Natural Bodybuilding - Can Bodybuilders Go Vegan?

Can you body build and still be a vegan?

If you have not looked at the possibility, you are probably among those people who do not consider vegetarians to be able to be bodybuilders. The prevailing culture in large measure believes that a vegan diet lacks all of the nutrients needed for a healthy body and that such a diet cannot develop the lean muscle sought after by body builders.

We have a tendency to think of a vegan bodybuilder as the 98 pound weakling by the shore taking another face full of sand. Vegan body builders are quickly correcting that view.

Vegan diets exclude all animal products including meat, milk, and dairy derivatives. Because of this, many meat eaters consider that a vegan diet is inferior when it comes to building muscle just because it does not contain animal protein. However, there are many complementary sources of vegetable protein available.

Protein is used by the body to repair torn muscle tissue and to boost the immune system as well as to build lean muscle tissue. It is also important for the bodybuilder choosing a vegan lifestyle to make sure that he or she is getting sufficient quantities of other necessary nutrients in their diet.

A well balanced vegan diet has all of the essential amino acids required by the body for the synthesis of protein. There are also numerable vegan protein supplements available in the stores so vegan body builders should have no difficulty meeting the body's requirement for protein.

While supplements can play an important dietary role in a vegan bodybuilding diet plan, you can also get many necessary nutrients from fresh fruit and vegetable juices, Gatorade and Spirtein. Soy products are also a great source of protein, not only for vegetarians but for anyone wanting a more heart healthy lifestyle. Nuts are also a delicious alternative source of protein that are sometimes overlooked.

Vegan diets are not without controversy for muscle building. In spite of the recognized health benefits of soy, some authorities believe that soy may have long-term negative effects. There is more evidence of its health benefits however than of any harmful side effects. Each person thinking about a vegan diet for muscle building should do some independent research and then decide for themselves.

Adequate nutrition is more important to a bodybuilder than the amount of time you spend on a workout or even what you do there. Basic muscle building requires that you take in more calories than you burn or else you lose weight. If you are not eating enough, the more you workout, the more weight you lose! For vegetarians, this means you have to eat a lot of fresh foods and use protein replacement products.

Protein replacement products are not to be confused with the muscle building supplements sold in muscle magazines and on the internet to those people seeking a magic pill. There is no magic pill and for the most part the supplements are useless and often actually harmful.

It can become discouraging to look through those magazines and see the ads for the latest "muscle enhancing" pill and the accompanying photos of beautiful bodies. Keep in mind that while the buffed bodies are nice to look at they are not attainable by the ordinary builder and the ads are targeted toward the common meat-eating, supplement-using bodybuilder.

If a magazine or web site is not advocating natural bodybuilding, you should go elsewhere. There are many good sources of guidance for the vegan bodybuilder and you do not need to take the advice of the steroid and HGH peddlers. Just make sure that you consume adequate nutrients and supplements in the right quantity to give you the beautiful sculpted body you desire!

Discover how to get into natural bodybuilding with reviews of top bodybuilding and fitness programs like Muscle Gaining Secrets - developed by a vegan bodybuilder - on Gerry's blog at Muscle-Building-Reviews.com

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Being Vegan - Getting by in a Non-Vegan World

By Barry Lovelace

It's not easy being vegan. I don't mean that it is a difficult lifestyle; I embrace it and love it and would never consider living any other way. What I mean is that often we vegans are made to feel like either an outcast or a target.

Case in point, the other day I was at the store and ran into a friend who was there with his wife. The friend mentions in passing that I'm a vegan and his wife gives me a look as if I was standing there naked or something and proceeds to tell me how crazy that is. This is just one mild example. Why do people get so upset by my choice to not eat the flesh of a dead animal? I am not hurting anyone by being vegan and frankly it has nothing to do with them.

I do have theories though. I think when someone comes across a vegan they get intimidated because they think that we will think less of them for eating meat or that we will think we are above them for being vegan. This is simply not true; I was a meat-eater at one time. After I educated myself about the abuses involved in the meat and dairy industry I could no longer consume animal products, it's that simple, it doesn't make me special it just makes me someone who holds true to his beliefs and lives it. It reminds me of a great quote: 'When you know better, you do better.'

While I'm on the subject, don't ask me why I'm vegan if you really don't want to know. Often people ask why and then when I tell them they get very defensive and go on the attack. If you ask me why I became vegan, I'm going to tell you, isn't that why you asked? I think some people ask so that they can argue the point. I don't know what point there is to argue. Meat and dairy and filled with cholesterol, fat, hormones and antibiotics and animals are horrifically abused until their slaughter day arrives. These statements cannot be intelligently disputed.

