I am often asked why I am a vegan, because you know that isn't very healthy or it is just plain weird. I sometimes respond by how long do you have, because there are many reasons I can give them, and just not one.
This is a bit of the evolution into being vegan, that I took. 2006 was a pretty bad year, at least the first half of it, I can say I wasn't in a really good place or environment for part of the year, and once I was gone from it I did a lot of soul searching. It was after reading Tuesdays With Morrie, I really started looking at how I was living, and my personal beliefs. I said I loved animals, but I was still eating them, hmm didn't make much sense really. I was also about 195 lbs at this time, and really needed to start doing something about my weight, I was worried about health issues, as my dad and moms parents had heart issues, not to mention other health concerns of others in my family. So I went started cutting meat out of my diet and replacing it with way to many faux meat products, which meant way to much soy. Not that soy is bad, I was just getting a lot of my protein from it, not to mention eating a lot of processed foods to get it, not really a good idea, now that I look back at it. I started working out again, running and biking. During the next year I did a lot of reading and started seeing how bad dairy and other animal products were for you as well, not to mention just the overall cruelty that goes on for the sake of these products as well as meat. I completely cut out any dairy products out of my diet at this point, using mostly soy or rice milk, and some faux cheeses. With the way I was eating and exercising I dropped 55 lbs within a year and was feeling a lot better. My blood pressure went way down, it was borderline high before I changed how I was living and eating.
Over the next 3 1/2 years what I eat is still changing, I eat a lot of different beans now, and not so much soy, though I will enjoy some tempeh or tofu from time to time. I eat a lot of quinoa and rice, and have almost cut out all gluten from my diet, I would say I am 95% gluten free. I also try to include more raw foods into my diet, and natural supplements like Vega products, to help boost my protein intake, I as am very active and workout pretty hard, and need some help in recovery, which the Vega products have provided. Reading Robert Cheeke's book and John Joseph's have even made me think about what I eat and how often. I now eat 6-8 times a day, and one of those times being Vega Health Optimizer shake. I just started using Chia seeds, and some other supplements, and will see how they work out as well for me. I would like to incorporate more organic foods and even juices into my diet, but can't right now, unless I really just had a large sum of money come my way. Though I am feeling pretty damn good with the way I am eating right now, and getting a good source of nutrients from a lot of sources. I stay around 140 these days, and have more energy than most of those I work with, that are at least 14 years younger than me, and I usually get 6-7 hours of sleep a night. Though I do see what they eat on a daily basis, lunch comes from the vending machine and is like a few bags of chex mix, a honey bun or other candy bars, and some kind of soft drink, not exactly stuff that is going to give you the nutrients you need to keep going on a day in day out basis.
Some other reasons I use for being vegan is the workers in meat processing plants, and on the farms aren't always treated very well, Smithfield is well known for being the worst to their employees. Read Gail Eisnitz book Slaughterhouse, and find out all the horrors workers endure, even after all the big reforms in the early 20th century. Environmental reasons hey it takes a lot of water and grain to make meat, not to mention factory farming produces more greenhouse gases than anything else on the planet. Let us not forget all the all the feces and urine from the animals that ends up in the water systems as well. Yes with all that feed and water we use on factory farming, we could feed the entire planet, and have plenty of clean drinking water for everyone. We could also practically eliminate heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses as well, it's pretty well documented that meat and overly processed foods lead to disease, so it's really not very good or "healthy" for you.
Again as I read more and more, and watch various documentaries, my views change just a little, and always leave me questioning what goes into my body and how it effects all the other Earthlings I share the planet with. This is just a very short summary I know, but I hope it gives some of you a bit of insight, especially any omnivore's that may be reading this, stop and think, and you can always email me if you have any questions, or want to know more.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Review Of Meat Is For Pussies
I just finished reading John Joseph's book, Meat Is For Pussies, a very good book about being vegan and not just from the health side of it. In the movie Se7en, Kevin Spacey's character, John Doe, says "Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice, you've got their strict attention." This is what John does in MIFP, he takes a very punk, hardcore, streets of New York, in your face approach in MIFP to hit you with a sledgehammer and get your attention and "scare you straight" off of eating meat forever and get your pussy ass into shape.
From the start John tells you he is going to use the scared straight tactics to get it through your meathead that meat is not good for you. He goes into how you are poisoning your body and just how you can heal and reverse this poisoning by eating a good and healthy plant based diet. Tackling the bullshit protein myth, and how eating to much protein is bad for you, not to mention getting protein from meat is just a recipe for many other health issues down the road. Diets are for jerk-offs, you think Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers is good for you think again. These "diets" are used to help make these companies rich, while you may lose some weight on them, as soon as you go back to eating "normal" again the weight comes right back. He talks about how bad these "diets" really are and why they will never work for you. Do you like being a human lab rat? John doesn't and I know I don't, he brings up the most evil bastards on this planet, Monsanto, and even Codex Alimentarius. They have a plan to give you GMO food, and use all kinds of chemicals on your food as well. Oh and have you ever thought about the fluoridation of water, you should, John brings this up and I did some digging, this will scare the living hell out of you. After all this it's time to kick cancer in the nuts, yeah eating meat is giving you cancer, but there is good news you can reduce your risk for the big C. Meat your meat, talking about what all that meat is doing to your sex life, or more like lack of ability to perform if you keep eating meat, and who wants to keep popping V and Cialis for life after 40. John even says how exercising all parts of your body, mind and spirit is what a real man should be doing, if not your still a pussy. The real inconvenient truth, eating all that damn meat is killing not only you, but the planet you live on. John goes on to give you a nice 7 day kick start to exercise plan to start getting your pussy ass into shape. Hey he even gives you a nice list of foods and supplements, along with a meal plan, and some great recipes to help you in your transition off of meat. In the appendix you'll find some books, websites, and documentaries to watch.
Being vegan for several years now I still took a lot out of this book, and it has even made me think more about how my diet is impacting not only myself, but the planet. I even am questioning some of the things I thought I new about good eating. Hey if I can take something out of this book you should too, or ladies your man should too, or men sharing this with other men. This book might be more aimed at males, but I really suggest women read it too, that way you can get your man to stop being the pussy he is eating meat, and get him to give a damn about his health and you. It is a very fast read and easy enough to read even if your intelligence isn't that of a Cro-Magnon. So you really have no excuse not to read it, so get up off your sorry pussy ass and read it already. If you still eat meat after reading this book, you are a no good pussy waste, and not even human, and really part of the problem. Like I say if a Cro-Magnon is smart enough to know a vegan diet is good for you, surely you can figure that out too, just by reading this book.
From the start John tells you he is going to use the scared straight tactics to get it through your meathead that meat is not good for you. He goes into how you are poisoning your body and just how you can heal and reverse this poisoning by eating a good and healthy plant based diet. Tackling the bullshit protein myth, and how eating to much protein is bad for you, not to mention getting protein from meat is just a recipe for many other health issues down the road. Diets are for jerk-offs, you think Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers is good for you think again. These "diets" are used to help make these companies rich, while you may lose some weight on them, as soon as you go back to eating "normal" again the weight comes right back. He talks about how bad these "diets" really are and why they will never work for you. Do you like being a human lab rat? John doesn't and I know I don't, he brings up the most evil bastards on this planet, Monsanto, and even Codex Alimentarius. They have a plan to give you GMO food, and use all kinds of chemicals on your food as well. Oh and have you ever thought about the fluoridation of water, you should, John brings this up and I did some digging, this will scare the living hell out of you. After all this it's time to kick cancer in the nuts, yeah eating meat is giving you cancer, but there is good news you can reduce your risk for the big C. Meat your meat, talking about what all that meat is doing to your sex life, or more like lack of ability to perform if you keep eating meat, and who wants to keep popping V and Cialis for life after 40. John even says how exercising all parts of your body, mind and spirit is what a real man should be doing, if not your still a pussy. The real inconvenient truth, eating all that damn meat is killing not only you, but the planet you live on. John goes on to give you a nice 7 day kick start to exercise plan to start getting your pussy ass into shape. Hey he even gives you a nice list of foods and supplements, along with a meal plan, and some great recipes to help you in your transition off of meat. In the appendix you'll find some books, websites, and documentaries to watch.
Being vegan for several years now I still took a lot out of this book, and it has even made me think more about how my diet is impacting not only myself, but the planet. I even am questioning some of the things I thought I new about good eating. Hey if I can take something out of this book you should too, or ladies your man should too, or men sharing this with other men. This book might be more aimed at males, but I really suggest women read it too, that way you can get your man to stop being the pussy he is eating meat, and get him to give a damn about his health and you. It is a very fast read and easy enough to read even if your intelligence isn't that of a Cro-Magnon. So you really have no excuse not to read it, so get up off your sorry pussy ass and read it already. If you still eat meat after reading this book, you are a no good pussy waste, and not even human, and really part of the problem. Like I say if a Cro-Magnon is smart enough to know a vegan diet is good for you, surely you can figure that out too, just by reading this book.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Freiberg's And Running
It was recently discovered that I have Freiberg's Disease, in my second toe on my left foot. Basically part of the bone dies away and flattens instead of being rounded. Going to put a damper on running for a bit, so it's time to change my focuses for right now. I will be lifting weights more, yoga, maybe pilates, biking, and elliptical for now. I am not going to let this get me down, I can really focus on building more muscle mass and stronger muscles, I want to gain 10-20 lbs of muscle mass in the next year, so with the lack of cardio in the mix, this should be a bit easier. I am taking different supplements as well Vega Performance Optimizer, Vega Performance Protein, Vega Health Optimizer, L-glutamine, and an Ethyl Ester Creatine. Watch out Robert Cheeke here I come :p
For now the doctor has given me an orthotic, to stiffen the shoe and relieve stress on the bone, which honestly has done little good. The next step is a steroid injection into the bone, and last resort is surgery to remove part of my toe bone and any stress/pressure on said bone and pain/inflammation. Though I am honestly ready to just straight to surgery, I am not sure I want to have consistant steroid injections for the rest of my life, as I am not a big fan of anything like this being in my body as it is. It will be 5 more weeks before I see the doctor again, I might make it sooner if things really don't improve. Also it would be nice to resolve all of this a lot sooner than later, as my health insurance really stinks. Though I wonder if they'd even cover the surgery, if not I'll find a meat cleaver and chop the toe off :p, ok not really , but it is a thought.
For now the doctor has given me an orthotic, to stiffen the shoe and relieve stress on the bone, which honestly has done little good. The next step is a steroid injection into the bone, and last resort is surgery to remove part of my toe bone and any stress/pressure on said bone and pain/inflammation. Though I am honestly ready to just straight to surgery, I am not sure I want to have consistant steroid injections for the rest of my life, as I am not a big fan of anything like this being in my body as it is. It will be 5 more weeks before I see the doctor again, I might make it sooner if things really don't improve. Also it would be nice to resolve all of this a lot sooner than later, as my health insurance really stinks. Though I wonder if they'd even cover the surgery, if not I'll find a meat cleaver and chop the toe off :p, ok not really , but it is a thought.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Workouts
Some who follow me on twitter or have me on facebook, have heard me saying about the aches of the workout I just switched up. They have been pretty rough and my muscles ache in a good way. I thought I'd list the last 3 I've done, for different body parts, any suggestions for changes/improvements would be welcomed. Also something you all may wish to try as well, let me know how they work out for you. Also I am not listing weights, makes it easier to adapt to how much you can lift.
Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Bench Press 1 set 15, 1 set 12, 2 sets 6
Incline/Decline Close Grip Press (super set) 3 sets 8
Dumbbell Flys 3 sets 12
Dips 3 sets 12
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 sets 10
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs/Rolls Forward and Back 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell Punches 3 Drop Sets I drop down by 5lb incriments and do each one until fatigue then go down
Tricep Pushdown with Rope 4 sets of 15
Dumbbell Tricep Press Behind Head 3 sets of 15
Tricep Extension 3 sets of 15
Legs
Sumo Squats 1 set of 20, 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10 Sometimes I'll super set this with body squats
Leg Press 1 set of 15, 3 sets of 10
Dead Lift 3 sets of 12
Body Squats/Deep Knee Bends 3 sets of 50 hold each rep at bottom for 2 seconds
Leg Curl/Leg Extension Super Set 3 sets of 15
Seated Leg Curl 3 sets of 12
Hip Abductor/Adductor Super Set 3 sets of 12
Wall Sit for 5 minutes
Back/Biceps
Lat Pull Down with palms facing in to put more emphasis on biceps 4 sets of 15
Cable Rows 4 sets of 15
Rows with Barbell 3 sets of 12
Iso Lateral High Pulldown 3 sets of 10
Chin Up 3 sets of 12 you can use the assisted pullup/chinup/dip machine if needed for this
Machine Cable Curl/Wrist Curl Super Set 3 sets of 20
E-Z Bar Curl drop sets 2 sets
Concentration Curls 4 sets of 12
Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 15
Dumbbell Wrist/Forearm Curls palms up then down 4 sets super setted up/down until fatigue
I will usually get on the stationary bike for at least 60 minutes as well, doing manual or hill programs, or I go in the pool for some laps or maybe both. Right now not able to hit the treadmill, but hopefully soon. I also don't always super set some of the above listed exercises, or do drop sets, I just did those in the last 3 workouts I did for each body part. I would like to note at the end of the leg workout doing a wall sit of 5 minutes will seem like an eternity and really add a crazy burn to your legs. I also recommend adding calf raises on leg days, but right now I am not able to do them, due to injury. As I say any comments or recommendations on this are welcomed.
Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Bench Press 1 set 15, 1 set 12, 2 sets 6
Incline/Decline Close Grip Press (super set) 3 sets 8
Dumbbell Flys 3 sets 12
Dips 3 sets 12
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 sets 10
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs/Rolls Forward and Back 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell Punches 3 Drop Sets I drop down by 5lb incriments and do each one until fatigue then go down
Tricep Pushdown with Rope 4 sets of 15
Dumbbell Tricep Press Behind Head 3 sets of 15
Tricep Extension 3 sets of 15
Legs
Sumo Squats 1 set of 20, 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10 Sometimes I'll super set this with body squats
Leg Press 1 set of 15, 3 sets of 10
Dead Lift 3 sets of 12
Body Squats/Deep Knee Bends 3 sets of 50 hold each rep at bottom for 2 seconds
Leg Curl/Leg Extension Super Set 3 sets of 15
Seated Leg Curl 3 sets of 12
Hip Abductor/Adductor Super Set 3 sets of 12
Wall Sit for 5 minutes
Back/Biceps
Lat Pull Down with palms facing in to put more emphasis on biceps 4 sets of 15
Cable Rows 4 sets of 15
Rows with Barbell 3 sets of 12
Iso Lateral High Pulldown 3 sets of 10
Chin Up 3 sets of 12 you can use the assisted pullup/chinup/dip machine if needed for this
Machine Cable Curl/Wrist Curl Super Set 3 sets of 20
E-Z Bar Curl drop sets 2 sets
Concentration Curls 4 sets of 12
Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 15
Dumbbell Wrist/Forearm Curls palms up then down 4 sets super setted up/down until fatigue
I will usually get on the stationary bike for at least 60 minutes as well, doing manual or hill programs, or I go in the pool for some laps or maybe both. Right now not able to hit the treadmill, but hopefully soon. I also don't always super set some of the above listed exercises, or do drop sets, I just did those in the last 3 workouts I did for each body part. I would like to note at the end of the leg workout doing a wall sit of 5 minutes will seem like an eternity and really add a crazy burn to your legs. I also recommend adding calf raises on leg days, but right now I am not able to do them, due to injury. As I say any comments or recommendations on this are welcomed.
Monday, January 10, 2011
My Review Of Robert Cheeke's Vegan Bodybuilding Book
I have just finished reading Robert Cheeke's book, Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness The Complete Guide To Building Your Body On A Plant-Based Diet. This book is a must for anyone who is into bodybuilding or any athlete, and following a Vegan Diet, or anyone who might be thinking of following a Vegan Diet, and not sure how it could effect their performance or body in general.
