Being a plant based triathlete…
Post New Year the adverts for the next best diet are inescapable… I want to wish you all a happy and healthy 2020. I hope everyone can nurture a positive relationship with food and your bodies – it’s really important – and if you are considering going plant based and joining Veganuary here are some thoughts, hints and tips.
What is the healthiest diet?
The healthiest diet is the one that makes you feel happy. I believe the more food you cook for yourself from scratch the better and doing that is likely to naturally lead towards becoming more plant based. I am a terrible cook so even better is a diet comprised of food ‘someone else’ has lovingly cooked for you!
Where can I learn more about being vegan?
Watch ‘The Game Changers’ on Netflix, then watch ‘Cowspiracy’ and ‘What the Health’. Visit the Veganuary website https://uk.veganuary.com or speak to a real life vegan.
Favourite plant based recipes?
The ‘Forks over Knives’ recipes (cookbook or available online) or sometimes the BOSH.TV channel on YouTube. I am excited to see the new GCN Plant Based Cyclist cookbook (pretty please Santa). Our go-to meals tend to be a full vegan breakfast with tattie scones, mince and roast potatoes, butternut squash macaroni or vegetable curry.
Worst things about plant based food?
Too much soya milk makes you fart! Use oat milk instead – when you only have half a cartoon left shake it really hard and add to coffee for instant frothy coffee.
Quorn – everyone assumes its vegan but they put egg in it, normally supermarket own brand mince is cheaper and vegan friendly.
Vegan cheese isn’t great – but Koko cheddar is nice and I am planning to try the vegan Applewood cheese soon.
What about eating out?
- With families – Pizza Express – they get the cheese to melt just perfect!
- At an airport – Wagamamas
- In London – Chipotle Mexican burritos!!!
- Best find – The Wildcat Café in Fort William
- There are lots and lots of options in Glasgow – Google is great or search https://www.happycow.net
Cheat day?
Co-op empire biscuits are ‘mostly’ vegan (many other empire biscuits are not) – so when my husband has them I use a knife to dig out the jelly sweet and enjoy with a cup of tea.
Why are you so skinny and will I loose weight?
Lots of people lose weight on a plant based diet if they are cutting out processed food, however if you only eat vegan junk food you are still only eating junk food. It can be hard to gain weight when you are plant based if you are training a lot. I am very conscious of the fact I am really skinny, I don’t always get my fuelling right and I don’t feel like a good role model at all. I developed an eating disorder when I was 19 for five or six years. I lost weight then and although I managed to recover about ten years ago I haven’t bounced back to where I could be. Some people will say that a plant based diet is still restrictive but I don’t agree, except for meat, eggs and dairy I can happily eat anything, my relationship with food has dramatically improved and I am getting stronger all the time. If you are worried about your eating behaviours whether you choose to be plant based or not, especially as an athlete, it is really important to talk to someone you trust and ask for support. Plant based diets aren’t dangerous but disordered eating is.
But where do you get your protein!!!!
Seriously – protein is not a big issue like everyone thinks it is. Eat what gorillas eat. As a triathlete you do need extra protein for recovery, I supplement everyday with 25g protein from VEGA powder (as in VEGA Kona World Championships). Its slightly more expensive but you can buy it in bulk when there are discounts. It’s worth it to have a mix that’s mostly from pea, hemp and pumpkin – rather than more soy based products. The only other supplement I take is iron – after my iron was low its just habit now. Most the plant based milks are fortified with vitamins (B12 etc).
Who is your plant based role model?
I have two, the Vegan Cyclist and Rich Roll
What will you eat over Xmas?
Nut roast, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips (insert all the vegetables here)… I am going to try make a Christmas cake packed full of dried fruit… vegan mince pies, lots of gin and lots of cider! My family don’t all appreciate my choices so the holidays can be a challenging time, as they can be for everyone…. Getting out for a Christmas run is also a big part of surviving a family Xmas.
Eating a more plant based diet has many benefits if you do it sensibly. The most important thing for anyone as we head into January 2020 is to find a happy balance and lifestyle that suits your training and recovery needs.
