Former competitive bodybuilder Jamie Robinson coaches others on how to use food to heal themselves
Many athletes grow up learning the importance of protein: Gotta have that post-workout recovery chicken dinner, they think. Gotta mix my whey protein shake. Athletes need nutrients to repair their bodies from the stress they put themselves under, and many times those nutrients come from animal sources.
Health and wellness coach, personal trainer and sports nutrition coach Jamie Robinson used to eat animal products when he was a competitive bodybuilder. But 10 months ago, Jamie decided to make a change to live according to his values. When I talked to Jamie last month, we discussed whether or not athletes can be vegan, how we can help the body to heal itself and the importance of compassion in his life.
Talk to me about the Jamie before 10 months ago.
I was going through a lot of transitioning in life. Getting into a new relationship, leaving the home that I was in and leaving everything behind — including my career in real estate. I was reinventing myself and getting back to what my core values are.
In doing that, I came across a documentary called Cowspiracy. I realized that the life that I was living didn’t live up to my core values, which is compassion for life. I want to reduce suffering in the world with each choice that I make. Watching documentaries like that broke my heart. Ultimately it’s a system, right? It’s not because of any particular person, it’s a system that’s in place that I just don’t want to be a part of any more.
So that’s when you decided to change the way you ate?
Yes. So with my background in sports, bodybuilding and as an International Sports & Sciences Association (ISSA) certified personal trainer, I was inspired to research the health benefits of plant-based eating. I educated myself on where I could get all of the essential amino acids from the plant world without overloading the body with too much fat and carbohydrates. In essence, I learned to keep the body lean and anabolic on a plant-based meal plan.
I started making these salads every day that had everything that the body needs to thrive. I’ve noticed changes in my own body so it’s been a very healing process.
I imagine coming from your world of bodybuilding that people were using a lot of whey proteins and a lot of other supplements. Was it hard for you to transition?
Yes and no. There was the identification with my food sources and fear of losing a lot of muscle because I was already in conflict with my identity with my old way of life … At one point, I was 250 pounds. Now I’m 184 pounds. I was significantly bigger and more muscular a few years ago. I was going through a grieving process before I went plant-based because I had a knee injury and I couldn’t train the way I used to. I may have been grieving, but I was simultaneously inspired on this new path, so I wasn’t as focused on the feeling of loss of that identity.
Did anyone joke about you making your transition?
Yeah. There’s a lot of sarcasm around it, even around my family and friends…people at the gym.
But I’ve also received a lot of support. And this is coming from IFBB pro bodybuilders. Even though people have said sarcastic things to me, I have made the choice not to allow their sarcasm to disturb my internal peace of mind, or redirect me from this loving path. I understand that we are all in different phases of our journey and we have different belief systems; therefore, I don’t take any of that personally. I just appreciate it when I’m getting the encouragement to keep on this path.
You mentioned that you lost a lot of muscle mass and I was wondering, can a person be a high-performing athlete on a plant-based diet?
Absolutely. Actually some of the top athletes in the world right now are plant-based. There are alot of the triathletes, cyclists, long-distance runners, MMA fighters, NFL players and NBA players who are vegan. There are so many examples out there.
Have you found that you perform well in your own training?
I’m thriving just fine. I had knee surgery a while ago because of the level of physical stress that I was putting on my body through for decades, and nutrition has been an important part of the healing process. If the body is not flooded with animal fats — clogging arteries, creating inflammation throughout the body, and overworking our heart, kidneys, and other vital organs, the body is more efficient at repairing itself. This has been my experience since going plant-based.
When we fuel our bodies with plant-based foods, we are going straight to the source of where all medicine comes from: PLANTS! So why take the pill? Why consume the animal and her secretions when you can simply go to the source of where that animal gets its nutrients from? That’s what the body needs to thrive. Every micronutrient, every amino acid, antioxidants to fight free radicals that cause a lot of our diseases … They are all found in the plant world.
Some people argue that if you’re not eating meat that you are missing some nutrients. Do you feel like you have to supplement at all?
No, people do not need to eat meat to get all of the nutrition that the body needs to thrive. Now it’s a case by case situation regarding supplements. I personally take a vegan multivitamin twice a day (which is high in B12 and iron), a digestive enzyme when needed because of the high-fiber content of the diet, Branch-Chain Amino Acids and Glutamine for muscle repair — especially after training sessions — and a host of anti-inflammatory supplements, including: turmeric, glucosamine, among others. Meat or no meat, people who are very active can benefit from supplements.
From following you on Facebook, I see you have this motto going: “Health means wealth.” What do you mean by that?
The truth is, if you’re not feeling well it’s challenging to enjoy anything? I’m talking about your loved-ones, your career, your hobbies, the brand-new Mercedes-Benz you bought, the new 20 bedroom home that sits on many acres of land … If you don’t feel well, it’s hard to enjoy any of it.
Also if you’re not healthy, you have to pay for your doctor bills, which can add up very quickly, especially if you don’t have insurance. So why not eat healthy and reduce the risk of complications?
Health is wealth because health is an improved quality of life.
What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from this 10-month journey?
There’s two things: First, that we are all on our own journey. Initially, I was blaming, shaming and guilting people because I was like,
“How can they not see this? Animals are suffering, the environment is getting messed up. People are starving because all of these animals are eating up the crop land and this goes on and on. They can be healthier!”
But if I’m to live in integrity for all life, I have to have compassion for the people who may not be in alignment with their deepest core values, which might be compassion. So I need to be the leader. Not being better than, but being the one who actually lives and embodies what his values are through and through. I bring love to the space.
Second is the health aspect. I’ve grown significantly in my knowledge of plant-based nutrition. I’m learning how to combine foods, with specific amino acid profiles, to create complete proteins, and the important role that micronutrients play in the body’s ability to absorb the amino acids without damaging the liver, among many other things of course.
To sum it up: I combine health and compassion in my everyday choices — in my own life — and with what I share with the world.
