In The Rising Podcast- A Health and Wellness Podcast

Arushi Nigam- Fitness Revolutionary Encourages Women to Be in Sync with their Body

October 29, 2021 Bettina M. Brown/ Arushi Nigam Season 2 Episode 110
In The Rising Podcast- A Health and Wellness Podcast
Arushi Nigam- Fitness Revolutionary Encourages Women to Be in Sync with their Body
Show Notes Transcript

Arushi Nigam- Fitness Revolutionary Encourages Women to Be in Sync with their Body

In this episode of the In the Rising podcast, host Bettina Brown welcomes Arushi Nigam, a fitness revolutionary who emphasizes the importance of being in sync with our bodies. The conversation begins with a discussion about living a life that aligns with our hopes, dreams, and goals. Bettina highlights the significance of feeling powerful and healthy in our bodies, especially for women and girls. Shockingly, statistics indicate that almost two-thirds of girls under the age of 10 already feel the need to lose weight in order to be successful, find beauty, and attract a partner.

As the episode progresses, Bettina expresses her excitement to speak with Nigam, who specializes in mindset and fitness. Arushi shares her personal struggles with body shaming, perfectionism, and bullying. She delves into her story, starting from being clinically obese at the age of 8 and the resulting changes her parents made to improve her health.
Nigam reflects on the challenges of altering her eating habits and adjusting to a different lifestyle at a young age.

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[00:00:11] Bettina M Brown: Hello, and welcome to In the Rising podcast. My name is Bettina Brown, and this is the platform I've chosen to talk about living a life that's in alignment with our hopes, our dreams, and goals. And some of those goals are all in our mind and consciousness, and some of them are physical. We want to feel powerful and healthy in our body. And my guest today, Arushi really exemplifies that and shares her own struggles that started very young. And statistically, a lot of us, especially women and girls, I think it's almost two thirds of girls who are under 10 years old feel they need to lose weight in order to be successful.

[00:00:51] Bettina M Brown: And to be pretty and to find a partner in life later on, and that is under 10 years old. So this is something that is really important. So, if you have any of your own story with this, I think this podcast is going to resonate with you. Thank you so much Arushi for sharing your time with me today and my listeners.

[00:01:10] Bettina M Brown: I'm super, super excited to talk to you because you are in the area of mindset and fitness and I love mindset and I'm a physical therapist. And so clearly, I am Fitness, but tell me how did you, you, you gave some of your story about body sharing shaming and perfectionism and bullying, share a little bit of your story of kind of where you were and where you are right now.

[00:01:33] Arushi Nigam: Sure. Yeah. Thank you. So, it's, it's very long story, so I will try to condense this as much as I can, but basically, yeah, so. My whole journey started actually at 8 years old because that's when I was told by the doctor that I was clinically obese. Like, I was diagnosed, quote, unquote as a piece at that time as a child.

[00:01:52] Arushi Nigam: And so. That began a very big onset of changes because my parents were also a little, you know, worried with that. And they were a little scared if that if I kept going on this trajectory that my health would end up suffering much more down the line. So that resulted in a lot of sudden changes at the age of 8 to not be able to, you know.

[00:02:14] Arushi Nigam: Eat kind of whatever you want, gummy bears, crackers, you know, going to school saying everyone else's lunchbox filled with all of these, you know, goodies and treats. And then I opened mine and it's like pretty bland or stale and really just being thrown into kind of a lifestyle that I didn't really understand and I didn't really expect.

[00:02:33] Arushi Nigam: And it was funny because, you know, it's. I mean, even though some of those changes have happened, like, the biggest 1 at the time was definitely this huge diet overhaul that my parents have kind of put me on because of 8. I really didn't know what I was supposed to do and what I wasn't supposed to do as well as I was thrown into sports right away to try to help take some of the weight off just more physical activity.

[00:02:54] Arushi Nigam: So that's kind of how it started. And then, yeah, so the more, I mean, it didn't, you know, the weight didn't come off right away, like, within a year and like, oh, today, everything's okay. So, it definitely took time. And yeah, during that time, I was definitely called ugly to my face. I was called fat to my face.

[00:03:08] Arushi Nigam: I was talked about behind my back. And it was hard because I never really Felt like I was you know, pretty. And I feel like at that age, especially like 13, 14, you know, that's all kind of people talk about in a way. So yeah, it was, it was definitely hard. It was a lot of internalizing kind of.

[00:03:28] Arushi Nigam: That I mean, my mindset had basically become like, oh, I don't really deserve to be called any of that or really deserve anything that comes from that. Whether that be like love or even like clothing, that was a really big 1 for me is that I hated for so many years. So this just throughout the years kind of.

[00:03:45] Arushi Nigam: Compounded on each other for so many years. I just hated shopping because it was so it was so overwhelming for me to walk into these stores and see all of these pieces of clothing up, which at that time, I thought, like, oh, I'm not allowed to wear that. Like, I'm not. Good looking enough to wear that, or I don't have the right body to wear that.

[00:04:05] Arushi Nigam: And I mean, we've come a very long way, even as a society from those, I mean, more sizes, more ranges of colors and clothing types and all of that and more acceptance. But at that time, I would say 10 years ago, 15 years ago, because I'm 20, I just turned 25. So at that time, you know, the. There wasn't really that sort of acceptance or really openness about clothing and talking about that.

[00:04:27] Arushi Nigam: And so it was always about, okay, what can I buy that covers me the most, you know, so that I feel the most comfortable and because, I mean, it got to the point where even up till like college, like when I started undergrad, like I still was so uncomfortable wearing anything that was more snug, like I just, I would have a panic attack basically, which I didn't even know they were panic attacks at that time, but it was literally have panic attacks.

[00:04:50] Arushi Nigam: I mean, even when people would like hug me or like for a photo, they would stand and just put their arms around me. It was the most nerve-wracking experience because the only thing I was thinking of was, okay, what are they thinking about me right now? Which was, you know, like they're probably thinking I'm big or I'm fat or like looking at, and like, I hated having my pictures taken.

[00:05:11] Arushi Nigam: I absolutely hated them. I do it. But I'd either stand very far in the back, or I just do it, you know, for the sake of it, you know, that kind of act like nothing's happening, just put on a smile sort of thing. So that, you know, when people hear that at 1st, they think, and that kind of continued for a while.

[00:05:27] Arushi Nigam: And it wasn't really until a few years ago where I kind of wanted. To get like, well, basically, let me go back a little bit. So when my parents have put me into sports, that was kind of 1 of the best things that ever happened to me because that's where my love for athletics and sports began. So I've been playing some sort of sport since then.

[00:05:47] Arushi Nigam: So, I started with soccer, played that for many years. Then high school onwards, I played junior high onwards, I played tennis. So, I was playing like competitively on this little tennis team and all of that. I loved running. And so that's kind of where the body transformation started happening, but it wasn't really from the perspective really of losing weight.

[00:06:04] Arushi Nigam: It was just, I liked playing those sports. I liked running. So the changes started happening. And now, for example, I'm really big into weightlifting. I'm a boxer. I do a lot of boxing. And like, I just, I love being outdoors. I love being athletic. I'm really competitive. So, I mean, that something beautiful definitely came out of that, but it did come at a really heavy price.

[00:06:24] Arushi Nigam: So that mindset wasn't right though, because even though I was enjoying all of those things, I was always thinking of myself as beneath everyone else. If that makes sense. So, really, the transformation happened because even after I lost quite a bit of the weight I put on, I just always felt like it wasn't enough.

[00:06:43] Arushi Nigam: And I think that definitely comes from you know, growing up as I'm South Asian. So, I'm Indian. So even coming up from a culture where it's. Often about perfectionism, like being the best, whether it's grades, job, career, et cetera, it doesn't really matter. So that really started to weigh on me because I was like nitpicking every single part of myself.

[00:07:02] Arushi Nigam: And so it really wasn't until I don't even know when that turning point happened, but I basically got into very. Like, depression and I mean, I never really saw a therapist for it because I didn't really identify that that's what it was, but it got to the point where I would, you know, I would literally, like, yell at myself in the mirror.

[00:07:21] Arushi Nigam: Like, what is wrong with you? Why can't you like, lose the way or why can't you look better? Or I mean, I was literally abusing myself as someone else in the mirror. And so it really wasn't until I kind of realized that. That was kind of the lowest I'd ever been and that nothing was really changing so that why not try something else.

[00:07:42] Arushi Nigam: So then when I really started focusing on, okay, what was going well, and what was going well, or what I enjoyed was the increase in athleticism I'd seen over time. So I was. Better at the sports I was playing. I was stronger in the gym. I mean, it was just fun to be able to do all of that. And so slowly over time, that focus and focusing away from the aesthetics really actually helped me get out of that, that dark place.

