Karina Inkster - The Vegan Athlete: A Complete Guide to a Healthy, Plant-Based, Active Lifestyle

Copyright 2021 by Karina Inkster

Photos copyright 2014 by John C. Watson except as follows:

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Daniel Brount

Cover photos by John C. Watson

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-5921-3

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-6161-2

Printed in China

The plant-based diet is coming of age at a time when a real cultural shift in food and lifestyle is taking place in North America before our eyes.

All around us we can see the impact from the growing number of people adopting a plant-based diet. From the increase in plant-based foods offered in grocery stores coast to coast, to the number of athletes, celebrities, doctors, family, friends, and neighbors who call themselves vegans, the world is changing in ways that benefit all of us.

Regardless of how a plant-based diet piqued your interest and compelled you to pick up this book, the planet and the animals thank you. In the social medialaden world we live in today, ideas are being spread and minds are being opened to new thoughts and worldviews at a faster rate than ever before. Each one of us has the power to influence a community, population, or society from the comfort of our smart phones, regardless of where we are, simply by sharing information.

We are witnessing a greater degree of health problems than ever before, environmental concerns are at an all-time high, and there is a palpable desire to change for the better. We are on the verge of something historic, a cultural shift during our lifetimes that we will be able to talk to future generations about, saying, I remember when...

Here, Karinas comprehensive approach to bridging the gaps between health, fitness, and great food creates a blueprint to follow to ensure success in health and in life. A plant-based diet not only supports the health of the individual but the health of the planet and all those with whom we share this precious place.

With tangible steps to get you on the right track in your quest to pursue a deeply meaningful change in health and fitness, combined with shopping and food preparation tips and one hundred innovative plant-based recipes, this is your new go-to resource for holistic wellness.

As a vegan athlete since 1995, I have two decades of experience in numerous sports backgrounds, including becoming a champion runner and champion bodybuilder. I am confident that my vegan athlete colleagues featured in this book will inspire you to elevate your own training to new heights. If you have been away from exercise for a while, perhaps you will be inspired to start anew, and you will have the guidance from those who have been down that road to direct you on your own path to success.

From eating right to fuel an active lifestyle, to the exercise benefits you can expect to experience, to healthy meal plans and recipes, this book covers it all. As a personal training specialist with a masters degree in Gerontologyspecializing in health and agingKarina will steer you in the right direction to optimal health. Karina has been following a plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle since she was a teenager. She walks her talk proudly and teaches you how to do the same.

Whatever it is that moves you, follow your passion and make it happen. Wishing you all the very best in health and fitness.

Robert Cheeke, bestselling author of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness: The Complete Guide to Building Your Body on a Plant-Based Diet; founder & president of VeganBodybuilding.com

The culture of food in North America is changingand fast. Taking our continent by storm is a rapidly growing movement about food. Plant food, that is. More than 8 million North Americans choose to exclude meat from their diets, and an additional 25 million rarely eat meat. Many of these individuals consume no animal products whatsoever. Why do these vegans and vegetarians choose to forgo the steak, yogurt, or ice cream? Most commonly, they cite increasing and maintaining personal health. Add to this the steadily growing population of health and fitness enthusiasts who adopt plant-based diets to meet their performance goals, plus those looking to vegan diets for weight loss, and weve got a full-blown diet and lifestyle movement quickly expanding across the globe.

In line with being health conscious, individuals following or interested in plant-based diets know the importance of regular exercise to complement healthy eating. Ranging from elite amateur athletes to everyday fitness enthusiasts to inactive people who dont know where to begin, vegans and vegetarians need a practical, healthy-living guide tailored to their diets.

Thats where The Vegan Athlete comes in.

This book is a comprehensive active-living guide and cookbook for current and aspiring vegans and vegetarians interested in making regular physical activity a part of their lives. I hope it motivates and inspires you to increase the quality (and length!) of your life by enjoying a whole foods, plant-based diet and engaging in regular exercise. If youre already enjoying a plant-based, active lifestyle, this book will support you in continuing to reach your health and fitness goals. With brand new recipes, at-home workouts, interviews with vegan athletes, and lifestyle tips, youre sure to add something new to your healthy-living repertoire. If youre new to vegan and/or active living, this book will get you started on the right foot.

The first edition of this book, published in 2014, was the first book in plant-based health to provide extensive lifestyle and fitness information, interviews with vegan athletes, as well as a collection of recipes. The Vegan Athlete contains healthy-living advice for everyone from beginners to amateur athletes, plus a well-rounded collection of one hundred mouth-watering recipes catering to the nutritional needs of active people. This book bridges the gap between diet and fitness, approaching health holistically and as a long-term lifestyle.

This book is for you if youre interested in leading a healthy, active lifestyle that helps you feel good, look good, and live a long life free of illness. Sounds good, right? Trust me, it is. But why is it that so many of us lose our way when it comes to health and fitness? Why are so many of us overweight or even obese? Why do we feel so tired and lack energy? Why do we have so many health issues and diseases like diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer?