Going Green and Staying BIG

Article Summary: Weighing in at an unbelievable three hundred pounds of pure veggies, David Carter is far from unhealthy. After struggling with tendonitis and fatigue, Carter, offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears, decided to go 100% green. Carter claimed after initially losing 40 pounds, he is now back to his weight goal, and feels better than ever. His daily diet consists of over 10,000 calories, and 1.2 pounds of protein exclusively from beans, beats, rice, and grain. He has come a long way seeing that just 2 years ago, he had just signed with the Oakland Raiders weighing a mere 285 pounds. He was adding milkshakes and entire gallons of milk to his diet in hopes of gaining. Yet, his pain was unbearable as his shoulders hurt, his tendonitis was flaring, and three of his fingers had gone totally numb. He relates his turning point to a night when his pain was so severe that he could not even get out of the bath tub. He said, " “I realized I was making everything worse,” he says. “I was feeding the tendonitis, the muscle fatigue, everything. So the next day I went vegan. The first thing I ate was a bean burger and haven’t eaten meat since.” After getting back up to 300 lbs, he was able to lift more, run faster, and felt better than he ever had.
       Yet, the real difficulties come in the amount of food he is forced to eat a day. Between 5 meals, smoothies in between each, and forcing down sauerkraut as a snack throughout the day, 10,000 calories worth of extra effort to eat is a tough job. The article explains saying, "while other athletes crave a cheat meal, Carter just wishes to skip a meal. His favorite food is cashew cheese from nutritional yeast, and he's making the most of this life by proving that vegans aren't always necessarily puny and weak. 

Correlation: It seems as though new research regarding vegan-ism is coming out daily proving the positive influence going vegan has on one's health and the environment. Seeing this hypothesis played out the football field, in front of the eyes of America is really motivating. I believe that many other players will follow in Carter's footsteps, not only because of the nutritional benefit, but because of the impact it has on the environment and the quality of life of individuals. I have read numerous articles regarding vegan diets as means of medicating the sick, healing diseases, and saving the planet. Therefore it correlates with Biology in the News because the study of life is directly connected with this idea of ensuring that life survives in the future, and survives to the fullest. 

Personal Reflection: I will admit that vegan-ism is no walk in the park, and as a vegan failure, I can vouch for this. I have tried multiple times to go animal-free, but each time I cave for some delicious bread, or ice cream. I do, however, believe in the importance of a vegan diet. I love seeing a well-known athlete like Carter prove that a vegan lifestyle is possible for anyone if it is for a huge athlete like himself. I find that extremely motivating myself. My boyfriend plays football for a Division I school, and he uses football as an excuse constantly for his incredibly awful diet. He eats honey buns and cookies constantly using the excuse of him needing to gain weight. I think this is great for him, and athletes like him who struggle with muscle pain and fatigue. There is hope for all of them, and it may be found in plants!

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/08/chicago-bears-david-carter-vegan-diet