Guess that Fruit!

Does anyone know what this fruit is? 

Before I became vegan, I would have easily mistaken this for a tomato in the grocery store, but its actually a delicious, gooey, super-sweet....

PERSIMMON!

Persimmons are often confused with tomatoes due to their appearance but have a very different taste. Persimmons are a type of fruit that is considered a berry. They have a high glucose content and are very sweet with a pumpkin-like flavor. I have used persimmons in my pumpkin pie smoothie as well as in a raw vegan pumpkin pie recipe (by Fully Raw Kristina)

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Recipe HERE:

http://fitonfruit.blogspot.com/2014/07/pumpkin-pie-smoothie.html

Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe by Fully Raw Kristina HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPD3b515T84

Health Benefits of Ginger + Tomato Carrot Juice Recipe

Promotes elimination of intestinal gas

Antioxidant properties

Reduce inflammation

Relief for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy or after surgery

Inhibits the growth of cancer cells in the colon

Boosts the immune system

Topical treatment for burns

Promotes the absorption of nutrients in the body

Helps to clear the sinuses and reduce congestion

Tomato Carrot Juice – Tastes like a Bloody Mary!

Juice all ingredients in a juicer:

3 ripe tomatoes

4 large carrots

4-5 stalks of celery

1 lemon, peeled

About 2 inches of ginger, peeled

4 Races in 4 Weeks: Week 4: Review of BattleFrog 15k in WV

The fourth race in this series is the BattleFrog 15k.  The BattleFrog Series has a 5k and 15k leg. I opted for the longer race and I was glad I did.  The race is advertised as being designed by Navy SEALs and having a minimum of 25 signature SEAL-inspired obstacles. 

This race was held at an ATV park in West Virginia, which I think is a great location for an event.  There were some hills along the course, but nothing like a mountain that would wipe you out before you finished the event.  I was very pleased with the event.  Even though this was only their 3^rd event, you couldn’t tell based on how well everything was executed.  Not only was the actual event great (more on that later), but the pre and post racing activities were done well, including packet pickup, pre-race hype at the Start line, post-race shirt and beer pickup.  There was even a Navy SEAL demonstration on the grounds where a team of SEALs are flown in by helicopter and executed a “mission.”  I was already on the course by that time, but the YouTube video of it looked awesome.

The obstacles seemed to be well thought out and not just the same old boring obstacles you would see at other events.  Did they have 6’ or 8’ walls to climb? Yes, but they built the wall with steps on ½ of it and none on the other.  Depending on your physical abilities, you could turn-up or down the intensity.  I saw this on several obstacles and thought that was a nice touch.  I always enjoy new obstacles/challenges.  The few that come to mind is the Rope Traverse, SEAL PT, ladder/rope traverse, Paintball Gallery, and Normandy Jacks.  The Rope Traverse was approximately a 60’ rope stretching over a pond that you had to get across.  As I made it about half way across, my Ruck, which held my water bladder, dipped into the pond and started filling up with water.  The extra weight made it extremely difficult to finish, but when you have SEALs telling you, “Don’t quit until your feet touch grass,” you tend to listen.  At SEAL PT, there is an area of sand where a SEAL stood.  He let you know in firm voice that you had to complete 20 8-count bodybuilders, which are a version of a Burpee.  So naturally you are getting down in the and for the push-up portion of the exercise.  Oh, and if you didn’t complete an obstacle along the course, the penalty was to do 10 8-count bodybuilders.  At the ladder/rope traverse, you would climb a very small military looking ladder; the kind you would see handing off a helicopter.  At the top you traverse to a rope and then climb down.  At Paintball Gallery, you had 3 rounds to hit a target about 25 feet away.  One of the last obstacles was the Normandy Jacks.  These are large wooden structures that the barbed wire was strung across.  In this event, there was a SEAL there to coach you along.  And if like me you get caught stepping over a low lying wire, he’ll make sure you are face-to-the-mud going under the rest.  He was a nice guy!

The same “Nice Guy” saw 2 small children cheering on their dad from the sidelines going through this final obstacle.  He had the kids jump the fence and even run the last 100 feet with their dad.  I thought that was really something and must have meant so much to that family.

Overall, I thought the event was well put on and I look forward to doing more races with them.  With a field that seems to be getting crowded, I see BattleFrog becoming a top notch OCR and becoming one of the leaders in the industry.    

