Over the past five years, I\u2019ve dedicated my career to travelling and racing overseas. From Asia to Europe, across the U.S., and back again, I\u2019ve raced almost everywhere.<\/p>\n
And I take just as much pride in landing in a new country as I do in throwing my hands in the air. My love for the sport transcends winning and losing. I choose to instead bask in the beauty of exploring different cultures, language, undiscovered training roads, and the incredible, infinitely interesting people I meet along the way\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/steve-on-bike-trevor-raab.-750.jpg\")
<\/a>Stephen Hall. Photo: Trevor Raab<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Several years ago, while I was based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, I made the decision to remove animal products entirely from my diet.<\/p>\n I have always felt a certain affinity to animals. They\u2019re not malevolent or cruel, wicked or corrupt. They\u2019re just as they always have been. I\u2019m a sensitive soul and have always been bothered by the mistreatment and distress of animals to the point that I can\u2019t bear to watch even veterinary television programs.<\/p>\n But for the majority of my life, I fit into the category of people who don\u2019t like to consider how the meat actually arrived on our plates. What an abattoir is or where veal comes from wasn\u2019t something I\u2019d considered.<\/p>\n Like many athletes, I considered vegetarianism to be too restrictive and also too difficult to maintain and to receive sustenance, which would ultimately negatively affect my performance.<\/p>\n I sympathized with vegans and vegetarians, convinced that one day I would follow their path\u2014just not yet and not at the expense of my career. So, I tuned out, put my hands back in front of my eyes, and ate my dinner.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t until summer 2015, when I was living in the U.S., that I realized it didn\u2019t have to be a sacrifice. I could transform my body and continue to compete on a world level. I could even be better even than I\u2019d been before.<\/p>\n When people hear about my diet, they always ask a lot of questions. Here are the most asked:<\/p>\n It was in my first season of racing the track in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, that I started to become more mindful of my diet. I generally ate healthy, clean food at home. But it wasn\u2019t until I started living in my own apartment that I began to slowly alter my eating habits.<\/p>\n The change at first was subtle. I\u2019d always been skeptical of dairy and had gradually transitioned from full cream to skim to almond and cashew milk before I left Australia.<\/p>\n Red meat was expensive compared to chicken. And aside from salmon, I never really craved fish to begin with.<\/p>\n My shopping cart for my first few months in the States normally consisted of fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, chicken, cheese, and eggs. With the exception of the occasional Chipotle visit, I rarely ate takeout and preferred to cook at home. With the combination of hot and humid conditions, great training roads, and eating clean food, I found that living in Trexlertown was the leanest I\u2019d been all year.<\/p>\n By early August, all the athletes who\u2019d been racing at the velodrome had to leave the apartments at the university to make way for the students to return from summer break.<\/p>\n I then moved in with my partner at the time who\u2019d been vegan for more than 10 years. And I quickly assimilated and subconsciously began to follow the diet by simply eating whatever was in the house.<\/p>\n Suddenly, the daunting task of rapidly changing my diet had been removed. With subtle changes throughout the season, the only things I seemed to be removing from my diet were chicken and eggs.<\/p>\n The U.S. is progressive and by far leading the way in its vegan options both in meat substitutes and dairy-free options (cheese, sauces, yogurt). So, the gap was seamlessly filled and grocery shopping was relatively easy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I still remember the last time I knowingly ate meat\u2014you can never really be sure that tofu is tofu while in Southeast Asia. It was a pork burrito from Cali Burrito in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 17, 2015. I\u2019d been barely eating meat at all by this stage, so I don\u2019t know why I even ordered it. But unbeknownst to me, at some point along the way, I\u2019d lost my taste for it. That was my line in the sand, and I haven\u2019t crossed it since.<\/p>\n For the next 10 to 12 months, I followed a strict vegan diet. I was meticulous in checking labels and grilling waitresses about the ingredients of their \u2026 whatever.<\/p>\n What most people don\u2019t realize is a vegan diet doesn\u2019t just exclude meat (red meat, poultry, fish, seafood), dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, chocolate), eggs (no Benedict, sorry). It also excludes things like gelatin (candy and jelly), certain beers and wines, and particular breads and pastas.