| Vegetarian Elite
By USA News Group (Originally in English) Recently, former NBA All-Star James Donaldson was interviewed on Supreme Master Television’s “Vegetarian Elite.” The 7-foot-2-inch-tall (2.15m) athlete shared his thoughts on being vegetarian for over 20 years, “I became vegetarian for many reasons. One: I love animals and I am respectful of their lives. Two: I was concerned about my environment, all the things that go into the making of food and the pollution in the air and things, and I didn't want to contribute to that anymore. Three: the health benefits. I read and I study. I learned that it's a healthier way to live. It's a cleaner way for your system to process foods that you eat. And four, philosophically, it's a respect for all living things, humans and animals, which deserve to be respected.” James became known as a sports “ironman” because he rarely missed a game in his 20-year career, which is very impressive because basketball is a physically demanding sport. In fact, he is in the Top 10 for longest consecutive playing streak without missing a game. James said, “I attribute that because of vegetarianism, because of taking care of myself.” Contrary to popular belief, his plant-based diet actually enhanced his game culminating in 1988 when he was voted an All-Star and his team, the Dallas Mavericks, made it to the NBA Western Conference Finals. The trend in vegetarianism is growing immensely popular as people around the world are realizing that eating lower down in the food chain helps in the global cause to preserve our precious planet. Mr. Donaldson says: “I think people are realizing that more and more now. Global warming is a real deal, and people understand that it’s real. Our animals are threatened, our agriculture is threatened, and our weather patterns are changing. People are paying attention finally. And we can do our part by becoming vegetarian and replacing a lot of the good things back into nature.”
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During
his career, James did suffer a career-threatening knee injury but
came back strong due to his optimum health. His injury inspired him
to open “Donaldson Fitness & Physical Therapy” which
currently has three locations in the Seattle area. While actively
advising on how to enhance one’s overall health, Mr. Donaldson
offers his suggestions for vegetarian athletes to have proper nutrition
and balanced meals in order to maintain a high energy level. He also
wants to educate more people about the harmful side effects of eating
meat, just like the harmful side effects of alcohol or tobacco. His
lifestyle choices set a wonderful example for all: “At 50 years
old now, I still work out every day. I still get five hours, six hours
of sleep so I have a long day every day and I feel great every second
of the day.”
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