G Living’s Brendan Brazier is one the world’s few professional athletes whose diet is 100 percent 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.

The following is our fifth excerpt from Brendan’s book “The Thrive Diet”, on sale now.

The balance of acid and alkaline within the body is referred to as pH (meaning “potential of hydrogen”), and measured on a scale ranging from pH 1 (the most acidic) to pH 14 (the most alkaline). A neutral or good pH balance is 7.35; maintaining this balance is vital. If the body’s pH drops, meaning our body has become too acidic, the likelihood of ailments rises sharply. An acidic environment within the body negatively affects health at the cellular level. It is not possible to be truly healthy when the body is in a constant state of acidosis (characterized by excessively high acid levels).

People with an acidic environment within their body are also prone to fatigue: Since acidity is a stressor, cortisol levels rise, impairing sleep. The consumption of acid forming foods is the number one cause of an overly acidic system, and the overconsumption of acid-forming foods plays a significant role in one of North America’s largest health problems –excessive weight. Since our body is equipped with buffering capabilities, our blood pH will vary to only a small degree, regardless of diet. The body’s ability to cope is a testament to how resourceful it is. Yet, the systems that are recruited to facilitate this buffering use of energy can become strained, and if prolonged, will result in significant stress to the system, causing immune function to falter and effectively opening the door to a host of diseases.

Low-grade metabolic acidosis — when cells remain in an overly acidic state because of too many acid-forming foods being eaten or a high-stress lifestyle in general — is believed to be a leading cause of several health concerns, including the development of kidney stones, loss of bone mass, and the reduction of growth hormone levels, resulting in loss of lean muscle mass and increase of body fat. Lowgrade metabolic acidosis affects the body at a cellular level and is responsible for an increase of free radicals and a decrease in the production of cellular energy. In addition to these serious concerns, viruses and bacteria are able to thrive in an acidic body, again possibly leading to numerous diseases. Interestingly, it is impossible for cancer to develop in an alkaline environment; this shows the importance of alkalinity in disease prevention.

So, what can we do to prevent all this? The answer is to consume more alkaline-forming foods and fewer acid-forming ones. One factor that significantly raises the pH of food, and in turn the body, is chlorophyll content. Responsible for giving plants their green pigment, chlorophyll is often referred to as the blood of plants. The botanical equivalent to hemoglobin in human blood, chlorophyll synthesizes energy.

Chlorophyll converts the sun’s energy that has been absorbed by the plant into carbohydrate. Known as photosynthesis, this process is responsible for life on earth. Since animals and humans eat plants, we too get our energy from the sun, plants being the conduit. Chlorophyll is prized for its ability to cleanse our blood by helping remove toxins deposited from dietary and environmental sources. Chlorophyll is also linked to the body’s production of red blood cells, making daily consumption of chlorophyll-rich foods important for ensuring the body’s constant cell regeneration and improving oxygen transport in the body and therefore energy levels. Optimizing the body’s regeneration of blood cells will also contribute to peak athletic performance.

Although some foods test as acidic, they produce an alkalizing effect once digested. Citrus fruit and balsamic and apple cider vinegar are all acidic, but when consumed, they become highly alkaline-forming.

While I realize that most people who eat a typical North American diet do eat some alkalizing foods, such as fruit and vegetables, the amounts are rarely large enough to offset the acidity formed by the base of the diet. Even many so-called healthy diets, particularly those based heavily on cooked grains, keep the body in an overly acidic state, resulting is slowed cellular regeneration. Not all foods you eat need to be highly alkaline-forming; however, for optimal health, it is important that most of them are alkalizing.

Balanced pH plays a major role in bone health. Studies indicate that it is not a lack of dietary calcium, as is commonly thought, but stress and overconsumption of acid-forming foods and supplements that lead to most cases of poor bone health and osteoporosis. The blood will always remain neutral — this is imperative for survival — so if the body is consistently fed acid-forming, denatured foods and supplements, or encounters stress from other sources, it must take measures to ensure a neutral blood pH is maintained. In doing so, the body pulls calcium, the mineral is our body that is most alkaline, from the bones.

Over time, the bones weaken as a result of this survival mechanism. The conventional way of treating low calcium levels and osteoporosis is to “take” more calcium, usually in the form of supplements. The calcium in tablets is usually derived from oyster shells, bovine bone meal, coral, or dolomite (a type of rock), all of which are extremely hard and unnatural for the body to assimilate — they are not food. The large size of these supplements and, with some types, the number recommended for daily intake is a testament to their poor bioavailability. The body must work very hard to get calcium from these sources.

pH Levels and Enjoyment of Life

Diet has the greatest impact on the body’s pH level; however, there are other contributing factors. Maintaining a positive attitude and setting time aside to do an activity you enjoy on a regular basis will promote pH balance within the body. Taking time out of a busy schedule to do something pleasurable yet seemingly unproductive is actually a key element in improved health and longevity — and therefore greater productivity. Of course, if you enjoy your busy schedule, it will be less stress-producing than if you perceive it as daunting — what might seem a foreboding schedule to someone else may be a source of pleasure for you. If you enjoy working through the night, then there is no need to rest. This further underscores the value of enjoying what you do for the long-term sake of your health.

Read more on the body’s pH level in The Thrive Diet. For more on Brendan Brazier, click here.

It amazes me how little attention the value of balanced pH has garnered from the mainstream medical world. Positive acid/alkaline balance is one of the most important factors in athletic performance. In my opinion, by disregarding this fact, sport supplement manufactures have significantly reduced the effectiveness of their products. In fact some of the energy bars currently on the market are the worst offenders. Processed for the sake of shelf life and convenience, and consequently denatured and acid forming, many energy bars are not much more than disguised junk food.

When acidic forming food is consumed, starting with digestion and continuing until elimination, it produces toxins that the body must deal with. Denatured foods are toxin producers and as a result have the greatest negative impact on pH balance within the body. Highly refined and processed, denatured foods are void of any usable nutrients, yet retain their caloric value the worst combination. Toxins in the body lead to premature aging through cell degeneration. Aside from food, most prescription drugs, artificial sweeteners and synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements are extremely acid forming.

Athletes in peak training are the most affected by acidosis. Vigorous exercise creates stress in terms of muscle trauma cased by the workout. Physiologically speaking, hard exercise is the stressor but equally important is rest and recovery. The correct balance of theses two opposing elements is the recipe for growth. Already physically stressed, many athletes also must deal with various types of performance anxiety. An increased metabolism is yet another factor athletes are met with, further lowering pH. Furthermore, athletes require more food in general with an emphasis on protein to aid muscle recovery.

For recovery to be expedited, alkalizing foods, such as those rich in chlorophyll, need to be consumed soon after exercise. Protein must also be consumed to help repair broken down muscle tissue. As with processed energy bars, numerous sport supplements touted as post-work-out recovery agents contain highly processed, manufactured proteins usually in the form of denatured isolates, which are acid forming. Suggesting they be consumed soon after a workout will fulfil the body’s need for protein, but completely neglect its need for pH balancing.

The paradox is this; most protein sources are highly acid forming, yet the highly alkaline forming foods are generally low in protein. This can be overcome if the protein sources are chosen carefully. Raw, unprocessed, natural, hemp protein, for example, measures at about 50% protein, yet is greatly less acid forming than common denatured ones such as soy and whey. Hemp’s higher pH level can be attributed in part to chlorophyll content, responsible for its green colour. Chlorella is another great protein-rich pH booster, containing almost 70% protein, yet it is highly alkalizing. As a general rule, the most alkalizing foods are raw, unprocessed, whole and rich in chlorophyll. Raw, sprouted legumes such as lentils, beans and seeds are also a superior source of alkalizing protein. Also, a diet high in leafy green vegetables, which are excellent sources of chlorophyll, will help insure the system remains alkaline even when stress levels are elevated.

In addition to curtailing recovery, pH imbalance is a trigger for many ailments. Those who maintain an acidic environment within their body are also prone to fatigue. Since acidity is a stressor, cortisol levels rise resulting in impaired sleep quality, thus further exacerbating the problem.

