Summer Olympics – Plant-Based Style
By Jamin Mendelsohn
The Summer Games are here – Hooray! I always look forward to the Olympics and get pumped up every four years when those multi-colored rings appear and the stories of elite athletes begin to surface.
Why do I love the Olympics so much? It’s because I am in awe of the sheer ability and the dedication of the athletes. Watching someone achieve their goal (their dream!) is perhaps the best inspiration I can find to approach my own goals with renewed motivation and encouragement. At the Olympics, the competition is fierce: some people live up to expectations, others exceed them and some underdogs even rise above the pressure to surprise the world. Sure, not everyone walks away with a gold medal, but overall, it is an incredibly positive event celebrating the diversity of this world, and ability of the human body to achieve!
Four years ago, I did a 10-day Reboot just a few weeks before the Beijing games, and thus began my own journey into the plant-based lifestyle. At the time, I had no idea what a big part of my life it would become and how my own commitment to plant-based eating would develop. Ever since, I’ve upped my game physically completing a sprint triathlon, 2 half marathons and several 10-milers, all while eating mostly plants. I’m certainly not an elite athlete, nor do I claim to be, but I find that I’m able to train effectively and achieve the goals I set for myself while following the diet style that I believe in.
Believe it or not, there are elite athletes, (Olympians!) out there that are doing the same thing. USA Swimmer Garrett Weber-Gale and USA Marathoner Michael Arnstein are both said to be primarily plant-based, and USA Tennis Star Venus Williams famously went vegan this year before heading to London for the Olympics. And even famous Australian swimmer Murray Rose who won 4 gold medals attributed his success to his vegan lifestyle.
While a plant-based diet may not be for everyone, it certainly shouldn’t be viewed as a deterrent to performance. If you have been considering a Reboot and beginning your own journey, there’s no time like the present! Let the Olympians inspire you and set your own goals to work toward.
And of course…. Juice On!