Table of Contents

Introduction: Why a Plant Based Diet Could Be Key to Improving

Your Fitness ..................................................................................... 3

Should You Go Mediterranean? ...................................................... 3

Why Not Go Vegan or Vegetarian? ................................................. 4

But How Can You Stay Fit & Active on a Plant-Based Diet? ............ 4

What is Wrong with Meat? ............................................................... 5

The Protein Myth .............................................................................. 6

The Importance of Protein ............................................................. 6

How Much Do We Really Need? ...................................................... 6

Complete vs. Incomplete Protein ................................................... 7

Maintaining a Healthy Weight on a Plant-Based Diet ........................ 8

Potential Plant-Based Diet Pitfalls ................................................. 8

Inspirational Plant-Based Athletes ................................................. 10

A Guide to Plant Based Protein Powders and Other Supplements

Common to a Plant-Based Lifestyle ................................................ 14

Vegetarian Powders: ................................................................... 14

Vegan Powders: ........................................................................... 15

Nutrient and Vitamin Supplements for All Plant-Based Eaters ........ 16

Your Plant-Based Fitness Nutrition Plan ......................................... 17

Is Bodybuilding Possible on a Plant Based Diet? ............................ 19

Getting Started ............................................................................... 20

Introduction: Why a Plant Based Diet Could Be Key
to Improving Your Fitness

Could switching to a plant-based diet once and for all deliver the health and
fitness rewards you have been looking for? Is plant-based eating the simple
key to weight loss and healthy body weight management? To look and feel
strong, young, healthy, fit and sexy, is it as easy as eating more fruits,
vegetables and whole grains?

If you eat predominantly processed, manufactured foods, the answer

appears to be yes. There is plenty of fact-based evidence, research and
human proof that eating predominantly fruits, vegetables and whole grains
is extremely healthy for human beings.

Should You Go Mediterranean?

One of the most popular plant-based approaches to nutrition is called the

Mediterranean diet. The Mayo Clinic is a globally recognized source of health
and nutrition advice. Their research points out that the Mediterranean diet is
extremely heart healthy. Benefits from this approach to eating include a
healthy reduction in the risk of contracting heart disease and cancer, as well
as a reduced incidence rate of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating primarily plant food. You use
herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor your meals, replace butter with
healthy fats such as olive oil, and eat fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts
and legumes. This is just one plant-based diet which has been proven time
and again to deliver substantial health rewards.
Why Not Go Vegan or Vegetarian?

The Mediterranean diet allows for eating fish and seafood. You could adopt a
stricter plant-based approach to how you eat. Vegetarians don't eat any
animals, but some believe eggs and dairy products are allowable. A strict
vegetarian is called a vegan, and will not eat, wear or purchase any product
or byproduct made from an animal, eating only plant-based foods.

What are the benefits of becoming a vegetarian or vegan? You reduce your
risk of developing chronic degenerative diseases such as high blood
pressure, diabetes, some cancers, obesity and coronary artery disease. You
also have plenty of healthy energy, your hair and skin looks and feels young
and healthy, and you live longer than those on a predominantly processed
food diet.

But How Can You Stay Fit & Active on a Plant-Based Diet?

Whichever plant-based diet you may choose, the main question is whether
you can actually stay fit and active on a plant-based diet. The answer
is YES it is more than possible. In fact, many people find their health and
fitness improves when they adopt this new diet. And this guide will teach
you how.
What is Wrong with Meat?
One of the big problems with eating meat is how the animals that end up on
your plate are treated. From cradle to grave, the treatment of animals in
factory farms is cruel and sadistic. Since plant-based foods deliver
everything the human body needs in the way of nutrition, we could abolish
inhumane and abominable animal harvesting practices tomorrow.

There are also personal reasons to kick meat to the curb, or at least limit its
consumption. With the exception of wild caught fish like salmon, and
organic, grass-fed lean meats such as chicken, the consumption of meat is
tied in some research to higher rates of cancer, heart problems and chronic
diseases. So going plant-based, for the most part, if not all the way, is good
for your fitness and health.

Consider if you will the following benefits of a plant-based diet. Then we will
take a look at some inspirational and successful athletes who have
accomplished some amazing physical feats by adopting this approach to
nutrition.

• Healthy weight loss

• All day energy
• Reduction in the risk of contracting arthritis and diabetes
• Less chronic pain and inflammation
• Healthy cardiovascular system
• Less cancer
• Fewer occurrences of mental diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
• Lower rate of overweight and obesity
• A healthy immune system
• Better memory
• A longer life
The Protein Myth
The main concern that most people have over adopting a plant-based diet is
the fact that plants do not deliver as much protein, on average, as meat.
However, it is still easy to get plenty of protein for a plant-based diet. Plants
such as beans, asparagus, broccoli, artichoke and watercress deliver from 3
to more than 15 g of protein per serving. So the average individual can get
plenty of protein on a plant-based diet.

The Importance of Protein

Protein is an essential part of any diet, so it’s important that we get enough
(just how much enough really means, though, may come as a surprise!)

Protein is an important part of every cell in our body. Our hair, nails,
muscles etc. are all made of different types of protein. These different
proteins are made up of various amino acids, and different foods contain
different types of these amino acides.

How Much Do We Really Need?

Many current diet fads are extremely high in protein (like the low carb or
Paleo diets), however many of us consume more than our bodies really
need.

Our bodies do need protein – just like they need carbs and fats – but not in
excessive amounts.

Here are the current USDA guidelines for protein (found at

http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2010/)

• Children aged 1-3 years: 5-20% of total daily calories

• Children aged 5-18 years: 10-30% of daily calories
• Adults aged 19 and over: 10-35% of daily calories

To make this clearer, know that eating a single 8-ounce steak will be more
than the daily requirement in one go.

And it’s important to consider what comes along with the protein. That 8-
ounce steak, for example, will also come with a lot of saturated fat. Instead,
you could easily meet your protein requirements from servings of tofu or
legumes.
Complete vs. Incomplete Protein

The one thing to be aware of when it comes to getting protein from a plant
based diet is the difference between complete and incomplete protein.

We mentioned earlier that the different types of protein in the body are
made up of different combinations of amino acids. In total there are 9 amino
acids in total, and a complete protein contains all 9 of these. Animal
sources of protein are complete proteins.

Plant-based sources of protein, on the other hand, are usually incomplete

proteins meaning that they only contain some of the 9 amino acids.

This is not a problem for those that wish to adopt a plant-based diet! It
simply means you need to eat a few different sources of plant-based diet to
ensure you have all the amino acids covered. You can also include some of
the few plant-based foods that are complete proteins.

Examples of complete plant-based proteins:

• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Soy beans and tofu
• Seitan

Examples of incomplete plant-based proteins:

• Nuts
• Seeds
• Legumes
• Beans
• Vegetables

It’s easy to combine foods to create complete proteins, such as having

hummus and pita, rice and beans or a peanut butter sandwich!
Maintaining a Healthy Weight on a Plant-Based Diet
Whether you want to lose weight or gain muscle, this is entirely possible on
a plant-based diet. In fact, many people find that adopting this kind of diet
improves their health!

The principles are exactly the same as for any other diet: eat balanced
meals full of plenty of vegetables, avoid processed food as much as possible,
and lead an active lifestyle! The only thing that changes is some of the
ingredients you put into your food. And it may take a little time for you to
keep track of what you’re eating to make sure your diet is balanced.

Potential Plant-Based Diet Pitfalls

Junk Food

Warning: it is possible to eat junk food on a plant-based diet! Just because

certain foods don’t contain animal products, it doesn’t mean they are
automatically healthy!

Plant-based diets full of fried potatoes, sugar and salt are not going to help
you meet your health and fitness goals. If you eat these kinds of foods
regularly, it’s easy to eat too many calories.
Under-eating

On the flip side, some people choose only to eat mainly raw fruits and
vegetables. This can be great for health, but if you adopt this kind of plant-
based diet then you need to understand that it takes a lot of fruit and
vegetables to ensure you consume enough calories. Underfeeding your body
may seem like a good idea to lose weight, but it won’t lead to healthy,
lasting results!

Deficiencies

Lastly, remember that it is possible to have deficiencies whether you are

plant-based or not. Many women, for example, are prone to iron-deficiency
anemia. If you’re not watching what you eat, this may be slightly more likely
on a plant-based diet. This is easily avoided by incorporating a few iron-rich
foods into your diet (such as pumpkin seeds, tofu or beans).

It’s also important to incorporate a few key supplements into your plant-
based diet, which we will cover later in this guide.
Inspirational Plant-Based Athletes
Detractors of a plant-based nutritional approach point to its lack of protein
as its biggest negative. Never mind the fact that this proclamation is
unfounded, those naysayers of plant-based eating continue their diatribe,
claiming that this precludes any serious athletic achievements if you eat
nothing but healthy plants.

As usual, plant-based haters are not only incorrect in this assumption, they
are miles off base. There are thousands of plant-based athletes that
compete at the top levels of their respective sports. The following short list
of successful athletes gives you just a glimpse of the type of physical athletic
performance that a plant-based diet can deliver.

• Martina Navratilova

The women's tennis Hall of Famer racked up an amazing 18 singles titles

and 31 doubles championships, records that still stand today. She is one of
the greatest women's tennis players of all time, thanks to a plant-based diet.

• Dave Scott

This triathlete is tied for the most Ironman World Championship victories of
all time. He won his 6 world titles while enjoying a plant-based diet. The
Ironman requires a 26.2 mile marathon run, 112 mile bike ride and 2.4 mile
swim.
 • Scott Jurek

A marathon sounds long at 26.2 miles, and it is. Plant-based runner Scott
Jurek is an ultrarunner. An ultramarathon, by definition, is any race distance
longer than a marathon. Jurek is one of the premier ultra runners in the
world, winning both trail and road races often 30, 50 or even 100 miles in
length.

• Michael Arnstein

Also an ultrarunner, Arnstein eats an incredible 30 pounds of fruit each and

every day. He also runs at least 15 miles ... twice every day. He says he was
an average ultrarunner before going vegan, and claims that the plant-based
move is what elevated him to elite, world class ultranner status.

• Carl Lewis

In 1991, Carl Lewis was preparing for the track and field World
Championships as a runner. He decided to adopt a plant-based diet. 1991
saw Lewis's most successful track performance of his career. He stuck to a
plant-based diet, won 9 gold medals and was named ABC's Wide World of
Sports Athlete of the Year.

• Jim Morris

There is no better argument for plant-based athletic achievement at the

world-class level than bodybuilder Jim Morris. Morris turned 54 in 1990.
From 1990 through 1996 (aged 54 to 61), he competed in over 60
bodybuilding categories, winning multiple events. While he does not compete
professionally anymore at age 79, he is still renowned for maintaining an
incredible physique.

Seriously, Google "vegan bodybuilder Jim Morris" and you will probably take
up a plant-based lifestyle tomorrow. His famous picture at age 78 posed as
Rodin's Thinking Man may just shame you into getting fit on a plant-based
diet.

• Fiona Oakes

So, you can't compete at a high level of athletic competition on a plant-

based diet? Tell that to Fiona Oakes, owner of 3 world Marathon titles. Not
only is she plant-based, but she is 100% vegan.

• Cam Awesome
Check these awesome accomplishments (sorry, had to go there):

o Former captain of the USA National Boxing Team

o 8 time National Super Heavyweight Boxing Champion
o 3 international boxing gold medals
o Winner of 2 other nationally recognized boxing tournaments

That is pretty impressive for anyone, much less a plant-based athlete. As

Cam says, in his own words, "since being plant-based, I am 23-0 (wins-
losses)" in boxing competitions.

How did Cam arrive at a plant-based approach to nutrition and health? He

says he had a "nightmare" diet and lifestyle of no exercise and lots of fast
food. He says his plant-based diet has led to a shorter recovery time, more
speed and agility, as well as better overall health.

