There's a lot more to fitness than just pumping weights in the gym and loading up on all the protein you can lay your hands on. Fitness is a long-term process, wherein one follows a balanced and healthy diet and follows a workout regime that is tailor-made to fit the demands of an individual body type or form. Moreover, fitness is something that cannot be achieved overnight, but instead demands persistent and dogged efforts on the part of a person, who is determined to be holistically healthy. Bollywood celebrities lead very hectic lifestyles, but still manage to keep fit, all thanks to their expert team of trainers and nutritionists, who custom-design a diet and exercise regime that fits the stars' personal needs. These trainers and nutritionists are experts in crafting the Bollywood physiques that we have come to admire, emulate and somewhat envy. But there's no doubt that there's massive effort involved.
Celebrity trainer Praveen Nair is one such expert, who is responsible for training the likes of Shraddha Kapoor and Kartik Aaryan. Nair is often spotted on the timelines of many B-town and television celebrities, including Manish Kaul, Rithvik Dhanjani, Meiyang Chang and others. The fitness expert also has a YouTube channel, where he posts deliciously healthy meal ideas and recipes including healthy ingredients like avocado, whole fruits and fresh vegetables. The trainer also constantly shares fitness and diet inspiration, as well as wellness tips on his Instagram page. His tips give equal importance to both training and diet, with perhaps a little more focus on eating healthy.
The trainer spilled the beans on how to develop a 'healthy mindset about eating' on his Instagram page and we thought everyone should know what he had to say. "It is late in the afternoon, about two to three hours after lunch and your stomach starts to rumble. You are in starvation mode and thinking about all the things you can eat -- the donuts in your office break room, cookies in the pantry or the vending machine stocked with candy bars and chips", said the expert in his post. "Temptation is staring you in the face and so you give in. If only deciding what to eat were not such a strenuous thinking process. Create a mindset to grab healthy foods such as an apple rather than that candy bar", he added.
A lot of us struggle with the same problem and we're sure you can relate to this too. Here are some tips shared by Praveen Nair to create a relationship with healthy eating:
Eat Often: Nair says that one should eat every two hours, if they are training. "Do not let your body get to the point where you are ravenous and will eat anything in sight." He advices carrying healthy snacks like fruit, trail mix, etc., to beat temptation.
Eat Fresh: Praveen Nair says that we should all include more whole fruits, veggies and whole grains in our diets. "These foods contain fiber, which will take longer to digest keeping you full longer", he says in his Instagram post, adding that these foods can also help in keeping you alert and active.
Cheat Date: Praveen Nair encourages people to make a date with their cheat meals, rather than depriving themselves of their favourite indulgences. "Letting yourself cheat one day will actually make you want to eat healthier the rest of the week", he says.
Sleep Properly: Establishing a link between unhealthy eating and improper sleep, Nair says, "The lack of sleep or too much sleep can make you feel even more tired causing you to eat more junk food to get energy, increase caffeine intake and decrease physical activity."
Don't Diet: Contrary to popular belief, dieting for weight loss's sake may not leave you feeling very healthy. Time and again, experts and nutritionists have warned against excessively restrictive diets. Nair seemingly agrees with this belief as he says, "Avoid dieting. Tell yourself that you are eating healthy to improve your lifestyle habits."
Well, now that you've heard it straight from the horse's mouth, guess you're going to start on your fitness plan right away!
About Sakshita KhoslaSakshita loves the finer things in life including food, books and coffee, and is motivated by self-indulgence and her love for words. When not writing, she can be found huddled in the corner of a cosy cafe with a good book, caffeine and her own thoughts for company.