[Ryan D Andrews]

National Bodybuilder, Joe Demarco's Meal Plan (example)

Now that the new year has arrived, I thought I would post my current nutrition plan. A lot of bodybuilders make a dramatic change in their nutrition plans as they prepare for a competition. I don’t. I eat the same year round. I get my required meals in each day, however when I’m 9-12 months out from competition I will allow myself additional calories whenever I feel the need/desire.

However, I feel that at this point (35 weeks out from Team Universe) I will begin to “tighten” my nutrition plan up a bit. Food intake will remain the same however I will start limiting my intake of additional calories. I will only allow myself additional calories, or what some people refer to as a “cheat meal”, twice a week. I am going to use Saturdays and Wednesdays for this purpose. I don’t really like the term cheat meal because I never replace an entire scheduled meal with say a large pizza (no cheese, of course!). My idea of a cheat meal is to maybe include a piece (or two) of bread with some olive oil while I’m eating my regularly scheduled meal.

My current nutrition plan looks as follows:

Meal #1: 4 ounces oats with scoop of Vega protein
Meal #2: 4 ounces oats with scoop of Vega protein
Meal #3: 6 ounces of Seitan w/cup of brown rice, vegetables & TBSP olive oil
Meal #4: 6 ounces of Seitan w/cup of brown rice and vegetables
Meal #5: ½ can beans (any type) with vegetables and TBSP olive oil
Meal #6: 2 scoops Vega

At this point, I am not measuring the amounts of my vegetables. I am also not restricting the types of vegetables that I consume. I will occasionally replace my seitan or beans with tempeh or tofu depending on what I’m in the mood for.

Current supplements include a multi-vitamin, flaxseed oil, Vasocharge, and Xtend.

For current updates about Joe - see here:
http://www.demarcofitness.com/Home_page.html

[c1022k]

Thanks for sharing that Ryan! That really helps put things into perspective!

[Ryan D Andrews]

Making The Vegan Diet Work

By Mike Mahler

There is no way that you can get big and strong on a vegan diet! I used to hear this all the time from my meat-eating friends. I say, used to as I never hear it anymore from people that know me or from people that have seen my photos on my website. Yes my friends, you can in fact get bigger and stronger on a vegetarian diet. You can even do it on a vegan diet (no animal products whatsoever).

Just because the pot smoking, rice dream eating hippie vegetarian in Venice Beach, CA looks like he has not eaten in a month, does not mean that every vegan does. I have the strength and size to back up the fact that you can get strong and have a muscular body on a vegan diet and I am far from being the only one. Just this past weekend MMA fighter and vegan Mac Danzig won a contract with the UFC after finishing off an opponent with ease. Lets go over how to make the vegan diet work.

Lets start off with the number one issue that people have when evaluating a vegan diet: where the hell am I going to get my protein from? Fortunately for vegans meat does not corner the market on protein and no you do not have to live off protein shakes either. The following vegan friendly foods are loaded with protein: lentils, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, peanut butter, and hemp seeds. Just one serving of lentils mixed with one serving of hemp seeds is around twenty grams of complete protein. In addition it is a nice balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fat. Of course, you can always combine beans and rice for a complete protein meal. However, this also ends up being a high carb meal as well which is not ideal for everyone. Personally, I feel my best on a moderate protein, fairly high fat, and moderate carbohydrate diet. You will have to experiment to find what ratio works best for you.

An example of a high protein vegan meal that I have often is three servings of lentils (24 grams of protein) mixed with two servings of pistachios (14 grams of protein and 26 grams of healthy fat), add two cups of broccoli and two cups of mixed vegetables. I then add one tablespoon of olive oil to the mix and I am good to go. To make it taste better you can add some tomato sauce, spices, etc. I eat more for fuel and health than taste so I am the wrong person to ask on how to make food delicious. This meal has around 40 grams of protein and while the fat count may sound excessive in reality it is not. Especially for people that workout a lot. Fat is a great source of energy and lasts much longer than carbohydrates. When I do not have enough fat in my diet, my energy and mood go down the drain. Fat fuel is what works best for me. You will have to experiment to see what works best for you.
Without enough fat in your diet, your skin will dry up, your energy will plummet, and you will look like death. Getting 20-40% or more of your calories from fat is a good way to go. Load up on healthy fats such as: Hempseed olive oil, almonds, walnuts, marine algae DHA, pecans, almond butter, and avocadoes. Also, many vegetarian diets are free of all saturated fats, which is great for the most part. However, some saturated fat is required for optimal health, so get some coconut oil or coconut milk in you diet as well. I generally have one can of Trader Joes brand coconut milk with my protein shakes each day.

