Fiona Oakes has completed marathons on every continent, setting four world records along the way. The world-class British runner does it all for one purpose: to encourage people to eat plants. Forks Over Knives spoke with Oakes about her early involvement in animal welfare, why she took up running marathons with no previous experience, and how her passion for a vegan lifestyle fuels her athletic pursuits.

You changed your diet when you were young. Why?

Fiona Oakes: I stopped eating meat at 3 and became vegan when I was 6. I had never heard the word vegan, but I was completely aligned with and passionate about the concept of a cruelty-free lifestyle, where nothing and no one suffers on my behalf. My mother was supportive— my father and grandparents, far less so. In their defense, this was back in the 1970s, when there was no literature, research, or role models available to describe what veganism actually meant. The issue came to a head when I had orthopedic knee surgery as a teen [to remove a tumor], and medical professionals [likened] my veganism to an eating disorder. My mother was accused of child abuse for consenting to it. Her argument was that the real cruelty would be to force a child so committed to something to turn away from it because of pressure from others. My mother has always been so supportive, and I am so blessed that she is still at my side to this day.

How did you get into running?

FO: I started around 2002. I had been concentrating all my efforts on the Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary; I started that in 1993, and it remains my priority and passion today, with around 500 rescued animals. But after a few years, I realized that [there was a limit to the number] of animals I could help by providing a loving forever home. So I was trying to find a way to get the vegan message into the mainstream. Then “marathon” became the buzzword, after Paula Radcliffe ran a world’s-best marathon time in London [in 2002]. Doing a marathon could offer the credentials I needed to prove that as a vegan, you could not only survive but thrive in the most brutal of endurance events. I didn’t know if I would be able to run with my knee condition, but two years later, I qualified to line up with Radcliffe on the elite start of the London Marathon.

What achievement are you most proud of?

FO: Co-founding the Vegan Runners Club. My main aim through running has been to promote veganism, and when I realized I would have an opportunity to get high profile, positive publicity by wearing “Vegan” on my vest during races, another runner and I decided to start Vegan Runners in 2004. It’s not only a running club but also a worldwide community of passionate animal advocates who are ambassadors for plant-based living.

What are your future goals for running?

FO: I want to keep running to show people what is possible. That even one person might see what I have done—and continue to do—on a completely plant-based diet and consider following suit is the biggest prize my sport could offer me.

Fiona Oakes’ Record-Breaking Career

Despite losing her right kneecap to a tumor as a teen, Fiona Oakes has established herself as one of the greatest distance runners of our time. Here’s a timeline of her record-breaking career.

• 2002 – Takes up running.
• 2007 – Sets course records for the Halstead Marathon and Ruska Marathon.
• 2011 – Sets a course record for the Dartmoor Vale Marathon.
• 2012 – Completes the 150-mile ultra-marathon Marathon des Sables.
• 2013 – Wins the Antarctic Ice Marathon, setting a course record, and the North Pole Marathon. Completes a marathon on every continent, earning three Guinness World Records in the process.
• 2014 – Completes the Marathon des Sables for a second time.
• 2015 – Undertakes a personal challenge of running a marathon a day for seven consecutive days, each on a different continent. She completes six. Bad weather prevents her plane from landing in Antarctica, forcing her to forgo the seventh.
• 2017 – Completes her third Marathon des Sables.
• 2018 – Sets a Guinness World Record at the Midnight Sun Marathon for the fastest half-marathon run in an animal costume. Running for Good—a documentary about Oakes’ life and career, directed by Keegan Kuhn of What the Health and Cowspiracy—premieres.
• 2020 – After the Marathon des Sables is postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakes runs the 150-mile distance at home.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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She’s a mother, nurse, marathon runner, and Navy veteran…and now Briana Jones is hoping to add another title to her impressive résumé: vegan champion. After being introduced to CrossFit through a Groupon deal, she quickly fell in love with the sport and joined the Vegan Strong Plantbuilt team, a diverse group of bodybuilders and other strength athletes on a mission to demonstrate the power of a cruelty-free diet. At 2022’s Mr. America competition, Vegan Strong Plantbuilt scored a total of 18 medals. This year, they plan to top that stellar performance as they take the stage October 6–8 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We chatted with Jones—who will be competing in the A.C. Fitness Throwdown event at Mr. America—about why she chose a plant-based diet, what she eats before and after workouts, and why she thinks her team will outshine the rest in this year’s competition.

