Been a while since this topic had any interest, but I have a question for those (anyone, anyone?) plant-based athletes...
I've been on a whole foods/plant-based diet for about 6 months now. I am feeling a bit sluggish and am wondering if it could be a lack of nutrients. Anyone had any experience with adding supplements (specifically Zinc) for vegan/vegetarian athletes?
@Josh welcome aboard... I doubt very much your sluggishness is from a Zinc deficiency unless you had it already or your diet is really bad... Yes its possible to have a really bad vegan diet... My thoughts on supplementing any diet are don't do it unless you have first been tested for a deficiency.... There is more and more data showing that taking a pill supplement is not the answer but to eat real foods that have what you need...the only supplement I take is Iron and that is because I tested low for it and that was even before I went plant based 6 years ago... I'm actually going to get another vitamin/mineral test sometime this year...
Plant Based is growing..... Heather and I live in a 50+ community in Tucson during the winter time... We are some of the youngest here at 52 ad 53... Never in a million years did I think I would enjoy a community like this but we have awesome facilities (gym/pool), people are active and friendly and they have groups for every interest...Finally to the point- we found a Vegan Group that meets once a month for a potluck dinner, we contacted them and they insisted we show up with no food the first time, we did just that a couple weeks ago, met lots of nice people (maybe 25 total), ate lots of awesome variable food, met a local Vegan Doctor (I am going to change my primary care to him)... They have had most of the famous Vegan Authors come to speak at various times... Have been instrumental in having the local Cafe on the Golf Course put 2-3 Vegan items on the menu and to have special Vegan item on tuesdays (they meet for tuesdays lunch)... Tucson pretty Vegan friendly overall with restaurants, farmers markets, etc...
Pretty exciting to see the growth as people really embrace the concept of plant based....
I concur, I have been plant based/vegan since May of 2012. In that time I have done 7 half-IM races and 2 full. I have never felt sluggish and only take a sub-lingual B12 and D3 (recommended by my physician). There are so many plant based sources of protein, variety is the key. I use all of the websites/cookbooks already mentioned and also use the Happy Cow app when traveling. I never have a problem finding plant based options when traveling.
I also use the vega recovery drink after workouts which I think helps a great deal. I get an annual physical with blood work to make sure everything is good. My family has a high cholesterol issue, but since going plant based my good cholesterol is so high I am at zero risk for heart disease!
Thank you! This is good info. I should probably go get a test done just to know where I stand.
I think my diet hasn't been as varied lately due to traveling to non-vegan relatives homes for the holidays. Been eating well, but Im sure there are things I have been missing from my normal diet.
@Tim - - My wife and I love Tucson, however we were not Vegan last time we were out there. Next time we are heading to Tucson, I may get some info from you on good places to eat. We typically use my bosses condo in Ventana Canyon...Love running Sabino Canyon
Recent Discussions have prompted me to post book/documentary ideas for those that maybe interested.
Documentaries- Forks Over Knives , Veducated , Food Inc.... there are others as well...
Books- Not in any particular order.... they are all easy enough to check into on amazon.com Caldwell Essleston Prevent and Reverse Heart Discease Colin Cambell The China Study and The Low Carb Fraud John Robbins The Food Revolution Mike Pollan The Omnivores Dilemma Dan Buettner The Blue Zones Brendan Braizier Thrive - My original vegan book after reading Paleo and not buying it! Rich Roll Finding Ultra Scott Jurek Eat and Run Diet Cult Matt Fitzgerald also wrote Race Weight Neal Barnard and Dean Ornish also highly respected vegan authors...
I just got done reading a new book... How Not to Die by Mike Greger and highly recommend it... Currently reading Proteinaholic by Garth Davis ...
There are tons of websites for recipes etc nowadays so there is no need to buy cook books... Not sure what to do with something ? Google your ingredients and find something...
On Tim's advice, I just found and read this thread. Thanks for sharing the knowledge and experiences. I'm not sure I'll get to 100% vegan this year, but it seems that I'm heading in that direction and the list of books and websites here are a great way to begin my education. Thank you all.
