Top MMA Fighters Raving about Vegetarianism

That’s right, some of the world’s top Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters are into vegetarianism. I was out of town recently and was using the computer at the hotel instead of my own. The home page when you opened Firefox was www.yahoo.com (which I never visit when at home). I noticed a featured article on the homepage was something about MMA fighters increasingly eating an “organic” diet and was curious, so clicked on the link. Once I opened the article, I saw it was less about “organic” and more about vegetarian — the title on the actual page is Vegetarianism all the rage in the MMA. Of course, as a lifelong vegetarian, this interested me.

Who Are the Vegetarian, Semi-Vegetarian, and Vegan MMA Fighters?

For those of you who follow MMA (I don’t), here are the fighters mentioned in the article… (and I imagine there may be more):

•Jon Fitch (“considered by most either the No. 2 or No. 3 welterweight in the world”)

•Jake Shields ("Former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion")

•Nick Diaz (“Strikeforce welterweight champion”)

•Nate Diaz (.. Nick’s younger brother and MMA Standout)

•Mac Danzig (“Season 6 winner of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ as a welterweight”)

Jake Shields, Nick and Nate Diaz

What Are Their Reasons for Being Vegetarian?

To start with, Jake Shields was born and raised vegetarian, and “has never wavered” on this diet (though, he does eat eggs, which some vegetarians — like me — consider out of the question). Jake influenced Nick Diaz, his training partner, to go vegetarian as a teenager (he is now 27 years old) for its health and fitness benefits. And Nate, Nick’s younger brother, followed in their steps.

“I’ve got nothing to compare it to,” Shields, who has won 15 consecutive fights, said. “The only thing is, nobody can train as hard or as long as me and Nick Diaz, so that seems to indicate something.”

Nick Diaz adds that eating organic is important as well. “I try to keep my diet all organic,” said Diaz. “It’s healthier. You recover faster. Nobody trains as hard as we do.”

Jon Fitch

Jon Fitch recently switched to a vegetarian diet (when training, at least) for a couple of reasons. Fitch was influenced by his wife, Michele, after she read Skinny Bitch (a very popular book that focuses on the health benefits of eating vegan), became vegan, and saw considerable health benefits from it. He slowly made the switch as well, seeing significant improvements to his training each step of the way. He was also significantly influenced by Shields due to his great success.

Fitch seems completely sold on this diet now. “The biggest thing is better recuperation from training,” Fitch said. “I don’t have the days where I came in flat. It’s made for the best training camp of my career.”

Across the board, eating vegetarian seems to be helping him in his training. “In every kind of testing to see where I’m at, strength, speed, conditioning, I’m either right at or well ahead of the best marks I’ve ever had at this stage of training,” Fitch said. “A few weeks ago, we were concerned I was peaking too fast. I’d kick the [expletive] out of myself at the same stage of training for any of my previous fights.”

In addition to the above, Fitch did some reading:

Fitch read “Skinny Bastard,” the male counterpart to “Skinny Bitch,” by the same authors, as well as “The China Study,” a research project collaboration among Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, which examined diseases and lifestyles in rural China. The study showed people who ate the most animal-based protein had more chronic illnesses, and people who ate mostly plant-based foods were the healthiest and lived the longest.

Mac Danzig

Danzig, 31, got into vegetarianism for more than health reasons and he is active in promoting it for animal welfare reasons. He has worked with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and says he doesn’t understand how anyone with a pet can eat meat.

At 13, he was on a farm and saw pigs being brought to their slaughter. He made eye contact with one pig and said that this had a profound effect on his life. At 20, he worked at an animal sanctuary and, after talking with strong, vegetarian and vegan animal-welfare advocates, became vegan for one year. He dropped veganism when he became a full-time fighter because he thought he needed animal protein to compete at the highest level. When he read more books on the matter, though, he decided that wasn’t the case and has switched back to veganism.

“I don’t understand how anyone can have an animal in their life and know what is going on and contribute to it,” Danzig said. “You don’t need any kind of animal products to be an athlete in this day and age.”

The Health & Fitness Benefits These Guys are Seeing are Anything but Surprising, BUT…

As I wrote in an article about one and a half years ago here on EatDrinkBetter on going vegetarian, “the American Dietetic Association (ADA) now recommends a vegetarian diet for its health benefits…. It used to say it was an acceptable diet but now it recommends it.” I also noted that a number of famous athletes are or were vegetarian or vegan, including Carl Lewis, “Athlete of the Century” last century and 9-time Olympic gold medalist (a record). So, that these fighters would notice considerable health, strength, and fitness benefits from being vegetarian is no surprise to me.

But I hear people all the time saying that it’s not healthy to live without meat (not sure where they actually get this idea), so I’m sure the benefits identified by these fighters will be a big surprise to many and probably a lot of people won’t even believe them. It can take a ton of evidence to change deep-seated beliefs and feelings, such as those related to eating meat….

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Increasing Anabolism With Enzymes

By: Dr. William Wong, ND, PhD.

Most of us in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine during the 1970's and 80's had supposed that the monumental achievements of the totalitarian Communist countries in Olympic sport had been solely the result of their widespread use of drugs, anti inflammatory cortico steroids, growth enhancing drugs such as Human Growth Hormone, Thyroid hormone, IGF 1 hormone and muscle building anabolic steroids. (1). And indeed the uses of these drugs and other medical techniques to improve performance, such as blood doping, was standard practice in the Eastern Block sports institutes.

But some pieces of information were missing. It was no wonder that a country as vast as the Soviet Union could field extensive sports teams with star athletes in most every different sport. The old Soviet Union had over 100 nationalities in their country and enough genetic diversity that a gene type (body type) could be found to fit into most any sport. But what was puzzling was the ability of small countries like East Germany and Romania, with their limited genetic variations, to field powerhouse teams that could steamroll the best of what the rest of the world had to offer in certain events. How did they do it?

With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism many of the eastern European and Russian sports scientists, sports physicians, exercise physiologists and coaches came out of the cold and went to the greener pastures of the West, bringing with them their tried and true training techniques and telling of the constant experimentation done with drugs and nutritional supplements in the persistent effort to improve performance and reactions to training.

