Protein Sources Vegetarian Style

I get a ton of questions about what I eat specifically when it comes to protein.

First, fellow veggies, read. You have to read everything. Not just labels but also about the proteins you are ingesting. The more you understand your food the smarter you can be about your choices. You need a combination of proteins sources, which means thinking ahead.

When I decided to change the way I ate as a veggie I read constantly. I made it a priority to find where and how I could get my sources of protein. I have to always be thinking about what that source is and how much I need. I've written posts in the past about how being a healthy veggie is work. You chose to eliminate foods that could make your weight loss and muscle gain much easier. The thing is if you're smart and do some research, you can be healthy and it becomes routine and not a chore.

Being veggie really isn't different then being an omnivore. I tend to choose a main protein and then multiple veggies that I just steam and flavor differently with spices. I know that might sound boring, but it's extremely easy to eat that way and very quick. Steaming or sauteing veggies usually takes less then 5 to 10 mins at most and because of the nature of vegetable based proteins they take less time to cook then meat.

As you might imagine there can be some really overly processed stuff out there that isn't that great for you in the long run. The one thing is to really watch your salt intake. This is something I'm constantly checking labels for and a lot of "mock" meats contain very high levels of sodium. Obviously salt can't be totally avoided, but I try to choose the best and I can and also drink tons of water just to flush my system.

I recently wrote down a list of proteins and the companies I usually purchase them from for a friend who is training people with this diet choice. It's very tough to tell someone just to eat protein that doesn't even know what their choices are!

I want to preface this list by say a few things. 1: I'm not paid by anyone to say the following, I don't have stock in any of these companies nor would I continue to use their products if they drastically changed the way the were made or their ingredients. 2: I know what I like may not suit every one's tastes. 3: I'm not a dietitian, I just know what I eat and how it's helped in my success.

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WestSoy

This company makes milk as well as my most consumed protein Seitan. It comes in many forms (cubed, crumbled, strips) and you can do almost anything with it. I usually just add a bit of olive oil to a pan and cook it till it's golden brown. It's very hard to screw up cooking it because, it's already cooked when you get it. You could bake it or microwave it just as easily. Just know that Seitan is not made from soy beans, but Wheat Gluten. That's its only downfall if someone was sensitive to gluten. Good thing, this is the highest concentration of protein to carbs I've been able to find. It's low in sodium, low in fat and very filling. This is my number 1 source of protein besides eggs.

Fieldroast Grain Meat Co (http://www.fieldroast.com/)

This company makes amazing sausages, but other products as well. They are a little higher in calories, but on days I work out hard I make sure to eat 2.

 
Turtle Island Foods (tofurky.com)
These people are really better known as the "tofurky" people :P They make a really super selection of Tempeh products I like which is made from soybeans. They also make many other items as well.

Fresh Tofu Inc. (http://www.freshtofu.com/)
This company is my main go to for tofu. They are an organic company that has very high quality products.

LightLife (www.lightlife.com)
This company is ok for somethings. I'm not to keen on their taste, but their Smart Strips are good in stir-fry medleys. Also the plain cutlets are probably the best as you can flavor them anyway you like. They also make Tempeh that is either soy or grain based, it's in "brick" form which means you can cut it anyway you like!

Boca & Morningstar
I hesitate to put these companies down and I don't really consume them very often. They tend to be overly processed for me and usually contain a lot of salt and too many carbs for the protein you do get. That being said if you want a veggie burger the bare bones "plain" ones aren't horrible. I also get the "crumbles" if I want to make tacos or something that needs a ground beef substitute.

Optimum Nutrition (http://www.optimumnutrition.com/)
I put this company down as it's the one I use for my protein powder and bar supplements. They are the high quality you'll get for the price and the most tasty as supps go. I know this can be scary for women as supps seem like a very "male" thing, but I swear by the PRO COMPLEX formula as it is made from a combination of proteins and has a fantastic blend of vitamins, minerals and BCAAs. 1 scoop is 30 grams of protein and less then 135 calories. I never usually do 2 scoops as suggested unless I just killed myself working out. 60g of protein at once is a bit much.


MHP (Maximum Human Performance) Power Pak Pudding: 
This is something I just recently found because it's a very very new food and expensive. The thing is it's the perfect "cheat" food without really cheating. I have a chocolate tooth. I've given it up mostly, but there are times when I need something. This pudding is the most amazing find in my protein sources. It's also lactose free and sugar free. If you could manage to eat a whole can (which I can only usually do half because it's soooo filling) it's stats will surprise you. 190 Calories, 4.5 fat, 9 carbs, 30g of protein. This is literally almost a meals worth of protein in pudding form. If you're going to indulge be smart, I don't need another chocolate bar as long as I live while this stuff this on the market.


Organic Eggs & Raw Nuts
I eat plenty of free range organic eggs and fair amount of nuts - usually no more then a fourth of a cup of any 1 type of nut and ALWAYS raw unsalted. Almonds, Walnuts and Soynuts are my staples and I get them raw in bulk at Whole Foods.

I hope this helps little bit as even just a starting point. I know depending on where you live you may not have access to all of these companies, but find out where you can get proteins like these and send requests to your local grocery if you can. A lot of places are willing to order items for you, or try a line if a customer requests it. You can also order just about anything online these days, alternate protein sources can be an added expense, especially organic ones. It's your health though, which I personally feel your can't put a price on :)

LISTEN UP YOU VEGETARIANS!

I'm back to the blog and I just wanted to say that I'm still training and trying to rev up a little more this June with diet. I'll be writing specifics on this possibly this weekend, but today I wanted to get into my overall diet and lifestyle choice.

The reason I'm doing this is because in the past few days I've met some new people in my bootcamp class who claim vegetarianism as their diet and lifestyle choice {exciting :D }. I've been a vegetarian for 15 years, longer then I've eaten meat, and through this dietary choice I've learned, adapted and changed.

So a bit of body composition first! If you want your body to be what the world refers to as "lean or tone" what you're really saying is "I want more muscle then fat on my body". No matter how you want to look at that, you need to build muscle.

Building your muscles is a two step process.

First you need to tax those muscle fibers, which means you constantly have to work them harder then you worked them before. Your body gets use to the work you make it do, if you don't challenge your muscles you eventually will plateau in your progress!

Secondly you need to eat to fuel that muscle reconstruction and growth. Growth believe it or not is what makes you tighter and leaner (speaking from experience!) I'm not the hulk and I don't want to be, but I do want to be tone so I work and feed my muscles accordingly. If you want to get lean you have to replace some of that fat with something!

Protein is the fuel that makes a lean body possible. It's the main macronutrient that everyone should be focusing on :)

Vegetarianism is often viewed as unhealthy because most don't have a varied or nutritious diet. It's much more difficult to live this lifestyle and you have to be dedicated and creative to be healthy living it. As with any diet if it's not balanced it's not good for you.

So how do I get my protein?

Well first I had to do a lot of research on protein sources and the company's manufacturing them. I say this because if you're not careful, you can end up eating a lot of "meatless" alternatives that are so processed you might as well just be eating pure salt and sugar.

As with anything "boxed" you HAVE to read the label. Vegetarians often don't realize their sodium, fat and carb intake is off the charts!

I've finally found a few companies to whom I'm very loyal for my protein sources. These are products where the protein content is high and the processed content is low. I also try to find these sources in their most "pure" form because the more it's flavor or "shaped" the more it probably contains things that aren't super great for you.

I also don't recommend, but insist that vegetarians need to have a source of powder protein in some form. Whether it be whey, rice, egg, or an isolate blend. It is sometimes the only way I can make sure I reach adequate protein ingestion without having to eat a mountain of food. It also is one of the EASIEST ways to get a high dose of complete proteins into your system after a good workout. (Adding to that growth and lean muscle I talked about earlier!)

