Seema Chandra

Immersed in Public Health. Wellness. Nutrition. Digital Design and Content. Past life - Health food show host.

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

Ultra-processed foods are growing faster than essential staples in India. In a growing economy, more money = more convenience foods.
What does that mean for our health and future?
By 2032, almost 4 out of 10 processed foods on the market will be ultra-processed. Think instant noodles, chips, salty biscuits, sugary drinks, breakfast cereals, frozen desserts.
The problem? UPFs are packed with sugar, refined flours, salt, additives, preservatives & unhealthy fats. They fuel obesity, diabetes, heart disease and gut issues.
What can you do about it?

Watch Episode 1 of the "In Good Taste" podcast for some answers.

https://t.co/VvMliyuktL

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

Most supplements are to be had after a meal, for better absorption of certain nutrients and its also kinder on the gut. I feel nauseous if I take supplements without adequate food. Also maybe you can advise which supplements are water soluble or are fine to have on an empty stomach.

[Gita Gopinath @GitaGopinath]

A painting of the end of meritocracy: A meeting of the two largest economies and not one woman at the table.

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

@NandanNilekani @horror06 @EconomicTimes Very insightful research.

[Sanjay Sipahimalani @SanSip]

Surprised that this sensible move has taken so much time.

[Earth @earthcurated]

A supermarket in Thailand replaced plastic packaging with banana leaves. A simple idea that makes a big difference.🌿

[Rajdeep Sardesai @sardesairajdeep]

To those ‘celebrating’ the killing of Ali Khamenei in this country on TV and social media, the idea of celebrating the killing of a foreign head of state is fraught — morally, diplomatically and strategically. A mature democracy can criticise regimes. It should be cautious about celebrating death. Not to forget 10,000 students live in Iran, lakhs of Indians across the Gulf. 🙏

[𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐣 𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐫 @XGuruManoj]

For many years, India depended heavily on imported MRI machines — expensive systems that required liquid helium and consumed high amounts of power, placing them beyond the reach of numerous hospitals.

Now, Bengaluru-based startup VoxelGrids has introduced India’s first fully indigenous 1.5-tesla MRI scanner. The system is already functioning at a cancer care centre in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, marking a meaningful development in the country’s medical technology journey.

What makes this innovation stand out is not just that it is manufactured in India, but that it is engineered specifically for Indian conditions:
• No dependence on liquid helium
• Reduced power consumption
• Approximately 40% lower cost compared to imported alternatives

For hospitals operating under tight capital budgets, VoxelGrids also provides a pay-per-use model, helping extend advanced diagnostic imaging to underserved and remote areas.

Leading this breakthrough is founder Arjun Arunachalam, who returned from a research career in the United States with the goal of addressing a long-standing gap in India’s healthcare infrastructure. With support from institutions such as Tata Trusts, the team dedicated years to research, refinement, and development to build a solution suited to domestic needs.

This achievement represents more than just a new medical device. It reflects a broader transition — from reliance to self-reliance, from importing technology to innovating at home, and from limited access to wider inclusion in healthcare services.

#MakeInIndia
#HealthcareInnovation
#MedicalTechnology
#IndianStartup
#AffordableHealthcare
#Innovation

[PBS News @NewsHour]

In the first lawsuit of its kind, the city of San Francisco is suing 11 of the nation’s top food companies, saying they sell ultraprocessed food knowing that they are harmful to health. By some estimates, more than 60% of the food consumed in the United States is ultraprocessed.

A growing body of scientific research says diets high in ultraprocessed food lead to chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and depression.

@johnyangtv spoke with Ashley Gearhardt, a University of Michigan psychology professor who studies addiction, to learn more.

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

Couldn’t have said it better.

[Mark Hyman, M.D. @drmarkhyman]

People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are healed by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

Are your everyday foods killing you slowly?

Whether it’s breakfast cereals, your pasta lunch, the croissant or the muffin, the juice with fruits made on the pack, it’s all ultra processed.
Here’s the kicker. Even your brown bread can be ultra processed.

Why does that matter? Quite a lot actually. It can affect everything, from your gut to your weight to your mood.

For more you can see our new podcast called In Good Taste, where Sarika and I discuss the dangers of ultra processed foods and what we can do to avoid them.

Check it out here, and I would love your feedback.
https://t.co/zuW0Y0IrL0

Follow us here on Instagram: https://t.co/hZVVf2r8Rb

[The Lancet @TheLancet]

Ultra-processed foods – what’s the impact?

In a new Lancet Series, experts warn a global rise in #UPFs presents a growing public health threat.

Read the evidence & policy recommendations ⬇️
https://t.co/cKavYNYlcQ

[Soumya Swaminathan @doctorsoumya]

Request all airlines to make announcement on cough etiquette & basic hygiene. Anyone with a cough & cold & the vulnerable should wear masks. Neighbour coughing for 2 hrs is a sure way to get viral infection. We have forgotten the lessons of COVID! @airindia @IndiGo6E @flyspicejet

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

Why can't we do the same in India? Most school canteens are serving food filled with deep fried food, using unknown oils, and sugar sweetened beverages.

[Vani Hari @thefoodbabe]

Congrats @AsmJesseGabriel and everyone who worked to make this happen- thank you for your leadership! This is what we need across the country! Food is medicine!!! Save our children.

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

If only we can avoid going the American way with our diet here in India.

[Mark Hyman, M.D. @drmarkhyman]

We have a chronic disease epidemic.

93% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy, and FOOD is the primary cause and the cure.

Yet doctors learn almost nothing about nutrition, the microbiome, or toxins. Until we change this, we’ll keep treating symptoms instead of causes.

[Mark Hyman, M.D. @drmarkhyman]

Food is the most powerful tool to change your biology. It’s basically code or instructions that changes your physiology with every single bite.

It changes your gene expression. It changes your hormones, your brain chemistry, your immune system, your microbiome, your neurotransmitters. Everything can change, and not in years or decades, but literally in minutes.

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

Well done @Suhelseth

[Hindustan Times @htTweets]

Gurugram deploys special task force to combat illegal waste dumping

(@leenadhankhar ✍🏻)
https://t.co/zAFzATXruq

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

The first episode of the “In Good Taste” podcast is now online!

We tell you why ultra processed foods taste so good - but are still so bad for you.

Watch the full episode here.

https://t.co/2ZfMUNimAw

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

Back on X with some news!

It's been a while since I've been on TV, but have been cooking up something new! I'm launching a podcast called "In Good Taste" - your serving of food & nutrition stories, and health tips backed by scientific evidence.

The first episode has just dropped. Check it out here - and let me know what you think.

https://t.co/zuW0Y0IrL0

[Seema Chandra @seemachandra]

This has been a long time coming.

[Mark Hyman, M.D. @drmarkhyman]

VICTORY: The HHS, FDA, and USDA are taking action on addressing the health risks of ultra-processed foods! 🎉

This is a major breakthrough.

For years, I’ve been called “radical” for saying that ultra-processed foods are fueling our chronic disease epidemic. Now, for the first time ever, the federal government is creating a uniform definition of what ultra-processed food actually is.

This changes everything.

Here's why this announcement is massive and what it actually means for your health: 🧵