In case you haven't already stumbled across it. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/ is a great site with fantastic recipes. I am on their email list and it is amazing how many creative and tasty recipes they have out there.
Can anyone recommend a good plant-based protein powder that I can mix with smoothies? Although I am not vegan, I'm making a strong push towards vegetarian and would like to try something other than whey-based protein. Thanks!
Brad, Try shelled hempseeds for smoothies - 1 ingredient , minimal processing, taste good, blend well ....They can be purchased in bulk 3 or 5 lb bags of 45-75 servings per bag. I use them when I make smoothies, but I mostly use them as food and eat them on cereal, salads, sandwiches (made a wrap with potatoes, macnut pesto , and hempseed for a recovery meal last week) and used them ontop of a big pasta bowl for dinner once this week... I never cared for the ingredient list of (even vegan) processed protein powders , not to mention the tastes most of them have with some kind of added sweetener.
Was trying to figure out when I went plant based and now I know. Feel my very best eating this way. I to like hemp seeds as my source of protein in my smoothies. Another option is white beans - yah I said that. Here is a recipe for you to try. It also has a link to a black bean chocolate smoothie - http://veganfitness.com/creamy-white-bean-protein-smoothie/
P.S. if you are like me and have a hard time digesting beans, here is something that has helped me immensely - I ingest 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar before eating beans. Yup, you read that right. I have low acid in my stomach which leads to some digestive issues. By ingesting the vinegar I no longer suffer from bloating, gas or indigestion.
Thank you Tim and Brenda. New world for me, so appreciate the advice. Will try the hemp seeds right away since I mostly use fruit for the smoothies as a recovery drink. Not sure the beans would work with the fruit, but who knows As for the cider vinegar tip, I'm sure it's a good one, but if anything, I probably have more acid than average in my gut...have had ulcer issues way back when.... Thank you again!
Sorry, I missed this post back in January. I have been vegan since 1984. I am tried and true for animals and the health benefits are just a plus. My advice is don't over think it. You can be healthy and strong without animal products. Just look at elephants, rhino and manatees Post your favorite recipe and I will tell you how to make it vegan
Headline from the Telegraph: Long term vegetarian diet changes human DNA raising risk of cancer and heart disease It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.
It would be interesting to see who funded this information probably the meat or dairy industry. Everything I have read and all the studies I have seen say the direct opposite. I can also say from personal experience going plant based has made a world of difference for me.
@Paula. Totally Agree. I have been making efforts over the past year and it has really made a difference for me. For anyone else. Watch this, you will like it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0IhZ-R1O8g Food as Medicine: Preventing and Treating the Most Common Diseases with Diet Enjoy.
I can't remember where I read it, but a doctor told his medical students: "Half of what I'm teaching you will eventually be proven wrong and I'm not sure which half."
For those of you wanted to keep your nutrition unprocessed even when training (i.e. no gels or gatorade) To train with whole foods is akin to changing from gasoline to diesel—you must train your body to adapt to the new fuel. If you’re used to gels, bars and blocks, here are a few alternatives you should try as you make the change.
Gels Try half a cup of mashed banana with a dash of lemon juice and just enough water to make it squeeze through a gel flask. Half a cup of banana has the equivalent calories and carbs of a GU gel.
Chews Try dried pineapple. Two pieces actually have more calories and carbs than two blocks.
Bars Blend almonds and goji berries for a flavorful, calorie-rich snack perfect for long bike rides. You can add coconut oil to make balls that will easily fit in a bento box.
Sports Drinks Mix coconut water (high in electrolytes) with cherry juice (high in sugar and vitamins) for a cocktail that doesn’t taste bad, even when hot.
P.S. I like eating baby potatoes when I ride as well. Roasted in the oven with a bit of salt = yummo and they work like rocket fuel for me.
Comments
I've been on a whole foods/plant-based diet for about 6 months now. I am feeling a bit sluggish and am wondering if it could be a lack of nutrients. Anyone had any experience with adding supplements (specifically Zinc) for vegan/vegetarian athletes?
nutritionfacts.org is a great website and he just came out with this book I highly recommend.... covers lots of good stuff
http://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Die-Discover-Scientifically-ebook/dp/B00Y7USB14/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451480916&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+not+die
Pretty exciting to see the growth as people really embrace the concept of plant based....
