Veganism is a growing lifestyle choice today. Many of us are starting to realize the health benefits of a vegan diet. But are protein shakes good for you as an alternative source of protein? Most people are still not convinced that you can maintain healthy amounts of protein being vegan.

Uncover the truth behind veganism and protein deficiency which may be a result of a certain eating disorder.

What are the Benefits of Going Vegan?

We’ve all heard that being vegan improves the health of your heart. Simply by cutting down on your fat intake, you can reduce the risk of heart attacks. But what other benefits does veganism have on your health?

• Reducing Arthritis Pain – a vegan diet is recommended for most arthritic patients after studies confirmed its benefits. Arthritic patients on a vegan diet often reported higher energy levels. Results of studies conducted on rheumatoid arthritis patients proved a vegan diet is a better choice. Patients reported improvement in morning stiffness, pain, and joint swelling.
• Protecting Against Cancer – the World Health Organization reports that your diet can prevent one-third of all cancers. Regular consumption of Legumes can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 9 – 18 percent. Additionally, avoiding certain animal products can lower the risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
• Lowering Blood Sugar and Improving Kidneys – studies have concluded that vegans usually enjoy lower levels of blood sugar. They are more sensitive to insulin and are 50 – 78 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Even though veganism has benefits, people are still hesitant to embrace it. Especially those who are gym enthusiasts. Unfortunately, they are still under the misconception that building muscle isn’t possible on a vegan diet.

Let’s finally put those claims to rest. Here is everything you need to know about building lean muscles on a vegan diet.

9 Tips to Eat Vegan and Build Muscle

By following these tips you can build muscle as well as maintain a healthy vegan lifestyle. Many well-known vegan body-builders, like Tsuki Harris, show you that it is possible.  

1. Focus on Your Breathing
2. High-Intensity Interval Training Programs
3. Increase the Weights
4. Don’t Forget About Smaller Muscle Groups
5. Track Your Progress
6. Increase Your Protein Intake
7. Eat More at Regular Intervals

#1. Focus on Your Breathing

Breathing is very important when you are trying to gain muscle. When you aren’t breathing properly during a workout there is an oxygen deficiency in your body. With the added stress of the workout, your body goes into fat storage mode. Breathing freely is also a good way to minimize your cortisol level.

#2. High-Intensity Interval Training Programs

HIIT programs are the best for gaining muscles. They aren’t a new kind of workout, rather an improvement on your existing routine. By reducing the intervals you take between exercises you can increase the intensity of the workout. Of course, pushing your body to workout with just 10-second intervals between exercises takes practice. But once your body is used to the style, you wouldn’t want to go back.

#3. Increase the Weights

If you want to develop your muscles, you can’t let your body plateau. If you regularly increase the weights you are lifting you can build muscle quicker. The best exercises to build your muscle and increase strength are squats and deadlifts. Really, any compound movement is good.

#4. Don’t Forget About Smaller Muscle Groups

We often worry about the larger muscle groups like chest and biceps. But the smaller muscle groups are just as important. An easy way to work out your smaller muscle groups is by increasing multi-directional movement exercises. By exercising your stabilizer muscles you can easily gain more muscle mass. This has been found to be one of the benefits of running as well.

#5. Track Your Progress

To build your muscles it is important that you maintain a healthy balance of nutrients and exercise. By tracking your progress, you can note if you have reached a plateau. If you find that you have, immediately change either your workout routine or your nutrition. Perhaps even both.

#6. Increase Your Protein Intake

The best nutrient for building muscles is proteins. Increase your intake by adding lentils, chickpeas, tofu, seitan, and tempeh in your diet. There are many protein-rich vegan alternatives you can use. If you feel you need more, then there are many vegan protein bars you can use.

#7. Eat More at Regular Intervals

If you are trying to gain muscle your diet plan should be divided into more frequent meals. You can reduce the portions proportionally. Ideally, you should have 7 small meals a day instead of 2 or 3 large ones. The most important meals are the ones just before and after your workout.

Conclusion

Going vegan is undoubtedly the healthiest option for your body. Instead of taking vitamins for high blood pressure, changing your diet will have better results. It is an easy lifestyle change if you want to implement it. And with barely any negative side effects, even if you want to gain muscles. There really is no sound reason, other than personal choice, for someone to continue consuming animal products.