<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"I\u2019ve been dancing since I was 3,\u201D says Juliet Doherty, an 18-year-old ballerina. \u201CWhen I was training, I was told protein, protein, protein all the time, but I would get so lethargic.\u201D In an effort to increase her stamina, Juliet started eliminating meat from her daily menu little by little and began seeing an improvement. By the time she cut out all animal products, Juliet knew she was onto something. \u201CWith a vegan diet, the food is dense nutritionally but not necessarily calorically, so you have to keep eating a lot throughout the day instead of just three heavy meals,\u201D she explains.  \n\nJuliet credits the continuous consumption of concentrated nutrients for her sustained stamina while en pointe. \u201CWhen I\u2019m performing or I have long days at the theater, I still feel like I have a lot of energy,\u201D she says with a bounce in her voice. In fact, since going vegan, the talented dancer has added another gold medal to her collection of awards: at the finals in the Youth America Grand Prix, the world\u2019s largest student ballet scholarship competition. Juliet attributes her success to a combination of discipline, communication, and hard work \u2014 and becoming a vegan hasn\u2019t hampered her one bit.  \n\nJudging by the nearly half million Instagram photos tagged #veganathlete and #poweredbyplants, more and more people are beefing up without the beef, and awareness of this plant-filled lifestyle is creeping into the mainstream. For those who subscribe to a menu that includes chicken, burgers, and bacon, it might come as a surprise that others willingly remove all meat and animal products \u2014 including eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and even fish\u2014from their diets. The exact number of vegans in the United States isn\u2019t known, but a 2012 Gallup poll found that about 2 percent of U.S. adult respondents identified as such. Some see the practice as a commitment to treating animals as friends, not food, while simultaneously reaping health benefits\u2014an appealing factor for many athletes.  \n\nBut veganism is certainly not new. One of the first people to speak of adhering to this diet was a British doctor named William Lambe, who did so in the early 1800s. In his book Water and Vegetable Diet in Consumption, Scrofula, Cancer, Asthma, and Other Chronic Diseases, he wrote, \u201CMy reason for objecting to every species of matter to be used as food, except the direct produce of the earth, is founded...on the broad ground that no other matter is suited to the organs of man....\u201D Murray Rose, an Australian swimmer and six-time Olympic medalist nicknamed \u201CThe Seaweed Streak,\u201D was one of the first renowned athletes known to have a vegan diet. Others followed his lead, turning to plants to power their stride. And Billie Jean King, a vegetarian, rocked the tennis court with 39 grand slam titles. Given the stamina of these athletes, it\u2019s clear that meat is totally optional when going for the gold.  \n\nAs far as the health bonuses, which benefit athletes and mere mortals alike, many vegans report getting deeper sleep. Vegetarians also tend to weigh less than meat eaters, according to the National Institutes of Health. Clear skin may be another benefit, as vegan diets are often rich in vitamins E and A from nuts and fare like sweet potatoes, respectively. And if all this weren\u2019t enough, know that vegetarian and vegan food regimens are associated with a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers.  \n\nOf course, following such a restrictive eating plan can be hard in the real world, which doesn\u2019t specifically cater to an animal-free ethos. And veganism is not the right choice for everyone or every athlete. \u201CI never try to shove my diet down anyone else\u2019s throat, but it\u2019s something that\u2019s been good for me,\u201D Juliet shares. \u201CThere\u2019s a lot of misinformation about this choice, but when I decided to do the research myself, I found that it really aligned with my core principles and values.\u201D  \n\nFor athletes, as well as anyone going vegan, it\u2019s important to stay well fed with the right foods in order to be healthy. \u201CThere are no health risks as long as the diet is well planned. Getting enough calories from fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, and whole grains is important to optimize growth and performance,\u201D says Angie Eakin, M.D., M.S., who also emphasizes that vegan teens, especially girls, need to be mindful of consuming enough protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin B12. Anastasia Nevin, M.S., R.D., agrees: \u201CBecause teen years are formative for bone development, having a balanced diet with the proper amount of nutrients is vital.