In case you’re wondering if the athletes who rave about plant-based diets are only tricking themselves into thinking they have more energy, some nutritionists are backing them up.
LZ GRANDERSON: ‘There are some bright spots to the Lakers disappointing season, and high among them has to be the play of JaVale McGee. The last four seasons, the onetime Shaquille O’Neal punching bag has gone from being a joke, to a bit player on two championship teams, to a fairly important piece in the Lakers’ fleeting postseason hopes. Though it’s not unusual for an athlete to have a late-career surge, the reason for McGee’s is: his began when he gave up meat. “I was in Dallas and I had gained weight and knew becoming a vegetarian was the quickest way to lose it,” he said. “I just wasn’t sure if I could do it.” It was 2015, and he was a bench player for the Mavericks struggling to find minutes. A trip to Whole Foods led to his discovery of a plant-based culinary company by the name of Beyond Meat — and with it, renewed energy…
“I was just looking for vegan stuff, saw the name and was like ‘let me try this,’ and it was really good,” McGee said. “Like I couldn’t tell the difference between that and meat. I thought, ‘If I can make it taste good and I’m not really a cook, imagine what a chef could do.” McGee is not the only NBA player who has found a liking to a plant-based diet via the El Segundo-based company. Beyond Meat is one of a growing list of companies developing meat substitutes, which Allied Market Research says will be a $7.5 billion market worldwide by 2025…
Beyond Meat has made a specific pitch to woo athletes to become evangelists for its product. That funky baseball cap Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving often wears — with the cow wearing a cape — is the Beyond Meat logo. Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo eats the food. Philadelphia 76ers marksman JJ Redick eats it. Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes eats it. New York Knicks center DeAndre Jordan eats it. Jordan convinced Chris Paul to eat it. And when Jordan signed with the Dallas Mavericks, he got Dennis Smith Jr. to try it too. Now when they are on the road, Smith calls Jordan with vegetarian restaurant options near the team hotel…
The plant-based ditty has crossed into the NFL as well, with Houston Texas wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Malcolm Jenkins also serving as ambassadors for the company… In case you’re wondering if the athletes who rave about plant-based diets are only tricking themselves into thinking they have more energy, some nutritionists are backing them up. Nutrient Journal, a peer-reviewed science publication, recently released a study stating plant-based diets have consistently been shown to reduce body fat, increase vascular flow and tissue oxygenation. “Diets emphasizing plant foods have also been shown to reduce indicators of inflammation,” the study found’. SOURCE…
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