Kohli, the Persona
One might have differing opinions about the best Cricket team in the world. But, there’s no doubt about the best player in the world right now- it’s the ICC No.1 ODI player Virat Kohli. He has stunned the international fans with his power packed performances and some best career innings. The captain of the team India is slaying runs in all formats of cricket. Each of his innings are incredible performances. This 30 years old right-handed batsman has by now many records under his name. After MS Dhoni, he has become the fan favourite upon whom the team India remains dependant.
Kohli- His Journey and Dedication
He has transformed himself from a chubby teenager to the best batsman in the world. Along the way, it has not been an easy journey for him. Kohli has faced many challenges in his life because of his not-so-consistent physique. He led the young India U-19 team to the World Cup victory in 2008 and joined the senior national team in the same year. He became the India’s captain in the one-day format of cricket in 2012 and Test Captain in 2014.
Kohli- His secrets to physical fitness
Very recently, he became the fastest batsman to reach the mark of 9,000 runs. With so many achievements under belt, he is popularly known for his physical fitness. He is a fitness icon who gives credit to his diet for his present fit physique.
Before July 2018, the Kohli diet plan wasn’t that complicated. He analysed the things hampering his physique soon after his selection for the national team in 2008. Since then he is well known for his health and fitness. Kohli isn’t a furtive person and has spilled the beans about his diet plan in a recent interview.
Kohli revealed about his breakfast, lunch and dinner. He went on to proclaim the Kohli diet plan which he has been following over the years.
- Breakfast: – An omelette, 3 egg whites, one whole egg, spinach with black pepper and cheese, and some grilled bacon or smoked salmon are enough for Virat Kohli in a single breakfast. An egg has 13 different essential vitamins and minerals with the high-quality protein (riboflavin and selenium) and all of these with just 70 calories. Eggs are rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K with some important minerals like iron, zinc and copper. Nutrients such as Choline, Lutein, Zeaxanthin and antioxidants are also found in bulk in the egg’s yolk. Sometimes Virat likes to eat papaya or dragon fruit and watermelon. Gluten-free bread with some cheese or butter comes after the set breakfast in addition to the 3-4 cups of green tea with lemon.
- Lunch: – Then comes the lunch in which Virat Kohli loves to have grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, green vegetables and spinach. Grilled Chicken is a great source of lean protein and has the best protein to fat ratio i.e. 5:1. It is the source of essential minerals like zinc, phosphorus and calcium. Vitamin B is also found in abundance which helps in the keeping the heart in a good state and healthy. Consumption of mashed potatoes helps in the regulation of blood pressure, improve brain health and promote digestion as potatoes are rich in minerals like potassium and magnesium in addition to vitamins B and C. Even after eating all these healthy meals, Virat Kohli increase the consumption of red meat for a muscular body.
- Dinner: – Virat Kohli revealed that his dinner only consists of boiled or grilled seafood. Protein rich seafood which is also a good source of Vitamins A, B-complex and D ends the day for Virat Kohli in a healthy manner.
Planning Regular Exercise
Apart from these three pre-defined meals, the Kohli diet plan consists of a lot of things which can’t be neglected. He gave up his favourite cheat meal which happens to be the “Butter Chicken”, in order to maintain a good physique. Something posh and unique about his taste is his addiction of mineral water. He only drinks mineral water exported from France. His favourite imported water bottle of Evian comes from France with the price of Rs.500 per litre. Other than these, Virat Kohli is also a gym addict. He spends a good amount of time on the treadmill striding a distance of 80 meters x 12 repetitions at the speed of 16 mph.
Kohli Becomes a Vegan Convert
About 9 months ago, in the unexpected turn of events, a news took the headline of every newspaper when Virat Kohli announced that he has turned into a Vegan. He started following a vegan diet after deciding to stay away from the animal protein and dairy products. In the span of four months, he was so influenced by the effect of the vegan diet that he feels it has influenced and improved his game by a great extent. With his switching from a normal diet to a vegan one, he joined the ‘vegan moment’ with the sports greats like Serena Willems, Lewis Hamilton and Lionel Messi.
A vegan diet is a completely plant-based diet with includes vegetable, beans, grains, nuts etc. Virat Kohli focuses on a protein rich diet and his recent diet includes protein shake, vegetables and soya.
Some of the amazing facts about the Kohli daily diet are:
- Eat Fresh: Virat Kohli loves to eat freshly prepared food at home. Reducing the intake of food for a fit physique isn’t his cup of tea. Virat believes in eating a lot and exercising even more than that. He doesn’t go out for the junk food but is a great fan of the home cooked meals.
- Not a junkie: On many occasions, he has been seen eating wheat crackers over fried potato chips which clearly shows us that he hates the junk food. Staying away from the junk food helps him to decrease the intake of calories, staying fit and keeping his heart healthy.
- Protein Lover: Kohli always designs his diet plan in accordance to his protein intake. He prefers the best quality of protein for his muscles. His vegan diet is also based on his protein intake including his protein shake and soya.
- Hydration: Virat believes in staying hydrated all day.
It is a known by all the international fans that Virat Kohli has a lot of affection towards remaining fit and toned up. He gives the credit for his tight physique to the diet and the gym work. He follows a hard workout routine and spends quality time in the gym. His workout plans includes combination of weights and cardio exercises. For making his legs stronger, He does a lot of squats which can go up to the number of 100. No smoking or drinking habit and 5 days a week gym add much to Virat’s health.
Moreover, Virat’s vegan diet has several health benefits including high Vitamin C levels and fibre in the diet. It has been found in a research that vegan diet lowers the risk of heart related diseases as it is composed of saturated fat instead of cholesterol. Vegan diet is also helping Virat to loosen the wait as it is rich in fibre and helps in easy digestion. The risk of migraine decreases as the main causes chocolate and cheese aren’t allowed in the vegan’s diet. Virat’s vegan diet is rich in antioxidants which helps him in maintaining a smooth skin ad help him look younger.
Conclusion
Virat Kohli is undoubtedly a huge inspiration. He has become an icon not only because of his spellbound performance in cricket but his fit physique is also the reason. He has made it into the most handsome men in Asia list in 2018.
Virat Kohli is playing the best innings of his life while breaking and making several records with his every innings. He has set his health as the top most priority. His diet and his workout routine is followed by many of his fans.
From the time Virat has switched his diet to vegan, his life has changed up to a great extent. With a lot of protein, minerals, vitamins and fibres, vegan diet helped Virat in maintaining a good physique. His wife Anushka Sharma has influenced him to switch his diet to vegetarian. She turned vegan in 2016 and one can say that she has a great role in convincing Virat to become one as well.
At last we can say that Diet plays a significant role in maintaining a good physique and Kohli has turned that good into awesome with some gym and exercising.