Pro Boxer Kollins Ezekh On How To Fuel Your Workouts With A Vegan Diet - Exclusive
In 2015, professional boxer and celebrity personal trainer Kollins Ezekh learned about the negative ways that the meat industry impacts the environment. He was so moved by what he learned that he decided to transition to an entirely plant-based lifestyle. As an extremely active person, Ezekh knew that he'd have to find a variety of high-protein vegan foods to fuel his body.
According to Healthline, there's a prevalent belief that plant-based and vegan diets don't provide enough "complete protein" because they don't include animal proteins. However, this is just a myth. Protein deficiencies among those with plant-based or vegan diets are rare, and as Ezekh loves to point out, there are plenty of high-protein vegan foods to choose from.
In an exclusive interview with Health Digest, Ezekh revealed the high-protein, plant-based foods he loves and shared how he fuels his body for intense workouts and builds muscle while maintaining a vegan diet.
Eating for vegan for performance
Kollins Ezekh's impressive physique, strength, and conditioning are all a testament to the fact that he gets plenty of protein while maintaining a vegan diet.
"There are several vegan options that are high in protein," he explained. "Some of the foods that I regularly incorporate into my diet are legumes, beans, and protein shakes."
Lentils, edamame, tofu, tempeh, peas, nuts, seeds, and nutritional yeast are also great vegan sources of protein, according to The Cleveland Clinic. Plant-based meat substitutes are another great way to get some protein, but make sure that you're grabbing faux meat with few ingredients since many plant-based meat substitutes pack in a lot of filler ingredients. And believe it or not, grains, especially oats, are also a solid source of protein — so you definitely have a lot of options for protein if you're thinking of going plant-based or vegan.
Ezekh also uses protein shakes to make sure he gets enough protein and calories. After his first workout of the day — which he clocks in for at 5:00 a.m. — he grabs a protein shake and some avocado toast to refuel.
Check out Kollins Ezekh — celebrity personal trainer and established life coach, who has spent his 15-year career developing results-driven regimens that make an impact on both the mental and physical health of his clients — by visiting his Instagram.