Switching to a Vegan Diet? 5 Tips for Staying on Track with Your Exercise Regime

Switching to a vegan diet frees our conscience, but unknown to many, it may also help us shed fat much faster than before! Unfortunately, a purely vegan diet might leave you impoverished in certain areas, unless you supplement your diet with the nutrients that are inherently missing in such diets.

Then, of course, there is the question of remaining fit and maintaining a healthy level of muscle mass, both of which can suffer in the absence of a rounded diet. Fortunately, we are living in a time when that should no longer be a problem, as long as you know how to stay on track with your fitness regime, even when you are on a purely vegan diet

Meet Your Protein Requirements from Plant-Based Sources

It’s true that egg, fish, and meat are full of protein, amino acids, and other essential nutrients that we as humans need in order to retain and even gain healthy muscle mass. However, it’s a myth that we cannot get our quota of protein from plant-based sources. Consider the following vegan options for meeting your regular need for protein.

• Spirulina is a protein-rich, blue-green algae (8g/ounce)
• Lentils (18g of protein per 240ml cup, or 3.5 ounces)
• Chickpeas and other beans (15g of protein per 240ml cup, or 3.5 ounces)
• Chia seeds (4.8g/ounce)
• Spelt ((10g of protein per 240ml cup, or 3.5 ounces)
• Teff (11g of protein per 240ml cup, or 3.5 ounces)
• Oats (12g of protein per 240ml cup, or 3.5 ounces)
• Green peas (9g of protein per 240ml cup, or 3.5 ounces)
• Quinoa (8g – 9g of protein or 240ml cup, aka 3.5 ounces)
• Black, dried walnuts (7g/ounce)
• Cashews (5g/ounce)
• Bread made from any one or multiple of the grains mentioned on this list
• Cooked wild rice (4g – 7g of protein per 240ml cup, or 3.5 ounces)
• Seitan is a mock meat that’s made from wheat gluten (15g – 21g of protein per 3 ounce serving)
• Soybean derived food products such as tofu and edamame (10g – 19g of protein per 240ml cup, or 3.5 ounces)

Calculate the Right Amount of Protein Specific to Your Weight, Age and Fitness Goals

Only based on account of the fact that you are consuming plant-based proteins, the ideal range of protein-based nutrients for human beings will not change. Use this classic protein calculator to know exactly how much vegan protein you need in order to stay healthy. Factor in your age, height, weight, and lifestyle as well, if you want a reliable guideline regarding how much protein you need to consume.

Protein is Not Everything

One of the biggest concerns of the vegan fitness enthusiast is that of fulfilling his/her need for daily protein intake without putting non-vegetarian options on the menu. Now that we have dealt with that problem, it’s time to look beyond protein and look at more alarming deficits that a completely vegan diet may not be able to satisfy.

There are three (broad categorization) essential nutrients that vegan diets are naturally low in, which are:

• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D
• Omega- 3 fatty acids

The solution to this problem is quite simple, though, just take a multivitamin with B12, D, and Omega-3 fatty acids every single day, and make it a part of your regular diet. That is pretty much all you need to do to meet these common deficits because, as far as the other vitamins are concerned, a diet heavy with fruits, vegetables, and grains will easily cover the whole spectrum.

The Need for Calcium

Pulses, bread, leafy greens, and sesame seeds are rich in calcium, but as a vegan who is enthusiastic about staying fit, you should also look for calcium-fortified products while buying tofu, wild rice and oatmeal. The only reason vegans often suffer from calcium deficiency is that they are not aware of the growing deficiency in the first place.

Do Not Change Your Exercise Regime

Initially, while your body is getting adjusted to the new diet, it might be advisable to keep the intensity of your daily exercise sessions low. However, that is a temporary situation, and as long as your diet is on point with everything we discussed so far, there is absolutely no reason why you should have to change your regular fitness routine at all. Do not change the way you exercise, just because of your shift to a vegan diet, because there is no need for that.

Given the way that animals are treated in dairy farms, and the kind of havoc that red meat can wreak upon our health, the switch to a vegan diet could very well be the best decision you have ever taken for both the animals and your own heart. As for the missing nutrients, the tips on this list should take care of that part, leaving you with a lean, muscular and fat-free physique.