Eggs, mushrooms, bacon, milk and milk products. These would constitute a sportsperson's diet. Not for HS Prannoy. In fact, all the above food, which by the way he loved to consume, are now a no-no for India's badminton star since it affected his gut. At times, his erstwhile diet prevented him from lasting on court for more than 20 minutes. It's been four months since Prannoy, 26, made that major diet change and to say he is feeling good is an understatement. Last year, during the July-August BWF World Championships, Prannoy felt like his oesophagus was congested with food, leaving him hungry all the time. At first, he ignored the issue, but the gastroesophageal reflux needed some serious attention. Prannoy was finally able to get to the root of the problem only in January after he decided to seek help.

It all started last August
"It was around August 2018 that I had felt my gut was giving me problems. It took innumerable tests, doctor visits and some consultation with specialists in the United States to get to the root of the problem, which was my food intake. Since February, when I gave up eating the food I loved, especially eggs, milk, mushrooms and bacon, things have got better. It's important to know what you should eat and things that you shouldn't. It's tricky. I got in touch with the Potential Health Development from Bangalore to help me," Prannoy told mid-day on the sidelines of a badminton clinic for kids jointly organised by Yonex Sunrise India and Goregaon Sports Club recently.