As I mentioned in my previous post, one of the biggest lifestyle changes that I’ve made over the past couple years has been to transition to eating a vegan diet. The process has not been without its challenges, but also I’ve seen a lot of rewards (improved recovery time, increased health and resilience, and more fiber and nutrients in my everyday foods!). In my effort to give back, here’s a general rundown for anyone considering making the switch to a vegan lifestyle.
What is Vegan?
Generally, I’m not into labels when it comes to adopting a particular lifestyle with regard to eating preferences, but it’s still necessary to know what the labels mean. “Vegan” in this case refers to an eating style that abstains from products derived from animals. The obvious items that come to mind are meat and dairy, but it also avoids more of the less thought of foods, such as eggs, bone meal, animal fat, and in some cases, even honey.
Why Go Vegan?
The reasons to go vegan are as diverse as the individuals who make the choice to do so. Some people do it for health reasons, others for moral. Many people are inspired by some combination of the two. There is a lot of research and conversation concerning the health (or rather, lack thereof) of the “Standard American Diet” which is heavy in meat and animal based proteins. With the rising U.S. healthcare crisis, many individuals are seeking to either limit or eliminate their dependency on pharmaceuticals by incorporating a vegan diet into their lifestyle.
Beyond personal health reasons, the farming, cultivation, and production of meat (particularly beef) is a significant contributor to environmental crises such as climate change and deforestation (as we’ve seen in the recent fires in the Amazon rainforest).
Personally, my own reasons lie in between health and morality. I often feel healthier as a result of my plant-based diet, and in an effort to be sustainable, I try to choose food products that lessen my environmental footprint. Additionally, factory farming is an immensely cruel practice and as someone who tries to make moral decisions, I feel that it’s worth opting out of.
What to Expect in the First Few Weeks with a Vegan Diet
Cravings
Cravings are unavoidable. You’re going to miss some of the foods that have been your mainstays for the past several years (my big craving was eggs), but always know that there’s an alternative option. Don’t necessarily look for an imitation version of what you want (like tofu chickin, or tempeh bacon), but instead, find a way to listen to your body and give it what it really wants. Learn how to listen to the whispers so that you can avoid giving into the cravings.
If you’re craving milk, chances are that you’re thirsty and want something fatty. Munch on a handful of nuts or nut butter and you’ll find that the desire for milk will slowly disappear. If you want butter, you want fat. A craving for eggs or meat is a craving for protein and my favorite response is a bowlful of fresh lentils or black beans and spinach. For any craving that your body announces, there is a vegan option to appease it.
Digestive Changes
With any major lifestyle overhaul, you can expect some lag time in your body’s reaction. Much of this settles around the digestive tract. Fortunately, it’s not all bad! Each person responds differently. Personally, I found that I felt lighter after meals and less bogged down in the stupor of heavy foods. You may also find that food goes through your system more quickly, which is usually a result of eating more fiber. Don’t worry, this is normal. But of course, if you find yourself going *too* much then it’s a good idea to consult a doctor.
Redefining “Full”
One of the most memorable processes for me during the transition to the vegan diet was learning how to retrain my stomach. It’s strange to think about in hindsight, but it’s absolutely a real event. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “your eyes are bigger than your stomach” then you’ll understand what I’m getting at. When transitioning to a vegan diet, you’ll find that the amount of food that you think you need to fill you up differs greatly from the actual amount of food needed. Again, a lot of this comes from a rapid increase in nutrient density of the foods you’re taking in. If you’re used to looking at an entire bowl of cookies and thinking “fullness” then it will be a change to look at a single apple or a serving of corn and truly recognize the nutrients that await. This process goes hand in hand with the one that follows.
Hunger Swings
Don’t worry, hunger swings doesn’t mean “being hungry all the time” but rather an occasional sense of bodily hunger which is actually just confusion. I call this “fake out” hunger – where your body recognizes that you haven’t had your daily sausage and cheese biscuit and sends hunger cues to your brain only to discover that you’re actually still full from your high fiber smoothie. Fortunately, this phenomenon doesn’t last very long, but it’s still something to be aware of. I find that the best way to manage it is to keep some nuts or fruit nearby for quick snacking. Eventually your body will get the message.
