How Many Whole Eggs a Day ? | INDIAN MYTH |

These days individuals tend to spread whatever little knowledge they posses about nutrition & blindly mislead the masses.

The articles I write are purely based on SCIENTIFIC research & it's not my personal opinion.

Most of the individuals have misconceptions about consuming eggs.

The first thought that comes to our mind when we talk about EGGS is Cholesterol.

By hearing this word we tend to believe whatever food item is associated with Cholesterol, is bad for our health.

This is NOT true.

To put it in simple terms,

There are 2 types of Cholesterol

1. Dietary Cholesterol - We get this from the food we eat.
2. Blood Cholesterol - It is categorised in 2 types.

• LDL ( Low Density Lipoproteins ) : Bad Cholesterol.
• HDL ( High Density Lipoproteins ) : Good Cholesterol.

EGGS contain HDL which is the Good Cholesterol.

Moreover EGGS have the Highest Bio - Value with respect to Protein.

Coming back to the question, how many eggs a day?

We are going to answer this primarily for 2 types of individuals.

1. A normal human being.
   
2. Any individual who indulges in physical activities such (Yoga, running, exercises, Athletics or Sports).These individuals do not come in the ordinary category as they tend to physically push their bodies far beyond of normal human.

For an Ordinary human being:

In a day 2-3 whole eggs.

DO NOT ignore the YOLK.

For the physically active individuals:

In a day they can go up-to 5 whole Eggs.

These numbers are approximate but may vary according to different individuals.

To know what goes for you, you need to experiment with this to comprehend how well does it cope up with your body.

There are cases when individuals are completely incompatible with whole eggs but we need to consume some form of whole egg in our diet as it helps us get stronger & healthy.

How To Select a GYM - Top 3 Tips

One of the most common mistake people make is when they chose a gym. They tend to emphasise on factors that are not important & ignore the factors which matter the most in the long run. Here I'll be summarising my TOP 3 Tips which will definitely help you decide the right GYM for you.

1) GYM must be near your house :

Select a GYM which is the closest to your home where you can easily walk the distance within 10-15 mins.
The reason is simple as there will be days when you are not as motivated as you once started and by ensuring the GYM being closer to your home can give you that much needed push to not avoid or skip a training day.

2) It should have a Free Squat Rack : 

 

In most of the gyms you see might have alot of fancy looking equipment but what you truly need as a beginner is the standard Free Weight Squat Rack. Your Gym Trainer might show you SMITH machine as a better alternative but trust me, it's NOT. Do not settle for any alternatives if you wish to truly make good progress. 

3) Back To The Basics : 

Please DO NOT be wowed by the fancy looking equipment in the Gym. That is just a gimmick to attract more people.
What we need to do is be smart & emphasise on things that truly matter.
To make good progress in the GYM you need to work on your fundamental strength which will be the foundation for the goal you wish to achieve.
To be more precise, the things you truly need in the gym are,

• Squat Rack
• Barbell
• Heavy dumbbells
• Heavy Plates

YES, THIS IS ALL YOU NEED.

So, DO NOT join a GYM if it's missing any of these tips.

5 Must Have Food Items For Weight gain/Weightloss

The first thing that comes to our mind when we think about weight loss/weight gain is to minimise carbohydrate intake.

This approach definitely works for people who are really obese, but fails to work effectively against majority of individuals.

To be precise, cutting carbs totally is a bad approach for any type of goal. Eating carbs will not make anyone FAT but the wrong ''timing'' will.

I have discussed and explained about carbs & it's types in my previous article, you can check that here.

Now let's see - 5 MUST have food items for Weight gain/ Weight loss

1) OATS : It is one of the best source of healthy carbs and dietary fibres. Start your day with Oat breakfast to stay high on energy.

Some health benefits of OATS are,

• Prevents constipation
• Controls blood sugar levels
• Prevents cardiovascular diseases
• Supports weight loss

2) Lentils (Dals) : They come from the legume family, high in Protein & fibres.

They are cost effective and easy to prepare.

