ROOT LEAF FIRE – Wellness On A Plate By Sheeba de Souza Luke Coutinho

Root Leaf Fire rewrites how India eats and arrives with many radical propositions asking a pertinent question: Why India’s wellness industry is overcomplicating food?

​Root Leaf Fire: The Anti-Diet Book That India Didn’t Know It Needed

Co-authored by chef and food stylist Sheeba de Souza and integrated-lifestyle medicine expert Luke Coutinho, the book is not just another cookbook, but a clear and practical approach to everyday eating, blending science-backed health principles with deeply personal, intuitive, flavour-driven everyday cooking

At its core, Root Leaf Fire dismantles the myth that healthy eating must be restrictive or elite. Instead, it reframes food as something far more powerful: nourishment, energy, art and medicine.

““I’ve always believed that healthy food should feel effortless, not overwhelming. Root Leaf Fire is my way of refining the conversation around food and bringing it back to simple, flavour-driven cooking that integrates seamlessly into everyday life. It’s not about perfection, it’s about consistency, pleasure, and making food something you look forward to every day”, says Sheeba.

Built on three simple pillars—Root (foundation), Leaf (daily practice), Fire (the act of cooking)—the book offers a refreshingly grounded approach to health that feels achievable, not aspirational.

Why This Book Matters Now

India is at a crossroads: rising lifestyle diseases on one hand, and a booming wellness industry on the other. Root Leaf Fire cuts through the noise. No fads. No elimination extremes. No complicated systems. Just real food, real routines, real life.

Combining Luke Coutinho’s decades of clinical experience in lifestyle medicine with Sheeba de Souza’s expertise in flavour-forward, visually refined and accessible cooking creates a rare bridge between science and sensory joy. From mindful eating and gut health to the power of sleep, movement and emotional balance, Root Leaf Fire positions food as the entry point to a larger lifestyle transformation.

Early Praise

‘’Root Leaf Fire reminds us that eating well need not be complicated, only clear’’—Twinkle Khanna

”The magic in Sheeba’s food lies in its honesty. She doesn’t try to impress; she simply cooks from a place of love and instinct, and that’s what makes her recipes so beautifully comforting and effortlessly elegant.” –Malaika Arora

”Root Leaf Fire is a book every household needs, as every page has a piece of Sheeba’s heart and is prepared with love” —Shibani Akhtar

Sheeba de Souza –A chef and food stylist known for creating flavour-forward, visually refined food that makes healthy eating feel effortless.
Luke Coutinho – One of India’s most trusted voices in holistic health and lifestyle medicine.