NEW YORK (TIP): For internationally certified clinical nutritionist Gayatri Dave (33) who consults clients across India and Indians living in the USA, pageantry was never a part of her life plan. After winning ‘Ms. Queen of The World India’ in October last year, Gayatri has had her sights set on the international finale scheduled for next week from April 22 – April 25 at Symphony Space Theatre in NYC.

As a part-time fashion model, she did a photoshoot at the beginning of last year and her pictures garnered much praise. A school friend of hers suggested she explore pageants; even though she initially dismissed the idea thinking she didn’t fit the age bracket. However, after some contemplation and online exploration, she stumbled upon CocoBerry Academy which is an individual training institute for modeling and pageantry.

Despite not fitting in the typical Miss or Mrs. category, her mentors including national pageant director Urmimala Boruah encouraged her to participate assuring her that age and height weren’t hindrances. Gayatri pursued her passion by participating and winning in the Ms. category. ‘MS.’ category was created taking into account the growing number of unmarried/single women above 30 years of age or who are divorced or are widowed. Why should any tag deter anyone from pursuing their dreams? This category gives women a chance to change any personal setbacks that they may have faced into comebacks. Today it brings her immense pride to be at this juncture in her life to get a chance to represent India at ‘Queen of the World International’ 2024 finale under the mentorship of Alice Lee Giannetta, Founder, CEO of the pageant. Her journey wasn’t about winning a crown, but about self-discovery and overcoming self-doubt.

Academics

Gayatri Dave is a practicing clinical nutritionist based in Mumbai catering to clients across India and Indians living in the USA for the past 10 years. She is a Psychology Graduate and a Certified Integrative Nutritionist & Health Coach from Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN), New York City, USA. Prior to accomplishing her international qualification, she completed PGDM in Diet and Nutrition and an additional Diploma in Dietetics, Health and Nutrition (DDHN). Additionally, she is also a diploma holder in Advanced Cosmetology.

She assists people in managing their clinical conditions with an integrative approach comprising a healthy diet and exercise. Some of the conditions she has successfully managed for her clients include diabetes, PCOD, thyroid, blood pressure, pregnancy, post pregnancy and weight loss. She is an ardent yoga and Vipassana practitioner and a mental health advocate. You can also check her website https://www.gayatridave.in for more details.

Social Service
Since the past few years, she is also part of an NGO ‘We Can We Will Foundation’ which provides free food and education to the less fortunate. Being a nutritionist, Gayatri personally cooks basic and balanced nutritious meals for around 150 children every fortnight and volunteers at food drives as she believes ‘Food is symbolic of love when words are not adequate’. She also teaches them mindfulness, life skills and English grammar.
She recently organized Sports Day, a first for these kids, in association with Salaam Balak Trust where the winners were handed out trophies and everyone was handed out nutritious meals at the end of the event.
Initially, she believed giving should be discreet until she realized that sharing her endeavors with the NGO on social media can inspire and encourage others. While she doesn’t consider her actions grand, she believes in doing what she can within her means. The experiences of her past have fueled her commitment to social causes.