Why did you adopt a whole-food, plant-based diet?

Briana Jones: In high school, I eliminated a lot of meat from my diet. As I learned about inflammation, I started to eliminate dairy because I have asthma. I fully adopted the diet after watching the Forks Over Knives documentary, and I noticed my asthma improved almost immediately.

What do you like to eat before and after workouts?

BJ: I usually eat an apple and oatmeal with flax and hemp seeds before I work out. Sweet potatoes are my go-to. I’ll snack on them throughout the day when I’m competing. After I work out, I’ll have a big grain bowl with beans for protein (chickpeas are my favorite) and cucumbers and tomatoes for hydration. I’ll eat that and an acai bowl with bananas, strawberries, and blueberries.

What sets the Vegan Strong Plantbuilt team apart from other Mr. America competitors?

BJ: What separates us is the recovery aspect. Now that I’m plant-based, I recover a lot better, and the food I’m eating is actually nourishing my body. When I’m recovering between events, I’m eating sweet potatoes and I’m watching other people eat gummy bears. I know I’m getting instant energy and nutrients to get me through the next event. I’m not going to have a high and then crash. That makes a huge difference.

What would you say to someone who’s interested in a plant-based diet?

BJ: Do a little research and go for it. In a week, you’ll notice a significant difference in your body that will motivate you to continue on—more energy, better sleep. Take it a day at a time, adding one plant-based meal to your day for a week, then two the next week, and three the next. Before you know it, you’ve adopted a lifestyle that is going to give you a lot of energy and feel rewarding.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Mr. America competition?

BJ: We’re excited to go out and show our strengths. Our goal is to represent what it looks like to eat a plant-based diet and be healthy and strong. When you’re plant-based, people think you can’t build muscle, you can’t be strong, that you’re going to be skinny. We want everyone to see that, “Hey, these plant-based athletes are competing and they’re doing well.” It’s all about leading by example, and it’s nice to be able to demonstrate that to the world in a positive way.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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Plant proteins offer a number of advantages for athletes. Choosing plant-based over animal-based protein-rich foods reduces the risk of chronic disease and obesity. What many athletes fail to realize is that the benefits of plant protein extend to performance as well. These are some of the key advantages.

1. Plant-protein foods improve circulation.

Protein-rich plant foods can reduce plaque buildup in the arteries. They lower blood viscosity and increase arterial elasticity. This improves blood flow. Better blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and better elimination of metabolic waste products.

2. Plant-protein foods reduce inflammation.

Whole plant foods are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds. These foods are our primary sources of protective phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamin E, and healthful fats. Animal products tend to have pro-inflammatory effects. Chronic inflammation can cause tissue damage, pain, and fatigue. This can compromise oxygen delivery and hinder athletic performance.

3. Plant-protein foods reduce oxidative stress.

Physical training increases the production of free radicals, which can damage body tissues. When the body manufactures more free radicals than it can neutralize with antioxidants, oxidative stress occurs. Exercise-induced oxidative stress can damage body tissues, resulting in reduced performance and recovery. Athletes need a steady supply of antioxidants from foods. The most potent antioxidants are concentrated in plant foods. These include vitamin E, vitamin C, provitamin A carotenoids, selenium, and many phytochemicals.

4. Plant-protein foods support a healthy gut microbiome.

A healthy, diverse gut microbiome is sustained by fiber, which provides food for the gut bacteria. High-protein plant foods, such as legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), are loaded with fiber, while animal products have none. A healthy gut microbiome has a fundamental role in metabolism, endocrine function, and immune response. It helps with the delivery of water, nutrients, and hormones during exercise.

5. Plant-protein foods promote lean bodies.

Plant foods generally deliver fewer calories for any given volume of food, which may help to explain why plant-based eaters are typically leaner. Lower levels of body fat are associated with improved aerobic capacity and better endurance.

6. Most plant-protein foods help build glycogen stores.

Endurance performance depends on stores of glycogen, which is the body’s backup source of fuel derived from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are also the preferred fuel for our brains. Protein-rich plant foods, such as legumes, also provide high-quality carbohydrates, while meat is devoid of carbohydrates.

