Several weeks ago, during the time when the little guy wasn't sleeping at all, we also noticed he had some tummy issues. I did some research and found that moms consuming dairy whole nursing can affect their little ones. That was the only thing that had changed about my diet. I had limited dairy while trying to lose the baby weight and it seems to give me more energy too. Well after the baby weight came off and I was running more, I added dairy back in for the calories. I was able to maintain my weight, but the little guy didn't approve. So now I am back off dairy, and I thought this would be a good time to try veganism (so no eggs either). I got the book (from the library), Veganist. I read it cover to cover in just days (that's pretty good when you don't have a lot of free time). She doesn't think eating soy is bad for you (something a lot of vegans and vegetarians have opposite opinions on). She also has some sample menus which included a good bit of fake meat (another controversial topic). It appears to be her way to get the protein you need.
So I have been doing the vegan thing for the past several weeks (a couple of slip ups), but for the most part, I have done pretty good. I am pretty hungry and have a difficult time getting that full feeling. Thing were going ok, until this week. I had serious troubles with my run on Tuesday and was sore for 2 days, aka not recovering well all of a sudden. Also, some of you may know that after you have a baby, your hair falls out, well mine has been falling out still. I was reading a post from Matt at No Meat Athlete about protein consumption. He mentions hair falling out and having a hard time recovering from workouts. Now I am concerned I am not getting enough protein to sustain my lifestyle (nursing my son and running 20-25 miles a week, cross training 1-2 times a week). I am getting so much conflicting statements, do I eat soy and fake meat to get my protein up, and how much protein should I be eating? Any good tips on foods with proteins that are easy that I might not be eating? I know there are people more active than me that have a vegan diet and perform well.
I hope to get a lot of comments and advice.
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Well, as you said there are plenty of serious athletes who are vegan so it shouldn't be a problem. If you're a serious runner most of your calories should be from healthy carbs, rather than from protein. I would guess that protein is not your problem- it could be not enough good carbs for energy and for your muscles (you need carbs more than anything for performance and recovery), enough fat, or not enough of a nutrient like iron that could affect your energy level. I steer clear of most fake meat products because they tend to be highly processed and artificial. I do eat some tofu, seitan, and tempeh which are fairly natural and don't have a lot of additives. I rely more on high-protein whole grains and beans. Almost everything we eat has protein and it would be extremely rare for an American, vegetarian or not, to have a protein deficient diet. But without knowing exactly what you eat I really can't say. I've done lots of research, trained for a marathon and am going through a pregnancy on a vegan diet, so I have some experience. If you want, send me an email and maybe I can help you out :)
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Yeah, eating mass quantities of soy doesn't seem healthy either. Maybe you could add eggs and seafood back into your diet? That's a lot of beans and nuts to keep up with the protein needs of a distance runner.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say I'm not knocking a vegan diet. I understand the motivation for doing it, and respect that decision. Personally I have no issue with eating meat, so I'd be quick to say way a few ounces of organic chicken breast and call it a day :)
ReplyDeleteI've had lymphoma cancer in the past. I was told by the docs to limit soy. I have problems with milk, so I do drink soy milk sometimes. The docs said there is a link to too much soy and breast cancer. But I know a lot of people have different opinions about this and I understand.
ReplyDeleteWendy, here is a study that showed soy does not increase br cancer risk, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21357380. This was tweeted by the Veganist, FYI.
ReplyDeleteSarah - you have mail.
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