Q: I am 27 years old and weigh 71 kg. My height is 5 feet and 10 inches. I have a very lean and muscular body. Can I build muscles following a body-building Indian diet plan?

A:Body-building involves a lifestyle. Regular, intense and goal-oriented training sessions combined with a good approach to eating, will promote the development of a muscular physique you desire. What you require is discipline, patience, persistence and consistency. First of all, you should eat smaller meals, 5-6 times per day, 2½ -3 hours apart. This will keep your metabolism going and keep your muscles fed with nutrients required for growth. These meals will consist of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Generally speaking, each meal should contain between 25-50 g of protein. Considering your statistics if you are trying to promote lean muscle mass, you should ingest 1 g of protein per pound of body weight. If you are training hard, you need protein. Sources for protein include lean meats, fish, egg whites, low fat paneer, dahi and whey protein. Avoid fatty meats and try to grill or use a tandoor for your meats and do not fry them in oil or ghee. Remember to include a protein at each meal. Your carbohydrates should include chapatti, rice, bread, potatoes, other cereals, grains, pasta; and include most fruits and vegetables, most vegetables and leafy greens. You require complex carbohydrates from whole grain cereals (chapatti, whole wheat bread, jowar roti, bajra chapatti, etc.) and complex carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables. Minimise rice, sugar and other simple carbohydrates. Fats are also a necessity, but should come from the following sources: rice bran oil, flax seed oil, nuts (almonds are best) and fish oil. The diet is very simple. For every meal, choose a portion from the protein group, the complex carbohydrate group and the veggie carbohydrate group. A good rule of thumb is that a serving size for your protein and carbohydrates should be about the size of your fist. Have a serving of fats at 2-3 meals per day and only have simple carbohydrates like fruits, first thing in the morning at breakfast, and immediately following your workout. It's critical to have a post workout shake with whey protein and a simple carbohydrate like a banana. Bring it to the gym with you and have it within 15 minutes post workout.