Excerpted with permission from Healthy Living Publications, 2023.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder—also known as SAD—is a type of depression that occurs during winter and can lead to fatigue, weight gain, irritability, and social isolation. Women are four times more likely to experience it than men, and the farther north you live increases the likelihood of developing SAD. While light therapy is the most common form of treating SAD, exercising in the sun (particularly in the morning hours) may offer an extra boost of protection against the winter blues. Remember, regular exercise is a great way to fend off depression because it reduces the level of stress hormones, such as cortisol, in your system while increasing endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. Combining the physiological benefits of a workout with the SAD-fighting powers of sunlight can help your spirits stay high all winter long.

We asked some of our favorite plant-based pros for their best winter fitness tips to help you stay motivated during the chillier months. Take a look at their expert insights for some much-needed inspiration, and then get your body moving!

Chase the Sun

“I usually try to walk twice a day, morning and evening. I have seen more sunsets during the winter than I ever did before! On the morning walk, I stop at a local park that has an outdoor exercise space and do some planks, push-ups, and other strength training. It’s motivating to be around other people and I’ve discovered I like doing these exercises a lot more when I’m outside compared to when I was doing them indoors at a gym.”—Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DIPABLM, executive director of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals

Get Spinning

“I strap on my spin shoes and saddle up on my Peloton. Race me! We will stay in shape together. My username is GrapeTang. See you on the leaderboard!”—Robert Ostfeld, MD, MSc, FACC, preventive cardiologist in New York City

Create a Morning Routine

“To me, physical fitness doesn’t change because the weather around us has changed. It’s more about developing habits and routines than it is about special equipment and gadgets. Try doing some push-ups, crunches, squats, lunges, or planks as soon as you wake up in the morning. If you can make some form of exercise routine, it can become a daily habit, just like brushing your teeth.” —Robert Cheeke, bodybuilder and author of SHRED IT!

Build a Bumpin’ Playlist

“Regular exercise is a powerful way to boost your gut health, and these three things are helping me enhance both my muscles and my microbes: an exercise ball, my Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, and some great music. Exercise is a simple concept; we just need to move our body (cardio) and work against gravity (weight-bearing). Fire up some great music and just go to town on push-ups, crunches, curls, and burpees.” —Will Bulsiewicz, MD, MSCI, gastroenterologist and author of Fiber Fueled

Embrace What Feels Fun

“Staying active in the winter months is all about finding activities you really enjoy—sometimes I don’t feel like going running bundled up in my hat, gloves, and a winter coat, but I really enjoy active walks in addition to sledding with my kids, ice skating, and snowboarding. I also try to stand up as much as possible while working, and I make sure to take stretching breaks throughout the day to keep moving inside.”—Micaela Karlson, PHD, MSPH, author or A Plant-Based Life and contributor to Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health

Try a Slower Pace

“Although we see countless gym and fitness challenges in the new year, the energetics of winter call us to pull back and conserve our strength. It’s the most yin time of year, so it’s helpful to moderate exercise routines and include more restorative practices such as yoga. Of course movement is still beneficial, and my daily routine includes fascial release through engaged stretching.”—Dreena Burton, author of six plant-based cookbooks including Dreena’s Kind Kitchen: 100+ Whole-Foods Vegan Recipes to Enjoy Every Day

Turn Cardio Into a TV Treat

“Stream your shows while doing cardio. My trick to an easy 30 minutes on the elliptical machine is that I save that time for watching my favorite TV shows and movies. I streamed the entire series of White Lotus while exercising…45 minutes would fly by! It’s also really fun to have adventure-type shows to watch while working out. The Amazing Race, Welcome to Earth, and Living on the Edge are all shows about pushing your limits which is really motivating for getting that heart rate pumping!”—Katie Simmons, plant-based chef

The post How Plant-Based Experts Stay Fit All Winter Long (No Gym Membership Required) appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

As one of the world’s most iconic sports festivals, the Mr. America competition calls to mind images of top-tier athletes with tan, oiled skin holding angular poses that show off their perfectly ripped bodies. Now, a team of elite athletes is determined to transform the world-famous competition into a platform for plant-based excellence.

