Raw Foods Diet & Raw Food Weight Loss Blog

We get asked from time to time about whether we like to use protein powders and, if so, which brands we like. As you’ll no doubt notice after getting into raw foods for a while, raw foodies (just like quite a lot of health-conscious people) often get into various powdered food additives. Some purists are against their use, of course. But, we’re not so dead set against them. We do, however, believe that, if you’re going to put something into your body as part of a health program, you should be conscious about it.

A few months ago, Wendi decided that she wanted to add some protein into her diet in the form of a protein powder. She did quite a bit of research at the time into the various brands available, charting out which ones were raw, which ones had various ingredients, and so forth. It was a fairly in-depth study, done for personal reasons unrelated to Pure Jeevan’s blog articles. So, we never mentioned it before.

In the end, Wendi eliminated many, many brands, leaving relatively few contenders for our business. The strongest one, we felt, was the “Warrior Food” line put out by Healthforce Nutritionals. A Zing-link directly to that product is http://tinyurl.com/warriorfood. It’s about $45 for a kilo, which comes in well under a buck/scoop — not too bad. (I’m sure there are other great ones, too. This endorsement doesn’t mean to discourage anyone from trying other products. It simply means that it’s the one we selected.)

At first blush, the product name seemed to me a little cheesy on the marketing. I mean, we were just after a little extra protein, not looking to overthrow Attila the Hun. But, aside from the perhaps over-the-top graphics and flashy packaging, it turns out that a truly quality product awaits. The main ingredient is 100% organic sprouted, raw, non-GMO brown rice protein, plus a little hemp protein and nopal cactus thrown in for good measure.

As for taste, that’s so subjective that it’s tough to describe what it’ll be like for everyone. For me, it adds a rich dimension to smoothies. I wish I knew a better word than “chalky” (because “chalky” surely sounds bad), but I suppose the richness is kind of a dry, malty richness that I find pleasant. I even crave it quite often now! As for whether I feel like a warrior… well, the jury’s out. I do feel well fed and nourished, though, after such a smoothie. They’re richer than a normal smoothie, and perhaps a bit heartier.

It comes in a few varieties — regular, vanilla, and (I believe) chocolate. I recommend purchasing the regular variety for a few reasons. First, its ingredient base is simpler and less diluted by other flavorings. Second, you can always tweak your powders with your own preferences. I’ve tasted their vanilla variety (and do like it), but I’ve found that buying the regular one and then adding some vanilla extract is preferable to me.

Tomorrow and Wednesday, I’ll share a few of my favorite protein powder smoothie recipes. We’re absolutely dying to get back to doing live demo’s again, by the way. However, our kitchen renovation is not yet complete. Soon, though, we’ll be able to just show you these kinds of things on video.

That link again is http://tinyurl.com/warriorfood. (If only I could offer you some Ginsu knives for clicking that, I’d be a marketer extraordinaire!)

In this special five-part series, Joanna Steven uncovers where some top vegetarian athletes get their protein. Here’s part five, focusing on Tonya Kay’s take on this issue.

AVOCADO

Professional dance is of most challenging sports requiring athletes to perform at expert levels of flexibility, strength, coordination and emotional fitness in order to entertain their audiences.  Having been vegetarian since age 7, Tonya Kay has built her glorious professional dance career entirely on a vegetarian diet.

A vegan since age 17, Tonya Kay has pushed her physical body to the limits on tour in STOMP for 3 years and has broken bones performing aerial work with Off-Broadway’s aerial stunt show De La Guarda.  She has performed in concert dance companies in NYC and Los Angeles, and recently played two sold out shows at Madison Square Garden as part of Panic At the Disco’s rock-n-roll tour.

Six years ago, Tonya Kay transitioned from cooked vegan to raw vegan and is thankful for the improved energy and recovery time now that she’s dancing in Hollywood’s film and television industry.   Excessively long shoot days are common and last year Tonya Kay danced in a 30 hour shoot in Tokyo for pop artist Namie Amuro’s “New Look” video.

Look for Tonya Kay performing a solo whip artistry dance piece in Showtime’s “Live Nude Comedy” series with Andy Dick.  Upcoming television appearances also include knife throwing stunt features on the History Channel’s “More Extreme Marksman” and TBS’s “Ellen Degeneres Really Big Show”.  Past industry dance and stunt features include NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”,  Death Angel’s “Dethroned” music video and the Progressive Auto Insurance “Gremlins” campaign.

Active in the environmental and health communities when not on stage, Tonya Kay recently published the first ever conclusive Raw Nutritional Analysis, wherein her diet is analyzed for one month to reveal exactly “Where do raw vegan athletes get their protein from?”  And their calcium …. And iron … And …

“I’ve heard it all from athletes regarding the cruelty-free diet – “But I need protein,” “I won’t have enough energy,” “I tried that but I felt weak.” Those excuses are just that; excuses. Excuses are self-imposed limits preventing you from taking a risk, trying something new, and potentially being your greatest yet.

If you are someone with excuses, forgive yourself. Most of these excuses are subconscious and filled with well-intent. Seriously … if you actually thought you were depriving yourself of “nature’s building blocks”, for goodness sake, it would be irresponsible of you to eat that “deficient” diet. Unfortunately, our well-intent is misguided by heavy marketing. Corporately-pushed consumerism compels our purchase with a mere High Protein label or fancy Low Carb wrapper – forget that most consumers don’t know what the word carb is short for, let alone even know what one does in the body!

As a professional dancer training 10-25 hours/week, the foods I find most beneficial to my performance are the water-rich, and amino acid-rich fruits.   My body builds muscle amazingly quickly as a raw vegan athlete, based on activity and a clean diet, which is why I eat more ripe avocados than any other food under the Southern California sun!   Comprised of 74% water by weight, the avocado digests like a fruit, rather than a fat, keeping me sweating clean all day.  And with it’s full spectrum of all 18 amino acids including those elusive essential amino acids, I know that the delight I receive from eating one is not intellectual, but instinctual – is there any doubt humans were born to eat this food – and a lot of it!”

Avocados may just be the perfect food.  Providing all of the 18 amino acids, avocados are bursting with nutrients, including vitamins A, C, E, H and B complex.  Avocados are exceptional sources of vitamin K, potassium and essential fatty acids and users report softer skin, lustrous hair and hormonal balance.
Athletes who experiment with plant-based protein, consistently report a substantial increase in energy and a dramatic decrease in recovery time.  This fact might surprise some skeptics, however its scientific basis is completely supported.  Plant-based proteins are easily absorbed by the body, and when eaten raw, they maintain all their original living enzymes and nutritional value.  They are rich in disease fighting fiber, minerals, vitamins, chlorophyll, and healthy fats and their production has astounding positive environmental impacts.  

Plant-based proteins are the healthiest naturally available sources of fuel for the human body.  And the world’s top vegan athletes agree.  To quote Tonya Kay, “If you want average results, do what average people do.  But if you want extraordinary results…”

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[Note from Pure Jeevan: Even though all of the sources of protein highlighted in this series are not raw, we feel it's important for people to realize that meat isn't the only protein source available for athletes, who tend to desire more protein than the average person.]

In this special five-part series, Joanna Steven uncovers where some top vegetarian athletes get their protein. Here’s part four, focusing on Brendan Brazier’s take on this issue.

GREEN LEAFIES

Brendan Brazier is one of only a few professional athletes in the world whose diet is 100% plant-based. He’s a professional Ironman triathlete, bestselling author on performance nutrition, and the creator of an award-winning line of whole food nutritional products called Vega.  He is also a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion.

Brendan’s professional athletic career began in 1998. Over the course of only a few years, his performance quickly climbed, improving each year in Ironman triathlon racing. At Ironman Canada, in 1999 he finished 21st, the following year he placed 14th, then 11th, followed up by an 8th place finish in 2002 in Ironman Utah. In 2003 and 2006 Brendan won the National 50km Ultra Marathon Championships. Other results include 3rd place at the National Long-Course Triathlon Championships and both 3rd and 2nd in consecutive years in the Royal Victoria Marathon.

