The secret to Suchitra Krishnamoorthi‘s healthy lifestyle is no starvation, no endless workouts, no epic cheat meals — just her being her best self, living her best life, and staying active and balanced every day. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, the actor and singer, known for films such as the 1994 Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, shares how she maintains a healthy weight, and reveals her daily diet and workout routine. Also read | Nagarjuna reveals diet and fitness secrets for impressive physique
Suchitra Krishnamoorthi eats intuitively
Suchitra is mindful when eating and avoids mindless eating – but does not obsess over calories. Her mantra? Love and enjoy the food you eat! Suchitra says the key is to eat everything in moderation while allowing yourself the freedom to indulge. For her, maintaining a healthy weight means maintaining a healthy relationship with food and not stressing out about enjoying a treat.
She says, “When I am on a holiday, I eat and drink anything. Otherwise, I have to be particular because I had ulcer surgery last year. So I have to be very particular about what I eat: no spicy food, no oily food. I cannot tolerate spicy food.”
Suchitra adds, “I load myself with probiotics all the time so that my gut stays healthy. After a particular age nature is not very kind to you. So one has to be particular, and watch what they eat, but still keep the joy in life. I eat everything. I eat parathas, but I need to make sure that I eat in limited quantities.” She adds, “Being strictly vegetarian, and having a delicate gut, my diet is restrained, so from what I can eat, I eat everything without restrictions.”
It’s okay to eat dessert and fried food!
Health is always important, but remember that we’re human, and we have to live a little. That seems to be Suchitra’s idea of a healthy, sustainable diet, as one meal won’t ruin your diet, just like one healthy meal won’t make your diet. Suchitra believes in treating herself every now and then but gets back on track afterwards without feeling guilty.
She says, “I am so regimented, so there is no need for cheat meals for me because I am not depriving myself of anything. My guilty pleasure would definitely be parathas or pakoras,” adding, “I indulge very often in sweets. In fact, I love these vegan ice creams. I eat all that regularly, so I don’t stop myself from anything. I just try to eat in moderation because I feel if you restrict yourself too much, then life gets very severe. One must have joy in everyday living.”
Opening up about her morning routine and her nutritious gut health drink, Suchitra says, “I wake up around 7 or 8 am. I start my day with lemon water; then I have a collagen-boosting drink given to me by my orthopaedic. Then I have my coffee; I am a coffee junkie. That is one thing I have had to really calm down on. I don’t drink coffee after noon. I have about 6-8 cups of black coffee. It is just coffee, coffee, coffee till I eat something. Sometimes I have a mixed juice made of amla, curry leaves and ginger. I have that around 3-4 times a week. That is another thing that is very good for the gut.”
Suchitra has an early dinner
Suchitra is one of those celebrities who swear by having an early dinner to maintain their physical and mental well-being. She highlights how intermittent fasting is not a new concept, it is just that its modern applications and scientific backing have made it a popular and effective approach to improving overall health and well-being.
“I naturally have been following intermittent fasting since my early years, since my 20s actually because I tend to eat my dinner by 6 pm or 7 pm latest. That is a way of life for me; after 6 pm, the next meal is at about 11 am. I tend to eat my brunch between 11 am and noon. Maybe I will have a little snack at 4 pm if I am hungry, and then I just eat my dinner. For me, it is such a lifestyle thing. Intermittent fasting has become a fad now, but it is something that traditionally Indians have followed – which is to not eat after sunset,” she says.
She tries to focus on fibre and protein
Fibre aids digestion, helps fill you up and keeps you satisfied, and is an important nutrient for maintaining a healthy weight. Suchitra says she incorporates fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, and whole grains into her diet to boost her protein and fibre intake. Suchitra says, “Dinner is low-carbs, I try to avoid carbs at night. I keep it light with my salads or tofu. Very rarely will I have rice or roti for dinner.”
She adds, “I am purely vegetarian, I don’t even have milk or cream. My protein intake is always a challenge, so I end up having protein shakes, almond milk, soy milk and tofu. There’s always a salad made at home, and there is always cut kakri and tomato, for when I feel like snacking. I like all kinds of salads, be it with chickpea, or moong dal. I am a big avocado fan; it is very good for your skin and hair. We have a lot of bajra roti, ragi roti, and soy roti too. I am a big fan of Basmati rice as well.”
Suchitra works out 3-5 days a week
Suchitra makes sure to get her workout in regularly. She stays balanced by mixing up cardio, strength, and flexibility. She ensures not to overdo it, though. Lifting weights and getting resistance training are also key to keeping Suchitra’s body strong and her metabolism up.
She says, “My workout happens either in the morning or evening slot. I love going to the gym, but we have a little gym at home now. So on days I feel lazy, I just do a treadmill workout at home for half an hour or so.”
She adds, “My workout routine keeps changing. I have a trainer who takes me through my weightlifting routine, but I also love these group classes, like Zumba or Pilates. I also do a lot of home workouts, which I started during the Covid-19 pandemic. Those YouTube workout tutorials are fantastic; in fact, they are so good that you don’t even need a fancy gym membership. I am not much into yoga. I find it very strenuous, although I am trying to get into it, but I prefer little more energetic workouts.”
She has embraced a gentler approach to fitness
For her, fitness is a journey, not a destination. By prioritising her well-being and working out within limits, Suchitra maintains a positive and sustainable relationship with exercise and her body.
She says, “I do strength training, I do cardio, I do dance classes, circuit training. I work out around 3-5 times a week max. But I tend to be very active at home, and I don’t go to the gym when I don’t want to. I think it is very important to be kind to yourself and not push yourself to a point when you start rebelling against your own self. I used to be fanatical about workouts earlier. There was a time I was working out eight times a week literally. Now I don’t do all that. I am gentler on myself.”
Music brings her joy, relaxation
It may sound obvious, but we don’t hear it enough: Suchitra feels it is important to do something you love, like singing or dancing, and set aside some time every day for it. It boosts your mood and provides a productive outlet for stress so that you can properly maintain your fitness, she feels. For her, engaging in art and music has a profoundly positive impact on her mental health.
She says, “I love mornings, I am a morning person. I sometimes work out in the morning, and I do my riyaz in the morning. I make lists at night before I sleep so I accomplish my tasks. I think it is very important to keep yourself motivated through the day. I think my art is for my mental health, whether I am painting or writing a song or singing.” She adds, “One needs to keep the stress levels in control because that also impacts our appearance the most. Get rid of jealousy, anxiety, and all those negative emotions because all that shows on your face.”
She gets a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep
Getting a quality night’s rest provides Suchitra’s body time to rebuild, renew, and refresh. Too little or too much sleep can alter hormone levels to the point where a yo-yo effect can occur in your weight, so Suchitra stays well-rested by ideally logging eight to nine hours of shut-eye each night. She says, “I sleep at least eight hours per night. I can’t do without my sleep.”