[00:08:08] Arushi Nigam: So that's kind of where the transformation happened. And that's kind of where I've been for the past three, it's really, really recent, like past maybe three years. Or so I really jumped out of that. 

[00:08:20] Bettina M Brown: So, sorry, that, that, because, you know, at the end of the day, that's a story that resonates with a lot of people.

[00:08:26] Bettina M Brown: And it definitely resonates with a lot of women because we're, you know, it's, it, your parents were looking at the health aspect, but your friends in school and you were looking at. Well, what does it look like? Can I fit into these clothes? I, I enjoy, I would love buying clothes for my upper part because it was always one size.

[00:08:46] Bettina M Brown: I definitely am an apple bottom person, but I hated buying pants and I still, you know, I still don't like it and, and, and it's just because it's just not for me. And so you know, when you can't go in and get that, you think something's wrong with you and, and then you do internalize that yeah. Or there's a little bit or a lot.

[00:09:04] Bettina M Brown: So your story, you know, resonates with lots and lots of people. And it did sound, and I read this somewhere else actually, I'm going to back up now, that if you try to get in shape because you enjoy athleticism like you did, You are more likely to succeed if you're trying to lose it. So you fit in a certain type of pants.

[00:09:24] Bettina M Brown: You're likely to fail because it's really, what is our goal? What, what are you doing so far as your own mindset now to stay on this path that you're on? 

[00:09:35] Arushi Nigam: Yeah, no, that's a great point because yes, I was in that place earlier. We was all about the aesthetic and what was happening is that I just couldn't see past that.

[00:09:46] Arushi Nigam: And the thing is, sometimes I mean, it depends very differently from person to person based on genetic makeup, your body, et cetera. You don't see the aesthetic results that quickly, right? So then you give up so much faster or you resort to much more drastic measures. I mean, I remember. At one point I was going to the gym twice a day for like two hours and eating only like a thousand calories in the hopes that everything would like completely, you know, melt off and then, I mean, there's so much false marketing about this and I fell prey to all of it, like, fell, fell prey to all of it.

[00:10:18] Arushi Nigam: And so now part of staying in that mindset is just, I know better, right? Like, knowing that, knowing where I've been and accepting that was the very first step. So, like, there's no point in being ashamed of where you were. You have to face the music because until you don't accept and forgive yourself for that, you're not going to be able to move on.

[00:10:39] Arushi Nigam: You have to stop and reflect on where you've been in order to know where you need to go. Because otherwise you're just doing, doing, doing, but if you're not really stopping to assess what's happening, whether it's good or bad, you're really doing more for nothing. If that makes sense. Yeah. So, one of my biggest things is always keep myself in that mindset.

[00:10:58] Arushi Nigam: Every day. I first of all, I meditate. That's been a huge game changer for me because it just helps me clear my head. And it really, I mean, when people think of meditation, they think spiritual, but it's all it's not anything related to that. It doesn't have to be if you don't want it to be. I see meditation as focus.

[00:11:16] Arushi Nigam: It really just helps me focus. And so when I meditate, it helps me focus on what matters. So, whenever I'm having a bad day, or if I am stressed out, because I still have those days, that's one of the things I tell people is even though I went through all of that trauma, which went much darker, much deeper.

[00:11:33] Arushi Nigam: That doesn't mean that now that I've changed my mindset, I'm like, fixed, quote, unquote, I really hate that people think that that, oh, well, now you're better now. That's not how it works. It's just the reason I'm able to stay much better in a much better mindset and 90 95 percent of the time is because every day I choose not to listen to that part of my brain that went through that trauma and I'm slowly letting more of the healthier part of my brain.

[00:12:03] Arushi Nigam: Rewire that older behavior pattern. So it's like choosing every day not to succumb to that older part of me. And so meditation definitely helps with that. And so it just reminds me, you know, where I want my focus to be and really practicing just knowing that and stopping and reflecting, really practicing, stopping and reflecting like, okay.

[00:12:24] Arushi Nigam: What am I thinking right now? Is this even beneficial to whatever I want to achieve or what I want to do? Because now that I have that awareness, which is key, I can easily shift. So I think that meditation, stopping, reflecting, and just being aware has definitely helped me stay in that mindset, even when I have those bad days.