Also everyday I make sure to try and get a decent combination of proteins. I don't JUST eat tofu, in fact I've lowered my soy intake for the sole fact that as women, not getting any younger, it's not great to ingest copious amounts of soy.

I get protein from eggs, nuts, legumes, setain, soy, whey, casein, protein isolates and on extremely rare occasions yogurt and cheese. Being partially lactose intolerant I don't dapple much in the dairy department and you also have to be careful you don't eat too much dairy because it's very high in fat. The key is always moderation.

While that list doesn't seem as big as the animal kingdom, it's far more varied then people may realize. The legume and soy family alone is gigantic and make great additions to a lot of recipes in place of mountains of grains. I actually eat very little in the way of rice, bread, oats or pasta. Most if not all of my carbs come from vegetables, fruits, and usually are a part of my protein sources.

It is very easy to be a lo carb vegetarian and not tired all the time, you just have to be willing to want to eat that way :)

Oh and bottom line you need to cook. I don't even want to hear you don't have time because it takes less then 15 mins to make an awesome meal. Even when I was at my breaking point with no time, I would make all my food on Sundays so that I never had to think about cooking. Remember fresh veggies are best, but frozen is "cool" too <<<sorry bad pun. Sometimes I can't always get fresh, so I have loads of organic frozen veggies for emergencies. No salt added, just 8 mins to steam. YUM!

You cannot always rely on outside sources for your meals because as a society of omnivores places often don't offer protein options based on a vegetarian lifestyle. New York City is an exception as I imagine San Fran is too, STILL as a veggie you should always be carrying food. I pack my breakfast and lunch almost everyday I go to work and if the event I've forgotten or can't I'm sure to throw something protein based in my bag, (usually eggs, raw nuts & protein powder), so that I get something if my lunch is mostly veggies.

You also have to except that you will have to supplement your diet. I firmly believe that my losses would not have been so dramatic if I hadn't been consciously supplementing, not only with a protein powder, but also with daily vitamins. It's a must to make sure you're hitting your B12 and iron, you don't want to be sick or tired.

I also tracked my eating habits for a long time to understand how much protein was enough. The tighter I honed my diet to include more protein combinations the easier it's been to see progress physically.

It's very possible to be a healthily vegetarian. As one I've excepted responsibility of my choice not to eat meat and believe me it is a responsibility. I don't care what your reason is for being one, with that choice you ultimately made "eating" a conscience part of your life. If it's too much work or too much of a stress, it's worth reconsidering why you chose to be one. Doing yourself bodily harm because you love animals seems like priorities need readjusting and I can say this because I feel a moral connection to animals that I cannot overcome. I could not bring myself to kill one, so I feel obligated not to take part in consuming them.

I find my choice to be a veggie was right for me. I'm happy, healthy and can see progress in my fitness goals even with the diet I've chosen. I'm not afraid to adapt or change ratios in the foods I do eat and I'm always aware of my health first.

So to all veggies out there, do your research and eat your protein!

Supplementation Without Representation

sup·ple·ment

1. Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole.

I've been thinking about writing this post for awhile now and what's pushed me to go through with it is the recent abuse of supplements I've seen.

I would never ever name names, but I know a few people ignorantly supplementing. For whatever reason they are putting things into their body they believe will transform them, yet they don't exercise on a regular basis and don't have the best eating habits. They are also abusing stimulates and thermogens (aka fat burners) believing this alone will help them lose weight.

I'd like to believe that about 90% of people shouldn't be supplementing with anything more then maybe a protein powder and a decent multi-vitamin. This is because people don't research what they are putting into their body and how they are using it. They are literally pissing away expensive supplements without using them properly believing that if they shop at their local GNC it makes them serious about fitness.

