Hello ladies, I hope you are all well. Today I would like to discuss with you the diet plan of the female fighters in India. As we all know, the amazing ‘Phogat sisters’ made India proud with their atypical interest in ‘wrestling’, a predominantly male sport. The famous saying, “Behind every independent and successful woman is a father who blindly trusts his children and not society” correctly describes the dedication and unwavering faith of an enthusiastic father for his children.
Now let’s discuss the detailed diet plan with health benefits:
Diet plan in detail
First thing in the morning there is a glass of water on an empty stomach followed by some stretching and warm-up exercises. Drinking water in the morning helps cleanse your gut, detoxify your body, and helps boost immunity. Increases appetite and increases BMR (basal metabolic rate) by 24%, helping to lose weight and tone muscles.
Breakfast:
Sprout Salad – Sprout salad can be easily made with a variety of sprouts available such as chickpea sprouts, moong beans, kidney beans, peas, etc. Sprouts are wonderful naturally nutritious foods, a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin K, biotin, iron, and zinc.
Including sprouts in your diet has a number of health benefits, such as rejuvenating your skin, improving collagen production, aiding in the detoxification process, and preventing premature aging. So, go ahead and enjoy combining several sprout recipes to reap their benefits.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides your body with all the necessary nutrients vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Fresh vegetables are naturally low in calories and rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, folate, and potassium.
Intake of foods rich in potassium like soybeans, spinach, lentils, and beans, etc., helps maintain normal blood pressure. The dietary fiber in most vegetables lowers blood cholesterol levels and helps form fiber that aids digestion. Foods rich in folic acid like broccoli, avocado, lentils, etc. stimulate the formation of red blood cells. Citrus fruits rich in vitamin C have wound healing properties.
Milk, Soy: Cow’s milk is considered the best diet for stronger bones and teeth, as it offers a rich source of calcium and vitamin D. It also has supplements such as potassium, which helps in vasodilation and therefore lowers blood pressure. The most important dietary change a healthy person should make is to reduce sodium intake and optimize potassium intake. The optimal amount of 4069 mg of potassium per day reduces the risk of heart disease by about 50%. Cow’s milk is also designed to build muscle.
Whole-grain soy foods are an excellent source of fiber, calcium, vitamin B complex, and omega-3 fatty acids. It is the only complete non-animal protein, as it is a plant-based source of eight of the essential amino acids. These foods provide us with high-quality protein and are very low in saturated fat, which makes them a healthy and complete meal in itself. Whole soybeans are best as they contain isoflavonoids, and a diet rich in isoflavone phytochemicals forms the basis for a balanced diet.
Nuts: Grapes are high-energy food supplements for wrestlers. They are well known for gaining weight in a healthy way. They are an ideal food for maintaining an athletic body, as they provide fighters with powerful energy boosts. The high content of iron and copper in raisins helps in the formation of red blood cells.
Almonds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and contain fiber filling that keeps you full longer. They are best consumed as snacks between meals to keep hunger pangs at bay. These beloved nuts contain unique and protective phytosterol antioxidants and a plant protein as well. When consumed together with raisins they complement each other.
Cheat days: Sometimes wrestlers like to have their breakfast of choice, such as aaloo paratha with curd or other healthy variations. These cheat days are allowed to satisfy their cravings and follow the diet plan with the utmost discipline.
So this was all about breakfast and snacks. Now let’s look at meals in detail.
Main Dish Regular Meals: Wrestlers are encouraged to eat regular meals that constitute the “daal”, the nutritious and appetizing lentil preparation. These are included in legume foods, which are very rich in protein. It is advisable to include a combination of all dals in your diet without which a typical Indian meal is incomplete. White rice has a rich mineral content and can be consumed in moderate portions along with daal.
Various green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, turnip, etc. they are cooked using simple methods to preserve their nutritional value, food color and flavor. It is preferred that some vegetables are eaten raw and mixed to form various salad dressings.
Chicken is included in the diet of fighters for its high protein content. Protein is made up of amino acids that are the building blocks of our muscles. 1 gram per kg of body weight is the recommended daily amount of protein. The best part about eating chicken regularly is that it provides wrestlers with a high protein content to make their body more muscular and firm, as well as keeping their body weight in check.
Indian Whole Wheat Bread or Roti is eaten for dinner alongside veggies, dal, chicken, and salads to keep you fuller for longer and feel active and light at the same time.
Mid-time afternoon snacks: A full glass of milk and fruits in season are good enough to keep hunger at bay. Almonds and raisins should be taken to give energy shots when needed.
Pre-workout diet: Milk and seasonal fruits provide fighters with the energy they need for rigorous training sessions.
Post-workout diet: What is needed to replenish depleted muscle glycogen during training is a meal of soy protein, fruits, and plenty of water post-workout. Fruits and water hydrate dehydrated body tissues.
Last but not least, a full glass of milk before bed relaxes tired muscles and makes you fall asleep like a baby. Milk contains tryptophan (an amino acid that helps induce sleep) and melatonin (a hormone that regulates the sleep cycle).
A wrestler’s diet is versatile and balanced, devoid of high calories and junk food. Fresh and seasonal food is very important. Wrestlers are advised to avoid overly acidic and spicy foods such as pickles, chutneys, and chatter, as they are believed to cause lethargy and sensual arousal.
Hats off to the Dangal sisters for their taboo crushing move to become successful fighters and insatiable thirst to achieve their goal. More power to you women, go ahead and catch your dreams.