Contrary to popular belief, it is stress and the over consumption of acid forming foods, not a lack of dietary calcium, that lead to most cases of poor bone health and eventually osteoporosis. The blood itself will always remain neutral as this is imperative for survival. However, iIf the body is consistently fed acid forming denatured foods and supplements, or encounters stress from other sources, it must take measures to ensure a neutral blood pH is maintained. To do so, the body pulls alkaline calcium from the bones. Over time, the bones become weaker as a result of this survival mechanism.

The conventional way of treating low calcium levels and osteoporosis is to simply suggest the person take more calcium, usually in the form of tablets. The calcium source in tablets is generally derived from materials such as oyster shells, bovine bone meal, coral and dolomite (rock), all of which are extremely hard and unnatural for the body to assimilate. The large size and recommended daily number to be consumed is a testament to their poor bioavailability. The body must work very hard to get calcium from these sources, another reason why this method of boosting calcium levels in our body is inferior.

Low-grade metabolic acidosis as it is termed, is another symptom of an over acidic body. It has been cited as a leading cause of several health concerns such as the development of kidney stones, loss of bone mass, and the reduction of growth hormone, therefore resulting in a decline in lean muscle mass and an increase of body fat. Since low-grade metabolic acidosis affects the body at a cellular level it is also responsible for an increase in the fabrication of free radicals, and a loss in cellular energy production. In addition to these serious concerns, viral and bacterial growth is able to thrive in an acidic body, possibly leading to a wide variety of diseases. On the other hand disease is rare in an alkaline body; cancer, for example, cannot develop in an alkaline environment.

Though diet has the single greatest impact on the body’s pH balance, there are other things that can also help. For example, taking time out of a busy schedule to do something pleasurable yet seemingly unproductive can actually be a key ingredient to improved pH balance, improved health and longevity.

G Living’s Brendan Brazier is one the world’s few professional athletes whose diet is 100 percent 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.

The following is an excerpt from Brendan’s new book “The Thrive Diet”, on sale now in Canada and and in the U.S. in January.

Raw and low-temperature cooked foods | Enzyme Enhancement
High-temperature cooking and processing of food destroys the enzymes and nutrients that allow the food to be efficiently digested. Therefore, before the body can make use of cooked food, it must produce enzymes to aid in the digestion process. That takes work.

One of the least appreciated yet most important components of our diet, enzymes are vital to achieving optimal health. An absence of enzymes in your diet can result in the same sickness and disease associated with malnutrition, even if your diet is otherwise healthy. Without enzymes, food cannot be turned into usable fuel for the body. As with hormones, enzyme production in the body diminishes with age, leaving us reliant on diet to provide them. In the distant past, that was of little concern, as enzymes were plentiful in food. But today enzymes are not so abundant in our foods. As our fresh whole-food choices dwindle, making way for highly refined, processed options, enzymes in our foods diminish.

Meanwhile, our ailments are on the rise. Coincidence? Probably not.

Plant foods have several advantages, including easy digestibility and bioavailability (the rate at which the food is absorbed by the body and exerts an effect). The quicker nutrients are extracted from the food, the sooner the food can be eliminated — a key factor in optimal health.

There is some evidence to suggest that consuming too many processed, cooked foods for several years exhausts the body’s enzyme-producing glands, resulting in poor digestion and assimilation of food later in life. This is one possible reason for the rapidity of signs of aging and disease—food is no longer nourishing the body the way it once did, simply because it’s not being digested the way it once was.

For enzyme health, it would ideal for all of us to eat only raw, organic food the day it’s harvested, not be exposed to any environmental pollutants, and to live a stress-free life. Obviously, this is not realistic. But we can enhance our enzyme intake and production. Since raw foods have enzymes still intact, they are a vital component of a healthy diet. The Thrive Diet is built on a platform of enzyme-rich foods. Those who follow the diet will simply build and maintain healthy levels of enzymes with no additional effort.

Visit Brendan’s personal site

Omega-3 has moved to the upper level of awareness, even for the average consumer. In fact, it’s become “mainstream”. Recently I saw a generic brand of knock-off Oreos. Not surprisingly, their first ingredient was refined sugar and the second was bleached white flour. However, across the front of the box in a font larger than the name of the cookies it said “Omega-3!” If there were any doubt that Omega-3 was hot, this should lay it to rest. And while Omega-3 is vastly important — essential even — its usage and the way in which it’s being promoted has become somewhat misguided. As with many healthy foods or nutrients — once grabbed by the mainstream, they tend to be slightly misunderstood.