RAW or COOKED?

There is no denying that eating a variety of fruits vegetables is good for your health. The question is whether eating vegetables cooked or raw is more healthy? I personally think it is important to incorporate a large amount of raw fruits and vegetables and fruits into your diet on a regular basis. There are so many nutrients and enzymes in raw foods that are beneficial to our health and the cooking process can often denature or eliminate these nutrients. However, cooking has its benefits as well. For example, cooking can break down nutrients in some foods so they are more easily absorbed by the body. In addition, cooking can break down some of the fiber in more cruciferous vegetables, which makes them easier to consume and digest.  

Here is a list of some vegetables that are better eaten cooked than raw:

• Asparagus
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and brussel sprouts

In general, I would encourage you to try and consume more raw foods in your diet, but you do not need to eat 100% raw. If you prefer to cook your vegetables and this keeps you eating healthy then this is okay too as long as your cooking process does not involve adding extra salt or oil. Whatever method you decide, cooked or raw, just focus on eating more fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. 

20-Minute Treadmill Interval Workout

You don't have to run for hours on the treadmill to get results. It's more efficient for you to do higher intensity workouts for shorter periods of time because it burns more fat and ignites the after-burn effect. 

Jog for 2 minutes at 6 mph

Sprint for 1 minute at 7.4 mph

Jog for 2 minutes at 6 mph

Sprint for 1 minute at 7.5 mph

Jog for 2 minutes at 6 mph

Sprint for 1 minute at 7.6 mph

Jog for 2 minutes at 6 mph

Sprint for 1 minute at 7.7 mph

Jog for 2 minutes at 6 mph

Sprint for 1 minute at 7.8 mph

Jog for 1 minute at 6 mph

Sprint for 1 minute at 7.9 mph

Jog for 1 minute at 6 mph

Sprint for 1 minute at 8.0 mph

Jog for 1 minute at 6 mph

Cool down

Tips on Staying Healthy when Eating Out

I must admit, I may be one of the most annoying customers for a restaurant server. I always ask questions about ingredients, add things, remove things, put things on the side, you name it. Although I advocate making your own food at home so you can control the ingredients and cooking methods, every once in a while you may want to give yourself a break and go out to dinner. This is fine if it is done infrequently, but try and make healthy decisions when you’re out as well. Here are some tips on how to do this.

Look at the menu ahead of time. Most restaurants now offer nutritional information for their menu items online so you can see how much fat or calories are in a particular dish

Ask the server about the ingredients in a particular dish. If it sounds like it is cooked in a lot of butter or other fat or has a cream based sauce, I would avoid it or make adjustments

Avoid appetizers that are fried or have a lot of cheese

Substitute unhealthy sides, such as fries or chips, with healthy ones, such as steamed veggies

Keep in mind that salads are not always the lowest calorie option, especially when they have meat, cheese and a cream based or oily dressing on them. Just ask for no cheese or meat and substitute the dressing for just balsamic vinegar without the oil

Order water with lemon instead of soda

Remember, a cheap date is usually a healthy one! My husband is lucky because I am a cheap date and usually order water and a salad and/or a bunch of sides such as grilled veggies with rice and do not order the higher prices menu items such as meat and pasta

Go international – international cuisine, such as Asian, Indian, and Thai often provide more vegetarian or vegan options that are healthier than your typical American food restaurants

The good news is, is that restaurants are now making a better effort to provide customers with nutritional information as well as more vegetarian and vegan options. This makes it easier to eat healthy while still enjoying your night out.

This is my favorite website for finding veg-friendly restaurants: 

http://www.happycow.net/

Insanity: Get FIT or Get OUT!

Have you ever considered doing the Insanity program by Shaun T?

I highly recommend it and incorporate the workouts into my weekly workout regime. I do not follow the 60-day program, but intermix the individual workouts with my regular cardio and strength training. On average, I do about 2-3 Shaun T workouts per week. These are INTENSE TOTAL-BODY workouts that combine cardio, strength, and body weight exercises to work your entire body. They are TOUGH, but the results speak for themselves. You will feel the burn for sure! A lot of the time, women think that cardio alone is enough, but we need strength and interval training as well to burn fat and get a strong and lean body. Below I broke down some of the individual workouts so you can see how I incorporate them into my other weekly workouts.