Enter the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team—composed of 26 members from around the world—which will take the stage Oct. 7–9 in Atlantic City and represent the sports of bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, kettlebell sport, and CrossFit.

“Dani Taylor and I formed the PlantBuilt team in 2015 with one mission: to once and for all dispel the myth that vegans are weak and scrawny,” says co-founder Giacomo Marchese, who will compete in the Men’s Open and Masters 40+ bodybuilding divisions.

Taylor and Marchese reached out to friends in the community to gauge their interest in participating, and the first Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team was born. At the Naturally Fit Games, a multisport expo in Austin, Texas, they commanded the stage in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017.

“While we represented 10 percent of the competition, PlantBuilt managed to take home 80 percent of the trophies,” Marchese says. Sara Lee broke a world record in kettlebell; Kody Kowalowski placed first in CrossFit; Torre Washington won the overall in bodybuilding, beating out every bodybuilder in every division; Marchese and Daniel Austin had perfect scores in powerlifting, and both placed first in their weight classes. “Records were broken in several sports, and there were many more gold, silver, and bronze placings across the board over the years,” he says.

Since then, the team has competed at two additional events, expanding its team to include more strength-based athletes—and always spreading the message of cruelty-free muscle.

Setting a Precedent

“We are headed to the Mr. America All-American Sports Festival to set a precedent and take home as many medals as possible,” Marchese says. “Our goal is to demonstrate that athletes can be competitive and compassionate at the highest level of sports, fueled solely by plants.”

Jenny Harrison, who will be competing in the bikini bodybuilding professional division, says the team serves as a public display of vegan strength and athleticism. “There’s this preconceived notion that vegans are weak and frail,” she says. “We want to show the world that you can build muscle just like the strongest animals that roam the earth.”

After losing her father to a heart attack 11 years ago, Harrison became interested in learning how to live a healthier lifestyle. “Veganism kept coming up again and again, and that was around the same time the Forks Over Knives documentary came out,” she recalls. “It was kind of this perfect storm that made me think, Oh, I gotta go vegan.”

Plants Have All the Protein You Need

Despite their impressive form and athletic achievements, members of the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team report facing the same query that many vegan athletes and vegans in general hear: “Where do you get your protein?”

“This one doesn’t seem to be able to be put to bed,” Marchese says. “I get it. As with any dietary shift, there will be some fear and uncertainty. The truth is, you can get more than enough protein to meet your needs as a highly competitive bodybuilder or strength athlete from plants. Once you are familiar with plant-based foods, it’s actually quite easy. Plants have all the protein you need.”

In fact, ditching meat and dairy may provide athletes with a competitive edge. Whole plant foods offer not only dense nutrients but anti-inflammatory properties that help fight injuries.

“Strength comes from being able to perform, recover, and train consistently,” Marchese explains. “When I went vegan 18 years ago, my recovery time improved. Even when I’m deep in competition prep for my next bodybuilding season, I can easily train upward of seven days in a row while still recovering well. In the off-season, I can train up to two weeks in a row without rest.”

The team’s ultimate goal, he says, is to “represent for the animals, for the environment, and to show what compassionate, healthy bodies can truly do. We are fueled by the healthiest foods… and for the right reasons.”

Results

The Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team scored a total of 18 medals at the 2022 Mr. America competition: eight first-place, five second-place, and five third-place.

• Breaking the Australian masters bench press record, Noah Hannibal pressed a whopping 182.5 kg (402.34 lb.) in the 125 kg Men’s Masters Bench Only Raw to take first place.
• Americans Nick Squires and Ndem Nkem won their respective divisions in the 100 kg and 140 kg Men’s Open Raw category.
• Powerlifter Katya Gorbacheva earned second in the 75 kg Women’s Open Raw
• Brittany Billings earned second in the 82.5 kg Women’s Open Raw.
• Daniel Austin placed third place in the 82.5 kg Men’s Open Raw.
• Kettlebell competitor Scott Green earned two first-place wins in the 5-minute long cycle and the 5-minute snatch.
• Kettlebell competitor Kelly Green won first in the 5-minute snatch.
• Sally Anderson took first place in the women’s masters division of CrossFit.
• Sophie Brock took second place in the Women’s RX.
• Kody Kowalowski earned third in the Men’s RX in CrossFit.
• Nadege Corcoran earned first place in both the Women’s Bikini Open and the Women’s Bikini Masters.
• Ed Bauer earned second place in the Men’s Physique Master
• Tiffany Burich placed second in Women’s Figure Masters.
• Giacomo Marchese took home two bronze medals in Men’s Bodybuilding Open and Men’s Bodybuilding Masters.

