The athlete talked about his journey to plant-based eating

The athlete retains his muscular physique eating plant protein (Photo: Instagram)

Heavyweight boxer Mike Rashid has spoken out about his journey to a plant-based diet.

According to the pro-bodybuilder turned fighter, he started the process by ditching meat last year.

The Brooklyn heavyweight won his debut fight in February of this year, knocking out Darious Taylor in less than a minute.

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Eating animals

In a video about his plant-based diet, Rashid said: "I stopped eating meat...because I felt that it works best for my health.

"When I was eating one meal a day [last year, as part of a bid to lose weight], I was alternating the days I would eat meat.

"So one day, I would have animal protein, the next day I wouldn't. I was alternating."

Journey

He adds: "When I wasn't on the road travelling, when I was home, I could prepare my meals. So I would go two days without eating meat, and there was no problem.

"Me getting off meat - and I advise this for anyone planning to do it - ease into it.

"It's hard to change the habits of a lifetime."

Athlete Mike Rashid talks about going plant-based

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'Over it'

Rashid says he reached a point where he didn't want to eat animals anymore.

He says: "I was eating one of my standard meals - a giant kale salad or two with salmon. I ate the salad and didn't want to eat the salmon'.

The boxer then adds that he's never really enjoyed eating animals.

'Not an activist'

Despite describing himself as 'vegan as f*ck', Rashid admits he committed to a plant-based diet purely for health reasons.

"I love animals like the next person," says Rashid, "but I'm not an activist for anything, especially like animal rights.

"I'm not saying people should abuse animals - people like that, f*ck them.

"But I don't think it's the worst thing for people to eat meat. There's a whole moral debate around it - I don't take part in that.

"Maybe in five years I will."