Venus Williams Gives Health Tips, Shares Her Go-To Drink To Stay Fit

Venus Williams is a 41-year-old California-born athlete who is considered one of the best tennis players in the world.

The star athlete knows that it is important to make sure that she is in the best shape, not only physically, but mentally too, in order to perform at her best.

In order to support her body through her intense training sessions, Williams makes sure to fuel her body with a clean diet in order to make sure she is giving herself the fuel that she needs to succeed.

Williams describes herself as a “chegan,” which is a term that is used to describe people who “cheat” at being vegan, which means that they eat a primarily vegan diet with little cheat meals here and there in order to keep them on track.

“I try to make the majority of my meals raw and vegan, but I’m only human and am known to cheat a little bit,” she admitted. “I joke that I’m a 'chegan' because sometimes I’ve been known to stray.”

Williams has previously confessed to being diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that creates symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches, and joint pain. Using a vegan diet to help manage these symptoms is just another way that Williams works to stay fit and healthy.

In her daily meal plan, Williams jokes that she is not a morning person, and so she only has something light, like a protein shake or a piece of fruit, in order to have some fuel to power her through her morning training sessions.

She also downs green smoothies for lunch when she has a busy schedule. Otherwise, she tries to make time for some healthy carbs, such as those found in sweet potatoes or rice.

She also admitted that she is a big fan of salads, especially for dinner, sharing, “I love vegan Caesar salads because they are super easy. I can whip it up quickly whether I’m at home or in a hotel room at a tournament.”

She also loves to snack on green juices and kale chips when she’s rushing from practices to meetings.

Venus recently shared the recipe for her favorite go-to protein shake, which is packed with enough protein and fiber to provide some serious nutritional benefits. The athlete combines a vegan protein powder with chunks of frozen fruit, such as mangos, pineapples, and bananas. She also uses coconut milk to keep it vegan.

Because vegan protein powder can be difficult to find, Williams co-founded her own supplement company called Happy Viking, which claims to be free of dairy, lactose, gluten, soy, GMOs, and artificial ingredients.

Williams said that she created the company because, “I’ve had the experience of not being healthy, of suffering from pain that impacted my ability to function on a daily basis. It’s not a great place to be. Since adopting a plant-based diet and exploring superfood nutrition, I’ve seen the benefits for my body, my mind, and my performance firsthand. I want to give other people that opportunity to be healthy, to feel good, to be able to live out their dreams. I truly believe the better fuel we drink and eat, the better we perform and feel.”