For the Protein Concerned. Protein for Runners Pt. 2

For the protein concerned/ obsessed, this is a list of basic protein in a typical days intake. However, it doesn't include the peripheral proteins in other ingredients of dishes.  All of this totals 85g of protein-PLANT PROTEIN which won't cause inflammation, doesn't contain heterocyclic amines and will increase your calorie burning efficiency while reducing your LDL cholesterol.

	soy milk 5g
	malt o meal 6g
	banana 2
	peanut butter 7g
	3 carrots  3g
	almonds 1/2cup  10g
	hummus  4-8
	amys vegan burger 12g
	beans soup 15g
	kale  2g
	walnuts 1/2 cup 15g
	belvita breakfast crackers 2

I would imagine that when all is said and done, I get close to 100g of protein per day.

It's Not All About You!

Hello everyone. Today I awoke to a wonderful article by my friend Paul Graham and to the news on the health of several friends. As Paul explains in his article, "we are in peril". As runners and relatively healthy individuals our health may seem like an afterthought as we are often mislead by what can appear as a trim, athletic physique. However, what is going on inside?  Why are so many seemingly healthy people getting sick?

Look, if our food isn't pure, then our bodies are suffering. On a personal health level, we won't perform as athlete well for much longer, we have high risks for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, etc. etc. etc. But on a global level, we are dying. Not just us, but the whole planet. 

Read Paul's article. He has a wonderful way with words. In fact, you should make it out to one of his events and hear him speak. 

http://lasvegas.informermg.com/2013/07/27/being-vegan-the-most-important-generation-ever/


If you want to learn about how to cook the correct foods, what to substitute for your meat and dairy, and how to improve your overall health while being ecologically/globally conscious, visit my wife Elizabeth Federman's page and see about signing up for a Food For Life Class. https://www.facebook.com/FflClassesLosAngeles

Or, if you are not in the Los Angeles area you can visit PCRM at http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/ffl/ffl-the-power-of-food-for-health

Protein for Runners Pt. 1

So in a week or so I will begin really training for the next running season. To kick it off I am starting with the Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon again http://griffithparktrailruns.com. Last year I bested my time by 5 minutes. I will be beyond happy if I can do the same this time around, but then again I'm another year older. Either way nutrition for building up for this kind of mountain climbing over 13.1 miles is quite important.

Now I know what I was eating last year; all vegan,  as per the diet of my wonderful wife and Food For Life Instructor Elizabeth Federman, https://www.facebook.com/FflClassesLosAngeles, but this time I want to build some serious muscle and endurance.  For the past 3 years I have been an avid reader of Runners World. An amazingly thorough magazine to be sure, but I also noticed there is some vacillation between what is recommended in one issue vs. another issue.  Usually it goes like this: "You should buy: Eggs, Chicken, Salmon..." and they would include an array of other plant-based items, but here's where I argue.

It should be noted that any balanced diet should be focusing on a whole food synergy and not obsessed with one particular item for peak performance. In other words overabundance in focus can lead to other illnesses and chronic conditions. So while you are performing in an event well, the long term damage is being done in the form of bodily or organ inflammation.

Many sources say it is recommended that runners/athletes have at least 50% more protein consumption. This number varies depending on the source and depending on the sources funding.  But to look at a typical meal series for the day would be best.

Breakfast: Eggs for breakfast? No way. Why? Because 1 large egg consists of no fiber, only 6 grams of protein, 213mg of LDL cholesterol, 5g of fat, of which 2 are saturated.  Sure you might eat a piece of whole grain toast. but what are you putting on that toast? Butter is going to kill this plan right away.

You're best off with a whole grain cereal like oat meal or Malt-O-Meal which has 6 g of protein, and 11g if coupled with a cup of Organic Soy Milk. It also has 40mg of potassium and all your daily maximums of fiber and minerals. Malt O Meal in particular is pumped up.  Add some berries in your dish and you are set with an amazing pre-race meal.

Lunch and Dinner: The same is true for all the meals. There is no need to overdose on protein from one source during the day say in the form of a chicken breast which has about 30g of protein. Here's why: if you do, you also eat 93mg of LDL cholesterol, 13g of fat- 3.9 of which are saturated fats. Now, do this for dinner coupled with the eggs from breakfast, and you are setting yourself up for heart disease-EVEN IF YOU'RE A RUNNER.
Say grilled Atlantic Salmon for dinner; that is 21g of fat, 7g saturated fat, 488mg Sodium, sure you get 24g of protein, but at what cost?

Here's a better way to say it:
THE LEANEST CHICKEN IS 26% FAT,
THE LEANEST BEEF IS 29% FAT
SALMON CAN BE AS MUCH AS 50% FAT
EGGS- 70% CALORIES COME FROM FAT

So, here's what you do. Eat from the Power Plate by PCRM. http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/ffl/ffl-the-power-of-food-for-health

WHAT TO DO:
What this means is each meal should have a whole food synergy to create COMPLETE proteins.
Boiled Broccoli, Avocados, Cauliflower (6g-half a head 3inch diameter), Potato (4g), Kale, Green Peas, Seaweed, Soy Beans (organic), winged beans, lentil sprouts, etc. Usually all of these are coupled with a whole grain as well. In doing so you complete your protein groups and create calories that are designed to optimize your carbon burn, energy usage and muscle function WITHOUT the inflammation, and added saturated fat and cholesterol intake.

