Meet the SHEROES - Rachna Chhachhi

'Take the road that leads you to being happy rather than being successful...'

Today we share the story of Rachna Chhachhi , a professional Nutritional Therapist, Author & Wellness Entrepreneur. She has created a name for herself in this field of overall healing in a short duration of time. It is inspiring to know about her thoughts, beliefs and past struggles - all of which have made her who she is today. Read on for some inspiration on this bright Tuesday morning, 

How did you get the inspiration to be a nutritional therapist? 

I suffered from rheumatoid arthritis when I was Vice President of Business development at GE Money, and the suffering and side effects of medications ruined the quality of my life. The pain was much more than the 36-hour labour I endured before so you can imagine how horrible RA as a disease is. I still have deformities due to doctors' negligence on my fingers and toes. After I recovered, I knew there was a better, more holistic way of conquering disease without compromising on your quality of life due to medication, side effects or surgeries. I took a sabbatical and studied nutritional therapy. I needed a certification to heal others. I then got certified by WHO for treatment of Malnutrition.

What are the top 3 therapies you would suggest working women follow to achieve overall health balance? 

Women need more sleep, water and "me time" than men. If they don't get these, they are stressed and stress is the biggest anti-nutrient to cause the nutrient-anti nutrient imbalance. Hence, women need to manage their time well so that they get their sleep, can go for walks or read, or go for a coffee alone or listen to music. As a thumb rule, drink one glass of water every waking hour. Water will detoxify you, your 'me time' will relax you and sleep will rejuvenate you. The result: a younger, more energetic, less disease-prone you!

What according to you lead to people having chronic conditions like diabetes / BP issues in India? 

People in India just eat too much. And don't exercise. It's as simple. I sometimes get appalled at the quantities people consider "normal" food, which they have no way of burning. And most of this food is pure carbohydrates, which turns to sugar and fat. Cut carbohydrates, cut calories, exercise, sleep 8 hours a day. It regulates blood sugar and blood pressure. Less sleep and lack of exercise are known criminals that spike BP and sugar levels.

What are the challenges you face in your line of work? 

My biggest challenge is to reverse and heal people who suffer ill-effects due to the negligence by doctors. I get chronically ill people neglected by doctors' ignorance on other healing processes or egos, and these people are so broken, that the therapy takes much longer than the physical healing. I wish doctors were open to the real misery their patients were going through and to what they call "alternative" healing which is actually mainstream healing. Medicines and surgeries are sick care, not health care. Healthcare is taking care of your health via nutrition and lifestyle, an aspect most doctors have no knowledge about or an aspect they do not advocate.

Any last words of advice for other Sheroes? 

Never get overwhelmed by someone else's pushing, aggression or show of strength. Just because someone can shout louder than you doesn't mean he can win. Whether it is work, relationships, life or yourself, take the road that leads you to being happy rather than just being successful. And in some cases they maybe the same. However, I have seen many beautiful, successful, intelligent women put up with negativity. Don't do that. Be selfish. Eliminate those who make you unhappy or put you down. You will be amazed at how much you will flourish without that negativity, whether it's a person or a situation or a job.