Brendan is the author of the Canadian best selling book, Thrive, and in 2005 launched his 100% raw whole food energy bar, Vega.  In 2006, Brendan also invited to address US Congress on Capitol Hill, where he spoke of the significant social and economic benefits that could be achieved by improving personal health through better diet.  In 2007 Brendan returned to Capital Hill to lobby against the Farm Bill and was named one of the most 25 Fascinating Vegetarians by VegNews magazine.

“It’s advantageous to maintain a neutral pH.  Eating too many acid-forming foods will promote inflammation, reduce immune function and cause calcium to be pulled from the bones in order to keep the blood in its neutral state of 7.35.  This, of course, leads to lower bone density and, in many cases, osteoporosis.

One of the big advantages of properly balanced whole food (plant-based protein over animal protein) is its slightly neutral pH.  In contrast, highly processed foods are acid forming, as are animal based foods.   The most alkaline forming foods are those with chlorophyll, the green pigment in many plants – leafy greens for example. 

I eat a big salad each day that’s full of dark leafy greens, since they comprise of about 45 percent protein.  If the salad is big enough, that’s a lot of protein and the quality is high since it’s in amino acid form, which means the body doesn’t need to convert it from protein into amino acids, therefore its digestion conserves energy.  And conserving energy is as good as getting more.”

The one food that is most highly associated with longevity is leafy greens.  Because of their high magnesium content and low glycemic index, green leafy vegetables are valuable for persons with type 2 diabetes. Major sources of iron and calcium, green leafies are also packed with Quercetin, a bioflavonoid found with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.  Green leafy vegetables are dense with easily-assimilated amino acids as well as other life-extending nutrients.

Return tomorrow for the final installment of Joanna Steven’s Animal-free Protein series!

In this special five-part series, Joanna Steven uncovers where some top vegetarian athletes get their protein. Here’s part three, focusing on Robert Cheeke’s take on this issue.

YELLOW PEA POWDER

In the spring of 2005 this natural body builder became a champion bodybuilder – all on a strict  vegan diet.  Robert Cheeke, an activist/athlete raised on an Oregon farm, went vegan when he was 15 years old and transitioned to full on vegan only two months later.  Winning titles in Portland, OR and competing at the Natural Bodybuilding World Championships held in California, Robert maintains his intense mass building workout regime on a 100% animal-free diet.

In 2006 Robert was selected as one of VegNews Magazine’s “15 Most Influential Vegan Athletes”, and is considered one of the most recognized vegan athletes in the world.   Robert’s cruelty-free training philosophy and accomplishments have been featured in more than 20 international magazines, 200 websites and in television commercials for VegSeattle and PETA. 

Co-founder of C-VEG, a Corvallis Oregon based vegan group, board member of OrganicAthlete and Northwest VEG, Robert’s animal advocacy expands beyond personal convictions and deep into the global community’s roots.  Robert is the President of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, is co-organizer of Portland VegFest, and is currently on an 18 month speaking tour presenting about topics including “Thriving On A Plant Based Diet” and “Careers in Environmental and Animal Activism”. 

“In North America, we are taught from a young age to believe that the only “good” sources of protein come from animals.  It is proven by scores of scientific studies that plant-based sources of protein are easier for the human body to assimilate and plant-based foods do not come with many of the negative health implications associated with a diet rich in animal protein such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

As a vegan bodybuilder, I compete in a sport dominated by meat eaters, most of whom scoff at the idea that one could get sufficient protein from plants to be competitive. I do not consume any animal products whatsoever, not even dairy or eggs.  Instead, I get as much protein as possible from whole foods, often supplementing with plant-based protein powders to help me meet my target of 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight for building muscle mass.

Great commonly available plant-based protein powders include yellow pea, brown rice and soy. Though soy protein has been a staple in my diet for years, I have recently reduced my consumption of it because I am concerned about developing food sensitivities and/or allergies.  Too much of a good thing can be detrimental to overall health and my feeling is that soy is becoming overly pervasive in vegan and vegetarian diets.  There are so many good alternatives such as yellow pea, that I feel I don’t need to rely on just soy protein powder anymore.

