Some fantastic people in our progressive movement! (totally funky ones too)
I met the purdy lady on the right
here in 2009 when I was in Tampa, Florida.
I worked for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals doing
outreach about why an herbivore diet was a healthy decision for people and animals.
Her name is Kortney, and at the time, she was an avid runner and very weary of
vegetarian eating. What do ya know! It was my job to spark educated
conversations with inquisitive young folks like these and really let them know
the facts about meat-production.
Long story short, our conversation
will go down in my personal history as a fantastic success, because Kortney
went vegetarian soon after, then went vegan, then married a vegan, then met
another vegan with a vegan husband and decided to start Vegan Housewives. This progression and this vision has turned into something quite wonderful and whimsically educational.
"We have a
passion for vegan food, arts & crafts, and all things vintage, but have
found that things can get a bit pricey. Often times, recipes call for
ingredients that we (the well-versed chefs that we are) have never heard of.
Maybe we lack credibility because our vocabularies don’t contain edible
ingredients that we are unable to pronounce, but we like to think we are not
alone in this. Our mission is to create (& re-create) recipes that are
simple, cheap and vegan (yet carnivore friendly), as well as show the world
that being vegan doesn’t mean you can’t have fun!"
Without
posting the entire contents of the site on here (which I wish I could! the
stuff is pure gold and insightful and delicious) I will simply put
a quick synopsis and link to my favorite parts (the remarkably delicious,
totally meat and dairy-free RECIPES!)
So here we go, more discussion about food! Food you ask?? On a fitness blog? Well, nutrition is a huge part of maintaining health and wellness. Fitness is an advanced and ultimate level of wellness; you're not just well, you're fit. Fit for daily functioning, fit for optimal energy utilization, fit to work out with Billy Bad Ass and love every minute of it. I will be as bold as to say being fit is grounded in your nutrition (honestly, not the gym, more like the kitchen). This is why I chose to keep my nutrition plant-based, and I think my lucky stars there are others working towards making these plant-based diets exciting and delicious. Here is one for their Vegan BLT.
Instead
of bacon (this is me talking), they use tempeh, which is a fermented soy
product, high in protein and amazing digestibility (because of the
fermentation). Also the greens on this include spinach, which would make it a
BST, but for health purposes- spinach is a far more nutrient-dense green than
lettuce is. I can't wait until I have my next Vegan BLT!
Once you eat your veggies, try their Vegan Strawberry Smoothie!
Now, my commentary
about this one will include my admission that, yes, this is going to be high in
sugar. But ya know what? I know this great Cardio Kickboxing class where
you need a lot of blood glucose to power you through, and you
can burn 600-1000 calories per class! Have you ever seen how freakin' cool
Billy Bad Ass Cardio Kickboxing is? Watch below (this is my segue from
Kortney's amazing Vegan Housewives site and onto more subject matter. Thanks
for all you do for herbivores, Kortney!)
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
I would like to showcase another amazing herbivore, Toni,
who I met at a hardcore music show in Half Moon Bay, California almost two
years ago. She was selling vegan cupcakes and baked goods, and I had to get me
some. This mission to eat delicious dairy-free cupcakes helped spark a
conversation between us that ended up turning into a fantastic networking,
because she is another talented vegan with an awesome website called PlantBased On A Budget.
Just wait until you see some of the stuff she makes! Here is
one that looks absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to go shopping for the
ingredients so I can make it and eat it as a power meal after my next workout!
This website of hers (and her contributing team) is very detailed. If you are really looking for a delectable and healthful dinner to cook and learn about, this website is worth a try. They explain skill level for how crafty you need to be in the kitchen, and ratings of the meals themselves. Ok, back to the food talk:
Now,
tofu is a mainstay in my diet because of its very high protein content and low
fat and carbohydrates. It is almost identical to lean meats as far as its Daily
Recommended Values (the things you see on the side of the package). I eat it
for dinner over a bed a kale almost every night as my last meal. Especially
during these last few weeks of “cutting” before my NPC Men’s PhysiqueCompetition where I really can’t be ingesting carbohydrates into the afternoon
or evening (more explanation of cutting in my next blog).
Anyway,
let’s not concentrate on the miserable parts of competition bodybuilding…let’s
rev up our metabolism by just staring at this and thinking about delicious
meals that are light on the environment and light on your digestive system (so
you can work out better and not get become fatigued easily).
“Shop
around the edges" of grocery stores to find these items. You can follow that
grocery store rule and find yourself getting leaner by the day. Filling your
cupboards with healthy, whole foods will inhibit your quickly grabbing
processed garbage, because it won’t be in your house! This processed garbage is
found up and down the aisles in grocery stores, not along the sides. Shop along
the sides and find yourself in better health.
I absolutely love the way these delicious and darling folks at
Plant Based On A Budget look at things. I will leave you today with my
sentiments on herbivore eating, which they so eloquently echo on their website:
"Though all of
our recipes are plant based, we’re not advocating a political agenda, and we’re
not making a list of Things You Shouldn’t Eat. We’re just a bunch of people who
love food and cooking, and want to share some of the recipes and tips we’ve
learned along the way.
More than anything, we think that everyone should be able to
cook delicious, healthy food without spending a fortune. That’s the goal of
this site: plant based, on a budget."
Billy's final thoughts today: As I grow as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor, I have recently come upon two opportunities to really involve myself in the nutrition end of my clients' fitness. Herbivore Athletics is my all-encompassing fitness/wellness project and I am now officially offering nutritional coaching, including shopping, preparing, cooking and teaching for clients. It's pretty cool, I keep it entirely plant-based, and my clients are having great successes. Thanks to Kortney from Vegan Housewives, to Toni from Plant Based On A Budget, and to Ed (my nutritional coach) from EdBauerFit.com
To help further promote and advocate for the Herbivore Athletics project, please view my latest video of Billy Bad Ass Cardio Kickboxing (below), and LIKE my facebook page! Also, please YELP about it if 1) you've taken one of my classes or boot camps or 2) if you have supportive commentary about the educational and motivational material I put on this website. Thank you from the bottom of my heart <3
Comments
Post a Comment