For those of us absolutely obsessed with training, taking a rest day can seem like a curse. We could be done for the week, finished with our recovery drinks and our training plan calls for a rest day the next day. But we don’t want to be stuck inside, we want to stay active. What should we do? The universal solution seems to be: REST But that doesn’t... Continue Reading

You’d think that having a six-pack is the epitome of a strong core. Truth is, having washboard abs isn’t necessarily an indicator of real, brute core strength. We see those “ripped dudes” at the gym or those ravishing fitness models on magazine covers and envy shows up. “ I want a flat stomach, “ I want toned legs, ” “How fast can I get my dream body.” Aesthetics becomes... Continue Reading

How many times have you thought to yourself, “I’ve been eating clean all week, I can definitely reward myself.” It’s funny how food can make us forget everything, how hard we’ve been working, the gazillions of articles about healthy food we’ve read, the tell tale signs about cleaning up our diets or the warning signs on our medical reports. We think one piece isn’t going to do us any harm. But... Continue Reading

In the quest to get richer, food companies go that extra mile to ensure their product is perceived as the best available option. Tricks of the trade. Initially, it was all about flavor and greasiness, but with more and more people becoming health conscious, they had to revamp their approach. There came in a gazillion “health foods”, or so we thought. Products are packaged with pretty words like low-fat, organic,... Continue Reading

Not every transformation story is fat to fit one. In truth, it’s just as hard for a conventionally “skinny” person to gain size as it is for an “overweight” person to lose it. Due to their genetics and inherent body types, ectomorphs may find it harder to put on muscle mass, as compared to mesomorphs and endomorphs. Getting stronger and bigger is a whole lot more than just the quest... Continue Reading

You want to get back into shape. Quickly. What do you do? Join a gym, take on some extreme diet or skim through a magazine to read “The Best Way To Get Rid Of Belly Fat”? After all the clock’s ticking. Once you’re given the age old wisdom, “Cut Carbs At Night”, “Go Gluten Free”, “ Run like an animal” and even “Crunch your way to a 6 pack”. Sure, some... Continue Reading

Anything good in life is either illegal, immoral or fattening. In other words Murphy’s law. Losing weight isn’t even half the battle. The real struggle begins with maintaining it.  You’ve done it, you’ve lost weight. You’ve made the necessary compromises and engaged in months of “eating clean” and “training dirty”. It was hard work, you leveled up so take a minute and pat yourself on your back. You have every right to... Continue Reading

We think cholesterol, we think heart disease and death as a conclusion. Quite obviously anyone would shudder at that very thought. But what if I told you that everything you’ve heard about cholesterol is wrong. That it’s made and required by each and every cell in your body. That your hormones require it to function optimally. And that without it we’d be dead. For decades we blamed cholesterol as... Continue Reading

You’re busting your butt off at the gym, your diets on track, you see results initially and then everything comes to a standstill. There’s no more improvement. So what do you do? You hit an extreme. You either give up or you go all out, diet harder and/or train harder. But, nothing happens. You’ve hit a plateau. Cutting to the chase, nothing stagnates progress more than a regimen. And... Continue Reading

It’s highly addictive, terribly devastating BUT so freaking delicious.  If we could blame one food item for our diminishing health and increasing waistlines, it’s SUGAR. THE PROBLEM WITH SUGAR Our body processes sugar in a very specific way. When we consume sugar, our body has two options on how to deal with it: ·       Burn it for energy.  ·      ... Continue Reading

In the world of bodybuilding, it’s almost a cardinal sin to be vegetarian. You’ll constantly be hit with, “You’re not getting enough protein.” Or “You can’t make gains if you’re vegetarian.” How true are these statements?  While a non-vegetarian diet has its place, being vegetarian has its own benefits. Since time immemorial, vegetarianism has been associated with a healthier and longer life. Not just that, a plant-based diet is solely... Continue Reading

Nothing hinders progress like injuries. They can be emotionally and physically devastating, sending months if not years of hard work, down the drain. Injuries seem to be an unavoidable part of any sort of physical activity. Yes, there are measures you can take to avoid them. But even if they do occur, don’t lose your mind. Rehab, ice packs and the likes are definitely vital to recovery, but... Continue Reading

When it comes to fitness, there are certain “golden rules”, you’ve been told you must not break. Don’t eat carbs at night, crunch your way to a 6 pack, you can’t lift if you’re old, vegetarians can’t build muscle and so on. You get the drift. But I’m not here to repeat the conventional holier than thou traditions here. There is plenty of questionable weight loss and health care advice... Continue Reading

Ever wondered why your body looks a certain way? Well, there’s a simple system used to classify the different body types; called “somatotype”. The Types: Ectomorph Mesomorph Endomorph. Most individuals display a dominant type, while some may even exhibit the characteristics of two groups. Aside from the apparent differences in body type, the differences even boil down to the manner in which... Continue Reading

We all have at some point had a twisted love-hate relationship with the weighing scale. You’ve been training well and eating right. One day you step on it, it shows a lower number and you rejoice – the next day the meter doesn’t stop at your desired weight. You gained a couple of grams – so you get frustrated and question whether what you’ve been doing is actually working. Your... Continue Reading

