Chuck Jackson wrote:
+1 Rick. I have the same argument with Vegans/Vegetarians. We, as humans, are carnivores and require the nutrients in flesh to sustain a proper balance in our diet. I have many Vegan/Vegetarian friends who complain of being cold all the time (body heat is generated by digestion if I know my science correctly), look like the living dead, and lack sufficient energy ON THEIR OWN to do moderate to mildly stressful workouts, they always seem to be eating some whey based protien something or others to sustain their bodies. While not a huge proponent of eating alot of red meat, the amount I take in is sufficient to sustain me through a 5 mile run without the necessity of an added protien/carb/whey boost. For extreme workouts, I need the replenishment AFTERWARDS...
On a VERY PERSONAL side note, I think my ED was due to a high cholesterol count. I am living proof that after losing 40 lbs. (yes, my math was off in an earlier post, I went from 235 to 192) and cutting my cholesterol in half, Viagra is a thing of the past. At 51, I count that as a blessing. Just something to ponder.
I've managed to bite my tongue and not reply to this thread... until now.
For those who know me, I am vegan. I am also an athlete. I weight 200+lbs, and am in the process of getting my Crossfit certification. I have a regular practice of yoga with my wife who is an RYT 500E yoga teacher and nutritionist, and maintain about 15-20 miles/week of running. In 10 days, I will compete in an event called "Tough Mudder"
http://www.toughmudder.com. I sure hope I'm not too puny and cold to be able to run 12 miles and get punished by 27 insane obstacles! My resting heart rate is right at about 50bpm. Oh, and our children are also vegan.
I strongly disagree with any claim of the body's "need for flesh." While I've chosen to be vegan for ethical reasons, the health benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet are the number-one reason why people choose to follow this way of eating. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans support the benefit of a vegetarian diet: "Most Americans of all ages eat fewer than the recommended number of servings of grain products, vegetables, and fruits, even though consumption of these foods is associated with a substantially lower risk for many chronic diseases, including certain types of cancer." Research has shown that people who follow a vegetarian diet are at a lower risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, diverticulosis, renal disease, some cancers (including lung and breast), and gallstones. Vegetarian diets have also been shown to benefit people who already have type 2 diabetes. In one study, 43% of the people with type 2 diabetes who ate a low-fat vegan diet reduced their need for diabetes medications. I can attest to the validity of this as well. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. With our dietary guidance, she has managed to control her sugar count without the aid of medications. Oh, and she can eat almost anything she wants!
There are incredible benefits for the environment by the elimination of meat in one's diet as well. Did you know it takes 16 lbs of grain to produce 1 lb of beef? And there are so many people in the world starving... I'll save that rant for a different time...
The reason for these health benefits comes from the lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol and the higher intakes of complex carbohydrates, significantly more vitamins in the purest form, dietary fiber, certain minerals, and phytochemicals. Cholesterol is only found in animal foods, so vegan diets are completely cholesterol-free. Had a little issue with ED, at an early age, did you? Here's a way you could solve it... Not to mention the elimination of all the crap and chemicals they pump into, and feed the animals that are marked as "food." See any of the recent articles about "discoveries" of "pink slime" lately? The food service industry has been turned into a lab, and food is no longer being cultivated... it's a process now. Most of the food we eat at home is organic, and sometimes we even get to grow it ourselves! Raw food is at the top of our list!
Many high profile athletes are taking notice of the added health benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet and adapting it for themselves. Additionally, with all the added vitamins and nutrients that the body is absorbing, post workout recovery times are diminished.
Back to the original topic:
With my students, one of the first things we talk about in lessons is fitness. We play the tuba. It uses a ton of air. Being out of shape, overweight, and generally unhealthy (i.e. smoking) is not a benefit to our cardiovascular system. I believe that taking care of one's body is just as important as practicing Arban, or Rochut. So, in addition to weekly musical lessons of listening and practicing, I give a physical assignment as well. A typical practice session includes some sort of warm up, right? So, we buzz our little lips into the shiny metal piece for a bit, do some tonguing, etc... Perhaps some breathing as well? I like include stretches, and some light cardio. A few sun salutations, and perhaps a couple dozen jumping jacks, or jump rope in place to get the blood flowing, and bingo!... air usage increased. I've actually got a pretty good routine that I do to limber up my tissue, and prepare myself for the physical demands of playing the tuba. Not to mention getting up and moving, helps combat the fact that we're about to sit on our butts for hours on end, blowing our guts out into a big pipe.
I don't advocate that every tuba player go out and become a marathoner or bodybuilder. But, for the sake of yourself and those who care for you, get off your butt and be active once in a while! Don't let that belly get in the way of your tuba. Be fit enough to lug around 2 tubas without breaking a sweat! Don't pollute the air of your colleagues with the stench of cigarettes and indigestive farts. Take care of your body, and it will take care of you by paying dividends when you're older and not falling apart, like your unhealthy counterparts!
End of my little rant... flame away. I like grilled veggies as much as raw ones!
