I'm TJ Waterfall - human biologist (BSc), nutritionist (MSc), and author of The Plant-Based Power Plan. I specialise in plant-based sports nutrition and helping athletes reach their potential by optimising their plant-centred diets.
I’m the Director of Nutrition at the Game Changers Institute, an inclusive research, educational, and advocacy platform that promotes plant-forward nutrition in order to help improve personal performance, advance public health, support social justice and protect the environment… all things I am highly passionate about! Thanks for visiting Meat Free Fitness - I hope you find lots of useful information here to help you on your meat-free journey.
My Background
My undergraduate degree was a joint honours in human biology and psychology. Then, in 2016, I graduated with a first-class Masters degree in Clinical and Public Health Nutrition from University College London (UCL), currently one of the top ten universities in the world. I'm a registered nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition, and the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register - both registers of qualified nutrition professionals who meet rigorous standards for scientifically sound evidence-based nutrition, and its use in practice. I’ve also co-authored two nutrition research papers which have been published in top scientific journals, with more in the pipeline.
In the past I’ve worked as a nutrition researcher at UCL, worked with the NHS as a weight management nutritionist, and helped large organisations improve the nutrition and wellbeing of their staff. I’ve also volunteered to help young refugees and asylum seekers improve their cooking and nutrition with the amazing charity CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers).
Why I Set Up Meat Free Fitness
When I adopted a plant-based diet almost a decade ago, I found that all the concerns I previously had about taste, protein, and fitness were completely unfounded... I've since eaten some of the best food I've ever tasted, and I'm feeling the healthiest, strongest, and fittest I've ever felt.
It turns out I shouldn’t have been surprised, as the science behind the health and performance benefits of plant-based diets is substantial, and growing. I started sharing with friends and family just how easy it is to get fit and eat amazing food without eating meat, and working with elite athletes to help them up their game and out-perform their competition.
My main driver is to help as many people as possible to look and feel healthier, stronger, and fitter, because I strongly believe the best way to inspire others to consider a plant-based diet is by showing them how great you can look and feel by cutting out meat.
Aside from nutrition, I love keeping fit and strong by taking part in a variety of sports / exercise, especially jiu-jitsu, running, weightlifting, callisthenics, cycling, swimming, boxing, and climbing. I think it's great to have a number of sports to choose from, to always keep training fresh and enjoyable, as well as working on different areas of fitness.
And of course I have a passion for cooking! I've worked in several kitchens and help to teach vegan cooking and nutrition at Demuths Cookery School, the top vegan cooking school in the country. So I have a good knowledge of culinary techniques, which I love using to create vegan versions of some of the best cuisines from around the world. I know not everyone has as much time as they'd like for cooking (me included) so I try to create quick, easy, but incredibly tasty and nutritious recipes that anyone can put together quickly after a hard day's work.
