It IS possible to be an elite athlete and a vegan

A number of high-profile figures in sport do not eat animal products.

They include retired heavyweight boxer David Haye, tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, and footballer Jermain Defoe.

Now 28, Ross stopped eating animal products four years ago.

At first, he wasn't sure how he would replace the meat and dairy protein in his diet.

"When I did start I was very active - I've always been active - so straight away there was almost this belief - where do you get your protein from?

"That's the biggest question if you don't eat animals. Where are you going to get your essential amino acids from?"

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Dieticians say it can be people like Ross, making a sudden change in what they eat, who face the biggest challenges.

Emma Kinrade is a lecturer in nutrition and dietetics at Glasgow Caledonian University.

"It is harder if somebody completely switches what they eat," she says.

"If somebody has a lot of plant-based foods in their diet already and not much meat and fish it wouldn't be as hard.

"But if it's a complete switch from a low vegetable, low fruit, high meat diet, then it can be quite difficult."

She believes it is mainly a question of thinking carefully about food intake.

"A vegan would have to substitute getting protein from nuts and beans and pulses, and things like grains - quinoa, etc.

"It is absolutely possible to meet protein requirements. You just have to be a little bit more careful and also try to use milk substitutes - soya milk, rice milk, almond milk - things like that supply plant-based protein."

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Are they truly "vegans",  though  ???

Or is the reporter simply an ignorant fool, unable to distinguish between vegetarian and genuine "vegans"  ???

Do those mentioned own anything made from wool, leather, silk, pashmina, angora, cashmere, felts, bone, ivory,..

Do they consume honey, eggs, or fruit&vegetables fertilised with animal manures..

Do they keep any pets --  or invest in any businesses employing, farming or exploiting animals..

Do they ever go horseriding  ?

Answer "Yes !" to any of those questions, and somebody isn't a genuine 'vegan'..

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Are they truly "vegans",  though  ???

Or is the reporter simply an ignorant fool, unable to distinguish between vegetarian and genuine "vegans"  ???

Do those mentioned own anything made from wool, leather, silk, pashmina, angora, cashmere, felts, bone, ivory,..

Do they consume honey, eggs, or fruit&vegetables fertilised with animal manures..

Do they keep any pets --  or invest in any businesses employing, farming or exploiting animals..

Do they ever go horseriding  ?

Answer "Yes !" to any of those questions, and somebody isn't a genuine 'vegan'..

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

The defining difference between vegetarian and "vegan" is that true vegans are opposed to all animal 'exploitation'...

Simply eating a strict vegetarian diet (i.e. only plant-based foods..)  doesn't make a person "vegan".

Simply calling oneself "vegan" --  without following the underlying philosophy and ethos  --  doesn't make a person "vegan".

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

My "point" is quite simple...

People misrepresenting vegetarian diets as "vegan" might be simply ignorant, wannabes/fashionistas, scamsters, plain old fashioned liars..

What they aren't being,  is in anyway honest.

Raggamuffin wrote:Sjogren's syndrome is a condition whereby the moisture-producing glands don't work properly, and it's not particularly rare. There's no special diet which necessarily controls it.