Tears for Ears: Manly Men Go Vegan

It seems the former heavyweight champion and infamous ear biter, Mike Tyson, has been following a plant-based diet for nearly a year. He describes the result of changing his diet as extreme, but the results has made it worth sticking to. In a recent interview with Details Magazine, Mike said, “It’s been eight months with this vegan stuff, but I get these explosions of energy. I don’t know how long they last, but they’re like explosions. So powerful.”

When the interviewer asked him whether he’s acquired “calm energy” from the diet, he said, “Oh, I don’t know if I’d go that far. I don’t think it’s been long enough for that kind of Zen shit.” Good ol’ Mike!

Mike isn’t the only uber-sport icon to see value in this “vegan stuff”. In 2007, Tony Gonzalez, a superstar tight end for the Atlanta Falcons, experimented with a plant-based diet after reading The China Study. He was concerned that the high fat, low nutrient diet that comes with football territory (think Campbell’s Chunky Soup) would eventually kill him. So he changed his diet and started eating more whole foods like nuts, soy protein, grains, and a whole lot of oatmeal. The results of his diet were stellar. “I was like, ‘OK, this is working.’ I have so much more energy when I’m out there” said Gonzales in an interview during his first meat-free season.

Gonzalez only experimented with a vegan diet for a brief time (he felt he needed a small amount of animal protein), but having broken the mold of the stereotypical manly footballer diet, he has proven that you can strike a balance a between elite performance and an entirely (or almost entirely) plant-based diet. The challenge in adopting such a diet lies in changing our eating habits and perspective on healthy, “manly” food.

Now, for the rest of us whose “elite” performances include taking out the trash, throwing kids up in the air, walking the dog, having a great day at work, or a good time in the sack, the thought of more energy will undoubtly be appealing and there are plenty of positive social, political, and environmental reasons to support your efforts. So take a chance and experiment, your manliness will thank you.

I suggest you kickstart this positive change with a nice Ballin’ Black Bean Burger and fries, hold the ears and pickles, please.