As Shilpa Shetty Kundra turns a year older, we share the secrets to her zestful lifestyle

Shilpa Shetty Kundra is one of the most vivacious and hard-working actresses from Bollywood. The actress made her acting debut in the 1993 thriller Baazigar and has since then worked in over 40 movies. The actress has won multiple accolades and widespread acclamation over her career spanning three decades. She is now awaiting the release of her upcoming movie Nikamma starring Abhimanyu Dassani and Shirley Setia. The actress also made jaws drop as she grooved to the song Shut Up and Bounce. In her bikini-clad dance performance, the actress looked stunning as she flaunted her toned and muscular body. The song went on to become a career-defining performance by the actress. Revisiting the song from the 2008 movie Dostana, one may wonder how to get themselves on the same path of fitness as Shetty. The answer to that may not be as tough as one may imagine, as Shilpa Shetty has always been very vocal about her diet and workouts advocating for a healthy and active lifestyle.

Speaking about motivation for an active and healthy life, the actress said, “Whatever you dream of achieving, life will always demand discipline, dedication, and consistent effort, and some amounts of hustle. Likewise it is, for the ‘muscle’ too! Unless you push yourself, moving forward will always seem like a distant dream.” She further added, “Prepare a schedule, sacrifice the excess sugar, manage your time and water intake well, eat clean with balanced proportions, and get fitter than you were yesterday. That’s the only way forward. You can do it!”

The actress and fitness enthusiast also launched a holistic health app, Simply Soulful that caters to yoga, exercise, immunity, and diet programs. She also hosts a radio show, Shape of You, and manages her own YouTube channel where she preaches the importance of a balanced lifestyle.  She has also pledged to spread awareness by encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Living by her popular philosophy Swasth Raho, Mast Raho, the actress has inspired many to follow the right path. Shilpa Shetty Kundra also promotes having a wholesome balanced diet and is against dieting.

It is rightly said that Shilpa Shetty Kundra has aged like fine wine. As the actress turns a year older, we revisit the lessons to take from her zestful lifestyle.

Shilpa Shetty On Following A Balanced Diet

When it comes to her diet and lifestyle, Shilpa Shetty makes sure that she never misses a meal. The actress quips that skipping meals can reduce one’s metabolism. With a tight schedule, the actress is prone to missing her breakfast several times which marks the most important meal of the day. But the actress firmly says, “I don’t skip breakfast because I don’t have time. If you don’t break your fast, you are not doing good to your brain and body. I like to keep it simple and quick.” Her breakfasts include rich sources of protein and fibres, such as eggs, fresh fruits, and avocados. In an exclusive interview with Filmfare, the actress shed light on the importance of clean eating. She said, “Clean eating is having food that’s not ready-made. Rather consume natural foods; food that’s not genetically modified. Stick to local stuff rather than items that have travelled a long way as they have preservatives.” For a rich source of antioxidants, Shilpa Shetty also adds berries to her diet. These reduce the risk of heart diseases and other inflammatory conditions. The actress regularly whips up berry smoothies to add antioxidants to her diet.

She also launched a book, The Great Indian Diet co-authored by her nutritionist, Luke Coutinho. The book explains how she lost her postpartum weight just a few months after having her first child Viaan. Speaking about the book in an interview she said, “I have tried to bust preconceived notions about Indian food. People think Indian food is fattening and high on sodium, which is untrue. A simple dish like rajma chawal is a complete meal; it has the right amount of protein, nine amino acids; it’s equivalent to eating an egg. But people are tucking into quinoa instead.

Shilpa Shetty On Her Workout Regime

Shilpa religiously takes out the time to post work-out tips on her social media spreading the philosophy of an active lifestyle. She also regularly posts workout videos on the Shilpa Shetty Fitness App. The actress begins her day with functional training and ends it with yoga. In an exclusive interview with Filmfare, the actress said, “I do an amalgam of yoga and exercise. I even do the ‘animal walk’ for agility.” In the interview, she also shed light on yoga asanas. She said, “The old-fashioned methods have the most effect on your body. You concentrate on every asana. It’s slow and emphasises breathing for optimum results.” The actress has not only mastered yoga but is also a black belt in karate. She also took to her social media handle to share the importance of stretching. She wrote, “It’s important to stretch and flex muscles often, to prepare the body, safeguarding your bodies from injuries and for the activities we take on.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty)

Shilpa Shetty On Maintaining A Balanced Lifestyle

The actress advocates for cheat days and guilt-free indulgences. Shilpa has always advocated for a balanced lifestyle, which also requires giving in to certain indulgences. The actress religiously follows one cheat day per week during which she doesn’t shy away from indulging in her favourite desserts. The actress also shared in an Instagram post, “I am human, so I give in, and when I do, I do it guilt-free and enjoy every bit.” The actress has also started the #SundayBinge series through her Instagram page. In the video, she promotes one cheat day per week conveying one doesn’t have to starve themselves for weight loss. In these videos, the actress can be seen indulging in her favourites from hot jalebi and rabri to chatpata raj kachori. According to the actress, following a disciplined and balanced diet are key, but indulging in your favourite food once a week will keep you motivated. The cheat day is instrumental in avoiding cravings.

Shilpa Shetty On The Secrets Of Ayurveda

Shilpa Shetty Kundra also refers to the Ayurveda techniques while planning her meticulous diet. Some of her tips from the Ayurveda include consuming sugar in natural form like jaggery and having the right amounts of carbohydrates before 8 pm. The actress, therefore, doesn’t cut out potatoes from her diet but makes sure she has it the right way. She also highlights the importance of bottle gourd juice, basil or tulsi juice, and coconut water. Busting myths about ghee, she says, “In Ayurveda, ghee is used for detoxification. They ask you to have generous spoons of pure ghee and that actually helps you burn fat. Your intestines are cleansed. Ghee increases your metabolism and helps you digest food. This has been practised through the ages but people are not aware of it.”