Chris Jordan is a man’s man. On any given day, you can find the long-time boxer and fitness fanatic throwing punches, lifting weights, or teaching sweat-inducing boxing and kick-boxing classes at Ramsey.

Jordan drinks a protein shake and snacks on nuts and seeds everyday to get a healthier protein fix. Boxing vet and vegetarian lifestyle advocate, Jordan teaches kick-boxing at Ramsey. Photo by MICHAEL BARONE

For Jordan, exercise is more than a hobby, and from the looks of his muscular frame, it’s his life. But the boxing vet credits his brawn to a simple lifestyle choice most of his bodybuilding peers wouldn’t expect.

Jordan is a vegetarian.

“I’m more energetic, quicker on my feet, I sleep better, and my mind is sharper when I don’t eat meat,” Jordan said. He also noticed recovery times in between intense workouts are dramatically shorter than before when he was a regular meat-eater.

Vibrancy is one potential perk of converting to a vegetarian lifestyle said Katherine Ingerson, a registered dietician at UGA, but making a radical diet change can have its drawbacks if not done properly. For new vegetarians, and especially for vegans, the primary nutrients of concern when eschewing meat are iron, vitamin B-12, calcium and vitamin D. The easiest way for active vegetarians to ensure nutritional balance, Ingerson said, is to take a multivitamin that has a 100 percent of the total daily value of iron, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, zinc and folic acid.

Jordan adheres to a hearty plant-based diet, but also takes a multivitamin everyday to make sure he’s getting necessary vitamins not as readily found in plant-based foods, such as vitamin B-12. He also takes additional vitamin C supplements to boost his immune system and energy levels.

Nutritional deficiencies can be easily avoided following a plant-based diet, but let’s not forget the elephant in the weight room that concerns most people about eating green: protein.

For someone who is following a varied plant-based diet getting enough protein shouldn’t be an issue, said Maria Breen, a sports nutritionist for UGA. Only new vegetarians who neglect to substitute other high-quality protein sources such as soy products, nuts, beans and quinoa are at risk for a protein deficiency.

There’s also the widespread myth that trading meat for carbohydrate-based protein sources will pack on the pounds or decrease muscle mass, but Breen flat out denies the correlation.

“There is this misconception carbs will make you fat, but if you don’t get enough carbs, you could risk being tired all the time and decrease the intensity of workouts,” said Breen. In fact, she said Americans worrying about eating too many carbohydrates may be overshadowing a more relevant issue: the over consumption of protein. “If you’re over-consuming protein, it could be equally as detrimental as if you weren’t getting enough, and your body will just store it as fat.”

Jordan finds this misconception all too familiar since many of his younger male friends and students are afraid to give up meat for fear that they will lose muscle definition. “I have a lot of friends in their early 20s who eat a lot of meat and fast food, but think it’s OK because they are still ripped,” said Jordan. “What they are not thinking about is how all the saturated fat and abuse they are doing to their body now will catch up with them later down the road.”

But what about the times a new vegetarian just craves a hamburger? Both Ingerson and Breen said that there is no scientific evidence that suggests craving something means you need it, but that it all comes down to how important adhering to a vegetarian lifestyle is for the individual. To initially quell cravings, Jordan said he tricked his body thinking it’s eating meat by eating veggie burgers and meatless “chicken” wings. And while Jordan swears by his diet and recommends everyone, athlete or otherwise, give it a shot, he recognizes being a strict vegetarian may not be for everyone. “Healthy is different for everyone,” said Jordan. “I just know what works for me.”

Cheat sheet for vegetarians

• A varied vegetarian diet can be extremely heart healthy, and rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants from plant phytochemicals, which can alleviate inflammation in joints, and equate to overall better health and athletic performance.

• Some nutrients from plant-based sources, such as iron don’t as readily absorb in the body. To avoid anemia problems, incorporate vitamin C into every meal, with foods such as strawberries, bell peppers, spinach and tomatoes,  since the nutrient aids the absorption of iron.

• Vegans should seek out foods fortified with the energy-stabilizing vitamin B-12, such as soymilk and cereal, since the nutrient is best found in animal by-products.

• B-12 and iron deficiencies can cause fatigue, but dehydration and inadequate calorie consumption can cause exhaustion for active individuals. If you eat a varied diet and still suspect you’re nutrient deficient get a blood test right away.

• Eat a protein source with every meal. Having a salad? Add some beans into the mix. Eating a bagel in the morning? Spread some peanut butter on it. Simple, mindful adjustments will ensure adequate protein intake for worriers.