Photo by Doc List Photography

The post World’s Largest Team of Vegan Strength Athletes Set to Compete at 2022 Mr. America Competition appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

From Chris Paul to Venus Williams to the Tennessee Titans, more and more pro athletes have been going plant-based in recent years. Now the movement appears poised to catch on in America’s oldest professional sport. We spoke with Ryan Sherriff, a 32-year-old relief pitcher currently with the Philadelphia Phillies organization, about ditching animal products, pitching in the World Series, and navigating the ups and downs of life as a pro ball player.

Last year, you sparked a conversation about mental health in baseball when you opened up about your struggles with anxiety. What drove you to speak out?

There’s a lot of stigma around mental health issues, especially for guys, who often worry about seeming weak. I think being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength. And I know there are a lot of athletes out there who struggle with the same things I do—dealing with perfectionism, struggling to have a job, living their life in the unknown, like we do in baseball.

What inspired you to go plant-based?

I was flipping through documentaries on Netflix, and I found The Game Changers. I’ve always been interested in health and nutrition, so I put it on while I was cleaning—and then I just got sucked in. I’d been feeling really lethargic. I was getting sick a lot and didn’t know why. I was eating a lot of steak, a lot of chicken, a lot of eggs, and I always felt gross. My strength wasn’t up. I was with the [Tampa Bay] Rays at the time, and when the documentary ended I texted the team registered dietitian, “What do you think about going plant-based?” She said she was all for it and that she’d send me everything I needed … articles, etc. So I had really good resources.

Have you noticed changes since making the switch?

My strength is through the roof now, and I can last forever in my workouts. My recovery is great. But the biggest takeaway for me is that my mood changed. So I did some research on that, and found out that something like 90 percent of your serotonin is [produced] in your gut. I think having that good bacteria in there has made a big difference. Before, I was always a little cloudy, a little foggy, a little angry. Now, I’m much more Zen.

How have other players responded?

The biggest question I get is, “Where do you get your protein?” I tell them to go to the grocery store, pick out a can of beans, and look at the Nutrition Facts on the back: Half a cup of beans has about 6 to 8 grams of protein. So you put a full cup in your bowl and you’re already getting 16 grams of protein just from a cup of beans. Add to that a little bit of lentils, and you’re easily at 30 grams, just with one meal. … I always thought that you had to eat meat for protein, but I was totally wrong.

What was it like to pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series?

Highlight of my career so far, 100 percent—that was better than my major league debut. I could not feel my legs, to be honest. But it was a super cool experience. And what made it even cooler was pitching against [my hometown team] the Dodgers. I loved it. I brought my best friends out from LA for all six games.

Staying Centered

Pitching in the majors means performing at your best under extreme pressure. To stay grounded on and off the field, Sherriff relies on two daily practices.

Journaling

When Sherriff was going through a rough patch in 2019, a team sports psychologist gave him a journal. Not a fan of writing, Sherriff says he was reluctant to accept the gift. “But he encouraged me to just start with ‘I am thinking about…’” says Sherriff, “and then to write down everything that came into my head.” He found the approach freeing. “Now I love journaling. It helps bring me into the present moment. I’ve noticed that I’ll often start out writing down negative thoughts, but by the time I’m done, it’s flowing toward positive thoughts.”

Meditation

Sherriff estimates that over the past few years, he’s logged 100 hours meditating. He prefers guided meditations, which he finds on YouTube and through apps such as Headspace and Breethe. “I especially love Breethe, because it has short, five-minute guided meditations and guided meditations with different focuses: abundance, gratitude, relaxation, etc.”

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

The post Pitch Perfect: Relief Pitcher Ryan Sherriff on Going Plant-Based, Managing Big-League Stress appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

How do plant-based athletes eat for peak energy, performance, and recovery? And what can the rest of us learn from their experience?

