.

Charu Shankar and Rashi Chahal of Rosewalk Healthcare gave some refreshing advice

A small group of attendees ensured everyone had a say. Honest experiences were shared and the discussion went beyond the subject at hand. The joy of interacting with other parents is that everyone’s in the same boat! The interactive session was followed by a lunch of tasty and healthy goodies from Slurrp Farm’s line-up. It’s hard to believe fox millet dosas and banana pancakes can be so delicious! (Click on the link to buy).

Slurrp-Farm-9 — Meghana Narayan & Shauravi Malik , Co Founder, Slurrp Farm. Photo by Ashwani Nagpal

Meghna Narayan and Shauravi Malik of Slurrp Farm (Picture Courtesy: http://www.theyellowturmeric.com/slurrp-farm/)

Sapna Tomar (Picture courtesy Sapna Tomar)

The talk focused on the importance of starting a health regime as soon as the baby is born. Eating right and staying well-hydrated are key components. Charu highlighted the importance of pelvic floor exercises and maintaining the correct posture to help mothers get their bodies back. Three to six weeks post-partum (depending on if it was a natural birth or a C-section) is deemed the right time to begin light exercise. A hot topic was the consumption of panjiri, as recommended by age-old wisdom. Both dieticians agreed that panjiri helps with lactation, but should be eaten in small amounts. Slurrp Farm goodies are made with healthy ingredients like millets and other natural grains, and make a great alternative to traditional meals.

Fox Millet Dosas and Banana Pancakes from Slurrp Farm served after the talk

The most important thing for post-partum weight loss is exercise. The correct exercise addresses your tired muscles and bodily aches. It enables you to handle the confusing first bits of parenting; and staves off post-partum depression. At Rosewalk Healthcare, wellbeing programs are specially designed for new mothers, by doctors and post-natal specialists. They also offer other specialized weight loss and wellness programs.

Picture courtesy: Rosewalk Healthcare

Mommy A-Z is a strong community of parents who give honest opinions and feedback. The team at Rosewalk Healthcare offers parents the ultimate in pre-and post-partum knowledge and practices from across the world. Slurrp Farm, available in many stores and online, is an easy addition to one’s healthy diet. Sapna Tomar offers a personalized approach to healthy lifestyle guidance, as well as weight-loss consultation for mothers and children.