Any vegans in the NHL?

[hellaavangard 33]

The best way to lose weight and sustain is to make a life change and not to diet. Sooner or later every diet ends and you will usually put back on more than was lost in the first place. Moderation and balance are the keys to taking weight off and keeping it off.

You might think about rewording that, because if you eat food, you're on a diet.

As is pointed out on here, different things work for different people, and things like your body, lifestyle, surroundings etc are factors to take in when considering a big change in your diet. You hear stories of people going to a veg diet and having a multitude of health problems as a result, where it simply might not have been a good idea for them in particular. I still eat poultry and fish but prefer to eat good vegetarian or vegan food when its available. I've considered making the next steps but where I'm at in life right now it doesn't make sense for me. The people that piqued my interest and the I looked to for advice on Vegan/Vegetarianism all said the same thing "Get educated on the subject and make a decision for yourself based on what works for you personally"

Without sounding to cheese-dick, its a similar thing with people on this forum asking "which model skate or glove or helmet will fit me" while the best solution is to go out, try it on for yourself, see if it fits and find out for yourself if it will work for you.

[chippa13 1844]

The context should have made it clear what I meant by "diet".

The fact remains, if you want to lose weight and keep it off then you have to make a life change and not simply go on a diet. Diets end, life changes should not.

[Law Goalie 147]

To be frank, chippa did use the infinitive "to diet," which is a relatively recent coinage and has but one denotative meaning.

And yes, certain people at certain times handle certain diets (using the general sense) better than others. Some of that is genetic predisposition, some of that is down to the adaptation of their digestive tracts to the food they grew up on, and some of it is due to more immediate environmental factors (eg. stress, hydration, pregnancy, violent exercise, Giardia, whatever). People of certain Asian genetic backgrounds can't readily metabolise alcohol; some people have a hard time with wheat; some people swell up like balloons on a teaspoon of rice unless it's soaked in wine, butter and stock and cooked into a risotto. (Goddamn it, now I want risotto...)

The thing I've been trying to train myself to do is to really listen to my body's appetites. When it wants sleep, I give it sleep; when it wants water, etc. This can be dangerous, since there are times I convince myself that what I really want is a bottle of crusted port, and then all bets are off.

[Jarick 5]

I hear ya. Of the last 10 years, I spent 2 of them overweight, and both of those times I was on prescriptions. After I lost the weight the first time, I made changes to my diet permanently (whole grains, healthy fats, more fruits and veggies, more protein, less junk food, less sugar). But when you're trying to cut weight, you want to be eating differently than if you're trying to maintain, be it low calorie, low carb, or high exercise.

One amazing thing, when I was eating relatively low carbs and about 135 at 5'8" (ridiculously skinny but if you were overweight all your teens you have a bit of a warped sense of body image), my doctor did some blood tests and called me to ask why my good cholesterol was so high and my bad cholesterol so low. Apparently I was almost off the charts but in a very good way. So that was fun.

[AnthonyJTa 0]

ya i dont get vegans at all. why take all thoses nutrients away from your body? were built to eat meat! yummm

Are we? Carnivores perspire through their tongues, not their skin like humans... let's not forget the lack of real 'canine' teeth. Natural carnivores also manufacture their own vitamin c, while humans have to consume it.

[eric42434224 1]

ya i dont get vegans at all. why take all thoses nutrients away from your body? were built to eat meat! yummm

Are we? Carnivores perspire through their tongues, not their skin like humans... let's not forget the lack of real 'canine' teeth. Natural carnivores also manufacture their own vitamin c, while humans have to consume it.

He didnt say we were carnivores. Simply that we were meant to eat meat. Which as omnivores, we are.

[wetwilly17 6]

It is very, very difficult to eat properly as a vegetarian. You will need the assistance of a professional if you are an athlete at almost any level.

this is a ridiculous statement with all of the information and supplements now readily available. if you were referring to being vegan i would agree, but it is easy to get proper nutrition as a vegetarian with only a minimal understanding of nutrition so long as you think about what you are eating.