30-45 minutes each

•       Plyometric Cardio Circuit – This is the first Insanity workout I ever did and I thought I was done after the warm-up! This is an interval workout with 2 minute intervals with a 30 second break

•       Cardio Power & Resistance – This workout focuses more on strength training and jumping

•       Pure Cardio – This is my favorite Insanity workout because the exercises are 1 minute each and do not repeat

•       Core Cardio and Balance – This is a good workout for an “easier” day. It is definitely still challenging and will work you out, but is a little slower paced than the other workouts

Cardio Abs – This is a really good 15 minute cardio abs workout with not 1 single crunch! I usually do this after a long run

45-60 minutes - These workouts are in month 2 of the 60-day program and are longer and tougher than the workouts in month 1 but follow the same basic principals

•       Max Interval Circuit – 3 minute intervals x3 with a 30 second break

•       Max Interval Plyo – 3 minute intervals x3 with a 30 second break

•       Max Cardio Conditioning – 1 minute exercises without repetition

Are Humans made to be Herbivores or Omnivores? You Decide!

Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas and Squash

This recipe has a kick, but is a great dinner entre or side dish to bring to a party. It is one of the only recipes I make that has salt in it so be careful with your intake and not to have it too often

Ingredients

• 4-6 cups of sugar snap peas
• 1 large squash
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Ground sea salt, to taste
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil

Directions

1. Cut the squash into 1 inch pieces making sure they are all about the same size
2. Add the squash and sugar snap peas to a sauté pan
3. Add the olive oil, pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes
4. Sauté on medium-low heat for about 20-25 minutes 

4 Races in 4 Weeks: Week 3: Review of Spartan Sprint in PA

The third race in this series is the Spartan Sprint.  The Sprint is the shortest distance in the Spartan Race Series (Sprint, Super, & Beast).  The Sprint is promoted as “3+ miles and 15+ obstacles.”  The one I completed at Blue Mountain Ski Area in Pennsylvania was 4.9 miles.

As with other obstacle races held at ski resorts, they have you running up and down the mountain.  Well I should say walking and even climbing, at parts, up the mountain; there wasn’t much “running” up the mountain.  There was a 2,000 ft. elevation difference between the lowest and highest points of the course.  It is surprising how easy your legs start burning from walking up an incline. 

They had a variety of obstacles from spear throwing to monkey bars to sandbag carries.  Just don’t fail or try to skip an obstacle.  If you do there is 30 burpee penalty and there are volunteers at each obstacle to ensure you complete each obstacle.  Considering this is the shortest of the 3 types of Spartan races, I found it pretty difficult.  My legs were smoked from going up and down the mountain.  Then they managed to wear out my upper body with various carries (sandbags and 5-gallon buckets of gravel), heavy item drags (cinder blocks or large tires) and 2 different style monkey bars obstacles.  For each obstacle where you had to carry or drag something, it was never on a flat terrain; usually down and then back up a small hill.  For most of the carries, I couldn’t do it without stopping for several quick breaks along the way, as I believe everyone else did as well. 

Along the course I heard several people say this particular course was harder than the recent Sprint in New York and even harder than Tough Mudder.  Maye it has something to do with the recent announcement of a deal between Spartan Race and NBC to start airing races on TV (NBC SPORTS VENTURES ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH SPARTAN RACE).  Either way I completed it in 3:25:28, which goes to show you how difficult traversing 4.9 miles of a ski resort with obstacles in the way. 

Overall, I thought it was a great course, with some new and challenging obstacles.  I look forward to more Spartan Races.  In fact, I will be completing the Spartan Super and Spartan Beast this year so I can earn the Spartan Trifecta (Finish one of each Spartan distance - Sprint, Super and Beast - in a calendar year).

Juicing Extravaganza!

I haven’t used my juicer in a while since I have been making more smoothies but I woke up craving a green juice so I decided to go all out and make several servings of juice for the week. I used my Breville juicer to make enough juice to fill up 2 1-quart mason jars.

These are two of my favorite juices and they are so good and good for you!

