Adopting a Vegan Lifestyle: Entrepreneurs & Athletes

Chef Chew, the vegan food inventor/restaurateur for over 15 years, was adopted at birth into a family with the last name “Chew,” believes that he was born with a mission and purpose to change lives for the better, one chew at a time. Chef Chew grew up in Southern Maryland amongst a family of very heavy meat eaters and noticed over time that a lot of different diseases, from diabetes to cancer, plagued the members of his family. He later discovered that many of those same diseases have been linked to poor diet and overconsumption of animal meat products.

 

Inspired to begin living a healthy lifestyle, Chef Chew switched to a plant-based diet in 2001 and started experimenting with creating vegan food products in 2004. He painstakingly invented the Better Chew proteins—featuring beef, chicken and seafood substitutes that mimic America’s most popular comfort and ethnic foods such as shredded steak, beefy ribs/brisket, friend chicken and shredded chicken, in his mom’s kitchen and has perfected the textures and taste over the past 15 years. As part of his mission to democratize the access of healthy food, Chef Chew most recently created the Better Chew Box to deliver healthy and affordable plant-based protein SOLUTIONS directly to your community.

 

In 2008 he became a restauranteur with his first vegan restaurant and people loved the food. For years he ran restaurants in Arkansas, in Maryland and celebrity hotspot The Veg Hub in Oakland, California. His mission was to go into communities that were designated specifically as food deserts to bring something better to the community and change a generation with better food. Soon thereafter he also began his motivational speaking, championing his motto to “give you something to Chew on.” The company’s mission statement is simply to “change lives one ‘chew’ at a time.”

 

Coming from a family where his father was a sharecropper who owned nothing, he needed to prove that he could have ownership in his community with his thriving business. His mother became his first investor for his brand of faster food with wholesome ingredients and most importantly, ownership/entrepreneurship of his own space. In 2017 he set out to acquire his first manufacturing facility and raised capital in one of the fastest growing industries in the world, ultimately to bring Better Chew to the home chef and make home cooking, especially vegan home cooking, more versatile. Better Chew launched into the Northern California Region of Whole Foods in August 2019 and they provide their proteins to several of the top Bay-Area vegan restaurants through food service. As a B-Corp, they are committed to democratizing the access to healthy food and creating food solutions that are affordable and accessible by ALL people.

 

 

Living a vegan lifestyle is often thought of for those who want to slim down and lose weight. However, choosing to incorporate a vegan diet can work for anyone – even athletes! We’ll address some of the misconceptions and why you should try it too!It began with Derrick Morgan, now former American football linebacker of the Tennessee Titans, and his wife, Charity, a plant-based chef, and their decision as a family to transition into a plant-based diet. During this transition, the Morgan family influenced 11 members of the Titans after the other players spotted Derrick Morgan’s lunches. Soon after, Charity Morgan found herself catering lunch for the players as well! (Wolfe, 2017).

Despite their eventual enthusiasm, the transition to a vegan lifestyle did not come without uncertainty. Wesley Woodyard was reluctant to start a vegan diet due to not wanting to give up eating meat and Jurrell Casey had concerns of losing his strength and adversely affecting his performance as a player. However, since going vegan, the players have reported noticeable improvement in their performance and daily lives. Woodyard shared needing to take regular naps to combat fatigue but now his energy and performance levels have improved and reported having one of the best seasons the following year. As for Casey, he also reports his energy levels are higher and is able to recover much more quickly after games. Not everyone transitions fully into the vegan lifestyle. Tom Brady, former Patriots quarterback, was also known to have a vegan diet, yet never fully converted (Nassir, 2021). It’s important to note that you do not have to go completely vegan if you are looking to improve your health. Even small changes can provide noticeable benefits.

Benefits of a Vegan Diet

A vegan diet can provide more nutrients and can aid in prevention of certain cancers, improve kidney function, help lower your risk of heart disease and even alleviate pain from arthritis. A couple of studies done on the effects of incorporating a vegan diet in arthritic patients found that joint pain, swelling, and morning stiffness improved within 6 weeks. And just like the NFL players, reported an increase in energy levels (Petre, 2016).

Misconceptions of a Vegan Diet

Some of the NFL players’ thoughts were plagued with worrying over losing strength and even weight when switching to a vegan diet. Naturally, athletes aim to have a high protein intake to maintain their weight and strength. Others might worry over not getting enough nutrients. But, meat is not the only source of protein. Soy foods like tofu have high protein as well as almonds, peanuts, lentils and hemp seeds (which you can sprinkle onto anything). Additionally, if you need an extra boost for your body building needs, you can try vegan protein powders!

This is not to say going vegan will guarantee you with all its benefits. Although it may provide many nutrients, it is up to you to make sure you’re getting all of your nutrients. A vegan diet will naturally decrease your calorie intake, promoting weight loss. According to the Million Dollar Vegan site, if your goal is to gain weight then you will need to make sure you’re eating food that is calorically dense (2021). Knowing your goals and maintaining a balanced diet will assist you in reaping the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

 

 

 

Sources

How To Gain Weight On A Vegan Diet: Tips & Meal Plan. Million Dollar Vegan. (2021, 

March 9). https://www.milliondollarvegan.com/how-to-gain-weight-on-a-vegan-diet/. 

Nassir, R. (2021, February 3). Vegan Football Players in the NFL Thriving on the Plant 

Based Diet. Vegan Liftz. https://veganliftz.com/vegan-nfl-players/. 

Petre, A. (2016, September 23). 6 Science-Based Health Benefits of Eating Vegan.

Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2. 

Wolfe, C. (2017, December 2). Derrick Morgan and his chef wife inspired vegan 

movement on Titans. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/blog/tennessee-titans/post/_/id/24460/derrick-morgan-and-his-chef-wife-inspired-vegan-movement-on-titans.