The athlete has sung the praises of a plant-based diet

Oatmeal is a staple of Chara's new diet (Photo: Instagram)

NHL hockey player Zdeno Chara - the six-foot-nine Bruins Captain - says his shift toward a

plant-based diet has made him stronger.

At 40 years

old, and weighing in at 250 pounds, Chara dropped beef, chicken, pork, and

dairy from his diet in September - and only occasionally incorporates fish and

eggs.

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Staples of

his diet now include rice, oats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

'Stronger'

Chara noted that it took about three weeks for him to see results on a mostly plant-based diet, and that his performance in the gym and on the ice has improved significantly.

He said: "I think I’m stronger than I was in September."

He's taken to Instagram to celebrate his results, and praise plant foods, saying in one post,that he believes 'that for every human illness or state, there is a plant which is a cure'.

Here Chara shares his morning shake with two of his children (Photo: Instagram)

Research

Chara thoroughly

researched plant-based diets before making the shift.

He said: "I

thought it was going to be very hard for me as a hockey player to get into

something like this.

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"But then, over the course of time, you start reading more

and gathering more information - more books, more stuff you can search on

different websites.

"You watch documentaries. Then it slowly starts making sense

that this is not just strictly for people to lose weight."

Chara hopes his diet will help him maintain his health as he ages (Photo: Instagram)

Motivation

Chara’s

choice was motivated by health, his work, and the desire to stay sharp as he

ages - in the hopes of resigning with the NHL at the end of his contract.

He said: "I

felt as you get older, you're trying to find ways to improve your well-being,

functioning, and energy level.

"Everything you hear that people are losing as

you get older, I want to be a step ahead of that."