During the first year of German reunification a business luncheon was given by the government where West German nutritional and pharmaceutical manufacturers were introduced to their counterparts and physicians from the old East Germany. It was there that Dr. Karl Ransberger; owner of an enzyme pharmaceutical company near Munich met a man who claimed to be one of the leading doctors in the East German Sports program. On hearing who Dr. Ransberger represented, the sports doctor commenced to tell the West Germans a story. The tale ran something like this: Tired with the performance deteriorating side effects of the cortico steroid drugs they used to control training induced inflammation in their athletes East German and Russian sports docs were looking for a way to naturally control inflammation that was 1) non toxic, 2) had none of the side effects of the cortisone or the kidney and liver killing effects of the aspirin and ibuprofen.

They heard of research that had been done fighting inflammation with the use of proteolytic systemic (body wide) enzyme product Dr. Ransberger was making and arranged to surreptitiously purchase lots of the product for testing. To the delight of the Communist docs the enzymes worked to not only lower inflammation with out side effect, they also increased the rate of healing and recovery from the injury, the enzymes ate away at restrictive scar tissue from previous injuries or from the accumulation of micro trauma. But the effect that knocked their socks off was the effect of increasing muscle density and strength in their athletes. They figured out the effect was caused by something called protein sparing.

Protein sparing means that muscle mass loss is curtailed. Severe training, as the eastern block athletes did 8 hours + per day in conditioning and skills, 5 or more days per week created catabolism, a break down of muscle and increased inflammation which elicits a response by the body in an attempt to lower inflammation. In this response the adrenal glands release the natural anti inflammation hormone cortisol. Cortisol like it's drug cousin cortisone eats away at muscle mass. This protein sparing effect was first noted by West German oncologists when enzymes were used to improve the effects of chemotherapy. Patients taking chemo usually waste away. Those chemo patients who were treated with the enzymes, (to reduce the side effects of the chemo and strip away the fibrous outer layer of the cancer allowing the chemo to enter the sick cells better), were found to not lose as much weight and retained their strength better thorough out the course of the chemo therapy. (2,3,4).

In both the case of the cancer patient and the hard training athlete the enzymes prevented the loss of much muscle tissue. An added plus was found from the enzymes. The enzymes greatly improved digestion and absorption of nutrients from food which also preserved muscle mass in the cancer patient while in athletes accelerated the rate of muscle growth.

The East German physician reminded Dr. Ransberger that in 1973 the International Olympic committee banned completely the use of cortisone drugs in amateur athletics. The Eastern Block, he said, didn't miss a beat; they had already forsaken the damaging cortico steroids drugs for the enzymes. Their athletes were not only healthier for it they were stronger. So much so that the doctors were able to lower the amount of anabolic steroids administered to the athletes. That and the development of testosterone producing Androstene by the East Germans by 1975 allowed for an even further lowered use of anabolic drugs but that’s for another story.

What does this story mean for us? In the process of Catabolism (the opposite of Anabolism) the body breaks down muscle. This break down happens from micro trauma, which occurs from all the stress of all physical training. Secondary to this, the inflammation created by training causes the body to release cortisol in an attempt to reduce the inflammation. Cortisol, it is widely recognized, eats away at muscle and creates body fat. We can't do a thing about the micro trauma caused by exercise, that's part of the stimulus / response mechanism from training. If you're not creating some micro trauma during training you're not training hard enough. The body adapts and gets stronger in response to the stimulus of the training and the inability of the muscles at that point to cope with the breakdown and micro trauma. The response is for the body to build a larger denser muscle that can deal with the stress placed upon it. That's when we increase the stress (resistance) and start the process anew in a continuous cycle.

While we can't do a thing about the micro trauma, we can do something to lower post training inflammation and our body’s cortisol response to that inflammation. By harnessing the well known and recognized anti inflammatory effect (5,6,7), of the enzymes the cortisol response of the body can be lowered or eliminated altogether and with it eliminating is eliminated the catabolic effect of cortisol.

A word is needed here about sport / exercise based inflammation. Most of us think of inflammation in terms of joints and muscles. Until the late 1990's. It was then that a large number of "30 and 40 something’s", who were hard charging business types and hard charging exercise fanatics, dropped stone cold dead from dry strokes or heart attacks. They did not have a lick of arterial plaque; they all had wonderful cholesterol readings, all worked out and ran several times per week. By the medical standards of the early 90's these men were as strong and fit as racehorses and would live forever. But they didn't. Turns out that the stress of business and the stress of exercise both create inflammation not so much in the joints but in the blood vessels and heart. Inflammation that shut down the blood vessels as surely or better than arterial plaque could. Today’s understanding of heart and vascular disease holds inflammation to be the #1 cause of strokes and heart attacks as well as being the causative precursor to such things as diabetes, Alzheimers and cancer!

Fighting inflammation with the usual array of Cox 1 (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen etc and Cox 2 (Vioxx and Celebrex) creates life-threatening problems of their own. According to the July 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine these drugs kill on average 20,000 Americans a year and if listed as it own classification would be the 20th leading cause of death in the country! (8). According to the April 19, 1999 Wall Street Journal, these drugs not only kill the mentioned 20,000 but land another 100,000 in the hospital with the side effects of those drugs: liver damage, kidney damage and intestinal hemorrhage. As the East Germans, Russian and lately the NBA with Alonzo Mourning found, these drugs are definitely not the way to go for long term anti inflammation.

So it turns out one of the drug secrets of the old Iron Curtain powerhouses wasn't a drug at all! It was a mixture of natural protein cleaving enzymes, the use of which actually allowed for lowered drug use in terms of anti-inflammatory drugs and of anabolic steroids. Today most every European Olympic team uses systemic proteolytic enzymes, as do most all of the European sports teams. In the US several NBA, NFL, and individual professional athletes have switched to systemic enzymes as their primary anti inflammatory and the other benefits are a plus. Worth a try don't you think?

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UFC Fighter Mac Danzig's Vegan Diet

By Mac Danzig

Although there are other people at the controls, manning and updating my websites, I do read all of the mail, and the questions I get asked most often (hundreds upon hundreds of times now) are about my diet. All of the emails and letters are so hard to keep up with, so I finally sat down and decided to write a comprehensive look at my diet. I'm writing this on the fly, so even though it's long, I will most certainly leave some important things out.. 'Sorry' about that in advance.

