Veganism/Athletics

A Vegan Strength Coach Gives Some Tips on Vegetarian Strength Training - Mike Mahler's Aggressive Strength:

"The Basics
Contrary to what many people believe, it is certainly possible to get bigger and stronger on a vegetarian diet. Like any other diet, the key is to ensure that you are getting adequate calories and a balance of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. To be clear, I follow a vegan diet for ethical reasons not because I think that it is a superior diet. If I had access to organic raw milk and organic eggs in which I knew for sure that the cows and chickens were treated well, I would consume milk and eggs. In my mother's native home of India, cows are a sacred animal because of the milk that they provide. Milk and yogurt have been staples of the Indian diet for centuries and along with ghee are considerd very nutritious and great for well being, health, and strength. Perhaps, some day I will own a farm in Montana and take care of some cows and chickens ;-) Until then, I will avoid dairy and eggs and other forms of animal products. I am adamantly against factory farming and think that it is very cruel to animals. How would you feel if you lived in a cage your entire life and could not enjoy the most basic pleasures that most of us take for granted? I encourage you to educate yourself about factory farming and to go out of your way to get organic eggs and dairy products...

Many vegetarians and people in general make the mistake of getting too many calories from starchy carbohydrates and overly processed foods. Moreover, many vegetarians de-emphazise the importance of protein in the diet. While I do not think that you need 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight like many of the fitness magazines recommend, you do need more than 5-10% of your diet coming from protein. 25-30% is a good number to shoot for if gaining muscle is your goal. Some great sources of vegetarian protein include: black beans, pinto peans, lentils, split peas, kidney beans, navy beans,pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, almonds, cashews, peanut butter, almond butter, 'hemp bread',and for protein powders I like pea protein isolate and rice protein.

Next, do not make the mistake of following a super low fat diet if you are an athlete. Comsume healthy fats such as almonds, flaxseed oil, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, and coconut oil to ensure that you are getting the health benefits of fat in your diet. Super low fat diets will cause your energy to plummet and your skin to dry up. Coconut oil is the only form of saturated oil for vegetarians which is necessary for healthy joints and well being. Try eating a baby coconut each day. Drink the water and use a spoon to eat the 'fleshy' part of the coconut. Or try adding some coconut oil to shakes. Rotate your Essential Fatty Acid oils each month. One month, try flaxseed oil, the next hempseed oil, then Udo's Choice Oil, and Pumpkin seed oil. You will be amazed at how much better you feel with a good amount of fat in your diet. Low fat diets suck! Especially for athletes.

Finally, get most of your carbs from fruits and veggies, and the rest from healthy grains such as: quinoa and oats. Avoid rice (all forms) pasta, and processed cereals if you want to lose fat and avoid the 'buldge' that many high carb eaters have. The skinny fat look is not a good one to emulate so strive for balance at each meal."