Some health benefits of Lentils are,

• Heart Healthy
• Detoxify some cancer causing compounds in our body.
• Healthy digestion
• Helps in fighting fatigue

3) Chickpeas (Chaney) : Also from the legume family, not only they are high in protein and fibres but also in Vitamins and Minerals.

Some health benefits of Chickpeas are,

• helps to maintain bone health
• helps in maintaining blood pressure.
• heart health
• Cholesterol
• Inflammation

4) Sweet Potato : Very high in nutritional content. It has got over 400% of your daily needs for Vitamin A in one medium spud, as well as loads of fibre and potassium.

Some health benefits of sweet potato are,

• helps prevent constipation
• Fertility
• Inflammation
• Immunity

5) Yogurt : There are alot of myths regarding this food item. This is probably because we have a large variety of yogurt in the market but the one we are discussing about is either home made or low fat Greek yogurt.

Some health benefits of Greek Yogurt are,

• Boosts immunity
• Helps digestion
• Calcium

Carbs Good or Bad ? Know the Truth

Before we discuss about carbs being good or bad, let's take a look at what exactly are carbohydrates ?

Carbs are sugars, starches and fibres found in almost every type of food like fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, etc.

Basically, they are the main source of fuel for our body.

Now the back to the question,

Good or bad ?

Well, the answer is BOTH.

To understand it better we need to emphasise on 2 main factors.

1. The Type of carbohydrate.
2. At what time of the day we consume these carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are categorised into 2 types

1. Good Carbohydrates
2. Bad Carbohydrates

To know if a carbohydrate is good or bad we need to understand the concept of Glycemic Index.

I discussed about Glycemic Index in my previous article, you can check that here.

Higher the Glycemic Value, higher the rate at which your body converts carbs into energy.

These types of carbs are the BAD carbs. They provide instant energy to your body but in case you don't consume that energy effectively then the energy is stored as FAT.

Some examples of BAD carbs are (Higher Glycemic Index),

• White Rice
• Maida
• Potato,  etc.

Some examples of GOOD carbs are (Lower Glycemic Index),

• Brown Rice
• Whole Wheat
• Sweet potato, etc.

Note:

The best time to consume any type of carbs especially the BAD carbs would be during day time and not after 5 P.M.

As we tend to work throughout the day, we are very likely to burn all the Instant energy we gained through BAD carbs or High G.I carbs.

Good Carbs can be consumed any time of the day but in moderation.

Top 3 Worst INDIAN Food

According to WHO's(World Health Organisation) Survey INDIA is the 3rd most Obese country in the world . This is an alarming news.
Being an Indian I am proud to say that the food we make here looks mouth watering and tastes great, but I would like to ask.
Is it really good for our well being and health ?
Some of the food items we make are really healthy but the majority of food we are consuming in today's scenario is completely unhealthy.

Now, we'll take a look at the TOP 3 WORST INDIAN FOOD we are consuming regularly.

1) SWEETS : 

Like I shared earlier in my previous article about SWEETS being your biggest enemy with respect to any type of goal.

Here, I'll explain you WHY exactly are sugar bad for our health.
To understand this reason scientifically firstly, we need to know about Glycemic Index.
To put it in simple terms - it shows the value which determines how fast can sugar be absorbed by our body.

• It is measured on a scale of 1 to 100.
• Higher this number, the faster it is absorbed by our body.

                        

SUGAR has the Glycemic Index of 100.

This implies that, as soon as you consume sugar it is converted into ENERGY.

A Question to all of you.
What do you think happens to the sudden rush of energy from sugar when not used ?

Yes, you guessed it right. 

It is directly stored as FAT in your body.

I understand we INDIAN as accustomed to sugar but we can definitely make a change.

On the contrary, SWEETS have no NUTRITIONAL contents.

2) FRIED FOOD : 

We INDIANS tend to love pakodas too much, we have just every variety of them. From vegetables to fruits. We happen to like fried food to an extent where even some of our SWEETS are fried.

Isn't it ironic?

keeping the psychological thoughts & taste aside.

