Follow these tips from Farrah, an International body builder and trainer who has trained Dwayne Johnson.
As a professional bodybuilder, nutritionist and trainer, Farah is an authoritative name in the sphere of health. Award winning bodybuilders like Kai Greene, Branch Warren, Dexter Jackson swear by his training. The list also includes former WWE star Dwayne Johnson (The Rock). So naturally, he was the ideal person to advise us on how to best to pursue health and nutrition in our everyday lives. Sample this!
On Fitness
Be Gym Smart:
If you’re young and want to get into fitness, there is nothing wrong with it but you have to be careful. The main thing is you do not carry any weight over your head because you are still growing and not yet, at a mature age. It’s okay to do chest workouts, arms and shoulders. Don’t do shoulder press, squats, weights, or anything that puts pressure on your spine.
Forget the idiot box, go play
Dwayne Johnson once told me, ‘People who drive Lamborghinis, Ferrari or Rolls Royce don’t watch commercials of those cars’. So if you want be successful, don’t watch TV! Study or do some activity, it makes your brain better. My 11-year-old is a gymnast and will earn her black belt soon while my 15-year-old is a first degree black belt. She is already a sensei, so she teaches karate and plays volleyball.
Your body is your temple
It does not matter what god, what religion or what higher power you believe in, you are supposed to take care of your body. Start eating right. Once in while, a pizza or French fries is fine. The main thing is moderation. If you have three or four healthy meals and one mess-up, that means you’re 70-90 per cent good, and that 10 per cent is not going to hurt.
Supplements
Don’t use a lot of supplements. If you want protein, eat chicken or fish. Just make sure you choose the right stuff, and it doesn’t contain anything harmful.
Avoid pre-workout stuff
Stay away from energy drinks or pre-workout stuff because it gets you hyper. I own a product company too – I make sure I use a big label saying, ‘If you are not 18, don’t use it’. What if you take too much caffeine? Adults can’t handle it, so how will kids? Moderation is the key. Multi vitamins, minerals, creatine (if you are 15 or 16), are fine. Just don’t overdo it.
On Nutrition
Don’t ignore protein
If you want candy, it’s fine. Just make sure you eat some protein with it (cold cuts, turkey or chicken). I say this because the minute you take protein with any high index carb, (any carb), you’ve dropped the glycemic index to half. So even a piece of broccoli lowers the glycemic index, helps you control your insulin and doesn’t let you get hyper.
Why insulin levels matter
The insulin hormone is the most important hormone in your body especially at a young age. You need to control your insulin by eating the right food. It will give you longevity and you will not have as many problems later. Now we have kids just five or six years of age, with high cholesterol, and this is not acceptable.
The truth about soda
If you see me drinking tea, I’m not using a sweetening agent, I’m using two teaspoons of sugar, which is not going to hurt. But a can of soda has 45 gm of sugar. Have you ever measured how much that is? That’s dangerous. As a human, your body will allow you to take between 40-60 gm (if you are a bigger person) of carbohydrate every two to three hours. If you eat pasta and a can of Pepsi, what
do you think is going to happen?
All that sugar
Sugar makes you jumpy than sleepy, you don’t want to work, or pay attention in class. It’s all because of the food that you are eating. That’s why, if you eat the right food, you are better prepared for school. Little things make the difference.
Healthy food helps you focus
My 10-year-old ended up studying in an advanced grade because a proper diet helped her concentration. She doesn’t breathe any different air than her friends. Controlling the food is important. Unhealthy eating at school will only make you sleep.
Fact: School-agestudents need 19-32 gm of protein daily. From adolescence, the quantity differs. A teenage boy requires 52 gm, while a teenage girl will need 46 gm daily