Each recipe makes 1 quart of juice – about 2 servings

Carrot Juice

1 large bag of carrots – about 20 carrots

1 head of celery – about 10 stalks

2 granny smith apples, peeled

2 lemons, peeled

2 thumbs of ginger, peeled

Green Kale Juice

2 large bunches of kale

1 handful of parsley

1 head of celery – about 10 stalks

2 granny smith apples, peeled

2 lemons, peeled

2 thumbs of ginger, peeled

5 Myths about a Plant-Based Diet

All you eat is salad

I have to admit I do eat a lot of salad. However, salads are one of the most versatile things you can eat. There are so many different types of salads and combinations of foods you can incorporate into a salad that it is almost impossible to get bored of them. You can also make your own dressings using any ingredients you like, which further adds to the variety in your meals.

Salads aside, there are so many other things you can eat on a plant-based diet that will keep you from getting bored. A majority of what I eat on a plant-based diet includes fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and some nuts/seeds. I actually found that when I started eating this way, I was introduced to so many more different types of foods, such as mangoes, avocados, plantains, kale, persimmons, dates, quinoa, and the list goes on. I also tried different types of international foods, such as Indian and Thai food. To someone on a typical American diet, it may seem impossible to give up meat and cheese, but when you realize how many other doors open in terms of the types and varieties of plant-based foods you will never want to go back.

You won’t get enough protein

In our culture, the words meat and protein are used interchangeably and, for some reason, no one seems concerned about your protein intake until you tell them your vegetarian or vegan. However, this equalization of meat and protein has several flaws. One, many types of animal products are proportionately higher in fat than protein, but we still consider them a “protein” and not a “fat”. Two, this relationship in our minds between meat and protein makes us ignore the fact that protein is also found in fruits, vegetables, and grains/seeds. In addition, the proportion of protein in plant-based products typically outweighs the proportion of fat, unlike animal products. The truth is that it is not hard to get adequate protein on a plant-based diet as long as you are eating enough calories.

See below for a previous article I wrote that discussed this topic in more detail:

http://fitonfruit.blogspot.com/2014/06/but-where-do-you-get-your-protein-how.html

You will be hungry all the time

This is 100% NOT true! In fact, I eat twice as much now on a plant-based diet than before because the foods I am eating are more nutrient-dense and less calorie-dense. Animal products and other processed foods are extremely calorie dense because they have a lot of oil, fat, and sugar in them. Therefore, you have to limit your portion sizes of these foods to lose weight which often leaves people feeling hungry. However, on a plant based diet, most foods have a high water and fiber content, which makes them less calorie dense. As a result, you can eat a much larger quantity of plant based foods without increasing your calories. On this lifestyle, I do not limit my portions and eat constantly throughout the day. Not only does this leave me feeling satisfied and not craving bad foods, but I have sustained energy throughout the day and am able to maintain a healthy weight.

It is not sufficient for exercise

There seems to be this misconception that protein is the main energy source for exercise, but actually it is mostly carbohydrates, i.e. glucose, that your body uses as fuel. After your body uses up all of the carbohydrates, it then utilizes fat stores, and its final energy source after the fat is used up is protein. The human body is made to run on glucose, which is derived from carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables are a large source of carbohydrates. Therefore, if you are eating a plant-based diet, most of your calories are coming from carbohydrates, which is the perfect fuel for your body. With the proper fuel, carbohydrates, your body can sustain higher levels of exercise for a longer period of time than it would on a diet that is primarily protein or fat.

See more on this topic in my previous article about what to eat for exercise:

http://fitonfruit.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-to-eat-for-exercise.html

It is expensive

All I have to say to this myth is YOUR BODY should NOT be a DISCOUNT BODY! Your health should be your number one priority so why wouldn’t you want to give it the highest quality, most nutrient dense, best food you can give it? If anything, spending more money now on your health in terms of the foods you consume will prevent you from spending more money in the future on health care costs due to poor health. In addition, plant-based foods, such as rice, beans, and lentils are some of the cheapest foods in the grocery store per pound. By buying groceries in the store and making your own food at home you will also be saving money by not eating out at restaurants all the time. Living a plant-based lifestyle will ultimately save you money in the long run if you are willing to invest in your health today.

 

See more on the weekly cost of a plant-based lifestyle here:

http://fitonfruit.blogspot.com/2014/06/healthy-lifestyle-tip-1-plan-ahead.html

My Husband asked me to Help him Clean Up his Diet...

