From Clinic to Kitchen: A Holistic Dietetics Revolution

The modern dietetics is undergoing a quiet but significant revolution, spearheaded by professionals like dietitian Pranjal Kumat. Kumat's unique career path, which integrates hands-on experience from diverse sectors—from a bustling fitness club to a rigorous hospital setting and a food science lab—is forging a new, comprehensive approach to nutritional care. This integrative model moves beyond traditional silos, recognising that true health and wellness demand a multi-faceted understanding of how food impacts the body, both preventively and therapeutically.

Kumat's journey began with a year-long stint in applied nutrition at a fitness club. Here, she mastered the art of designing personalised, goal-orientated plans for individuals striving for body composition changes, performance enhancement, and overall wellness. This experience provided a crucial foundation in practical, real-world application, focusing on optimising macronutrient distribution, nutrient timing, and, most importantly, behavioural adherence. It's in this setting that she learnt to translate complex nutritional science into actionable, sustainable habits for everyday people.

Transitioning from the fitness world, Kumat’s clinical internship at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital immersed her in the complexities of therapeutic nutrition. Working alongside physicians, she assisted in crafting Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) plans for patients with a wide array of chronic and acute conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disorders. This experience highlighted the critical, life-saving role of nutrition in managing disease and solidified her understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of modern healthcare.

The final piece of this integrative puzzle came from a 45-day internship at FICCI FRAC Labs. This experience delved into the scientific and regulatory side of food—a domain often overlooked by clinical and fitness-focused dietitians. Kumat was trained in food composition analysis, labelling compliance, and safety regulations. This period emphasised the importance of public health nutrition and consumer transparency, connecting the food on the plate back to its origins and the systems that govern its quality and safety.

By deliberately weaving these three distinct threads—applied fitness, clinical care, and food science—together, Pranjal Kumat has developed a truly holistic perspective on dietetics. This approach allows her to bridge the gap between preventive wellness and therapeutic intervention, all while maintaining a strong understanding of the broader food systems that influence public health. This model represents a significant evolution in the field, moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to champion a comprehensive, individualised, and evidence-based form of nutrition care that is equipped to address the complex health challenges of the 21st century.

(By Pranjal Kumat, Dietitian)