My Chips to Cherries Story

                                                       

                 Once upon a time in the early nineties when meeting a friend was not over phone and junk food was not known,I was slogging out my 12th standard to become a doctor.I knew the dream was as distant as it could get.And nothing changed it.A time had come I became weak of health and was greatly  stressed out.I  had to be supplemented with all sorts of vitamin pills to keep me going till the exams.Exams got over and marks awarded I was nowhere near my destination. I had changed 2 schools in 3 years due to dad's nature of job.So,I had to continue my college in an altogether new place .
           A new place ,a new goal and an eye-opener article in Reader's Digest set me thinking to  join  nutrition field. At least I could take care of my health better.Thus at 18,I started dreaming of me being a nutritionist and first thing I wanted to do was to improve my own health. It was a journey I started with a thousand ideas in my mind with most people around me almost ridiculing me for my choice.The course was mostly meant to churn out dietitians to prescribe healthy food for clinical purposes with very less scope for any innovation. But my inspiration for the subject was greater than anything else.I was blessed to have a great role model ,my professor who taught the basics,the 3 years were fun and I improved my health too.I stopped stressing and started living.

                       Another place change for my dad brought me to my next challenge. I could not pursue my further studies in Nutrition yet continued to  read a lot about the field and always kept  me inspired all through the period as though I knew what I wanted to do.My passion was waiting for a second chance.But always there was a continuous flow of encouragement from my family to be I want to be ..

               
                           After my marriage I refueled my passion for the subject with my daughter just 3 years old I went on to do a Fellowship in Applied Nutrition with the encouragement of my family.With an internship  with Apollo hospitals,I was ready to take on the world.Soon I was a corporate dietitian and was also into kids diet counselling. Those days when I landed in Chennai it was already an IT hub.The worst part it was becoming India's number 1 Diabetic capital and youngest population with lifestyle disorders. During my brief stints as a home maker and a mother I continuously  applied most nutrition principles into practice.I was always the person to be something more than what is meant to be. To keep myself engaged in my small breaks from work I  conducted summer camps and classes for kids which involved atleast something about healthy food and eating.My friends and my parents were always my pillars of strength.
                        In the next few years, what came up were some highs and lows in my personal and professional life . But I kept reminding myself that I only wanted to live and not stress and marched towards my goal.After 9 long years of satisfying career in clinical and preventive nutrition with great organisations I was now a mom of two kids my little son still needing my attention.I  quit a rewarding job and decided to start off on my own and thus chips to cherries was born. Even before the idea was conceived, with all my counseling experience I inferred that people need a proper guide in making their life disease free and happy.What they needed was a food style and life style makeover!It worked wonders with my husband too who at a point of time had to deal with depression and acute acidity at the same time.
                    Together we drafted a change that could transform his life for good.Once this was done he was back on track enjoying his life.I understood stress was his key enemy .A conscious effort to turn around stress through right eating and living was need of the hour.

                              I was more affected by the attitude of people towards health,diet and nutrition than anything else.All they wanted was to post pone or manage the diseases ,none wanted to prevent it.None wanted to change themselves for good. Also all these were transferred to next generation too. I totally abhor the westernization of solutions that are offered for Indian eating and living problems.This made me more determined to raise my voice against nutrition
malpractices,misconceptions and myths.I thought reaching out to people personally was best.A humble start up now my baby-chips to cherries as a consultancy is just 2 years old. There have been testing times when I felt lonely and lost in my pursuit. Most time it was Facebook has been my anchor and I have been extremely fortunate to have had great friends who kept encouraging and trusting me.Most friends are foodies and I love being in their neighbourhood.I have learnt more about real food form them.
                             I derive a lot of strength from my kids and with His grace I am happy to see that many people are changing to health through my efforts. I am proud that the movement has begun . A positive change towards health by balancing food style and life style is all that is required.

                     Dreams are never about preparing oneself for it but it is about preparing the world for it. Chips to cherries is just about  making it happen,the change you want to be.