Competitive athletes Robert Cheeke and Matt Frazier, co-authors of The Plant-Based Athlete, are living proof that the human body doesn’t need meat, eggs, or dairy to be strong. In this free Forks Over Knives webinar, Cheeke and Frazier will answer audience questions and discuss how a consciously calibrated plant-based diet offers the best possible recovery times, injury prevention, and restorative sleep, allowing athletes—and anyone who is active—to train more effectively with better results.

WATCH THE REPLAY

Originally aired July 19, 2022

The post Webinar Replay: The Truth About Protein, and Other Secrets of Plant-Based Athletes, with Robert Cheeke & Matt Frazier appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

I’ve been following a plant-based diet for more than 25 years, and though my nutrition plan has changed and evolved a lot over the years, one consistent theme throughout my decades of plant-based eating has been a foundation of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains.

By the time I became plant-based in December 1995, as a sophomore in high school, I was already a five-sport athlete. Today, I work out at the gym about four days a week (primarily weight-training), along with daily dog walks and the occasional hike. For the past 26 consecutive years, I have been a plant-based athlete.

When I became plant-based, as a teenager, I didn’t have a whole lot of variety in my diet, for some obvious reasons, including not having a lot of my own money, not doing my own grocery shopping, and not having discovered many of the foods that I would come to enjoy. When I got into my 20s, I experienced international cuisine for the first time, from Indian to Thai to Ethiopian food, and developed my own preferences for many foods I had never tried until that point. I also got into competitive bodybuilding during my 20s, which had an influence on my nutrition program, too, as I started dabbling in sports supplements, such as protein powders, protein bars, branched chain amino acids, creatine, omega-3 essential fatty acids, and meal replacement shakes.

When I was in my 30s, I had the opportunity to work for the groundbreaking health-focused documentary Forks Over Knives, which dramatically influenced my diet. The experience led me to shift my focus toward whole plant foods, and ultimately it encouraged me to discontinue sports supplements.

After I retired from competitive bodybuilding and embraced long-distance running, my body weight fluctuated quite a bit as I adjusted my calorie intake based on my evolving fitness goals. I haven’t used sports supports or had any particular emphasis on high-protein foods in more than 10 years.

What I Eat Today

Some of my meal plans are idealistic and aspirational, and I don’t always follow them precisely, but the foundation of what I eat on a regular basis is always fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains, with some nuts and seeds. I like to prepare batches of various staple foods (like rice, potatoes, tofu, etc.) once per week, as I’m able to use these foods for numerous meals. I find that it’s easy to mix up the meals to keep a variety of flavors, even with the same base ingredients.

My Typical Menu

I eat three meals a day, with healthy snacks in between. These days, a sample day of eating might look like this.

Breakfast

• Oatmeal with mixed berries and walnuts
• 1 cup fruit (raspberries, blackberries, watermelon, cherries, or other seasonal fruit)
• 12 ounces water
• Vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D supplement

I try to eat as many servings of fruit as possible each day, so I like to start strong right when I wake up, eating a cup of fresh fruit on its own and stirring some berries into my oatmeal. Oatmeal is also fiber-rich, which helps keep me full through the morning.

Morning Snack

• 2 bananas with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 12 ounces water

Mid-morning, I like to have some more fruit with a little nut butter, to hold me over until lunch.

Lunch

• Burrito bowl (brown rice, black beans, pinto beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado, salsa)
• Small leafy green salad
• 12 ounces water

Burrito bowls are as close to a perfect meal as I can think of. They combine legumes, grains, vegetables, and fruit (avocado) into a nutrient-dense, calorie-sufficient meal that is tasty and satiating. And it’s easy to switch up the ingredients, using up whatever veggies and grains I have on hand. Often I’ll use quinoa in place of brown rice. Sometimes I sprinkle on a little nutritional yeast.

Afternoon Snack

• 1 cup fruit (grapes, pineapple, blueberries, cantaloupe, or strawberries)

Snacking on more fruit after lunch helps me stay hydrated and energized through the afternoon. Berries are my favorite.

Dinner

• Veggie stir-fry (e.g., tofu with brown rice, broccoli, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, snow peas, and zucchini)
• Salad with mixed greens, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cucumbers, nutritional yeast, and oil-free or low-oil dressing
• 12 ounces water

Like the burrito bowl, the stir-fry offers a highly customizable meal that can take on many flavors, and is a good way to pack in nutrients while using up leftover ingredients. Learn how to stir-fry without oil.