This is not going to be political or preachy. I am not here to push my beliefs on anybody. This is a chance for all of you who have asked for diet advice from me, to get some ideas and hopefully gain a better understanding of how easy it is for me to maintain athletic performance with the foods I consume. In the mean time, I will simply lead by example.

I noticed that a lot of fighters write down what they may generically eat on a given day and simply post that as their "diet". I'm sure this leads to confusion with most readers and still leaves many questions unanswered. My diet, in particular is extremely varied and also very specialized. As you will see, I eat completely differently when I am cutting to 155, than when I am simply in training without having a weight-cut... And even more differently than when I am lazing around, eating whatever I want and getting fat...

By no means whatsoever, is this 'the gospel' of vegan eating... I am just sharing what I do... It may work for you, it may not... Take what works and discard the rest. I can tell you right now, I don't spend nearly as much time doting over my diet as most people think.. I know what to eat and what not to, and following those guidelines, I'm looking to get it done with and get on with my day...

I usually don't have the time to cook, so unless my girlfriend is cooking for me (she's great), or I am eating at a restaurant, I am usually looking for something quick and easy...

A few articles on me have gone into detail on what my daily diet is like... This one in particular stands out: MMA digest article

Also, Mike Mahler happens to be the one person who's diet I followed in the beginning of my change to a vegan diet. He inspired me and I hope I can do the same for some of you... I urge you to check out his diet if you're interested in mine. Mike Mahler

Before I get into specifics, I'd like to address something that ties into the same discussion...

For the record, I cut dairy completely out of my diet in 1999 (over 5 years before I ever committed to a full-Vegan diet)... This was due to an allergy that I developed in my adolescent years to dairy that effected my sinuses and everything connecting to them. For a good part of my teenage years, I suffered from severe ear infections and chronic Vertigo (which is completely miserable). It took me a few years of to finally realize that the antibiotics were only temporarily subduing a much bigger problem. I did my research and finally found the source. A lot of people don't realize how hard milk, whey, and other dairy products are on the sinuses and respiratory system, and the dairy industry would like you to believe that you need milk to get calcium. That notion is as oxymoronic as you can get. Although not everybody has as severe an allergy to dairy products as I did, I just wanted to point out that after years of battling with ear and sinus infections, eliminating dairy completely cured my problems. Anyone with similar problems may want to try it for a while.

Also, let me just say that although protein intake is important, especially for athletes, I find the usual listed "requirements" for protein are blown completely out of proportion, and the thought of consuming "1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight" during down time seems ridiculous to me... I truly feel that all the articles telling people to eat that way are written by people who copied the diets of fanatical body-builders and tried to present them to the general public. If you ingest that much protein a day, you're taxing your liver and kidneys big-time... For example, I walk at 168lbs and I usually eat between 100 and 140 grams of protein per day when I'm in grueling, peak training... When I'm taking time off, I don't pay attention to it and I'd say it's usually around 70 grams a day, give or take...

One thing I consciously try and do is eat a higher amount of Alkaline-forming foods than acid-forming foods throughout each day... I don't have time to get into the whole "alkaline foods" discussion, but I'll just leave it out there, that there is plenty of info about it on 'teh interweb'...

Ok, first here, I'm going to list some regular foods that I eat a lot of, along with an explanation on each one. Essentially these are of some basics that really make up a large portion of my weekly caloric intake...

Afterwards, I'll list some broader ideas of diet, some supplements, then list some junk foods I eat and finally some daily examples...

Brown Rice: One of my main sources of complex carbs along with Oatmeal... I buy the 'microwave in the bag' frozen brown rice from Trader Joe's... It's pretty easy to make and can be added to almost any meal. Wild Rice (actually a grass seed) is even better if you can get a hold of it.

Portobello mushrooms: These are great. Good protein source, low calories, low sodium... Can be sauteed or stir-fried with vegetables. I eat many of these when cutting weight.

Tempeh: This is a Tofu-based food and a good source of protein and fiber... Although a little bitter when eaten plain, I find that some flavorings can really make this good...

Quinoa: This grain is sometimes a chore to cook, and if you live in the middle of nowhere, it might be hard to find, but it's a great source of not only carbs and protein, but fiber as well. This is one of the most nutritionally complete foods out there with a full, balanced set of amino acids...

Black Beans, lentils, etc: Really, many Mexican foods I find to be pretty substantial as long as there's some beans and rice in it... Lentils are great in soup and have some decent protein and fiber... My girlfriend makes some really good lentil soup as well as squash soup.

Now, here are some things I will simply list and then explain how they work with my system.

Drinks: I drink water 99.9% of the time... Rarely do I ever feel the need for soft drinks or juices, although I might add some orange juice to a protein shake to make it taste better...I drink in excess of 1.5 gallons of H2O per day when I'm training hard and about 1 gallon per day on the regular.

Wheat: My diet is not "wheat-free" but I do my best to avoid it... It's an allergen (mild for most people) and not as easily digested you might think... Every now and then I have something that has wheat gluten in it as well... I'm not really into sandwiches, so bread is easy to avoid. I do eat pasta every once in a while and I might have some wheat tortillas, but if I had my choice of carbs, it'd be brown rice or quinoa. On a side note, they have come out with some good rice-based pastas that are identical to normal wheat pastas in every way.

Fake meat products: These are usually geared towards people making the change to vegetarianism and are made to mimic various meat products... I usually don't mess with these all that much, with the exception of "riblets" made by Gardenburger brand... Most of the stuff out there doesn't taste anything like meat to me (unless it's seitan) and I don't need my food to. Unfortunately, if you live in the midwest, or any place who's stores haven't adapted to vegetarian diets, you may find that these are the only things sold in the frozen section without meat or dairy... On the other side of this, many vegan restaurants have great fake meat products that are much more palatable than the stuff sold in the stores.

Vegetables: These are very necessary. I don't eat them as much as I should, but when I do, it's broccoli, peas, corn, green beans and spinach most of the time. Whenever I have a salad, I do my best to use organic kale or baby spinach as the main source rather than romain or iceberg lettuce. The leafy greens like collards, spinach and kale are extremely good for you.. Don't sleep on them.