In general, my husband is a healthy eater and exercises regularly. He avoids most fast foods and sweet snacks, although he does have some weaknesses (i.e. he loves Reese’s peanut butter cups and Reese’s ice cream). We don’t eat out a lot and I prepare most of his dinners which are the standard meat/grain/vegetable plate. Although I am a vegan for health and ethical reasons, and I advocate this lifestyle to everyone, my husband’s not quite there yet on the “no meat” thing so I do not force him to eat 100% vegan like I do. Although he tends to eat fairly healthy relative to the Standard American Diet (SAD), he knows there are areas to improve and he asked me for my help with this. He gave me a list of what he eats on a regular day and asked me to adjust it to make it healthier. As with many guys, his greatest fear in life is going hungry so I made sure to keep the foods filling and satisfying for him, but much healthier than he was previously eating. With just a few tweaks, I was able to come up with a better meal plan for him, below.

The major changes I made were removing the dairy from his diet (multiple reasons why dairy is not meant for humans and it bad for our health which I will discuss in another post) and increased the amount of fruits and vegetables he is consuming. I also cut down his meat portion sizes and replaced them with more vegetables and/or beans. He is still getting adequate protein from the beans, whole grains, nut butters, etc. and plenty of calories and fiber to keep him full and not feeling hungry. I also suggested he try making more smoothies with different fruits, vegetables, hemp seeds, etc. because they will be filling and help him pack in more whole foods. This just shows you that there are many ways you can eat healthier while still eating delicious and filling foods, and without starving yourself. Start taking small steps today and I promise you will see and feel the difference in your body, your energy, and your health!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

This is one of my favorite smoothies because its tastes like pumpkin pie! The main ingredients are persimmons which are a delicious fruit that is often mistaken for a tomato.

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender:

3 ripe persimmons

1 frozen banana

1 cup almond milk

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Snack Smart

In between meals, we often tend to snack on things that satisfy some sort of craving, whether it’s salty or sweet. Although it is important to snack on small meals throughout the day sometimes this can lead to over-consumption of calories depending on what we choose to snack on. Some poor choices of snacks include chips, soda, candy, baked goods, etc. Here are some of my favorite snacks that satisfy my in-between-meal cravings but are healthy and won’t undo your weeks of clean eating.

Smoothie – add in your favorite fruits, greens, and almond milk to make a delicious, filling, fiber-rich snack

Handful of almonds or other nuts – provide added protein and healthy fats

½ cup of dried fruit – for those of you with a sweet tooth try snacking on dates, raisins, figs or apricots

Grapes – perfect snack at home or to go

Super Easy and Filling Dinner Recipe

I love grilled vegetables in the summer time. Here is a really easy dinner recipe with lots of grilled veggies and salsa!

1 cup of cooked couscous, quinoa, or brown rice (your preference)

Grilled veggies of your choice (I used eggplant, squash, and bell pepper)

Fresh tomato salsa with onions and cilantro

1 tsp of chili sauce (optional)

Total Ab Burner Workout

Jack Knives

Lay flat on your back with your legs straight out and your arms straight out above your head. Raise your arms and legs together over your torso until they are perpendicular to the floor. Lower slowly back to the starting position with control (make sure you don’t just drop your feet back down)

V-Hold

Sit on your butt with your hands on the floor slightly in front of your butt. Raise your legs about 1-2 feet off the floor, keeping them straight, and hold

Flutter Kicks

Lay flat on your back with your arms resting by your side. You can raise your head off the ground or keep it on the ground. Raise your legs about 6 inches off the floor and kick them in the air like your are swimming

Reverse Crunch

Lay on your back in crunch position. Raise your legs to a table-top position with knees bent and knees over hips. Using your lower abs, raise your hips off the ground, lifting straight up, then lower back down

Low Plank Hold

Place your elbows on the mat and make sure they are in line with your shoulders. Create a straight line from your head to your toes, bracing your core

Side Plank

Make sure there is a straight line from your elbow to your shoulder. Raise  your hips towards the sky

High Plank

Keep wrists, elbows and shoulders in a straight line. Make sure your hips are straight and don’t dip down or rise up

Mountain Climbers in Plank

Start in the high plank position. Bring one knee into your chest, then the other, like you are running

30-10-20 Workout

4 Races in 4 Weeks: Week 2: Review of GORUCK Challenge

The second event in my 4 week race series is the Washington, DC July 4^th GORUCK.  However, this one is not a traditional race, but an extremely challenging team event.  GORUCK is different from any mud race I have done.  Here is the best summary, pulled directly from their website:

8-10 hours

15-20 MILES
AVERAGE PASS R

ATE: 94%

A serious test of physical and mental toughness, Cadre ensure that you become a team through mission-based scenarios and lots of good livin’.  The GORUCK Challenge is a team event, never a race. Think of it as a slice of Special Operations training where - from start to finish -- a Special Operations Cadre challenges, teaches, and inspires your small team to do more than you ever thought possible. Leadership is taught and teamwork is demanded on missions spanning the best of your city. The hardest part? Signing up.

