Tips for vegan athletes, and others..

I was thinking about my diet and how it has developed over time, here is an accumulation of my thoughts and general tips for vegan athletes, or people flirting with a plant-based diet. 

First and foremost, do your research and develop an understanding of the basics for health and wellness. Eliminate fast food, minimize your sugar intake, and learn to identify processed foods, and eliminate as many as possible. Oreo’s are vegan, but that doesn't mean they are good for you. I've been here trust me. When I first became vegan I ate a lot of processed foods such as frozen vegan pizzas, burritos, ice cream, sugar filled juices, and potato chips. The more involved I became with nutrition and understanding my body, the better my diet became. I use to track through the whole grocery store, now I go directly to the produce section and spend a considerable amount of time there. I also schmooze with the grains section, and the refrigeration unit for my almond milk. Point being, I began consuming more whole foods and cut the junk! 

Once you have developed a general understanding of healthy food, begin adding more vegetables and fruit into the mix. This will increase your energy,  and overall health. If done correctly you will provide your body with the proper nutrients to function and will no longer need a multivitamin. Athletes that perform on a plant based diet are not much different than any other athlete. We choose plant-based foods as an alternative to animal products and receive the same nutritional intake to fuel our body. 

Discover an alternative protein source such as spiralina, TVP, pea protein, as well as grains and veggies. Sun Warrior protein makes a great raw protein powder. I have a protein shake after my workouts with a scoop of glutamine to support muscle growth and recovery.

Develop a plan or a schedule for eating. What are your goals? Develop a plan and determine what your body will require for fuel. Study your macro-nutrients, and what to eat pre and post workout. There are some great vegan books out there such as Thrive by Brendan Braizer, and Vegan Body Building by Robert Cheeke. Follow forms, blogs, and websites to develop a data base of knowledge to build and develop your diet.

Most importantly listen to your body! No one is going to know your body better than yourself. If dairy upsets your stomach stop consuming it! Do you feel swollen? It’s probably because your consuming large amounts of sodium, cut the processed food and stop eating out! Are you trying to loose weight, but you keep gaining weight? Check your diet, you may be consuming to many calories, or not burning enough energy for the amount of food you are consuming. 

Review: Pumpkin Spice Bread (Forks over Knives – The Cookbook recipe)

This is a great cookbook and it gave me a lot of ideas to play with when preparing vegan dishes. The bread was delicious, but a bit dry. I recommend adding a 1/3 cup of earth balance butter to the mix to give it more moisture. Best served with fruit and coffee in the morning, cheers!

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. ground all spice

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree or 2 cups

½ cup 100% pure maple syrup

1/3 cup apple butter

1/3 cup earth balance butter (recommended)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ cup golden raisins, optional

½ cup chopped walnuts, optional

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have an 8x4-inch nonstick baking pan ready.

2.      In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, and cloves.

3.      In a separate bowl, vigorously mix together the pumpkin, maple syrup, (earth balance butter), apple butter, and vanilla.

4.      Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and combine until everything is evenly moistened. If using raisins and walnuts, fold them into the batter.

5.      Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 50-6+0 minutes or until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean.

6.      Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and carefully invert the loaf onto a cooking rack. Be sure it is fully cooled before slicing.

Protein waffles/pancakes

Good morning or good afternoon! These protein pancakes/ waffles are good during any time of the day. I usually make them in batches (double the ingredients), and freeze or refrigerate them for a hearty snack on the go. Just pop the pre-made waffles/pancakes into your toaster oven and your set for a quick, easy, healthy, protein filled snack or meal.

Ingredients

·       1 scoop protein powder

·       1/3 cup wholegrain wheat flour

·       ~ ½ cup almond milk (add more milk for a thin a consistency for pancakes, or less milk for a thick consistency for waffles)

·       1/3 cup pumpkin puree

·       2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

·       2 tsp baking powder

·       1 tsp baking soda

·       1 tsp cinnamon powder

·       Non-stick oil spray

Prep

1.     Whip the ingredients together in a large bowl.

2.     On medium heat, in a pan, spray the pan with non-stick oil and then poor pancake batter to desired size. Cook until bubbles begin to appear then flip and allow to cook until outside is browned.

3.     Serve with your choice of toppings.  

Some of my favorite toppings

1.     Banana puree

·       Mash one banana, and a tablespoon of agave nectar in a bowl.

2.     Peanut butter cream sauce (as pictured)

·       Mix two tablespoons of PB2 to one tablespoon of almond milk. For a thicker consistency add more PB2. For a thinner consistency add more almond milk.

3.     Almond or peanut butter

4.     Agave nectar and fruit

5.     Tofutti whipped cream with strawberries

6.     Maple syrup with a handful of crushed walnuts

Go wild and have fun with it!

Recipe altered from Vega's: http://myvega.com/vega-life/recipe-center/high-protein-pumpkin-pancakes/

 

Sun Warrior Products

I love Sun Warrior products. Their raw, plant-based protein is an easily digestible, nutrient filled superfood perfect for anyone who wants to amplify their health and fitness levels. Best of all, it tastes phenomenal!