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