<\/p>\n Although I tried my best to avoid it, you inevitably end up eating something that has an animal product in it, especially in the beginning when you\u2019re late to the party. In most cases, it was a sauce or dressing that was made with dairy or egg as a thickening agent. The problem with this was I would feel absolutely miserable and upset with myself over a simple human mistake.<\/p>\n Traveling became difficult because as an athlete, I couldn\u2019t starve myself in defiance at not being able to find something to eat in the airport. It became exhausting and emotionally draining.<\/p>\n Eventually, I made the decision to loosen my fixation and strict vegan label. I began to focus instead on just doing the best I could and let go of the imaginary scorecard. For me, it was never intended as a competition or a get-lean-quick scheme. It was for the love and morality of animals. Once I made this adjustment, I was much happier and released myself of the unnecessary stress I\u2019d created.<\/p>\n I quickly learned that those who embark on the vegan police journey are doing it for conflicting reasons. They inevitably falter, turn away more people than they welcome, and stunt the development of widespread veganism in the process.<\/p>\n It\u2019s so important to have a healthy relationship with food, especially as an athlete. Feeling guilt or shame after a meal is a slippery slope. I continue to avoid all meat (which includes fish and seafood), eggs, and most dairy products. But I no longer beat myself up over minor ingredients of dressings and baked goods. I prefer the plant-based title and have adopted it ever since.<\/p>\n Photo: CWIProPhoto.com<\/p><\/div>\n Honestly, this is probably the most common question I\u2019m asked. Strangely enough, I feel that the majority of the time, whoever asked this is standing there with a sheepish grin across their face and is expecting a negative answer.<\/p>\n But the truth is, hand to my heart, it was all positive. I only got better. There are several factors to consider. First, when you start following a vegan or vegetarian diet, you naturally stop eating out as often.<\/p>\n And for a lot of people, this is already a significant improvement because you start preparing all your own meals and ease up on the added sugar, salt, oil used by restaurants. In my years away from the sport, I\u2019d hit the gym to cure my insanity. And despite being back on the bike for five years, at the time, I still held a lot of my original muscle, especially in my upper body.<\/p>\n In general, athletes seem to exaggerate the amount of protein they require. So, while I was never deficient, the reduced protein intake saw me rapidly lose weight (almost entirely muscle) that no longer served me. I still haven\u2019t set foot in the gym for eight years. And even now, I still retain a lot of the muscle\u2014sorry, not sorry. But I\u2019m a lot finer than I was circa 2010 to 2015.<\/p>\n With the reduced race weight, another interesting thing happened. My recovery and power-weight ratio went through the roof. Suddenly, tight criterium courses and repeated sprint efforts didn\u2019t leave me as fatigued as they previously had.<\/p>\n Gradually, I became more versatile and was able to alter my riding style. No longer defined as a one-trick pony at the end of a road race or scratch race, I was able to race the way I\u2019d always wanted. I could be aggressive, attack the race, and if it didn\u2019t work out, I still had the speed and freshness in the legs for the gallop.<\/p>\n As the years went on, I became more suited to undulating courses, points races, and breakaways, rather than going all in for just the bunch sprint. Naturally at a lower weight, my max wattage in a sprint lessened. But at the expense of being a more versatile rider and lugging less weight around, the transition was worth it. I\u2019ll take the improved recovery and veins in my thigh over the extra 50w and blood in the lungs back in the hoop group.<\/p>\n Now, to the second-most common question people love to ask the hippies: Where do you get your protein? Honestly? The same place all the other athletes do: protein shakes. Sorry to disappoint you, but almost every professional athlete whom I\u2019ve come across has protein in their hands after a hard training session or race. And vego athletes are no different\u2014just substitute peas or soy for whey.<\/p>\n I always travel with my protein shaker in my bag for races and track sessions. And it\u2019s always the first thing I go for when I get home from a solid training session on the road. That initial 30 grams of protein directly after the final effort is the most important protein consumption of the entire day. Miss it and you\u2019ll feel it in the morning.<\/p>\n I think the real question people want to ask is: Where else do you get your protein?<\/p>\n For that, I look to green leafy vegetables and the meat substitutes. These range from tofu to vegan patties and \u201cfake meat.