Plant Life - Quinoa

I'm loving the energy I have back from sticking to plant based meals. I have been trying more and more to re-invent dishes I love from local restaurants. This gem, originally discovered at Feed in Venice, combines grains, beans and veggies and really packs in the flavor to fill you up.

1/2 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Cup Veggie Stock
1/2 Cup Water
1 Cup English Green Beans
1 Bunch Broccolini
1 Can Cannelini Beans
1/2 Cup Artichokes Chopped
1 Cup Arugula
1/4 Cup Chopped Dill
2 tsp Salt
3 TBS Grain Mustard
1 TBS White Wine Vinegar

Bring the Quinoa, veggie stock and water to a boil over medium high heat. Turn the heat down to simmer and put the lid on until all of the liquid is cooked off, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile bring water and salt to a boil, and blanche the beans and broccolini for no more than a minute. Then transfer the veggies to a pan and sautee in olive oil for a few minutes, adding 1 tsb of salt and artichokes. Add the cannelinni beans and 1TBS of mustard to combine flavors.

Once the quinoa is finished stir in additional mustard and 1 tsb salt. I like this dish cold, so I put the quinoa and vegetables into the fridge and combine them once cool. Add the arugula and dill once cold and combine each piece. This will serve about 4 people.



I have officially been inspired by Quinoa. I've decided to make a large batch every week and use it in new dishes and salads. Yesterday I used Tahini as a sauce and added cucumber, dill, lemon and garlic. It was delicious and so easy. Eating plant based never tasted so good, I love it.

Going Vegan in 2013

I ran across this great article on Metro. One of the experts on Forks Over Knives, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., gave his expert advice on why a plant based diet is the healthy way to go in 2013. This is my inspiration to stop eating processed fake meats and cheeses. In 2013 I'm going to go back to my original plant based diet and eat less fake meats and processed foods. I know, it's already a quarter of the way through the year, but seriously I can feel the effects of soy only negatively on my body right now and that needs to change. So here is to April and a month without alcohol and fake meat! (except that wedding I'm going to... oh and that birthday party, but besides those, completely sober April...) *clink* (I swear that was water).


Get some inspiration from "Going Vegan in 2013"!

Vegan Protein - Best Bang for your Body

I stumbled upon this awesome blog entry from one of my heroes today that I wanted to share regarding Vegan Protein. Bob Harper has been rumored to be Vegan on and off forever, so to see this really gets me amped about his diet, since obviously his fitness level is strong.

This is Bob's List of his favorite plant based proteins (I have to agree 100%):

1. ALL kinds of beans (black, kidney, great northern, chick peas, black eyed peas, green peas, lentils, pinto beans, lima beans)
2. Tempeh
3. Seitan
4. Tofu
5. Veggie burger
6. Quinoa
7. Oatmeal
8. Brown rice
9. Whole wheat bread
10. Nuts
11. Peanut butter
12. Soy milk
13. Hemp Protein
14. Green Pea Protein
15. Brown Rice Protein
16. Vegan Protein Powder
17. Chlorella
18. Plenty of rich green leafy vegetables

Git it!

New Years Run 2013

In a post race endorphin high I somehow decided running another half marathon was a GREAT idea. Training ended up being super tough on my body, and my motivation was less than ideal coming off of my last race. However here I am, the day before my half marathon plotting out how the hell to run a race at night.

Preparing for the run -

I never run at night. Let me re-phrase; During the winter I never run outside at night. Once it's dark I believe it is too dangerous to run outside all by your lonesome in a city like Los Angeles, so as a rule of thumb I don't do it. Basically this puts me in kind of a pickle I didn't anticipate while training for this run. I'm now aware of my body enough to know how to eat right for a morning race, but I'm not sure the proper meals I should be eating on a race day that doesn't take place until late at night, I'm talking 9PM here folks.