[00:12:43] Bettina M Brown: And that's, and I've read so many times that meditation is not that woo woo. I try to start most of my mornings that way with an intention, right? There's real life. Because life happens and it will knock you off your plan, but at least you have a plan in the first place and not necessarily a checklist of to do, but mindset is not necessarily like you finally have a destination of your mindset.

[00:13:07] Bettina M Brown: It is constant because we are still human beings, right? And we're allowed to be human and experience that humanness and understand that everyone else is experiencing their humanness to but to have that intention and awareness with where you are and having a relationship with yourself and also with what you eat.

[00:13:30] Bettina M Brown: It does not have to be the enemy of what you're doing, and we don't have to starve to look a certain way. So, what are you doing now so far as. Your own diet. And you said boxing. And so, but what are you doing? Cause you had mentioned metabolic calibration. What are you kind of focusing on for yourself now and with anyone that you're kind of work with?

[00:13:53] Arushi Nigam: Yeah, so definitely. So yeah, I metabolic calibration is my way or I, with my the people I work with, I call it the sweet spot method. And the reason what metabolic calibration is what I realized after years of going through this. Is that no one can know your body better than you. And so the way to approach any sort of fitness is with the right mindset and the right mindset is not determination.

[00:14:19] Arushi Nigam: It's not don't give up. It's not one of the common things people say. It's not you know, always stay positive because that's also not healthy to some degree. It's none of those things. The correct, in my opinion, the correct mindset is experimentation. You have to approach your body like a science experiment, because when you think about experimentation, you already can take in the parts of determination, being positive, and you're really looking at everything you're doing as data.

[00:14:47] Arushi Nigam: It's nothing more than a point that tells you which way to pivot. So that's the first sort of step I take with my clients is that's the mindset you have to be in. Because then what I go forward with a method is now we're going to be putting into place some tests, some different data points to play around.

[00:15:06] Arushi Nigam: We're only going to change one or two things at a time. We're not going to change your entire lifestyle in one day because that's too much. It's too dramatic for a lot of people to handle sustainably. And so by making slow and controlled changes over time, what you're going to see with that data is what is your body responding to?

[00:15:24] Arushi Nigam: What is it not responding to? And for example, like a lot of. Fitness pros talk about macros, right? Like, Oh, eat more protein or eat less fat or eat low carb. And there's all of these other crazy things. But for example, I was told that I was put on a no plan, no carb plan, no this plan for like 12 weeks with some trainer I worked for with years ago.

[00:15:47] Arushi Nigam: And instead of losing weight, I ended up going further into my depression. I gained weight. It was a nightmare. Then when I started doing the slowly testing method myself, where, for example, I. Slowly, like one day I made this brave decision that, okay, I'm going to just gradually like track and increase my carbs, like 25 grams every three weeks.

[00:16:08] Arushi Nigam: And I realized when he put me on a zero carb plan, my body can handle up to like 400 grams of carbs a day and not like gain weight. But I would have never known that if I hadn't decided to test and take the data and try it on my, an experiment, right? Like that's the biggest thing that I told people I work with and people ask me for advice is there is no one size fits all approach.

[00:16:32] Arushi Nigam: So even with my going back to the question, sorry, I went a little off track, but even with my diet. It's all about now, it's all about making sure that I get the protein. I need because I know my body and making sure that it's balanced. Like, you can't just eat chicken and broccoli all the time. People don't understand that.

[00:16:49] Arushi Nigam: You cannot eat chicken and broccoli all the time. Not even because not from like a mental variety standpoint, but it's not the best for your body either. Like your body needs different vitamins and minerals and All of and you also need the foods that are good for your soul, like cake and ice cream and cookies and mac and cheese.

[00:17:04] Arushi Nigam: That's why I never call any food unhealthy or healthy because those really negative labels in our heads that really affected me when I was going through that. Like, if I hate even a cookie, I would literally sit in my room and cry. Like, I've literally cried over eating one cookie and hated myself. For breaking out of eating healthy food.

[00:17:24] Arushi Nigam: So I just like to call foods that are good for your body and foods that are good for your soul, because you need both of them. So my current diet is all about that balance and same with anyone I talk to. I always recommend eat foods that are good for your soul, eat foods that are good for your body and focus on listening to your body because we've all forgotten how to do that.

[00:17:42] Arushi Nigam: Like, I think we all just hear so much marketing about need more protein and you need this or you need less of that and all of that, that we've kind of strained straight away from what really makes you, you at your core. And it takes time to figure that out. But once you figure that information out. Like I've never hired a trainer again, I know what works for my body and what doesn't.

