Hey Shelby,
Here is some info from Brendan, the formulator of Vega. It was from another thread in this section about supplements:
Hello,
Just thought I’d clear a few things up myself. I did formulate Vega; it’s not something I just endorse. I’ll admit that $80 Canadian is much too high. There should never be a store in Canada that sells it for more than $75, that’s suggested retail. Most sell it for $67, that’s standard. Here’s one selling it for $69.99 CDN:
http://www.aviva.ca/shop/products.asp?i ... &catid=268
A serving is 500ml, a pint. So it’s really quite large, most people will be full on ½ a serving.
Its price is also a reflection of attention to detail and quality. It’s certainly not just a protein. It eliminates the need for several products. Many people have indicated that they no longer want to take several pills a day. It eliminates that need and provides food-sources nutrients in a convenient form. It also has 2.5 grams of maca which is an excellent vegetable for the adrenal glands to provide energy by nourishing the adrenals as opposed to stimulating them which refined sugar and caffeine does. I used to buy all of these foods separately and blend them together – now that was expensive and time consuming. However it was worth it since my performance improved dramatically.
Also, where else can you get a ready-to-eat nutritionally complete meal with 25 grams of protein from five sources (hemp, pea, rice, flax, chlorella - synergistically combined to create a “flat line” amino acid profile), 7 grams of essential fatty acids, 9 grams of fibre, enzymes, probiotics and a berry complex from antioxidants for lest than $5? A starchy muffin and a coffee cost that. I’m certainly not suggesting that everyone must consume Vega to be healthy or perform well, but as with all premium foods – especially in a convenient form – the price will be higher than some. In Canada many health food store workers are reporting that one of its biggest selling features is that it is considerably cheaper than buying all of what it replaces. One can certainly take the time to make healthy meals, but not every one has that option – Vega is one solution.
As far as supporting athletes such as Robert by providing them with product; it’s something I’m happy to do. As a professional athlete I appreciate how long it takes to get to a high level. It’s a way for me to give back to sport in general. When I see someone like Robert who puts so much time and effort into his training and promoting a vegan lifestyle, I like to be a part of it and support it however I can. Plus of course it helps spread the word about Vega.
I know I’m going on here but…
You may be interested to know that it’s been reported that between 70%-80% of regular Vega users have replaced their whey-based meal replacements or protein drinks. I’m sure I don’t need to explain the environmental implications of that. Not to mention the “real cost”, referring to the amount of energy needed to produce the ingredients. Hemp (the number one ingredient in Vega) is an extremely efficient crop and is the 2nd most efficient way to produce protein known. It is followed only by chlorella, an algae from Japan that quadrupeds every 24 hours and is 70% protein. One bottle of Vega contains 42.5 grams of it. It’s being studied by NASA for astronaut nourishment during extended space flight since it does not require soil to grow, just water and sun. No soil also means it does not stretch out already “tired” arable land further. Meaning that it is also not subject to low nutrient levels produced by over farming – big bonus. Anyway, its monetary cost is in sharp contrast to its “real cost.” I write about this in detail in my book Thrive: A guide to optimal health and performance though plant-based whole foods. (the Vega formula was actually based on my book
http://www.brendanbrazier.com/book/index.html ).
By supporting the kind of agriculture that I have chosen to do by formulating Vega, it will bring the future cost of these “undervalued” crops down, so will actually make them more available. Yes, this is still a ways in the future but within 25 years these high-end ingredients will be cheaper than the “artificially” cheeped commodity prices charged for soy and whey. Big companies would not take a chance because the margins are so low, but I did. Someone had to do it.
That’s it for now…
Brendan
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I guess you could call it a chaser or something. Juice works well, fruit, even peanut butter, just something to toss in my mouth after drinking some of the poor-tasting supplements. It's worth a try if you want the extra protein in powder form and don't like the taste.