• Jehina Malik

Vegan since the day she was born, Miss Malik has been winning bodybuilding
competitions since she was 19. She claimed the 2013 NPC Eastern USA
Bodybuilding Championships, and has won other numerous and notable
competitions.

• Tim Shieff

You have to be incredibly strong, flexible, agile and have a brain that is
constantly processing your surroundings to do what Mr. Shieff does for a
living. He is a professional free runner. That means he runs, jumps, climbs,
always moving, over buildings, cars and other obstacles in an urban
environment. He says his move to a plant-based diet is the reason why he
won the 2009 World Free Running Championship.

• James Southwood

James bested all competitors during the 2014 Savate World Championships.
In a nice twist, he took the French Kickboxing world title on World Vegan
Day!

• Steph Davis

The only woman to have ever solo free-climbed a 5.11 grade mountain,
Steph claims that her plant-based diet "gives me optimum physical and
mental awareness." She is also a world leading base-jumper and skydiver,
as well as being one of the best free climbers in the world.

• Patrik Baboumian

Patrik is one of the strongest men on the planet. He was crowned the
strongest man in Germany in 2011 in his weight class, the first vegan in
history to accomplish that feat. He also won the European Powerlifting
Championship in 2012.
A Guide to Plant Based Protein Powders and Other
Supplements Common to a Plant-Based Lifestyle

If you are an athlete, like the inspirational individuals you just met, your
protein and needs are going to be a lot higher. You may want to consider a
protein supplement. Let's take a look at some of the top plant-based protein
powders in case this is a need you have. There are 4 major types of protein
powders and shakes:

Vegetarian Powders:

Whey

Whey is derived from milk. If you are adapting a strict, plans only approach,
a whey protein powder is out of the question. Whey protein powders are
considered the most "complete" protein supplements, and they are the most
common in the marketplace.

Casein

Casein is also a milk derivative. This protein supplement is not digested as

quickly as whey powder. Bodybuilders and other athletes choose casein over
whey before bedtime and late at night, since it supplies amino acids
throughout their sleep.
Vegan Powders:

Soy

Vegetarians tend to choose soy protein powders and soy-based shakes (or
rice) over casein and whey protein supplements. Soy more heart-friendly
than the vegetarian options.

Hemp

Hemp protein is now growing in popularity thanks to the fact that it is also a
complete protein.

Rice

A rice-based protein powder is not a true, or complete, protein. It is missing

isoleucine, an essential amino acid. However, as a supplement or
complement to eating lots of protein-rich plant foods, and can deliver even
the most demanding protein needs.
Nutrient and Vitamin Supplements for All Plant-
Based Eaters
Just about everyone, on a plant-based diet or not, should take an Omega-3
supplement. This essential fatty acid is lacking in many diets. Plan on
taking 200 to 300 mg 3 to 5 times a week.

If you don't eat lots of broccoli, kale, mustard greens, collard greens and
fortified plant milks or juices, you should consider a calcium supplement.
Shoot for a total 1,000 mg of calcium per day from your foods and
supplement.

Vitamin B12 is something that every human being should be

supplementing. Aim for a daily supplement of 25 to 100 micrograms, or a
take 1,000 micrograms dose twice a week.

If you get out into the sun daily, your body is producing plenty of vitamin D.
If not, take at least a 600 IU daily vitamin D supplement.

Plant-based eaters can benefit from an iodine supplement that delivers 75

to 150 micrograms, taken 3 or 4 times each week.
Your Plant-Based Fitness Nutrition Plan
There are hundreds of plant-based fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
When you consider variations and strains, you have thousands to choose
from. What you will end up eating on a regular basis may be a little different
than the next plant-based gobbler. So over time, you will create your
favorite recipes and meal variations.

In the meantime, the following plant-

based approach to nutrition will give
you some ideas, tips and techniques so
you can reap the most health rewards.

• Stock up on the following foods.