Dessert

• ½ cup frozen mango
• 1 cup cherries

Frozen mango makes for an ultra-sweet, ice cream–like treat and is especially delicious in the summer. And I never grow tired of cherries. If I could eat fresh cherries year round, I probably would.

This is just one sample day of eating, and it didn’t even include one of my favorite foods, which is potatoes, nor did it include lentils, or some other staples, which goes to show how versatile and tasty a plant-based diet can be, providing a wide variety of different types of vitamin- and mineral-rich, high-antioxidant, and high-fiber foods that are good for human health, for animals, and for our planet.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

The post Robert Cheeke Shares His Successful Vegan Bodybuilding Diet appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

How did you first get interested in bodybuilding?

Ronnie Penn: I started in 2013 when I was deployed in Afghanistan. I wasn’t very healthy at that time and was eating a lot of meat. A buddy of mine suggested I work toward doing a men’s physique show to help me get back in shape. I started eating a lot more plant-based meals, and I noticed I was shredding more body fat at a quicker pace. I did my first show in 2015 at the NPC Fresno Classic Championship and won my class, the open, and the overall. A few weeks after that I won again at the San Francisco Championship and qualified for nationals. [Editor’s note: The National Physique Committee (NPC) is the largest amateur bodybuilding organization in the U.S.]

When did you make the switch to a fully plant-based diet? 

RP: After qualifying for nationals I started having internal issues that couldn’t be diagnosed, like dizzy spells and heart palpitations. I started doing research and everything pointed to a plant-based lifestyle as the answer to just about every major health issue. So I went 100 percent vegan right from the start. I don’t know if it’s because of my military background, but going “cold turkey” didn’t bother me. I had a real sense of determination, it was like I was on a mission. I had to heal myself whatever it took. Within the first couple of weeks I started noticing my body changing for the better. Everything started coming back—my workouts, my breathing, my symptoms started going away, and after six months I was almost fully recovered.

How has your success as a plant-based bodybuilder inspired others?

RP: I went back into the Coast Guard in 2017 as a vegan. The job I wanted wasn’t available but they had an open position for a chef. So they sent me to culinary school and I modified every dish I learned to make it plant-based. I was the first chef in the Coast Guard that offered a vegan option on the boat to the whole crew. In one patrol, lots of the guys were going to fail their physical fitness test so I had them sign up for a 100 percent plant-based diet during our 90-day patrol. Every single person lost between 15 to 25 pounds and passed their physical.

What do you typically eat in a day?

RP: I always start the morning with a smoothie and a bowl of oatmeal with fruit. Throughout the day I snack on nuts and more fruit, and then most of my lunch and dinner meals are some combination of quinoa, lentils, and a bunch of stir-fried veggies. I love making curries from scratch and changing up the spices to get new flavors every time.

What is your favorite aspect of being a personal trainer? 

RP: I love to teach people about plant-based nutrition because I think we’re often blinded by the marketing of the fitness world. Most of the things we think we should do to build muscle just aren’t true. It’s really exciting when my clients connect the dots and begin to see that eating vegan is just as good for our environment, society, and animals as it is for their fitness. 

What’s next for you? 

RP: Right now I’m in school at the Police Academy and am focusing on my online personal training. But I’m also working with a friend of mine to build a plant-based fitness app! I’m providing all the meal plans and recipes for it. As far as bodybuilding competition goes, I might do a Master’s competition down the road but I’ve gotten to the point where competing isn’t really my motive anymore. My main goal is to educate others and spread awareness of how eating plant-based can benefit you both in and outside the gym.

Muscle-Building Myths

Penn shares some of the biggest muscle-building myths that he’s busted since going vegan.

Myth 1: “You need 1.8 grams of protein per body pound to gain muscle.”

Truth: “You don’t need that much protein,” Penn explains. “In order to develop good muscle size, your body needs protein and a good amount of  carbs—complex carbs, that is. Your muscles need energy for intense strength training, which initiates the building process.”

Myth 2: “Lifting heavy weights makes you bigger.”