An upswing in awareness of Omega-3 consumption began to develop soon after a World Health Organization (WHO) report was released that suggested the average North American eats a vastly out-of-balance ration of Omega-6 to Omega-3. And that this was linked to serious health problems. Consumers of the Standard American Diet (SAD) commonly ingest a ratio that is in the realm of 20:1, the report states. That means that 20 times more Omega-6 is being consumed than Omega-3.

This was of great concern since the WHO determined in their extensive study that the ideal ratio for optimal health is 4:1. This was assuming, of course, that both Omega-6 and Omega-3 sources were of high quality and in their natural, unrefined form. But, of course this finding suggested that those who subsisted on a SAD were consuming 5 times more Omega-6 than what was ideal. A significantly out-of-balance ratio such as this was being blamed for a broad spectrum of ailments. Inflammation, contributing to joint pain, was one of the chief concerns, but the list was long and varied. Difficulty sleeping, general mental and physical fatigue, sugar cravings, the inability to effectively burn body fat, dry skin and even poor memory were all suspected of being a result of this off-kilter ratio. Serious implications indeed.

However, since the ratio and quality is what’s most important here (not the total amount), could these results also be interpreted to suggest that the average North American consumes 5 times too little Omega-3? Yes, and they were. As a consumer-minded society, we immediately concluded that these findings meant we needed more Omega-3 in our diet to compensate for the lopsided ratio. While not a bad approach, this certainly wasn’t the most logical solution. However, seemingly overnight, Omega-3 became a buzzword and people were eager to “up their Omega-3 intake”. And the natural next question was “can I buy Omega-3 supplements?” The answer is yes — even though this is far from optimal.

Another finding immerged from the same WHO study — only this one was not as celebrated. The report suggested that the problem was not merely created by too much Omega-6, but rather that its sources were chiefly to blame. In addition to a skewed ratio, the problem was determined to be the denatured, refined and highly-processed forms of fat containing Omega-6. Blame was placed on eating too many high-temperature fried foods, denatured oils and manufactured fats commonly used to increase the shelf life of cheaper baked goods.

The fact that we should be eating less “bad” fat is hardly newsworthy at this point. However, the notion that more Omega-3 will solve all your health problems had the makings of a story with mainstream appeal. It’s “saleable”, as they say in the biz. And it sold.

Taking into account the WHO’s ideal ratio findings, those of us who eat a diet that does not regularly contain high amounts of high-temperature fried foods, hydrogenated fats such as those found in some margarines or trans fats have no reason to “take” oils or capsules that have a greater ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6. It’s just not necessary.

If, however, a large part of your diet consists of denatured fats, fried foods, and manufactured oils…stop eating them! Don’t just add Omega-3 and think you’ve solved the problem by balancing your ratio. It’s false hope, and it’s nothing more than patch work, which will offer a mild reprieve of symptoms at best. The cause will, however, remain intact and worsen until it is addressed.

The WHO report and several that have be conducted since conclude that the best way to bring the ratio back to a healthy balance is to simply cut back — with a goal of compete elimination — on all processed, denatured and manufactured fats. Healthy cold pressed forms of Omega-6 are perfectly healthy and, in fact, essential to optimal health. As long as their quantity does not surpass four parts for every one part of Omega-3, top health will be obtainable.

While there are many highly corrective oil formulas on the market that offer a 1:2 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3, I believe the best approach is to eat a healthy, balanced, whole food diet as opposed to an oil or a pill. After all, a healthy diet is the goal. And a healthy diet includes balanced cold-pressed oils that yield between a 4:1 ratio and a 2:1 ratio.

Here’s a suggestion: try making a salad dressing that combines cold-pressed, organic, hemp seed oil (70%), flax seed oil (20%) and pumpkin seed oil (10%).

Brendan Brazier is a professional Ironman triathlete, two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion and bestselling author on performance nutrition. He is also the creator of the award-winning VEGA line of whole food products.

