Vegetarian Star

Anyone who breaks an American record for running a 24 hour race probably has good advice on nutrition. Heck, anyone who can run for 24 hours should set the new government guidelines for eating and rebuild the food pyramid.

Vegan ultra marathoner Scott Jurek is about to release a book either by the end of this year or early 2012 that may contain some indispensable advice for plant-fueled athletes like he gave to No Meat Athlete.

Number 1: Go Slowly
Like training for your first marathon, switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet that’s healthy isn’t happening in a week. “I think it’s always good to have a gradual transition; have a plan,” Jurek said. “PCRM does a great 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program and giving support along the way.”

Number 2: Focus on what you can add to your diet, not subtract.
“The biggest mistake I think a lot of plant-based eaters make initially is that they eliminate versus integrate new foods into their diet. So they just kind of look at, “Okay, I can’t eat this, I can’t eat this, I can’t eat that,” and then they’re like, “Oh, what do I eat now?” And they end up undereating, which some people say that might be a good thing if one wants to lose weight, but it’s not the healthiest.”

Number 3: Don’t just grab processed soy burgers and eat them with french fries.Try a quinoa cake too.
“So if you have to eat some processed foods and products and foods that you’re used to eating, that’s totally fine, as far as transitioning. But ideally, you work on the quality of the ingredients and the foods that you’re incorporating into the diet.”

You can listen to an audio of the Jurek interview, as well as read it at No Meat Athlete.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro