Plant-based diet is Lewis Hamilton's winning formula
Lewis Hamilton pays as much attention to the technology that goes into his Mercedes car as the kind of fuel that he puts into his body.
In a New York Times report yesterday, the five-time world champion attributed a switch to plant-based diet at the start of last year for a surge in his performance.
"I don't like to talk about it too much, because I don't want to give away too much," Hamilton said of his diet.
"But it is just about changing your mind. We're taught all these things from a young age about what you should and should not eat.
"I think it's about educating yourself and being open to it. It's something I really wanted to do. For sure, it hasn't been easy to learn new things and new ways, but I've felt so good for the last year and a half. It's been such a great decision."
Since the start of last season, the 34-year-old has won 19 races and became only the third Formula One driver to win five world titles.
The Briton, who has won eight of this season's 14 races, is just 10 wins away from Michael Schumacher's record of 91. He could go closer to that by racking up his fifth win in the Singapore GP on Sunday.
Boosted by his diet mainly of vegetables, plants and grains, Hamilton even invested in Neat Burger, a meat-free burger chain in London, last month.
Not all elite athletes believe plant-based diets help, but a few others have also spoken about the benefit of minimising meat and processed food.
Before winning Wimbledon for his 16th Grand Slam title in July, Novak Djokovic credited his swift recovery from energy-sapping matches to a diet largely consisting of grains, vegetables, beans and juices.
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