Nuts & seeds: I find almonds are the best for me. Some articles have stated that they boost testosterone... I can't say that's true or false, but I do find almonds to be superior to most of the other nuts and seeds out there...Trader Joes sells raw, sliced almond flakes that can be turned into powder (if you have a chopper) and put into a protein shake. I do eat peanuts sometimes, and natural peanut butter, but too many peanuts can be bad for you because of the naturally-occurring toxins in them. I eat cashews in moderation, and I usually stay away from Macadamias when I'm cutting weight because of their high fat content. I don't eat as much seeds as I probably should, but Pumpkin seeds are definitely recommended... They are high in iron, which is important, because as an athlete, iron can be lost rapidly through sweat. Sunflower seeds are also pretty good and are a decent source of protein and vitamin E...

Seitan: although this stuff is delicious and has the most meat-like texture, it is essentially just wheat gluten and is pretty hard to digest... I stay away from it when I'm in hard training, but during the off-season, it's fair play. Many restaurants have good meals with seitan.

Soy milk, almond milk, etc: I don't eat cereal all that much, but when I do, I prefer almond milk and rice milk over soy milk... Just a personal preference. These can be added to protein shakes too. Rice milk is a little thinner that almond and soy usually...

Sodium: Many of the foods I really enjoy have a lot of sodium in them. I have no problem eating moderately sodium-rich foods until I get close to cutting to lightweight... Sodium causes you to retain water, so it's pointless to consume if you want to drop water weight. 3 weeks before a fight, I start watching my sodium intake, and by the week of the fight, I'm down to less than 100 grams per day.

Supplements:

Vega: This is awesome. It has everything I need and it's quick and easy. Although not ideal, I could really live off of this with no problems. Full nutrition. Vega makes powdered whole food meal replacements and energy bars that I eat pretty much every day. Their meal replacement uses hemp protein and pea protein as a base. When I'm taking this and/or The Ultimate Meal (see below) I find there's no reason for a multi-vitamin.

The Ultimate Meal: I swear by this stuff, it's a whole meal and has made up a huge part of my diet for 3 years now. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but I truly notice myself feeling better when I use it daily. Remember to follow the directions and add the apple and banana. (This is not your normal "add powder to water" supplement)

Organic food bar: These are great for cutting weight... there is some fat but it's good fat, and there's hardly any sodium. Made of mostly almond butter and date paste.

Cliff Builders Bar: As far as protein bars go, these are the best tasting and pretty addictive... There's a decent amount of sodium and calories, so they're not ideal when you're cutting weight.

Protein powders: I stay away from soy as a powdered protein supplement, and not because of the idiotic claim that it is "bad for men because it boosts estrogen" (which is complete nonsense), but because it doesn't have a full amino acid spectrum and has less protein content percentage... Instead of soy powder, I use brown rice protein from Nutri-Biotic brand when I'm looking for plain protein supplement. Nutri-Biotic Rice protein has an 80% protein content and all the amino acids. I also find that Rice protein is digested a lot easier than soy.

Junk Food:

I eat a ton of soy ice cream and vegan cookies when I'm not dieting... This is my weakness, but my metabolism burns most of it off...

Also, I eat a lot of Thai food from vegan restaurants that, although normally not considered 'junk-food', certainly has a lot of fat and sodium. Example: Yellow Curry (made with coconut milk) with tofu and deep fried soy "chicken"... Oh yeah, I'm a potato chip fiend too...

Even with all the sugary stuff I indulge in, I do my best to completely avoid high fuctose corn syrup.

Examples:

Ok, here is an example of just one day of my diet leading up to a lightweight fight that I posted on a blog a while back...

You must remember that this week and next are atypical of what I'd normally eat calorie-wise daily compared to, say, a month or more out... There is no way I could sustain this low-calorie diet for long periods of time... I love vegan cookies and Thai Food too much.

Morning: woke up at 166lbs and after a short 35 minute run and some calisthenics, I had The Ultimate Meal, which is a pulverized meal replacement. I swear by this stuff. There isn't a single other product out there that comes close to this as far as recovery goes in training. Put it in a blender, add some water, an extra scoop of rice protein powder, an apple and a banana and I'm good to go. 400 cal

Noon time: Organic food bar 300 cal

Afternoon: Low-carb tortilla chips with Salsa. Soy yogurt with Fresh Pinapple. 350 cal

Mid Day: After working a private lesson at 3pm, and then at 4:00 sparring, consisting of five 5-minute rounds with 30 seconds rest and finishing with jump-rope interval training, I had a Clif Bar immediately to replace glycogen and help speed up recovery so I can function in my third workout. 250 cal

Evening: Rice Noodle mushroom soup with sautéed high-protein tofu added. Fresh pineapple. 300 cal

Night: After my Night workout in west LA, which consisted of 45 mins grappling, followed by ab work, I had a Clif Builders Bar and a rice protein shake. 350 cal

Last meal: Salad w/ baby greens, artichoke, olives, mushrooms, high-protein grilled tofu and light goddess dressing. Fresh strawberries and grapes for dessert. 300 cal

So that's 2250 calories total, which is fine since I'm training 3x a day. The next week I'll start to taper off my training and cut out all the sodium, so that I'm not retaining water.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's an example of a typical (non-weight cutting) training day:

Breakfast: Oatmeal and soy yogurt with fruit.

Snack: almonds and dried cranberries

Lunch:

Barley salad

Sauteed zucchini and mushroom and 'garden' flavor tempeh with curry dipping sauce.

Midday:

Vega shake, Clif Builder Bar.

Snack: Tortilla chips and Guacamole

Dinner:

Brown rice pasta with fresh portabello's and eggplant and marinara sauce.

Late night:

Coconut sorbet with pineapples.

Ok... well, I hope this answers at least a few of the diet questions some of you may have, and if not, I don't know what to say... It took me almost 7 months to get around to writing this, so who knows when my lazy ass might get around to writing more...

Thanks for all the feedback and positive emails, you guys... Even though I can't always write back, I hope all of you understand that I'm grateful to have such loyal and intelligent fans!

