Fuelling your body in the right way, that fits your ethical values is important and isn’t be as complexed as we are taught to think. A fully vegan consumption pattern is scientifically proven to be the optimal way to heal, grow and create your perfect body. I wish I had known this from birth, but you know – society and corruption kept the ancient secrets for karmic success from us. Now that we have all of this knowledge, we can power our body through tough workouts and build muscle and shape all whilst retaining our values.
- Take inspiration from the pros. Think you can’t be an athlete when you’re vegan? Tennis champion Venus Williams, mountain biker Jason Sager and bodybuilder Tsuki Harris might disagree with you. They’re all vegan. Find vegan athletes to follow on social media for inspiration and ideas. You’ll know you’re in good company.
- Avoid processed foods. Processed alternatives can have all sorts of hidden sugars, so try and stay with fresh, unprocessed raw food as much as possible. Vegetables are your number one friend.
- Hit your macros. Vegan or not, to build muscle, you need to be eating a balance of carbs, fat and protein. Complex carbs like sweet potato and oats give energy, protein like lentils helps your body repair and healthy fats like avocado help your heart stay healthy.
- Get your five a day. A wide range of fruits and vegetables will help you get a mix of vitamins and minerals. Choose a wide variety of fresh foods; aim to get lots of different colours on your plate to make getting different micronutrients easier.
- Get a variety of foods. It can be tempting to stick to trusted favourites, but the easiest way to get a mix of nutrients is to eat a wider range of foods. Trying new recipes also keeps things interesting!
- Stay hydrated. Remember that the majority of the planet is water. Water is literally life. Our bodies are 70% waters. We all need to drink plenty of water, and being hydrated will make workouts easier. Water will also help your body to lubricate between your joints and make use of the protein you’ve put in.
- Supplement. Non-vegan gym goers have been leaning on supplements for years. The variety of vegan supplements available is now much better, and at the right supplement store you can now find everything from pre-workout energy boosters to post workout recovery options that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Protein supplements are particularly important for vegan fitness junkies.
- Eat regular meals but don’t be afraid to fast from time to time – I like to fast in the mornings until I’ve taken the dog out, gamed and done some yoga, then I’ll eat something light. When I am eating, I like to eat every few hours, adding snacks between meals to keep energy levels consistent.
- Plant based foods are less acidic than meat or dairy, so take advantage of your plant heavy diet. More alkaline foods are less likely to add to post workout aches and pains. Again, being vegan is a massive advantage.
- Remember that vegan doesn’t automatically mean healthy. There are plenty of junk food options that are vegan, so pay as much attention to eating healthy as you would if you were non-vegan. Paying attention to eating fresh, healthy foods will make achieving your fitness goals much easier than if you’re chowing down in a vegan cheeseburger every day.
- Get your protein. As well as supplements, you can pack a protein punch with your diet too. Leafy greens like spinach are ideal for this and a handful can be added into lots of meals. Nut milks, nuts, seeds, quinoa, tofu, lentils and beans are all great vegan sources of protein too.
- Get enough calories. Calories provide the fuel for your gym sessions. If you’re eating lots of veg as part of a plant based diet, make sure you’re eating enough calories. Your body is intuitive and you will get used to the concept. Tracking what you eat to see how many calories you’re consuming can be helpful for some people. If you are looking to build muscle, you might need to add an extra snack into your day, or add calorie dense foods like avocado into your meals to give you that extra boost as well as appropriate protein shakes.
- Random fact, but explore quinoa. Quinoa tastes a lot like brown rice, but is actually a higher source of protein than rice. Brown rice isn’t a complete protein, but quinoa is.
- Get essential fatty acids from seaweed, soya, edamame, kidney beans, flaxseed, walnuts etc.
- Ignore naysayers. People often have a lot to say about the vegan diet and can have a lot of noisy questions about what you eat because of their cognitive dissonance and societal mental abuse from years of madmen marketing. If you’re around doubters who think you can’t work out hard when you’re a vegan, tune them out. Work hard, and your amazing results will soon prove any nosy negative people wrong.
This is a partially contributed post, edited by Nik.