The heavyweight industrialist, Yash Birla, is as dedicated to his fitness as he is to business. Workout is a part of his daily regimen. He workouts at his spacious private gym that is housed on the terrace of his Malabar Hill heritage home. 

The Birla scion follows a strict diet that helps him maintain his bulky physique.

Yash Birla believes that the mind, body, and spirit are integrated.

He follows a strict vegetarian diet which breaks the stereotype in the fitness industry that says that bodybuilders should include meat as a source of protein in their diet. He doesn’t even consume eggs. He gets his natural proteins from vegetarian sources like milk, milk products, lentils, soya, and tofu. He supplements it with whey proteins. To get used to the healthy diet he says that he has trained his taste buds and adjusted his palette.

Yash Birla’s food habits include six small meals a day. He says, “Every three hours I need to eat. For breakfast, I eat muesli or peanut butter jam toast (sugar-free jam), and a protein shake. I have white tea, which is equivalent to green tea, only better and a frothy sweet coffee at the office. For lunch, I have a whole-wheat sandwich or lentils, salad and soup, brown rice or thick rice and dhansak and a protein shake. A snack follows – a fruit or therein biscuits or a protein bar. Pre-workout, I have a sandwich (whole-wheat bread) or a vegetable. I have a post-workout protein shake, followed by something sweet like mango or dates or blueberries. Half an hour later, I have dinner, roti and sabzi and dal or tofu and a protein shake.”

Even though the fitness enthusiast gives a lot of importance to diet, he also has his share of cheat meals and says, “It’s important to shock your body once in a while. The additional calories keep your body guessing and keep you happy because you are not left craving anything. But binge in moderation, of course. I eat sparingly at parties if something appeals to me, but I don’t drink or smoke.”

His weakness is his sweet tooth and enjoys devouring sweets once in a while. Sharing about his style of having sweets, he shares, “I have even given up eggs in desserts, also because of a mannat. It has been twelve years now. I do indulge in eggless desserts. Pastries, marzipan, and Rasgollas are my favourites. And I’d prefer sweet over fried food any day.” The fitness enthusiast is almost sin-free. Even though he has lived in California for a long time, he has never indulged himself in alcohol and is repelled by it.