I really believe you should not supplement unless you are:
1. Training with extreme dedication pretty much 5-6 days a week with hard set goals.
2. Know your body & mind intimately and have a firm grasp on good diet on how outside forces effect you.
3. Are educated so thoroughly on what you are taking that you could write a research paper on it blindfolded.

So why do people take supplements?

Well for one if you take them properly they can really help you get great results and help with recovery from your training. This is only with an already good diet and exercise plan though. Supplements aren't magic, you can't just start taking things and expect your body to change before your eyes. It's why I personally think that supplement companies shouldn't be allowed to advertise like they do.

Look in any fitness magazine and you will see every ad under the sun full of crazy ripped, glowing gorgeous bodies tell you if you take whatever it is they are taking you will look like them. WRONG!!

It's so wrong there should be a huge disclaimer.

You should already know how your body works and what your goals are before you put anything into it besides food and water. I must of read for months about certain supplements before even THINKING about taking them. I've been extremely careful and kept detail notes on how I feel and how I'm making progress.

One reason I also supplement is being a vegetarian and pumping a lot of heavy iron along with very intense cardio each week has its challenges. Because I don't eat meat there are components lacking from my diet that I want and need to get. I have to consume a lot of protein - a lot - especially if I want to see builds in lean muscle mass and be able to keep it. I found supplementation has been a tremendous help in this lifestyle choice, I know for a fact it's been one of the reasons I've seen such great progress.

That being said your body cannot live on sups alone. You need real food in conjunction with sups or they are useless. You also need to know what times to take them so that they benefit your body in the best possible way and know when to cycle off and stop taking them so your body doesn't get use to them (they won't be helpful if you over use). If this sounds like too much work you're right, it is. If you aren't willing to commit to learning it then you shouldn't be doing it... period.

I'm not sure I want to give a laundry list of what I supplement with (though my stack is very small in comparison to what a lot people take). I don't preach taking them and I don't want people to think it's the only way to get results. I didn't start supplementing with more then just a very basic protein & multi until about two and half months ago, so it does go to show you that my losses in fat and inches go to good old fashion diet and exercise.

I will throw props to Optimum Nutrition as I'm a very proud user of their supplements. They are forth coming with detailed information on their products and produce them with a level of quality that surpasses a lot of supplement companies out there. They are one of the few companies that produce many different forms and combinations of protein powders, including an all natural variety which I love. They also make a great woman's multi and I live and die by since it's the only one I've ever taken that doesn't make me feel sick to my stomach. I've recommended them as a source of protein to many people, but you still should READ THE LABELS. Know what's in it and what it's doing for you

Bottom line supplements are there to help fill a gap/deficiency in your diet and help assist your body in intense training. They should never ever be used without proper education of what they are and how they work with the right conditions and lifestyle. They can be very expensive and some, depending, can be dangerous if not taken properly (especially stims and thermogenics!).

If you don't know what is it, what it does or why it works you shouldn't be putting it in your mouth and don't let any amount of advertising change that. Be smart and safe with your body you only get one.

Stress Eating & The Beauty of Routine

My motto for dealing with stress usually is "focus on the things you can change."

There are weeks (months even) where my life is sort of thrown into chaos because of my day job. I'm really happy that my personal relationships are, for the most part, very stable or at least at a constant. My career has taken the dominate force of stress.

There was a time when I felt I had control over nothing. I wasn't happy about anything and my coping mechanisms were not healthy. But even now I really have to work not to fall back into horrible habits.

I am a stress eater.

I never thought I was and if you would of asked me a year ago I'd of told you I never had an eating disorder. When I think of an eating disorder I think of the extremes: people who never eat and people who never STOP eating.

There is this grey area though and I think a lot of, Americans especially, fall into the middle category. Eating when we are not hungry, bored, stressed, happy, to be social... believe it or not I consider that an unsafe relationship with food.

You should never be eating when you aren't hungry, when you stop and think about that for 2 seconds it sound completely rational. Yet I cannot tell you how many times I've wanted relief of stress through chocolate. It's my weakness.

At some point I trained my brain to want chocolate when I come under stress. I have spent almost a year trying to unlearn it and it's been a hell of a struggle for me. The past few months have been pretty good. I've had a system with myself and was able to overcoming cravings and not feel like I was going crazy.

Yesterday, however, was a different story. I know I'm almost completely done for when there is no constant in my daily routine. Some people think a daily routine means your awful boring human, but your body craves some sort of regularity. When you give this to yourself it means other stresses in your life are easier to overcome, Terri taught me this and it's been a huge part to my success.

I have to work very long hours sometimes and deal with time sensitive material. People (under stress) will bark orders at me or use condescending language. This is all overwhelming. But I can overcome my stress without resorting to bad food choices if I've done things like: worked out in the morning, ate my meals at the regular time, drank enough water, gone to bed at a normal time, spent time focusing on my goals at home. I don't have to do all of those things, just as long as I've done most of them I have enough will power to not go to the candy jar.

This week though everything was off for me. I wasn't sleeping enough or going to bed when I normally do. There were not enough groceries to last us through the week so Clint and I ate at odd times. I was resorting to working out in the evenings which threw me off and because everything seemed to be off I wasn't letting go of work crap once I got home.

So Friday I let myself cave. I was completely aware of what I was doing and WHY I was doing it and I kept it down to a non obscene level of chocolate consumption. Sometime letting yourself indulge in the little brain pleasures keeps you from going crazy when nothing seems right. It's the routine of caving every single time you can't cope that's the dangerous route.

With the week finally over I'm really looking forward to my Bootcamp circuit today with all my fitness mates. Saturdays are always the toughest workouts, with non-stop intense training. I always feel my pressures are squashed after doing that, which just goes to show the more stressed you are the harder you should exercise. It makes your brain and body so happy and you get endorphins from that accomplishment and not a bag of Hersey's kisses!

Calories & Macro-nutrients WTF?!

What exactly is a calorie? A calorie is a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1,000 grams of water by one degree Celsius.

A more basic answer: A calorie is a unit to measure the energy which is the fuel for our bodies.

So why is it so scary and confusing?
I'd say because most people don't know how much energy they expend so they don't know how much fuel they need. There is no physical meter like with our cars. When the tank is empty the car won't run, fill the tank too much and you have bad smelling shoes and a possible explosive situation.

Some people believe if they stay within a certain calorie limit they can eat whatever they want. So I ask this question: what's better, eating 1500 calories a day of donuts or 1500 calories of veggies and lean meats? The problem with the way most people look at nutrition is they don't look at what's called "macro-nutrients".

I know I'm throwing some fancy words right now, but their premise is very simple. Macro-nutrients are substances needed for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions that are required in large amounts. There are three broad classes of macro-nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

This means, for example, if you're consuming on average 1500 calories a day the breakdown from where that energy is coming from is protein, cabs and fats (these are measured in grams). Not having a proper balance of these nutrients is why people have trouble with diet. Intakes of sugars, sodium and cholesterol are also a factor.

You want to be able to hit the proper levels of your macro-nutrients without exceeding the number of calories you need to fuel your daily activities. This is easily shown in foods that aren't good for you. They are usually very high in calories without benefiting your body in proper nutrients. High in either sugar, sodium and/or cholesterol and usually contain chemicals and preservatives, it's what's called "empty calories."

The calories you want are from what's commonly referred to as "clean foods, or clean eating". This is the premise that all of your nutrients should be coming from foods in their most pure form. Trust me when I say this alone will make your trips to the grocery store a breeze. You can pretty much skip the middle sections everything is on the outskirts! Fresh produce, when things aren't in season I buy canned or frozen and always check to make sure there is no added salt or sugars. The butcher/fish man for fresh lean meats. The dairy section for eggs, light milks and yogurts. Grains should always be whole and nuts should be raw and these should be sampled in moderation. Sounds too simple, it really is that easy.

