A vegan diet contains only food from plants, including whole grains and plant proteins. A vegan does not consume food from animal and dairy products or eggs. Due to its ability to reduce risks factors for certain health conditions, a vegan diet is a favorite for bodybuilders. Below is everything you need to know about the vegan diet for bodybuilders, including the meal plans.
The vegan diet has many health benefits to your body, including reduced risk of chronic diseases and reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. It has risen in popularity because many people love its health benefits and the ethical treatment of animals. Bodybuilders and athletes use vegan diets because of the reduced risk of the health above issues. Is a vegan diet essential in weight loss? This article provides detailed information about the vegan diet.
Types of Vegan Diet
There are different varieties of a vegan diet. They include whole food vegan diet, 80/10/10 vegan diet, raw food vegan diet, the thrived diet, raw till 4, the starch solution, and junk food vegan diet. In this article, commonly used vegan diets are discussed below.
The Starch Solution
A low-fat, high carbs plant-based diet focuses on consuming whole grains products, beans, vegetables, potatoes, and fruits cooked. This diet excludes all processed, non-animal products, less sugar, and whole foods.
Raw Food Diet
This diet excludes all processed foods of animal origin. Raw fruits, whole grains, legumes, and vegetables or cooked food below 47 degrees are included.
Junky Food Vegan Diet
These are highly processed food such as mock meat, cheese, fries, and vegan desserts from the science lab.
Execution of The Diet
To implement a vegan diet, you need proper planning of meals to include. Bodybuilder diet includes staple food. To start a vegan diet of a bodybuilder, you need to have a variety of food and ingredient required as many vegan recipes demand to have several plantitems. The Items includes beans, legumes, quinoa, soy products, meat substitute, calcium-fortified plant, spirulina, vegan proteins powder, and amaranth.
Fill the Diet with High Protein Plant Foods
Proteins help to repair and build up new tissues. Additionally, protein allows metabolic reactions to take place and provides your body with a structural framework. In the process, proteins build strong muscles. Plant proteins do not contain full essential amino acids. Therefore, different types of food plants contain protein to be consumed to meet all essential amino acids. Eating various plants with proteins will help you gain the full essential amino acids required for buildup muscles.
Moderate Fats in Diet
Fats are a good source of energy as compared to protein and carbs. In 1 gram of food, fat gives twice the number of calories compared to carbs and protein. The daily value intake of fats for bodybuilders is 0.5g per pound of body weight. For a bodybuilder, track your daily intake of micronutrients to ensure you meet your daily nutrients.
High Intake of Fluids
Bodybuilders consume very high fruits, protein, carbs, vegetables, grains, legumes, and fiber. An increase of all these nutrients may lead to health complications such as abdominal pain, flatulence, and bloating. To reduce these risks, you need to include a high intake of water in your diet. Fluids help in the good absorption of nutrients, thermoregulation, dehydration, and many more.
Foods to Include in Diet
There is plenty of food plant rich in nutrients required to build a vegan diet, and this includes nut butter, avocado, quinoa, tahini, olive oil, dried fruits, seeds, calcium-fortified plant milk and yogurt, algae, sprouted and fermented plant foods, whole grains, nutritional yeast, legumes, vegetables, sweet potatoes, smoothies, rice, and coconut oil.
Food Not to Include in Diet
Vegans do not eat any animal products or food derived from an animal. This type of food includes eggs, meat, dairy, bee products, animal-based ingredients, poultry, seafood, and fish.
Benefits of Vegan Bodybuilding Diet
This diet is rich in fruits and vegetables and is linked to several health benefits. Most commonly known is reducing weight and many more. Below are some of the health benefits:
Lower Risks of Heart Diseases
Vegan diet bodybuilders are at lower risk of developing heart diseases and heart attacks. They consume a lot of food plant products low in saturated fat and cholesterol, which in turn they eat more foods with high fiber, carbs, and other plants compounds. High fiber intake has been linked to reducing heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Reduce High Risks of Developing Certain Cancer
Food from plants contains a lot of phytochemicals which are essential to prevent body cell damage. Phytochemicals also have anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce cells inflammation. A high intake of food plants rich in fiber may help to stimulate the production of certain hormones responsible for cancer.
Weight Loss
A vegan diet comprises plant-based food. There is a low intake of fats and a high intake of fiber. Less consumption of fats and cholesterol leads to more conversion of body fats into energy. On the other hand, fiber helps to transport excess cholesterol from the bloodstream resulting in weight loss.
Meal Plan
For a vegan bodybuilder, here is a simple meal plan for 3 days.
Monday
- Breakfast: overnight oats made with fruits, lettuce, chia seed, and nuts.
- Lunch: quinoa salads, seitan sauerkraut sandwich.
- Dinner: side salad and amaranth.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: mango and spinach, fortified plant milk.
- Lunch: baked tofu sandwich with sides of tomato salads.
- Dinner: veggie sushi rolls, miso soups, edamame, and wakame salad.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: whole-grain toast, banana, and fortified plant yogurt.
- Lunch: tofu vegan quiche with a side of sautéed mustard greens.
- Dinner: tempeh stir-fry with bok choy and broccoli.
Sides Effects of Vegan Diet
A vegan diet contains several side effects such as digestive tract issues, poor functioning of the hormone, risks of vitamin B deficiency, and high depression because of low intake of nutrients. Effects include:
Law Energy Intake and Underweight
Plant-based food is not as rich in calories as animal-based foods. This leads to fewer calories in your body. Plant-based food rich in fiber tends to reduce cholesterol levels in the body. Therefore, the body converts more fats into calories for energy production, resulting to underweight.
Lack of Iron
Plant food contains iron but in low quantity. Few irons in the body are not well absorbed into the bloodstream resulting in poor production of blood.
The Bottom Line
Vegan people avoid animal products and tend to follow plant-based food. This can lead to the limitation of some essential nutrients and increase their need. To implement a vegan diet, including all plant-based foods rich in different amino acids to meet the need of bodybuilders. Inadequate intake of all essential nutrients may result in malnutrition.
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