Wellness Retreat with Dr Pal
Somewhere between gluten-free diets, 18-step skincare routines, and green juice that kills our tastebuds, wellness gets lost. But on Thursday, the city’s Museum Theatre saw the gathering of a hundred-odd women and a couple of men who laughed non-stop throughout a 90-minute health and wellness session that managed to be educational as well.
Hosted by FICCI FLO Chennai under its 2025 theme SPARKLE (Strength, Passion, Ambition, Resilience, Knowledge, Leadership and Excellence), the event titled ‘Gut Feeling’ was part of a larger health and empowerment initiative led by the 32nd chairperson, Niyati A Mehta. “We empower women through a number of initiatives involving skill-based training, digital literacy and leadership,” said Niyati. “But all of that is meaningless if we don’t concentrate on our health.”
And so, taking centre stage with the mic and a whole lot of humour was Dr Palaniappan Manickam, better known as Dr Pal on social media for his hilarious health explainers. He kept the room engaged with science, satire, and sensible solutions with the only motto of making health simple, not scary.
From addressing bloating and gut microbes to adjusting sleep schedule and physical movement for wellness, Dr Pal laid out a minimalist formula: The 7s. “Eat between 7 am and 7 pm, sleep for 7 hours, and practice meditation for 7 minutes,” he instructed. He also added that consuming only 150 grams of carbs per day and drinking two liters of water is key to a healthy diet.
The doctor’s signature blend of practicality stuck with the audience. Anuradha Mahender, who was in the audience, said, “Dr Pal tells us many facts and ideas about how do we follow life in a very practical manner. There is nothing complex. It’s the basic that every person can follow. He is not advocating any expensive diets. So, I think, if a person can do this, it’ll pave the way for a healthier lifestyle.”
For Niyati and FICCI’s 1,352 members, events like these are part of a focused vertical called ‘Flo Kavach’, their wellness and legal awareness division. “We do a lot of learning activities…like basket making, flower making, and embroidery training, whereby, they can earn their own livelihood,” she said. “SPARKLE is not just our theme but our way of living.”
Summing up the need for such sessions, Dr Pal said, “No jargon, no judgement, just real, doable changes…when someone hears a room laugh about the same health issue they’ve been hiding, something shifts. That’s when learning turns into action.”
Apart from Dr Pal’s session, the event also saw the launch of ‘Privilege Card’, a card that FICCI Flo members can utilise at 100+ companies and brands for discounted services and two business presentation under their initiative, ‘Business League’ where business owners are given a platform to market their brand under three minutes.