Actor Aaditi Pohankar Reveals the Diet that Helped Her Stay Fit in the Lockdown

Actor Aaditi Pohankar became a household name with her power-packed performance in Netflix web series “She”, where she played a constable turned into a honey trap. Svelte, athletic and sensuous, Aaditi fit the role to a T. Before she found her calling in acting, Aaditi was an athlete and represented Maharastra at state-level sprinting championships. So staying fit comes naturally to her as she is blessed with a sprinter's high metabolism. However, in the lockdown where activity was restricted and going out or a regular outdoor workout wasn’t an option, Aaditi managed to stay fit and keep her skin glowing by watching what she ate and making a few tweaks to her lifestyle. Here she tells us all about her lockdown diet and shares some effective tips. 

Start your day with a green smoothie

“I wake up early in the morning, at around 5:30am and the first thing I have is a smoothie made out of any two greens. A bigger leaf and a smaller leaf, whatever is available according to the season. I also add a banana to that, and a little bit of moringa or spirulina, so that’s my first meal,” says Aaditi. A green smoothie hydrates you, clears brain fog, makes you more focussed. Banana adds potassium to the mix, which reduces inflammation. This also keeps you full for longer and prevents hunger pangs.

Load up on fruits

“In the day I eat as many fruits as I can, I eat a lot of fruits,” says Aaditi. Fruits provide fibre and essential nutrients to your body. They also take care of the glow. Remember, the better the nutrition, the brighter the glow. 

Add dry fruits to your diet

“After my green tea, at 10:30-11am, I have raisins almonds and apricots that have been soaked overnight,” adds Aaditi. Dry fruits serve as an ideal mid-morning snack as they pack in a good combination of good fats, carbs and proteins.  

Eat big for lunch 

“For lunch I have grains, like brown rice or millets or ragi. I have a proper meal with 4-5 chapatis made of khapli wheat (which is gluten free) and vegetables. I get hungry quickly as my metabolism is high.So post lunch I have anything with ragi. I eat homemade ragi wafers that are not fried and are healthy. Sometimes I have chaat without any oil,” she says. Eating a big lunch meets your calorie requirements for the day and also gives you enough time to burn off the calories. 

Make way for evening snack

An evening snack is as important as a mid-morning snack, it keeps you from bingeing at dinner. Aaditi eats a bowl of fruits with non-dairy yoghurt, followed by black tea or coffee. 

Eat an early dinner

“In the evening by around 7:30 I have my last meal, which usually quite light. I avoid grains at night. I eat a lot of sprouts or a little khichdi with vegetables or of salad with fruits,” she says. An early dinner gives your body more time to stabilise blood sugar levels and also eating late leads to unburnt calories being stored as fat. So reason enough to eat early?

Aaditi swears by Intermittent fasting 

“I do intermittent fasting, so I fast for 16 hours and then I have my first meal in the morning after 16 hours,” says Aaditi. There is scientific evidence that following the 16:8 fasting pattern can lead to effective fat loss and numerous other health benefits. 

Cheat days are essential

“I definitely have cheat days. Cheating is necessary. I cheat twice a month with chaat, panipuri or sevpuri or bhel. We usually make it at home because it's best to have chaat fresh. Another favourite cheat meal is vadapav, I can't live without that. I'm not too big on desserts, but at time I do binge on desserts containing stevia or dates from The Village Cafe in Bandra,” concludes Aaditi.