Darren Jamieson: Hey… On this week’s episode of The Engaging Marketeer, I’m speaking with Taruna Chauhan, who went from a diagnosis of pre-diabetes to creating a cookbook containing her mum’s and mother-in-law’s secret recipes for living a healthy, long life. I’m going to talk with Taruna about how she did that, how she works with clients, and how she helps people find their inner “why” and inner wisdom.
Your whole “why” around the cookbook and what you do stems from diabetes—well, pre-diabetes, right?
Taruna Chauhan: The book isn’t related to the pre-diabetes. The book was a passion project. My mum passed away in 2012 and a few years later I thought, “I’d quite fancy making pickle.” It dawned on me I never sat down with my mum to write those recipes down—she always had them in her head. It never occurred to me to sit down and ask her how she made things so I could write them up, so the recipes went with her when she passed away.
My sisters make the pickles, but it’s never quite the same. With oral traditions there’s always something left out. You have to ask a few times to get all the nuggets. My children asked me for recipes and I started writing them down for them. They live away from home, so they’re not always by me when I’m cooking. I realised I wanted to preserve the family and cultural recipes. Especially with authentic Diwali cookery, a lot of the younger generation don’t make those dishes anymore—it’s easier to buy them. I didn’t want those traditional recipes to be lost forever.
It took a while to get recipes from my head onto paper, and I’d never been given measurements—I always cooked by eye—so every time I cook it tastes slightly different. For the book I had to make things precise, add measurements, and convert to metric. My “why” was to preserve those recipes and leave a legacy for the next generation when they’re ready to use them.
With my pre-diabetes, I turned that around. When I was told I had pre-diabetes, I asked, “What do I do?” Having worked in the NHS, I knew it could lead to type 2 diabetes and I didn’t want the comorbidities. The nurse said, “Come back in a year for another blood test,” which wasn’t helpful. So I researched what to do, worked with a PT who’s also a nutritionist, and learned the changes I had to make.
In my FRESH framework and the eBook I created, I’ve put those learnings together from lived experience—how I turned pre-diabetes around so I didn’t move to type 2. A lot is lifestyle change: move more, exercise daily—I’m a morning person—make sure my plate looks a certain way and is more nutritious. I always cooked from scratch, but I learned my plate could look better.
When I reflected, I realised I’d created a framework—FRESH—that looks at the gaps between what you’re eating now and what you could be eating; whether you’re moving enough; and, crucially, your values.
On the days you can’t be bothered, it’s your values that keep you accountable and motivated
The ebook includes a values worksheet. There’s also work on habits and beliefs—where you are now and where you want to be—using action mapping from the goal-mapping coaching I do.
Darren Jamieson: For those who don’t know, what exactly is pre-diabetes? How do you get it and how does it lead to diabetes?
Taruna Chauhan: Pre-diabetes is where your insulin resistance isn’t where it should be. Many of us are more sedentary than we should be; our physiology isn’t made to be sedentary. We’re not moving enough, and the way foods are marketed—plus all the ultra-processed food—it’s easy to eat things that digest quickly but don’t nourish us.
I thought I was eating really well because I cooked from scratch. But if I had a dry potato curry with rice and a chapati—rice is starch, potatoes are starch; both turn to sugar. I had to learn to add a vegetable curry, reduce the potatoes, maybe have one less chapati if I’m also having rice. Little changes so you still enjoy what you’re eating, just in a different way.
You find out via a blood test. I’m not a clinician, but as you reach a certain age you’re sent for tests; that’s when I was told I was pre-diabetic. They look at blood sugar and insulin resistance. Then I learned to change how my plate looks.
Without scaring people: if you’re sedentary and eating a lot of ultra-processed food, you may well be pre-diabetic without knowing it. The good news is you can turn it around: change your plate composition and move more. Movement is key along with what you eat. Your gut microbiome needs to be healthy. Latest research suggests eating 30 different foods a week—including herbs and spices. That sounds a lot, but it adds up quickly.
