No Meat Athlete

Are you an athletic or active individual? Have you considered living a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle?

Credits: Heidi Powell

Do you believe that these two lifestyles are conflicting because of a deficit in protein intake along side other nutrients that the vegan diet mythically inhibits?

You are not alone when thinking such things. A majority of people are not fully knowledgeable in this field but are not entirely wrong to think this way.

Transitioning into a vegan/vegetarian can pose certain difficulties and challenges if not done correctly. Unlike food companies who seek to hide health risks, I will elaborate on them.

Here are some important facts to consider for making an informed and intentional switch to this lifestyle. Vegan/vegetarians are deficient in the following nutrients:

• §  Animal protein- contain essential amino acids and is important for muscle mass and bone health.
• §  Creatine – which helps form energy reservoir in cells. Too little of this proves to have negative affects in brain function.
• §  Carnosine- protective against degenerative processes and aging quickly.
• §  Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) – the most active form of Omega-3 fatty acids in body
• §  Vitamin B12- involved in the function of every cell in the body. Critical for life.

Though people following this regimen of living cannot simply receive these kinds of nutrient from veggies, fruits, and legumes alone, there are supplements (such as natural pills or powders) which substitute for the beneficial nutrients that animal products reveal to have.

Credits: Sean Nalewanyj

These such supplements can be obtained in stores such as: GNC, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and any FDA approved sellers.

However, a huge myth that animal industries have been trying to sell their consumers is that vegans/vegetarians do not receive any sort of protein in their regular diet. Believe it or not vegetables also produce protein which is both beneficial to their growth and cellular processes. This protein is not as potent as that of meat however in large quantities it gets the job done.

This only proves to be a good reason to stuff your face with as many delicious veggies and fruits as you’d like!

To tie in the point of athleticism, athletes and people who lead active lives depend on these specific nutrients on a daily basis. During aerobic exercise we burn energy which we previously consumed from foods.

Though people usually focus on caloric intake, athletes understand that this is not the focal point for an effective diet. They eat foods that will enhance performance making sure to reduce the intake of sugars and processed. They focus on finding the more nutritionally beneficial products which most of the time are leafy dark green vegetables such as kale.

There is no optimal diet for one specific person, however, the diet with the most health benefits is a vegan one and if you cannot accept the information from me take it from some of the most well known players in the industry who have made the switch.

Credits: Brendan Braizer

“I can honestly say that being vegan is not only the most efficient way to be full-body strong, its also the most human”

- David Carter, Vegan, NFL Player