What does this Fried Food offers us ??
The answers is, NOTHING.

                         

Some disadvantages of having FRIED FOOD,

• Cheap quality OIL
• Bad FATS
• Use of White Flour (Maida)
• Cholesterol issues & many more 

3) Namkeen : 

This is one of the most common food which can be found in almost every household of INDIA. We INDIANS love namkeem and have it with our friends & families on regular basis.

For some, it's their morning breakfast with tea.

In most parts of INDIA, it's more like a tradition to offer snacks to our guests which is again some form of namkeen or sweet.

If we just think about it and question.

what does namkeen has to offer ?

Well, You guessed it right.

NOTHING!

and what's the Icing one the top?

• It's fried multiples times.
• What quality of Oil did they use ?
• How many times that oil was used ?
• What the food made in hygienic condition? 

                          

I understand that INDIAN food is not one of the healthiest but we always have healthier tasty alternatives but we either choose to ignore them or we are unaware of them.

All we lack is the right knowledge about food and nutrition.

When guided in the right direction I am sure we can definitely make INDIA a healthy & fit country.

How To Gain Weight Fast - Top 3 TIPS

To all Ectomorphs and skinny individuals who wish to put on decent weight/mass on their body. Individuals who often complain of not being able to put on mass in-spite of have a good diet, I will tell you exactly what you need to do to achieve that Weight and Mass.

I have summarised the information in my TOP 3 TIPS for everyone to easily relate & understand.

1) HEALTHY FATS : 

Inculcate Healthy FATS in your daily diet.
FAT is as essential to our diet as Protein & Carbohydrates. Some of our bodily functions depend upon the presence of FAT.
However, we need to make sure that we DON'T go overboard with it.
Basically, there are two types of FATS.

1. Bad FATS: (Trans Fats & Saturated Fats) which we totally need to avoid.
2. Good FATS: (Mono Saturated & Poly saturated Fats ) these are the heart healthy FATS we need to consume, but in moderation.

Some Examples of Good Fats include,

• Nuts ( Almonds, Cashews, Peanuts, Pistachios)
• Vegetable Oils ( Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Peanut Oil)
• Peanut Butter & Almond butter
• Avocado.

 

The Best part about consuming Fats is that they make our food a lot more TASTY !

2) Full Fat dairy :

Consume Full Fat Dairy instead of skimmed or low fat dairy.

This is one of the best way to pack on mass. Consuming these products on daily basis helps you add good mass to your body & sustain those gains.

Some benefits of full fat dairy include,

1. lower risk of Diabetes.
2. A healthier heart.
3. A calmer digestive track.
4. lower sugar intake.

Some Examples of Full fat dairy include,

1. Whole Milk
2. Cream
3. Yogurt (Curd)
4. Paneer
5. Cheese

               

& How could anyone not like CHEESE?

3) Egg Yolk :

It is one of the best sources of healthy fats and calories. It is jam packed with extremely essential nutrients your body requires on daily basis. It not only helps with your body mass but also helps in overall body development internally as well as externally.

Some benefits of Egg yolks include,

1. It increases HDL - Good Cholesterol (higher the HDL - lower the chances of heart disease).
2. It contains Lutein & Zeaxanthin antioxidants that have major benefits for Eye Health.
3. Essential amino acids in right ration.
4. High in Protein.

                      

SO EAT THAT YOLK !!

What Is Your Body Type ? Ecto/Endo/Meso ?

I will explain all the body types along with their common attributes, Strengths and Weaknesses.

• Knowing your BODY TYPE is extremely important as it can make a lot of difference in your lifestyle.
• Each body type has different Attributes, Strengths and Weaknesses.
• Knowing your body type can help you emphasise on your Strengths, work on your weaknesses & enhance your potential.

BODY TYPES - Human body structure is primarily categorised in 3 types.

• Ectomorph

• Endomorph

• Mesomorph

1) Ectomorph Body Type :

They are genetically lean and easy to spot. They often have a lower body weight with respect to their height.

