Combination of exercise & nutrition is must for cricketers says Sports nutritionist

Kinita Kadakia Patel, an award-winning sports nutritionist has recently pusblished an interesting book "The Athlete in You", shared his views on need of good fitness in sports. The book is a treat for any youngster who is planning to make a career in sports. The book not only delves about the importance of diet but also shows how important it is to be involved in a sport to achieve your fitness goals.

CRICKETNMORE jounalist Prince Mukherjee interview Kinita to understand more about healthy nutirition and fitness.

What inspired you to write "The Athlete in You”?

A fitness enthusiast myself, I have always tried to challenge myself with different workouts and complement the same with a complete nutrition plan. I realized while studying and with a decade-full of working experience, if one wants to workout, ‘diets’ don’t work. They leave you hungry, irritable and lethargic. I believe in staying fit and healthy by achieving sustainable results through a combination of exercise with nutrition.

That’s when I realized it’s time to introduce people to the concept of practising sports nutrition and eating clean and healthy.

Cricket Legends like Sunil Gavaskar and Jonty Rhodes appreciated your book. How do you feel to receive complement from such sports celebrities?

I am ecstatic with the love & support they have shown. Words from legends like them are not only inspiring and encouraging but also extremely overwhelming.

Who according to you is the most fit cricketer?

While Virat is most talked about and there is no doubt about his fitness levels, the young guns in Cricket are also doing great for themselves as well. From Pandya brothers to Unmukt, Unadkat and many more are following the fitness & nutrition route very seriously.

Any special health tip for Youngsters who are planning to make a career in cricket?

When you start early, you have to remember not to let growth get compromised alongside. It’s very crucial to have nutrition, sports and growth working parallel to eachother inorder to attain optimal performance. So eat right to play great even if you are just eight!

Smaller cities and rural areas in India have very good talent but unfortunately less facilities when it comes to health. How can they stay healthy at minimum cost and facilities?

Eating healthy is not expensive, the key is educating time. If we manage to provide a little understanding on what are the basics of nutrition and based on their geographical presence give them exaples of complete foods, we can overcome this issue at grassroot levels. Fo example, kuttu [buckwheat] is an excellent grain. Local grain found in the south of India. High is fibre and good proteins. When combined with a lentil [like a sambhar] it makes this a perfect meal.

Indian team performance was very ordinary in recently concluded RIO Olympics. PM has suggested to make a task force for better preparation in next Olympics. Don't you think special attention should be given to health and fitness of athletes?

Absolutely! We all know this, but the fact is there is no authority to execute it. It’s unfortunate but it’s the reality. As a professional in this field, it hurts the most to know we can help but don’t know how to.

Did any government body has ever contacted you for initiatives with health and fitness improvement in sports?

Yes! We are currently in talks to formulate some interesting Summits and Expos, just gathering all the like-minded people first.

One thing you would like to change in Indian Athletes from fitness perspective?

Nothing. They are perfect. They just need to be provided with the right platform and support staff to perform at their ultimate best.

Kinita Kadakia Patel is the founder of Meal Pyramid & author of The Athlete In You. Kinita is an MSc in Dietetics with research in sports nutrition and works with some of the leading sports teams, athletes, organizations and schools.

Prince Mukherjee