Robert takes on his personal journey into veganism and the dream of being a pro wrestler at first, then changing that to bodybuilding. He admits he was not always vegan and started out at 120 lbs and has put on 75 lbs of muscle, on a 100% plant based diet, also using no performance enhancing drugs, 100% natural, not even consuming any alcohol, completely straight edge.
He starts out in Chapter 1 by going over why choose vegan, and is not preaching to anyone in the manner of his writing. Following up in Chapter 2 by how to get involved in bodybuilding and achieve results. This includes being ready for the expenses involved, being able to set goals, changes to your body and overall mood, and the time and hard work involved in bodybuilding. Chapter 3 talks about nutrition, not only is nutrition in bodybuilding, but in any sport/exercise regimine you are involved in, or just in general everyday life. There is a very good list of DO's and DON'T's in this chapter, he also points out the importance of protein, carbs, and fats in your diet. He also provides sample meal plans to help you put on mass, burn fat, prepare for a competition, and maintain your body gains. There are also examples for a raw food diet and allergen free diet as well. These are all just guidelines, and you can change them up as you need to for yourself. He ends the chapter with a list of 10 ways to build a successful nutrition plan. In Chapter 4 Robert goes into creating a successful training program. The importance of stretching and warming up, as well as exercises for endurance and the lower body, upper body, core, and total body exercises. How to incorporate super-sets, drop-sets, burn-out sets, and partial reps, into your routine, to help your training and build strength. There are also sample weight and nonweight training programs for a week in this chapter. Chapter 5 goes into lessons learned and followed, one of the best tips in this chapter is to keep a journal of your workouts, also of what you eat on a daily basis. This way you can go back and see your progress, see what foods and exercises help you gain the most from your workouts. Chapter 6 is an entire chapter devoted about where vegans get their protein. He gives a list of 10 ways you can handle this question, when someone asks you it in your life. There are also several high protein meals he lays out for anyone in this chapter, and a table showing the protein levels of different foods. Chapter 7 is about choosing the best exercises to get good gains, with a list of the top 12 exercises for bodybuilding. Chapter 8 how to turn what you are doing into activism and outreach. If you look healthy and muscular, people will change their image of what vegans are, the typical skinny wimp, the basic message in this chapter. You can use your body to change the world and it's perceptions. Chapter 9 how to market yourself, how to go about getting sponsorships with companies, also how to use social networking to get yourself more recognized and again change the perception of vegans in the world. Chapter 10 goes into supplements, the importance of using them and ones that are vegan. Let's face it supplements are vital to everyone vegan and nonvegans, it helps us gain the necessary nutrients in our diet, especially if we live a very hectic life. Chapter 11 is how to take your passion into a career, this is true for bodybuilding or any other athlete, or fitness person. Chapter 12 we get a list of vegan equipment, products and services to use, this is a very important chapeter for all vegan athletes. Chapter 13 Robert gives a list of his favorite vegan cities in North America, which can be helpful if you live in a nonvegan friendly town, and might consider relocating, this list also includes place to eat. Chapter 14 is testimonials from people Robert has inspired. Chapter 15 are final thoughts, and the appendix lists foods high in various nutrients as well as exercises for various parts of the body, and websites that are helpful for any vegan to checkout.
This book is very well written and with Robert's addition of his personal experiences, it makes it even better, you get to follow his ups and even some downs. His enthusiasm and positive attitude literally jump off the pages, and inspire you to better things and new heights in your life. Even if you are not into bodybuilding, you can use this book to help you perform better in any sport you take on. You can use the suggestions for exercises to help increase your overall muscle mass and strength, which will aid you in sports, also impress others who might think vegans are "skinny wimps". As a runner I know the importance of having a strong core and legs, and have been incorporating some of the advice Robert has shared into my own training. Also rethinking my protein intake and general nutrition, I have modified it some since I started reading this book. Again being a runner it is very important to have good nutrition, and have seen a difference since changing my diet slightly. Again any athlete can use the information in this book, and adapt it to their own needs and training program, also as a true inspiration to them to work harder. I have even started pushing myself even more in my daily training. Robert is a true inspiration to all, and I hope he is around for a long time to inspire others and show what is truly possible on a plant based diet. I highly recommend this book to any vegan athlete and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Robert takes on his personal journey into veganism and the dream of being a pro wrestler at first, then changing that to bodybuilding. He admits he was not always vegan and started out at 120 lbs and has put on 75 lbs of muscle, on a 100% plant based diet, also using no performance enhancing drugs, 100% natural, not even consuming any alcohol, completely straight edge.
He starts out in Chapter 1 by going over why choose vegan, and is not preaching to anyone in the manner of his writing. Following up in Chapter 2 by how to get involved in bodybuilding and achieve results. This includes being ready for the expenses involved, being able to set goals, changes to your body and overall mood, and the time and hard work involved in bodybuilding. Chapter 3 talks about nutrition, not only is nutrition in bodybuilding, but in any sport/exercise regimine you are involved in, or just in general everyday life. There is a very good list of DO's and DON'T's in this chapter, he also points out the importance of protein, carbs, and fats in your diet. He also provides sample meal plans to help you put on mass, burn fat, prepare for a competition, and maintain your body gains. There are also examples for a raw food diet and allergen free diet as well. These are all just guidelines, and you can change them up as you need to for yourself. He ends the chapter with a list of 10 ways to build a successful nutrition plan. In Chapter 4 Robert goes into creating a successful training program. The importance of stretching and warming up, as well as exercises for endurance and the lower body, upper body, core, and total body exercises. How to incorporate super-sets, drop-sets, burn-out sets, and partial reps, into your routine, to help your training and build strength. There are also sample weight and nonweight training programs for a week in this chapter. Chapter 5 goes into lessons learned and followed, one of the best tips in this chapter is to keep a journal of your workouts, also of what you eat on a daily basis. This way you can go back and see your progress, see what foods and exercises help you gain the most from your workouts. Chapter 6 is an entire chapter devoted about where vegans get their protein. He gives a list of 10 ways you can handle this question, when someone asks you it in your life. There are also several high protein meals he lays out for anyone in this chapter, and a table showing the protein levels of different foods. Chapter 7 is about choosing the best exercises to get good gains, with a list of the top 12 exercises for bodybuilding. Chapter 8 how to turn what you are doing into activism and outreach. If you look healthy and muscular, people will change their image of what vegans are, the typical skinny wimp, the basic message in this chapter. You can use your body to change the world and it's perceptions. Chapter 9 how to market yourself, how to go about getting sponsorships with companies, also how to use social networking to get yourself more recognized and again change the perception of vegans in the world. Chapter 10 goes into supplements, the importance of using them and ones that are vegan. Let's face it supplements are vital to everyone vegan and nonvegans, it helps us gain the necessary nutrients in our diet, especially if we live a very hectic life. Chapter 11 is how to take your passion into a career, this is true for bodybuilding or any other athlete, or fitness person. Chapter 12 we get a list of vegan equipment, products and services to use, this is a very important chapeter for all vegan athletes. Chapter 13 Robert gives a list of his favorite vegan cities in North America, which can be helpful if you live in a nonvegan friendly town, and might consider relocating, this list also includes place to eat. Chapter 14 is testimonials from people Robert has inspired. Chapter 15 are final thoughts, and the appendix lists foods high in various nutrients as well as exercises for various parts of the body, and websites that are helpful for any vegan to checkout.
This book is very well written and with Robert's addition of his personal experiences, it makes it even better, you get to follow his ups and even some downs. His enthusiasm and positive attitude literally jump off the pages, and inspire you to better things and new heights in your life. Even if you are not into bodybuilding, you can use this book to help you perform better in any sport you take on. You can use the suggestions for exercises to help increase your overall muscle mass and strength, which will aid you in sports, also impress others who might think vegans are "skinny wimps". As a runner I know the importance of having a strong core and legs, and have been incorporating some of the advice Robert has shared into my own training. Also rethinking my protein intake and general nutrition, I have modified it some since I started reading this book. Again being a runner it is very important to have good nutrition, and have seen a difference since changing my diet slightly. Again any athlete can use the information in this book, and adapt it to their own needs and training program, also as a true inspiration to them to work harder. I have even started pushing myself even more in my daily training. Robert is a true inspiration to all, and I hope he is around for a long time to inspire others and show what is truly possible on a plant based diet. I highly recommend this book to any vegan athlete and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Garden Of Life VS Vega
Lately I have been trying different supplements to boost protein and other nutrients a bit. The two I have tried so far are Garden of Life Beyond Organic Meal Replacement and Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer I like the overall taste, variety of flavors, and consistancy of Vega better, though Garden Of Life seems to provide more nutrients. GOL contains a higher protein level, 33g, Vega 26g, also GOL has higher B12 levels 12mcg, Vega 6mcg, while Vega provides EFA omega 3-6, and GOL does not list EFA information, if their product contains it at all. Both are vegan, gluten free, soy free, and free from other common allergens. Both products provide about 15 servings per container, if you have the larger Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer at least. Price is something to consider as well, if you go to Whole Foods or other stores, you can expect to pay $75 for the large container, though ordering from Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe you can pay anywhere from $60-$65, depending on quantity ordered. GOLBOMR you can get at Whole Foods as well for about $55, or you can go to The Vitamin Shoppe and pay $41.22. This is a big price difference, and depending on your use, it can depend how much you spend on a monthly basis. Both worked equally on my energy and overall performance level while using them, granted a month long trial isn't very long to see overall results to compare the two fairly. One benefit I have found is the reduced amount of soy in my diet, though I still consume some tofu and tempeh, it is always good to have another source of protein in my diet. Even with eating other beans and nuts on a regular basis, it is not good to rely on one type of food for a particular nutrient, variety is much better for everyone. I encourage you to try both and see what you think, I will continue using them and hopefully have a better update in the future.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Vegan Chili Recipe
I actually got this recipe from my friend Gillian. Also for anyone that ever asks you about where you get your protein from, this recipe here is packed with protein, also fiber, which part of a good diet. I think most people don't take in enough fiber on a daily basis, 26g is recommended, but really 40+ is better. Back to protein content though, with the amount of kidney and black beans, along with tempeh you can easily get 20g of protein in just one bowl of chili, and depending on how much you make you can get several days out of the pot. For the hotness/spicyness of it, it really depends on your personal taste, adjust as needed, I use very hot peppers and even Mexican Hot Chili Powder to kick it up a few notches. Once everything soaks for a few days it becomes extra potent. I like to make this up after 1/2 marathons, as a recovery for the muscles, with that extra protein kick. Note that this is not only a vegan recipe, but gluten free as well. Enjoy!!
1 large white onion (NOT yellow, must be white, spanish is the best)
chopped lots of garlic - i use 5-6 cloves
1 large red pepper chopped
1 large green pepper (if the peppers are smallish, I'll buy 2) chopped
1 16oz can of red kidney beans
1 large can of diced tomatoes (drained)
1 vegetable bouillon cube (use a little bit of boiling water to rehydrate NOT the full cup)
chopped jalapeno peppers (depending on your taste)
Cumin powder (lots of cumin)
Chili powder (lots)
Cayenne pepper
I added 1 can of black beans
several chopped halebeno peppers
1 package of tempeh or you can use textured vegetable protein, though I think the tempeh will give you a bit higher protein and fiber content
Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Then add the peppers and kidney beans and sautee for a few minutes. Then add the tomatoes and veggie bouillon. Stir well. Then add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer. I've put the list of ingredients in order of how you add them
1 large white onion (NOT yellow, must be white, spanish is the best)
chopped lots of garlic - i use 5-6 cloves
1 large red pepper chopped
1 large green pepper (if the peppers are smallish, I'll buy 2) chopped
1 16oz can of red kidney beans
1 large can of diced tomatoes (drained)
1 vegetable bouillon cube (use a little bit of boiling water to rehydrate NOT the full cup)
chopped jalapeno peppers (depending on your taste)
Cumin powder (lots of cumin)
Chili powder (lots)
Cayenne pepper
I added 1 can of black beans
several chopped halebeno peppers
1 package of tempeh or you can use textured vegetable protein, though I think the tempeh will give you a bit higher protein and fiber content
Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Then add the peppers and kidney beans and sautee for a few minutes. Then add the tomatoes and veggie bouillon. Stir well. Then add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer. I've put the list of ingredients in order of how you add them
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