Where's the beef? All-Pro Tony Gonzalez proves that a neo-vegan can thrive in the rough and tumble NFL

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Permalink Reply by Matt Mueller on August 18, 2008 at 12:57pm

'"Eating with Tony is a great way to ruin your appetite," veteran quarterback Damon Huard said last Saturday from the team's training camp. "You'll be biting into a piece of meat, and he'll say, 'You know that cow was probably corn-fed. And because of that, they had to give it antibiotics, and that probably gave it ulcers. I don't even want to think about what might be in there.' By then you're pretty much ready to clear your plate."

An hour later, as he sat in the cafeteria at the team's University of Wisconsin-River Falls headquarters, Gonzalez expanded upon the carefully crafted dietary approach that has fueled his second decade of excellence. A year-and-a-half after swearing off most dairy products and meat, the 6-foot-5, 251-pounder is laying waste to the stereotype of the scrawny, wimpy herbivore.

Coming off a stellar campaign that included 99 receptions for 1,172 yards (leaving him 179 yards behind Shannon Sharpe for the NFL's all time lead among tight ends) and earned him a ninth consecutive Pro Bowl invitation, the 32-year-old Gonzalez insists he's at his physical peak, with no sign of a decline.

"It's unbelievable how good I feel," Gonzalez said. "Seriously, my recovery is so much better than it's ever been, and my endurance is tremendous. The best part is that during games I really don't get tired. I have more focus, too. I'm even staying awake in meetings." '

' For Gonzalez, it all goes back to nutrition. When he decided to eliminate dairy and red meat from his largely organic diet – he still eats fish and the occasional chicken dish – Gonzalez's peers were highly skeptical.

"They'd tell me, 'You're gonna get crushed. You're gonna get your ass kicked,'" Gonzalez recalled. "They still think that, too, because I look so skinny, but I weigh what I've always weighed."

Gonzalez is currently collaborating with a nutritionist on a book detailing his dietary philosophies, though not necessarily from a vegan perspective, that will tentatively be published toward the end of '08. Gonzalez, who was so moved by scientific tome "The China Study" that he met with author T. Colin Campbell, has spoken to children about the benefits of maintaining proper nutritional habits, something on which he wants to expand in the coming years. '

'Bowe, who caught 70 passes for 995 yards as a rookie in '07, is well-acquainted with The Lecture. "At least twice a week he'll be like, 'Man, what are you eating?' " Bowe said. "I'll look down and say, 'Fried chicken? Cheese?' and then he'll stop eating his big ol' salad and give me the talk. He'll say, '1 or 13? You can eat like that and play one year or eat like this play 13.' And you know what – I listen."'


Take that Michael Phelps.

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Permalink Reply by Charles on August 18, 2008 at 1:12pm

What's a neo-vegan? I see that he still eats fish and some chicken.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Mueller on August 18, 2008 at 2:21pm

I'm really not sure...I jut googled Neo Vegan and found this Cafe in the Philliphines that spoke about neo vegans.

'Chimara promotes itself health buffs and vegetarians but mostly to non-vegetarians who never had the chance to eat out healthy. Calling their customers "neo-vegans", they do not discriminate to strict "vegans", or "vegetarians". In fact, 80% of their customers are non-vegetarians who just love their scrumptious healthy food. You do not have to be a vegetarian to be a neo-vegan!'

Maybe by neo vegan they mean new vegan or vegan 95% off the time without being super strict and beating himself or others up about things.

I may term myself a neo live foodist.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Mueller on August 18, 2008 at 2:22pm

I think it's super cool as well that he sought out T. Colin Campbell.

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Permalink Reply by RawZi on August 19, 2008 at 7:35am

At least he isn't promoting putting nuts on a conveyer belt and brushing rancid oil onto them http://www.vfs-systems.com/video/Video_CIMG2072_Oil_Roasted_Nuts_...
I swear, I always thought of nuts as the organic almonds my Mom bought in the local mom n pop health-food store. Live and learn. Actually my husband was a neo-vegan for a long time, calling himself vegan eating Planter's gelatine roasted peanuts everyday, super-rancid style (it sits in the car 24/7 by his choice probably since he started driving as a kid).

OK, so this Tony guy doesn't like cows getting ulcers (from eating indigestible mature dried cereal grain) and passing them on to the consumer. I don't like eating cow (not even organic, pastured, raw or not previously frozen) nor wearing (cowhide) leather, I'm a born again neo-vegan too. Who knows? Maybe Tony is seriously considering going vegan. I'm glad he's teaching kids not to eat cow. Cows have been bred so long to be unhealthy for our pleasure, we should set them free or something, maybe in separate (by gender) camps to be brahmacharies and brahmacharini cows, let em have lots of space.

