A vegan diet for a stress-free life

May 20, 2007

Michelle Magnan, CanWest News ServicePublished: Friday, May 18, 2007 CALGARY - Put down the doughnut. Step away from the hamburger. Sure, they're bad for you, but they're also making you tense. It may sound strange, but it's true: your food is stressing you out. Brendan Brazier, a Vancouver-based professional Ironman triathlete and author of The Thrive Diet (Penguin Canada, 2007, $24), explains in his new book that "stress is anything that causes strain." He says nutritional stress, which is "created by food because of its unhealthy properties," accounts for about 40 per cent of the average North American's total stress load. "That's significant because it has the same effect on the body as any other stress," says Brazier, a

long and lean 32-year-old. "The body doesn't know the difference. When you eat foods that are refined, processed and really hard to digest, that's ultimately more stress and work for your body." Brazier believes that eating whole, natural and high-alkaline foods such as vegetables, fruits and grains reduces nutritional stress. He outlines his vegan way of eating in The Thrive Diet. "The main premise of the book has to do with reducing stress through better nutrition because stress is a root cause of so many problems, whether they be mild ones like sleep irritation and gaining weight easily, or bigger ones (like depression and digestive problems)." With loads of tasty-looking recipes, a 12-week meal plan and plenty of guidelines and explanations, Brazier's book is a veggie lover's dream. But what about us

meat-lovers? "It's not all or nothing," he says. "Even if you have just one (vegan) meal or one snack a day, the benefits will be felt. "You'll feel good and you'll want to do more of it. You won't have to force yourself. It's certainly not about cutting everything out that you like or want to eat." The promises of adhering to the Thrive Diet sound fantastic - better sleep quality, less joint inflammation, improved mental clarity and stronger bones, to name a few. While reduced body fat is another result, weight loss is not the diet's focus. "(The book is) for optimizing health, and when your health is optimal, then you'll be closer to your ideal body weight," says Brazier. Optimizing performance was Brazier's ultimate goal

when he started experimenting with different diets as an aspiring 15-year-old athlete. He noticed that most athletes' training programs were quite similar and determined that what must separate the top-tier performers from the average ones was what they were doing when they weren't training - that is, how they recovered. "To do all that training, the body has to recover well," he says. "I realized nutrition was a huge part of that." In search of the best plan, he experimented with high-carb, low-carb, high-protein and low-protein diets. Then he tried a plant-based diet. The results were not good. "I felt tired, I was hungry and I wasn't recovering well at all," he says. When people told him he couldn't be an athlete and not eat meat, he felt even more determined to prove them wrong. He

researched, and researched some more. Eventually, Brazier realized he wasn't getting enough essential nutrients like iron, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. He started to blend his own nutrient-rich smoothies, and saw an improvement in how his body recovered from intense physical training. Through years of experimentation and concocting his own foods, he formed what has become The Thrive Diet. This time, the results have been good. Brazier competed as a professional Ironman for six years, from 1998 to 2004. He perfected his smoothies and homemade energy bars, turning them into an award-nominated product line called Vega that is sold in most health stores across Canada. Last year, he won his second Canadian 50-kilometre Ultra Marathon championship and was invited to speak to the United States Congress about the social and economic benefits of improving health

through diet. While Brazier is an athlete, and even provides sports-specific recipes like homemade energy drinks and gels in his book, he says the diet is for anyone looking to get healthy. "If you reduce stress through better nutrition, you can think more clearly and you can get more done," he says. "A lot of white-collar workers are really interested in that aspect of it." Because the recipes are simple and quick to prepare, he says it's also good for people on the go. And If you're worried about taste, Brazier says your taste buds will warm to the new fare. "You just kind of recalibrate your system to really appreciate simple, fresh, whole food." Starting slow is key. With all the green, fibre-rich food, your body will need time to adapt. "Any kind of change is stress, so you want to ease into (The Thrive Diet) slowly," he says. "Some people may never go 100 per cent vegan and that's fine. It's all about progression, not perfection." This recipe is from The Thrive Diet (Penguin Canada, 2007, $24) Regular french fries can't hold a candle to these vitamin A-rich "fries." Garlic Oregano Yam Oven Fries Serves 4 2 medium yams 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons (30 mL) coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds 1 tablespoon (15 mL) oregano 1 1/2 tablespoon (22 mL) coconut oil 1/2 tablespoon (7 mL) basil Sea salt to taste Preheat oven to 350 F (180 degrees C). Cut yams into wedges or chunks. In bowl, combine the garlic, pumpkin seeds, oregano, coconut oil, basil and sea salt. Add the yams, mixing with your hands to make sure all the pieces are covered with the mixture. Spread yams on a baking tray lightly oiled with coconut oil; bake for about 35 minutes. If you prefer them crispier, leave in oven for an extra 5 to 10 minutes. © The Ottawa Citizen 2007Peter H

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