HZ Women Of The Month: Go Back To The Roots Says Shikha Malhotra Who Lost 25 Kg Without Going To Gym

When the pandemic hit, the world did not know what it was fighting against. Doctors and healthcare workers were working around the clock and losing hope when nation after nation saw that they did not have enough resources to deal with a virus as deadly as Covid-19. 

In the post-pandemic era, where we have learnt to live with coronavirus, a few years back we did not know if we would be able to save humanity. Coffins lined up in cemeteries and non-stop cremations made us believe that we would not survive.

Amidst all this, our healthcare staff was falling short of hands when Shikha Malhotra, an actor and a registered nursing officer, decided to serve the nation. “I told my mother, who retired as a nurse in 2020, that I want to put my degree to better use.” She helps people fight the deadliest virus humanity has ever encountered. 

While helping the patients, she contracted the virus and suffered a brain stroke that left her right side paralysed. However, Malhotra was not among the people who would lose faith. She fought hard and bounced back.

“When I was in the ICU, my mother used to whisper in my ear that doctors can only give you medicine, but your body will listen to you. Do not worry, everything will get better. You should not lose hope and keep trying your best,” she added in a candid interview with HerZindagi.

Below is Shikha Malhotra in conversation with HerZindagi about her journey of becoming a frontline worker during Covid-19, struggling with health issues, and getting back to acting. 

 

 

 

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Shikha Malhotra’s Decision To Lose Weight

 

 

 

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When Malhotra was bedridden due to paralysis, she shared with us that she could not function normally for a while. “I could not even open the door when anyone used to visit my house and my mother used to help me walk,” she added.

Speaking about their acting journey after suffering a brain stroke, the actor said she did not feel anything had changed with her. She went for an audition for a film starring Diljit Dosanjh. Her audition impressed the casting crew, but when she saw herself on the screen, she did not like herself and asked them to delete the interview. 

When she was battling health issues due to a brain stroke, she was put on steroids, which made her gain weight. She was around 75 kg, but seeing herself in that audition, she decided that she wanted to become healthy and fit. 

She refused to do a film in which she was being cast as Dosanjh’s sister who would have been at least a decade older than her age. ‘I decided to lose weight,” she added.

Shikha Malhotra Lost 25 Kg With Going To Gym

 

 

 

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“I am not a gym person,” added Malhotra when sharing about her weight loss journey with us. She urged people to go back to the basics and asked viewers to give up junk food, including pizza, burgers, bread, chips, etc. 

The actor said that she used to start her morning with petha juice and advised that one should not extract the juice using a juicer. Instead, we should semi-blend any fruit and squeeze it in a cloth so that the juice has all its fibres intact. She also suggested adding chia seeds to your diet because they are rich sources of nutrients. 

She added that she gave up on wheat chapati or paratha because it contains gluten (Gluten-free Diet). She suggested adding bajra, ragi, and other millet flours to your diet. Not only are they healthy, but they help a person lose weight too.

“I used to have my last supper before sunset,” Malhotra added while speaking about her diet routine. She said that people today call it intermittent fasting, but people in villages today do not eat post-sunset. 

“We should go back to our roots,” said the actor as she suggested people inculcate seasonal and regional vegetables and fruits in their diet. She also encouraged people to indulge in yoga. 

She also shared that she used to cook her food in earthen pots (Benefits Of Making Curd In Earthen Pots) and encouraged people to use them or stainless steel utensils. She advised against aluminium utensils because over time use of them can release the metal into our food which can be hazardous for the body. 

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Shikha Malhotra Says Influencer Equals Creativity 

 

 

 

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Speaking about influencers, Malhotra said that she relates an influencer with creativity. According to the actor, an influencer is a person who teaches their followers something positive and educates them. 

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In a world where people hesitate to support and stand up for each other, Shikha Malhotra is an inspiration to everyone.

Stay tuned to HerZindagi for more such inspiring stories.