If you make, say, a rainbow salad: carrot, beetroot, spinach, chickpeas, different lettuces, plus mixed seeds—there’s 10 ingredients already. Add tahini paste or a simple vinaigrette (olive oil, vinegar, lemon) and a protein—now you’re up well over 10 in one meal. Contrast that with ultra-processed foods: very bland, brown, beige. If your plate looks beige, that’s a red flag. Aim for vibrancy. It’s not always about removing; it’s about adding the right things in.
You can still enjoy a takeaway—an 80/20 rule helps. Ready-meals are usually the ultra-processed culprits; a fresh-made takeaway is different. Meal planning helps you avoid the “beige buffet” because you’ve already got good options ready.
Darren Jamieson: How do you find time for meal planning and prep? A lot of people struggle to fit it in—mornings are rushed, some are cooking for others at home. My 24-year-old son basically lives on a beige buffet—nuggets, chips, pizza!
How do you cope with resistance?
Taruna Chauhan: Little tasters and education. If he’s 24, help him see how it affects how he feels. What you eat impacts mental health and emotions. You get more messages from your gut to your head-brain than the other way around—so a healthy gut matters.
How I fit it all in: I make the time because I know if I take care of the inside—movement, exercise, nutrition—I’ll work better mentally and physically as I age. I’m in my 60s; I want to be healthy into the next decades.
On Sunday evening I make the shopping list while looking at my week. It reduces food waste—because perishables are bought for planned meals. For example this week: leftover marinated chicken from a barbecue became kebabs with salad and bread; then a mixed veg curry with raita and chapati; then a chicken dish with broccoli and mash; then another veg curry; then a takeaway day; and leftovers with green beans. Planning makes it easy.
For lunches, I prep on Sunday or Monday: wash/dry lettuce (a tea towel keeps it fresh), prep beetroot, cucumber, carrot; batch-cook a protein (or fritters) to freeze; marinate meats. Then assembling a nutritious lunch takes minutes.
Darren Jamieson: And movement?
Taruna Chauhan: I’m a morning person. I naturally wake at 6am every day, weekends included. I change into gym clothes, hydrate with warm water—gentle on the body—then do a 20-minute full-body workout plus 10–20 minutes of stretching. About 30–40 minutes total. Strength training is important; I’ve gradually increased weights from 1kg to 4.5kg to avoid injury. Then I do two-and-a-half minutes of coherent breathing to settle the autonomic nervous system, shower, and have breakfast.
I do more savoury breakfasts now. If I have oats, I make them myself: overnight oats with chia seeds (great omega-3 and protein) soaked in yoghurt, with nuts and berries—sometimes “carrot cake” or “black forest” overnight oats. It takes 10 minutes in the evening. Often starting is the hardest part; once it becomes a habit, it’s natural to plan meals and prep. If health and self-care are important, you’ll make the time.
Also, “exercise snacks” are brilliant. After each comfort break: five squats, five press-ups against the wall, five triceps dips. Do that a few times a day and you’re building strength and movement consistently. I mentioned this in a keynote on habits—afterwards the ladies’ room was full of people trying it!
Darren Jamieson: What sort of people do you work with?
Taruna Chauhan: Many from health and social care—my old consultancy space—often via referrals or past clients. But I can work with anyone. One client was an 80-year-old lady who was pre-diabetic; we worked on mindset and accountability. I’m active on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, but a lot of clients come via networking—both online and face-to-face.
I also talk about intention setting—a step alongside goal setting. We all have big 12-month goals, but daily intentions align your actions and prime your reticular activating system—the brain’s filter. Like when you’re considering a car and then see that model everywhere—that’s your RAS. Set an intention (e.g., “have interesting conversations”), and your brain seeks the opportunities. It’s neuroscience. I’ve been sharing intentions on Instagram and may add an end-of-day resolution post to reflect on outcomes.
Darren Jamieson:
When you say you help people find their inner wisdom—how?
Taruna Chauhan: I get them to engage with their multiple intelligences. As a coach, I’m a guide. As a mentor, I bring knowledge and skills. For example, I mentor with Migrant Leaders UK. My approach is to meet people where they are, get clear on desired outcomes, then use a toolkit of methodologies plus lived experience.
