My Story: How Justbe Was Born from a Kitchen Struggle
This isn't just about food. It is the story of how my family’s health crisis led me to start India's first whole-food plant-based restaurant at 50, and why I haven't looked back since.
My story begins with a health scare. My cholesterol was at 300, and doctors insisted on medication. I was a vegetarian, providing my family with what I thought was the purest milk from our own cow, yet we were all facing health issues. This confusion led me to a retreat where I had a life-changing realization about dairy.
During a 21-day retreat, I discovered the power of whole-food plant-based eating. No oil, no sugar, no dairy. My energy soared, and I felt a profound shift. I came home and immediately changed my family's diet. My husband's 23-year-long acidity vanished, and my son, after 15 years of suffering, no longer needed his asthma inhaler.
After seeing the miracles in my own home, my son asked a simple question: "Where can we eat out?" I searched all over India and found no restaurant serving our kind of food. That night, I decided to open one myself. With my husband's support for just three months, I started Justbe, and six years later, we are still here.
People are often surprised when I say we use no milk, no oil, and no ghee, yet we feel better than ever. Giving up dairy and refined products made a huge difference. My cholesterol dropped from 300 to below 200, my rosacea cleared up, and my husband's asthma disappeared. This is the gift of health I want to share with everyone.
Looking back, I see how my childhood prepared me for this path. Growing up as the eldest of four sisters in a Marwari home, hospitality was ingrained in me. I was always the one making chai for guests or serving food. I never imagined that this early training would one day lead me to run my own hospitality business.
The first two months of running my restaurant were incredibly hard; survival instinct was all I had. I was learning everything on the fly, from managing the kitchen to washing dishes, all while running my home. But the joy I get today from serving food that heals, one plate at a time, makes every struggle worthwhile.
On the opening day of my restaurant, four staff members disappeared. My family, my husband, my sister, and my son, stepped in without a second thought. We served, we took orders, we cleared plates. That day, I learned that I will never give up. That has become my mantra.
I took the road less traveled, but I was determined to make it accessible for everyone. I wanted a 10-year-old to crave my food and an 80-year-old to find something they could enjoy. A healthy lifestyle isn't just for the affluent; it's for all of us.
During a consultation, a cancer patient was more worried about her hair loss than her illness. It made me question our attachment to external appearances. To understand this better, I shaved my head. It was a liberating experience that gave me wings to fly, reinforcing my belief in living for myself, not for the world.
This book, "100 Self-Portraits, 100 Dreams," features my story as a mother. Being a mom to my two boys, Vardhan and Dev, taught me unconditional love and the strength to fight for them. It made me a warrior, just like my own mother. My children gave me the love and the pain that helped me grow.
About My Story: From Homemaker to Healer
I remember the night I decided to open a restaurant. My son, after suffering from asthma for years, finally felt 'free' after switching to a whole-food plant-based diet. When he asked, 'Where can we eat out?' and I couldn't find a single place in India that didn't use oil or dairy, I knew I had to build it myself. It was a terrifying leap of faith, but looking at how many lives we have touched since, it was the only choice.
My journey didn't start with a business plan. It started with a health scare. My cholesterol hit 300, and my family was struggling with chronic issues. My husband had acidity for 23 years, and my son lived on nebulizers for his asthma. We were vegetarians, yet we were facing these health challenges, which felt like nainsaafi (injustice) to our bodies.
Everything changed during a 21-day retreat where I discovered the power of whole-food plant-based living. Giving up dairy, oil, and refined sugar wasn't just a diet change; it was a revelation. Within weeks, my husband's acidity vanished, and my son stopped needing his inhaler. That shift in energy was undeniable.
When I decided to open Justbe in Bengaluru, chefs told me no one would come to eat food without oil or dairy. But I persisted because I knew there were others looking for the same healing. Starting at 50, with no background in the hospitality industry, the early days were brutal. There were days my staff didn't show up, and my family stepped in to serve and clean. But that struggle became our training.
Today, Justbe is more than a restaurant; it is an extension of my home. Whether I am teaching a cooking masterclass or hosting a sound healing session, my goal remains the same: to show that a healthy lifestyle is not for the affluent, it is for everyone. It is about compassionate, conscious living, one meal at a time. I believe that if you love your body, you don't cheat it. And as the saying goes, 'Jaisa khao ann, vaisa pao mann' (As you eat, so becomes your mind).
JustBe
I am Nidhi, and I believe food is the most powerful medicine you have. When I turned my kitchen into a pharmacy, my family’s health transformed—and Justbe was born from that very necessity. Let’s talk about how you can start your own healing journey.
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