I started doing some research online to see if anyone had some insight or advice on a good nutrition plan. Most blogs or aritcles I found talk about what to eat the night or morning before a race, or give a good glimpse of the week leading up to it. These are the best pieces I've found to keep in mind -

 - Carbo loading is great, but eating more than your body can process can lead to disaster during the race. Make sure you are eating enough food to make you full, but do not feel like you need to add extra calories and overeat.
 - Take in about 3 to 5.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight the week of the race to store as much glycogen as possible for the race.
 - If fiber tends to be an issue for you, stay away from beans and bran cereal for a few days before your race.
 - Don't skip a meal, stay as normal as possible. This means don't try anything new right before a race, especially if you don't want to be stopping at port-o-potties every few miles costing you minutes off your time (this is especially necessary if you're as afraid of port o's as I am, those things are unnatural!).
 - Eat up to 30% more calories the 4 days before your race, for women generally this means you will be a bit more full than normal, especially with all those extra carbs (hmmm little different from the first thing I read..).

Basically, this is the nutrition plan I'm suggesting if you ever find yourself in the same boat [please note that I'm in no way, shape or form a certified nutritionist (*cough yet cough*), and if you have any health problems I recommend seeing a proper nutritionist for further advice]:
Breakfast - Tofu scramble w/ veggies on a Bagel (I rock this recipe for the scramble minus the vegan sausage and cheese sauce to avoid anything weird happening)
 Lunch - Pasta with Vegetables & a side of Mashed Potatoes w/ Vegan Butter and Almond Milk(small portions of both, just enough to fill you up)
 Dinner - Plain Bagel with Peanut butter & 16oz of water (about 4 hours prior to start time)
 Snack - an hour before your race grab your favorite protein bar, this is typically what I eat an hour before my long runs as a "breakfast" in the mornings. Include another 4 to 8 oz of water between your pre-race snack and the race for hydration during the race.

Stayed tuned and maybe I'll let you know how it goes! This better help me PR....

Best of 2012

As we round out 2012, I'd like to bring your attention to some of my favorite things that have shaped my first full year as a Vegan Athlete.

1. Top songs 2012 - You may disagree, but I consider myself a connoisseur of music. I'm one of those Los Angeles snobs who who claims they discovered bands years before they blow up, as if somehow God gave only me an ear that could hear talent. Anyway, agree or not, here are my top jams of 2013, and yes I do realize not all of these songs were released in 2012, but this is when I enjoyed them to their fullest and now you can as well. Couldn't stop at 10, couldn't even stop at 20, so much good music in 2012 here is my top 21 Playlist:


Some I couldn't find on spotify so here are a few other gems to make up my full list -
Meiko - Leave the Lights on (Crystal Method Remix)
and the #21 song goes to.... KO KO - Float (Sound Remedy)

2. Best Vegan cookbook of 2012 - "Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook"
Finally a collaboration of whole foods plant based recipes for us healthy Vegans! Loved the movie, loved the book and now we have a cookbook to go with it.


3. Best Vegan "research" Book - "Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps" By Kim Barnouin
I can't get enough of this girl, she's hilarious and has seriously done her research for great Vegan swaps in this book. I'm not entirely sure I'd call them healthy, but they are good alternatives for cravings.


4. Nike+ - Enough said. I use my Nike plus watch, iphone app and ipod plug-in for all of my runs. They re-launched the Nike+ website this year and now everything is better than ever.

5. Favorite new recipe - Super simple, super healthy and super cheap!

Kale Soup

Ingredients -
1 quart Vegetable stock
1 TBS Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Cups Roughly Chopped Kale
1 Can White Beans
3 Vegan Sausages (whichever is your favorite, I prefer spicy sausages) cut in quarter inch pieces
2 TSP crushed red pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large Pot heat the olive oil at medium heat and add in the garlic. Saute until fragrant, then add the can of white beans, vegetable stock, red pepper and kale. Once the kale has mostly cooked down, add in the sausage so the sausage doesn't loose all of its flavor in the broth. Add salt and pepper to taste, and Voila soup is served! If you're one of those crazy people who hate beans or vegan sausage, try adding more veggies. I've added Onion and Mushroom before and it has been just as delicious and nutritious.

6. My Most Viewed Post can be seen here - The Color Run, who knew?!

7. Most fun races I've found -

 The Color Run - If you don't leave this race with a smile on your face, then you have no soul. I laughed and smiled so much during the race, I think I ate more color than was actually on me. At the end of the race, everyone gathers by a stage and has a huge color fight. Hands down best photo ops.

 Rock N Roll Marathons - Who doesn't love the idea of live music and DJ's at every mile? I swear the bands in this race really got me through the finish line... well, that and the free beer they give you when you cross! This year I ran in San Diego and Los Anegeles. I hope to run another one next year, who knows, maybe I'll even try Las Vegas. Now that would be a REAL party at the finish line!

8. Favorite Los Angeles Vegan Restaurants - This one is tough, I've spent the last year rarely eating out at vegan joints around Los Angeles, but I've compiled my top 3 choices from what I've experienced thus far.

  I. Veggie Grill - Always a fan favorite. you can take anyone here and they are convinced they are eating real meat. My favorite is the All Hail Kale salad, and if I'm feeling frisky I get buffalo chicken on top of it. It haunts my dreams at night it is so delicious.

  II. Doomies - A hidden gem right on Vine in Hollywood. They may have the best vegan steak and cheese I've ever eaten. I recommend for fatty fatty days coming here and binging on their jalapeno poppers and their steak and cheese sub. Fantastic and did I mention super fatty? Yes, I agree, I could make better recommendations for athletes... meh well, sometimes you just have to get down and dirty.

  III. Cafe Gratitude- Nothing like sitting down, ordering a meal and having someone compliment you for doing so;

ME: Yes I'll have the I am fortified dish please.
SERVER: You ARE Fortified
ME: ... why THANK you.

I like the option to eat raw or not, and they have a really good Cesar salad! Excuse me while I go drool. Yes, it's a little pricey for what you get, but they have so many great healthy options it's a must try.

9. Best Kept Secret - Vegetable Delivery. Seriously what's better than keeping our local organic farmers working while enjoying fresh, seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables? I receive a small box once every 3 weeks, plan my meals around the box for the next week or so, and it seriously feels like Christmas every time I receive the box. Talk about a fun way to make up your menu for the week! I've found that most areas have something similar, so if you do not live in the Los Angeles area try looking up the different services in other states Here.

10. Favorite Vegan blog of 2012 - (besides my own of course) Check out Oh She Glows, for fitness tips, recipes and some great vegan tips if you are just now trying to transition.


My, my, 2012 has been a great year. Here's to the year ahead, I cannot wait to make new discoveries for you in this amazing world of a Vegan Athlete!

Cheers,

~B

Vegeducken

Thanksgiving may be over, but I'll tell you what I'm thankful for.... discovering Vegeducken. Thank you Dan Pashman for this new Vegan classic.

Next year, when all of your friends, family and even your worst acquaintances are sitting around a table eating a big fat turkey, you can be eating this gem.

Step 1 - Start with a Banana Squash (mine was 10 lbs, mother chunker!)

Step 2 - Cut the Banana Squash in half lengthwise and scoop out all of the guts and seeds.

Step 3 - Make Stuffing (of your choice, anything will do. I used stale bread, mushrooms, vegan sausage, herbs, celery, garlic and onion in mine)

Step 4 - Roast 2 Sweet Potatos until they are almost completely cooked through

Step 5 - Stuff the inside of one side of the squash with these layers -

• Stuffing
• Leeks
• Stuffing
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Stuffing
• Leeks
• Stuffing

Step 6 - Put on the top (heads up I do recommend putting a skewer through to ensure it doesn't tip over and the top doesn't come off)

Step 7 - Roast the Vegeducken for 2 hours at 350 degrees

Step 8 - Boom - the centerpiece to your next mega-meal!

I have to say it was a hit, and I'm definitely making it again in the future. You can pretty much stuff it with anything too, get creative, have fun and Happy belated Thanksgiving!

Rock and Roll Half Marathon Halloween

This past Halloween weekend, me and my best friend decided to forgo all of the Halloween parties that we would normally attend (and dominate), and signed up for a half marathon. OK - so we didn't realize it would mean we couldn't go out on Halloween weekend, or I doubt I would have been able to get her drunk and sign up with me.... but somehow it ended up being a really great finish to a great weekend.

Lucky #7202 wasn't so lucky for me as I unfortunately missed my PR by 1 minute and 30 seconds - I now realize I need to pay a lot more attention to my pacing times.... my watch is extremely inaccurate in that light.

My next half is right after New Years - which means I have to learn how to train in the warmth and in the freezing cold when I head to New England for the holidays.