To put it in even simpler terms, we all have that one friend you eats a lot but never gets fat. The Individual remains in shape irrespective of how much junk food they eat!
It's because they have a very high metabolism.

Common Ectomorph Attributes include:

• Skinny Appearance
• small joints
• Gets full easily
• Narrow frame("Pencil Frame")
• Difficulty gaining weight
• Difficulty gaining muscle
• Low body fat
• Fast Metabolism
• Small chest & buttocks
• Can literally eat whatever they want!

Ectomorph Training Tips: 

• DO NOT do CARDIO.
• Do compound Exercises.
• Train with heavier weights
• Take longer breaks during the training session as the you are using heavier weights.

Ectomorph Dieting Tips:

• Eat high density food to add on calories(Nuts - almonds, Cashews, peanut butter).
• You tend to get full easily, so eat multiple small calorie dense meals a day.
• Eat at-least 50-60% Carbohydrates.
• It's okay for you to go out of your way and eat a little unhealthy but keep it in moderation.

2) Endomorph Body Type :

This body type is the complete opposite of Ectomorph.
Endomorphs are often larger in appearance with heavier fat accumulation & slight muscle definition.

They have a very hard time to drop that excess weight even after following a number of diets and workout plans.

Common Endomorph Attributes Include:

• Large amount of fat accumulation
• Easily tired
• Insatiable appetite
• Cannot seem to drop weight
• Larger Frame
• Low muscle definition due to adipose tissue.

Endomorph Training Tips:

• Do higher number of repetitions for each set (15+).
• Take shorter breaks during the training session, somewhere between 30-45 seconds.
• Do CARDIO consistently, Usually HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training) on regular basis.
• Do compound exercises, super sets, giant sets frequently to burn more calories.

Endomorph Dieting Tips:

• Portion your meals correctly - 1 fist size is equal to 1.
• Eat a ton of veggies mainly green veggies.
• DO NOT skip meals.
• Eat 30-40% Carbohydrates.
• Drink plenty of water (3-4 litres a day).
• Divide your daily caloric intake into 5-6 meals.
• Consume 20-25% less calories than your maintenance calories. 

3) Mesomorph Body Type : 

Everyone recognises a mesomorph. He is the guy who looks in good shape all the time. He puts on muscle easily with minimal effort and loses weight with ease too.

This is a genetically gifted body type which has the perk of both Ectomorphs and Endomorphs.

This individual has larger frame of an Endomorph and low body fat percentage of an Ectomorph.
You can say this is the body type everybody wants.

Common Mesomorph Attributes : 

• Wide shoulders
• Symmetrically build
• Small waist
• Low body fat percentage
• Comparatively muscular
• Burns fat easily
• Eats in moderation

Mesomorph Training Tips :

• Standard Routine with set range of 10-12 repetition.
• break time between sets must be around 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Just enough cardio to keep the FAT in check.

Mesomorph Dieting Tips :

• Portion your meals correctly - 1 fist size is equal to 1 serving.
• Eat 40-60% Carbohydrates.
• Break your meals into 5-6 smaller meals.
• Eat enough calories to maintain the muscle mass.

Note :

•  It is highly possible that individuals to posses the attributes of two or even three body types, more like hybrids. It is extremely rare to find a pure breed body type, but that is not really important.
• What's more important here is for you to comprehend your body type, Attributes and Strengths to work in that direction.
• Working according to your body type will give you the best results in shortest time.

SO, WHAT BODY TYPE ARE YOU ?

Gym Exercises & workout tips for Beginners!

Here I am going to provide you guys with concrete details of what exactly are you supposed to do in the gym as a Newbie.

Irrespective of your goal which could be to lose weight or put on weight, you can follow this plan & still achieve your goal.
How is it possible ?
On this note I would like to quote " YOUR DIET IS 80% where as, GYM is just 20%". So, emphasise more on your DIET and results will definitely come in. 

DIET here implies for you to have healthy food and meet your day to day nutrient requirements.

