Question: Hello - I am a vegan (or as much as one can given I live in the "heartland" of America), and in addition to working a full-time job, I teach fitness classes (cardio kickboxing) 3-4 days a week plus I study tae kwon do about 3 times a week. I take a B-complex and a calcium supplement, and I'm pretty satisfied with my health overall. However, I find myself tending to rely on starchy, fatty foods when I'm tired to give me a boost (towards the end of the day usually), and am looking for some nutritional alternatives. I sometimes eat a "normal" dinner, but it's usually food on the run since I never get home until around 9-9:30 most weekdays. Any suggestions as to how to eat in the evening as I'm running from class to class? Thank you, Norma
Answer: I know what it's like to have a busy schedule, going from class to class and trying to maintain a healthy diet. I found if I drink a soy protein shake about 15-20 minutes before my classes, I have more energy throughout the day and I don't binge out on starchy, fatty or sugary foods at night.
It also is light enough that it won't interfere with my workouts. When I eat anything too heavy or solid, I experience digestive problems, discomfort and low energy levels. By having liquid nutrients before my strenuous activities, I am better able to keep my electrolytes and blood sugar level stable, which allows me to think more clearly and maintain a higher activity level.
At night I suggest eating tempeh, which is very easy to digest, quick to make, and high in protein, isoflavones, and soluble fiber. Tempeh does not need much preparation, just a little soy sauce or liquid hickory seasoning and heat it up. It can be cut into strips, sauteed with mushrooms, onions and peppers, and stuffed into a pita bread.
You can also stir-fry tempeh with some vegetables and serve it with noodles or brown rice. By the time the pasta or rice is done, you can have the tempeh and vegetables all prepared. Once you overcome your food cravings by having a couple of shakes during the day, you will be better able to eat more balanced and nutritiously at night.
• Read more about ...
Nutrition and sports at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrition#Nutrition_and_sports
Vegan diets at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan
• For more information about vegan diets and athletes, read . . .
Vegan + Sports . Vegan Nutrition and Endurance Sports by Arnold Wiegand
Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by Brendan Braizier
• For some great vegan recipes and more information about soy, read my book Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook
Copyright © by Monique N. Gilbert.
All rights reserved.
Permission must be obtained to use information from this blog.
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Want to improve your health naturally,
feel energetic, stress-free and full of life?
Get the guidance and encouragement you need to achieve your goals.
Click here to learn more about Monique N. Gilbert's
Personal Health, Nutrition & Wellness Writing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monique N. Gilbert, BSc. has offered guidance in health, nutrition, fitness and stress management since 1989. Through her writings, Monique motivates and teaches how to improve your well-being, vitality and longevity with balanced nutrition, physical activity and healthy stress-free living.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright © 2000-2011 by Monique N. Gilbert.
All rights reserved.
Permission must be obtained to use information from this blog.
This blog is only intended to offer health information to help you understand the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle. It is not intended to diagnose, dispense medical advise or prescribe the use of diet as a form of treatment for illness without medical approval. In the event you use this information without a health practitioner's approval, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your right. However, the publisher and author assume no responsibility.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
feel energetic, stress-free and full of life?
Get the guidance and encouragement you need to achieve your goals.
Click here to learn more about Monique N. Gilbert's
Personal Health, Nutrition & Wellness Writing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monique N. Gilbert, BSc. has offered guidance in health, nutrition, fitness and stress management since 1989. Through her writings, Monique motivates and teaches how to improve your well-being, vitality and longevity with balanced nutrition, physical activity and healthy stress-free living.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright © 2000-2011 by Monique N. Gilbert.
All rights reserved.
Permission must be obtained to use information from this blog.
This blog is only intended to offer health information to help you understand the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle. It is not intended to diagnose, dispense medical advise or prescribe the use of diet as a form of treatment for illness without medical approval. In the event you use this information without a health practitioner's approval, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your right. However, the publisher and author assume no responsibility.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~