From Vegan Protein Addict to Plant-based Whole Foods

I’ve had thousands of students in my vegan cooking classes over the past 9 years and a universal concern is always: Can I get enough protein without any animal products?

Athletes are even more concerned about getting enough protein, so I decided to share the story of Robert Cheeke, champion vegan bodybuilder.

Robert, who became vegan at age 15, believed the cultural myth that we need to consume as much protein as possible.

Robert Cheeke, vegan champion bodybuilder.

“As a champion bodybuilder, I lived by the notion that protein was king. My goal was to consume as much protein as possible. I once consumed 18 tofu hotdogs in a single day, something that seems absurd to me now, but was part of my lifestyle at one time.”

Then came his turnaround. In 2011, Robert connected with plant-based nutrition experts Dr. Colin Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn while helping market the powerful documentary, Forks Over Knives. He went on to enroll in the T. Colin Campbell Plant-based Nutrition Course through Cornell University.

“In 2012, I said goodbye to processed foods and supplements for good, and allowed real food to fuel my athletic endeavors. In previous years, I had been obsessed with gnawing on a package of tofu or guzzling down a protein drink immediately after a workout. With my new approach, I threw fear out the window and stopped worrying about protein.”

Now, at age 35, Robert Cheeke says this:

“On my new whole-food, plant-based, Forks Over Knives lifestyle, I set a course record in the “Run Like the Wind” 3-hour timed race in 2012 that still stands in 2015. I never looked back, and I am currently stronger than I have ever been in my life, performing lifts that few people my size are able to manage.”

So, my friends . . . if Robert Cheeke can get enough protein from eating a diet of whole plant foods, so can I and so can you. The health benefits are enormous. So put your protein worries to rest and enjoy the delicious and nutritious style of eating that is best for our health, best for the earth, and best for the animals.

To learn how to eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet, click here for my local classes in Anchorage and Wasilla, Alaska. Or click here for my online courses.

To read Robert Cheeke’s full article, click here.