Take care

Mac

For more information on Mac Danzig, go to: http://www.macdanzig.net/

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Making The Vegan Diet Work

By Mike Mahler

There is no way that you can get big and strong on a vegan diet! I used to hear this all the time from my meat-eating friends. I say, used to as I never hear it anymore from people that know me or from people that have seen my photos on my website. Yes my friends, you can in fact get bigger and stronger on a vegetarian diet. You can even do it on a vegan diet (no animal products whatsoever).

Just because the pot smoking, rice dream eating hippie vegetarian in Venice Beach, CA looks like he has not eaten in a month, does not mean that every vegan does. I have the strength and size to back up the fact that you can get strong and have a muscular body on a vegan diet and I am far from being the only one. Just this past weekend MMA fighter and vegan Mac Danzig won a contract with the UFC after finishing off an opponent with ease. Lets go over how to make the vegan diet work.

Lets start off with the number one issue that people have when evaluating a vegan diet: where the hell am I going to get my protein from? Fortunately for vegans meat does not corner the market on protein and no you do not have to live off protein shakes either. The following vegan friendly foods are loaded with protein: lentils, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, peanut butter, and hemp seeds. Just one serving of lentils mixed with one serving of hemp seeds is around twenty grams of complete protein. In addition it is a nice balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fat. Of course, you can always combine beans and rice for a complete protein meal. However, this also ends up being a high carb meal as well which is not ideal for everyone. Personally, I feel my best on a moderate protein, fairly high fat, and moderate carbohydrate diet. You will have to experiment to find what ratio works best for you.

An example of a high protein vegan meal that I have often is three servings of lentils (24 grams of protein) mixed with two servings of pistachios (14 grams of protein and 26 grams of healthy fat), add two cups of broccoli and two cups of mixed vegetables. I then add one tablespoon of olive oil to the mix and I am good to go. To make it taste better you can add some tomato sauce, spices, etc. I eat more for fuel and health than taste so I am the wrong person to ask on how to make food delicious. (Visit Sassy Knutson's website at www.vegancoach.com for help in preparing nutritious and great-tasting vegan meals on the fly, without recipes.) This meal has around 40 grams of protein and while the fat count may sound excessive in reality it is not. Especially for people that workout a lot. Fat is a great source of energy and lasts much longer than carbohydrates. When I do not have enough fat in my diet, my energy and mood go down the drain. Fat fuel is what works best for me. You will have to experiment to see what works best for you.

Without enough fat in your diet, your skin will dry up, your energy will plummet, and you will look like death. Getting 20-40% or more of your calories from fat is a good way to go. Load up on healthy fats such as: Hempseed olive oil, almonds, walnuts, marine algae DHA, pecans, almond butter, and avocadoes. Also, many vegetarian diets are free of all saturated fats, which is great for the most part. However, some saturated fat is required for optimal health, so get some coconut oil or coconut milk in you diet as well. I generally have one can of Trader Joes brand coconut milk with my protein shakes each day.

When putting together a vegan diet make sure you focus on real sources of food. Avoid relying on fake meat products, soy milk, rice milk etc. These packaged foods are loaded with sodium and sugar and are okay as transitional options rather than staples. Focus on real food such as nuts, beans, veggies, and some grains such as quinoa and oats. Vegans tend to follow low fat, low protein, and heavy carbohydrate diets, which is a big mistake. Only a small percentage of the population will feel optimal on such diets. You need to discover what will work for you. Play around with fat and protein ratios and see how you feel. Get over the myth that fat makes you fat. In reality excess calories and especially excess carbohydrates are the culprits for high body fat. You will find that your overall calorie consumption will be less when you load up on fat as fat provides a steady flow of energy and reduces hunger tremendously. People on low fat diets are always hungry which is why low fat diets rarely work. Again, I do very well on high fat (30-40% of diet) moderate carb and moderate protein (100-120 grams per day). This is what I have discovered after being a vegan for many years.

Finally, there is growing evidence that soy can increase estrogen levels, block mineral absorption, and decrease thyroid function. Others argue that there are many health benefits of soy. Regardless, I would leave soy alone as contrary to widespread belief it is not a necessary part of the vegan diet so why take the risk? Wheat gluten is even worse and is the worst part of wheat. It is a highly allergic and inflammatory food so avoid it like the plague. Seitan is garbage and I do not recommend it at all. There is enough variety in real vegan food sources so leave the fake stuff alone.

Quick Reference:

Vegan High Protein Sources

Almonds, 7-8 grams of protein per serving

Pistachios 7 grams of protein per serving

Pumpkin Seeds 11 grams of protein per serving

Sunflower Seeds 8 grams of protein per serving

Hempseeds 11 grams of protein per serving

Almond Butter 8 grams of protein per serving

Peanut Butter 8 grams of protein per serving (many people are allergic to peanut butter and it can cause inflammation. When in doubt, stick with almond butter)

Black Beans 8 grams of protein per serving

Lentils 8 grams of protein per serving

Garbanzo Beans 7 grams of protein per serving

Navy Beans 8 grams of protein per serving

Kidney Beans 7 grams of protein per serving

Pinto Beans 7 grams of protein per serving

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Power Vegan Meals For Hard Training Athletes

nutrition / recipies

by MIKE MAHLER

Here are a variety of vegan meals that have a nice balance of protein, fat, low glycemic carbohydrates and are supercharged with spices and plant sterols.


Supercharged Lentil And Veggie Mix

Steam the following for 30 minutes

1 cup of baby spinach

1/4 cup of fresh basil

1 cup of baby carrots

1 tomato

2 cups of cauliflower

2 cups of lentils



Spices added: 1/4 teaspoon each of: garlic, turmeric, oregano, and fennel seeds.



After the meal is cooked add 2 tablespoons of hempseeds. The hempseeds and lentils combine well together for complete protein. Finally add 1-2 tablespoons of Udo's Choice Oil to the mix which is an exceptional source of essential fatty acids.



Black Beans and Pistachios

Steam the following for 30 minutes

1 cup of fresh basil leaves

1 cup of red bell peppers

1 cup of yellow bell peppers

1 cup of broccoli

2 cups of black beans

Spices added: 1/4 teaspoon each of: cumin, oregano, and ginger

After the meal is cooked add 1/4 cup of pistachios. The pistachios and black beans combine well together for complete protein. Finally add 1-2 tablespoons of Udo's Choice Oil to the mix which is an exceptional source of essential fatty acids.


