The onset of the pandemic has made health a top priority. As much as we desire to stay fit as a fiddle, our busy lifestyle barely allows us to stay regular with balanced meals,workouts or mental well-being exercises. Perhaps, we require a helping hand to achieve holism and a new experience centre in the city named Yello Life is offering the same covering all aspects of mindful living- food, fashion, wellness, personal care and more. Founded by Kakinada-born and Hyderabad-based Madhavi Chalasani, it is equipped with an artfully done aesthetic café, a micro bakery, a yoga and performance arts centre and an artisanal product store.
Holistic health
We first walked into its café which exuded a burst of sunshine with its yellow-painted walls. The hanging bamboo pendant lamps radiated a warm welcoming positivity. They accented the bright-hued Cheriyal masks that adorned the walls --in a homage to local crafts of Telangana. We leant that the café offers nutritious and delectable food, juices, smoothies, coffees, aromatic teas and more and had a micro bakery serving an assortment of breads -- Multigrain, Kibbled, Rye, Sourdoughs, Flats Croissants, Bagels, Pita, Boule and many more. We sat with Madhavi Chalasani--an MSc holder in Nutrition, Dietetics and Child Psychology to understand her passion for holistic living. “My mother studied home sciences and made it a point to cook balanced nutritional meals for our family. Her passion for nourishment inspired me to believe in the idea of One Health -- an approach that recognises that our soundness is closely connected with the health of people, plants, animals and our shared environment. It further thrusts the idea that the world is one family and informs our core philosophy-- to make sure no life remains hungry or undernourished.” Madhavi pondered on the plaguing malnutrition across society and decided to do something about it during the Covid lockdown period. She explains,“We suffer from malnutrition due to nutrition deficiency. When left untreated, it causes lifestyle issues. I aim to give people all the tools to achieve healthy living- nutri-rich food, curative healing, personalized consulting with experts and more. Your food should be your only medicine. "
Farm to fork
The entrepreneur directly connects with farmers from India’s 739 districts for ethical sourcing of food products. From black rice of Assam, direct seafood from Kakinada’s waters, berries from Kashmir, and wheat from Maharashtra to making their cold pressed oils, paneer(cottage cheese) and other essential items-- her café is a one-stop solution to stay in the pink of health. As we talk, a coral pink Kombucha arrived on our table and treated us with the goodness of probiotics combined with sweet and spicy notes. “It has no added sugars, starches, preservatives, added colours or essences and is free from carbonation,” she tells us.
Bread basket
We sipped the Kombucha while getting a tour of the micro bakery. It had freshly baked breads which are stone milled to retain nutrients. They are produced in small batches to avoid wastage. Madhavi plans to tie up with schools so that children can come and learn baking. "It will give them practical knowledge of making scrumptious yet nutrient-rich bread,” she shares.
Colours on my plate
After the tour, a hot and wholesome Tex-Mex Spinach Burrito awaited us. It had a myriad of colours in the wrap--the yellow of bell pepper, homemade A2 paneer, Navara rice, brown Kashmiri rajma and green spinach served with handmade tarty sauces in red and orange. It was a filling treat for the eyes and palate and ticked on being deliciously healthy.
Guilt-free delights
While eating healthy is often seen as boring, their Chocolate Jaggery Cake changed that notion. It surprised us with its delightful taste rendered by 70% dark Chocolate and jaggery. They are said to boost brain health, provide antioxidants and lower the risk of life-threatening diseases. The eggs used were free-range produce that ensure there is less cholesterol and saturated fats. The ingredients gave the dessert a soft yet grainy texture and made sure we cut on calories, not taste! On cue, came their herbal tea named The Aphrodisiac. As the name suggests, it had a calming effect on the mind infused with notes of fig and green tea leaves and had a tint of pink lent by blueberries and strawberries. The ingredients gave it a mildly sweet and vegetal taste and whiffing its fruity aroma truly transported us to a state of relaxation.
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All-in-one centre
We also toured the entire experience centre. Their personal care section had a wide range of authentic spices, skin-friendly apparel, and soon to arrive the DIY skincare range that will have organic face and body soaps, skin foods, shampoos, skin oils and more. We next moved to their yoga and meditation centre which is open to hosting yoga sessions, dance, music, and interactive classes with yogis, teachers, performance art practitioners and more. “We are not treating particular diseases or specific stages in the life cycle- we are treating the whole of a people,” Madhavi enlightens us in our walk-through. In the end, the two-hour holistic experience renewed us with a superior synergy between body, mind and soul.
Rs. 2,000 for two. At Jubilee Hills.
Mail:Priyamvada@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @ranapriyamvada