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Shawna F.
Shawna F. Sendmail

Does anyone follow a vegan paleo diet?

asked 10 months ago | Report

I'm interested in trying it, but nervous that I won't be getting proper nutrition. Does anyone else follow this diet or have you tried it and it hasn't worked out? I'd love to know more about people's experiences and favorite recipes if you have any!

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11 answers

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  • Rayna A.
    Rayna A. Sendmail

    I'm a vegetarian and have a lot of health/digestive issues, but my gastroenterologist pretty much told me that if I wasn't eating meat I wouldn't be able to get proper nutrition doing paleo. She was doing it at the time, so I think she was speaking from experience and not necessarily a medical point of view, but it pretty much dissuaded me from trying.

    Maybe if you went in a more raw diet direction? I'm definitely not the most knowledgeable when it comes to nutrition, though. Maybe talk to a professional dietician and get their two cents?

    answered 10 months ago |Report

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  • Erica H.
    Erica H. Sendmail

    I'm a vegan and have absolutely no problems with my health! :) it has given me more energy, i run better, and it has helped woth the blood sugar problems I've always had! I would definity reccomend it. Just make sure to supplement your b12 and you will be fine!

    answered 10 months ago |Report

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  • Run Free
    Run Free Sendmail

    If you want to be a competitive runner, it is best not to be on a strict diet.

    I know it's easy to fall victim to fad diets like vegan and paleo, but neither are optimal for running fast. Your body needs quick carbs post run if you are training hard. Your body also needs iron to produce new red blood cells.

    answered 9 months ago |edited 9 months ago |Report

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  • Kyle K.
    Kyle K. Sendmail

    I'm a plant based ultra marathoner. I have tried raw and low grain vegan diets, having noticed zero difference in my running or health. I do eat grains, however try to limit them purely due to calories.

    answered 9 months ago |Report

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  • Hutson R.
    Hutson R. Sendmail

    I'm a near vegan vegetarian. I consume a large amount of legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I typically avoid overly processed foods and this includes wheat products. Seeds (aka whole grains), nuts and legumes provide all of the 9 essential amino acids that are often referred to as "complete proteins". Humans require roughly 15% of the calories in their diet to subsist of protein. Consider this, the animals that people consume were raised on a vegetarian diet.

    There is a wide array of literature devoted to the health and well-being of vegetarians. A personal favorite of mine is "the new becoming vegetarian". It and other books provide in depth details into the necessisites of human diets and how to obtain all the nutrients needed.

    I wish I had converted years ago. My running and general health has improved as a possible result of changes to my diet.

    It is easy and now automatic for me to acquire a balance of fats, protein and carbohydrates from a nearly raw diet.

    Keep searching.

    Ta,
    Hutson

    answered 7 months ago |edited 7 months ago |Report

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  • Teniah Ashlyn H.
    Teniah Ashlyn H. Sendmail

    I am also a vegetarian and I highly recommend just a well balanced vegetarian/flexitarian diet (possibly vegan if you are very knowledgable about how to mainting good nutrition while eating vegan).

    I do not agree with the ideals backing the new paleo diet craze. I don't believe that restrictive diets allow for the balance that our body needs. I am not a nutritionist, however, I believe that in all things in life there should be balance.

    *There are some really valuable grains and legumes that offer the body such incredible benefits that I find it hard to justify "avoiding" those food groups.

    Very best of luck to you as you discover what works best for you. Every body is different. ~ Namaste

    answered 7 months ago |edited 7 months ago |Report

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  • Jennifer Z.
    Jennifer Z. Sendmail

    Have you looked at Brendan Brazer & Scott Jurek? Both are vegan runners and have recipes in their books. Paleo however, I don't know much about.

    answered 5 months ago |Report

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  • Konstantin
    Konstantin Sendmail

    I've been vegan for many years. I feel better and eat better than ever before. I've looked into paleo diet and it makes very little sense to me. From what I've read and understand it doesn't appear to be very scientifically sound way to eat.

    There are a ton of resources on the web for vegan/vegetarian diet though. You might also want to check out any vegan/vegetarian meetups (meetup.com) in your area and get some advice from them.

    I strongly disagree with Run Free about vegan diet being a fad or that vegan diet is inappropriate for competitive running. Someone already mentioned Scott Jurek who is vegan. He is one of the top ultra runners in the world and holds an American record in 24-hour race - pretty completive I would say. His book "Eat & Run" is pretty interesting and each chapter ends with a recipe.

    answered 5 months ago |Report

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  • Cheryl W.PRO
    Cheryl W. Sendmail

    I am not well informed on the restrictions of a paleo diet, but think it might restrict beans and legumes, which are usually a part of a vegan athlete's diet.

    Do you mean a plant based diet? Avoiding animal products, processed foods, and oils is an amazing way to live. If you haven't seen it, Forks Over Knives is a documentary about the health benefits of eating this way.

    answered 4 months ago |Report

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  • Kelly
    Kelly Sendmail

    I actually just started a vegetarian/paleo diet, the school I kickbox at is doing a 60 day nutrition challenge following the paleo diet and despite being a vegetarian I figured I'd give it a shot. It's only been two days and running has been rough without my morning oatmeal, but so far I've tried a few new protein sources an have been monitoring what I eat through the my fitness pal app to make sure I'm gettin enough protein an iron.

    answered 3 months ago |Report

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  • David R.
    David R. Sendmail

    Being vegan, the thought of adding paleo leaves me thinking I would loose a lot of nutrition. I rarely eat processed foods, and having played with combinations (as well as a lot of reading - back to Jurek) I have learned how to speed healing in my body, and can usually look at what I have been eating and see why performance slipped. Try easing into it if you do. Best of luck!

    answered 3 months ago |Report

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