There is a lot of talk right now about going Vegan and Plant Based - and how this can improve athletes performances. Obviously with the Game Changer Documentary being a big influence on this. As a sports dietitian and vegetarian, what are your thoughts about a plant based diet for athletes? If an athlete decides to go down this route, what are some of the biggest things they should be aware of in terms of macronutrients, in particular protein?
My response:
As a 27.5 year lacto-ovo vegetarian, you'd think that I may be a strong advocate of vegetarianism/veganism and would encourage everyone to rid the diet of animal protein.
When I was around the age of 10, I returned home from school and told my parents that I had become a vegetarian. I have always loved animals/creatures and this was my way of respecting the lives of animals. I can't exactly remember the root of this decision but every since that day, I have not consumed any type of meat or fish for the past (almost) 28 years. I've learned a lot over the past few decades of how to create a nourishing and energizing diet to keep me in good health while also supporting my extremely active, endurance training and racing lifestyle.
While a plant based lifestyle is a great way of living - wonderful for health, the environment and for animals - it's not necessary that you rid the diet of all types of animal protein just because you want to optimize health, improve performance or lose weight. As a sport dietitian, I've never told an athlete to change his/her diet to plant based to become healthier/fitter.
Whenever I consult with athletes who are considering a change in the diet (ex. plant based), I always ask "why?" This is not out of judgement, but to better understand the reasoning behind the diet. If you choose to be a vegetarian/vegan for animal/environmental, ethical or religious reasons that is very different than choosing to become a vegan because you want to lose weight or you want to improve your athletic performance.
If your dietary changes start to change immediately after watching a food-related documentary, we must remember that these documentaries tend to spark discussion and make you think. There can be great takeaways to foster a healthier style of eating/living, but they can also be very one-sided and present research in a way that can be very convincing, scary, and misleading. Unfortunately, in our society, many people have an all or nothing mindset about diets and documentaries often satisfy the need of presenting "facts" as all or nothing.
If you are considering a dietary change to a more plant-based diet, here are some of my tips:
- Plant based can mean many different thing. The first place to start is figuring out the reason behind the nutrition change as that will help drive your nutrition choices (what you choose to and not to eat).
- Whenever you make a new dietary change, you never want to feel guilty, depleted or anxious when eating - it's always good to have some flexibility in the beginning with your eating changes.
- If you consider yourself someone who has an obsessive, addictive or all-or-nothing mentality - especially with food, training or body image - you may be at risk for developing an overly restrictive and extreme diet. It's not uncommon for this perfectionist mindset to become all-consuming, leading to disordered eating habits. Prior to making any dietary change, consult with a Board Certified Sport Dietitian to ensure that you make practical changes with your diet while maintaining a healthy relationship with food (and your body). It's not uncommon for plant-based diets to become overly restrictive and energy/nutrient deficient due to labeling food as good vs. off-limit.
- Never make extreme changes with your eating habits - especially if you find yourself avoiding foods out of peer-pressure or because it seems like everyone is doing it. Once again, you need to have a strong reason why you are changing as you are (hopefully) committing to a new forever style of eating - not a fad diet.
- Eliminating certain foods certainly can make room for more nutritious options - benefiting your health. But if you don't educate yourself on the possible missing links in your diet, you may risk a nutrient deficiency, low energy availability or a health issue from a restrictive style of eating.
- It doesn't matter if your diet is for disease prevention, athletic performance and/or weight loss. It's more about what you are eating than what you aren't eating. Because you can't 100% prevent disease, change your body composition or 100% improve athletic performance through diet alone, don't assume that eliminating certain foods will immediately change your health/performance/weight.
- Think about your diet as not so much about not eating meat but focusing on eating more plants. This is why it's good to refer to your diet as "plant-based". This will benefit you grately - no matter what type of diet you adhere to. Nature intended us to eat real food - fruit, vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, nuts, seeds, plant based fats, lentils, beans, rice, etc. By eating more plants, you not only bring more nutrients into your body but you help the environment, animals and our planet.
- If or when you choose to consume animal protein, don't be greedy or disrespectful. Enjoy, savor and appreciate your animal protein. Try to look for ways to support local companies/farmers. For example, if you do buy eggs, meat (if you choose), milk, etc. try to choose local options (nearby) or companies that use good farming and humane practices. Read about the company and their philosophy. Similar to when you buy produce, shop seasonally and look at the label and try to choose the most local option.
- If you are considering moving toward a more plant based diet, eating less of something can be just as healthy or healthier than eliminating all of something. By eating less dairy, eggs and meat and incorporating more plants and plant-based proteins (ex. lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh) into your diet, you'll already be on your way to improving your health, helping animals and protecting the environment.
Food for thought
- If a food does not agree with your body and it causes you health issues, that is great reason to avoid it.
- If you enjoy a certain food and that food brings value to your health/life, that is a great reason not to avoid it.
- For every food restriction, it's important to find a nutritionally equivalent replacement (ex. if you don't drink milk, you need to find something to provide you with the calcium, protein and vitamin D that you have recently eliminated).
- The more restrictions you put into your diet, the more difficult it can be to eat out, travel and socialize - while still meeting your energy, vitamin and mineral needs. Be kind to yourself. While you may have really good intentions to change your diet, you also need to consider quality of life and how you can successfully make your diet work for you so that it enhances your life - and doesn't control your life.
- A dietary change should be viewed as a lifestyle change. Don't fall victim to a fad or quick fizes. Consider possible obstacles you may run into and how your life will need to change to maintain your new dietary changes to ensure that your health and performance is never compromised.
- Whenever starting a new dietary approach, try to make your diet simple and easy to execute - this will ensure consistency and optimal health and fitness improvements.
- A diet that doesn't have a name may just be the right diet for you.
If you look at some of the healthiest people in the world (ex. body weight, mental health, longevity, disease prevention) who have food security (availability to food and access to it), they tend to adhere to the following type of diet:- A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains.
- Moderate amounts of dairy, poultry, seafood and eggs.
- Minimal processed foods.
- Red meat on occassion.
As for meat analogues (ex. Beyond Burger, veggie "meat", etc.), I like to see these foods more as a treat or out of convenience. Some people view "fake" meats as a replacement to meat - wanting to fulfill a void or have a similar texture/taste.There are many wonderful real food, plant-protein options that are not created in a factory - like tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, beans. They include real ingredients, that exist real in nature. While it's ok to occassionally include them in your diet, I don't feel these meat substitues should make up a large part of a plant based diet as they are heavily processed. So like any processed food, enjoy on occasion. Once again, plant based meals should emphasize plants - real food, made in nature.
When looking up information on vegetarianism, there can often be a hidden agenda or degree of bias with information. Be careful of blogs or websites that are not owned (or written) by Registered Dietitian (to oversee factual and practice nutrition advice). I suggest to start your research with professional organizations and consider looking into Blue Zones and Mediterrean diets for more inspiration on healthy living practices and recipes.
As a takeaway, healthy living, disease prevention, changing body composition and optimizing performance is not just about the food you eat - or choose not to eat - but how you live your life.