Men Like Sports II

After I posted the previous entry, I got so many letters asking about vegetarian and vegan men in sports. Do they exist? Are they strong? Can they build muscles? These aren’t silly questions. We live in a meat obsessed culture with it’s masculinity largely defined by meat-eating. It’s no surprise that we’ve been taught to believe we need animal products to be healthy. However, we can be healhty and strong on a plant-based diet as well. For example, Vegan Bodybuilder Alexander Dargatz is featured on veganbodybuilding.com.

You can get beefy without eating beefy. I’ve been vegan for over a decade and I am able to build muscle, too. There are also scores of veg ladies who are packing heat – like Six-time Ironwoman Ruth Heidrich, Tennis champ Martina Navratilova, and bodybuilder Kailla Edger.

This week ESPN asks “ Who says you have to eat meat to be a successful athlete?” Profiling Milwaukee Brewers slugger Prince Fielder, Kansas City Chiefs star Tony Gonzalez, UFC Fighter Mac Danzig, Minnesota Twins Baseballer Pat Neshek, and ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, this article shows men in some of the most physically demanding sports who are shattering the illusion that you have to eat milk and meat to be strong (thanks to Karen of Dawnwatch).

Also this week, Mens’ Fittness Magazine chose the vegan, mixed martial arts, UFC champion Mac Danzig for their cover story entitled “Fittest Guys in America”. His interview starts right off about his veganism. read the full interview here. To learn more about Mac, read my original article about him here.

For other resources on being veg in sports, check these links:

Vegan Bodybuilding

Vegan/Vegetarian Athlete Articles & Links:

Seattle PI on Scott Jurek: Seattle man amazes everyone in 135-mile marathon–including himself

Vegetarian Sports Nutrition (summary at right)

Vegetarian Diet for Exercise and Athletic Training and Performing – Andrews University Nutrition Department

Vegan Cycling

Vegan Adventure.com

Carl Lewis on Being Vegan

Vegan Triathlete – no age barrier

Veg Athlete a discussion forum at VegSource.com

Vegetarian Action

Vegan MD.com by Dr. Michael Greger

Information on Vegan Diet by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

Vegetarian Nutrition Articles by Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG)

Vegan Society.com

Partial list of vegan/vegetarian athletes

Fresh Friday Finds

1. **Exclusive Discerning Brute discount at Partybots.org.** Organic graphic Tshirts by Karl Addison! Clothing Art! The coupon code is “brute“. All you have to do is put that in the “Enter Redeem Code” field on the “Payment Information” page before you check out, and you get $10 off your order. Sweeeet!

2. Smells Like 1966. When asked to sum up his work in three words, CB said “Scent is Life”. I Hate Perfume is a Brooklyn-based, alcohol-free, cruelty-free line of sensual delicacies. I use “Burning Leaves” because it makes me feel like I’m camping in the autumn.

3.Green Drinks. Smooze with other like-minded green and eco professionals. Tuesday April 8 – At EYEBEAM

4. Got skillz in the kitchen? Are you single and in Brooklyn – but know that if you could just get a date to your apartment, you’d win over anyone with your culinary mastery? Thanks for the tip from our Girlie Girl Army friend, Chloe Jo, you can apply to be on a dating show where you show off your vegan cooking prowess. Click HERE to apply

5. Talk about the end of the world! If you sit around philosophizing and conceptualizing the end of civilization, this event is for you! April 16th at 6pm at the Vault, Click HERE to sign up.

6.Discerning Depot: If you live in the NYC area, check out Build It Green, which is the punk-rock, dumpster-diving, freegan cousin of Home Depot. Build It Green! NYC, is New York City’s only non-profit retail outlet for salvaged and surplus building materials. Their warehouse has everything from panel doors to high end refrigerators and shutters to movie props. Their mission is to keep these materials out of the landfill, while offering deep discounts on their resale.

7. Trashion: Cufflinks by Wabisabi Brooklyn. The team uses vintage elements, recycled papers, and humble metals such as copper to create their designs. “We want our pieces to embody the meaning behind the name of our company,” says LoVerme. “Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic concept that means finding beauty in imperfection. (from Trashion)

8. Tie Again: Narwhal Co. is pretty amazing. They make dope, recycled tie accessories, and they even do CUSTOM ORDERS. Wow… I’m thinking about a paisley loin-cloth.

9. LIME teaches us how to recycle everything – from fleece to tools to paint. Get on top of your spring cleaning without dumping all your crap in a landfill. Click HERE for the simple guide.

10. Get in shape: Check out Vegan Bodybuilding.com, so your testosterone-induced, machismo-pursuing, bad-ass, tough-as-nails attitude can be used for the powers of good.

Vegan Bodybuilder Kristopher “Topher” Flannery