[00:18:02] Arushi Nigam: And if I do have a different fitness goal, I know what to do to change it, or I know how the data can change and how to read that data to continue achieving that goal, if that makes sense. So that's kind of my 

[00:18:14] Bettina M Brown: approach. It sounds like you were, and what you do with your clients is focus on micro commitments.

[00:18:21] Bettina M Brown: So small changes because the big changes that we make like on January 1st, they, they're just too, they're just too much. And even if it's like, well, I'll start on Monday. Well, you can actually start something small tomorrow. And over the course of six months, you've made so much change that you may not even recognize yourself, but it's, it's just too big.

[00:18:42] Bettina M Brown: You know, it's like, I'm going to go buy this house. So I'll go to the, you know, Home Depot or Lowe's and buy all the equipment. It's a little much, you know, to get all the, they don't even deliver all the supplies all at once. It's just, there is a little bit at a time. And, you know, I think it's also important is genetically we're different, we have different shapes, we have different cultural beliefs.

[00:19:03] Bettina M Brown: And. You know, so far as like chicken and broccoli, I really hate chicken. Like if I could go my whole life without eating chicken, I would be fine. I'll put some, I have to disguise it, you know, sometimes cause I know I, I'll put it in there because I know I need to eat it. But I just don't want to look at a piece of chicken.

[00:19:20] Bettina M Brown: I'll eat it, but I don't want to look at it. You know, some, we all have our. Yeah. Internal things, whether they're crazy to someone or not, so. Right. But you also talk about fitness because that's a huge so I'm a physical therapist and one thing that I'm, I'm not in love with is exercise, which almost sounds counterintuitive.

[00:19:36] Bettina M Brown: I love activity, I love motion, I love movement. Right. But the idea of exercise, exercise, exercise, like that doesn't thrill me. Where do you, what, what is your, what are your thoughts about that when you're working with your clients? 

[00:19:51] Arushi Nigam: So I'm so glad you brought that up because it's so funny. I think this past, I think yesterday or this past week.

[00:19:56] Arushi Nigam: So on my Instagram, I do a segment called what would I do Wednesdays? And so one of the questions where I answer a question, someone sends me it's a, over a video. And so one, the question was what workouts should I do? And so my answer to everyone is. You have to do a workout that you enjoy. So if you come to me and you hate something and I make you do that, you're not going to stick to it.

[00:20:22] Arushi Nigam: Then that in, what happens is not only do you start giving up, but then it also, you know, then I just done a disservice to you as a trainer because I've totally ignored. What you wanted and what your wants and needs are, because if you hate something, why would you do it? Right? So there are some situations like, you know, if you really want to put on muscle, there are some, you know, levels of stimulation that your body and your muscles need, but you don't have to go to a gym for that.

[00:20:49] Arushi Nigam: You don't have to do squats or deadlifts for that. So I definitely agree with you. It has to be a workout that you enjoy. Like, whatever that activity is, and it has to be something that takes into consideration your, you know, any issues you may have, you know, any like knee pains or any back pains or any genetic issues and things like that.

[00:21:10] Arushi Nigam: And if it's something that, like, if you don't even want to work out, that's fine. If you don't like the word workout, don't work out. If you just like to dance, you don't use that word. You're like, well, I just like to dance every now and then just dance. Like, if you really like to dance and then see those see those changes, right?

[00:21:26] Arushi Nigam: So because the first step is really just embracing whatever activity you'd like to do. If it's any sort of activity, right? So, if I'm dealing with someone who's never really worked out ever before, then just start walking, like, go outside and take a walk, put on some music, try different activities and see what you like and what you don't like.

[00:21:44] Arushi Nigam: Because, you know one of my biggest mottos is fail quickly and fail often so that, you know, immediately what you don't like, and you can start focusing your energy where you like it. And, but if you're someone then who's coming with me who's worked out for a while, my approach is going to be very different with you.

[00:21:59] Arushi Nigam: Because I'm going to say, okay, what have you liked in the past? What did you not like? So it really varies. But yeah, at the end of the day, it all comes down to catering it to the individual because otherwise, what's the point? Like, what's really the point if you're not going to enjoy it, then I've done, I feel I've done a disservice to you.