During the pandemic, a client session shifted entirely: they were struggling with working from home, boundaries, and routines. I coached/mentored them on work from home practices and created a sheet they could share with staff—office hours, switching personas, reframing state. You have to respond to what’s in front of you.
Darren Jamieson: It’s like in our agency—people ask for Facebook or Google ads, but that might not be what they actually need. We have to diagnose.
Taruna Chauhan: Exactly.
Clients think they need A, but they often need B
The challenge is they don’t yet know they need B. In marketing you often have to sell the outcome—more leads, more enquiries—rather than the underlying mechanism. Recently I learned about GEO (being found by AI)—most people haven’t heard of it, so you start conversations from their goals.
For me, networking and community help. I’ve started the Connected Leaders Community—a cross-sector group (lots from health and social care) that’s a hive mind for owners. If you have staff, you can’t always talk to them about your challenges; in a trusted group you can. We don’t record the main discussions to keep confidentiality, but I’ll record micro-teaches. It’s supportive, and on tough days that matters. As it grows, I may segment by size so challenges are comparable.
Darren Jamieson: Back to your mum—she didn’t write recipes down and you created the cookbook from your own. How much of hers did you lose or have to adapt?
Taruna Chauhan: A fair few are hers, but the way we learn is an essence—an art, not a fixed recipe. You stand next to your mum or older sibling; they show you, and next time it’s slightly different. There are nuances you don’t pick up unless you ask, and we don’t always ask. Even with my mother-in-law, who shared recipes—sometimes I’d try it and something was off. Then she’d say, “Oh, you should have done that,” which she hadn’t told me!
Some dishes I still haven’t perfected—that’s on my mission list. There could be a second book one day, but for now I want to sell this one and share more on YouTube—interviewing other food lovers, people who cook from scratch, have allotments—there’s so much in common when you start talking about food.
Darren Jamieson: I can introduce you to a lovely TV cook with a YouTube channel—she’d be great on your channel. Also, your point about unwritten recipes is a perfect business analogy. In business, people keep everything in their heads and don’t procedurise. Then if they’re away, it all falls apart. They think it makes them indispensable—“it can’t run without me”—but that’s not a good thing. It has to run without you. Your “write the recipe down” is exactly what businesses should do with SOPs.
Taruna Chauhan: I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re right. When I share my “why”, people say the same—“I need to get my grandma to write her recipe down.” Every family has a recipe. And there’s something about cooking with love—I’m sure I’ve read research that food tastes different depending on your mood!
Darren Jamieson: For anyone who wants to find out more—what’s the best way to contact you? What’s the name of the book and the YouTube channel?
Taruna Chauhan: The book and YouTube channel are both called Recipes from a Gujarati Kitchen. I’ve created a separate Instagram Recipes for Kitchen for foodie content, and for coaching I’m Taruna Chauhan — Inner Wisdom Coach on Facebook and Instagram. I’m on LinkedIn as Taruna Chauhan. My website is tarunachauhan.com (the overarching domain).
Darren Jamieson: Perfect. We’ll put links below the podcast and YouTube description so people can click straight through. Taruna, thank you so much for being a guest—I’ve loved finding out more about you.
Taruna Chauhan: Thank you—I’ve enjoyed it.
About Taruna Chauhan
Taruna is a health and mindset coach, author, and founder of the Inner Wisdom Coach brand. After reversing her own pre-diabetes through lifestyle changes, she created the FRESH Framework — a holistic approach combining nutrition, movement, and mindset to help others achieve long-term wellbeing.
A former NHS professional, Taruna is also the author of Recipes from a Gujarati Kitchen, a cookbook preserving generations of authentic family recipes and cultural traditions. She runs workshops, speaks at events, and mentors through organisations such as Migrant Leaders UK, guiding people to reconnect with their values, habits, and “inner why” for healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Website: https://www.tarunachauhan.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarunachauhan/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarunachauhaninnerwisdomcoach/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tchauhaninnerwisdomcoach/
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/
Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com
Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk
