Tennis legend Venus Williams was diagnosed with a chronic health condition back in 2011, which also kept her away from tennis for months. In response to her condition, she had to change her diet and shift to vegan food.
In a recent interview, Venus revealed that her recovery from Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease, required her to consume raw vegan food at a wellness camp. As a result, the seven-time singles Grand Slam champion now follows a ‘Chegan‘ diet, which involves occasionally cheating on her strict vegan regimen.
Let’s dive into the healthy eating practices of Venus, which she discussed in a blog on The Beet:
Breakfast
Not fond of eating much during the day, the former world number one usually drinks a smoothie made of berries and some protein powder. Occasionally, she takes a bowl of fruit, depending on the time she has before her meetings or practice.
Lunch
Her lunch routine can change from day to day. On some days, she might eat sweet potatoes, while on others, she might opt for rice or a green smoothie. The tennis star also likes to go out and eat sometimes, visiting her favorite vegan restaurant to grab food and drink Christopher’s Kitchen strawberry milkshake.
Dinner
Despite being exhausted at the end of the day, the tennis legend likes to experiment with different stuff for dinner, but her go-to is lentils on a quinoa salad or sauteed vegetables. Sometimes, she creates a burger using everything that’s available in the fridge (lettuce, onions, tomatoes) and eats it with her favorite protein shake.
Venus has controlled sugar consumption, as she tries to consume natural sweeteners or products without artificial sweeteners. To compensate for desserts, she eats dates, natural granola, or Hu Kitchen’s Cashew butter chocolate.
Though not a snack enthusiast, to settle her mid-day cravings, she often goes for citric fruits like oranges, flavored nuts, and kale chips, among others.
It goes without saying that Venus is an inspiration to millions worldwide for the resilience she showed after being diagnosed with chronic illnesses. In a sporting world where physical fitness is crucial, maintaining discipline while battling illness is a feat few can achieve.
