From Keto to intermittent fasting, people are sometimes willing to try anything to stay healthy. Celebrities are often at the forefront of these diet trends (surprise, surprise), with some recently even turning to weight loss drugs, like Ozempic, to shed unwanted kilos. But actor Pooja Chopra is all about the nuances of owning her body and making decisions about how she chooses to look and feel. Also read | Nagarjuna reveals diet and fitness secrets for impressive physique: ‘I do intermittent fasting every day’
Pooja doesn’t believe in fad diets
Even though many people end up spending a great deal of their adult lives on diets, Pooja Chopra reveals in an interview with HT Lifestyle that she is not one of them. Pooja, who was Miss India World 2009 and represented India at Miss World 2009, says, “I don’t try fad diets because I know what works for me and what does not. Why should I take a chance? I take immense pride in saying that I have never ever fallen prey to anything – be it a fad diet or anything else.”
The actor is all about loving herself as she is – and she is really proud of the work she did to get it to this point. She adds, “I don’t over-indulge. I eat everything, but I eat in moderation. I have to eat every 2-3 hours. It could be a banana, cucumber, chocolate or something else. I like to eat till I am almost kind of full, but I don’t overeat.”
Pooja says she ‘hates being habituated to anything in her life’, and that applies to her diet as well. She does not deny herself the food she wants to have. So, she drinks chai on alternate days and indulges in desserts on holidays. She says, “If I am on a holiday, I don’t stop myself. Gulab jamun or ras malai, I can eat it all. But, I stick to healthy eating at home.”
What is Pooja Chopra’s daily diet?
Pooja eats healthily, but she does not obsess over food from the minute she wakes up to the second she falls asleep. Sharing her daily diet, she says, “The first thing that goes into my stomach every morning is coconut water — all year around. It hydrates me, and it is cool. Breakfast is very healthy. It could be sweet potato paratha, upma, avocado toast, or idli-dosa.”
She adds, “I am allergic to gluten, so there is no wheat at home. I only eat ragi roti or brown rice with dal or sabzi for lunch. Dinner is a salad with chickpeas, broccoli, or any other vegetables or a soup with beetroot and tomato or with spinach around 7.30 pm. I also drink vegetable juice in between my workout and meals. It is made of cucumber, beetroot and carrot. This is before lunch. I can also have a protein shake after a workout.”
What workouts does Pooja Chopra love?
Pooja puts all of her energy into being mindful of not only her diet but also her exercise routines. She says, “I work out five days a week; two days I give my body rest. I work out in the gym, but I get bored, so my trainer has come up with different types of routines. Sometimes it is swimming or kickboxing, and other times, weight training or MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).”
She adds, “I love spinning and how it makes my body feel the next day. I can feel the pain in my abs, my glutes, my entire lower body.” Pooja is also excited about starting badminton and squash sessions in the coming weeks.
Swears by meditation to improve her mental health
Whether it’s to reduce anxiety or to increase energy, there’s no denying that meditation has become the new go-to wellness ritual. Sharing how centering her mind and meditating has done wonders for her mental well-being, Pooja says, “It is one thing that has helped me calm down. I start my day with meditation. I started doing this recently, and I have definitely seen benefits. I do it in my living room for about 10 minutes, the moment I wake in the morning – before I even brush my teeth. I am an early riser, so this happens around 7.30 am.”
What are Pooja Chopra’s beauty secrets?
The actor says, “My skin is very sensitive. I cannot even put on sunscreen. I use my facewash for cleansing and removing basic makeup and stick to products that suit me. That’s it, nothing else goes on my skin. I also apply oats scrub mixed with water and sometimes sugar mixed with water on my face. I dunk my face in iced water before I apply makeup for shoots. I also use gua sha on my face.”