To make it even more challenging, you need to carry a ruck on your back with 4 or 6 bricks (4 if under 150 pounds and 6 if over) inside and wear it throughout the entire event.  My ruck weighed 45 pounds including the bricks, hydration pack and other gear.

The start point was 9pm at Rose Park in Georgetown, Washington DC.  95 people were at the start point.  After roll call, the “Welcome Party” commenced which lasted approximately 2 hours of calisthenics including push-ups, air squats, 8 count body builder, flutter kicks, etc. all while wearing the weighted ruck.  After the never-ending Welcome Party actually ended, we broke up into 3 teams each led by a different Cadre and was led off for the rest of the nightly adventure.  The Cadre all have Military Special Forces training and use their leadership skills to teach us how to work together as a team to complete the requirement “missions”.  During the course of event we were required to carry additional items.  Our team included carrying tree logs, rail road ties, and various weighted sand bags in addition to our individual weighted rucks.  I saw other teams carrying a concrete parking spot curb and a large granite rock.

During the course of the event we rucked, we duck walked, we crab walked, we were completed soaked when we elephant walked through a fountain around 4am, we won our team relay race in the pitch-black-dark, we box jumped, we raced up the Georgetown Exorcist stairs, and bear crawled and sprinted our way as a team to the top of the Lincoln memorial around dawn all while wearing our weighted … (well you get it).  Our last mission of the event ended with a ½ mile stretch of buddy carries.  

Every event is different and ran by different Cadre who find their own special way ‘Building Better Americans.’  12 hours later and 6 litres of water consumed, I was completed exhausted, sore, but I had a high sense of accomplishment, and a GORUCK patch to prove I did it!

The verdict:  this is unlike any event I’ve done.  It is a physically and demanding event that will bring you to your breaking point and then take you past it.  Will I do another one?  I’ll let you know once I find a muscle in my body that doesn’t ache.  I’ve looked for the past 2 days and I haven’t found one yet.

If you are thinking about doing a GORUCK, I totally encourage you too.  If you have any questions on training, gear, bricks, etc. please post your questions below.

Vegan Diets Deficient and Not Adequate for Physical Activity?

There is a misconception out there that people who don’t eat meat are malnutritioned, too thin, and incapable to building muscle. However, there are many athletes out there that have actually turned to a plant-based diet in order to improve their health and increase their performance.

Scott Jurek

Ultra-marathon runner who has competed in and won the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon, 152-mile Spartathlon, 100-mile Hardrock Run, and several other ultra-marathons.

Check out his book: Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness

Mac Danzig

UFC fighter and winner of The Ultimate Fighter 6, King of the Cage Lightweight World Championship, and Gladiator Challenge Lightweight World Championship.

 “I used to always get that, ‘Well what do you eat?’ ‘Where do you get your protein?’ I get that all the time.” –Mac Danzig ¹

Jim Morris

Vegan bodybuilder, enough said

Carl Lewis

Olympic Sprinter who won 9 gold medals in the 100 and 200 meter sprints, long jumps, and relays. Was voted World Athlete of the Decade in the 1980’s and Olympic Athlete of the Century.

Brendan Brazier

Ironman Triathlete and ultramarathon runner. Brendan has won Olympic triathlons, Half Ironman and Full Ironman. He has a line of vegan food products and supplements and has written several books includingThrive: the Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life.

After extensive research, Brazier found that about 80 percent of recovery is linked to good nutrition. “Eating more doesn’t always mean more energy. You can be overfed while being undernourished,” he says ²

¹ http://www.ufc.com/news/Mac-Danzig-Diet-The-Truth-About-Vegan

² http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/blogs/fitstop/2012/03/08/fitness/endurance-athlete-brendan-brazier-on-how-to-fuel-an-active-lifestyle-the-vegan-way/

Quality over Quantity: Why Low-Calorie Diets Don’t Work

Not sustainable in the long-run

When you eat too few calories over a period of time your body thinks it’s starving and your metabolism adjusts to burning less calories. Then, when you increase your calories, your metabolism is running much slower, and doesn’t burn as efficiently, causing even more weight gain. This pattern results in the typical yo-yo dieting you see in many people.

