Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog
Building Muscle Has Health Benefits!
As a bodybuilder, I made a decision to not overload my body with extra protein. Every single American unless they are starving has more than enough protein. I didn't want to build muscle if it meant compromising my kidneys or liver with excess protein. This is part of the reason why I went plant based... the protein in plants won't raise my IGF-1 levels, or insulin-like growth factor 1, which increases one's risk for cancer and other diseases.
The vegan bodybuilders like Robert Cheese, Will Tucker and countless others really inspire me and show me what's possible without meat. I'm on a mission trying to prove to my whey protein powder friends at the gym that there's a much healthier way to build muscle.
I can't understand why so many bodybuilders insist on taxing their kidneys when they get more than enough protein. Did you know that the average male can only use 15 grams of protein at a time. The rest of it is wasted, either turns to fat or is simply unused. As someone who's plant based, I can easily get the 15 grams just by making smoothies with veggies like kale, broccoli, cacao powder, sweet potatoes and nuts.
And I think I'm getting results, although slower than I'd like. But I have patience and am noticing improvements each week. I do set goals for myself... one goal I'd like to eventually get to is bench pressing my body weight. I have a way to go until I get there but I don't intend on giving up!
I'm really happy with the results of my arms. Initially, the reason I started weight training was to tighten my loose skin after weight loss. It has worked really well for my arms as I don't have the loose skin I once had there!
Plus, I think my heart is great as a plant based eater... I checked my blood pressure today as I ain't done it in a while. I found out it was 108/64. Do you know how awesome that feels when I was prehypertensive just 5 years ago? If I kept on the same track I was on then, I'd hate to see how heavy I would have been today... and I'm sure I would be on meds.
Here's some updated photos of my progress.