When putting together a vegan diet make sure you focus on real sources of food. Avoid relying on fake meat products, soy milk, rice milk etc. These packaged foods are loaded with sodium and sugar and are okay as transitional options rather than staples. Focus on real food such as nuts, beans, veggies, and some grains such as quinoa and oats. Vegans tend to follow low fat, low protein, and heavy carbohydrate diets, which is a big mistake. Only a small percentage of the population will feel optimal on such diets. You need to discover what will work for you. Play around with fat and protein ratios and see how you feel. Get over the myth that fat makes you fat. In reality excess calories and especially excess carbohydrates are the culprits for high body fat. You will find that your overall calorie consumption will be less when you load up on fat as fat provides a steady flow of energy and reduces hunger tremendously. People on low fat diets are always hungry which is why low fat diets rarely work. Again, I do very well on high fat (30-40% of diet) moderate carb and moderate protein (100-120 grams per day). This is what I have discovered after being a vegan for many years.

Finally, there is growing evidence that soy can increase estrogen levels, block mineral absorption, and decrease thyroid function. Others argue that there are many health benefits of soy. Regardless, I would leave soy alone as contrary to widespread belief it is not a necessary part of the vegan diet so why take the risk? Wheat gluten is even worse and is the worst part of wheat. It is a highly allergic and inflammatory food so avoid it like the plague. Seitan is garbage and I do not recommend it at all. There is enough variety in real vegan food sources so leave the fake stuff alone.

Quick Reference:

Vegan High Protein Sources

• Almonds, 7-8 grams of protein per serving
• Pistachios 7 grams of protein per serving
• Pumpkin Seeds 11 grams of protein per serving
• Sunflower Seeds 8 grams of protein per serving
• Hempseeds 11 grams of protein per serving
• Almond Butter 8 grams of protein per serving
• Peanut Butter 8 grams of protein per serving (many people are allergic to peanut butter and it can cause inflammation. When in doubt, stick with almond butter)
• Black Beans 8 grams of protein per serving
• Lentils 8 grams of protein per serving
• Garbanzo Beans 7 grams of protein per serving
• Navy Beans 8 grams of protein per serving
• Kidney Beans 7 grams of protein per serving
• Pinto Beans 7 grams of protein per serving

Recommended Vegan Protein Powders

• Raw Power: Click here
• Nutribiotic’s Brown Rice Protein Click here
• Hempseed Protein Powder Click here
• Pea Protein Isolate Click here

Recommended Vegan Sources for DHA (essential fatty acid)

• NuTru's Omega-Zen-3 Click here

Originally posted here:
http://www.mikemahler.com/magazine/144.html

[Ryan D Andrews]

Another guide on how one might structure a meal plan:

Breakfast:

• Protein food (legumes, protein supplement, nuts, eggs)
• Whole grain food (any)
• Vegetable and/or fruit (any)
• Omega-3 fats (supplement/flax/walnuts/hemp)

Snack:

• Vegetable and/or fruit (any)
• Protein food (legumes, protein supplement, nuts, eggs)

OR

• Super Shake

Lunch:

• Vegetable and/or fruit (any)
• Protein food (legumes/soy, seitan, protein supplement, nuts)
• Good fats (nuts/seeds/olive oil/canola oil/avocado)
• Whole grain food (any)

Snack:

• Vegetable and/or fruit (any)
• Protein food (legumes/soy, protein supplement, nuts, eggs)

OR

• Super Shake

Post-Workout Meal:

• Emphasis on whole grain foods (any) and/or higher starch vegetables (yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, squash)
• Protein food (legumes/soy, seitan, protein supplement, nuts)
• Vegetable and/or fruit (any)

Dinner:

• Vegetable and/or fruit (any)
• Protein food (legumes/soy, seitan, protein supplement, nuts)
• Omega-3 fats (supplement/flax/walnuts/hemp)

Beverages:

• Water and green tea throughout the day

[Kimm]

Hi Ryan-

I am planning to adopt a plant-based diet and I was wondering if you could help me with finding where I can find the things I need. I've seen a couple of the websites that people have posted in this thread for supplements etc. But what I'm really trying to find is a "supermarket" where I can buy organically and that actually has the products for a vegan lifestyle. I have King Kullen and stop and shop, but I have been having trouble finding famers markets and such. I figured if I am having difficulty just finding organic food, it will be that much harder trying to locate vegan products.