If all you did was keep plenty of
these foods on hand at all times,
your health would benefit
greatly. They are among the
most nutrient-rich plant-based
foods in the world.

o Watercress
o Chinese cabbage
o Spinach
o Asparagus
o Almonds and walnuts
o Apples
o Bananas
o Flaxseed, pumpkin, sunflower and Chia seeds
o Buckwheat
o Oats
o Quinoa
o Millet
o Mushrooms
o Leaf lettuce
o Parsley
o Romaine lettuce
o Collard, turnip and mustard greens
o Kale
o Black, navy, pinto and lima beans
o Broccoli
o Brussels sprouts
o Cauliflower
o Cabbage
 o Carrots
o Cucumbers
o Eggplant
o Tomatoes
o Lemons
o Strawberries
o Blueberries
o Blackberries
o Sweet potatoes and yams
o Grapefruits, limes and oranges
o Whole grains and whole-grain pastas

• To maximize your exercise, consume protein-rich plant-based foods

between 30 and 60 minutes after working out. Beans, tempeh, seitan,
edamame, lentils and peas are plant foods high in protein.

• Potatoes, quinoa, whole-grain rice, dried beans, coconut flour and

almond flour should be kept in large quantities. Those few plant-based
food all-stars are extremely versatile. They also deliver a lot of healthy
nutrients and vitamins.

• Canned beans, canned tomatoes, coconut oil, coconut milk, almond

butter and fresh herbs and spices should also be kept on hand at all
times.

• Walnuts, almonds and other nuts travel well, have excellent shelf lives,
and deliver a lot of protein and healthy fats per serving. They also
make "easy to grab" snacks when you have the "between the meal"
munchies.

• Buy a good chef's knife, one with a 7 or 8-inch blade. You should also
purchase a large cutting board, as well as a large stainless steel skillet.
Those 3 plant-based kitchen "must haves" will be used frequently, so
make sure you invest in quality products.

• Batch cook. Cook large quantities of your favorite foods once a week
or twice a month. Refrigerate and freeze individual serving sizes for
quick and easy access come meal-time.
Is Bodybuilding Possible on a Plant Based Diet?

If you didn't read the inspiring story about bodybuilder Jim Morris above, go
back and do so now. Bodybuilding on a plant-based diet is not only possible,
it's smart. Plant-based eaters are all about health and fitness. This means
they don't resort to the illegal and dangerous steroids and other man-made
muscle building shortcuts that lead to health problems, and frequently early
deaths, like some bodybuilders do.

The key to bodybuilding on a plant-based diet is getting enough

protein.

This means eating more of the protein-dense plant-based foods like nuts,
whole grains, seeds and beans. It also happens that these are the most
calorie-dense plant foods, making it easy for you to take in the surplus of
calories you're going to need on a daily basis.

You also may feel that you are eating "all the time". This is because
bodybuilders require a lot more proteins, minerals and nutrients to build
their bodies than those who are adopting a plant-based nutrition approach
simply for better health.

Don't forget, building muscle, and muscle-mass bulk, is no different on a

plant-based meal plan than any other diet. You need to create a calorie
surplus, taking in more calories than you burn. Bodybuilding is still
about training hard and giving your body time to recover, as well as
consuming lots of calories.

For bodybuilding fats, go with whole food-based fats like nuts, seeds and
avocados. However, to limit building body fat, keep your healthy fat
consumption to 0.5 daily grams per pound of body weight, or less.

Carbohydrates are the bodybuilder's main source of fuel for intense

training sessions. That means eating lots of brown rice, fruit, oatmeal,
sweet potatoes and other healthy, plant-based complex carbohydrates.
Steer clear of unhealthy, simple, processed carbs like sugar and refined
flour.
Getting Started
If you’re new to the plant-based diet and are adopting it as a way to get
healthy, then good for you! This diet really can provide everything you need
to either lose weight or gain muscle.

The key is to start slowly. Although the plant-based diet is healthy and
natural, it isn’t so common in our Western society. This is why it may take
time to rethink your way of eating, and to understand exactly what makes
you feel good.

Try to keep a food diary and see how you feel. For example, you may notice
that you feel very tired after heavy exercise, and that a protein shake really
helps perk you up. Slowly, you’ll start to understand how your body works.

Good luck!