[00:22:14] Arushi Nigam: Because I mean, I didn't really give you something that you want to continue and this shouldn't be a one time commitment, like for 3 months or 6 months. This is a lifestyle. So, if it's going to be something you maintain, it has to be something you enjoy. Otherwise, it just doesn't make sense. And if someone, if anyone ever tells you this is exactly what you have to do, or you can only do these things.

[00:22:35] Arushi Nigam: I would really critically think about that before you even just like jump into, okay, well, I guess this is all I can do, or this is all I have to do or think that's not true at all. There's so many different ways you can achieve the transformation you want. And I never say lose weight, get skinny, none of that, because that's all relative that doesn't exist.

[00:22:54] Arushi Nigam: That's all society and perspective. I always say transformation because whatever that means to you. Is what you should be striving for. 

[00:23:03] Bettina M Brown: Yeah. And so with that too, you know, when we are working through our transformation, it is okay that we have, you know, I saw this picture and I think about it right now where our vision is success.

[00:23:15] Bettina M Brown: It's a straight line going up, but that's not what success is. It's all the squiggle lines and going up. The error is still eventually like you make it there. And so. Some weeks you may feel like for, I'll just put myself out there. Some weeks, my idea of an exercise is taking the dogs for a walk. And then, then, you know, a couple of weeks later.

[00:23:33] Bettina M Brown: I'm, I'm doing, you know, an hour, hour and a half and I enjoy the sweat. So it also temporary, you know, as your body is in different seasons, as you are going through different ages it is important to look at, you know, where your hormones are and where other things are, because it is a change. And so that data, so one thing we don't like.

[00:23:54] Bettina M Brown: There is no cookie cutter approach, but one thing I've learned is if you're going to follow a cookie cutter, the, the key to success is follow the cookie, cookie cutter, like just stick with it, you know and then, you know, if you stick with something long enough, it will eventually work. But if you're looking for quick results, this is not the area and having that piece that you talked about initially mindset, being in a place where you can mentally know that there is no quote unquote.

[00:24:22] Bettina M Brown: End game. There is no final. It is a journey and it's okay. It's okay that whatever marketing is out there, whatever the girls are saying, whatever Instagram is saying, whatever influencer is saying, whatever about whatever, right? You, you know, yourself better. You are, you are the expert in yourself. 

[00:24:43] Arushi Nigam: That's the biggest thing.

[00:24:44] Arushi Nigam: I mean, I think we have been inundated with so much. Media and ideas and thoughts that we have really forgotten how to listen to ourselves, whether that's an inner voice, whether that's your body, that is the most important voice you can listen to because if your body is tired or if your body is in pain, no one else is going to know that off the bat, unless like you're falling to the ground or something is really physically wrong with you.

[00:25:16] Arushi Nigam: You have to know that for yourself. So if there are days, and I've done this before, I'm very guilty of this where I will, I'm very, this is not a good, good, but I'm unfortunately very good at pushing through pain. Like I'm very good at, like, if I'm really sore or if I'm injured, I can push through that because or at least earlier that was my mindset where like, nope, I, if I, my workout was scheduled for today, I have to work out today.

[00:25:41] Arushi Nigam: Like no matter how bad it hurts, no matter how unhealthy or whatever, like that was my mindset. Because otherwise, if I even miss one day. Everything will blow up in my face and all my hard work will be gone. Like I'll lose everything. That was sort of the mentality at that point in time. And so now I really learned to listen just to listen to my body.

[00:26:02] Arushi Nigam: Like if it's in pain, it's telling me it's in pain for a reason. Like our bodies are designed to protect us. They're not designed enemy to, you know, get in the way of our goals. It may feel like that sometimes. But in the end, what I've noticed is just by taking that one day off, I've had 10 better days.

[00:26:20] Arushi Nigam: You know what I'm saying? Because my body's been healed. I can work out harder or better or whatever, you know, it may be, but just because I listened to that one time, it's improved me dramatically in all other areas. And so it's so shocking. It's really scary to people at first because we're not taught to rely or trust on ourselves.

[00:26:40] Arushi Nigam: We're always taught to listen and believe someone else. And so that takes that's part of mindset too. That takes a lot of that. And it's super scary. It's super scary, but it's a step I think you have to take because otherwise you're not living for yourself. You're living for other people. And that I had read somewhere that kind of got me out of that really unhealthy mindset was that.

