Being a vegetarian bodybuilder is not as difficult as millions of people tend to assume it is. In fact, it may well be easier for a vegetarian to remain committed to bodybuilding, as a real vegetarian diet takes a great deal of focus and disciple to stick to. The same applies to bodybuilding or any for of exercise regime. This will of course assist you when undertaking a workout in the gym.

The definition of “vegetarians” should firstly be undertaken. This is due to the fact that there are three types of vegetarianism. These types are referred to as:

o Pseudo-vegetarians,

o Meat vegetarians, and

o Vegetarians.

The pseudo vegetarian is someone who avoids beef, chicken and poultry, but will in actual fact eat fish. Pseudo-vegetarians also have no problems with consuming other animal products. A meat vegetarian does not eat meat, and vegetarians do not eat any foods that contain any amount of animal product.

Diet is the only difference between vegetarian bodybuilding and a meat eating bodybuilder, as there is no difference between the two as to how they build muscle mass.

Bodybuilders always increase their intake on protein. This is because, when we exercise our muscles, microscopic damage to the tissue is caused, whereby our bodies repair this damage with larger and stronger tissues while we rest. Our bodies require great quantities of protein in order to achieve this.

This is whereby people assume that vegetarians falter. It is common knowledge that protein is received from eating meat. However, it has been proven that soy is an equal comparison to whey and superior to beef when it comes to the content of protein. In order for the body to grow and repair muscles, it requires amino acids. Soy provides 8 of these essential amino acids. It would be highly recommended to vegetarians that they consider soy as a primary source of protein.

Soy is not only a great source of protein, but also for glutamine, which is taken in the form of supplements by many bodybuilders. Soy is readily available nowadays in different forms such as tofu, miso, soy powder and soy milk. It is of course possible to replace cow’s milk with soy milk in recipes, which will assist in the expansion of your basic food options.

Other sources of protein and fat that a vegetarian requires come from almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts and pistachio nuts. These foods contain good fats, which a vegetarian also requires.

Vitamins and minerals are also something which a vegetarian needs to ensure that they are receiving enough of. This can be done by taking a multivitamin tablet every day. Of course, many bodybuilders consume meal replacement shake which contain an array of vitamins and minerals. One vitamin which is essential, is that of B12. This is generally an animal product based vitamin. Therefore it is recommended to take these in tablet form.

So in conclusion, as you can see, it really isn’t difficult being a vegetarian bodybuilder. By following the guidelines above, you will be well on your way to building huge amounts of muscle!

By: Peter Tremayne

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There has been a lot of confusion concerning vegetarian low carb diets. Many people are contemplating whether or not they should make the switch to a meat free lifestyle, but the high carbohydrate content (and the lack of protein) has them confused. If you are wanting to switch, but are finding it impossible to eat a vegetarian high protein low carb diet, than you should find some help in this article.

The first thing you will need to decide is the kind of vegetarian you will become. Are you willing to give up every single animal product, or are you willing to compromise a little? To be a true vegetarian is to eat nothing but fruit, vegetables, and grain. If its natural you eat it, if its not you don’t. This is sometimes known as veganism (a diet in which you do not eat anything containing animal product).

Many people find it too hard to eat within those parameters. Many of these people choose to become either a lacto vegetarian, or a lacto ovo vegetarian. Both of these alternatives promote the vegetarian lifestyle, while making it easier on the individual.

With a lacto vegetarian diet you will still abstain from eating meat, but you will have the added option of being able to consume dairy products. This is a much easier way of living. You don’t realize how many food products contain some form of dairy (until you attempt to stop eating them). With this option you can still eat cheese and drink milk! This makes it much easier, you can still eating your breakfast cereal in the morning!

With a lacto ovo veggi diet you can eat dairy and eggs. This is the easiest of them all and is where a lot of people start. This gives you more flexibility if you need to eat a low carb high protein diet. Egg whites are full of protein and many vegetarian body builders eat them in most of their meals. It’s highly advisable that you limit your intake to two egg yokes per day (this number will vary depending on your age and nutrition needs). 1 egg yoke contains most of your daily cholesterol needs. You don’t want to over do it. Feel free to eat as many egg whites as you want though.

To get more protein you can snack on nuts and seeds during the day. If you need to limit your carbs than limit your fruits and grains (do not avoid them, limit them). You can eat as many veggi’s as you want, without worrying. (most vegetables are ok, you should limit high fat veggi’s like avocado).

This should be enough information to get you started in your pursuit of a low carb vegetarian diet plan.

By: Tiffany Benton

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