You don't need meat to be strong

Baboumian won the title of Germany's Strongest Man in 2011 💪, the same year he went vegan 🌱 after eating a vegetarian diet for years. He achieved a world record yoke walk in 2013, telling the crowd after the achievement, "This is a message to all those out there that think you need animal products to be fit and strong". Not only is meat unncessary for strength, it's also counter-productive and here's why:

Your heart is pumping nutrients, including oxygen, to every part of your body. This feeds your muscles and organs and gives you energy. When the path gets blocked in your arteries, less nutrients get through. For an athlete, that means less oxygen to your muscles and slower muscle recovery. You get tired, you slow down, you can't recover as quickly, and you can't perform at your best. It eventually means heart disease (heart attacks, etc.) - the leading cause of death in the Western World.

This blocking of the flow of blood through arteries is caused by a build up of plaque due to cholesterol. And here's the deal – cholesterol is only present in meat, dairy and other animal products. Cholesterol does not exist in any vegetable foods – that includes fruits, grains, nuts, you name it. Zero cholesterol. These foods are closer to the source of the nutrients, closer to the soil. When you eat them directly, you get the nutrients directly and without any cholesterol. Your arteries remain clearer and don't block the flow of blood in your body so everything inside you functions better and more efficiently. Choose to get your nutrients first hand without all the cholesterol.

The cholesterol plaques of atherosclerosis are the cause of cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral arterial disease). Cardiovascular disease is the # 1 killer in the USA, causing more than 900,000 deaths each year.

Your body produces all the cholesterol it needs - you don't need the extra that comes with meat products - it just accumulates and leads to problems in later life. No wonder more and more athletes are adopting a vegan diet - it also helps them sleep soundly at night, knowing the deaths of thousands of animals aren't on their conscience.