Celebrity trainer Shweta Bhatia, who has a team that helps people recover from COVID-19 physically and mentally with the right diet and light exercise, says that “in terms of physical health, a good diet hastens recovery.”

“COVID-19 is highly inflammatory and the damage continues even after you test negative, called Long COVID. The duration depends on the severity. We have to observe patients for at least 30 days,” Bhatia, who manages many cases from mild to severe where the patient had kidney dysfunction and also an elite level athlete, told Opoyi.

She also says that in terms of exercise, she has a team that manages it on a case-on-case basis.

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“If the patient had complications (ICU), has cardiac or kidney issues, we first take clearances from the treating doctor after the patient is stable. We start a graded exercise program after checking their exercise tolerance. Specialized physiotherapists plan the program (Covid rehabilitation). Resuming physical activity is important as prolonged inactivity enhances muscle loss, making you weaker.

“Mental health is managed by my team of psychologists. The athlete had to let go of a crucial match and was under counseling with the team sport psychologist. For the general population we have clinical psychologists,” said the 43-year-old who is a trained nutritionist, sports consultant,
psychologist, wellness guru and fitness athlete.

With more than a decades’
experience backing her lineage, she is one of the few dieticians recognized by
the Indian Dietetic Association; Mumbai.

She commenced her entrepreneurial innings in 2008 with the launch of
Metamorphosis clinic in Mumbai followed by Gym and Tonic fitness center in Goa
in 2015 and Mind Your Fitness clinic in Mumbai and Pune in 2018. 

Her client list includes Tiger Shroff (actor), Suniel
Shetty (actor), Sajid Nadiadwala (film producer) , Avinash Bhosale
(industrialist), Rahul Tripathi (cricketer), Vishwajeet Rane (Health Minister
Goa), Naba Das (Health Minister Odisha), Priyanka Chaturvedi(Member Of
Parliament, Rajya Sabha) amongst others.

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It is seen that many people are obsessed with Bollywood and their fitness. For them, Bhatia says that “They have a team of people guiding them based on their goals.”

“The common man needs to understand that fitness regimes need to be personalized. Do not follow a diet or training program blindly,” she said.

For her,  small dietary changes can help with good health.

“Health is always indicated by a) body fat percent. We lose muscle and gain fat as we age so if we can reverse or retard the two, it’s true anti-aging,” she said.

So the five tips that can help in good health include:

-Include 1st class proteins (dairy/non-veg sources).

-Reduce the number of total carbohydrates (cereal, dal, starchy veg like potato, sugar, fruits).

-Eat more vegetables and a handful of nuts everyday.

-Use rice bran/groundnut/olive oil for cooking.

-Drink enough water to keep your urine pale yellow.