Brendan’s latest book, The Thrive Diet (Penguin, 2007), includes 100 balanced, plant-based, whole food recipes.

G Living’s Brendan Brazier is one the world’s few professional athletes whose diet is 100 percent 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.

The following is our fourth excerpt from Brendan’s book “The Thrive Diet”, on sale now.

I use the term biological debt to refer to a state that the body goes into after energy from stimulation has dissipated. Often brought about by eating refined sugar or drinking coffee to gain energy in the short term, biological debt is a state of fatigue.

For long-term health and vitality, we need to understand the difference between two types of energy: one obtained from stimulation, the other from nourishment. As a general rule, the more processed the food is, the more stimulating its effect will be on the nervous system, and the less nourishing. In contrast, the more natural and whole a food is — raw and sprouted being the best — the less stimulating and the more nourishing it will be. Because of our insatiable desire for quick, convenient energy “on the go,” our streets are crammed with coffee, donut, and fast food establishments. This solves the convenience problem and offers a short-term energy solution through stimulation. However, it does nothing to help with the payment inevitably required by the body if this route is taken regularly. The body can subsist on stimulating, nutrient-absent food only so long before becoming either exhausted or sick –and where the body goes, the mind is sure to follow.

In the afternoon, lunch has started to wear off, and hunger and fatigue is creeping in. Reaching for either a cup of coffee, a snack high in refined carbohydrates, or both is common. Coffee and refined carbohydrates give a short energy boost but stress the body. Coffee also raises cortisol levels, which lowers the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to infection and eventually leading to the storage of body fat. Refined carbohydrates cause an insulin spike that will elevate cortisol levels. Excessive consumption of coffee and refined carbohydrates will also result in inflammation, a key cause of premature aging.

Many of us are in a constant state of biological debt. Simply put, it is a huge contributing factor to overall stress and therefore has become a major precipitator of fatigue, weight gain, and compromised health in general. If untreated, it can lead to serious diseases. One measure of health is having cost-free energy — energy that lasts and does not have to be “stoked” continually with processed carbohydrates, manufactured sugar, or caffeine. The stoking of energy can end in one result only: less energy. Ironically, many so-called energy foods are the biggest energy-suckers. The high level of processing they undergo ensures that their shelf life is dramatically extended, but this is accompanied by a marked decline in nutritional quality. These foods are certainly not part of a sustainable, high-energy diet.

While convenient, many energy bars offer nothing more nutritional than what candy bars offer. High in calories supplied from adrenal fatiguing refined sources, most energy bars provide energy for the short term (anything with calories will) but, after a person consumes them for several months, will bring about fatigue. The processing they go through in manufacturing, which lowers their pH and destroys their enzymes, make them a strain on both the immune and digestive systems, rendering them a low-net gain, stressful food.

Superior energy-maximizing foods are those that offer sustainable energy, not quick bouts of stimulation. High net-gain whole foods provide a platform on which to build long-term sustainable vitality.

Read more on Eliminating Biological Debt in The Thrive Diet. For more on Brendan Brazier, click here.

There are several reasons people struggle with change. In fact, those who make positive changes are more likely to discontinue them than those who make negative ones because those who see themselves as making a sacrifice in exchange for a certain improvement want their investment to pay off quickly. If results aren’t instantaneous, interest quickly dwindles. In addition, negative initial results are almost certain to be a deterrent.

For example, many athletes I know have, at some point, tried a vegan diet, although usually not for more than two weeks at a time. Here’s the problem they encounter: when a new way of eating is adopted, the body must adapt. And with adaptation comes stress. Most commonly referred to as detoxification in this case, this is the body’s way of eliminating toxins accumulated over years of consuming sub-optimal food.

Our bodies are equipped with coping mechanisms that allow us to function optimally relative to the nourishment supplied. Seemingly counterintuitive, the first few days of an optimal diet will not be a pleasant experience. Often, years of less-than-ideal eating practices have rendered the body nutritionally stressed. The poorer the quality of the previous diet, the longer the detoxification process will last. Those converting from a Standard American Diet (SAD), for example, to an exclusively whole food plant-based diet will likely take in excess of four weeks to ‘cleanse’ the body of toxins. Usually detox symptoms include headache, blotting, fatigue, and sleep disturbances.

As you can imagine, an athlete who has made the transition to a vegan diet for the sake of improved performance is not going to be tolerant of these symptoms. Also, to make matters worse, most athletes are hyper sensitive to change. In effect, the detox symptoms are magnified in an athlete’s body due to the high level of “body consciousness” that most athletes have innately developed.

In the shadow of the “Standard American Diet”, the “modern vegetarian diet” has emerged. Although considerably healthier than the SAD, the “modern vegetarian diet” isn’t without its shortcomings. Mostly built on complex carbohydrates such as breads and pasta and fortified with processed soy products and laboratory created multi vitamins and minerals, the “modern vegetarian diet” lacks several health-promoting elements.

Interestingly, the “modern vegetarian diet” lacks vegetables, what ideally it should be built on.

When I first made the transition to a plant-based diet at the age of 15, I ran into several problems. As I learned more, and began to understand the subtleties of a plant-based diet, what mine lacked revealed itself.

Complete protein: Vital for muscle regeneration and hormone production, a lack of dietary protein quickly leads to a lack of optimal health. This is was one of my problems when I first adopted the diet in 1990. However, these days the chance of vegetarians lacking protein is slim. Due to a flood of soy and gluten-based products such as imitation hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks and even bacon, options are plentiful. Unfortunately, the availability of these products have lead to another concern. Soy and gluten sensitivities are becoming prevalent, simply because so many of our foods contain more soy and gluten than the body can handle. Resulting in mild flu-like symptoms, fatigue, reduced sleep quality and sometimes even irritability, an over abundance of soy and gluten in the diet should be avoided. I opt for as many raw sources of protein as I can. Hemp is an excellent choice. I also like sprouted legumes, seeds and pseudo grains such as amaranth, quinoa buckwheat and wild rice.

The second is omega 3 fatty acid. Imperative, Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid, meaning that it must be obtained in diet — the body cannot manufacture it. A dietary absence can lead to a reduced ability to burn body fat and fuel, therefore causing it to accumulate. Healthy, shiny skin is in part a product of sufficient dietary Omega 3. Without it, dry scaly skin inevitably develops. Those who don’t eat a plant-based diet generally get their omega 3 from fish. However, my sources include flax seeds, Salba (a form of white chia) and to a lesser degree, walnuts.

Greens. Believe it or not, but the modern vegetarian lacks greens in his diet. Filling up on low nutrient foods such as refined grains and soy burgers leaves little room for vitamin and mineral rich greens. Vitamins and minerals that a wide assortment of green supply are in a more assimilatable form than those found in a laboratory created milt tablets. While some don’t realize it, but B vitamins are responsible for converting carbohydrate into usable energy. Without an adequate supply of them, carbohydrate would simply be stored as fat, and fatigue would be the result. Since greens are highly alkaline forming, a diet rich in them does not need a calcium supplement.

Bottom line: all the nutrition that’s needed for optimal health and performance can be obtained by eating the right plant-based whole foods.

To become a great athlete requires work. Hard work, that’s a certainty. But, the often-overlooked smart work can play an equally large role in athletic success. While there’s no substitute for diligent training, as I found there are a few natural nutritional “helpers” that can directly complement the effect of exercise for a compounded performance boost.

We know that the best way to enhance the odds of becoming a better athlete is to put the body in a position in which it can physically and mentally handle progressively longer and more intense training. This is of course achieved by adopting a nutrition program that will support the fueling and regeneration process that an active person requires, one that’s significantly above and beyond that of a sedentary individual. The fundamentals on which this high-performance body can be constructed are, as you would expect, from building blocks that you supply it; food. Nutrient-rich, plant-based whole foods are the foundation on which optimal health (and eventually performance) can be created. Studies have shown that, when consumed post-workout, plant-based whole foods enable muscle tissue to grow stronger in a shorter amount of time than would be possible with the consumption of refined, fractionalized low-quality food.

