Priyanka’s fitness mantra
Priyanka Chopra is an international figure and she is everywhere, doing amazing things and rocking all platforms but the small town girl has made it because of her consistency and passion. Priyanka’s stunning figure and the glowing face involves a good workout and dedicated food plan. Priyanka has been consistent in maintaining her body since her youth the story goes as far as 2000, when she entered the beauty contest till today when she is seen doing amazing stunts in Quantico. Her body measurements as well as height and weight includes: Height: 5’6”, Weight: 117 lbs (53 kg), Bust: 34” Waist: 24” and Hip: 34
Priyanka believes in the power of good diet
Her breakfast involves two eggs or oatmeal+2 glasses of skimmed milk; she drinks coconut water with handful of nuts every two hours. Her lunch includes dal, veggies and salads. Evenings she prefers a turkey sandwich or sprouts. Her dinner is a combination of soup, grilled chicken and fish.
Eggs we know are a very good source of high quality protein. Half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white along with B12 and lower amounts of fats and cholesterol than the yolk. The white part is also rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. Eggs are also regarded as a ‘complete’ source of protein since they contain all nine essential amino acids; the ones we cannot synthesize in our bodies and must obtain from our diet. We need essential acids to repair and rebuilt our muscles and since essential amino-acids cannot be manufactured in the body it has to come through food. The nine most important essential acids are histidine, isoleucine, lecine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Oatmeal for breakfast
One of the healthiest grains as we know, gluten free and important source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They not only helps us to reduce weight but also lowers blood sugar level. They are good source of carbs, fiber and beta-glucan. If you are wondering what are beta glucans, they are actually are polysaccharides composed solely of glucose. They work by activating the immune cells known as Macrophages and they are found in the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae, lichens, and plants, such as oats and barley.
Why skimmed milk : They are a good substitute to whole milk, if you are watching your weight, as it contains trace amounts of fat and is low in calories. Packed with protein, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and minerals, a glass of skimmed milk is a perfect way to boost your health. So then you get the required amount of protein and vitamin D cutting down on the fat gain.
Coconut water: Packed with natural electrolytes and prevents fatigue, it contains 94% water and minimum fat. It is a good source of fiber, vitamin c and important minerals. In a study down in rates it was found that coconut water modifies free radicals so that they could no longer cause harm, the green dwarf/coconut water was efficient in protecting against oxidative damages induced by hydrogen peroxide.(1,2) it was found earlier in a study that free radicals in the body can come through stress which can be balanced by antioxidants produced in the body or taken by external sources (3). Don’t worry it’s not too late to include coconut water in your diet like Chopra.
Benefits of nuts: The good thing in nuts include healthy fats, fibre and omega 3’s with good plant phenols and health promoting compounds. A study done by Sebate in 2009 shows that long-term nut consumption is linked with lower body weight and lower risk of obesity and weight gain.(4) Nuts are now recognized by nutritionists not just as a food item with many different bioactive constituents but also as a food item that can make an important contribution to a healthy dietary pattern. With various studies done on the effect of nuts on the body weight, clinical evidence proofs that there consumption of nuts do not lead to obesity.
Home cooked dal and veggies: The beauty of dal is that it is rich in fiber and protein and then its satiating thus giving you all the nutrients and yet reducing your hunger thus inhibiting the intake of more calories in your diet. There are different varieties of dals available and each one is versatile in its own way. They can be cooked in various ways with minimum oil and different combination of spices to cater to different taste buds. Dals offer slow burning energy due to the presence of complex carbohydrates and a good source of iron, which transports oxygen throughout your body and is key to energy production and metabolism.
Role of salads and veggies in daily diet:
Veggies also referred as backbone of solid diet, packed with macro and micro nutrients coming in various colors and combination of vitamins and minerals are super rich and healthy. Veggies can be smartly added in smoothies, chutney/sauce, omelets or can be had along with chicken or other non-vegetarian stews and soups. It’s not a good idea to ignore veggies just because you think its green and meant for vegetarians only. If you want your body to enjoy the benefits of all the rare minerals and vitamins pick up veggies right now. Veggies can be relished in various ways, steamed or stir fry. Salads are these yummy, scrumptious crunchy and colorful combination of minerals and vitamins, fibers which fulfills the body’s need of nutrients as well as prevents constipation. Salads can be topped with nuts or tofu, paneer, quinoa or grilled chicken and there you have your complete meals with carbohydrate and protein. Another way to enjoy salads is to add herbs, lemon juice or parsley to give them a dash of flavor and antioxidants.