Involve Eating a lot of Overly Processed, Artificial Foods

Many low-calories diets advertise low-calorie frozen meals, snacks, and desserts. In order to lower the calories in these types of “diet foods” while maintaining the flavor, they must add a ton of artificial sweeteners which are toxic to the body. These artificial ingredients leave you feeling hungrier and craving more sugar. In addition, these foods have been processed to the point where they are not even real food anymore and are devoid of so many essential nutrients found in the whole foods.

Leaves you Feeling Tired and Lacking Energy

A low-calorie diet depletes your energy preserves, which can leave you feeling tired, weak and irritated. In addition, your body starts to cannibalize its own muscle tissue to preserve the last amount of stored fat tissue. As a result, you are unable to participate in physical exercise. You may lose weight initially, but you will lose all muscle tone and strength you ever had and still maintain a relatively high body fat percentage overall.

Instead, Focus on QUALITY over QUANTITY

The best diets should advocate the QUALITY of foods you eat versus the QUANTITY of food. If you focus on eating clean, whole, plant-based foods you can not only EAT WITH ABUNDANCE, but you will lose weight and become healthier on the inside and out. When I became a plant-based vegan, I realized I was eating about 1000 more calories than I had before and I still lost weight! I was never hungry and I wasn’t craving bad foods because I was getting plenty of calories, fiber, and nutrients from the foods I was eating. In addition, I had more energy and was able to exercise more, I became stronger, I got better sleep, had better digestion, and was just happier overall.

In order to reach your weight-loss and health goals, I believe you need to focus LESS ON CALORIES and more on the QUALITY of food you are consuming. Low calorie foods are NOT health foods! Whole, unprocessed, plant based foods are the healthiest foods in the world and are what humans are made to eat. So…STOP COUNTING CALORIES and START EATING HEALTHIER! I promise you, you will see and feel the benefits and you will be able to sustain this healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life.

How to Get Glowing Skin from the Inside Out

Many people disregard the warnings of eating a poor diet because they simply can’t see with their eyes the negative impact on their organs on the inside of their bodies. People are content with the whole “out of sight out of mind” mantra until it is too late and they have developed serious health issues. However, our skin is the largest organ of our bodies and when you eat a poor diet it has a visible impact on the health and look of your skin. If you want healthier, clearer, glowing skin you must get healthier from the inside out by eating a more nutritionally-dense diet.

In order to get healthier skin, there are several foods that should be avoided, including high fat foods, dairy and other processed junk foods.

Processed Foods

Processed foods are very low in nutrients and water, both of which are essential for a healthy body and healthy skin.

Dairy

In order to produce milk, dairy cows are constantly given hormones to keep them impregnated and lactating all year around. Inevitably, these hormones get into the dairy products we eat, causing excess estrogen in our bodies, which leads to many skin issues.  

High Fat Foods

Foods high in fat, such as fried foods, clog pores and lead to skin irritation and acne. In addition, clog pores prevent water from getting in and hydrating your skin.

Animal Protein

Animal proteins contain carnitine, which is a compound that hardens the blood vessel walls, causing wrinkling.

White Bread and other Simple Carbs

Simple carbs, including white bread and pasta, cause insulin spikes in the blood and inflammation in the body. Inflammation in the body causes many health issues as well as breaks down collagen and elastin resulting in less youthful-looking skin.

Caffeine and Alcohol

Both caffeine and alcohol cause dehydration, which dries out the skin and causes wrinkles.

In general, foods that are good for your skin are high in water content and nutrient-dense, which includes all fruits and vegetables. The antioxidants in fruits and vegetables also neutralize free radicals, thereby preventing wrinkles and other signs of aging. It is also important to drink lots of water to keep your body and skin hydrated and help flush out toxins. Finally, omega-3 fatty acids are good for the skin because they help regulate oil production keeping your skin hydrated and protecting it from damage.

Remember, you are what you eat and the skin is a reflection of your total body health. When you adopt a healthier diet you will look better on the outside and you will feel better on the inside!