By: Julia Aidan
Submitted: 2011-03-26 11:19:22 | Word Count: 517
One of the enduring myths about veganism is that there is a lack of protein in the vegan diet, which tends to make vegans physically weak. For vegans, the absurdity of this statement should be self-evident. But just to set the record straight, let's focus in on a couple of very strong members of the vegan family, Nick Diaz and Jake Shields, who in addition to not eating animal-derived products, fight for a living as mixed martial artists.
Mixed martial arts, or MMA as it's called, is the fastest growing sport in the world. Its two biggest promotions are Strikeforce and the UFC. Nick Diaz, a triathlete and long time vegan, is the reigning 170 pound Strikeforce champion. He credits veganism with enabling him to fight as well as he does, saying: "I don't think eating meat is good for you if you're fighting. There's other ways to get your protein. I eat food now that makes me feel good but allows me to keep training like I do."
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Jake Shields, who will be fighting for the UFC welterweight championship in April, 2011, feels the same way: "I'm living proof," he says, "that you can train harder, and pack a meaner punch, without eating animals."
If these two world class athletes feel that animal-free diets are the key to their success, it should be obvious that there is something to their statements. For many people, however, the perception persists that vegans are frail, thin and weak. Some skeptics might even claim that because Nick and Jake are only 170 pounds each, their bodies are more easily able to adapt to animal-free diets than heavyweights. Here too, we can shatter the myth.
Riddick Bowe is a former heavyweight boxing champion. In his fights, he usually tipped the scales at approximate 250 pounds. That's a big man. Indeed, sometimes he came in to his bouts too big and heavy, to his own detriment. Bowe was not a vegan, but at one point, while training for a title match, his manager, Rock Newman, put him on a vegan diet. Bowe complained that the lack of steak and chicken would make him weak, to which Newman replied: "Have you ever seen a weak gorilla?"
Of course, Riddick had no answer to that, and upon taking Newman's advice, had one of his best training camps ever. He weighed in at a svelte 235 pounds for his fight against then reigning champion Evander Holyfield. Bowe won the fight, and the title. He didn't stick with his vegan diet however, and in the rematch he came in at 246 pounds and lost a decision.
Clearly, an animal-free diet can allow people to control their weight and be as strong as they desire. There are many ways to balance a vegan lifestyle with your physical goals and nutritional needs. Which is why champions like Nick Diaz and Jake Shields would rather fight than switch from their animal-free diets.
