Ellen DeGeneres, Tobey Maguire, and Alicia Silverstone are just a few of the many celebrities that are open about being apart of the vegan lifestyle. However, a NFL running back vegan is not something we hear about often until this week.
NFL’s running back for the Houston Texans Arian Foster says that he is going vegan. Sports fans and fantasy football players are freaking out about Foster’s decision, questioning if a vegan lifestyle would affect a pro athlete. Especially a running back for the NFL.
I do understand his fans’ concerns. After I had my second son, I worked with a trainer to get back in shape. Not only did he work me so hard by doing squats, lunges, and lots of cardio, he also put me on a high protein meal plan. Eggs, fish and chicken were apart of every meal with lots of vegetables of course. Even now, if I need extra energy before a good work-out I eat egg whites with chicken and broccoli and I get that extra that I need to work out harder that morning.
The vegan lifestyle requires you to give up all animal products, a little different from vegetarians. They do not eat fish,meat, poultry or dairy. Vegans also don’t use products that are made with animal like cosmetics and soaps.
Most vegans choose this lifestyle not only for the health benefits, but also to promote a more humane world.
With less then a month before NFL’s training camp begins. If anyone watched HBO’s Hard Knocks, behind the scenes of footballs training, they know these guys work hard!! And they are outside in the summer heat. Foster, who is a running back for the Houston Texans, is beginning his second week as a vegan – so how this will affect him for training camp is a good question.
Even Angelina Jolie former vegan has spoken out that being a vegan almost killed her. She found she was not getting enough nutrition.
I totally get why people don’t want to eat animals, and the health benefits of not eating animals. I saw an episode on being vegan on Oprah and tried to be meatless one dinner a week, and I can do that. But becoming a vegan, I don’t think I could do,I love food too much.
So the question is can athletes perform well on a vegan diet? Now that Arian Foster has let the world know on Twitter about his new lifestyle choice, his performance this NFL season will have everyone watching.
Are you vegan, or have tried the vegan lifestyle? Do you think athletes can train and play hard being vegan? Would love to hear your thoughts!
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