Miguel Yiallourides

How did you get to this point?

Since I was 10 years old, or maybe before, I've always been interested in sport. I have practiced martial arts, football, boxing, walking, surfing and others throughout my life. I grew up in Cyprus and obtained my personal training certificate in London in 2015.  However, I have not practiced full time. Only about a year ago I decided to quit my job to finally dedicate myself to my passion full time.

What do you think is healthy?

Health goes far beyond appearance. It's about how we feel physically, emotionally, psychologically and mentally. With the stress and lack of time to do the things we really love, our health can be neglected because of a good job, money and material things. Maintaining good health takes a lot of effort, because it involves not only training and healthy eating, but also taking care of ourselves by spending time doing things we love, following our passions and surrounding ourselves with people who appreciate and support us, among other things.

What's a typical day like for you?

I wake up around 7-8 am and do some stretching, with some lighter yoga poses. Then I do some movement exercices and finally some more intense movements to "wake up". After warming up and waking up, I take a cold shower for 1 minute. Then I'm ready for breakfast, I go to work until lunch time, which is the time I usually work out. After that, I have a post-training snack, I work a bit in the afternoon to free up the evening to spend quality time with my wife.

And what about training and nutrition?

Training is an important part of my life. I spend 4 days a week at the gym to move my body every day, whether it's walking, cycling or surfing. Nutrition also plays an important role in my life, as I love to eat Oat Bowls or smoothies containing Super Vegan Fitness proteins, fruits, oilseeds and seeds, this is how I always start my day. Breakfast usually consists of a few legumes, such as chickpeas, millet or quinoa, vegetables with a good avocado or tahini sauce. Snacks consist of bread with oilseed butter and berries or a protein drink. Dinner always varies depending on what's in the refrigerator. Curry, bowls of pasta, Buddha's awakenings or tofu or tempeh potatoes are some of my staples, as well as many vegetables. You really have to eat vegetables! 

Training and eating. What do you think is more important or is it an inseparable duo?

Both are important, but if you want to achieve a specific goal like losing weight or gaining a certain amount of weight, in general, the focus should be on nutrition first. In addition, if the emphasis is on a healthy diet, training will also have a positive impact.

We often focus on these two components (training/nutrition) and forget about the psychological part. Do you think it has an influence?

It has a huge impact, even if we don't always realize it. I've had cases where clients have followed the plan 100%, ingested the calories they needed and trained hard, but didn't lose "enough" weight or as fast as they wanted to. The main reason, in 99% of the cases, was stress. Our bodies are connected to our brains in ways we can't even imagine. When we lead a life without (or with less) stress, we notice that everything fits together.

Why did you agree to partner with Super Vegan Fitness?

I am Portuguese and I live in Portugal. I figured that Super Vegan Fitness, besides being in line with my values, was a local company. Today it is important to support local businesses and the fact that I immediately met some of the team members via Skype and not only by email made a difference for me.

Is it important to you that the products are 100% natural, without chemicals?

Of course, it's important to me. It's the same attitude I have with my food and my customers' food, as with food in general. The less food is processed, the better we eat and the healthier we are. Of course, these days it is almost impossible to avoid “junk food” but remember that the important thing is that we do it 90 to 95% of the time.

Already have a favourite product?

I like all products, but if I had to choose one, it would be Peanut and Maca Protein because I am obsessed with peanut butter.

The training and being vegan. Does that work for anyone?

Yes, everyone can be fit and strong by being vegan, as long as they follow a proper diet (as with any other diet), eating a variety of foods, vegetables, legumes, grains, fruits, oilseeds and seeds, and taking supplements of vitamins B12 and D3 (if they don't get enough sun). Having doubts? Just do a Google search on professional vegan athletes and how they follow a plant-based diet.

What kind of accompaniment can I expect from Miguel The Vegan?

My coaching Miguel The Vegan is not a standard plan. I offer continuous and personalized support and I only accept a limited number of clients each month, precisely for this reason. Through regular calls and check-ups, I create a diet and training plan according to each person's needs, available time and tastes, while offering the necessary advice and support to succeed and to learn more about how nutrition and sport work, so that they can continue their activity independently afterwards. 

What do people usually come to see you for?

The most common request I receive is to lose weight or switch to a vegan diet.