Check out Scott Jurek http://scottjurek.com a vegan ultramarathon runner as well.

Peace

What to Cook to Stay Powered Up

Short post today, I may have more later, but I want to take a minute to tell you about the amazing woman who cooks our family meals and keeps us healthy. Elizabeth Federman teaches Food For Life Classes here in the Valley Village, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, area here in California. There are 4 basic series of classes.

The first one is the 21 Day Kickstart focused on overall healthful eating that will help with an array of common ailments and get you off ridiculous weight-loss programs that never work. No more calorie counting, no carb counting, no portion control, just living.  Learn what to stock your kitchen and fridge with, learn to cook it, and get a meal while your in the class. 

The second class type is focused on Cancer reversal and avoidance. Learn about the foods that are the best cancer fighters and how to reset your body to better avoid precancerous symptoms.  If you have had cancer, learn how to strengthen your body through food and truly survive it and the evasive prescription treatments. Learn about prevention. Learn what to stock your kitchen and fridge with, learn to cook it, and get a meal while your in the class. 

The third class on Heart Disease. Same situation as the above classes, only this one is specific to those at risk for myocardial infarctions or heart attack. If you are on medications for your cholesterol, if you have high blood pressure, if you have already had a heart attack, then you need this class to learn how to get off your medications, strengthen your body, and reverse the condition.  

The last one is on Diabetes. The situation is the same as the above classes, but specific to the foods that will help you avoid Type 2 diabetes, or reverse it if you already have it. Learn about the power of food and get out of the cycle.

The Kickstart class starts this Sunday. Here is the information. 

http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/ffl/classes/class-detail/?classID=3054

To Begin With...Keeping Healthy and Strong

I think to start off I'll answer the question I often get when people find out that I am vegan; "WTF do you eat if you don't eat meat and dairy?"

It always baffles me that we forget the vast array of plant-foods, whole foods, foods that are grown and produced without violence, bloodshed, inhumane conditions and processes, and that are sustainable and not harmful to our planet.  This kind of mindlessness really speaks to the decades of social conditioning,  commercialism and advertising schema that we have allowed ourselves to be fooled with. 

Since the post war era especially, the American culture is particularly guilty of enabling and perpetuating food falsehoods. We are a protein obsessed, carbohydrate counting, calorie counting, allergy riddled, processed food addicted, chemically dependent (i.e. prescription meds/pharmaceuticals too), environmentally careless, obesity stricken, life threatening diseased disabled (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, alzeheimer's, etc....) and we don't seem to care. Until we're told we're about to die. 

Now to be fair, I don't want to discount the many people out their the truly don't fit into this mold, but the truth is that by and large, we are this way. I was too at one point.  

So here it is, my basic daily food intake:

Breakfast:

Whole Oat Meal or Malt-O-Meal with brown sugar and 1/2 /cup of berries, Orange Juice, and coffee, sometimes I’ll eat toast with Old Fashioned Peanut Butter and Jelly too. Sometimes if I don’t have the Malt –O- Meal, I’ll have Soy Milk in the Oatmeal. 

Water

Snack:

Carrots and Banana, or Belvita Whole Grain cracker and Banana, or

Apple and Walnut/Almond Mixture. Some combination of this stuff listed. Water.

Or Broccoli and hummus

or Milton's Whole Grain Crackers and hummus or real peanut butter. 

Grapes and fruit

Lunch:

Peanut Butter and Jelly on Pumpernickle or whole-grain bread,

            or Garbanzo bean burger with red pepper, avocado, lettuce

            or Amy’s vegan burger with the same stuff,

            or  leftover dinners

all of these are a long with carrots, or broccoli and hummus, or whatever would be missing from the Power Plate

WaterIgnore warning

Snack:

Same as above, sometimes depending on if I run during lunch, I will have some sort of vegan whole grain power bar (w/o soy or whey protein isolates, no high fructose corn syrup, no msg, no honey, no milk or lactose derivative) 

or Milton's Whole Grain Crackers and hummus or real peanut butter. 

Grapes and fruit

Water

Dinner:

The list goes on forever.

·      Garbanzo Bean Burgers, with Salad

·      Black Bean Chili with brown rice

·      Lasagna

·      Reubens made with marinated and sautéed tempeh, sauerkraut, special sauce, lettuce and tomato

·      Senate soup- made with white beans, carrots, celery potatoes, onion, garlic, etc

·      Lentil Soup- a lot of the same soup stuff in different combinations,

·      Stir fry dishes made with Seitan or Tempeh various vegetables

·      Pizza either with traditional dough (no eggs or dairy) or crust made from shredded zucchini, carrots, and beats, with grilled veggie topping and pizza sauce

·      I could go on- we eat from the Power Plate, no big mystery-whole food, plant-based. No dairy, No Meat.

·      Treats like Ice Cream and Cake can be made deliciously w/o dairy and eggs.

A full spectrum (color range) of brightly colored vegetables is advised. Quinoa and Kale (collard green) is very important in maintaining the phytonutrients, protein, vitamin K, etc. 

For more information on how to cook meals that will help you avoid Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease, as well as a wide range of common ailments and allergies, visit https://www.facebook.com/FflClassesLosAngeles?ref=br_tf
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/6694544563/es2/?rank=1
oh and I wanted to add this one too!! http://veganfamilymeals.blogspot.com/2012/04/vegan-reubens.html


Mike