How a Vegetarian Athlete Can Get Sufficient Nutrition
Folks, it always bothers me if someone may actually be better than me at something. I mean I will NOT be the best at everything, but what I mean is for those things that I am confident that I am good at when it comes to sports, exercise or other physical activities, being an athlete, I am just competitive. Perhaps it is because I honestly feel like I DESERVE to be fitter, healthier and better than most guys at for physical activities, owing to my dietetic choices. I am a mostly raw vegetarian, that’s why I feel that way. Nonetheless, based on the fact that there is so much misinformation on the diet, the use of harmful chemicals for some of its components and an overall degeneration of the quality of human life with the use of contraptions and so-called high-tech, super-fast devices, even for our foods, being well educated on the subject of being a vegetarian, especially as an athlete or anything that involves superior physical strength and endurance is of a high importance. Few things in life, as it is now, come easy folks. So for the vegetarian athlete, oh yes, you may a few challenges when it comes to meeting all your nutrient needs but all it really takes is planning ahead and having a variety of items available to cover all the essentials for the proper sources of your necessary nutrients. That said, it should be noted that the diet will have to depend on a variety of plant foods including, fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains,
seeds and perhaps legumes. Furthermore, a thorough knowledge of their seasons, origins and farming practices applied is also essential. At this stage, to address the actual components of fitness and vitality that have to be met through our diets we shall go over the following. 1. Energy Giving Foods (Carbohydrates) It goes without saying that the primary concern for the vegetarian athlete would be obtaining adequate energy. Taking that into consideration, the best option will simply be one's favorite sweet fruits. Other good choices will be root vegetables, whole grains and some green leaves. 2. Body Building Foods (Proteins) Most of us know that protein is needed for tissue repair, building and repairing muscles, building red blood cells and creating hormones and enzymes. However, it must be stressed that as important as these may sound, the daily need for protein is not as most people tend to truly exaggerate, it may surprise you that what you really need is about a nickel’s weight’s worth. The excess is usually passed out in urine (for vegetarians) while for non-vegetarian items; the accumulation of excess may actually be detrimental. That said, some good vegetarian sources of high quality protein include: Green Leaves, Fruits, (Avocados, Dates, Bananas, Olives), Nuts, Whole Grains and Some root vegetables.
3. Body Regulative and Protective Foods. (Vitamins & Minerals) You may truly be wondering what in the first place vitamins and minerals are and why we may need them.
Well, vitamins and minerals are components of a balanced diet, which the human body generally cannot manufacture on its own, and though they exist and work in our bodies symbiotically, and each has a special work to perform, they are of a complex nature. On one hand, vitamins and minerals help the body to grow, develop and to stay healthy, on the other hand, one cannot exist without the other as vitamins control the body’s use of minerals and if the mineral supply in the body is deficient, there is truly less for the vitamins to do. Therefore, suffice it to say that proper balance of vitamins and minerals is thus imperative for proper functioning of the endocrine and hormonal systems. The vitamins include Vitamins A, B Complex, C, D, E, K and P, while the minerals that are truly essential are said to be Calcium, chlorine, copper, Iodine, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium and Sulphur
To handle our mineral needs, suffice it to say that a diet high in raw, seasonal and, if possible, organic fruits and vegetables will suffice. I wild add that these items can be conventional as long as they are not on the Dirty dozen list of the most contaminated food items. Furthermore, one fruit in particular stands out as being the richest source of vitamins and minerals known to man: the Lemon. So, squeezing 2 of them into a 2 quarts of room temperature and consuming this solution unsweetened, sitting down first thing for at least 90 minutes before eating anything else not only ensures you get an ample supply of these essentials, but you get the added bonus of the detoxifying properties of the lemon.
Now that we have covered the 3 main categories of food items for the vegetarian athlete, I have to mention that some other factors such as food combining, knowing and how to eat, abstaining from using microwaves and ironically the use of the occasional 2-3 day fast will serve to augment the information thus far provided. To health, Aje. Foras Aje is an independent researcher and author of “Fitness: Inside and Out�, a book on improving physical and mental health naturally with a Bible-Based Diet and Exercise. For more information on this book or other natural health tips, visit his site at http://www.bodyhealthsoul.com/