You can build muscle if you are vegetarian, but let's first talk about what the different types of vegetarianism entail.
Vegans won't eat dairy products or any other products of animals, pesco-vegetarians will consume fish and other dairy products whereas lacto-ovo vegetarians will both consume milk and eat eggs but won't eat meat. There are a few more sub categories but that is enough detail for the purposes of this article.
Because vegetarians don't consume several different types of foods, such as red meat, they also have a lower risk of things like hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease and some cancers.
As you may agree the reasons for changing to be vegetarian are compelling indeed and that is before we even begin to discuss the idealistic side of things such as being less cruel to animals, saving food for starving others, conserving the rainforest, becoming more friendly to the environment and such like.
So, if I am vegetarian how can I get enough protein to pack on muscle mass? The answer to this question very simply is Soy. Soy in reality has higher levels of protein than beef and also contains all eight of the essential amino acids.
You can easily get soy from such sources as soymilk, tofu, and textured soy protein. However, as long as you consume enough calories in the forms of good foods like seeds, rice, beans, nuts, legumes, and vegetables, you should get enough protein, plenty to build a lot of muscle.
Alright so that is protein dealt with but what about vitamins and minerals, particularly zinc, vitamin D, calcium, iron and vitamin B12? Well, supplements should be taken by vegans for this.
Vitamin B12 is especially a concern because although it's abundant in dairy products and is therefore not a concern for most vegetarians, it may be a concern for vegans. Meal replacement powders and vitamin and mineral supplements can also help build muscle, but don't overlook plenty of green leafy vegetables and fruits in addition to the protein sources mentioned to build muscle as a vegetarian.
So, overall there are many health benefits to being a vegetarian and being a vegetarian need not prevent you from achieving your bodybuilding goals. Of course a key factor to your diet success will be the ability to plan, however this is just as crucial for meat eating bodybuilders also. With the above guidelines in mind go ahead and build muscle vegetarian style!! - 30414
Vegans won't eat dairy products or any other products of animals, pesco-vegetarians will consume fish and other dairy products whereas lacto-ovo vegetarians will both consume milk and eat eggs but won't eat meat. There are a few more sub categories but that is enough detail for the purposes of this article.
Because vegetarians don't consume several different types of foods, such as red meat, they also have a lower risk of things like hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease and some cancers.
As you may agree the reasons for changing to be vegetarian are compelling indeed and that is before we even begin to discuss the idealistic side of things such as being less cruel to animals, saving food for starving others, conserving the rainforest, becoming more friendly to the environment and such like.
So, if I am vegetarian how can I get enough protein to pack on muscle mass? The answer to this question very simply is Soy. Soy in reality has higher levels of protein than beef and also contains all eight of the essential amino acids.
You can easily get soy from such sources as soymilk, tofu, and textured soy protein. However, as long as you consume enough calories in the forms of good foods like seeds, rice, beans, nuts, legumes, and vegetables, you should get enough protein, plenty to build a lot of muscle.
Alright so that is protein dealt with but what about vitamins and minerals, particularly zinc, vitamin D, calcium, iron and vitamin B12? Well, supplements should be taken by vegans for this.
Vitamin B12 is especially a concern because although it's abundant in dairy products and is therefore not a concern for most vegetarians, it may be a concern for vegans. Meal replacement powders and vitamin and mineral supplements can also help build muscle, but don't overlook plenty of green leafy vegetables and fruits in addition to the protein sources mentioned to build muscle as a vegetarian.
So, overall there are many health benefits to being a vegetarian and being a vegetarian need not prevent you from achieving your bodybuilding goals. Of course a key factor to your diet success will be the ability to plan, however this is just as crucial for meat eating bodybuilders also. With the above guidelines in mind go ahead and build muscle vegetarian style!! - 30414
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