Now about social situations, we, like many vegans, have friends and family that will not invite us to their houses because they feel they cannot provide us with anything to eat. Often when we do get invited somewhere it turns into an apologetic invitation, letting us know that there may not be much there for us to eat. I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone out there know that vegans know what they are. No vegan goes to a wedding or dinner party expecting to be able to eat much of the food, it's ok, we don't mind and to be honest we know better than to ever show up hungry. As a host all you have to do is respect our lifestyle and realize that it is deep-rooted. Being a vegan is a moral and ethical choice. No true vegan is going to eat turkey just because you made one; it doesn't work that way. It is not an insult to you or your cooking or your intentions, we will not compromise our values and no thinking person should expect us to.

The social inconveniences are a very small price to pay and we are more than willing to pay it, please don't feel bad. Likewise don't think that we are offended because you made meat. We do not live in a bubble, we are aware of the world we are living in and know that we are the minority in this country at least for now. Happily, the number of people who are becoming vegan is rising sharply and that is a trend that is sure to continue.

Barry Lovelace is an internationally recognized fitness professional specializing in the functional training of athletes. Barry trains athletes in his area and all over the country. He is a member of Team Mens Fitness, the owner of FitQuest Fitness in Allentown Pa, fitness expert for LifeScape magazine and the creator of several products Get great health and fitness info on his website

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Can a Child Thrive on a Vegan Diet? YES!

Can a child thrive on a vegan diet? The answer is yes! Far more studies show that a
typical 'Western Diet' has deleterious effects on health compared to the risks of a
vegan diet. In fact, vegetarian diets are associated with disease resistance and even
higher I.Q.'s in children. (1-5)

With proper planning and a bit of self-education, parents should feel confident in
giving their child a diet free of animal products.

Healthy food choices include the following:

Protein dense foods: beans, soy, whole grains, nuts, etc.

Calcium sources: beans, leafy greens, figs, blackstrap molasses, fortified beverages,
etc.

Iron sources: grains, dried fruit, coconut milk, blackstrap molasses, soybeans,
beans, etc.

Zinc sources: nuts, seeds, grains, chickpeas, soybeans, etc.

Avoid wheat and nuts until after one year of age, to avoid possible food sensitivities.

Supplementation may be necessary for children who are picky eaters, but most
nutritional needs can be met through diet. Vitamins D and B12 may be the
exception, and parents should ensure an optimal supply through fortified foods or
supplements.

Finding community support can be very important in helping your child maintain
healthy eating habits, as vegan diets are often misunderstood and even feared by
well-meaning family members, neighbours, and teachers. Many excellent resources
exist that can help educate those in your child's life who have concerns, and
possibly alleviate any misconceptions they may have.

Raising a child on a vegan diet can be challenging in today's world of hot-dogs and
ice cream, but parents should be assured that research is on their side.

The following sources are particularly supportive of vegan diets for children:

The Vegetarian Society UK http://www.vegsoc.org

The Vegetarian Resource Group http://www.vrg.org

European Vegetarian Union http://www.ivu.org

Physician's Committee For Responsible Medicine http://www.pcrm.org

Becoming Vegan Brenda Davis, R.D., and Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.

1. O'Connell JM, Dibley MJ, Sierra J et al: Growth of vegetarian children: The Farm
Study. Pediatrics 1989;84:475-481.

2. Fisher M, Levine PH, Weiner B, et al. The effects of vegetarian diets on plasma
lipid and platelet levels. Arch Inter Med 1986;146:1193-1197.

3. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R, Eilber U. Mortality pattern of German
vegetarians after 11 years of follow-up. Epidemiology 1992;3:395-401.

4. Thorogood M, Mann J, Appleby P, McPherson K. Risk of death from cancer and
ischaemic heart disease in meat and non-meat eaters. Brit Med J 1994;308:1667
-1670.

5. Dwyer JT, Miller LG, Arduino NL, et al. Mental age and I.Q. of predominately
vegetarian children. J Am Dietetic Assoc 1980;76:142-147.

Stacelynn Caughlan is a Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Herbalist who specializes in pregnancy, birth and childhood. She is currently the editor of http://www.motherandchildhealth.com an online resource for women looking for information on natural health and healing for themselves and their families.

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