At 50, Bollywood icon Shilpa Shetty Kundra continues to inspire millions with her age-defying looks, toned physique, and vibrant energy. Far from succumbing to fleeting diet fads, Shetty advocates for a balanced, mindful, and wholesome approach to eating, incorporating traditional Indian ingredients like ghee and recognizing the nutritional value of foods often shunned, such as bananas and eggs. Her philosophy emphasizes nourishing the body with “desi khana” and simple, sustainable habits over restrictive regimens.
The Mindful Morning Ritual: Setting the Tone for a Healthy Day
Shilpa Shetty’s day begins with a series of cleansing and energizing rituals designed to kickstart her metabolism and prepare her body for the day ahead.
Warm Water, Noni Juice, and Oil Pulling
Her mornings typically start with one and a half to two glasses of lukewarm water to rehydrate and stimulate digestion. Following this, she often consumes four drops of noni juice, which she considers an energy booster and beneficial for her immune system. Another Ayurvedic practice she incorporates is oil pulling, where she swishes cold-pressed coconut oil in her mouth for about 5 to 10 minutes to promote oral health and remove toxins. In some instances, she also includes aloe vera juice, sometimes enriched with tulsi, ginger, and jaggery, in her morning routine.
A Wholesome Breakfast: Fueling the Body and Mind
Shetty stresses the importance of not skipping breakfast, believing it’s crucial for brain and body function. Her breakfast choices are simple, quick, and rich in fiber and essential nutrients.
Fiber-Rich Grains and Fruits
Her morning meal often includes oats or muesli combined with fresh fruits like bananas, grated apples, or blueberries. To maintain low sugar levels, she opts for natural sweeteners such as honey or jaggery instead of refined sugar. On busy mornings, she might have a smoothie made with almond milk, banana, oats, honey, and seasonal fruits.
The Power of Eggs
Shilpa Shetty is also a fan of eggs for breakfast, recognizing them as a complete meal. Sometimes, as a mid-morning “second breakfast,” she includes two eggs paired with raw avocado and buttered whole wheat toast. She also snacks on eggs in the evening.
Embracing Healthy Fats: Ghee as a Daily Staple
A significant aspect of Shilpa Shetty’s diet is her unapologetic inclusion of healthy fats, particularly ghee. She believes that the right kind of fats are crucial for maintaining weight and overall health.
Ghee for Metabolism and Fullness
Shilpa makes ghee a staple with her lunch, stating that it aids metabolism and keeps her feeling full throughout the day. She has also been known to start her day with warm water mixed with a tablespoon of ghee, sometimes adding turmeric, dry ginger (saunth), and black pepper powder, which she believes boosts metabolism and aids weight loss. Ghee is rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins A, D, E, and K, and butyrate, which supports immunity, digestion, and brain function.
Other Healthy Fats
She also recommends incorporating coconut milk, especially for those who are lactose intolerant, as it provides wholesome energy without being stored as fat in the body.
Balanced Lunch and Light Dinner: The Art of Mindful Eating
Shilpa Shetty’s lunch is typically her most substantial meal, while dinner is kept light and early.
Wholesome Lunch Choices
Her lunch usually consists of brown rice with protein like chicken or fish, accompanied by simple salads or a yogi bowl of grains, greens, and vegetables. She also enjoys dal rice or chapati with chicken curry and a vegetable. She emphasizes choosing foods for their nutritional value rather than just portion size.
Early and Light Dinners
Shetty prefers to eat an early dinner, ideally before 7:30 p.m., even when attending social gatherings. Her evening meals are typically light, often consisting of soup, grilled dishes, or mushroom hotpot rice, sometimes accompanied by a salad. She consciously limits her carbohydrate intake at night. For evening snacks, she might opt for eggs, dry fruits, or sandwiches.
Beyond Diet: Fitness and Mindful Living
While diet plays a crucial role, Shilpa Shetty’s overall fitness encompasses a comprehensive approach that includes regular exercise and a positive mindset.
Diverse Workout Regimen
Shetty follows a well-rounded fitness routine that incorporates yoga, strength training, functional exercises, and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Yoga is a significant part of her life, and she practices it religiously, often starting with Surya Namaskar and ending with meditation. She also includes compound movement exercises, such as prone reverse hypers on a Swiss ball, to strengthen her lower back, glutes, and core.
The Importance of “Cheat Meals”
Despite her disciplined diet, Shilpa Shetty is a proponent of “Sunday binges,” allowing herself to enjoy indulgent foods like cakes, kulfi, and gulab jamuns once a week. This balanced approach helps prevent feelings of deprivation and makes her healthy lifestyle sustainable.
Shilpa Shetty’s enduring fitness at 50 is a testament to her consistent, mindful approach to health, emphasizing wholesome Indian foods, healthy fats like ghee, and a diverse exercise routine. Her philosophy promotes a sustainable lifestyle rather than temporary diets, proving that a glowing, fit physique is achievable through balanced choices and self-care.
