Pudwill says “Convincing people to change their habits is hard. The same thing goes for when the average person is told to forgo the desserts and salty snacks they crave. But, if people were to better understand the negative effects of consuming too much meat, they might be more inclined to change.”
The University of Denver houses many athletes with both men and women’s soccer being at the top of their conferences, men’s and women’s men’s hockey consistently making it to the Frozen Four and the ski team winning it all. However, none yet have identified as a vegan.
Maya Roston, Junior on the women’s soccer team, has thought about the possibility of changing her eating habits.
“When I was getting back to playing after I was injured my sophomore year, I tried eating more whole grains and vegetables to help me get back as much energy as possible for endurance purposes,” she says “After eating a steak or chicken, I left super tired instead of ready to practice or play.”
The vegan diet is also reported to help with injury, which is what made James Wilkes, a combatives expert from the Game Changers movie, switch to a vegan diet.
However when Danny Logan, DU Senior lacrosse player, had back surgery, doctors suggested becoming a vegan. “Honestly, I just didn’t see it as a plausible switch for me,” he says.
“I feel like pro-athletes with renowned trainers, nutritions and probably paid chefs can easily add or take out things from their diet. But, I’m a college student that has pizza on a friday night,” Logan notes, “The biggest obstacle that veganism has is the accessibility of animal products. The majority of the stores provide meat and people usually just go with what they know. ”
There are many factors that control whether or not someone can modify their lifestyle to accommodate being a vegan. From a holistic approach, those that take into account the environmental and animal abuse issues have a better time forgoing animal products.
It’s implementation is growing from chefs like Rich Landau, who created four vegan-inspired concepts in Philadelphia. They are the one’s paving the way to living without it. He believes, “People are apprehensive to change. It’s human nature,” Landau says “but I’m here to prove that food can be delicious without meat. The need for meat is all from corporations that make it.”
It may take some time for people to become educated about the world of veganism. Landau says, “I never wanted to be a teacher, but if it helps people see the positives of being vegan then I’m more than happy to do it.”
References for infographic:
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
Dunn-Emke, S. R., Weidner, G., Pettengill, E. B., Marlin, R. O., Chi, C., & Ornish, D. M. (2005). Nutrient Adequacy of a Very Low-Fat Vegan Diet. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(9), 1442–1446. https://doi-org.du.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jada.2005.06.028
https://www.four-paws.us/campaigns-topics/topics/farm-animals/life-expectancy
The MFJS Reporter -- Winter 2020 M-W 