Learn How Physical Exercise, Veganism, And Health Come Together
A vegan diet is not just about abstaining from meat but avoiding all animal products. There are many reasons why people turn to veganism, but the main one is animal welfare. Exercise has also been shown to have many benefits for your mental and physical health – but what happens when you combine the two? This article will explore how physical exercise, veganism, and health come together powerfully!
A Vegan Lifestyle
For one thing, veganism is shown to contribute to weight loss if done correctly which has its host of positive effects. If you are physically active then that opens up another range of rewards as well. Moreover, anyone who has ever eaten a vegan diet will know that it is not easy in the slightest. A not so strange concept these days is also Vegan Bodybuilding which just brings it all together! Much research has gone into how you can achieve your optimal health through this lifestyle and exercise does come up again and again.
What Does Veganism Mean?
A vegan diet is defined as one which does not incorporate any animal products. This also means that it excludes meats, fish, dairy, and eggs. What you are left with instead is fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. Interestingly enough the food culture of vegans tends to be much more adventurous than most other diets because they are encouraged to try new things. Veganism is essentially a lifestyle and so it is not just about what you eat but how you shop for ingredients too.
Vegan Benefits
The main benefit of going vegan however comes from the fact that one can consume a balanced diet at all times without having to worry about getting enough protein or if it will hinder your training. Furthermore, many people may think this lifestyle cannot be maintained by professional athletes – but no one can argue with the fact that Rich Roll is vegan. Veganism, exercise, and health are therefore very much intertwined in their positive effects on each other.
When you are physically active many other health benefits come along for the ride too. Most notably these include lower blood pressure, better hormone regulation, cognitive improvement, improved heart function, and weight management (which work together synergistically). It goes without saying that if you can combine all of these healthy habits into one lifestyle that would be optimal!
What Is Bodybuilding on a Vegan Diet?
Anybody who has ever tried to get fit knows how hard it can be so imagine if you also had to avoid animal products! As it turns out however there is a niche where people combine both worlds into one – Vegan Bodybuilding. This community mainly focuses on plant-based proteins that will develop your body just like whey would. That means things like tofu, beans, legumes, pulses, seeds, and nuts are all viable options for building muscle mass.
Vegan Exercise Benefits
Alright so now let us take a look at some of the benefits you could derive from vegan exercise. First off, it is good for your health. You may have to eat fewer certain types of foods but at least this way you will avoid the massive calorie intake that comes with being sedentary. This then leads to other benefits like fat loss and building muscle mass (which by extension should improve performance in almost any sport).
Protein Sources for Vegans
When you become vegan and work out, you need to make sure that your protein intake is sufficient. Some of the best sources of plant-based proteins are tofu, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and quinoa. While soy has received a lot of negative press about its health effects in the past few years, it also happens to be one of the highest quality (and cheapest) options out there.
Meal Examples Vegan Bodybuilders Eat
For vegan bodybuilders, a good meal would typically follow this sort of pattern:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal with some fruit and brown sugar. A light breakfast is important because you want to leave room for your other meals to be more substantial.
- Mid-morning snack: Almonds or something similar along with a smoothie or juice. You can also opt for a plant-based protein shake if you find those convenient although bars are another option as well.
- Lunch: Beans on toast, salad, rice and beans, tofu scramble, etc. Carbohydrate sources paired with high-quality proteins make up the base of most bodybuilders’ diets – especially those who do not eat meat! This lifestyle is all about balance as was mentioned earlier.
- Mid-afternoon snack: A bunch of grapes or any other fruit, nuts, or seeds. You can even have some energy bars here for convenience although your meal should be at least an hour later.
- Dinner: Plant-based protein source with vegetables cooked in olive oil and herbs – typically you will not need to worry about carbohydrates as much since dinner is usually the smallest meal of the day for bodybuilders!
- After dinner snack: Protein shake might be a good idea but otherwise, just something small you enjoy that’s vegan – maybe some chocolate if that sounds tasty to you? Overall this lifestyle is pretty laid back so do not think there are too many restrictions. Getting fit does require a bit more effort than most other options out there though!
Veganism and Bodybuilding: A Dream Team?
Now that you know a little bit about what vegan bodybuilders eat and why they do it, let us now look at the major benefits of this lifestyle. First off, nearly anyone can benefit from this approach to nutrition. Whether you want to lose weight or bulk up, as long as you are making an effort in the gym then any gains will be noticeable. You essentially trade animal protein with plant-based sources which are easier than many people think too – just read some vegan recipes!
There are lots of great reasons to include vegan exercise in your daily routine. If you live an active lifestyle then it should be much easier to maintain this diet and it will also add a new dimension for you guys. Forget all the misconceptions about veganism being restrictive because learning how physical exercise, veganism, and health come together makes it seem almost effortless!