\u201D  \n\nCharles Passler, D.C., a New York City\u2013based chiropractor and nutritionist whose clientele has included Victoria\u2019s Secret Angels and athletes living all over the United States, says, \u201CThe biggest challenge that vegans have is getting enough protein, B12, carnitine, and creatine, which are primarily found in meat. They\u2019re the main building blocks of growing and maintaining muscle mass and energy.\u201D One of the most common misconceptions people have, he says, is that while following a proper vegan diet they can\u2019t have the same athletic performance as meat eaters. Dr. Passler notes that this is not necessarily true, and there are numerous options with high percentages of protein, including tempeh, tofu, soy, hemp, quinoa, seeds, and beans. Vegans, he says, can give their body what it needs and still optimize their health\u2014or performance, if they\u2019re athletes.  \n\nKnowing which foods contain the necessary nutrients to make a body strong is important, because, as Dr. Passler points out, \u201Cwhen an athlete isn\u2019t getting enough protein, he or she will start to experience sarcopenia.\u201D That is a fancy way to say muscle loss, a potential problem for many vegans. This is why a lot of athletes incorporate supplements like protein powders into their diet, he adds.  \n\nTo help him become a better athlete, Brendan Brazier, a vegan who\u2019s a former professional Ironman triathlete and a two-time 50 km ultramarathon champion, developed a powder supplement more than a decade ago. \u201CI was looking for a way to fill in any nutritional gaps,\u201D he says, \u201Cand I just started blending things together, trying to find something that would allow me to speed up my recovery and optimize my training time.\u201D Since then, the company he cofounded, Vega, has grown to sell a wide range of products.  \n\nDr. Passler explains that, in general, eating vegan requires a lot of hard work and attention to detail. A bit of tofu here and some chickpeas there won\u2019t cut it \u2014 small quantities of protein just aren\u2019t enough to meet the quota for a training athlete, which can reach as much as one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day, according to Dr. Passler. \u201CIf this is something that people are dedicated to making work for them, they first have to know their body. Not only that, but then they have to educate themselves on food science to be aware of exactly what they need to power themselves,\u201D he advises.  \n\nAlthough there\u2019s no data on the number of vegan athletes, many are as strong and able as those who eat meat. So when we think about people who have given up all animal products, we should consider them empowered instead of deprived.  \n\nIf you\u2019re curious about what it takes to become a vegan, these tips will help make the transition a healthy one.  \n\nKNOWLEDGE IS POWER: There are documentaries, books, and entire magazines devoted to the vegan lifestyle\u2014 familiarize yourself so that when the time comes you can school the naysayers. Some of the best books are Thrive Fitness: The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness by Brendan Brazier and The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone (yes, Cher from Clueless).  \n\nSLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE: You won\u2019t become a vegan overnight\u2014nor should you. The Vegan Society suggests making small changes to your diet every day. It recommends removing meat or dairy from your diet one day a week and going from there.  \n\nTHERE IS NO \u201CI\u201D IN VEGAN: You\u2019re not alone: Many college campuses have vegan groups, and there is a vegan MeetUp in almost every major U.S. city. Also, vegan- magazine.com is a great resource if you\u2019re looking for infor- mation and a community.\n\nTAKE IT TO GO: NatureBox is changing the way vegans snack. This subscription service delivers a box of carefully sourced vegan-approved foods right to your front door. If you feel like eating out, check happycow.net for nearby options that will meet your needs.  \n\nCOOKING VEGAN: Check out websites and blogs like cookieandkate.com in order to find vegetarian- and vegan- friendly recipes\u2014like a sweet potato burrito smothered in avocado salsa verde\u2014to try out in your kitchen.\n\nRelated: Rejoice! Ben &amp;amp; Jerry&amp;#39;s Is Finally Releasing 4 Tasty, Dairy-Free Flavors  \n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.teenvogue.com/story/athletes-becoming-vegan-trend>