Once this foundation of solid health has been built by means of premium building blocks, higher levels of both mental and physical performance can more easily be obtained as a logical next step. As I set my sights on professional triathlon racing in 1997, I began to search for additional ways in which nutrition could boost my performance as opposed to simply improving my health. While I had already obtained health, I felt it was time to take my well-being (and therefore my athletic performance) to the next level, a level beyond a simply solid bill of health.

As my career progressed I learned the fundamentals of what synergistic combinations it would take to improve performance. For example, the heart muscle must be strong to be able to efficiently pump large volumes of blood around the body. The value of this becomes magnified when dealing with those who are athletic. Since the heart is a muscles and therefore can be strengthened by exercising it, the more aerobic activity that’s performed, the stronger the heart will grow. As a direct result of its increased strength, each beat will pump a greater volume of blood around the body than that of a weaker heart, hence reducing the number of beats required to transport the same amount of blood throughout the body. And, for a runner, for example, a lower heart rate means the ability to speed up and travel farther before fatigue sets in. In short, this is the fundamental way in which to improve physical endurance.

There are a few nutritional steps that can be taken to get a greater rate of return on the time and energy you invest in training.

Enhanced cardiovascular output
Rhodiola is one of them. It helps dilate blood vessels, thereby allowing for increased blood flow throughout the body. This will reduce energy requirements placed on the cardiovascular system which in turn will naturally enhance endurance and the ability to perform intense physical work efficiently. Those who take Rhodiola before a workout will enhance their body’s ability to recover by quickly normalizing the heart rate post-workout.

Ginger is another. Since one trait of augmented fitness is an increase in red blood cells, (which causes the blood to become thicker), ginger will help keep it at the ideal viscosity so that it can be pumped efficiently throughout the body, which will in turn will increase energy (by conserving it) and boost performance.
Additionally turmeric increases circulation, thereby acting as an aid in delivering blood and oxygen to working muscles.

Since keeping the heart rate as low as possible is one of the chief ways of Improving endurance, the muscular system as a whole needs to be looked at.

Improved muscular efficiently
If, for example, two runners are completely equal in every respect except for muscular strength, the stronger will be faster over any distance. The lower percentage of maximum strength needed for each stride will translate into improved efficacy and therefore greater endurance. If for example one runner can squat 10% more weight than another, his muscles will not have to work as hard to move the body forward, which will translate to significant endurance gains. When muscles don’t need to work as hard, they also don’t require as much oxygen or circulating blood and therefore will not put as much demand on the heart, which in turn will lower that rate at which it beats. A significant improvement in endurance will be the result. Greater strength does equal greater endurance. But, as with the heart, there are nutritional steps that can be taken to enhance the fluidity of the muscles, essentially allowing them to more with greater ease and therefore requiring less energy for each contraction.
Kombucha is a form of tea that has been fermented using microorganisms. As a result, it is exceptionally rich in organic acids, active enzymes, amino acids, and polyphenols and therefore is distinguished as a health elixir. Significant for the athlete, it can directly enhance performance by acting as a natural muscle relaxant. This allows muscles to move with greater fluidity and ease which therefore results in less energy expenditure and ultimately enhanced endurance. Kombucha culture is also exceptionally good for removing toxins from the liver which will result in quicker recovery following a workout. Enhanced mental clarity and a smooth, sustained state of well-being is another trait of kombucha, which reduces anxiety before physical exertion or other demanding event.

Sodium and potassium are classified as electrolytes, which play a vital role in optimal hydration. The correct balance of electrolyses and fluid will help maintain hydration, which in turn will enhance muscle function, heart efficacy and mental sharpness. Since sweat is comprised of water and electrolytes, water alone will not fully maintain or restore fluid levels lost through sweat. Without complete hydration, blood will thicken which will increase the workload placed on the heart, leading to premature fatigue. Inadequate hydration will also result in muscle twinges and cramps.

Reduced inflammation
As we know, regular exercise causes inflammation. The more aggressive the muscle contractions, the getter inflamed they will become. This inhibits performance in two major ways. First, is the muscles are inflamed; they simply will not be able to move smoothly. More effort (energy) will be required for each contraction causing the heart rate to rise and endurance to fall. The seconded way in which inflammation will hinder performance is by reducing recovery rate after exercise. This will translate into more time required between workouts, which of course directly leads to the inability to train more.

