Donald Watson coined the term “vegan” in 1944. With the passage of time and spread of awareness, many people have started to adhere to this lifestyle.

When a person chooses a lifestyle that abstains the use of animal products in everyday use as well as (and particularly) in ones Diet, he/she is said to be a follower of veganism or a vegan. Such people link themselves to the philosophy that animals like them, are living beings and should not be put through pain and suffering.

What we fail to realise is that the human body requires a number of different body building materials in order to perform well. If our diet lacks in either of them, there is destined to be an imbalance that shall lead to some sort of an illness. Many people think that going vegan shall help build more muscles and decrease the fat content in the body. While many believe that going vegan decreases the protein content in the body.

These are all myths which might be true in a few cases, as the benefits of a vegan diet depend upon what vegan stuff you include in your daily routine. Specially if you are looking to build some muscle while on this diet, you will need to know what works and what a typical vegan muscle building diet should include. Let’s debunk the myths around vegan diet and muscle building.

Vegan Diet and Muscle Building Myths

1. Vegans have a tendency of being tired

Iron, vitamin B12 and proteins are the most important ingredients that are present in animal flesh. Among these, the first two are essential for the formation of Haemoglobin (Hb) and to maintain a good energy level. Many vegans might be living this myth day and night but that is only the result of their poor vegan choices.

2. Vegans tend to be healthier

This sounds opposite to the above mentioned myth and is also a myth. It’s like either promoting or degrading the lifestyle. The truth is that just cutting or adding meat to the diet doesn’t make it healthy, but it is the careful choice of what goes in and in how much quantity, that makes one healthy. To be healthy, all you need to do is become either an intelligent vegan or a well-informed non-vegetarian.

3. Vegans cannot build muscles

Vegan diets are considered to be low in protein content. What the critics fail to remember is that legumes like pea, lentils, grams, beans etc. are power packed sources of protein that even non-vegetarians happily opt for. Brown rice is yet another good and healthy source of nutrients.

4. Animal protein is harmful

Many vegans delve under the illusion that animal protein is harmful. To quit animal products based on a philosophy is something different from unknowingly criticising what is actually good for the body. Animal protein has its own set of benefits that needn’t be ignored.

5. Vegans need less calcium and no supplements

Calcium is as essential for vegans as it is for non-vegans. Vegans unlike non-vegans (vegetarians and non-vegetarians) do not consume milk and milk products, and hence need to derive their calcium source from plants only. There are fair chances for them to have lower bone density. Also, vitamin B12 is a component that is present in red meat and a person who doesn’t eat it does require supplements. Lack of vitamin B12 in the body can lead to many underlying problems, the most prominent being nerve damage and anaemia.

What is a Muscle Building Diet?

A muscle building diet is a good combination of proteins, good fats and carbohydrates. Some quantity of fat and carbohydrates are essential for the digestion of protein. If one starts to opt for a fat-free, protein rich diet, he/she may end up gaining extra fat, as our body does not know how to store protein. It converts the unused protein into fat and stores it as a form of energy, to be used in times of need.

Some non-vegetarian foods like milk, fish, poultry etc. are considered to be the best sources of muscle building compounds. They contain all the nutrients that are required for building muscles fast.

Important ingredients of a vegan diet:

Iron derived from plants is harder to digest so make sure that you eat plenty of organic soya beans, legumes and dark leafy vegetables like spinach and kale.

Best Muscle Building Foods for a Vegan Diet include:

• Legumes
• Lentils
• Soy milk
• Tofu
• Nuts
• Quinoa
• Flaxseeds
• Avocados
• Spirulina
• Spinach
• Kale

Vegan Muscle Building Diet- Substitutions and Replacements:

Your backyard/kitchen garden can be that ideal hub for muscle building foods to include in your muscle building diet. Many of them can be grown there with the surety that what you eat is 100% organic. In order to foster muscle formation we need a calorie surplus that includes the correct set of nutrients. One eats more calories than he burns through metabolic exercises. These calories should be surely derived from healthier food choices like the above mentioned list or raw fruits and other vegetables (especially if you are a vegan).

Tofu is a vegan substitute for curd that is derived by thickening soy milk. It has a low calorie count but is high in protein content, calcium and magnesium. Quinoa grain is referred to as super food by many. Quinoa has a high protein (little less than legumes), fibre, magnesium and phosphorous content. Each of which are helpful either in maintaining weight, building muscle mass and forming better bones.

Spirulina is also rich in protein content with almost all the essential amino acids. Many people also consider it to be a source of Vitamin B12, which is not a scientifically proved fact.

Another point to remember is that even non-vegans opt for these substitutes in their diets and substitute them for animal products sometimes. The above mentioned foods if incorporated in your daily muscle building diet can include all the essential amino acids required by your body.

The body has almost no chances of being fatigued or lethargic. Moreover, plant based milks like coconut milk, rice milk, organic soy milk are also some very good substitutes for animal milk.

Avocados, flax seeds, hemp oil and nuts contain essential fats and fatty acids especially, omega-3 that helps in fat loss and is also a well known anti-carcinogenic substance. These fats are good fats and are very useful for hormone production, protein digestion and energy release.

Oatmeal, brown rice, fruits etc. are also good sources of carbohydrates that are again required to fuel muscle formation. Try to obtain it from unprocessed and naturally growing sources. Prefer not to opt for sugary sources of carbohydrates and if you can’t resist them, leave them for those special occasions, when indulging is the key to happiness.

Diet whether vegan, vegetarian or non-vegetarian has enough potential to build muscles. The choice of food and the amount plays the key. Also, never forget that naturally occurring substances are always a much better option than supplements that are derived by denaturing and over-processing of natural substances.

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