[Chadd 916]

It is very, very difficult to eat properly as a vegetarian. You will need the assistance of a professional if you are an athlete at almost any level.

this is a ridiculous statement with all of the information and supplements now readily available. if you were referring to being vegan i would agree, but it is easy to get proper nutrition as a vegetarian with only a minimal understanding of nutrition so long as you think about what you are eating.

I wasn't talking about supplements, but that also helps prove my point. It is very difficult to manage via food intake alone.

[wetwilly17 6]

It is very, very difficult to eat properly as a vegetarian. You will need the assistance of a professional if you are an athlete at almost any level.

this is a ridiculous statement with all of the information and supplements now readily available. if you were referring to being vegan i would agree, but it is easy to get proper nutrition as a vegetarian with only a minimal understanding of nutrition so long as you think about what you are eating.

I wasn't talking about supplements, but that also helps prove my point. It is very difficult to manage via food intake alone.

difficult? no, just more effort, thought and planning into what you eat. but that goes for non-vegetarians as well given the way that the average north american eats.

[#13 0]

Interesting topic for me as I've been vegan all my life (20 years). I was actually keen to find out if there are some vegans in the NHL but inevitably, most people have to go on about why vegan/vegetarians aren't as healthy and how tasty meat is. Someone mentioned Carl Lewis being vegan and here's a list of some top athletes for people who need more convincing - http://www.veganathlete.com/vegan_vegetarian_athletes.php

My family is vegan and my sister was national champion in gymnastics, competed internationally etc for several years. She trained 17 hours a week on a vegan diet, conditioning and training at a level far higher than most hockey players on here probably do or ever will. I've played inline hockey internationally and have never had a problem with burning out earlier than others. In fact, I'm fitter than most players I've played with.

It does take more effort being vegan but you obviously get used to it. The stupid posts I've read with quotes such as "I actually enjoy my food" or "yum...meat" are pretty pathetic ones and are nothing to do with the question the original poster asked. Although I've never had meat, I'm sure it is tasty but that's hardly the point - people aren't vegetarian/vegan because they don't enjoy meat. I still enjoy food and don't just live off lettuce and nuts. I'm very aware that playing hockey several times a week means I need to be careful with my diet. Being vegan, I have to ensure I get the right amount of protein from other sources than meat, eat enough carbs etc.

People who are vegan/vegetarian for many different reasons. Someone said "vegetarianism is a health choice, veganism is a political one" - that's bollocks. The biggest reason products like soya milk are more available in supermarkets these days isn't because there are greater numbers of vegans - it's down to increasing numbers of people with dairy allergies. Some people are vegan because of the cruelty/political angle and others purely because of health reasons.

Sorry for long post but I find it annoying when ignorant people who don't know any facts bash vegans/vegetarians for being different. I don't give my friends who eat meat grief for doing so. Anyway, anyone know of any NHLers apart from Laraque?

[Law Goalie 147]

Carl Lewis switched to a vegan diet in 1990 - when he was 30, after three decades of reaping the combined benefits of animal protein and powerful exercise. It's deeply misleading to suggest that he's been a vegan all his life. The nutritional requirements of a 30 year-old are dramatically different than those of a 13 year-old. If Lewis is a case study in anything, it's athlete longevity. Alterations in diet are one tiny piece of that puzzle.

[SirJW 207]

Thanks for the post #13.

[#13 0]

Law Goalie - Carl Lewis still credits his later performances on the vegan diet he adopted though and I never suggested he'd been vegan his whole life. Most vegans aren't brought up vegan and it's the same with the majority of vegetarians. Maybe he's not the best case study but switching to the diet didn't exactly harm his career did it? My point was that (with care) it's easily possible to perform at the top level in any sport being vegan.

SirJW - no problem.

[technophile 0]

I remember from my college days that there is a good reason that people did, and still do, eat meat. It is because meat (red meat in particular, I think) is the only single source of all amino acids the body needs or uses.

That's incorrect.

There are non-animal-derived "complete" proteins (proteins that include all the amino acids the body can't synthesize itself). Quinoa is one; soybeans are another. That said, if you eat a reasonable variety of other proteins it's not hard to satisfy the body's needs. Most people eat far, far more protein than their body actually needs. We evolved eating it as a supplement, not a staple.

It is very, very difficult to eat properly as a vegetarian. You will need the assistance of a professional if you are an athlete at almost any level.

That's not my experience, nor my wife's. I've been a vegetarian for more than 12 years now (since I was roughly 20), she's been one for more than 15 (since early teens). She plays soccer (indoor and outdoor, multiple times per week) and runs (up to half-marathon lengths) and I play hockey (rec league, but still) and occasional soccer. I've never had to consult a professional and I've never had a problem. (And before someone points out my post from another thread where I say I'm 5'10"/135, there was no change in my weight or stamina going from eating meat to not.)

Every time I get a physical the doctor is impressed at my blood pressure, heart rate, etc. I have 105% of the "normal" lung capacity despite being asthmatic. And my blood doesn't coagulate any differently from anyone else I know; I've tested this a number of times (accidentally) with very sharp kitchen knives. ;)

[n3ss 0]

no problem with being a vege as long as you're not the militant, "I CAN NOT SPEAK NOR ASSOCIATE WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU EAT MEAT"-tard type.

[booyaagrandma 4]

no problem with being a vege as long as you're not the militant, "I CAN NOT SPEAK NOR ASSOCIATE WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU EAT MEAT"-tard type.

Good point,the opposite also applies though,the 'WTF DON'T you eat meat ' moron reply is just as bad don't you think ? mutual respect goes a long way :D

[TheHerminator22 0]

Speaking of Vegans, this is pretty interesting. It's not hockey, but it involves skates.

Custom Skates for Vegans

[psh 25]

Here's a recent Times article that addresses some of the points raised in this thread. Scott Jurek must be among the handful of active athletes who could legitimately be considered the best living athlete right now:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/sports/1...mp;ref=homepage

[vek 0]

Here's a recent Times article that addresses some of the points raised in this thread. Scott Jurek must be among the handful of active athletes who could legitimately be considered the best living athlete right now

Not to nitpick, but I read the article, and it said the guy "hadn't won a major race since 2008". Combine that with the fact that he competes in a fringe sport, the term one of the "best living athlete" seems like a major overstatement, when he's not even at the top of his own sport.

My sister is a vegan, and has done Ironman a bunch of times. I don't think that being vegan has limited her, or any other vegan athletes' performance; it just takes a bit more attention to detail to ensure appropriate nutrition.

[xrickyb86x 1]

I've had a handful of vegan friends. The commitment and dedication is insane. While I do believe a lot of people do shit like this as a trend and become obsessive to the point of vegan-ism controlling their life rather than the other way around, I still believe it's a beneficial diet to humans. I just lack the discipline and time to dedicate myself to it. Also, it's worth noting that a vegan diet is really only accessible in a first world country like the USA. That's something a lot of obsessive vegans have a hard time understanding.

lol this funny and pretty cool:

http://meatisforpussies.org/

http://vegetarianstar.com/2009/10/08/cro-m...r-pussies-book/

Definitely not the type of guy you would think of when thinking of vegans.

[TheGasman 0]

Im not Vegan but we have some pretty awesome Vegan restaurants in LA. Purgatory pizza downtown is pretty good. The vegan pizzas at Whole Foods are tasty too.

[Larry54 243]

If becoming a vegan turns you into this, then I think I'll pass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRvReWD0XrM

:lol:

[n3ss 0]

probably has a lot more spare time playing in the AHL.