Hi there,

I just want to start this email by saying this is my all time favorite topic!

Before I dive into some of my favorite tips, I want to tell you why I love the topic so much.

I spent 16 years of my life as a competitive swimmer. I was lucky enough to travel the world, competing at high level international competitions and meeting some of the most amazing people. I was a member of the US National Team for 4 years, and travelled the country competing at various meets.

I competed at Nationals, winning a title and breaking the longest record in the books (23 years old) in the 1650yd freestyle. I also won 2 US Open titles, international titles/records, and ended my career at the 2016 US Olympic Trials as the alternate in the 800m free.

I tell you all this because it's shaped the way I work with my clients. There is no "one size fits all" approach to nutrition and especially fueling as an athlete.

There is trial and error, but there are some foundational principles that are very important and should be included in every athlete's regimen.

Let's get started! Below are some tips to help you along your plant based journey:

Eat enough for you and your goals

Plain and simple. Calories are not the whole equation, but they're a fundamental piece.

Your body requires these calories for energy, and it can be easy to not eat enough on a plant based diet.

The key is to focus on implementing whole grains, starches, high protein sources, and including polyunsaturated fats. This not only will give you bountiful energy but it will also diversify your food, leading to increased immune function.

Proper macronutrient intake is key

You should never feel that all you focus on is "macros", but it's definitely important to understand how much your body needs.

After understanding this piece, its easy to eat intuitively and know which food sources to select from that will allow you to reach your goals.

Our bodies require carbohydrates for quick energy, fats for energy/important hormone production, and protein for muscle recovery.

Theres more to it, but to put it simply: our bodies need optimal sources of all three.

And by diversifying your foods, you are getting optimal micronutrients from your meals.

Protein

...But if you eat a diverse amount of plant foods, shouldn't you be getting all the protein you need?

Unfortunately, this just isn't true.

If you implement daily exercise or are an athlete, you need to be hitting more than 0.8g/kg of bodyweight for protein.

It's common among the plant based community to state we don't need to focus on protein. And yes, I do agree no one nutrient needs to be focused on, but a lot of people need more protein than they're consuming.

Protein is important for many functions: muscle repair and rebuilding being a couple of them.

Athletes need to be eating around 1.6g/kg of bodyweight, and more if they're in a caloric deficit.

My favorite tip: make protein rich foods the center of your meals while still including your non starchy vegetables, starches, and polyunsaturated fats.

Sleep

This is the king of everything. Do whatever it takes to allow your body to get restful sleep.

During sleep, our body releases anabolic hormones for repairing and rebuilding it's tissues.

Some ways to incorporate getting restful sleep:

• Make sure the room is cool
• Wear blue light blocking glasses throughout the day
• Use a white noise machine or box fan during sleep
• Eat melatonin rich foods: dark cherries and pistachios
• Watch the sunset/sunrise (this is important for melatonin production)

Enjoy the below recipe for one of my favorite ways to include a protein rich meal! This recipe also includes some prebiotic and polyphenol rich foods which make your gut happy.

My favorite tofu scramble recipe

• 1/2 block of organic firm tofu
• 1/4 cup organic soy milk
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt/pepper to taste
• 1/2 small onion
• Handful of greens

1. Wring out excess water in the tofu using a cloth. Chop the onion and greens.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, add a little olive oil. Then add in the onion, let sauté for a minute.
3. Using your hand, crumble the tofu into the skillet then continue to crumble it more with your spatula.
4. Add in spices: nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic, paprika, salt/pepper.
5. Mix it around for a minute, then add in the soy milk. Mix some more, then add in greens.
6. Continue mixing and let cook for about 5-7 minutes.

1:1 Coaching

If you're looking for guidance into creating the best plant based active lifestyle for you, then sign up for a free 15 minute phone consult here!

You can find more info and recipes on my instagram @wfpb_doctor.

Have a great week!

Stephanie