Garbanzo Beans And Pumpkin Seeds

Steam the following for 30 minutes

1 cup of baby spinach

1 tomato

1 cup of yellow squash

1 cup cauliflower

2 cups of garbanzo beans

Spices added: 1/4 teaspoon each of: turmeric, basil, and rosemary

After the meal is cooked add 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds. The pumpkin seeds and garbanzo beans combine well together for complete protein. Finally add 1-2 tablespoons of Udo's Choice Oil to the mix which is an exceptional source of essential fatty acids.


Kidney Beans And Sliced Raw Almonds

Steam the following for 30 minutes

1 tomato

1 cup yellow bell peppers

1 cup of broccoli

2 cups of kidney beans

Spices added: 1/4 teaspoon each of: cumin basil, and oregano

After the meal is cooked add 1/4 cup of Kidney Beans. The raw almonds and kidney beans combine well together for complete protein. Finally add 1-2 tablespoons of Udo's Choice Oil to the mix which is an exceptional source of essential fatty acids.


Quinoa And Hempseeds
Place 1 cup of quinoa and 2 tablespoons of hempseeds in a rice cooker. Add two cups of water and cook. This will take around twenty minutes to cook. For enhanced flavor and nutrition add in 1/4 teaspoon of tumeric, basil, and oregano. After the meal has been cooked add one tablespoon of olive oil or Udo's Oil. For more protein, add two tablespoons of hummus and stir it in.


Power Shakes



Blueberry Vanilla Pumpkin Pie



1 scoop of vanilla pea protein isolate (pure advantage brand)

1 scoop of sun warrior vanilla protein powder

1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon of udo's choice oil

8oz of low sugar almond milk

8oz of ginger tea

2 cups of blueberries

1 scoop of Foundation Formula vitamin/mineral powder


Place in a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Great shake to have for breakfast or an hour after hard workouts.



Coconut Power Shake


This is a great shake for anyone that wants to gain weight. It can also be used for serious fuel two hours before a tough workout.

Ingredients:

Two Scoops of Vanilla Rice Protein

One can of reduced calorie Coconut Milk (Get at Trader Joes)

Two cups of Frozen Mangoes

Ten ounces of water

Blend for thirty seconds and you are ready to go.


Nutrition Breakdown:

30 grams of protein
27 grams of fat
42 grams of carbohydrates
570 calories

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert Shake

This is a great treat for anyone on a reduced carbohydrate diet or for a healthy dessert alternative. I often have this after dinner for dessert.


Ingredients:

Two Scoops of Chocolate Rice Protein

Two Tablespoons Of Peanut Butter

8oz of Vanilla or Chocolate Almond Breeze Almond Milk (reduced calorie)

1 cup of ice

Blend for thirty seconds and you are ready to go.


Nutrition Breakdown:

40 grams of protein
19 grams of carbohydrates
20 grams of fat
416 calories.


Vanilla Berry Blast Recovery Shake

This is a great workout to have after a tough workout.

Ingredients:
Two scoops of Vanilla Rice Protein
Two cups of frozen blueberries
Ten ounces of water

Nutrition Breakdown:
30 grams of protein
46 grams of carbohydrates
2 grams of fat
322 Calories


Great Workout Insurance Shake

This is great pre-workout shake to ensure that you have adequate fuel to power through a tough workout.

Ingredients:

Two scoops of Vanilla Rice Protein
Two cups of frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon of Udo’s Choice Oil with DHA
Ten ounces of water


Nutrition Breakdown:

30 grams of protein 120
15 grams of fat 135
34 grams of Carbohydrates 136
391 Calories


Protein Bars


Most protein bars taste terrible and are loaded with sugar. Homemade protein bars are a great healthy alternative.


Vanilla Almond Protein Bar

Ingredients

2 scoops vanilla rice protein

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

¼ cup of water

Put all of the above ingredients in a bowl and stir with a spoon until you have a thick paste consistency. Divide in two and wrap each bar in tin foil. Place the bars in the fridge overnight. The next day you will have two delicious bars ready for breakfast or whenever you want a snack.


Nutrition Breakdown (1 bar)

26 grams of protein
15 grams of carbohydrates
23 grams of fat
371 calories


Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar

Ingredients

2 scoops Chocolate rice protein

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

¼ cup of water

Put all of the above ingredients in a bowl and stir with a spoon until you have a thick paste consistency. Divide in two and wrap each bar in tin foil. Place the bars in the fridge overnight. The next day you will have two delicious bars ready for breakfast or whenever you want a snack.

Nutrition Breakdown (1 bar)

27 grams of protein
17 grams of carbohydrates
21 grams of fat
365 calories


Chocolate Pecan Bars


3 scoops of Sunwarrior Chocoloate Protein Powder

1 tablespoon of cinammon powder

1/4 cup of pecans

2 tablespoons of flaxseed powder

2 tablespoons of raw almond butter

1 tablespoon of non dairy/non gluten brownie mix

1/2 cup of low sugar almond milk


Stir it up into a thick paste. Broke off into 6 parts and put it in the fridge for two hours. then backed it at 425 for 11 minutes. Turned out really well. Hard three parts as a snack and then the other three parts for dessert after dinner.


Vanilla Pecan Protein Cookies


Ingredients

3 scoops of sunwarrior vanilla protein powder (equal to 45 grams of protein)

3 tablespoons of sunflower seed butter (equal to 10.5 grams of protein)

1/4 cup of pecans

1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon of stevia

1 teaspoon of agave syrup

3 tablespoons of flaxseed powder

around 1/4-1/2 cup of low carb almond milk


Stir all of the above and start with 1/4 cup of almond milk. If it is still chalky, add more. Once you get it into thick paste like material break it into 7-8 pieces. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 and you are locked and loaded.

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Grow A Younger Body With Plant-Based Whole Foods

By Brendan Brazier

Believe it or not, it is actually possible to any of us to "grow" a younger body. Simply put, a younger body is one that has regenerated its cells more recently. The key to maintaining (or developing) a functional, young body is to encourage it to be in a constant state of regeneration.

Before the body can regenerate, however, it must be given reason to do so. The best reason is through regular exercise. Remember that exercise is really nothing more than the breaking down of body tissue. The body’s ability to grow stronger comes as a result of the regeneration process, especially when supplied with premium fuel.

