Fuel up on plants – Bike Magazine Australia

I take a lot of ribbing when people hear that I’m vegan. In fact, one of my best friends, who’s part Cherokee, tells me the term translates to “bad hunter.” I became a vegan – someone who eats no animal products – after reading The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, which chronicles research that found that people who consumed more animal products were more likely to suffer from diseases such as cancer.

Two and a half years later, I’ve lost nearly 22.5kg and lowered my total cholesterol by 75 points. I have more energy, think more clearly, and pedal uphill a lot quicker. Whether you want to lose weight, are concerned with your health, or just want to ride faster, consider adopting a plant-based diet all or some of the time. It’s entirely possible to fuel your body for riding without meat or dairy – provided you eat whole, unprocessed foods, and not empty calories like chips and soda. Try these smart swaps.

To get enough	Replace this animal source	With this plant source
Protein	Meat/dairy	Legumes, nuts and seeds
Iron	Molluscs, liver, and beef	Squash, pumpkin seeds, nuts, beans, and dark leafy greens
Calcium	Milk (lower-fat varieties have more calcium) and cheese	Dark leafy greens, soy products, almonds
Vitamin D	Cod liver oil, fish, oysters, fortified dairy products	Fortified cereals and soy products, mushrooms
Vitamin B12	Clams, oysters, liver, fish, beef, eggs	Fortified almond or rice milk, soy products, breakfast cereals

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cycling nutrition veganism vegetables