David Tyree may have been the star of the Super Bowl, helping the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots, but in my opinion, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez is the greatest champion of the NFL. His team may not have made it to the Super Bowl, but as The Wall Street Journal recently reported, González proved that a football player can be powerful without eating large portions of meat, eggs and dairy. González has acknowledged that the meat-rich diet typically eaten by soccer players can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and cancer, and is promoting plant-based foods.

Several other professional athletes and Olympic superstars have touted the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets. Four-time Mr. Universe Bill Pearl, powerlifting champion Bill Mannetti, 1951 Mr. America Roy Hilligenn, Stan Price, bench press world record holder, and American football player and Trophy winner Heisman Desmond Howard reportedly did not eat meat. These powerhouses are not alone: ​​some of the strongest animals, like apes, elephants, and giraffes, are herbivores.

International Federation of Bodybuilding and Natural Fitness and International Association of Natural Bodybuilding bodybuilder Robert Cheeke is perhaps the most recognized vegan bodybuilder in the world and popular strength coach Mike Mahler says “Becoming a vegan had a profound effect on me.” in my training… [M]i bench press got over 315lbs and i noticed that i was recovering much quicker. My body fat was also reduced and I gained 10 pounds of lean muscle in just a few months.”

Other vegetarian athletes, including tennis superstar Martina Navratilova and Dave Scott, a six-time Ironman triathlon winner, have repeatedly beaten their carnivorous competitors. Swimmer Murray Rose, a born vegetarian, has six Olympic medals. Debbie Lawrence is an Olympic champion walk and discus thrower Al Oerter has won at least four Olympic gold medals. A healthy vegetarian diet helped propel two-time Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses over the odds, and Olympian Carl Lewis has said his best year of track competition was the first year he ate a vegan diet.

The famous Argentine soccer goalkeeper Carlos Roa, was nicknamed “La Lechuga”, which means “The Lettuce”, due to his strict vegetarian diet. Bill Walton and Robert Parish, two of the greatest basketball players of all time, were vegetarians, and John Salley, another professional basketball star, is a vegan. So is ultramarathoner Dom Repta, who has run 100 miles in just under 20 hours.

Australian cricket superstar Greg Chappel also abstains from eating meat and animal by-products and fellow cricket superstar Anil Kumble has posed for a PETA ad promoting vegetarianism. Says Anil: “Vegetarianism saves the lives of animals and is unsurpassed for maintaining a muscular body and increasing stamina. Vegetarian food contains all the vitamins and protein you need to be at your best and is free of fat, cholesterol and toxins… found in meat.”

It doesn’t matter if you play for fun or for championships, if you want to excel, practice hard and follow a healthy vegan diet. Visit http://www.VegCooking.com for recipes fit for a champion!