Anything with chlorophyll is highly alkaline-forming, therefore will significantly help reduce inflammation. Spinach and other leafy greens are ideal.
However, when taken immediately before exercise, Devil’s claw has been shown to prevent inflammation from occurring and as such promotes fluid muscle contractions. Devils claw has also been shown to temporarily reduce the effectives of pain receptors, thereby allowing the athlete to push harder during physical activity, achieving a higher level of performance.

Ginger and turmeric have also been shown to reduced inflammation when taken immediately before physical exertion.

At this point, most of us know what foods are healthy. The challenge is no longer in finding the best health-promoting foods, but rather conveniently incorporating them into the diet on a daily basis without overextending our time budget. What then is the best route to take when aiming to integrate more healthy foods into the diet by replacing the less-healthy options?

A common approach when transitioning to a new way of eating is to eliminate certain non-health promoting foods. However, the most effective way to seamlessly adopt a new eating plan is to include more health-promoting foods as opposed to eliminating the less healthy. This is a practical solution that works on a physiological level as well as a psychological one.

Physically, this approach is ideal in that it allows time for the body to detoxify itself. Healthier foods generally have more fiber, more chlorophyll and are often enzyme rich. These three components of healthy food will, however, take the body a bit of time to adapt to. By slowly adding foods that are rich in these nutrients, the body will grow used to them and actually begin to expect and even desire them over time.

Psychologically, adopting this “inclusion” approach is a sound strategy. Mentally knowing that you can still eat some of the foods you’re trying to wean yourself off of in the early stages of the new diet is a comfort to most. Simply starting a program that is less restrictive (and therefore not as daunting) will have a greater chance of being embraced and will eventually becoming routine.

One of the most effective ways to begin making the transition is to incorporate key cleansing foods in a form that is appealing. Whole food smoothies are the best way to do this. Blended with one’s choice of fresh fruit, they can accommodate most everyone. As mentioned, the key active ingredients for transitional purposes are fiber, chlorophyll and enzymes. As with any nutrient, fiber is best obtained from a whole food source. Both soluble and insoluble sources of fiber are important. Hemp, flax, greens and vegetables are a superior source. Whole grains are also a reasonable choice and sprouted are the best. Chlorophyll rich foods are the green ones — the darker the better. From basic lettuce to more exotic algae such as chlorella, spirulina and even phytoplankton, they are tremendously healthy.

Enzymes are prevalent in raw food.Simply by incorporating more raw foods (such as fruit and vegetables) into your diet will ensure that your enzyme needs are covered. However, stress and the over consumption of refined foods can cause enzyme production to sharply decline. But the addition of fresh raw fruit is a good first step.

Other good whole food sources to add to a smoothie include coconut water, which is extremely rich in electrolytes, and a seed called Salba that is high in protein and essential fatty acids, including omega-3.

One of the reason I created Vega was to help people seamlessly make the transition to a healthier diet. For more information, click here.

When building up running mileage, it’s important to do it gradually to allow tendons, ligaments and muscles to recover before stressing them with the next run.

The safest way is to not increase running mileage or time by more than 10% per week. A three week build cycle followed by one week of recovery is a sound approach.

I go by time run instead of mileage because it’s easier to calculate. Simply time each run and add up the total number of minutes spent running in a given week. For example, if you went for a 30 minute run on Monday, a 60 minute run on Wednesday, a 45 minute run on Friday and an 80 minute run on Saturday, your total for the week would be: 195 minutes. Increasing by no more than 10%, that means the following week should not exceed 214.5 minutes of running (195 x 1.1 = 214.5).

For three weeks you build, increasing total time run by 10%. The fourth week is a recovery week; therefore you run half the average of the previous three weeks (195 + 214.5 + 236 = 645.5 / 3 = 215 x 0.5 = 107.5).

The fifth week is the same as week two. Build in the same pattern.

In minutes:

Week 1: 195
Week 2: 214:30
Week 3: 236
Week 4: 107:30
Week 5: 214:30

The number one reason for running-related injuries is simply doing too much too soon. This is the best measure that can be taken to protect against that.