One of the greatest characteristics of life is its diversity. We all recognize how boring it would be if everyone was the same, yet we see everyone always fall into the pattern of trying to fit in. This tends to happen most often when trying to replicate something that someone else has already done. If they were able to do it successfully their way, why not follow it? Sometimes that can work out, but we don't always have to follow the same path as someone else to achieve the same goal. In the bodybuilding world, protein is a a macro-nutrient that is highly recommended. When trying to combine that and veganism, most people laugh and happily eat their go-to meal of brown rice and grilled chicken. But what if veganism could actually produce equal or even better results when trying to build muscle? This tends to be the road less traveled by, but it does not mean it's not as worthy as the others.
Veganism in a Nutshell:
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A vegan diet consists of any food that does not come from an animal. A vegan chooses not to consume meat, dairy, or any other related animal products for several reasons. These could include improving their health, protecting the environment, or saving animals from the slaughterhouse. The difference between being a vegan and being a vegetarian is that a vegetarian still consumes dairy products.
Protein in a Vegan Diet:
Believe it or not, protein in a vegan diet exists! One of the pros of getting protein in a vegan diet is that it is lower in calories. When trying to build muscle, it is essential to have a high caloric intake. This means that individuals can build lean muscle, not restrict themselves in food, and still get the necessary protein intake needed. If it were that easy, why wouldn't everyone do it? There are still many misconceptions and myths about veganism, but salad is not the only option in the list. There are a variety of different foods within a vegan's palate such that one can never get bored with what they eat. There are also many substitutions for regular foods so vegans don't miss out on their favorite foods. If they want ice cream, cookies, pizza, yogurt, cake, or even a burger, those foods can easily be made with plant based products. Remember, just because it's vegan does not mean it's healthy. It could still be filled with artificial or highly processed ingredients. With a simple Google search of "healthy vegan ___ recipe" one can find a plethora of yummy nutritional dishes to try out.
Vegan Grocery List:
Another one of the many misconceptions about a vegan lifestyle is how costly it is to maintain it. However, eating clean is an investment in one's health and should be worth the extra money anyway. But it can actually be more financially feasible to adopt a vegan diet. Many people run into the costly factors when they visit specific health food restaurants or grocery stores. While these places are great to find healthy food, you still have other options if their products don't comply with your budget. The meat and dairy substitutions can sometimes be pricier than the regular items, but the whole natural food is actually less expensive than meat.
The Way to Eat:
People in the body building world analyze every aspect of their health from what exercise they perform on a given day to what they eat and when they eat it. Some people find this routine too strenuous and prefer sustainable eating, which is eating when you are hungry and stopping once you are satisfied. Whichever one is prefered, it's always good to have an idea of what types of foods are eaten. Depending on a the goal, one should moniter the percentage of carbohydrates, protein, and fats they intake. They are able to track this with apps such as "MyFitnessPal." Based on my own online research, it is always advised to eat your body weight in grams of protein. It is also important to eat enough calories. People who try a vegan diet and feel weak afterwards are usually not eating enough or the right balance of food.
The Evidence:
There are multiple vegan athletes who are thriving through this lifestyle. 
Mike Tyson, a professional boxer, embraced a vegan diet to clear his body of toxic drugs. He was able to loose 140 pounds and improve his health by lowering his blood pressure.
Robert Cheeke is a professional bodybuilder and motivational speaker who is an advocate for a vegan lifestyle.
There are many more successful people leading a vegan lifestyle who are in the best shape of their lives. Yet a lot of this great news is clouded by the negative feedback from people who try out a vegan lifestyle but fail to follow through to see results because they didn't properly educate themselves. Little by little, the health industry is innovating, and more knowledge will inevitably cause people to be more open to trying new things such as trying vegan products.
