Most of us are struggling with one or the other health or lifestyle issue that affects both our mind and body. Having a difficult childhood makes this worse and increases the risk of health issues while growing up. Aarti Babhoota who is now a certified nutritionist, holistic health & lifestyle coach experienced body shaming for being an obese teenager and developed various health issues including PCOS. Battling so many hurdles, she paved her way and founded Yukah and became a Community Director at Vaatalya. In an exclusive interaction, Aarti shared her life story which is surely going to inspire you to rise against all odds.

Teenage Obesity and Bullying

Asking about how teenage obesity affected health, Aarti shares, “Teenage obesity marked a challenging phase in my life, impacting both my physical, mental and emotional well-being. The struggle was not just with excess weight but also with the harsh comments of bullying. It left me with the feeling of self doubt, low self esteem, poor confidence and also impacted my academics. I started to look at myself in a shameful way and tried to hide myself in every possible way, making me fall into the trap of body shaming myself, weight loss, dieting/ crash dieting, falling prey to the health and weight loss industry.” Coping with this adversity meant delving into the depths of self-discovery. For her, coping involved finding solace in supportive friends and family, focusing on self-acceptance, and gradually learning to embrace my uniqueness despite the hurtful comments.

Effect of Body Shaming In Teenage Years

Body shaming, with its blend of positive and negative aspects, played a significant role in shaping her perspective. Initially, it fueled insecurities, but it eventually became a powerful catalyst for her journey toward holistic health.

“Body shaming made me believe that health is all about numbers – weight, height, size etc. This made my situation worse as I started following diet trends and other weight-loss products, started to reject simple cultural food and was consuming more and more junk/sugar in the name of healthy food. Leading me to get at least 5 lifestyle disorders at a very young age,” shares Aarti.

Also Read: How Does Body Shaming Affect One’s Mental Health

She began embracing her body and promoting self-acceptance to turn a negative experience into a driving force for positive change, and fostering well-being in body, breath, and mind.

The turning point came when she started to study more about real food and nutrition, both academically and practically. The simple change of habits and choices gave life-long and sustainable benefits.

PCOS Diagnosis and Treatment Story

Sharing her experience Aarti shares, “This happened very quickly, at a very early age while I could see that I was overweight and my focus was only weight loss, I didn’t realise in the mad rush of losing weight I was inviting more and more lifestyle disorders, PCOD/PCOS was one of them. For starters my periods started to get irregular, all the symptoms of PCOS syndrome started to show and soon the periods stopped completely for several months. I was unaware of the consequences and didn’t take it seriously, however I eventually met a Doctor who after doing all possible tests said everything seems to be normal , and told me to lose weight and live like everyone else.”

“This made my situation even worse as no one explained to me about metabolic health, exercise, activity levels, real food, nutrition, sleep cycle, recovery etc and all I was told was to lose weight. I continued to battle the situation throughout my teenage and my mid twenties, eventually after learning more about health I was able to successfully reverse the syndrome without any medicine or treatment,” Aarti adds.

Also Read: 1 In 4 Young Women Have PCOS in India, Why Are Teenagers At Risk?

PCOS challenged my physical, mental and emotional health: Aarti

“I had to deal with all the symptoms of the syndrome and along with that the big battle with my gut also started, i was not eating mostly and my gut started to give up on me. I had severe constipation and most doctors told me that I will have to get operated on. The weight was not reducing and soon I had severe back issues and knee issues and once again medical science could help other than telling me that I should get a treatment done for my situation. Dealing with all these issues required a comprehensive approach, with holistic practices. Navigating through these challenges shaped my advocacy for healthy living and delving more into nature, highlighting the interconnectedness of body, breath & mind.”

Also Read: Understanding The Silent Threats of PCOS on Mental health

Turning Point- The Journey Of Becoming A Life Coach

How did you find your calling for advocacy of holistic health and your journey of becoming a life coach?

Answering the question, Aarti says, “My journey into holistic health advocacy and life coaching evolved organically from personal experiences. Becoming a life coach was a transformative process, allowing me to educate & empower others on their unique paths to well-being and self-discovery. It’s a calling that aligns with my passion for holistic living and the belief that everyone deserves to lead a fulfilling and balanced life, encompassing the health of body, breath, and mind. I realised that lack of right information and knowledge about real health was really almost invisible. No organisation, brand or health club was giving out real knowledge, all they were doing was making money from people in the name of health and mostly weight-loss.”

“My own struggles and journey made me believe that I would like to learn and experience more and then share that knowledge about metabolic health, exercise, activity levels, real food, nutrition, sleep cycle, recovery with as many people as I can, empowering them to make the right choices which are sustainable and life-long. Helping them to resolve their life situations and lifestyle disorders but solving the myths and confusions around health and well-being,” concludes Aarti.