Actors go the extra mile when they prepare for a role, and a lot goes into helping them look a certain way. Nicole Linhares Kedia, a nutritionist who works with celebrities like Kiara Advani, Ibrahim Ali Khan, and Vir Das, is someone that has helped these actors achieve a certain look. Case in point - Ibrahim Ali Khan.
It's no secret that Ibrahim Ali Khan prepped hard for his roles, including his latest release Sarzameen. But he first impressed fans with his six-pack abs in his debut movie Nadaaniyan. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Nicole shared some secrets on how she helped Ibrahim Ali Khan get six-pack abs for Nadaaniyan and her go-to advice to celebrities.
Nicole On How Ibrahim Ali Khan Got His Six-Pack Abs For Nadaaniyan
The young star-in-the-making, known for his striking resemblance to father Saif Ali Khan, put in some serious work at the gym. The nutritionist and integrative health coach shares some of his fitness and diet secrets.
Nicole believes that nutrition is "the silent architect of both appearance and performance. For anyone, but especially for people constantly in the public eye. How you fuel your body directly influences not just how you look, but your energy, mood, skin health, and overall presence."
The focus in Ibrahim Ali's Khan was to bring a little structure to his diet, shares Nicole. "He enjoyed dishes like bhurji, parathas, wraps, and shawarmas. In the past, he leaned heavily on red meat to meet his protein intake, but there was little structure to his macros.
"Our goal was to bring more balance into his diet by introducing antioxidant-rich foods, increasing fibre, and adding elements like fennel seeds to help stabilise blood sugar levels," Nicole added.
Ibrahim Ali Khan's love for biryani was something Nicole did not want to compromise on, so she helped him make healthier choices. "Since biryani is one of his favorites, we didn't eliminate it - instead, we made smarter swaps, like using brown rice or quinoa, and significantly reducing the oil content."
Ibrahim Ali Khan's "Circadian Rhythm Needed Attention"
Nicole explained that another area that needed work was Ibrahim Ali Khan's circadian rhythm. According to the Cleveland Clinic, circadian rhythm is the body's internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
"At times, he would train on an empty stomach, which wasn't ideal, given the intensity of his workouts. So, we introduced a light pre-workout snack - typically a banana with mixed seeds — along with electrolyte-rich water during training. Post-workout, he had a good protein source within 90 minutes to support recovery and performance," Nicole shared.
Ibrahim Ali Khan relied on 7 am workouts and not cheating on his meals to get in shape, shared his fitness trainer, Robin Behl, in an old interview.
With consistency and hard work, Ibrahim Ali Khan was able to get his six-pack abs for his debut in 2 months.