You may have heard of Olympic weight lifter Kendrick Farris, who is representing the US in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Farris is actually a three-time Olympian who broke the US clean and jerk record in May, when he lifted nearly 800 pounds. In addition to being the only US competitor in weight lifting, Farris is also vegan.
Being a vegan is a relatively new part of Farris’ life. He decided to make the switch to solely eating plant-based foods when his son was born two years ago. According to an interview that was conducted in December of 2014, Farris said, “I transitioned to a vegan diet about a month ago, and I’m happy to report my life has changed for the better.”
Farris has proven that you don’t need meat to stay muscular. There are many vegan protein sources that can help keep muscle on the body, when combined with a proper workout regimen. Lentils, black beans, quinoa, peas, artichokes, almonds, chia seeds, tempeh, spinach, kale, broccoli, asparagus, spirulina, chickpeas, and steel cut oats are all fantastic vegan protein sources.
Getting back to the purest form of life starts with the food you put in your body. Farris has been doing just that, and we wish him luck on his Olympic journey. He is not the only vegan competing in these Olympic Games. Fellow vegan US team members include: Cam F. Awesome (a heavyweight boxer), Morgan Mitchell (sprinter), Marquise Goodwin (NFL wide receiver and long jumper), and Venus Williams (tennis player). Eating meat isn’t necessary for being an Olympian, as these phenomenal athletes have shown.