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Permalink Reply by Adam on August 18, 2008 at 6:24pm

Theres no such thing as a neo-vegan, its just a bastardisation of the word vegan, in a world obsessed with identification and labels. He's just a meat eater who chooses to only eat fish and chicken as his sources of meat and doesnt want to eat dairy. I find this articule unimpressive and pointless since he is just advertising that you can still give a shit and eat animals, and that you still need to eat some animals to be healthy. The article says nothing.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Mueller on August 18, 2008 at 6:51pm

what means nothing? having a prominent NFL star reevaluate his diet from the standard american diet means nothing? having a prominent NFL star meet with T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study means nothing? b/c he isn't 100% raw or 100% vegan it means nothing?

do you have to label yourself something and allow food to define who you are or else it means nothing?

me personally, i think it is totally cool to see an NFL star mentioned in the same article as The China Study. but maybe it would be better to not have any of these wishy washy not 100% committed to something people be mentioned in the mainstream media. i mean America eats so well already, we wouldn't want anyone to get the idea that you can maintain and increase strength, focus and athleticism by incorporating more vegan foods into your diet and that you don't need to keep eating t bones.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Mueller on August 18, 2008 at 6:59pm

and I am not ticked about anything said in this thread. more just a longstanding vibe that I have felt sometimes in this community that you need to be 100% this or that. i'ts almost like well yeah, that's cool, but it's not enough. your not doing this or that. oh and you keep doing that? well your way off base there.

it's almost like people give off the vibe that it's not cool to start making small changes in your diet and getting more educated unless you are going the distance and committing yourself to something. i really think this type of vibe turns people off...especially those totally outside of this community.

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Permalink Reply by Bhoutik Mehta on August 18, 2008 at 7:13pm

I give Tony G props for being this open about his diet and at least cutting out diary out of his diet.

Even though he is not 100% vegan or vegetarian, I can bet he must be on the track to because he is getting better results on the field.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Mueller on August 18, 2008 at 7:28pm

ok...i totally understand that and it makes sense to me. i don't agree with dumbing down the word vegan either...it does make it lose it's meaning.

i have experienced many people calling themselves vegetarian when they stop eating beef.

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Permalink Reply by Adam on August 19, 2008 at 6:19am

Its not that you 'need' to be 100% anything. Its just that with veganism the word means something. If you start prostituting the word to meat eaters, allowing themselves to be called 'neo-vegans, or even entertaining the idea that they can do that, it kills the meaning of the word and leads people to confusion.

With veganism, you either believe it or you dont. You either live it or you dont. There isnt a %. If you're not 100% youre still a meat eater or vegetarian. You can be heading in the direction, and thats great, but it doesnt mean you are a vegan yet. And that doesnt mean you should create a new identity as a neo-vegan to make the stage you're at static. Thats just how I feel about it.

I wouldnt even bother mention it, but since there has been an article written about this guy, which says nothing significant really, Im not that impressed. When SAD eating people are faced with this artcile, they will filter everything out except for the fact that you still need to eat chicken or fish, because that is what they already believe to be true, and want to be true.

So I dont find the article that inspirational at all.

Dont get me wrong, I totally agree with what you're saying about appreciating the small changes that people make, that's important. And generally I am all for that. Im very much in favour of people making positive changes. At an individual level I can be very supportive. But as far as creating new bastardisations of words, I am not at all supportive.

But when people start prostituting a word that means something positive, because they want to create and market a new fad, which downplays what is really meant (which is what the media is there for) and write an article about it. it pisses me off. Because people see that as the finished product, and are left with the feeling that they still need their animal sacrifices.

Take Care

Adam x

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Permalink Reply by Adam on August 19, 2008 at 6:10am

Well as I believe all creatures are equal, I dont think there is a hierarchy of whether fish or chickens are less important than cows. So in my eyes he hasnt actually done anything significant. I mean its good he's eating less animal products, but he's still eating animals, so what does it actually say? That its possible to be an athlete whilst eating animla products? We already know that. Many people dont eat red meat but they dont go brandishing it around like its some major deal, they just prefer chicken or fish. They arent neo-vegans, they still consider themselves 'omnivores' or meat lovers.

As I said previously, I dont see labels as important at all. Its not that he isnt 100% vegan its that he isnt vegan at all if he eats animal products. Vegan ist just a short word which describes someone who doesnt believe its ethical or fair to eat animals, animal products, wear animals, buy animal tested products etc etc. Thats the only reason I use the word. Great, he's eating some more plants. Thats always a good thing. But he's still eating animals so the article doesnt really say much.
Take Care

Adam x

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