By Vidhi Gupta

“If we look at it from a bird’s eye view, our long-term  vision has always been to help people make healthier  lifestyle choices, realize their true potential and create  a path to prosperity”, says Nikhil Bhel, the CEO and  co-founder of Fitza. Being a fitness enthusiast and the X  factor to scale up Fitza, he envisions developing a community of leaders who can be their best self with zero  compromises. We get in a conversation with Nikhil on  more about Fitza, the app, wellness philosophy, and future plans.  

I have always been a fitness enthusiast, but I under stood the true importance of nutrition and wellbeing  when I trained for my first marathon. I was surprised  by the lack of information and easily accessible assistance with regards to nutrition and mental health. Even  when we have the knowledge about wellness, it is surprising how often we neglect it, causing harm to no  one but ourselves. We avoid the consistent action that  it demands, and that drove us to develop Fitza. Shweta  Shah, who is a co-founder of Fitza and a celebrated nutritionist, sparked our interest in holistic wellbeing and  the idea consumed us. While the idea itself was in development well before COVID hit, it was turbocharged  during the pandemic when the idea of preventive self care became even more prominent than ever. So, we  went ahead and built Fitza with the goal to make holistic well-being more accessible to all. 

COVID-19 was a watershed moment. The pandemic is  a fierce teacher and one learning was grilled into us:  The importance of Preventive Self-care. In the back drop of the grueling concern of chronic ailments such  as overweight/obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular ailment in our country, it becomes imperative for each of us to be a stakeholder in deciding what  to eat and what to avoid. Self Awareness has always  been the biggest challenge, but now people are waking up to understanding the gaps and vulnerabilities  that exist as well as to reclaim their health and wellness.  The conventional thought has always been that physical fitness is all one must be concerned about. Mental  health has always carried the burden of stigma attached  to it. That is changing now which is a relief. People are  finally seeing the importance of mental wellbeing and  how crucial it is for living the best life. 

We are delighted to be able to reach out to people with  Fitza because it is helping them realize their potential  by not being pushed down by their insecurities, but  overcome the challenges with much fervour. 

Fitza is a mobile first, transformative technology application that empowers people with an integrated, personalized and value-based nutrition and wellness care  program at the click of a button. Your digital nutrition  and wellness buddy, Fitza delivers in the moment ac cess to personalized care that is prevention focused and  holistic. At Fitza, we are reinventing how nutrition and  wellness care is delivered, accessed and received. 

D: Development of Health 

Development of health is the consistent progress towards a balanced and nutritionally abundant state of  body, mind and spirit that empowers one to elevate  and accelerate in connection to living multiple intentions and desires in ease and flow 

I: Intelligent Lifestyle 

Being intelligent is simply being aware of our inner  state in the present moment, understanding our thinking-perceiving-feeling-behavioral patterns, learning  methods to break the toxic cycles that are stagnant in  our body and mind, and taking necessary steps to out grow the unhealthy and restore health and harmony. T: Tempered Nervous system A tempered nervous system is the greatest factor to  

E: Emotional stability 

Emotional stability is being centered and grounded  with our internal feelings and external consequences in  the present moment. Appreciating our Here and Now,  transcending from limiting beliefs and perceptions,  feeling confident about ourselves, and easily transmuting all the emotions that flow through us while living  our day-to-day life in connection with everyone and  everything with no resistance at all. This state of presence can be achieved by tapping into our emotional  intelligence and consciously navigating the process of  collaboration with the external environment and entities in synergy.

successfully lead a thriving and elevated state of health  even in the midst of chaos and conflicted situations. By  cleansing all the toxins, heavy metal energies, chemicals and pesticides from our body, mind and heart  that has accumulated from the earth realm like fruits,  vegetables, groceries, water and often our social environment; we can certainly balance the elemental forces  within which is our Prakriti, and consciously live in a  healthy temperament. 

Our wellness philosophy stems from the understanding that we all have different bodies and that 70% of  the body’s immunity lies in the Gut and the microbiota  composition, which differs from person to person. We  have taken inspiration from the traditional Indian ideas  of the Chakras wherein we balance the three chakras to  align our body, mind, and spirit for overall well being.  Such a holistic approach can help us prevent chronic  ailments that are caused more by lifestyle choices than  inherent medical conditions, helping people lead more  fulfilling and stress-free lives. 

What is next for Fitza? 

I am very excited about the upcoming version Fitza 2.0  which is expected to release by the end of October. We  are very keen to take necessary steps to help move the  evidence needle with respect to nutrition care and well ness, and the impact on reducing the risk associated  with chronic ailments.