Yummy alert: Vega

Ah, protein powder - the long-adored supplement for any athlete's workout plan. While you may taste grainy and chalky, we all know that you're good for us, at least that's what we think. Granted, your chocolate flavor taste more like chalk than chocolate, your strawberry tastes like sweetened cardboard, and your snack bars are not exactly anyone's favorite go-to. But you're good for our muscles, they say, so I guess until someone comes up with something better, we'll be forced to choke you down every day.
Well, folks, someone has come up with something better! That something is known as Vega, pioneered by a someone by the name of Brendan Brazier, a professional Ironman and triathlete, not to mention a best-selling author. Oh, and did I mention that he's vegan? Yup, believe it or not, Brendan follows a plant-based food regimen that allows him the energy to compete in some of the most grueling competitions known to man...and for a living.

So what's the deal? Vega products are "100% plant-based, dairy, gluten and soy free and contain no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners." Sounds too good to be true, no? It must taste like pureed house plants, si? Au contraire, my good friend, this business is legit! The pom-berry tastes like berry, the vanilla tastes like dessert, and my goodness, THE CHOCOLATE TASTES LIKE CHOCOLATE! If Willy Wonka asked Brendan for a snozberry flavor, it'd probably taste like snozberry, too.

Vega offers a variety of products including meal replacement powders (pop 'em in your shaker bottle and you're good to go), smoothie boosts, antioxidant oils and protein bars. Just recently, Vega debuted the new Vega Sport line, a complete line of powders, drink mixes, bars and gels to help you get the most out of your favorite workout routine. Thanks to Vega Sport, you'll never have to reach for the cheap, additive-packed sports lines again!

So forget the icky-tasting, artificially-sweetened conventional protein powders and opt for something good for your wallet, your planet, and your earth. With Vega, not only can you feel good about the company and product you're supporting...but you'll never have to sacrifice your diet for a chocolate craving again.

P.S. Check out Brendan Brazier's Thrive series - Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide, Thrive Fitness: The Vegan-Based Training Program, The Thrive Diet, and Thrive Foods: Whole Foods to Thrive, all in bookstores now.

A gluten-free vegan?!

So for the past few months, I've noticed a change in the way I feel right after eating. Typically, that feeling is "crap on a cracker;" fatigue, headaches, and tummy cramps. Seeing as it wasn't completely disrupting my daily routine, I blamed it on the stresses of schoolworksorority and moved on. After doing a weekend-long "gluten cleanse" free of wheat, I returned to a vegan grilled cheese sammich for an evening meal. Sure enough, symptoms return. After a few experiments with different foods, I pegged it on what seemed to be every vegan's nightmare: I have a gluten intolerance.
If I didn't already get the "What do you even eat?!" reaction enough at vegan alone, imagine the reactions of my friends to the addition of the fabulous gluten tack-on. While it's a sad goodbye to my favorite vegan cookie dough milkshakes and late-night toast fests, I'm not altogether missing out, either.

But what exactly is gluten? Simple: wheat protein. Basically, gluten is the protein that is left when the starches of a cereal grain are removed. Those with celiac disease experience disruption in digestion in the small intestine, where instead of absorbing nutrients and vitamins, gluten harms the intestine's helpful digestive lining. From here, errthang gets crazy!

The truth is, gluten can cause a disruption in blood sugar levels and encourage weight gain. This is largely due to the spike in the body's fat-building hormone, insulin (yup - the same stuff diabetics are having trouble with!) caused by many grains and simple carbohydrates. While the low-carb craze encouraged many to drop carbs and grains, it is not always appropriate to do so...we'll get to this later.

But as for going gluten-free and keeping with veganism, it's not as hard as it sounds. The first thing I tell newby vegheads is "the first month is the hardest and then it becomes habit." So while I'm cringing at the sight of a veggie gyros at work, I'm starting to recognize all my options elsewhere. Love pasta? Try a corn- or rice-based noodle. I even found No Oodles, noodles made from yam flour...with no calories (needless to say, I bought two bags)! EnjoyLife, a favorite brand of mine because of it's vegan-friendly recipes, just happens to be devoid of the 7 major allergens, including gluten and soy. Gluten-free cinnamon raisin bagels? Yes, please!

While the gluten-free diet seemed super intimidating, my body's already thanking me for it. Because I've dropped typical convenience foods, I'm refocused on the good stuff -- lots of fruit, veggies, and nutrient-rich substitutes. I feel lighter on my feet and more aware and awake...always great for that terrible mid-day class! So while I thought I was set on label reading and encrypted messages, I guess it's time for another awesome adventure. :)

Yummy alert: Clif Builder's bars

This morning at my training sesh with the fabulous Ashley Bond, I headed to the protein bars counter for post-workout breakfast. We looked at the nutrition labels for any sign of dairy or egg until finally settling on a Clif Crunchy Peanut Butter bar - kind of disappointing considering I'd already had it before.

Other than setting a life goal to market a yummy vegan-friendly protein bar that's not entirely sugar, I went in search of the best protein bar at none other than Whole Foods. I'm pretty sure the staff there thought I was a crazy for label reading for twenty minutes, but it was so worth it!

Meet the Clif Builder's bar, a dairyeggwheat-free energy overloader with 20 GRAMS OF PROTEIN. Yeah, you read right, TWENTY. As in "40% of your daily protein needs." And to much surprise, it doesn't taste like sheetrock! Instead, we get a fabulous array of flavors like Cookies 'N Cream, Chocolate, and Lemon, and this means never reaching for a Hershey bar for your sweet fix again!

While the twenty grams of sugar isn't fabulous, the amount of protein in this baby will keep you full until you can sit down for an actual meal (and this can make a great breakfast on the go!). Throw one in your bag for that long haul in rush hour or sneak a bite during your eight hour shift. So cheers to Mr. Gary, owner of Clif, for giving us yet another reason to eat chocolate.