Workout PLAN

We will do weight training from day one.
Yes, you read that right.
Initially we will categorise our body parts in 6 groups and work on 1 group each day.
These groups are,

• Chest on Monday.
• Triceps on Tuesday.
• Shoulders on Wednesday.
• Biceps on Thursday.
• Back/Lats on Friday.
• Legs on Saturday.
• Sunday is a rest day.

Click here to view the Workout Plan

For each Group we will do 4 Exercises with 4 sets each & each set repetitions will range from 10-12.
The rest between each set will be 1 minute and rest between exercises will be 2-3 minutes.

Key points: Do's and don'ts in the Gym

• You DO NOT have to RUN on a TREADMILL to lose fat.
  for people who wish to lose weight/fat, 10-20 mins of treadmill on alternate days is plenty.
• DO NOT listen to everyone you see in the gym.
  Stick to the routine you are meant to follow for at-least 8 to 12 weeks for good results.
• Drink 3-4 litres water a day.
• DO NOT drink too much water at once in the gym, instead keep sipping water throughout your session. You can drink up to 750 ml of water during your workout session.
• DO NOT consume so called ENERGY DRINKS during your workout.
• Your workout session MUST NOT exceed the time limit of 60 minutes as a beginner.
  (Even a PRO does not train for over 90 minutes. So avoid spending too much time in the gym.)
• Pre-Workout and Post workout meals are very important. So, make sure you have the right(healthy) food especially during these meals.
• As a beginner, DO NOT have to buy any supplements. Your local gym trainer may try con you in buying supplements from him for better results.
  DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM ON THIS NOTE.

How To Lose Weight Fast - TOP 5 TIPS

1) COUNT YOUR CALORIES : You need to count your total calories for a week and take an average of your daily calorie count.Yes, I totally understand it is a very boring process and is one of the main reasons why people usually discontinue their journey to lose fat.
Do not worry, you don't have to do it all the time.
Coming to the basics,
why should we count out calories everyday for a week?

> Every human requires approximate amount of day to day calories to function properly.
For an average human, this number is around 2,000 Calories.
Which is also called the maintenance calories.
> Maintenance calories: The number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.
This number varies from person to person.
Counting your calories everyday for a week will give you the number of calories you are consuming, where you are maintaining your weight. This will be your maintenance calories.
> So, now that you know your maintenance calories, all you need to do is consume 10% to 30% less calories on daily basis, which is the healthy range to initiate weight loss.

                     

2) AVOID SUGARS: In your journey to lose fat, SUGAR is your biggest enemy. Consuming direct or indirect forms for sugar will halt your progress to lose fat!

                         

3) AVOID BAKED & FRIED FOOD: This is primarily referred to the foods like Pastries, Cakes, puffs or any other fried items.
These types of foods contain high calories and sugars which is something we do not desire when on a weight loss or a fat loss routine.

                            

4) COUNT CALORIES FROM HEALTHY FOOD: Eating clean is not the only thing you need to emphasise on. More importantly not all fruits are suited for fat loss.
Avoid full fat dairy products to reduce the excess fat intake.
Dry fruits are an excellent source of healthy fats but are high on calories.
So, we need to consume them in the right quantity to ensure out diet is on track.
On the contrary like we just discussed - we need to ensure the number of calories we consume on a daily basis is 10% to 30% less than our maintenance calories.

                        
                     
                        

5) Avoid Starchy Vegetables after 5 P.M: Starchy vegetables are full of carbohydrates and we do not require many carbs after that time scale.
Vegetables to avoid - corn, peas, potato, pumpkin, Colocasia(Arbi).
Instead go with green leafy vegetables!

Getting started, Shortcuts, hacks and tricks to Health & Fitness!

         FITNESS is not just an ACTIVITY, It's a LIFESTYLE on it's own.

          Here I have jotted down a few points one must emphasise before starting off with their fitness journey.