I concur, I have been plant based/vegan since May of 2012. In that time I have done 7 half-IM races and 2 full. I have never felt sluggish and only take a sub-lingual B12 and D3 (recommended by my physician). There are so many plant based sources of protein, variety is the key. I use all of the websites/cookbooks already mentioned and also use the Happy Cow app when traveling. I never have a problem finding plant based options when traveling.
I also use the vega recovery drink after workouts which I think helps a great deal. I get an annual physical with blood work to make sure everything is good. My family has a high cholesterol issue, but since going plant based my good cholesterol is so high I am at zero risk for heart disease!
Thank you! This is good info. I should probably go get a test done just to know where I stand.
I think my diet hasn't been as varied lately due to traveling to non-vegan relatives homes for the holidays. Been eating well, but Im sure there are things I have been missing from my normal diet.
Documentaries- Forks Over Knives , Veducated , Food Inc.... there are others as well...
Books- Not in any particular order.... they are all easy enough to check into on amazon.com
Caldwell Essleston Prevent and Reverse Heart Discease
Colin Cambell The China Study and The Low Carb Fraud
John Robbins The Food Revolution
Mike Pollan The Omnivores Dilemma
Dan Buettner The Blue Zones
Brendan Braizier Thrive - My original vegan book after reading Paleo and not buying it!
Rich Roll Finding Ultra
Scott Jurek Eat and Run
Diet Cult Matt Fitzgerald also wrote Race Weight
Neal Barnard and Dean Ornish also highly respected vegan authors...
I just got done reading a new book... How Not to Die by Mike Greger and highly recommend it... Currently reading Proteinaholic by Garth Davis ...
There are tons of websites for recipes etc nowadays so there is no need to buy cook books... Not sure what to do with something ? Google your ingredients and find something...
In case you haven't already stumbled across it. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/ is a great site with fantastic recipes. I am on their email list and it is amazing how many creative and tasty recipes they have out there.
http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Organic-Shelled-Hempseed-5-Pound/dp/B000GAT6MM
P.S. if you are like me and have a hard time digesting beans, here is something that has helped me immensely - I ingest 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar before eating beans. Yup, you read that right. I have low acid in my stomach which leads to some digestive issues. By ingesting the vinegar I no longer suffer from bloating, gas or indigestion.
You can thank me later
Sorry, I missed this post back in January. I have been vegan since 1984. I am tried and true for animals and the health benefits are just a plus. My advice is don't over think it. You can be healthy and strong without animal products. Just look at elephants, rhino and manatees
It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.
It would be interesting to see who funded this information probably the meat or dairy industry. Everything I have read and all the studies I have seen say the direct opposite. I can also say from personal experience going plant based has made a world of difference for me.
I have been making efforts over the past year and it has really made a difference for me.
For anyone else. Watch this, you will like it.
Food as Medicine: Preventing and Treating the Most Common Diseases with Diet
Enjoy.
I can't remember where I read it, but a doctor told his medical students: "Half of what I'm teaching you will eventually be proven wrong and I'm not sure which half."
Gels
Try half a cup of mashed banana with a dash of lemon juice and just enough water to make it squeeze through a gel flask. Half a cup of banana has the equivalent calories and carbs of a GU gel.
Chews
Try dried pineapple. Two pieces actually have more calories and carbs than two blocks.
Bars
Blend almonds and goji berries for a flavorful, calorie-rich snack perfect for long bike rides. You can add coconut oil to make balls that will easily fit in a bento box.
Sports Drinks
Mix coconut water (high in electrolytes) with cherry juice (high in sugar and vitamins) for a cocktail that doesn’t taste bad, even when hot.
P.S. I like eating baby potatoes when I ride as well. Roasted in the oven with a bit of salt = yummo and they work like rocket fuel for me.
Read more at http://running.competitor.com/2013/12/nutrition/training-and-racing-with-whole-foods_90686#irvjZ1KBsKlCAUBD.99