Truth: “Muscles get their size from how you feed them and rest them. As long as you focus on form (not the weight) during a workout, the muscle will break down so it can rebuild,” says Penn. “If big muscles are your goal, eat a higher volume of nutrient-dense foods and schedule rest days so your body can catch up with all the work you’re putting in.

Myth 3: “Women shouldn’t lift heavy.”

Truth: “For women, lifting heavy weights will get the best results for any goal,” says Penn. “Lifting heavy will not make you bulky (for women or men). Remember, size comes from a high-calorie diet. When you’re eating a balanced plant-based diet, lifting heavy burns more calories so the muscles will get toned instead of bulky.”

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.

The post Bodybuilder and U.S. Marine Veteran Ronnie Penn Sees Big Gains After Going Vegan appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

What prompted you to switch to a plant-based diet four years ago? 

Heather Mitts: Another couple [and] my husband and I were supposed to watch What the Health together. They went to bed; I stayed up to watch it. And I woke up the next morning plant-based.

What was it about the film that spoke to you?

HM: I was Paleo [at the time]—I was eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, plus [seafood and] organic, wild, grass-fed meats—and the film mentioned that dietary saturated fats from fatty meats cause the artery-clogging process known as atherosclerosis. That’s what got me to make the switch. 

Did you notice any changes after making the switch? 

HM: A little over two weeks in, I felt lethargic. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could push through, and then suddenly, the burst of energy kicked in. I’d never felt better in my life. I still work out six days a week—I was doing four to five days of CrossFit but am training for my first marathon, so I’ve been running a lot more lately—and I’m recovering quicker these days. 

How are you incorporating the plant-based message into your coaching?  

HM: I have an [online coaching platform] called Train Like Legends, which is a sport-specific strength and conditioning app for young female athletes. The app includes plant-based nutritional tips.

What made you decide to team up with Switch4Good?

HM: About two years ago, Dotsie [Bausch] approached me, and I learned a lot about its mission, her personal success story, and the goals of the organization. Since ditching dairy, I have noticed a positive change in my health and overall well-being, and I wanted to help educate others, athletes included, that dairy shouldn’t be considered a health food, because it’s highly inflammatory. Besides, it’s easier than ever to find a nondairy replacement for everything you love. 

Are you raising your three kids plant-based?

HM: I cook plant-based meals at home during the week for my kids, who are 3, 5, and 7, and although my husband has a different school of thought, he has cut his meat consumption since watching Cowspiracy. We all are dairy-free, though. Kids are picky, which makes it harder, but I’ve found that introducing small portions with lots of sauces and salad dressings and being persistent is key. I don’t have a lot of snacks in my house, but I cut up fruit or veggies for them as snacks and lay them out. And whenever they say they’re hungry, I tell them to grab a piece of fruit. 

What are your favorite plant-based meals?  

HM: I love lentil dal, lentil lasagna, Buffalo-cauliflower tacos, chickpea tuna-less salad, sweet potato curry, veggie wraps with balsamic glaze, and falafel. I’m also a big smoothie fan.  

What message would you send to athletes about why they should consider plant-based eating?

HM: Everyone could benefit from more fruits and veggies in their lives. I wish I could have experienced this level of energy and the ability to recover quicker when I was playing soccer!  

What do you miss most about competing? 

HM: I miss playing, but I miss the camaraderie even more. The marathon I’m doing is merely to have a chance to be reunited with some of my former teammates.

Heather Mitts’ Tips for Going Plant-Based

Making the break from animal products and highly processed foods will be easier if you follow this advice from Mitts.

• Have a Game Plan: Rather than going it alone, Mitts recommends enlisting the help of a plant-based meal planner for at least the first month. “It can make the transition easier and offer inspiration,” she says.
• Anticipate Challenges: The standard American diet is loaded with added salt and refined sugar, and you may experience something like withdrawal after removing these unhealthy foods from your diet, but hang in there says Mitts, who experienced a major burst of energy in the third week after going plant-based.
• Dine Smart: If you plan to dine at a restaurant, call beforehand to make sure they have a whole-food, plant-based option for you. “A lot of times, I eat before [going to a restaurant], just in case,” Mitts says. She recommends having healthful snacks on hand as backup. 

Photo by Herald Post, CC 2.0

The post Catching Up with 3-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Heather Mitts appeared first on Forks Over Knives.