... continued from article in November newsletter ...

There Is No Food

There's a myth that eating large amounts of protein translates into stronger, bigger muscles, as if beef muscle "becomes" human muscle or protein stimulates muscle growth. However, there is no food or nutrient that will cause you to gain muscle. If that were the case, bodybuilders would be in the kitchen getting stronger, not the gym.


Just for Insurance

Isolated protein supplements are often touted and sold as a recovery elixir. Many athletes take a protein supplement or eat animal products just to be "sure" they get enough protein for recovery. There is a certain danger in this. First, high protein diets are associated with numerous diseases. Secondly, athletes should be keen to give their body exactly what it needs nutritionally. Anything less than that and the body will weaken in trying to make up for a deficiency. Excess protein is exhausting for the body to deal with, leading to loss of strength and endurance and eventually disease. Give yourself health assurance by eating your fruits and vegetables.

For Optimal Health and Performance, Eat Your Fruits and Veggies

The body becomes stronger and faster with the adaptations from training; therefore, recovery is tantamount to athletic development. Fresh fruit and vegetables not only provide optimal amounts of protein, but uncooked fruit and vegetables do not the challenge the body with mutagenic substances resulting from the cooking process4. Cooking changes the chemistry of the fats and proteins in food, rendering many of them carcinogenic. Carcinogens and other toxins diminish the body's capacity to recover quickly from training.


So leave the protein powders at the store and let the animals roam, and you will still reach your peak potential. With dedicated training, a healthy lifestyle, and a diet rich with fruits and vegetables you can achieve your health and fitness goals.

About OrganicAthlete
OrganicAthlete is a nonprofit organization that educates, connects, and fosters athlete of all ages and abilities to promote health, plant-based living in communities, sports and schools. For more information on health and nutrition for athletes, please visit www.organicathlete.org.


Have a fruitful day!

References:
1 The USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Dietary/9dietgui.htm
2 The Institute of Medicine' s Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/7/300/0.pdf
3 Data for the table is from the USDA's nutrient data laboratory. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl
4 For a listing of the mutagens caused by cooking, refer to Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer