Don’t frequent small bites actually boost your metabolism and keep steady energy levels? Well, that’s the myth that needs busting. In this episode, host Srirupa Ray, Assistant Editor with TOI, sits down with Delhi-based clinical nutritionist, biohacking coach, and nutrigenomics researcher Tanya Malik Chawla to understand how our modern grazing habits are driving a quiet crisis of overfed but malnourished individuals, contributing heavily to India’s diabetes burden.

Unlike cows or goats, humans are not built to graze continuously. Chawla uses the analogy of a lion — an animal meant to eat a substantial, nutrient-dense meal and then give its system prolonged rest. Instead, modern culture, supercharged by instant quick-commerce apps, has turned eating into a continuous emotional response to stress, boredom, and celebration. Every time we reach for a quick bite, we trigger a glucose spike and a subsequent hit of dopamine. This instant, unearned reward makes sugar as addictive as any drug. Over time, the brain becomes insensitive to these spikes, trapping us in a vicious cycle of chasing the next dopamine hit.

A staggering trend Chawla notes in her functional medicine practice is that people struggling with weight gain are often severely malnourished. While calorie intake is high, blood markers consistently show critical deficiencies, such as chronically low vitamin D, tanked ferritin levels, and a severe lack of protein. Referencing the landmark ICMR-Lancet study, Chawla highlights that the modern Indian diet is overwhelmingly glucose-heavy. Nibbling on traditional or packaged snacks — from namkeens and biscuits to upma and poha — floods the bloodstream with carbohydrates while offering virtually no amino acids or micronutrients.

When we constantly snack on carbs, the pancreas continuously pumps out insulin to ferry glucose to our cells. When the cells have no energetic demand, they eventually block the door, leading to insulin resistance. Furthermore, the liver can only store a limited amount of glycogen. The excess glucose is converted into triglycerides, ultimately resulting in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, even in individuals who do not drink alcohol or consider themselves overweight.

Constant digestion is incredibly energy-expensive, leaving the body no time for cellular cleanup. Snacking late at night is particularly damaging because insulin acts as an antagonist to the human growth hormone. To counter this, Chawla advocates for functional time-restricted eating rather than extreme fasting. A strict three-hour gap between your last meal and sleep allows insulin to drop and growth hormones to surge, she says. Meals should ideally follow a balanced macro split of 30% protein, 30% healthy fats, and 40% complex carbohydrates. By shifting away from the mindless munchies and giving the gut a dedicated break, we allow the body to activate longevity pathways like autophagy, proving that true wellness isn’t about eating less, but nourishing right.

Before tuning out, do check out the nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/) in the end.

Chapters

00:01 - Mindless Munchies & The Metabolism Myth

01:12 - The Biology of Comfort: Food as an Emotional Language

02:17 - The Grazing Analogy: Why We Aren’t Goats or Cows

03:22 - Habit vs. Discipline: The Quick Commerce Trap

04:29 -The Paradox of the Modern Diet: Overfed but Malnourished

05:11 - Reading the Markers: Hidden Deficiencies in Weight Loss

06:40 - Today’s Indian Diet: The Glucose-Heavy Reality

08:55 - The Ancestral Shift: Physical Labour vs. Sedentary Snacking

10:26 - Designing the Ideal Plate: The 30-30-40 Macro Rule

14:36 - The Cellular View: Insulin Resistance & Fatty Liver Explained

19:36 - Hormones & Habits: The Antagonism of Insulin and Growth Hormone

23:58 - Curating the Kitchen: Re-defining ‘Good’ vs. ‘Bad’ Snacks

27:05 - Epigenetics & Longevity: The Perimenopause Case Study

Is your child spending too much time on screens? Does endless scrolling, binge-watching and short-form content really affect children’s brains, or is the viral term ‘brain rot’ more hype than science?

In this episode, host Kritika Sharma, an Assistant Editor with The Times of India, explores one of the biggest parenting concerns of the digital age with developmental therapist and play practitioner Lavina Nanda, who heads the developmental centre at Children First, a mental health institute in Delhi.

Joining the conversation are two parents with different experiences — lawyer and reading advocate Richa Pandey, and architect Susmita — who share practical strategies that have helped their children develop a healthier relationship with screens.

The discussion examines why screens are so addictive for children and adults alike, what ‘brain rot’ actually means from a psychological perspective, and whether excessive screen use affects attention span, emotional regulation, sleep and learning. The guests also explain why it is so essential for kids to get bored, because this way they spend some time just figuring out what to do next instead of just picking up the screen. They talk about why play is essential for healthy brain development, and how parents can cultivate a home environment that naturally encourages reading, creativity and curiosity instead of constant digital stimulation.

The panel also addresses common parenting dilemmas: Should screens be banned altogether? Can educational content be beneficial? Why can children spend hours watching videos but struggle to focus in a classroom? And most important, how can families build healthier digital habits without turning every conversation into a battle over screen time?

Packed with evidence-based insights, relatable parenting experiences and practical takeaways, this episode offers a balanced perspective on raising children in a technology-driven world. Whether you’re a parent, educator or caregiver, you’ll leave with simple, actionable ideas to help children build healthier relationships with technology while nurturing their emotional, cognitive and social development.

Do check out the nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/) in the end.

Chapters:

00:19 Introduction: What is brain rot?

01:04 Why do kids get addicted to screens?

05:15 Can the Brain Recover from Excessive Screen Time?

05:51 Parents Join the Conversation

07:21 Are Parents Responsible for Screen Addiction?

09:27 Why Children Need to Be Bored

12:05 Can Reading Replace Scrolling?

13:07 Creating a Culture of Reading at Home

17:08 Play Is a Child's Occupation

19:16 Parenting a Six-Year-Old in the Digital Age

24:21 Why Can Kids Focus on Screens but Not School?

29:24 Screens Are Here to Stay — Now What?

32:45 One-Line Definition of Brain Rot

38:10 Final Takeaways

From step counts and sleep scores to heart rate alerts and daily streaks, wearable devices and wellness apps have become part of everyday life. But when does healthy tracking become an unhealthy obsession?

In this episode, host Jahnavi, a senior digital content creator with TOI, speaks with Dr Naveen Chandra GS, interventional cardiologist, and Neha Cadabam, mental health expert, both from Bengaluru, about the growing phenomenon of health app burnout. They explain why so many people become fixated on numbers, how wearables can trigger unnecessary anxiety, and where these devices genuinely improve healthcare.

The conversation also explores the psychology behind streaks and dopamine, why smart watches can sometimes do more harm than good, and practical ways to use technology without letting it take over your well-being.

Don’t tune out before listening to the nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/).

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: Are Health Apps Making Us Healthier?

01:45 – Are We Tracking Too Much?

04:16 – The Psychology of Streaks, Guilt & Notifications

06:21 – When Wearables Trigger Health Anxiety

10:03 – Who Is Most Vulnerable to Overtracking?

11:49 – Why Wellness Apps Become Exhausting

16:04 – What Health Metrics Actually Matter?

21:02 – Finding a Healthy Balance with Technology

23:12 – Rapid Fire: Health Tech Myths & Habits

25:19 – Closing Thoughts & Takeaways