Plant Sumo Interviews - tj waterfall
TJ Waterfall
Meat Free Fitness
TJ is a plant-based registered sports nutritionist. He works with elite vegan athletes such as Premier League and international footballers, pro rugby players, and Team GB Olympians, and is the author of The Plant-Based Power Plan – a book to help anyone improve their strenth, fitness and performance on a plant-based diet. He has a first-class master’s degree in nutrition from UCL and loves to bring clients the best advice based on the latest science and nutrition research.
Checkout TJ’s: LinkedIn
Company Profiles
Fiction: anything by Ian McEwan!
Non-fiction: Factfulness by Hans Rosling which reminded and taught me to look objectively at the world's problems. And The Book you Wish Your Parents Had Read by Philippa Perry has been brilliant at helping us communicate better with our toddler!
I find it best to step away from the task in hand, remind myself that it's ok to relax or rest, and return when I feel like I've regained focus and clarity.
Meditation and midfulness - it's really helped me to live my life more consciously, mindfully and intentionally.
I'd love for everyone to be made aware of the huge benefits of adopting a plant-based diet: for the animals, environment, health and performance!
After graduating from my masters in nutrition it took a little while to find my feet - I had to take various temping jobs to pay rent! I definitely had moments where I questioned my decision to change career but it's all been part of an important journey and helped me stay humble and grow to where I am now.
I work with plant-based elite athletes to help them bring n their A-game and surpass their competition! I've also authored a book The Plant-Based Power Plan which details the same strategies I use with the athletes I work with so anyone can make sure their diet supports their strength and fitness goals.
Veganism will become much more mainstream and widely accepted so I hope there will be a lot more qualified nutritionists recommending evidence-based vegan nutrition advice.
Vegan
The amount of protein required to build muscle and strength is usually overestimated, and the amount of protein in whole plant foods is usually underestimated!
I'd like to study for a PhD in nutrition to continue learning and growing
Counting calories is something many of my clients have been told to do in the past - but it's innaccurate, boring, unsustainable, and can trigger unhealthy eating behaviours. So I tend to encourage clients to tune into their body's internal cues for a more intuitive approach.
My mum's roast dinners!
Definitely studying for a Masters in nutrition. It certainly wasn't cheap but was worth every penny as it's lead me to work with some incredible athletes.
Follow your passion and the rest will fall into place.
I've played countless different sports throughout my life and I sometimes wonder if all that time was focused on one sport whether I could've made a career out of it! But in truth I love being reasonably good at lots of different sports - the variation keeps it exciting!
Coffee enemas... WTF?!
Driving through southern France
Money - it's nice to have enough to not worry about it too much, but beyond that it doesn't buy any meaningful happiness.
It has to be the humble potato!
I'm really enjoying calisthenics at the moment - it's incredible for strength and fitness but it's so much fun that it doesn't feel like a workout at all.
A bowl of muesli with oat milk and a big green smoothie (banana, spinach, mixed berries, and flaxseeds)
About the Author
Heather Wilkinson is a globe-trotting content creator and PR enthusiast who’s finally put down roots in her native UK. When she isn’t working, you’ll find her pretending to care about Minecraft for her son’s sake, while secretly reading the latest Ace Atkins novel (or sleeping – her second favourite past-time).