1. Tone your body without hazards - You can tone up your body by controlling your weight and appearance without rigorous workouts or daily visits to the gym rather only by a well balanced diet. For toning your body as well as to get an attractive shape and appearance, you should follow a proper diet & some sort of home based workout or simple exercises. Here are some suggestions for all, particularly for the young.
  2. Basic Advice fruits & vegetables - I advice that in every meal you add plenty of vegetables, at least 2 servings of 300 gm fruits like 2 pcs of banana/day, 1 apple, berries, 1 +1 citrus fruit etc. Divide this two times a day around 11 am and 3 pm every day or best suitable times. Don't take too much at a time but reasonable portions. You should eat 50 gm dry fruits like peanuts, almonds, pecans or simple nuts etc.
  3. Deep & regular sleep - Please ensure that you get 8 hours of deep or tight sleep. It is also important to follow early to go bed & early to rise concept, even when you are too busy in your multinational company's computer work or studies. Avoid stress & depression which are enemies of sleep. Do not practice to have any medicine to get sleep as most of the medicines are recommended for patients for depression or other disorders.
  4. Water consumption - Drink 3-4 litres of fresh drinking water as per season everyday except if you are a patient who is on a fluid or water intake limitation. Drink water 3-5 mins later after each meal to avoid gas/indigestion except urgent need or if you are thirsty during meals.
  5. Carbs, protein & fat - You need 60-70% Carbohydrate - rice/roti/cereals etc. It can be a little more as per weight. Also you need proteins, mainly animal proteins like fish (5 days) &  chicken (2 days in a week - 75 gm each) & egg 1 pc daily either at breakfast or at dinner. Visible fat like cooking oils must be PUFA based like Sunflower/Olive oil. Mustard oil can also be used to a certain limit. 
  6. Best Breakfast - Eat 2 pcs of solid brown breads/Roti or Phulka + mix veg or rice flakes with sour tasted curd + 1 sweet + Banana or 2 pcs of Idly /1 pc plain Dosa. In breakfast, what you eat should be healthy. You can add 1 egg, 200 ml double-toned/skim milk. Consume milk only before or after 15 mins of breakfast.
  7. Mid day snacks - You should add one citrus & one another type fruit. Good quality plain veg (3 days) & non veg (3 days) soup, as an appetizer, at around 11 am. Soup or stew can also be taken in the evening time around 8 pm if possible as per convenience.
  8. Non veg Lunch - Remember you should always consume a balanced combination of carbohydrate + protein + fat like khichdi, good quality rice/4-6 pcs Chapati homemade OR homemade pulao/basmati rice with 1-2  types of green vegetables + pulses 25 gm + fish/chicken/mutton 75-100 gm per day (anyone).
  9. Veg Lunch If you are a vegetarian then go for soya/soya products, enough green veggies or paneer, cheese, chana, tarka, pulses legumes etc.
  10. Mid-afternoon snacks - you can have fruits like papaya/guava or any citrus fruits. 
  11. Evening Meals - At around 6 pm, one can have  green tea and cream cracker biscuits or another high quality snack, including the snacks mentioned above. You can have poha/ porridge/ cornflakes/ rice flakes with curd. Do not add any fried foods, spicy fast or junk foods as your evening meal.
  12. Dinner - Roti/Chapati/Phulka  3-4 pcs OR 2 pcs roti+ 50 gm rice same balance + pulses 25 gm soupy + 1 serving mix veg + any high quality protein preparation (as discussed) egg/fish & for vegetarian pulses/ soya/dairy foods or one more veg recipe as an alternative. 
  13. Bed Time -milk/milk products 150 ml or chana in case of Lactose intolerance which nowadays is a common problem.
  14. Often Overlooked- 300 ml of milk/milk products are needed, divided over two or three doses in a day. You can add 2 tsf/20gm butter or ghee in lunch or dinner as your staple meals. Always chew well & then engulf to get better digestion & maximum absorption. 
  15. Fruits - One should have three types of fruits like lemon, guava, grapes, apple or banana in a balanced combination as dressings/whole as you like in a day. Take plenty of green vegetables like some local greens or other veggies.
  16. Limit your spices, salt and oil - Do not consume too much salt, fried masala. Home made spices are better although you can use upto 2 tsf of branded quality packet spices. Best oils are PUFA based (Poly unsaturated fatty acid) like sunflower, white oil, soy oil, rice bran or mustard oil but not coconut oil, rapeseed or palm oil. As per studies olive oil is the best choice. You can add 3-4 tsf in the whole day for individual consumption but not for an entire family .
  17. Avoid junk, all fast foods - Strictly avoid all fried foods, no junk, street foods, processed foods. Even occasional outside hotel or restaurant foods is also not good to consume. Cake, pastries, butter, chocolates can be consumed in small quantities, but avoid foods that contain trans fats and too much of saturated fats.
  18. Small but frequent meals - One should have all kinds of foods in mild to moderate quantity, and it should be planned in every 2-3 hours that means 7 to 8 meals in a day.
  19. Supplements - you can buy any established brand of high-quality standard protein pack (as common demand for boys) & needless to say such product must not have side effects. (Only recommended by Dietitian). If you need it then take them at breakfast and at bedtime - 2 scoops each time with lukewarm water or milk as preferred.
  20. No open market supplements - I also advise that there is no need for slimming medicines or similar supplements which usually has side effects, as well as some unknown complications from person to person. Even in the long run, these may lead to some disorders, primarily in females, as per observations.
  21. Avoid stress and late night work - Do not work late as late night work creates indigestion, dull skin, tired face, and premature greying of hair. 
  22. Dynamic lifestyles, normal working & timely meals - Always remain active during working hours. You can go to gym or not but timely home based simple exercises like yoga/ walking 1-2 km daily is very helpful. Don't take the stress, be disciplined and active. Drink water 3-5 mins later after each meal.

Lastly I would like to ask, is this advice & guidelines too difficult to start & maintain? No at all! Just have a good start & follow seriously. You will definitely have an attractive and a toned body shape. And remember - in order to be physically fit, it is important to be mentally fit. Because only then you will be completely fit and healthy.