Texans RB Arian Foster becomes a vegetarian

If Houston Texans running back Arian Foster is looking leaner and sleeker in training camp, it’s because he has adopted a new vegetarian diet during the off-season.

“I didn’t just blindly stop eating meat. I know what I’m doing,” Foster said.

“I saw a documentary in high school that really turned me on to getting aware of it. It didn’t change my diet then, but it made me think about the myths about protein.

I said a while ago that when I quit playing football, I would probably become a vegetarian and I thought I needed the protein. Then I did some research with doctors who in their world are considered kind of radical. To me, it’s radical we have heart disease and 12-year-old kids with diabetes. ”

Foster has a point in regards to health epidemic that is enveloping our children. But how are his teammates reacting to his new lifestyle?

“I had a long conversation with him about that. I told him, ‘If this doesn’t work, I’m going to kick your ass,” teammate Brian Cushing said.”I told him that because he’s going too far. He thinks he knows more than me, but he doesn’t, especially about nutrition. We have a good relationship, but I told him this better be right. We have a lot riding this year.”

Foster hears the doubt and skepticism of others and shrugs it off.

“Everybody cares what I eat now,” Foster said. “They didn’t care before, but they do now. Everybody is a nutritionist now and they’re an expert on protein. Every day, every single day somebody knows something new to do. I just smile and say, ‘OK.’ ”

“I know that’s why so many people are interested. They’re speaking from their heart … [but] I’m concerned with what I’m putting in my body. That bad stuff we eat, it goes into your body and it stays there. It stays in your heart. Trust me, I love that kind of food. I see a hamburger and I know it’s delicious. But now I can think it through and know that hamburger is not necessarily good for me.”

I don’t think that anyone can argue with that.