\u201d I can feel the visible eye roll when you hear that a lot of us eat \u201cfake meat.\u201d But the truth is, we don\u2019t just want to eat mush.<\/p>\n Having something to put in a sandwich, wrap, or mix into a salad with a bit of texture is important. Not to mention, a lot of these patties have upward of 15 grams of protein and a quarter of the fat of their meat equivalents.<\/p>\n I feel I became a vego at the right time because every day, there are more and more options in supermarkets and also specific caf\u00e9s and restaurants that serve vegan options. Australia is still behind some of the more progressive countries like the U.S. with vegan and vegetarian foods. So, it still feels like it can charge an arm and a leg, but we\u2019re getting there slowly.<\/p>\n Once I\u2019ve met the initial 30-gram requirement after a training session, I chip away at the remaining total (estimated 1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram) throughout the day. And it isn\u2019t as difficult as it sounds when you combine breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.<\/p>\n Depending on which country I\u2019m currently living in, my breakfast seems to vary. Australia has terrible dairy-free milk. But for the most part, the rest of my day is fairly similar. When I\u2019m living in the States, a normal day\u2019s food diary looks something like this\u2026<\/p>\n Despite all the delicious food in the U.S., I try to stick to the same breakfast rather than dive into all the gluten bagel goodness or ridiculous sugar-packed cereals. I almost always train first thing in the morning. So, once I\u2019ve eaten breakfast and had my coffee, I\u2019m out the door and on the bike.<\/p>\n I absolutely love smoothies and am vigilant with my recovery post ride. I\u2019ll often blend a smoothie with frozen fruits and unflavored pea protein to meet my initial protein requirements.<\/p>\n When selecting a protein powder, I obviously steer clear of whey protein (milk) and instead opt for low-carbohydrate pea protein. As a general rule, if your protein tastes good, it\u2019s probably not good for you. So, I prefer to sweeten the smoothie to taste with peanut butter (good fat) and either agave or maple syrup.<\/p>\n If I had the same lunch for the rest of my life, I\u2019d die a happy man. It\u2019s incredibly simple and easy to prepare as with most of my meals. I like to add as much salad as possible and add tofu or a meat substitute for protein, pinto, or black beans, which have high satiety and fiber content.<\/p>\n Type of vegetarian stir fry with tofu, brown rice and vegetables. Photo: Deposit Photos.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n This dinner is a very nutritious meal in homage to my Asian heritage. It has crushed garlic for the immune system and a variety of green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, pak choi, or klang, for iron. Basically, any vegetables left in the fridge can make it into this dish. Brown rice, although it takes a little longer to cook, yields a more favorable nutritional profile.<\/p>\n I\u2019m a strong believer that your food intake should reflect the day of training you had. If I had an easier day on the bike, I don\u2019t necessarily feel the need to load up on carbs before bed. So, I\u2019ll normally taper off my eating at the end of the day. Occasionally, it\u2019s worth it to reset your food stores and have a good meal, but that\u2019s only when I start to feel flat.<\/p>\n On the bike, I like to load my pockets with natural sugars like sultanas, cranberries, and dates. I save the PowerBar gels for race day and never train with sports mix in the water bottle. It\u2019s an easy trap to fall into, and before you know it, you lose the taste for water and are sipping carbs on the recovery ride. Frozen bananas always make a great dessert and so do blueberries. Although, I\u2019m partial to a guilty pleasure of icy poles in the summer.<\/p>\n This is probably the controversial one. The truth is, I ate meat every day for 25 years. That\u2019s a long time to associate the smell of cooking meat with food. I won\u2019t lie and say the smell of a barbecue is any less appealing since I\u2019ve been following a vego diet. But the difference is, I\u2019m too stubborn to go back to eating it.<\/p>\n Of all the things I\u2019ve given up, if I absolutely had to, gun to my head, had to pick one that I miss, it would probably be seafood. Occasionally, I\u2019ll see an eggs Benedict go out to a table and think that it looks great. But I honestly don\u2019t see myself \u201ccracking\u201d and running to change my order anytime soon.<\/p>\n Maybe if I had my own chickens on a property and they gave me little four-toed high fives that it was all good, I might consider it. But at this stage, it isn\u2019t really a choice anymore. After three years, I don\u2019t need to remind myself not to eat it. It comes naturally. I don\u2019t have a few drinks and suddenly become a carnivore again. I\u2019m proud that after three years, I\u2019m still following a plant-based diet, in great health, and hopefully making a small difference in the world. And I\u2019m in no hurry to give that up.