Indian Diet Plan For Bodybuilding (veg and Non-veg)

When we talk about an Indian diet plan for bodybuilding, We mean a diet plan that has all its roots attached to our dear nation. Since time immemorial, India has shown a keen interest in bodybuilding. Even today, bodybuilding and “kushti”( Indian wrestling) seem to be one of the most favorable pastimes in rural India. Here is our small contribution to this field through this Indian diet plan for bodybuilding.

Kushti, Pahelwan, and the Indian Diet:

“Akharen ke pahelwan” or the bodybuilders belonging to a certain school of bodybuilding and wrestling are normally depicted in movies as musclemen with hefty, voluminous physique and a terrific temperament. For instance, Movie “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”. This typical scene, though used to inject elements of comedy into a drama, may actually be thought-provoking. How can Indians with very low intake of animal proteins succeed in building world-class bodies? How can an Indian diet plan for bodybuilding be best utilized to address the dietary needs of our Indian bodybuilders? Can Indian foods provide a high level of nutrition that a bodybuilder needs to fuel his workout and daily activities? These questions have gained greater importance these days as Indian bodybuilders are taking a greater interest in Indian diet plan for bodybuilding and staying committed to their choice of food that they have been traditionally consuming since childhood.

If you have achieved your weight-loss goal and have been pumping iron since quite some time, you may be heading towards your muscle-building goal as well. But wait- we said, “maybe”. Your attempt to create a Big Show may actually become a Big Flop Show if you are not sticking to an appropriate diet plan. Fortunately, Indian foods have adequate nutrients and minerals which provide you with the amount of energy that your muscles need to combat challenging workouts. Here are a few essential tips for every Indian interested in bodybuilding.

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Essential tips for every Indian bodybuilder:

1. Balanced diet:

We often get carried away with western diet thoughts about low carb diets helping in building muscles or consuming a high protein diet for muscle building.  If you are really into bodybuilding and have been lifting some good weights, your body uses energy from the carb, protein as well as from fat stores of your body while performing. Hence the key lies in eating a balanced meal.

Carbs:

Carbohydrates form the basis of an Indian food chart. At least 50 – 55 % of your total calorie intake should come from complex carb foods. Avoiding too much simple carb like sugar and refined foods like Maida is essential. Intake the carb calories through whole grains, broken wheat, red/ brown rice, oats, jau (barely).

Protein:

If you are new to bodybuilding, you need a greater protein intake.  At least 25 – 30 % of your calories should come from protein in food. The actual number would depend upon your activity level as well as your body weight.

If you are a non – vegetarian Indian, you need to include eggs, Paneer (cottage cheese), milk and milk products, fish and skinless chicken and mutton.

If you are a vegetarian Indian – You need to Include a lot of legumes along with milk and paneer. You may like to check the Legume and protein specifications mentioned in our article – Top 15 Indian vegetarian foods for bodybuilding.

Fats:

You may hate it but you cannot ignore it. Whether thin or fat, we all are fat-phobic.  But we cannot ignore the fact that 15- 20 % of our calories should come from fats. It is in our hand to turn this into good. Consume olive oil, or sunflower + rice bran oil or other such MUFA and PUFA combination of oil. Include healthy nuts, Fish oil, and Avocados.

Vitamins:

Our desire to gain muscle mass is so much overtaken by Protein, that we mostly forget about the other micronutrients from food that are equally essential. Vitamin E, Vitamin B, and Vitamin C are some very crucial vitamins that we can not overlook while gaining muscle mass.

• Vitamin E, B, and C  are all antioxidants and very essential to take care of the waste that is generated in the body due to strength training.
•  Almonds, peanut, hazelnuts, Wheat germ (jau), flax seeds, sunflower oil , corn oil , canola oil are all sources of Vitamin E
•  Amla, Lemon, Papaya, oranges, bell pepper, pineapple, cantaloupe, kiwi, tomatoes, asparagus, grapefruit, raspberries, fennel seeds (saunf) provide Vitamin C
• Vitamin B – Legumes, pulses, beans, banana, chili, Milk, etc. You can also pop some B vitamin pills every day before the workout. B vitamins are water-soluble vitamin and the excess is washed off in the urine , hence toxicity is the least expected. While supplementation will enhance your health and fitness.

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Fruits and vegetables

These have ample amounts of vitamins and minerals packed in them, but you may need to re-consider some options or fit them in a plan so as to ensure their optimal intake while controlling excess consumption. This again enforces the focus of this article- eating the right food, in the right quantity, and at the right time.

2. Get Enough Sleep:

In our desire to gain Muscle, we often forget that the tired cells of the body need enough rest for repair purposes. We tend to get over-involved in the exercise routine and day to day work, that we ignore the 8-hour sleep required by every cell of the body desperately. As a result, you will notice a downfall in your stamina and some weak-hearted may even give up. Do not let this happen to you. Basic as it may sound but reward your hard work at the gym and outside by going for that much needed 7 – 8 hours of sleep. Power naps in the afternoon are encouraged too.

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3. Drink a lot of water:

water is essential for life. Water is the most essential part of an Indian diet plan for bodybuilding too. It is essential for Indian muscle builders and anyone who is involved in extreme and meticulous training or workout.  Water is absorbed quickly by the body cells and helps in the cooling down of the body cells after a vigorous workout. Plain water is considered of higher importance and of much value in comparison to most of the sports drinks that are sugar-laden.  Good hydration also affects stamina and increases your muscle’s capacity to work out.

Increased urination is of utmost importance to ensure the elimination of the excess metabolic waste produced in the body during bodybuilding.

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Indian Diet Plan For Bodybuilding

We don’t believe that you should starve or compromise on your taste in your attempt to become a man with a tough body, but we do believe that you should enjoy your diet and your workout at the same time. That’s why we have sketched out this Indian diet plan for bodybuilding that allows you to stick to your family’s eating patterns while allowing you to get the maximum out of your diet. Here is a sample Indian diet plan for muscle building. We have given a proper substitute for every non- veg item mentioned in the diet plan to ensure that our Vegetarian bodybuilders can gain all the required nutrients too.

Sample diet Plan:

In the above mentioned Indian diet plan for bodybuilding, we have tried to plan a simple food chart based on what is generally cooked in our houses.

EndNote

We do not ask you to eat bland food as we do not like it either. An aloo paratha in the morning or a chicken sandwich as an evening snack are incredible options provided you know how to consume them and where to stop. You cannot afford to have butter-laden parathas and you need to necessarily use brown bread in your chicken sandwich. And your juices need to be healthy drinks with little or no refined sugar content. That’s the way it works and you have to balance both the sides to make your plan more sustainable and to stay committed to it.

Do follow this Indian Diet Plan for bodybuilding and let us know how it helps you. Of course, we are open to your questions and doubts regarding this Indian diet chart for muscle building.

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