Turkey sandwich:
How healthy your turkey sandwich is solely depends on what you put on your sandwich, the choice of bread if is whole wheat bread then you are adding a sufficient portion of carbohydrate and fiber and we all know that we need enough fiber in our diet to keep our digestive system working properly. Using turkey in your sandwich it’s important to use fresh slices of turkey which is better than the deli turkey which ends up adding more sodium to your diet. Turkey provides a good dash of essential amino acid to our diet. There are lots of options to layer your turkey sandwich like lettuce, carrots, celery, avocado and don’t hesitate to take your imagination to any length when it comes to greens. The very important thing is what condiments you use when you are about to relish the healthy and tasty turkey sandwich and its better if you use fresh mustard or hummus instead of mayonnaise or processed cheese.
Sprouts: why are sprouts always in limelight when it comes to any celeb’s diet, have you thought about it? Sprouting enhances the nutritional value of the grains, legumes or beans. The young sprouts have 10 to 100 times glucoraphanin which is an enzyme that protects the body from cancer causing agents. It increases the nutritive value by locking the important minerals. Sprouts help in boosting your blood circulation by maintaining your red blood cell count with significant amounts of iron and copper which helps in supplying oxygen to various organs and cells to optimize their performance. Sprouts have omega-3 fatty acids which help in boosting good cholesterol (HDL) levels, Omega-3 fatty acids are also anti-inflammatory in nature, so they help in reducing the excessive stress on your cardiovascular system. Well there are lots of reasons why we should switch to eating sprouts but what is more important is how you sprout your favorite seeds and make sure to buy good organic seeds.
Soups: A Penn state study done in 2007 as published in science daily showed that eating low-calorie soup before a meal can help cut back on how much food and calories we at the meals, the results of the study showed that when the subjects ate a first course of soup before lunch they reduced their total calories intake at lunch by twenty percent compared to people who did not take soup but it also depends on what type of soup you choose.(5) The soup should not be laden with too much cream thus adding to too much calorie intake in total. It is always a good idea to choose clear vegetable broth or chicken broth soup for a simple diet.
Grilled chicken : The sound of grilled chicken might not sound very healthy but for all you know the United States Department of Agriculture recommends eating foods from each section of the food pyramid, which consists of grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, oils and the meat and bean group. So to lose weight a person should choose from the best options within the different food groups. Eating grilled chicken breast without the skin is said to be effective for weight loss meal plan. Grilled chicken breast is fairly low in calories, it’s packed with lean protein, which is beneficial when you’re trying to shed pounds.
Fish: An Australian study Australian compared the satiety of different animal proteins found a nutritionally similar white fish (flake) to be significantly more satiating than beef and chicken(6)Also, oily fishes are said to be best for weight loss (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, pilchards and sardines) because research from Japan has found that fish oil can cause fat to melt away. Another study shows that inclusion of fatty fish or fish oil as a part of energy restricted diet in young men showed reduction of weight compared to men who did not have seafood in their diet.(7). Fishes are very versatile when it comes to their contribution in health benefits along with essential oils.
We have broken down Priyanka’s diet to understand how each of the chosen food item in her menu is selected for her by her dietician to give her the best of the best diet. No wonder the diet is chosen well with a reason to suit her lifestyle and her body requirements.
Peek into Chopra’s Fitness routine
Priyanka Chopra’s fitness mantra is a mix of cardio, weight training (gym), happiness quotient, relaxation techniques and Yoga practices. May be Priyanka’s not being so obsessive about fitness makes her stay fit because that’s when consistency comes. She maintains her good toned body because of gym, controlled diet, yoga and discipline lifestyle. For the film of Marry Com and Dil Dhadkne Do, the beauty queen lost about 20 kg to skin of the character. Priyanka’s workout routine comprises:
Gym: running on treadmill for 15 minutes.
After this, she likes to perform push-ups and reverse lunges.
20-25 bench jumps and 20-25 reverse crunches.