Once you get use to eating more clean food you will notice how your body rejects processed food. My lowered tolerance for lactose aside I can barely eat anything that isn't pure now. There is so much sodium in most packaged foods I get too bloated and feel too ill to enjoy it.

Also with eating a proper balance of good clean foods you will notice a new form of energy. Exercise won't seem as terribly labored, you'll sleep much better and will wake up feeling more "empty" because your body is using everything. Your mood will be elevated and you'll feel better in tune with how your body feels.

This is essentially the lead into learning how to form a balanced diet. You might have to rewire your thoughts on food, but once you start to understand what your food is doing for you it's not as obscure.

Hope this helped explain the basic components of where are energy comes from in a fairly easy light. I'll be doing more detailed and longer nutrition posts in the following weeks so stay tuned :)

Life & Taxes

Had my taxes done this weekend and it's time for a little venting.

I don't want to really bring in politics into this blog because that's not what it's about. That being said this is a blog about exercise, taking care of yourself, etc. and I think it's really strange that there are no incentives for Americans to be healthy.

I'd argue myself in saying, healthy means you live longer and you feel better physically and mentally. That should be enough of an incentive, but it also means you are less of burden on the rest of the nation. You won't have to see the doctor as much, or have as many tests done. The odds of you having to take tons of medicine are lowered because your body functions the way it's suppose to.

Americans being the most out of shape, overweight and sickly of the great nations you'd think the government would offer tax breaks to people who actually take care of themselves. You can write off anything medical, you can use pre-taxed money to pay for it using flex spending. Yet when it comes to gym memberships, training, classes, buying workout equipment (all which are an added expenses) there is no relief for being able to keep it up.

"But Diane you can't PROVE that because someone has a gym membership they are using it."

It's true. You can't prove that because a person buys the treadmill that they use it. Tons of people feel motivated at first and then the feeling dies out. Though if there was a way to measure physical fitness by a test, against yourself - say an end of the year physical to prove you're making improvements. I think a lot of people would be willing to do this for a nice write of on their taxes.

My job actually started something just like this for lowering the rate I have to pay on my insurance. I take a blood test once a year and if all my levels stay within a certain range OR improve I don't have to pay as much into my insurance for staying healthy. Also it's a good way to possibly catch something if I need to really be concerned. It's a simple blood test and it's totally optional. You don't have to do it and even if you do you aren't penalized if your don't improve.

I'm not into government controlling everything, but I think if you get write-offs for having children, or buying a house, or even being on tons of medication, you should also be rewarded for taking care of yourself. Taking care of yourself does effect others, you're setting a really great example to the people around you. I know many people that started changing their lifestyles once they saw the progress I was making (my mom included).

We talk about nutrition and our workout routines. We keep each other motivated. Exercise and good nutrition is contagious. Not for everyone, but the more people are against the community candy bowl the less it's likely to get filled. People don't want to be the only ones, it's a lot easier if they know others around them are also on their side.

If America was really seriously about getting people to be healthy, they'd stop trying to ban bad food and start rewarding for good behavior. We all have to make that choice and no one can force you not to eat Twinkies. The thing is I bet that sprig of asparagus would look a lot more appetizing with the notion that you'd be able to get something back from Uncle Sam.

People would know that actually using their gym membership wouldn't just benefit their bodies but their pocketbooks. This also helps out the private sector a lot. More people would be buying workout gear, paying trainers and participating local events. Also it would lower the count in the emergency rooms which hurts everyone in wallet.

All I'm saying is it's something the American government should think about. Michelle Obama is all for children's health, it's her cause so to speak. It shouldn't just be for children's health, but the health of all Americans. If it takes money to get people excited about being healthy it will only be the catalyst, once they realize how they feel and how great they look, they'll want to keep it up. Least in my perfect world :)