This article is written by Rob Maxwell (learn about his education), M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Plant based eating

Let me start out with stating that my way of eating is plant based. I have been this way for several years. I have been going in this direction for over a decade.

Vegan and vegetarian diets

In the past decade we’ve gone from calling this lifestyle vegetarian and vegan to plant based.

As you may or may not know, a vegan is a person that doesn't eat any animal products at all. A vegetarian does not eat meat but may consume some other animal products. There are several types of vegetarians. I won’t go into all that. Let’s talk about plant-based eating.

A plant based diet

I like the term plant based. It is what it says it is: plant based. It doesn’t state never or always. It states based.

That is hard for a lot of people to grasp. In short that means that most of my diet is plant based. For some that are plant based, they may be pure vegans. For others, they just make plants the majority of their diet.

Why I eat a plant based diet

It works for me. For me it’s a matter of animal welfare, environmental reasons, health and taste.

I can say that it hasn’t been too difficult for me because I really don’t like the taste of any kind of meat including chicken, turkey, or beef.

When I was body building in my 20’s I ate so many chickens that I think I just developed an aversion to it. It’s disgusting to me.

For me to think it tastes good, it must be fried or doctored up in a way that is super unhealthy. I just don’t eat it. I feel the same with fish.

At times I’ll have a little dairy and at times I’ll have some egg whites but primarily I eat what grows in the ground.

The protein myth

The protein myth is one of the things that hold people up when it comes to plant-based eating.

Americans eat more protein than any other nation. We eat too much of it. Protein is considered the miracle growth food for body builders and many other athletes. We need it, but not as much as we have been led to believe.

Protein is the repairing macro nutrient. This means that protein is needed to help repair something when it is broken down.

We just don’t need as much as many proclaim. Carbohydrates and fats are the macronutrients that we use for energy. When we do more physical activity, we need more carbohydrates and fats to carry out the activity - especially carbohydrates.

Athletes need a little more protein than sedentary people - but the amount is just a little more. I've heard of athletes taking 3-4 times more protein than they need. That’s not only a waste but it’s unhealthy.

Keep protein in balance with carbohydrates and fats

All diets should be balanced. I call a balanced diet 20% protein, 60% carbohydrates, and 20% fat. The carbs can be decreased a little if you are very inactive or increased a little if you are highly active.

The protein should remain mostly the same. When a person is active and wants to gain muscle and/or strength, they need more calories in general (more food). They should keep the balance the same.

Studies show that we can only digest around 25 grams of protein in a sitting anyway. When more is taken in, it either gets wasted or stored as fat.

Think about that when you see those giant jugs of protein that brag about having 50 grams of protein per serving. Your body can’t even metabolize that. It is marketing and it’s a waste.

You can get all of the protein that you need from plants

Another myth that people use to argue against plant-based eating is the idea that you can’t get your protein from plant sources. This is a flat out lie.

There are many plant-based foods that are loaded with protein such as beans, quinoa, and soy.

There is something called “mutual supplementation” that states that if you combine certain plants such as beans and rice; you have a complete protein with all the amino acids (building blocks of protein) present.

It is very possible to get the protein that you need from plants, but you must plan accordingly.

You can still be unhealthy on a plant based diet

Eating a plant based diet shouldn’t be an excuse to eat a lot of non-animal foods that are simply calorie dense.

Some people brag about being plant based while eating primarily crackers and chips.

Sure, those foods are not loaded in saturated fats; but please don’t think that they are healthy! Processed carbs that aren’t animal based doesn’t mean they are good for you.

Being truly plant based means eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, grains, and oats. The more whole you eat them; the better they will be for you.

Plant based versus animal based

I’m an exercise physiologist and a sports nutritionist. I’ve seen so much research. I know that research has been argued on both sides. I’ve seen both.

I’ve seen some studies out there that are the opposite of plant based and it’s being pushed on culture. I can assure you that those types of modern day “Atkins” are not good overall.

At the same time, I'm not going to tell you to not eat meat. I don’t tell my clients to not eat meat. If they want a meal plan, I'll make them either a plant based or a non-plant based plan. I believe both can be made to be healthy.

I’ve seen research (most notably, the China study) that shows how much better it is for us to not eat meat regarding chronic diseases, inflammation, moods, and hormones. The research is solid and clear.

I have seen research suggesting that lean meat is fine for us too. Who do you believe? That’s up to you.

For me, I choose to go plant based because I do believe that research and it’s worked very well for me.

Whatever you do; choose healthy, pure foods. Listen to your body afterwards. How does your body feel when you eat something? Do you feel bloated? Do you feel swollen?

If you want to try plant-based eating; start slow. You don’t have to do it all at once. Start to try certain plant-based foods and see how you like it.

Some people try a meatless Monday. If you don’t want to, that’s okay too.

Just do your research on protein. You will find that those pushing mega protein are either clueless without much education or they have an agenda. Too much of anything is not a good thing!

This article is written by Rob Maxwell (learn about his education), M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.