A high protein diet can be taxing on the liver and kidneys so it is important to drink a lot of water (I personally drink over a gallon a day) to help the body’s organs process the large amounts of protein.  As a vegan bodybuilder, I want to show others that it is possible to gain significant muscle and strength on a vegan diet and believe that a plant-based diet is one of the best things you can do for your health, and the well-being of our environment.”

Yellow pea protein is the ideal preworkout fuel.  Higher in the amino acid arginine than whey, casein, egg and soy proteins, yellow pea powder dilates blood vessels and delivers more blood, nutrients and anabolic hormones to the muscles.  Yellow pea protein is hypoallergenic as opposed to the 90 per cent of protein still sourced from soy and milk-derived caseinates.  And with 25g of protein per 35g, yellow pea protein powder is the perfect source of cholesterol-free and gluten-free protein for vegan athletes.

Return tomorrow for Part 4 of Joanna Steven’s Animal-free Protein series!

In this special five-part series, Joanna Steven uncovers where some top vegetarian athletes get their protein. Here’s part two, focusing on Koya Webb’s take on this issue.

ALMONDS

“The greater the percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits” is Koya Webb, fitness model, personal trainer, triathlete and body builder’s personal motto.  Koya’s sculpted physique won 1st place in the Ultimate Fitness Events “Fitness Model” and “Bikini Model” competitions and has modeled for Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Muscle and Fitness, Her Sports, Royal Caribbean and Triathlete magazine, to name a few.  As a living-foodist (one who eats 60% or more uncooked veggies, nuts, seeds, and super foods) Koya believes eating all natural “fruits of the earth” can help heal cancer, diabetes, and other diseases plaguing our society today.

As a certified personal trainer, Koya is improving her clients’ lifestyles by providing exercise prescriptions, healthy diets, fitness training, professional advice, and aerobics classes through her company, Lifestyle Revelations.  Koya holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and uses this knowledge to give people the science behind living a healthy lifestyle.  She is a published author and shares her personal raw recipe preferences in the book, Koya’s Kuisine.

She has tested her wits in Fear Factor and recently American Gladiator to prove that a strong mind and spirit are as essential as a strong body.  After a strained Achilles halted her training for the Olympics in the 400 hurdles, Koya began cycling and swimming everyday to speed her recovery, and since has competed in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon.  This Track and Field and High Jump Champion knows how to get the best out of her sport and her lifestyle.

“I absolutely love almonds! I soak them for six hours and can make every meal of day “protein packed” with these nutritious sources of balanced fat and protein.  I make Pina Coladas, broccoli casserole, and apple pie to name a few.”

Almonds* are phytochemical powerhouses – containing massive amounts of this natural compound, effectively lowering cholesterol with the same effect as the drugs called statins.  Patients eating nuts five times a week have a 50% reduction in risk of heart attack and as the best whole food source of vitamin E, in the form of tocopherol, almonds may even help prevent cancer.  Almonds’ high calcium and magnesium contents are good for strong bones, with 18 grams of protein per 3 oz serving – the same as fish fillet or steak, but without the detrimental fats.

*NOTE: in September of 2007, without public notification, the FDA required that all almonds sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico be pasteurized.  With no truth in labeling, almonds may still be labeled “raw,” but are not unless purchased directly from certain almond orchards that still offer truly raw almonds.

[As a side note, we at Pure Jeevan order our almonds from Natural Zing and TheRawFoodWorld, both of which offer repackaged, truly raw, sproutable almonds -- obtained in bulk directly from the growers. We're also aware of raw almond snack makers such as Seth Leaf and Davy (The Almond Brothers), makers of LivingNutz, another truly raw almond product. Feel free to leave comments if you know of other almond vendors or almond snack producers who use truly raw, sproutable almonds!]

Return tomorrow for Part 3 of Joanna Steven’s Animal-free Protein series!