<\/p>\n Photo: CWIProphoto.com<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n As with any dietary advice that you read, take it with a pinch of salt. Be kind to yourself. Calorie counting, low carb, and other fad diets are unsustainable and soul destroying. I\u2019ve lost count of the amount of times a bike rider has told me they\u2019re being low carb only to see them in a sugar coma surrounded by baked goods and Haribo four days later.<\/p>\n The most important thing as an athlete is that you\u2019re fueling your body correctly both pre and post competition. If you need the occasional cheat day to stop yourself from falling off the band wagon, then do that! You do you.<\/p>\n If you do decide to venture into the world of vegetarianism, start small. If you don\u2019t normally meal prep or even cook at all, suddenly deciding to be hardcore vegan and cook every day will probably have diminishing returns. You won\u2019t be Jamie Oliver overnight.<\/p>\n Try a meat-free Monday or aim to eat less red meat in general and progress from there. Do it with a friend and support each other. Don\u2019t become a member of the dreaded vegan police, determined to catch your friend with a drumstick hanging out of their mouth. When you do it for the right reasons, you\u2019ll have a much higher success rate. Listen to your body and don\u2019t skimp on nutrients.<\/p>\n Done properly, you shouldn\u2019t feel weak, tired, or look like Andy Schleck.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re serious about making a permanent switch, think about getting regular blood work done. If you only ever go to a doctor when you\u2019re ill, you lack a baseline healthy value to compare with.<\/p>\n It\u2019s always better to catch a deficiency early before it has the chance to develop. This is especially important with women because their iron levels are known to slip under a vegetarian diet. It\u2019s worth noting that having vitamin C with meals helps to increase your iron absorption while the tannins in tea and coffee reduce it. As a point of interest, my B12 and iron values were identical as a carnivore (2014) and vegan (2016).<\/p>\n I don\u2019t need to watch the documentaries or use shock horror animal exploitation pictures to try win people over and rally my friends. It\u2019s exhausting and debilitating. It just made me too sad. Kudos to the guys on that path\u2014you\u2019re impregnable.<\/p>\n My only wish for the people reading this is that they\u2019re mindful of where their food comes from. It\u2019s not my place to banish someone for eating meat or shoot dirty looks at my best friend when he orders a steak.<\/p>\n I feel you\u2019ll have more success by introducing your friends to vegan ice cream or having a vego dinner party. Remember, we\u2019re all on our own journeys. \u201cI\u2019d be a vegan, but I like cheese too much.\u201d Then be the vegan who eats cheese. You do you. Raise people up\u2014don\u2019t diminish them. I dream of a day when we can band together to abolish factory farming, trophy hunting, and animal exploitation. But maybe we have to start small.<\/p>\n Thanks to all the beautiful people of the world who dedicate their lives to ensuring the safety and well-being of animals. You are stronger than I\u2019ll ever be and forever have a home within my heart.<\/p>\n Stephen Hall (Maloja Pushbikers)<\/p>\n Instagram: @StephenHallRacing<\/a>\nFacebook: \/StephenHallRacing<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How a professional cyclist removed animal products from his diet<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8112,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,100],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2018","category-fall-2018-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7972"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13231,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7972\/revisions\/13231"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Road to a Plant-Based Diet<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n1. How did you start?<\/h4>\n
<\/a>I removed the veil from my eyes and learned the truth about factory farming and the widespread exploitation of animals I\u2019d been avoiding. I educated myself on the foods I could eat and was proud of the small contribution I\u2019d been making to the livelihood of animals.<\/p>\n<\/a>2. Did it affect your performance?<\/h4>\n
3. But where do you get your protein?<\/h4>\n
4. What do you eat in a normal day?<\/h4>\n
<\/a>Breakfast<\/h5>\n\n
Post Training<\/h5>\n
\n
Lunch<\/h4>\n
\n
<\/a>Dinner (Race Day)<\/h5>\n
\n
Dinner Options (Rest Day)<\/h5>\n
\n
Snacks and on the Bike<\/h5>\n
\n
5. Do you miss meat products?<\/h4>\n
<\/a>Advice for Newcomers<\/h4>\n
<\/a>You may wonder why I don\u2019t flood social media with PETA slogans and confronting images to invoke drastic change. At some point in my journey, I realized that the vegan warrior evangelist wasn\u2019t for me.<\/p>\n