Any insight you have I would appreicate.

Thanks!

-Kim

[Jason Bonn]

Originally Posted by Kimm

Hi Ryan-

I am planning to adopt a plant-based diet and I was wondering if you could help me with finding where I can find the things I need. I've seen a couple of the websites that people have posted in this thread for supplements etc. But what I'm really trying to find is a "supermarket" where I can buy organically and that actually has the products for a vegan lifestyle. I have King Kullen and stop and shop, but I have been having trouble finding famers markets and such. I figured if I am having difficulty just finding organic food, it will be that much harder trying to locate vegan products.

Any insight you have I would appreicate.

Thanks!

-Kim

Hey Kim. When it comes to food, I really don't think there are any real "vegan products". Just good whole food--sans the inclusion of animals. "Regular" markets work just fine for veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts/seeds, etc... Yes, there are some products (i.e. seitan) that may be harder to find, but in my opinion, these probably shouldn't be the majority of what you're eating. I'd try to stick to unprocesses as much as possible. You can also look into a CSA box.

If you're talking about "products" in the other sense, I believe Vegan Essentials has been referenced more than a few times here. You can also pick up supplements here (there are also many other places for supplements, so if you need some, just ask).

Hope that helps.

[Ryan D Andrews]

Originally Posted by Jason Bonn

Hey Kim. When it comes to food, I really don't think there are any real "vegan products". Just good whole food--sans the inclusion of animals. "Regular" markets work just fine for veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts/seeds, etc... Yes, there are some products (i.e. seitan) that may be harder to find, but in my opinion, these probably shouldn't be the majority of what you're eating. I'd try to stick to unprocesses as much as possible. You can also look into a CSA box.

If you're talking about "products" in the other sense, I believe Vegan Essentials has been referenced more than a few times here. You can also pick up supplements here (there are also many other places for supplements, so if you need some, just ask).

Hope that helps.

Right on.

Any supermarket will do. Lots of quality veggies, fruits, beans, whole grains and nuts/seeds.

If you want the "processed" vegan food - check out specialty natural markets and online vendors like Vegan Essentials or Cosmo's Vegan Shop. They can be helpful for protein powders, bars, algae oils and greens supps. Other than that, lots of vegan junk food.

Let us know if this helps get you on the right track.

[Kimm]

Jason & Ryan,

Thank you! That definitely helps. Duh...I guess I should have kind of figured a regular supermarket would have...food. I think I was making it more complicated than it needed to be just with the common generalization that being vegan or vegitarian is so difficult and leaves you with nothing to eat...which I know is bogus.

I'm really excited to make this transition. For so long I have been really passionate about the environment and so against the disgusting and cruel way animals are treated. If either of you have any information on how to be more active for animal rights or the environment I would love to hear about that too.

I've also been to that food thread which is awesome. Thank you for being so helpful!!

-Kim

[Ryan D Andrews]

Originally Posted by Kimm

Jason & Ryan,

Thank you! That definitely helps. Duh...I guess I should have kind of figured a regular supermarket would have...food. I think I was making it more complicated than it needed to be just with the common generalization that being vegan or vegitarian is so difficult and leaves you with nothing to eat...which I know is bogus.

I'm really excited to make this transition. For so long I have been really passionate about the environment and so against the disgusting and cruel way animals are treated. If either of you have any information on how to be more active for animal rights or the environment I would love to hear about that too.

I've also been to that food thread which is awesome. Thank you for being so helpful!!

-Kim

I was the same way at first. I still get a little worried when I roll into King Soopers (a basic grocery store in CO) - but then remember they have more than enough.

Keep us posted on your progress.

All the best.

[Kimm]

Hey Ryan,

I was wondering as far as green tea goes, do you drink bags or loose leaves? I read one of JB's articles that made it seem like going with the loose leaves was far more beneficial. What's your opinion? Also if you happen to know of a website that offers good quality loose leaves (I wouldn't kow exactly what I'm looking for) and a teapot to get the job done.

I drink about 4-5 cups of green tea a day, so I would hate to be mssing out on major benefits by using bags.

Also- am I correct in assuming that gelatin is in some way shape or form an animal by product? I am trying to weed out my supplements that I can no longer take, and gelatin seems to be present in most of them.

Thank you much!!