The Diet Plan of Female Wrestlers
Hello young ladies, hope all are doing great. Today I would like to discuss with you the diet plan of female wrestlers in India. As we all know how 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 their children and not the society” rightly describes the dedication and undying 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 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 bowel, detoxify your body and helps boost immunity. It increases appetite and raises the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) by 24% thereby aiding in weight loss and muscle tone.
Breakfast:
Sprout salad: The sprout salad can be easily prepared by a variety of sprouts available such as gram sprouts, moong bean, kidney beans, split peas etc. Sprouts are naturally nutritious wonder food, a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Biotin, Iron and Zinc.
Including sprouts in your diet has varied health benefits like rejuvenating your skin, enhances collagen production, helps in detoxification process and prevents premature aging. So, go ahead and enjoy the mix and match of various sprout recipes to reap its benefits.
Fresh Fruits, Vegetables: Consuming fruits and vegetable rich diet provides your body with all the necessary nutrients vital for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Fresh vegetables are naturally low in calories and rich in dietary fibre, Vitamin A and C, Folic acid and Potassium.
Intake of food rich in Potassium like Soybeans, spinach, Lentils and Kidney beans etc helps maintain normal blood pressure. Dietary Fibre from Most vegetables reduces blood cholesterol levels and helps in forming the roughage which aids digestion. Folic acid rich food like broccoli, avocado, lentils etc stimulates the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin C rich citrus fruits have wound healing properties.
Milk, Soybeans: 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 like Potassium which helps in vaso-dilation thereby lowering your blood pressure. The most important dietary change a healthy person should opt for is reducing the intake of sodium and optimizing the intake of potassium. The optimal quantity of 4069 mg of Potassium per day reduces the risk of heart diseases by 50% approximately. Cow’s milk is also designed for muscle-building.
Whole Soy foods are an excellent source of fibre, Calcium, Vitamin B Complex and omega 3- fatty acids. It is the only complete non-animal protein as it is a plant source of eight of essential amino acids. These foods provide us with high quality protein and are very low in saturated fat making it a healthy and complete meal in itself. Whole soybeans are the best as they contain isoflavonoids, and a diet rich in isoflavone phytochemicals forms a base for a balanced diet.
Dry Fruits: Raisins are high energy food supplements for wrestlers. They are well-known for gaining weight in a healthy way. They are ideal food for maintaining an athletic body as they provide the wrestlers with powerful boosts of energy. 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 filling fiber which keeps you full for a longer time. They are best consumed as snacks in between meals to keep your hunger pangs at bay. These beloved nuts contain a unique and protective phyto-sterol antioxidants and a plant protein as well. When consumed along with raisins they complement each other.
Cheat days: Sometimes the wrestlers like to have breakfast of their choice like aaloo paratha with curd or other healthy variations. These cheat days are allowed to satisfy their cravings and follow the diet plan with utmost discipline.
So, this was all about the breakfast and snacks. Now let’s discuss the meals in detail.
Main Course Regular meals: Wrestlers are prompted to eat regular meals which constitute of ‘daal’ the nutritious and appetizing lentil preparation. These come under leguminous food, very rich in protein. It is advisable to include a mix of all dals in your diet without which a typical Indian meal is incomplete. White rice has some rich mineral content and can be consumed in moderate portion along with daal.
Various green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, turnip etc are cooked by simple methods to retain their nutritional value, color and flavor of food. Some vegetables are preferred to be eaten in their raw form and mixed together to form various salad preparations.
Chicken is included in diet plan of wrestlers for its high protein content. Protein is made up of amino acids which are the building blocks of our muscles. 1 gram per kg of body weight is the recommended amount of daily protein. The best part of eating chicken regularly is its provides the wrestlers with high protein content for making their body more muscular and firm also keeping their body weight in control.
Indian whole wheat bread or Roti is consumed in dinner along with veggies, dal, chicken and salads for keeping fuller for longer time and still feeling active and light at the same time.
Mid Time Evening Snacks: A glass full of milk and seasonal fruits are good enough to keep your hunger pangs at bay. Almonds and raisins should be taken to give energy shots whenever required.
Pre Workout Diet: Milk and Seasonal fruits provide the wrestlers with the energy required for the rigorous workout sessions.
Post Workout Diet: A post work out meal of soy protein, fruits and lots of water is what required for replenishing the muscle glycogen depleted during workout. Fruits and water hydrates the dehydrated body tissues.
Last but not the least, a glass full of milk before bed time relaxes your tired muscles and makes you fall asleep like a baby. Milk contains Tryptophan (an amino acid which helps induce sleep) and melatonin (a hormone that regulates sleep cycle).
A wrestler’s diet is a versatile and balanced one devoid of high calorie and junk foods. Fresh and seasonal food is of much relevance. Wrestlers are advised to avoid food which is excessively sour and spiced like pickles, chutneys and chat as they are thought to cause lethargy and sensual arousal.
Hats off to the Dangal sisters for their taboo smashing move to become successful wrestlers and the unquenching thirst for achieving their goal. More power to you women, go ahead and catch your dreams.