“Eat like a caveman,” they said. But is it really that simple to track back 10,000 years and mimic the choices of those hunter-gatherers? Do people who adopt the Paleo lifestyle, give up their modern day luxuries and hide in caves? Of course not. Neither do we need to engage in the physically taxing part of hunting for food, nor do we live in caves. Our meats are... Continue Reading

Face it - it’s extremely tough, if not impossible to eat 5-7 timely, “square” meals a day. That’s where supplements come into the picture. Whether as a mid-day snack or as an aid to enhance our training, they offer a convenient way to receive high-quality nutrition in precise, calculable amounts. As you may have noticed it’s extremely simple to meet your daily carbohydrate and fat needs. However, when it comes to... Continue Reading

Myths Addressed: Only Cardio will help you lose weight Muscle weights more than fat Guys train differently from girls Weight training make you bulky Tested diets, guaranteed results East less, lose more Protein supplements affect your kidneys Low weight and high rep training to get toned   Continue Reading

You’ve spent months training for the upcoming marathon(s). Early mornings, long distances, sore calves. You’ve done the training bit. So you definitely want to get the most out of race day. Whether you’re a novice or a pro-marathoner, you want to show up at the starting line fully prepared. Hitting The Wall For the sake of simplicity, we’re going to run with the example of a car. Think... Continue Reading

Whether you’re looking to knock off a few pounds or pack on some mass, you could be a novice to fitness or a “beast” at it, you’ve definitely been hit with “eat more protein”, as the magic pill to get your ideal body. If it were that easy, we’d all be walking around with washboard abs. Nutrition, seemingly easy, is actually a very intricate science. Individuals, whether sedentary or active,... Continue Reading

With a myriad of supplements available in the market, the search for ones to improve athletic performance and aid in recovery continues to run strong. At this point, BCAA’s or Branched Chain Amino Acids, surface as a strong contender in the supplement game. Comprising mainly three essential amino acids, namely Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine in a 2:1:1 ratio, BCAA supplements have been shown to stimulate protein synthesis and also prevent... Continue Reading

Anything that affects our reproductive health, affects your overall health - and our ever so delicate hormones are a big part of the equation. Which is why balancing our misfiring hormones, is the key to achieving a balanced weight, mindset, and body. Menses 101: Our menstrual cycle can be broken down to 2 phases: Day 1-14: Follicular Phase - Menses begin on day 1. The body ramps... Continue Reading

You’re engaged - Congratulations! Now in between the planning, pinning up wedding inspiration, and gushing about your happy day - you’ve probably hopped onto the internet, googled “Wedding diets”, and seen a hundred million articles promising you flawless skin, luscious hair and a paper-thin waistline. Quickly. One of the happiest times of your life becomes plagued with stress, negativity, and guilt - over and above dictating terms... Continue Reading

With the health sphere being dominated with superfoods like chia seeds, quinoa, and kale - it’s easy to believe that healthy eating is expensive. But truth be told the lesser the distance between the field and your plate; the closer you are to your wellbeing. What I really mean is food doesn’t have to be flown halfway across the world to be considered a nutritional powerhouse - there’s plenty of... Continue Reading

It’s the 21st century, saying we’re busy has become the new norm. We constantly feel like we’re being slapped in the face by a never-ending to-do list.  Don’t get me wrong - putting yourself first doesn’t mean you stop caring about others. It just means having the grounded realization that you matter. That when you start respecting your own wellbeing, you begin to command the same of others.... Continue Reading

When we’re exhausted, everything feels hard. We feel heavy. We feel like nothing comes easy. We lose our glow and vibrancy. Life quite literally feels like a drag.  We all have days where our energy just falls flat, and we assume it’s just something we have to live with. That it’s a part and parcel of adulthood. While it is completely normal to feel sleepy sometimes, if it’s happening... Continue Reading

Protein shakes are an easy way to add more protein to your diet, and have been shown to help with muscle growth. Here's what you should pick now. Adding a protein powder to your daily routine is often considered a quick and easy way to up your intake and meet your needs of this essential macronutrient. However, it’s extremely important to be aware of what you’re putting into your body and what... Continue Reading

Need to get cracking on your to-do list? Here's how you can spend your days feeling more energetic  You've spent the last couple of months at home—working, eating, sleeping and repeating that schedule every single day. Now that the country is slowly opening back up again and social obligations might be filling up your calendar, it's likely that you're feeling more fatigued than usual. You've been expending a lot less physical... Continue Reading

A Vogue writer’s love affair with kombucha and kefir has reached new heights. Here, she pens an ode to the process of fermentation that is integral to make her favourite foods. You’ve consumed good bacteria all your life. From dosas, idlis and dhoklas at breakfast, lassi at snack hour to the North Indian kanji in winters—there isn’t much about the fermented food trend that will shock Indians. “We’ve been doing it... Continue Reading

When we think of anxiety, we think of worry, stress, and tension. We think of it as something that just happens to us; something we can’t control. But the truth is that anxiety is, to a certain extent, aggravated by this one thing that we take for granted. That thing is food. The food you put in your body can often be the greatest cause of your anxiety. We often don’t pay it... Continue Reading