At 31, a decade after she won the Femina Miss India
Universe, Neha Dhupia looks as fit, toned and as refreshing as she did then. So
what is the secret to her disciplined lifestyle? The former Miss India talks
about how she was cornered into ‘looking perfect’ and turned it into her
advantage by staying curvy, but fit.
Game plan
I do Pilates twice or thrice a week to strengthen my core.
On weekends, I do Bikram Yoga which superbly detoxifies the system. It is one
of the most challenging things you can do with your body — pulling off 26
extreme postures in extreme temperatures. But the most important thing I do is
a freestyle workout six times a week. Fighting all odds, I make it here and
train rigorously for about 100 minutes.
Action fixation
I kick-start with a warm-up and target two body parts per
day — shoulder and leg, chest and back, triceps and biceps. Next, I swing into
15-20 minutes of intense cardio and finish off with an abdominal workout. It
can either be slow and relaxed or fast and racy. When I hit the gym after a
shoot, we have little time so we do highintensity sessions. Then I go home and
sleep like crazy. At times, I sleep with my mouth open on my way to the
workout! I swear by my trainer Ahmed, who has been working on my body for three
and a half years. You don’t know what he’s going to put you through next; this
keeps workouts interesting. If I’m outdoors, I carry my iPod, sneakers and head
out for a run or a swim if I can. There’s no excuse for not working out.
Good food
I wake up to a cup of tea. I like to sufficiently hydrate
myself in the morning and eat a fruit like papaya or a glass of ABC juice
(Apple, Beetroot, Carrot) or coconut water before hitting the gym. I also take
the sugar supplement agave. Within 30-40 minutes after the workout, when my
metabolism is really high, I have breakfast — khus khus, whole wheat cereals or
egg whites. I then have a little snack and later a macrobiotic lunch of roti,
sabzi and dal. In the evening, I snack on homemade cookies with tea. Dinner is
soup, pulses, salad and veggies. I am on a macrobiotic diet under Shonali
Sabherwal, which means no dairy and no processed food.
Correcting the flaws
I used to crave snacks around 5 or 6 pm and then have a late
dinner. One lifestyle change I made is to finish dinner by 7 pm, so that don’t
eat an extra meal. Macrobiotic food has been great for my skin, hair and
intrinsically too. It’s not about eating less and looking thin. It’s about
eating right and being fit. People are keen on being healthy now. It’s not just
actors. I don’t remember the last time I went out with a bunch of friends and
all of us ordered French fries.
The green mile
I turned vegetarian at the turn of this year. I read some
crazy articles about how meat stays in your body for six months. Also, animal
fat is the hardest to burn. I usually cheat on Saturday evenings and Sundays
with Chinese food and desert. Sunday breakfast will be pancakes!
Flashback
In school, I was into sports — basketball, swimming or
squash. I never worried about my diet. When I began gearing up for Miss India,
I realised that everybody has a fricking opinion about you and your body! The
only way to shut them up is to be as perfect as you can be. You are left with
no choice. I was cornered into looking and being perfect.
Women on top
Katrina has a really good, balanced body. She looks perfect.
On the other end of the spectrum, Vidya Balan makes it believable. I’m not
saying she’s unfit. With her coming up trumps, she has definitely proved that
skinny isn’t cool. She is proof that a wholesome woman is a gorgeous woman.
Fitness means...
Fitness makes me healthier, smarter, less lazy, more active
and fills me with positive feelings. Being fit is definitely the new sexy.
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