Featured Athlete – Paul Jarvis

Name: Paul Jarvis

Location: Tofino, BC, Canada

What is your diet/lifestyle?
A (mostly raw) vegan.

What attracted you to eating that type of diet?
I wanted to generally feel better, plus i wanted to be more in touch and connected to my food.

Which sports & activities are your passionate about?
i have an almost-daily yoga practice, but i also spend a lot of time hiking (i live in the woods on and island in the rainforest, so there are lots of trails), biking and I’ve even started doing pilates.

What is one of your greatest athletic moments?
Surfing on the north shore of Hawaii, that is probably one of my favourite moments ever. But really, getting on my mat to practice yoga is great — I always finish feeling grounded and better than when i started.

What goal(s) do you currently have, and how do you plan on achieving it?
I am currently working towards a 100 mile hike around Mt. Rainer with my wife and a friend. I’m always trying to win at yoga 😉

What is your favorite fuel before activity?
Lately I’ve been eating a TON of homemade, raw bread. It’s great fuel because I pack it full of nuts and seeds and top with fresh veggies. i can eat it, feel full, but i never feel sluggish and like I can work out after eating it. it’s the perfect pre-workout meal!

What is your favorite food for recovery?
Kale and banana smoothies, with fresh ginger.

What/Who inspires you?
The other yogi’s at my yoga studio who are 60+ years old and still practice daily.

What is a random fact about you that people might not know?
I have two adopted rats – one hairless, one with hair.

Describe yourself with the first 3 words that come to mind!
Snarky, outspoken, passionate.

What advice would you give to an athlete looking to go veg?
Listen to your body. It’s a very interesting experiment to play with eating different types of plant-based foods before and after exercise and see how you feel (both in terms of your body and your mind). In doing this, you can really tweak your diet for maximum performance. And always bring snacks!

Complete this sentence: I am a Meat Free Athlete because a plant-based diet helps do whatever physical activity i want to do, easily.

Thank you Alek for sharing your story with Meat Free Athlete!