0738212548-01.qxd:01_ThriveDiet 10/10/08 11:07 AM Page i Praise for Brendan Brazier’s Thrive “Brendan Brazier tells a very important story, one that is vital for the thousands, even millions, of individuals who train for athletics only to unnec- essarily harm their body and therefore performance through poor nutrition. Thrive is a must read.” —T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., best-selling author of The China Study “Thrive is an authoritative guide to outstanding performance, not just in top- level athletics, but in day-to-day life. Written by one of the world’s leading authorities on nutrition for professional athletes, it brings sports enthusiasts to their peak and helps everyone—athlete or not—to recover from stress and feel their best. This book sets aside the myths that have held many people back, and provides a state-of-the-art program for top health.” —Neal D. Barnard, M.D., president, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and author of Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes “Thrive is packed with invaluable information that can assist anyone at any level.” —Bruny Surin, Olympic gold medalist (4 x 100 meter relay, Atlanta 1996), fourth-fastest human ever “There is only one way to be happy in later life and that is to avoid the degen- erative illnesses that inevitably come from eating a standard diet. Brendan Brazier’s Thrive will increase the micronutrient density of your eating style and enable you to live longer, live healthier, and thrive.” —Joel Fuhrman, M.D., bestselling author of Eat to Live and Eat for Health “Brendan’s knowledge is second to none. I read Thrive and was enthralled that after reading so many books and meeting with so many experts, Brendan was able to explain his thoughts on nutrition in such a clear and insightful way. My Thrive copy rests alone in the kitchen, tattered pages stained with beet juice and hemp oil. I only hope my competition doesn’t read this book until after I’m done competing.” —Simon Whitfield, Olympic gold medalist, Sydney 2000 and Olympic silver medalist, Beijing 2008 “Ironman triathlete Brazier is proof that you can compete as a vegan; his ‘whole foods’ diet uses more parts of the plant than processed, refined foods. As a result, it is more nutritious and more fibrous, which is good for digestion and filling one up with fewer calories....Ideal for dieters who want to reduce their carbon foot- print and get healthy at the same time.” —Library Journal 0738212548-01.qxd:01_ThriveDiet 10/10/08 10:54 AM Page ii “Thrive is a life-changing book! The nutrition approach that Brendan lays out for you is amazing in its own right, but he has backed it all with powerful facts. If you want to reduce stress, feel great, eat well, and attain your healthiest you ever, get this book!! I recommend Thrive to all my athletes, clients, and friends.” —Jon Hinds, founder and owner of Monkey Bar Gymnasium, former NBA strength coach, advisor to MLB and NFL teams, and trainer to Hollywood stars “Quite possibly the most life-changing book you’ll ever read. For maximizing fitness and vitality, Thrive has no equal.” —Erik Marcus, founder and publisher, Vegan.com “Like the nutrient-rich whole foods he advocates, Brendan Brazier’s Thrive is filled with powerful information that will forever change the way you address life’s daily speed bumps. Whether professional athlete or weekend jogger, if you are serious about improving your health or athletic performance, you owe it to yourself to listen carefully to Brazier’s advice for controlling the negative stresses of 21st-century living, while learning how to grow stronger from life’s beneficial challenges.” —Joseph Connelly, founder and publisher, VegNews magazine “During my fifteen years in the strength and conditioning industry, I’ve read just about every nutrition book that’s come down the pike. Not too many of them, however, has had the lasting impact that Thrive has. Because of what I learned from Brendan, I have completely revamped my own nutritional program and in my mid-thirties, I’m feeling and performing better than ever. More importantly, I’ve started using his recommendations with all of my high- level athletes, and they are setting new personal bests and recovering faster than ever before. I can’t say enough good things about Thrive and honestly believe that every athlete, trainer, or coach owes it to themselves to read it.” —Jason Ferruggia, author of Fit to Fight and chief training adviser to Men’s Fitness magazine “Thrive has revolutionized the way I go about