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NUTRITION Note the
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Should You Try a Vegan Diet? commonly found in
by Kasey Panetta June 8, 2012, 11:40 am EDT
popular sources.
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No credentials or How did a “meat-and-
potatoes, backwoods boy
affiliation is given; from Minnesota” like Scott
this is normal for a Jurek become a vegan,
ultra-marathon endurance
popular article and runner?
mostly like means
Simple: He realized that
it is written by a his multiple-times-a-week
fast-food habit wasn’t Most Popular Stories
staff writer.
helping his career, and
worse, might have been Is Your Penis
killing his body.
But making the change
01 Curving?
isn’t as simple for
everyone. Many athletes The New Super-
9
Photo Credit: Jason Lee
might hesitate about going STD You Must
Pictures orsince meat is a
Scott Jurek finishing his record-setting Western States Endurance
vegan, Avoid
Run.
illustrations areof muscle-
major source
building protein. If you’re
common in popular
interested in trying the plant-based diet without hurting your training or your
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8
health, you need to do it the right way. (But if you’re just looking for a diet that
articles. Satisfied
will give you your leanest, fittest summer ever, pick up Grill This, Not That!)
Learn from two top athletes and one expert nutritionist to find out the benefits,
dangers, and finer points of the vegan diet.
The One Person
The Runner
Scott Jurek, author of Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon 7 Who's Ruining
Your Sex Life
Greatness, grew up watching his mom suffer from multiple sclerosis, and
during physical therapy school, saw patient after patient dealing with chronic
diseases. The Craziest
“I suddenly realized that maybe there was something to this idea of plant-
based cultures that have less disease,” Jurek says. “Because what I was
6 Reason to Eat
Vegetables
putting in my body just wasn’t healthy.”
How to Attract Any
5
Non technical
Slowly, Jurek learned the basics of going vegan and continuing to fuel your Woman
muscles: During training, carb-based foods are good, while foods with heavy
language is used,
fats are bad. For example, that meant plenty of rice and beans, but not a lot of
olive oil. typical of popular
articles. The Face-Off: Early
While racing in Japan, Jurek learned about a secret vegan cool-down food:
rice balls. And pea protein became the main source of his post work-out drink
mix, since it’s high in branched chain amino acids, which are used to aid
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muscle recovery and growth.
How Sleeping In
3
After honing in on the right combo of foods, Jurek saw immediate benefits: a Can Make You

2. leaner body, quicker recovery time, and healthier skin. “Guys may say being
vegan isn’t manly, but everyone wants to look younger,” Jurek says.
3 Can Make You
Fitter
You can’t argue with the results. Since making the switch, Jurek has won the
4 Ways to Look
2
135-mile Badwater Ultra Marathon, the 153-mile Spartathlon in Greece (153
Younger—
miles), and the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run seven times. Plus, he
Instantly!
holds the U.S. record for the most miles run in 24 hours at 165.7. (Looking for
your next endurance challenge? Try one of the 11 Best Marathons in
America.)
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The Triathlete
Brendan Blazier, a professional Ironman
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The Recipe for Fast Recovery
1 Every Man Should
Try
triathlete and author of Thrive Diet,
decided to try a plant-based diet at age Build More Muscle, More Quickly
15 after studying professional athletes’ Is Brown Rice Really Better? Recommendations
eating plans. He realized that one of the
Recovery Drink Rehab
diet’s biggest benefits—reduced Sign Up Create an account or log in to see what your friends are recom
inflammation—would speed up recovery. Article doesn't contain aBed
The Best Thing to Eat Before
Did She Come? The Telltale Sign
structured format (ex:
It was a trial and error process, Brazier 116 people recommend this.
headings for methods,
admits. His first big mistake? Too many starchy carbs like pasta. After some
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research, he realized he needed toresults, conclusions)
be eating more easy-to-digest foods with 921 people recommend this.
micronutrients, like rice and wheat. So he found foods that required the least
amount of energy to digest, but provided the most nutritional punch. 5 Ways She Secretly Sizes You Up
106 people recommend this.
By reducing the amount of work his body had to do, Brazier slashed nutritional
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stress caused by digestion. Less stress meant better sleep and more energy, 358 people recommend this.
and reduced inflammation meant his muscles moved more efficiently—a big
advantage during long Ironman competitions. 4 Sex Positions Every Man Should Try
670 people recommend this.
His best advice after 22 years as a vegan: Aim for progress, not perfection.
“Your body is pretty smart,” says Brazier. “It can put nutrients together so you
don’t have to have a perfect meal at every opportunity. Just eat well for the Facebook social plugin
most part, and don’t get too hung up on it.” (Follow The Complete Triathlete’s
Nutrition Plan.)
The Nutritionist
Thinking of giving the vegan diet a shot? First, understand the risks. Mike
Roussell, Ph.D., nutrition consultant and author of The 6 Pillars of Nutrition,
warns that the diet can be dangerous. Potential problems include deficiencies
in protein, vitamin B12, and essential omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and
DHA.
Luckily, each of these problems has a supplement solution. Pea protein can fill
the nutritional gaps left behind by meat; an Algea DHA supplement takes care
of fatty acids; and a B12 supplement can provide essential nutrients. You’ll
need carbs—digested slowly to cause a stable increase in blood sugar—for
sustained energy and optimal health. Add berries, apples, lentils, and
chickpeas, which also offer protein and fiber, to your routine. To add healthy
fats and antioxidants, try pistachios or almonds.
To maintain your training regimen, make sure you eat carbs like quinoa and
beans with tofu and avocado 90 minutes before you work out, since they’ll
help sustain your energy levels and blood sugar while you exercise, Roussell
advises. As for your pre-workout drink, stick to electrolyte liquids like
Gatorade.
“If you aren’t fueling your body for performance, your training will suffer,” says
Roussell. “It’s trickier with a vegan diet because major protein sources are
animal products.”
Your basic plan for transitioning to a vegan diet: Focus on a moderate protein,
carbohydrate-controlled diet—30 percent of your calories should from protein
and 40 to 45 percent from carbs. Make the shift gradually: Try eliminating
meats first, and then eggs, allowing your body plenty of time to adjust to the
diet.
More from MensHealth.com:
The 20 Unhealthiest Vegetarian Meals in America Note the absence
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of a bibliography,
which is common in
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FILED UNDER: diets, endurance, fitness, health food, marathon, muscle fuel, nutrition, protein, vegan