Once broken down, the body must grow new cells to replace the old. The more old cells broken down, the more new cells come in to replace them. This is an ongoing process. Activity level is largely responsible for the rate at which regeneration occurs, provided of course, that the body has the resources (nutrient-rich whole foods) to support it.

The quality of the newly-fabricated cells is highly dependant upon the fuel source supplied. When rebuilding cells, the body can go one of two ways: if it has the right resources, the new cells will be healthy and strong. On the flip side, however, if the only available "building blocks" are from poor quality foods, the body has no choice but to fabricate weaker "filler" cells. This is called degeneration, more commonly known as premature aging.

Your current body has been constructed from the food you’ve consumed over the past year. The result of what you now biologically possess has been determined by four key factors: diet, activity level, ability to cope with stress and genetic blueprint. How would you like your new body to look and perform? It’s largely up to you. The food you eat, your activity level and how you deal with stress (three of the four determining factors) are directly under your control and yours for the altering. The more diligent your exercise program and the better your diet, the sooner your new body will be fabricated.

The first step towards eating your way to a younger body is to consume primarily whole foods. As a general rule, the less that has been done to food, the better it is for us. Whole foods provide nutrient dense nutrition in perfect balance—everything that our body needs to function and regenerate optimally. Once it has been provided with the nutrition it desires, our body’s hunger mechanism shuts off, reducing cravings and the tendency to overeat.

Instead of feasting on common refined foods, I now consume whole foods almost exclusively. Raw, alkalizing, enzyme intact, living foods have become the foundation of my diet. Switching my main carbohydrate source away from refined starches to whole fruits, vegetables and grains was my starting point. Raw nuts and seeds, with an emphasis on hemp and flax, as well as legumes supply me with protein and essential fatty acids.

The majority of vitamins and minerals I require come from fresh, raw vegetables – dark leafy green ones in particular. I’ll admit that one thing many processed and refined foods have in their favour is the convenience factor. Traditionally, whole foods have been time consuming to prepare—but they don’t have to be. An easy and convenient way to incorporate more plant-based whole foods in your diet is through a daily shake or smoothie. It’s easy to pack nutrients into liquid form, which improves absorption and requires less energy to digest. I have one or more nutrient-packed shakes daily to insure that I get all the nutrients I need to support my activity level and induce a quick recovery.

High quality liquid nutrition is also the best possible form of nourishment after exercise since it’s very easy for the fatigued body to digest and utilize. My favourite shake always starts with four main ingredients: Hemp protein, ground whole flax seeds, chlorella and maca. After that I’ll often mix in a banana and usually a pear. Berries are excellent as well because of their high level of antioxidants. Sometimes I’ll blend in raw pumpkin seeds for iron and ground sesame seeds for calcium. You can experiment with different fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts to suit your own taste.

So when it comes to turning back the clock, the main thing to remember is; exercise regularly to give your body a reason to regenerate, then supply it premium whole foods to allow it to do so. Whole foods provide the body with premium fuel to perform at its peak plus they supply superior “building blocks” for the body to reconstruct new cells after exercise. Your body will be in a constant state of regeneration; and that is anti-aging the natural and healthy way.

Brendan Brazier is one of only a few professional athletes in the world who is vegan. The 30-year-old from North Vancouver, BC consistently places near the top at international Ironman races and is the 2003 Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion. Brendan is the author of the Canadian bestseller Thrive: A guide to optimal health and performance through plant-based whole foods. Brendan is also the formulator of Vega, a whole food plant based meal replacement available in health food stores. www.brendanbrazier.com

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Eating for Maximal Strength, Health, Energy and Muscle

By: Ryan D. Andrews MS, MA, RD, CSCS

I have good news and bad news.
The good news is that you probably know what foods to eat for optimal health and body composition.

The bad news is that you probably aren’t eating those healthy foods at regular intervals.

Every time we sit down to eat, decisions are made that will impact our strength, health, energy and muscle mass. This article will help you to maximize those variables by outlining what to eat and when to eat it.

Legumes
Yes, I just typed the word legumes. No, I’m not a nutrition loser. Legumes are a great source of protein and fiber. Protein is the raw material for structural and functional components in the body. Legumes also provide B vitamins, vitamin K, iron, zinc, magnesium and other trace elements.

Heck, if legumes could spot me on pull-ups I’d take them with me to the gym.  Legumes can be purchased dried and prepared at home for minimal expense. Or, for the ultimate quick meal, buy them canned. The canned varieties can be immediately added to nearly any recipe.

Consuming legumes at most meals throughout the day is a good goal. Options include black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, kidney beans, lima beans, hummus, tempeh, tofu, peas, edamame, lentils, bean burgers, soy burgers, etc.

Soy milk is a fine option; just remember that many people consume plenty of soy from foods. If you are looking for a beverage to mix with a protein powder or pour on your morning oats, try nut “milks” (see below).

Seitan is another dense source of protein. Technically, it’s not a legume. Seitan is actually derived from grain. Seitan is better known as wheat gluten. I’m not a huge fan of recommending high amounts of seitan, as it’s not a whole food, but having it a few times per week can help to boost protein intake. Plus, when seitan is prepared well, it tastes seitan-ilicious.

Legume Ideas:
Legumes are great straight out of the can, added to a salad, in a burrito, in chili, in soup, in a stir-fry, in a scramble, formed into a burger or blended as a dip. Tofu and tempeh can be grilled, baked, broiled, steamed, or crumbled and added to sauces.

Vegetables
Even nutritional degenerates know that vegetables are healthy. Aim for veggie and/or fruit consumption with every feeding of the day. Raw or cooked, frozen or canned, whatever you prefer.

I am continually amazed at how much nutrition power vegetables provide. Eating a wide variety of vegetables will provide every vitamin and mineral except vitamin B12 and D. Dark colored vegetables will provide you with pretty much everything but a bigger house.

Vegetables are alkaline once digested and absorbed in the body. This helps to counteract the acidity of legumes and grains. Balancing your acid/base load can preserve muscle mass and promote bone health.

If you are struggling to get enough veggies in each day, greens supplements can be helpful. Try adding greens powder to a nutrition shake as a healthy addition. I always encourage clients to keep several bags of frozen vegetables at home. They can serve as back up when the fresh supply is low.

