what athletes are doing to improve in their sport

If you’re an athlete, you do anything you need to make yourself more powerful, stronger, and faster…your career depends on it. Some athletes do cold therapy, take steroids and/or a myriad of legal, and illegal substances to have a leg-up on their opponents. A new Netflix movie titled, “The Game Changers,” showed athletes, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, fire fighters, and football players, gave up dairy and all animal products, and got stronger, had more energy, and were able to exercise longer, all by going vegan. Their cholesterol levels improved, and they lost bodyfat while maintaining lean muscle.

Gladiators, who we thought subsisted on meat, actually ate plants. The movie tells us that tofu, which has estrogenic properties, does not increase estrogen levels in our bodies. By swapping out one evening meat-centered meal to a vegan entrée, the men’s blood levels became healthier overnight. We no longer get sufficient B-vitamins from eating animal meat because the animals, which solely subsist on plants, are consuming less vitamins due to fewer nutrients in the soil, so most people, even meat-eaters, are deficient in essential vitamins.

I’ve watched many documentaries touting the numerous benefits of a plant-based diet, and I became vegan twice, but I couldn’t sustain that lifestyle for more than three weeks because my energy dropped after giving up animal protein. Why did those athletes succeed, get stronger and feel better, while I got weaker and felt worse? It’s not because I ate fewer calories, or was replacing meat with junk carbs. I tabulated my calories and made sure to eat beans, oats, protein powder, and grains with vegetables and fruit. Was it because I needed to take additional supplements? I don’t know why these big guys who are lifting heavy weights can feel great on a vegan diet, when I felt awful, but I’m going to give it a go again.

My husband, a typical meat, potatoes, and beer guy, exclaimed, after watching the move: “We’re going vegan.” I was shocked. I told him that I’ll try it again, but this time I’m going to supplement with B-complex vitamins, add a lot more green vegetables, allow myself to eat more carbs, and permit myself to eat some packaged foods like seed crackers, whole wheat bread, and pasta because those items are enriched.

It’s fun to try new meals. I love sweet potato fries, veggie stir-fries, huge salads, and bean stews. I didn’t like the black bean burgers. I’m hoping this less restrictive vegan diet gives me the strength and energy I need, because vegetables are the most important foods to eat, and I’d rather not eat animal products if I don’t have to.

Photo: Me, removing the top and seeds from bell peppers.