60 seconds planks hold and 20-25 biceps curls.
She prefers resistance training.
Not a lover of weight training
She likes running and sprinting as her daily routine
To be stress free and flexibility, the Bollywood diva performs Yoga very religiously.
What has Priyanka to say on her fitness “I have great Indian genes!”, “You know, I’m lazy. I want to take advantage of the fact that I have a great metabolism. When I start getting fat I’ll work on it!”. “I like food, and I don’t like the gym, and as long as I look like this without doing anything, why bother?” but her toned body tells us an entirely different story, looking at her fitness we don’t believe she is careless at all.
Priyanka Chopra’s Yoga practice
The sexy diva is very fond of Yoga, asanas, pranayama and meditation. Yoga is very rooted in the workout routine and fitness regime of the international artist. As per the stunning beauty, Yoga plays a great role in contending stress and making cool, calm and relax. Yoga for fitness poses works your entire body, burn fat, and tone muscle. Yoga gives toned body and increases stamina and flexibility, said the Bollywood heartthrob. Her Yoga session includes Half Lord of the Fishes Pose, Warrior pose, Tree Pose, Pranayama and Meditation. Yoga helps to improve flexibility, works your core muscles, and it allows you to perform cardio-centric exercises in a way which is not as obviously taxing as other forms of cardio training, poses such as Plank and Chaturanga, you can target the abdominal muscles to give you a more toned and trim tummy by engaging the core in standing balance poses. The best thing about yoga is that it’s more of a holistic take on the mind and the body. Most types of yoga might not be as effective as traditional forms of cardio (i.e. running, cycling etc) in terms of calorie-burning. But Yoga gives more mindfulness when it comes to recognizing your potential, your body needs, the relaxation and strengthening the mind also in deciding the right food. A review work done on Yoga research in 2012 by Bussing et al (8) studied the effect of yoga on different physical and psychological affects, with respect to physical fitness and function, the studies reported moderate effect sizes for gait, balance, body flexibility, body strength, and weight loss(9). The analysis done by Bussing et al also says that asanas particularly have a positive effect on fitness and physical flexibility with a secondary effect on the mental state, while the pranayama practices and relaxation/meditation techniques may result in greater awareness, less stress, and higher well-being and quality of life.
Fitness tips from the Diva herself:
She likes to take more and more quantity of water as it keeps her hydrate and also makes her skin glowing and shining.
Perform Yoga; especially breathing yogic exercises i.e. Pranayama to be mentally calm and cool.
Take adequate amount of fluid. ( Definitely, with all the hustle bustle of staying fit we should never forget to stay hydrated)
Don’t kill your cravings; eat your favorite dishes at least once in a week. ( Priyanka Doesn’t shy away from indulging in her favorite food from time to time she is known to be a big foodie, so on weekends she allows herself to indulge in desserts and tandoori food but she avoids fried food at all costs)
One should try to eat home cooked food.
Keep yourself abstain from fried and oily food products.
Eat fresh, healthy and nutrient enriched foods.
References:
- Santos JL,Bispo. Evaluation of chemical constituents and antioxidant activity of coconut water (Cocus nucifera L.) and caffeic acid in cell culture.2013
- Mannak, Khan A. Protective effect of coconut water concentrate and its active component shikimic acid against hydroperoxide mediated oxidative stress through suppression of NF-κB and activation of Nrf2 pathway.2014
- Rahman.k Studies on free radicals, antioxidants, and co-factors.2007
- Joan Sebate, Yen Ang. Nuts and health outcomes: new epidemiologic evidence. 2009
- “Eating Soup Will Help Cut Calories at Meals.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 May 2007.
- Uhe AM. A comparison of the effects of beef, chicken and fish protein on satiety and amino acid profiles in lean male subjects.1992
- Thorsdottir at al. Randomized trial of weight-loss-diets for young adults varying in fish and fish oil content.2007
- Bussing et al. Effects of Yoga on Mental and Physical Health: A Short Summary of Reviews. 2012
- Roland KP, Jakobi JM, Jones GR. Does yoga engender fitness in older adults? A critical review. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity. 2011;19(1):62–79. [PubMed]
Please note that details of Priyanka Chopra’s diet and fitness regimen has been taken from various fitness websites.