Now, I’m going to share with you the most important vegetable tip ever released in print.

Ready?
HAVE VEGETABLES ON HAND AND READY TO EAT.

Don’t leave them full of dirt, stuffed in the back of your fridge behind the six-pack of lager.

Vegetable Ideas:
Vegetables are great plain, cooked, raw, with hummus, steamed, roasted, in large salads, in wraps, in soups, in stir-fry’s, in scrambles, added to nutrition shakes (good shake additions are pumpkin, beets, and spinach).

Fruits
Like I just mentioned above, get those vegetables and/or fruits in with every feeding if possible. Just like vegetables, fruits are loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals and are alkaline once digested and absorbed in the body. Whole fruits are always preferable to the dried and juiced varieties. I recommend that most clients keep frozen fruits at home in case they run out of fresh.

Fruit Ideas:
Enjoy fruits plain, with nuts, with nut butters, added to whole grain cereals or blended in nutrition shakes.

Whole Grains
Whole grains are about as well understood as astrophysics. And ever since Lucky Charms touted its whole-grain goodness, I can’t dispute the confusion.

Whole Grain Rule Numero Uno: Keep them real.

Whole grains should not be refined. Refined means being stripped of ANY component. Wheat flour is refined. This is found in many crackers, chips and snack foods. Even oat bran, wheat bran, and wheat germ are refined.

Also, try to keep whole grains in their unprocessed form whenever possible. This means whole quinoa, oats, brown rice, barley, amaranth, millet, corn, sprouted wheat, etc. Most whole grain crackers, breads and snack foods contain PROCESSED whole grains. Obviously, this is much better than the REFINED variety, but still not optimal. Sprouted whole grains would be the best option for breads and tortillas.

Consuming a majority of whole grains first thing in the AM and after workout sessions is a great idea for recovery and body composition. The body will use dense carbohydrate sources very well at those times. Keep in mind that everyone is different and you should adjust your whole grain intake accordingly.

Whole Grain Ideas:
Whole grains are great when cooked plain, with water. They can also be combined with your favorite vegetables, legumes and spices. Some of the best whole grains are quinoa, oatmeal, barley, brown rice, millet, amaranth, sprouted grain breads and sprouted grain tortillas. Nuts and nut butters are an easy high protein addition to whole grains.

Nuts/Seeds
Don’t be afraid of the big bad nut. Adding in healthy fats during the day is very important for health and body composition. I am talking unsalted raw nuts (e.g., walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts, etc.), seeds (e.g., flax, hemp, chia, sesame, pumpkin, etc.), oils (e.g., canola, walnut, flax, olive, etc.), nut butters, coconut, and so on.

Avocado is a good fat source too, but it’s technically a fruit. One of the most important factors with fat intake is balancing your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio! Between 1:2 & 1:4 is a good goal.

Give it up for nut “milks.” Almond and hemp beverages (“milks”) are nutritious drinks with tons of flavor. Plus, they don’t have a lot of useless carbs from sweeteners (only true for the unsweetened and original varieties).

Nut/Seed Ideas:
Nuts and seeds can be added to just about everything. Some options include salads, whole grain cereals, sprouted grain breads, with fruits, and with legumes. Dried fruits and nuts can be a good combination as well. And don’t forget nut “milks.”

Beyond The Food Groups
Having the know-how, enlisting social support and building habits are essential for good long-term nutrition. Successful nutrition is more than just reading an article and following a meal plan. It constantly evolves and needs troubleshooting.

Since we already talked about the healthy food groups, let’s touch on a few more nutrition concepts.

• Hopefully it’s no surprise that frequent feedings and plenty of protein are important for strength, health, energy and muscle mass. Listen to your body. Eat when hungry, stop when full. This can mean anywhere from 3 to 8 times per day. Be smart.

• Yes, you are going to eat healthy. No, caloric beverages aren’t a good idea. Save recovery drinks/coconut water/juices for intense training cycles or as minor additions to nutrition shakes. The only exceptions to the caloric beverage habit are unsweetened (or lightly sweetened) non-dairy beverages and nutrition shakes.

• Never forget how important “real food” is. People usually don’t overindulge on real foods. Heck, many people don’t eat enough of it.

• Protein powders can be a tasty and nutritious addition to someone’s nutrition plan. Rice protein, hemp protein and pea protein are great options. You may want to try focusing on non-soy protein powders since we tend to get plenty of soy from other foods (as I mentioned earlier). A supplement I recommend to many people is Vega®. This stuff is loaded with protein, fiber, essential fats and is free of soy. But I caution, be on full alert for delici-gasm’s when you consume it. In other words, it tastes good.

• Remember not to skimp on the vitamin B12. Supplementing with this vitamin is an essential component of good nutrition.

• Get out in the sun a few times per week to soak in some vitamin D.

• If you are struggling to balance the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, consider an algae supplement that provides DHA & EPA.

• What you put into your body before and after your workout can greatly influence your performance and body composition. Taking advantage of this window of opportunity around workout time can be of benefit to any athlete/exerciser. Eating too much food so close to exercise can leave you feeling weighed down and bloated.

Summary

• Eat a vegetable and/or fruit with each feeding
• Eat a higher protein food (legumes, nuts, seeds, supplement) with most feedings
• Build in healthy fats during the day, focus on those higher in omega-3’s
• Focus on consuming a majority of your whole grains first thing in the AM and after exercise/workouts
• Aim for regular meal intervals – every 2-4 hours or so
• Ensure your beverages are non-caloric (exceptions are for athletes, intense training cycles, unsweetened “milks,” and protein shakes)
• Find a peri-workout nutrition strategy that maximizes recovery

Always remember to keep an open mind and use outcome based decision making with nutrition. If things aren’t working and you are down in the dumps with your current routine, then try a different approach. Even the most “perfect” nutrition template isn’t so “perfect” when you can’t adhere to it.

About Ryan Andrews Ryan Andrews trained and worked at The Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center. He is trained in Exercise Physiology, Nutrition, and Dietetics, Ryan is also the Director of Research at Precision Nutrition – a world leader in nutritional programming for athletes and recreational exercisers.

Visit Ryan Andrews at www.precisionnutrition.com.

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