[00:27:08] Arushi Nigam: If you let the opinions of others control your life, you'll never live. And so once I stopped really caring about what other people thought, or really once I, or put another way, once I started really listening to my inner voice and what I thought and trusting my gut. For lack of a better word, that's when I really started seeing the changes because once you believe something and you run with it, it'll, it'll just catch up with you and you'll see those that belief materialize or manifest as a lot of people say.

[00:27:39] Bettina M Brown: So my last question, I, I often ask it not every single time, but you know, you've come a long way. You're, you're doing this coaching, training, helping people. Trust themselves. What would you say? What is still left for you? Like, what are you rising up to? What is your future hold for you right now that you, I mean, there's always changes, but what are you seeing yourself doing?

[00:28:01] Bettina M Brown: Right. 

[00:28:01] Arushi Nigam: You know, it's, it's interesting because my main goal, no matter what I do is to make a difference and bring about Especially bring about, like, diversity and opinion. So, my goal is always to break, not only break through the noise, but also, like, as a South Asian woman, I like to break stereotypes.

[00:28:22] Arushi Nigam: And a lot of stereotypes about South Asian people, I mean, are, you know... Doctors and computer scientists and engineers and things like that. I mean, I don't think around here. I've ever heard of any South Asian person in the fitness space or even anyone talk about fitness in the way of, or at least I haven't in the way of really.

[00:28:44] Arushi Nigam: Looking at it like data, right? Like, really analyzing it with data and taking a step by step approach. So my goal for me would definitely be. For, you know, not only women, but for everyone to kind of be able to see that fitness is not something that has to be cookie cutter or that has to be complicated.

[00:29:02] Arushi Nigam: Because whenever I talk to people, not even talk, I just walk in anywhere and I will hear this conversation eventually, you know, Oh, like, you know, I'm like cutting my calories or I'm, you know, going like low carb. I'm not eating anything or I'm, you know, going on a juice cleanse. And I hear all of this nonsense.

[00:29:18] Arushi Nigam: And my whole goal is for people to just critically think about what they're taking in and then seeing if that information is even valid for them. That would be my biggest goal, because I think in fitness, we don't, people don't do that often. They kind of really take what they're hearing at face value and go, okay, like, that's the right way to do it.

[00:29:38] Arushi Nigam: I will stick with it. But no one is questioning that. And people haven't questioned that for a very long time. I didn't question that for, for a long time. I'm guilty of it. I thought, you know, no carb or You know, a thousand calories a day or whatever, but that none of that worked for me that actually hurt me even more.

[00:29:57] Arushi Nigam: And until I really started taking the risks and really thinking about, okay, what, what if, what if I tried this, what if I tried this? That's when all the changes really started coming because I really started critically thinking about the information I was receiving. So, really, my goal would be, I mean, specifically in, like, the fitness space would be for people to just start trusting themselves and really analyzing and critically thinking about the information they're getting.

[00:30:22] Arushi Nigam: Not just accepting things, but really digesting that information and then being okay with saying, no, I don't like that. There is there has to be a different way to do it, or I'll find a different way to do it because I'm not comfortable with that. That would, I think, be kind of a really overall goal. I would say, 

[00:30:40] Bettina M Brown: well, I love that goal and to have that much, you know, I'm, I'm a little older than 25.

[00:30:46] Bettina M Brown: so I, to have that much knowledge and, and, and confidence at. Your age. And I know you're going to hate hearing that, but I'm a little older than you. And so I can say that, but, you know, I think that's really remarkable because so many people, I know the friends, the, the coworkers may achieve X, Y, Z, but we don't feel that confidence that you radiate through your voice or your posture that I get to see.

[00:31:11] Bettina M Brown: And so I'm really proud of you. And I think that you are also then a symbol. And a role model for other people who are going through things to get to that point where you are in your mindset earlier in life, you know, not only in our thirties, forties, and fifties, when we feel like saying what's in our mind, but just earlier, we deserve that.

[00:31:31] Bettina M Brown: So I applaud you for that. And thank you so much for your time, for being here on my podcast. I'm super excited. What a great conversation with Arushi. She has. Already put so much together that I'm excited to see what she does in 10, 15 years from now, because It is all about health. And I like the idea of using your mind to know what your body knows best.

[00:31:56] Bettina M Brown: So if this podcast resonated with you or you know anyone that it would benefit, share it. Leave a five star review. It does so much to help put this podcast in general or this episode in the hands and ears of those that it's going to make great impact on. And until next time, let's keep building one another up.