How to Get Started
How to Transition to a Vegan Diet:
- Start with eliminating dairy – with so many replacement milk options available, many people find it easiest to ditch cow’s milk first and ease into other changes later. Check your local mainstream grocery store for milk alternatives (which are becoming more and more popular!), or, if you can’t find them easily, go ahead and order them. They don’t need to be refrigerated, and Amazon ships many varieties of almond and soy milks.
- Remember to keep up with protein – this is where I hear the most push back from friends (usually athletes) who are concerned that it’s impossible to get enough protein on a non-meat diet. One of the most liberating facts I heard was that it’s actually impossible to be protein deficient on a vegan diet as long as you are taking in enough overall calories for the day. Therefore, if you’re munching on salads and berries all day and abandoning some of the more nutrient dense options like beans and legumes, then yeah, chances are that you won’t be getting enough protein. But guess what? You also aren’t getting enough calories either. This is one of the comforting aspects of balance that a vegan lifestyle can bring.
- Salt and fat can reduce meat cravings – I was fortunate in that I didn’t really miss meat when I began my transition, but the few times that I did, I realized that I could lessen the cravings by eating something salty and/or fatty (nut butter tends to be the perfect combination of the two, and provides a nice helping of protein too).
How to Train for Triathlon on a Vegan Diet
The Protein Question – How to Get Protein on a Vegan Diet
This is another area that many people are concerned with, and understandably so. Without meat, how can there be protein??? This is another area in which you’ve been lied to. There are so many nutrient dense protein sources available to athletes that, with a little planning, you won’t even know the difference.
You’ll want to read up on a fancy thing called “protein pairings” so that you can ensure that you’re getting complete proteins, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not so difficult. Items like black beans, chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, brown rice, and nuts are some of my favorite sources of protein, and can be delicious as well!
Yes, meat is definitely the *easiest* way to get your necessary protein, but did you really join triathlon so that you could do things the easy way? For anyone who is serious about making the commitment to a vegan lifestyle, it’s worth looking into the wide variety of plant-based proteins available for consumption. Personally, I’ve found that many of these foods actually quicken my recovery time, making it easier to stack hard workouts throughout the week.
Additionally, a huge variety of protein powders and vegan protein bars take a lot of the legwork out of planning. A couple of my favorites include Vega powder and Macro bars.
Fueling During Training and Racing
This is usually an area that most people don’t have to worry about. Most gels and hydration salts are naturally vegan friendly. And because of the heavy toll that animal products take on digestion, most athletes inherently choose to avoid dairy or meat while racing.
Other Things to Think About
Expensive is Relative
Another criticism of veganism is that it can be costly. I won’t argue against this reality. However, the truth is that the expensive nature of vegan products is largely a result of reduced market demand. If more and more people are willing to create a market for these products, their value is increased (as we are seeing with the meteoric rise in the stock price of Beyond Meat over the past several months). Likewise, items like almond and soy milks, once rarities in local coffee shops, now come standard in many Starbucks cafes, and often for free if requested in moderate amounts.
Aside from the “in the moment” expense of the price of food itself, it’s important to consider the future cost of poor health as a result of poor diet. Too much of the American healthcare system is focused on managing disease, seeking to medicate medical conditions rather than eliminate them. Basically, do you want to spend money on food now or money on healthcare later?
It’s Not That Hard, and It’s Not New Either
A quick word about the nature of the veganism “movement” in mainstream America – it’s important to remember that many cultures have already had a minimal need for animal products for centuries. Veganism isn’t anything new, and it certainly wasn’t invented by California hipsters.
Indian cuisine is rich in non-meat, non-dairy options that are filling and incredibly diverse. Likewise, Mediterranean cuisine offers a unique array of dairy free, vegetarian meals. Basically, if you can take a grain and a bean and make a meal out of it, that’s just about all you need, and people have been doing that for thousands of years. Add a few veggies on top and call it a day. Once you take a look you’d be surprised how many cultures have been way ahead of America on this front.
Conclusion
For all my years of meat loving I NEVER thought that I would be one to make the transition to a vegan lifestyle, but since starting the process a little over a year ago, it’s been a great experience. I’ve gotten stronger, stayed healthy, and discovered new foods and favorite dishes that I had never even heard of before. So many people seem to think that a vegan diet is limiting. I find it to be very freeing.
