What's The Secret Behind This Legendary Indian Footballer's Dietary Shift?

The poster boy of Indian football Sunil Chhetri recently opened up about his dietary practices and why he turned into a vegetarian. The former captain of the Indian football team said," I am a vegetarian. I don’t consume meat or milk. But I do have ghee. So, I am a vegetarian and not a vegan. I also have green leafy vegetables and fruits,” citing his interaction with Lallantop Cinema. The shift in the diet of the world's third-highest goal-scorer happened five years ago.

The ex-mainstay of the Indian national football squad has always been known for experimenting with his diet regime. In 2019, Chhetri switched to a vegan diet. The highest goal scorer in the history of Indian Super League's (ISL's) diet currently is not completely free of animal products. However, his diet is not entirely free from animal products as he chooses to include ghee, a clarified butter often used in Indian cuisine. 

“Doctors always share that you should not eat fried or meat when you have an upset stomach and not drink milk when you are not well. They suggest options like khichdi, buttermilk, fruits, and water. This means that the body takes less stress when you have light foods as opposed to eating fried, refined, and sugary foods like gulab jamun. The body needs to put in extra effort to digest these foods. So, when you give (it) lighter foods, it helps enhance recovery," he said.

Does turning vegetarian fasten the recovery pace of an athlete?  

The rise in consumption of veggies, fruits, and legumes, and soy products does fasten the digestion, decreases chances of felling constipated, and induces better gut health. This change in dietary habits will lead to a fall in cholesterol levels, blood pressure, which further enhances your heart's health as it reduces intake saturated fats found in a meat-lover's diet.  A proportionate vegetarian diet can be your answer to managing those extra kilos, a dip in inflammation, and providing essential vitamins, and antioxidants that bolster recovery. 

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