When Texans running back Arian Foster tweeted in late June that he had decided to follow a vegan diet, it caused equal parts confusion and consternation. How, many wondered, could a pro football player subsist on a meatless, milk shake-free diet? Others, of course, didn’t even know what a vegan is, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering Foster is thought to be the only practicing one currently in the NFL.
I’ve been a vegan for going on three months now, long enough to know that I’m feeling better. It’s also long enough to have run up against both sides of the argument: those who think it’s just weird and unnatural (It’s called a “food chain” for a reason!!) vs. those who think meat-eaters are “@$$holes” (not my word, but you don’t have to go far to hear it).
Image the consternation when Arian Foster, star running back for the Houston Texans, announced over the summer that he’d gone vegan. Judging by some of the reactions from the media intelligentsia, you’d have thought Foster had announced he was leaving on a four-year Mormon mission. Surely, the talking heads opined, there’s NO WAY Foster could continue to perform at an NFL level while subsisting on a plant-based diet. While at the gym one day, I listened to ESPN’s Skip Bayless (If you look up “blowhard” in the dictionary, his picture will be in the definition) waxed indignant about how Foster was putting himself at a competitive disadvantage. You’d have thought that Bayless and the talking heads he sat next to were all Ph.D.s in nutritional science. The tone of the conversation would have been funny if not for the sheer ignorance and misinformation that fueled it.
OK, so only two NFL players are known to be vegan. The fact that there are two, one of them being arguably the best running back in the league, should serve notice that a plant-based diet is not an impediment to athletic performance. Like any other lifestyle choice, eating a plant-based diet has benefits, and if one eats properly getting sufficient protein shouldn’t be a problem. An argument could be made that a vegan diet is best suited to support optimum athletic performance. Let’s not let the facts get in the way of an argument the Texas Cattleman’s Association and the National Beef Council would be proud of, though.
But a person who mattered hugely in the conversation, Texans dietician Roberta Anding, came to Foster’s defense, saying that while he may be seen as an outlier now, he’s arguably the prototypical pro athlete of the future. Anding expresses no concern about Foster’s ability to meet his caloric needs, sans meat and dairy products. The health advantages of a plant-based diet are myriad and well-documented.
“Arian has been one of these guys I call a seeker, looking for optimum nutrition and variety,” Anding said. “In my working with him, he has been open to a lot of strategies to get him where he needs to be, not only as a professional football player but, more importantly, as an adult man who has a child and a wife. That’s the new NFL player. I don’t think Arian is unique.”
I’m not going to argue that a plant-based diet is the best choice for an athlete looking for maximum nutrition and health benefits…though I believe it is. No, it’s a personal choice that most people wouldn’t make, and that’s fine. When last I checked, we still live in a free country. Living off three-meat pizzas and drive-through hamburgers and fries is a valid dietary choice, just not one I choose for myself.
Here’s a suggestion: take a good look around. We may not wearing a scarlet “V,” but there are a lot more vegans out there than you probably realize…and a lot of them are athletes who’ve discovered that a plant-based diet is a great way to maintain health and weight while staying at the top of their game.
Hey, all I’m saying is get the facts before you do your Skip Bayless imitation and revel yourself to be a clueless putz….
