Marcus Stoinis' dietary dedication: Personal Indian chef recommended by KL Rahul, keto diet fuel WC journey
Australia's Marcus Stoinis ensures strict low-carb diet with a personal Indian chef during the ODI World Cup 2023, aiming for peak performance amidst cricketing challenges.
FollowAustralia's meticulous all-rounder, Marcus Stoinis, renowned for his fitness regimen, is maintaining a strict dietary plan during his travels across India for the ODI World Cup 2023. The 34-year-old athlete has taken the extraordinary measure of traveling with a personal chef to ensure adherence to a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet, with baked oats infused with protein as on of his favourites, throughout the tournament, reported by 'cricket.com.au.'
Stoinis has adopted a specific dietary routine that involves meals prepared by his personal chef, Mumbai-born Velton Saldanha, trained in French cuisine. Saldanha accompanies Stoinis during his stay in India and crafts meals using the kitchen facilities at the Australian team's hotels, as detailed in the report.
Notably, Stoinis mentioned that the inspiration for this dietary approach was drawn from several Indian cricketers who follow a similar regimen. He expressed his long-standing emphasis on strict food discipline as an integral part of his preparation for sports, as conveyed in the 'Unplayable Podcast' by cricket.com.au.
"Quite a few of the Indian boys do it, that's where I got the idea. I've always been quite strict with my food and all that stuff in my preparation," the Aussie said.
While the Australian team provides its own chef to oversee food preparations during their travels, Stoinis has taken additional steps to ensure his dietary requirements are meticulously met.Â
"Garlic naan is out. Gluten-free banana bread and shepherd's pie with roasted cauliflower mash are in. A roast butter chicken, the intersection of Saldanha's French training and his Indian heritage, has also been a hit," the report said.
"Stoinis is getting by on baked oats at least for the small carbohydrate portion of his meticulously curated diet," it said. "By the end of the World Cup, Saldanha might be able to sell the 'Stoinis Oats' as a standalone dish."
The initial connection between Stoinis and Saldanha was established during this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) on a recommendation from Stoinis' teammate at Lucknow Supergiants, Indian cricket star KL Rahul. Saldanha, who previously worked in fine-dining establishments in Chicago and New York, founded Mumbai's Chutney Collective during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite experiencing inconsistency in his performance during the tournament, with concerns over hamstring and quad injuries, Stoinis remains determined to maintain control over various aspects of his career, aiming for an enduring cricketing journey. The Australian cricketer's scores in the three matches he has played so far are 5, 20 not out and 21.
"I want to play for as long as I can. I want to take control of as many things as I can through my cricketing career," said Stoinis. "We travel a lot and we're obviously away from our comfort zone. We're in different time zones. we're in different beds, we're in different hotels we're not exactly by the beach in Perth, having a coffee and that sort of stuff."
Stoinis rationalized his investment in personal resources like a chef, batting coach, or sports psychologist as crucial elements in his pursuit of personal and professional growth.
"So I'm more than happy to invest in myself and in my environment. I don't see that stuff, which some people do, as a waste (of money). I'm happy to invest in my own chef or invest my own batting coach or invest my own sports psychologist that's just the way I see things," he added.
