For most of her early 20s, Krish Waje never gave much thought to her weight or skin. She had always been naturally slim and had grown used to being complimented on her clear complexion.
That began to change when life became busier and more demanding. While juggling a full‑time corporate tech role in Sydney, launching her own business and moving in with her partner, her eating habits began to slip.
‘There were free lunches, snacks everywhere and alcohol in the fridge,’ the now 27-year-old tells the Daily Mail.
‘You socialise in the kitchen, so you end up grazing all day without really noticing.’
At home, portion sizes grew and meals became more frequent.
‘You naturally start eating more when you’re living with someone,’ she says.
‘I think that combination really affected my weight.’
The change crept up on her gradually. She had always weighed around 49kg, so when the scales began edging closer to 60kg, it came as a shock.
Krish didn’t experience any skin issues in her teens, but in her mid-20s, she began to experience painful acne flare-ups
After moving in with her partner, Krish’s eating habits changed and her weight went from 49kg (7st 10lb, 108lbs) to 60kg (9st 6lb, 132lb)
‘It felt like it happened without me even realising,’ she says. ‘Then one day my clothes just felt tight and I knew I needed to do something.’
At the same time, painful acne flare-ups began appearing across her face.
She had never dealt with skin issues before and found the experience unsettling.
‘I wouldn’t leave the house without makeup,’ she admits. ‘When you’re not used to seeing your skin change like that, it really affects your confidence.’
Balancing corporate work, a growing business and an active social life meant her health had slipped down the priority list. Looking back, she says she simply had not been paying attention to the signals her body was sending.
In early 2023, Krish decided to try something different. After reading about the growing focus on gut health, she began experimenting with a simple daily habit.
Each morning, before coffee or food, she started drinking a homemade ginger shot made with fresh ginger, lemon and greens.
‘It tastes very strong, sometimes spicy and tangy,’ she says. ‘It honestly feels like a slap in the face first thing in the morning. But it definitely wakes you up.’
After adding ginger shots into her morning routine, Krish’s skin cleared up completely
Krish says the ginger shots helped her to start her day on the right foot and continue her healthy habits throughout the day. Over time, she lost 6kg, with her weight stabilising at 54kg (8st 7lb, 119lb)
At first, the ritual was less about physical results and more about intention.
‘It felt like the first time I was consciously putting something nutritious into my body instead of junk food,’ she says.
Krish spent months experimenting with different ingredient combinations until she found a version she could realistically stick to. Some mixtures were too intense, others simply did not fit into her routine. Eventually, she created a recipe that felt manageable.
These days she prepares a batch once a week, storing it in the fridge so the habit remains quick and practical.
‘If something takes too long in the mornings, I won’t do it,’ she says. ‘Batching it makes it easy to stay consistent.’
Within a few months of starting the routine, she began noticing subtle changes in her appetite.
She no longer felt the urge to snack early in the day and found she could comfortably wait until early afternoon before eating her first meal.
‘I wasn’t thinking about food constantly,’ she says. ‘Having the shot seemed to take the edge off my hunger.’
Over time, the change in her eating patterns translated into gradual weight loss.
She says she was able to shed the stubborn 6kg she had gained without following a strict diet or intense fitness regimen.
‘It wasn’t about doing anything extreme,’ she explains. ‘I just felt more in control of my habits.’
As her routine became more structured, she also noticed changes in her skin. The inflammation that had once felt overwhelming began to settle and she felt increasingly comfortable in her own skin without makeup.
‘It didn’t happen overnight,’ she says. ‘But the breakouts started calming down and I felt more like myself again.’
Her partner was among the first to comment on the improvement.
‘He could see my skin was getting clearer,’ she says. ‘That gave me reassurance that I was heading in the right direction.’
Krish is careful not to attribute the changes to any single factor, but she believes the daily ritual helped create a positive ripple effect across other aspects of her lifestyle.
‘Starting the day intentionally changed my mindset,’ she says.
From 2023 onwards, the ginger shot became part of her everyday routine. She would have one most mornings, missing only the occasional day.
Around the same time, she also began learning more about the concept of a ‘caffeine window’, a wellness trend suggesting coffee may be better consumed some time after waking rather than immediately.
‘I always felt like I couldn’t function without coffee first thing,’ she says.
‘Now I have my ginger shot first and wait an hour or two before caffeine. It’s helped me be more intentional about how I start the day.’
For her, the habit became symbolic of taking responsibility for her wellbeing in a realistic and sustainable way.
‘It was something small I could control,’ she says.
Krish maintained her ginger shot routine consistently until late 2025, when she stopped during the Christmas period while travelling.
The difference, she says, was noticeable. She felt more sluggish and found herself slipping back into old snacking habits. By the time she returned home, she had regained around 6kg.
‘That really showed me how powerful this routine can be,’ she says.
After restarting the habit in early 2026, she says the weight has begun to come down again and she feels more focused on her health.
‘It reminds me to take care of myself,’ she says. ‘And that’s why I want to keep doing it.’
Public interest in gut health has grown rapidly in recent years, driven by emerging research into the role of the microbiome in digestion, immune function and metabolic regulation.
While ingredients such as ginger have been studied for their potential digestive benefits, experts consistently emphasise that overall lifestyle patterns play the biggest role in long-term health outcomes. Diet quality, sleep, stress management and physical activity all contribute to how the body processes food and regulates appetite.
For many people, simple daily rituals can act as behavioural cues that encourage more mindful eating and reduce reliance on highly processed snacks.
Today, Krish’s daily routine looks very different to the fast-paced corporate lifestyle she once led. She and her fiancé have relocated to acreage in the Blue Mountains, where they are working towards a more self-sufficient way of living and growing much of their own fresh produce.
The change has allowed her to build her sustainability-focused candle business, Lunaire, while also paying closer attention to her wellbeing. She says the quieter environment has helped her create more structure around habits that once felt difficult to maintain.
‘There’s less temptation for takeaway or convenience food out here,’ she says.
‘We cook most of our meals at home and spend more time outdoors. It’s a completely different pace of life.’
Morning walks, gentle exercise and tending to their growing garden now sit alongside her ginger shot ritual as part of a routine she feels genuinely supports her health.
For Krish, the move has reinforced how closely lifestyle, environment and daily habits are linked.
‘It’s not just about one thing,’ she says. ‘But having that simple ritual each morning reminds me to slow down and take care of myself.’
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