1. Irrespective to what you eat in the initial phase a high intensity physical activity is a must for any type of fitness goal you wish to achieve.
   You will have to incorporate "EXERCISE" as an important part of your life.
   There's no compulsion for you to just go to a gym and hit the weights or do cardio, instead there are a lot more activities that you can do in it's place.
   Activities like outdoor sports, Tennis, Swimming or even Yoga.
   The Duration of these activities should be at-least 30 mins to a maximum of 90 mins.
2.  As Indians our primary food source is totally inclined towards Carbohydrates.
   Now having more Carbohydrates is not the issue but ignoring the amount of "PROTEIN required on daily basis is a problem".
   Our main constituents of our food are Rice, Roti, Maida, oats, bread, etc.
   When we closely look at them they are all full of Carbohydrates.
   The only source of PROTEIN we take is from dals and vegetables as a "curry" or say "sabji" which is definitely not enough to meet the daily requirements of an average adult in INDIA.
   So, have more PROTEIN in day to day life!
3. Last but not the least, One of the most important thing you must be focusing on is your SLEEP.
   On an average of 8 hours is a must for youngsters and 7 hours at-least for people who are aged over 40.

 Now that you have read the article, You must have understood that there are "NO shortcuts" to a better health, fitness or lifestyle, there's just pure effort and dedication.

Gym Tips for Beginners

Now that you have decided to hit the gym and make some necessary changes to your life, here are the Top 4 tips I personally feel are important to know as you get started.

1. Stay Dedicated : Changing your lifestyle and experiencing good changes is a time taking process. You cannot expect to make progress over night. It will take decent amount of time but you will see the difference in the long run.
   Do not get demotivated after working out for a month.
   Just remember "ROME" was not built in a day!
   Consistency is the key factor here. Your consistency will help you over come the untimely occasions where you will not be able to follow your nutrition and exercising routine completely.
   But, It's totally OKAY.
   If you are consistent then eventually everything will turnout just fine.
   
   
2. Take Good Guidance in the beginning : One of the gravest mistakes I made when I started my fitness journey was I didn't find good trainers. Try to find good trainers who actually have knowledge about fitness and is fairly experienced over the years.
   (In this case I will personally be assisting any and all of you when needed.)
   
   
   
3. Protein Intake : As you are going to get out of your comfort zone and hit the gym there are a lot of things which will happen in our bodies.
   Keeping it simple,
   when we train in the gym, we are technically breaking and tearing our muscles in the process.
   When we return from the gym taking all that damage and punishment, it's all to ensure that stronger muscles replace the existing once.
   For this to happen we need to make sure that your protein intake is adequate per requirements keeping the height to weight ratio in mind.
   
   
4. Compound movements : It is extremely important that you make use of compound movements such as SQUATS, DEADLIFTS and BENCHPRESS.
   Why should we do them ?
   Doing these exercises ensures that we are working on multiple body parts and muscles at the same time.
   Which in-turn burns more calories and better collective body development.

Introduction, Motivation and Goals!

Hi,
My name is Gaurav kain and I am a fitness enthusiast.
Professionally I am a technical graduate in the field of Information technology but I have always been inclined to my interest and passion towards my health, fitness and lifestyle.
I have been working towards my health, fitness and lifestyle for the past 6 years and counting.

My primary motive to start this blog is to reach out to the masses of "Indian community" who has been unknowingly neglecting the importance of healthy nutrition and lifestyle.

If you do not agree with me on this note, then just consider a short example.
People who lived in previous generations lived a longer and healthier life but today our respected elders hardly at the age of 40 have a number of medical complications.
"What factors do you think are responsible for such complications ?"
The situation currently is so dire that not only our elders but also the youth of today's generation is facing many medical complications.
This is an alarming situation where we all need to re-group and re-think about our approaches towards our lifestyle and health.

My goal here is to ensure that our elders, our generation and the upcoming generations have a better, longer and healthier life.To ensure my goal is achieved, the current "us" need to be the change.
To better understand these changes I am speaking of, I will be sharing a ton of useful information about healthy Indian Nutrition , Food habits, Food products, Supplementation, Exercising routines, Food myths and much more!
You can also post your doubts and queries relating to health and fitness and I will do the best in my abilities to help with your goals.
So,
Join me in this journey and we'll make a better tomorrow together.