fueling my body and helped push me to a higher level of performance and workout recovery. The guidelines in Thrive work to help maintain your body’s optimal health level, whether you’re a world-class athlete, a nine-to-fiver, or a stay-at-home mom. Brendan gives you his years of knowledge in diet and athletic achievement in an easy- to-read, fully digestible form. There’s no other resource like it out there.” —Mac Danzig, elite UFC fighter and Ultimate Fighter 6 Champion 0738212548-01.qxd:01_ThriveDiet 10/10/08 9:11 AM Page iii Brendan Brazier is a professional Ironman triathlete and creator of VEGA, an award-winning whole food, plant-based, nutritional product line widely available in natural and health food outlets. A two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion, he is a renowned speaker and sought-after presenter throughout North America. In 2006, Brazier addressed the United States Congress concerning the signifi- cant social and economic benefits that can be achieved by improving personal health by means of a plant-based diet. Named one of The 25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians by VegNews magazine, Brazier is a guest lecturer at eCornell in New York and has appeared on ABC, NBC, and Fox News. He lives in Vancouver, Canada. 0738212548-01.qxd:01_ThriveDiet 10/10/08 9:11 AM Page iv This page intentionally left blank 0738212548-01.qxd:01_ThriveDiet 10/10/08 9:11 AM Page v THRIVE the vegan nutrition guide to optimal performance in sports and life BRENDAN BRAZIER A Member of the Perseus Books Goup 0738212548-01.qxd:01_ThriveDiet 10/10/08 9:11 AM Page vi To Lynn, Seymour, and Stanley Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Da Capo Press was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial capital letters. Copyright © 2007 by Brendan Brazier Originally published in 2007 by the Penguin Group (Canada). This edition published by arrangement with Penguin Canada. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. Cataloging-in-Publication data for this book is available from the Library of Congress. First Da Capo Press edition 2007 First Da Capo Press paperback edition 2008 HC ISBN: 978-1-60094-060-6 PB ISBN: 978-0-7382-1254-8 Published by Da Capo Press A Member of the Perseus Books Group www.dacapopress.com Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life was previously published in hardcover as The Thrive Diet: The Whole Food Way to Lose Weight, Reduce Stress, and Stay Healthy for Life. Note: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. This book is intended only as an informative guide for those wishing to know more about health issues. In no way is this book intended to replace, countermand, or conflict with the advice given to you by your own physician. The ultimate decision concerning care should be made between you and your doctor. We strongly recommend you follow his or her advice. Information in this book is general and is offered with no guarantees on the part of the authors of Da Capo Press. The authors and publisher disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book. The names and identifying details of people associated with events described in this book have been changed. Any similarity to actual persons is coincidental. Da Capo Press books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the United States by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call (800) 810-4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail [email protected]. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0738212548-01.qxd:01_ThriveDiet 10/10/08 9:11 AM Page vii contents Introduction 1 1 Reduce Stress to Increase Vitality 9 My Introduction to Stress 12 The Toll of Stress 15 Types of Stress 20 2 Understanding the Thrive Diet 33 High Net-Gain Nutrition Is the Key 34 Raw and Low-Temperature Cooked Foods 44 Alkaline-Forming Foods to pH Balance the Body 47 One-Step Nutrition 57 Nutrient-Dense Whole Foods Will Keep You Satisfied 60 Whole Foods for Complete Nourishment 62 Determining Common Food Sensitivities 64 Eliminating Biological Debt 70 Hydration 78 Lifestyle Tips to Complement the Thrive Diet 80 Applying the Thrive Diet 85 0738212548-01.qxd:01_ThriveDiet 10/10/08 9:11 AM Page viii viii Contents Recalibration: Ease into It 88 Getting Started on the Thrive Diet 89 3 The Thrive Diet for a Healthy Environment 92 The Energy Requirements of Food Production 92 Protein Production: A Significant Environmental Strain 95 Soil Quality 96 Why the Thrive Diet Is Less Demanding on the Environment 97 What Can We Do?