This past weekend, Lewis Hamilton raced to the finish line to get his 8th British GP title. Now, while hard work and fast wheels have helped him on the track, the British star also revealed that the secret to his success also lies in what he eats, particularly a plant-based diet.
Lewis Hamilton and the Winning Plant-Based Diet
Speaking to the New York Times, Hamilton shared that changing up his diet and adopting a more plant-based approach has been one of the best decisions he’s ever made,
effeone1._/instagram
“I definitely believe it has had a really good, positive impact on my daily life, in terms of the energy that I have and the feeling that I have when I’m at work. I’m very rarely tired.”
“For me, it has been a life changer.”
The benefits of a plant-based diet
Speaking to Men’s Health UK, Hamilton revealed that with age came a better understanding of how diet can affect his overall health. This thinking eventually to an epiphany, and he realized that a plant-based diet would be a great way to maintain his energy levels while on the track, all while protecting the health of the planet;
“I have more energy; I’m so much more productive,” says Hamilton. “I wake up feeling way better, clearer in thought and fresher in my body. I recover quicker; I sleep better. My skin cleared up. I have fewer allergies. There are just so many impacts.”
“I’m physically in better shape than I’ve ever been, and I’m more successful than ever right now, and my plant-based programme has played such a big role in that,”
How can a plant-based diet help me?
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplashf
Now, while following a plant-based diet won’t turn you into a Formula 1 legend, it can provide other great benefits.
For one, a plant-based diet can help you live longer. A study published in The BMJ found that following a plant-based diet can reduce your risk of premature death by 5%. This is probably because a plant-based diet is rich in nutrients that can significantly reduce your risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
How can I start?
It should be mentioned that Hamilton grew up eating meat, so he didn’t adopt a plant-based diet overnight. Rather, he slowly transitioned into one, and he recommends that you do the same,
“Don’t go hard,” he says.“You’ve just got to taper off things: stop eating chocolate, stop eating dairy and then slowly stop eating meat and stop eating fish. Go pescatarian for a while. That’s what I did…and I don’t miss a single thing.”
Want to know more?
A plant-based diet may have helped Lewis Hamilton break F1 records, but could it be the key to saving the planet? Believe it or not, switching to plant-based foods could help in the fight against climate change.
References
Naghshi, S., Sadeghi, O., Willett, W. C., & Esmaillzadeh, A. (2020). Dietary intake of total, animal, and plant proteins and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 370, m2412. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2412
