The Thrive Diet Book

[Theresaann]

I just read it and want to share that I think EVERYONE should read this book. He has presented the best information on how cortisol effects the body and why high nutrient, whole food, vegan nutrition is the best way to eat to balance the hormones and reduce stress. He's got a great breakdown of the types of stress and how they effect the body, and compelling evidence that stress is really the biggest reason we can't lose fat, even if we are working out a lot. Check it out!

[robert]

Brendan is one of the best vegan athletes we've seen...is a record holder and champion of many races in Canada and around North America.

 

He knows his stuff well and has performed very well as an athlete.

 

He has a NEW Book out as well, Thrive Fitness...just launched in Canada this month.

 

Just search "Thrive Fitness" and it will come up.

[beforewisdom]

In another thread Troy said he read the book, but that he couldn't find any citations in it for the claims the author makes or any citations at all.

[MaryStella]

Is it really a new book? I went to Barnes and Nobles to buy it but it looked like it was exactly the same information (page numbers etc, ) as the old book just paperback instead of hard cover. If it is new information please let me know as i would like to get it. The old book was excellent and I agree any exercising vegan should read it.

[xjohanx]

A lot of the recipes are great and the info is okay but if you need nutritional advice I would probably turn elsewhere.

[angieh]

I also am reading (and appreciating) the book (even without citations).

 

For those of you who've been trying the recipes, what luck have you had with popping amaranth? I tried the chocolate banana pancakes last night that called for this. First I tried putting the amaranth in my air popper, but it just blew out all over my kitchen. Then I tried the stove-top method, and maybe 3% actually popped. Any advice (or any idea how to substitute)? I ended up putting about half the amount of (now toasted) amaranth in the recipe; it was yummy, but I wonder how much better it would have been!

[xjohanx]

For those of you who've been trying the recipes, what luck have you had with popping amaranth? I tried the chocolate banana pancakes last night that called for this. First I tried putting the amaranth in my air popper, but it just blew out all over my kitchen. Then I tried the stove-top method, and maybe 3% actually popped. Any advice (or any idea how to substitute)? I ended up putting about half the amount of (now toasted) amaranth in the recipe; it was yummy, but I wonder how much better it would have been!

 

Never tried popping myself and I don't know where you live but over here you can buy popped amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat and other stuff in the stores pretty cheap.

[angieh]

I can find popped rice, corn, wheat and millet here (Indiana, US). But your response gives me hope -- I'm checking the 'net!

 

Thanks, xjohanx!

[chrisjs]

In another thread Troy said he read the book, but that he couldn't find any citations in it for the claims the author makes or any citations at all.

He directly says in the book that he doesn't have any source: it's all from trial and error with his own body.

[beforewisdom]

In another thread Troy said he read the book, but that he couldn't find any citations in it for the claims the author makes or any citations at all.

He directly says in the book that he doesn't have any source: it's all from trial and error with his own body.

 

 

The sad thing is that there are plenty of intelligent and otherwise well educated people who will not be bothered by that.

[damdaman]

In another thread Troy said he read the book, but that he couldn't find any citations in it for the claims the author makes or any citations at all.

He directly says in the book that he doesn't have any source: it's all from trial and error with his own body.

 

 

The sad thing is that there are plenty of intelligent and otherwise well educated people who will not be bothered by that.

 

I guess you can count me as one of those. Personally I don't understand your objection to Brendan Brazier sharing his knowledge of vegan performance nutrition to the world. Brendan makes it clear that he has spent a lot of time researching these things and putting them to the test in real world situations, i.e. his own training. I trust an accomplished, professional athlete's opinion on nutrition more than some scientist who is just running "studies." I mean come on, there's a study out there to prove just about anything. Studies are a dime a dozen.

 

But more than that, I think the lack of citation is irrelevant for one simple reason: if you read a text and it makes sense, matches up with what you already know, is full of common sense, and your own good judgment tells you that the author probably knows what they're talking about, I would listen to the advice and try it out for yourself, citations or no citations. If you read a text and it doesn't make sense, the information doesn't match up with what you already know, and your own good judgment tells you that the author probably doesn't know up from down, I would discard the information, citations or no citations.

 

Citing sources doesn't make good information better, or bad information good. Not citing sources doesn't make good information bad. Having a study to back up bullshit still makes something bullshit.

 

Brendan's book is well-written and he is well-informed. You indicate you haven't even read it but you're dismissing it. I find that a little unfortunate.

[Nathan Nearing]

I also am reading (and appreciating) the book (even without citations).

 

For those of you who've been trying the recipes, what luck have you had with popping amaranth? I tried the chocolate banana pancakes last night that called for this. First I tried putting the amaranth in my air popper, but it just blew out all over my kitchen. Then I tried the stove-top method, and maybe 3% actually popped. Any advice (or any idea how to substitute)? I ended up putting about half the amount of (now toasted) amaranth in the recipe; it was yummy, but I wonder how much better it would have been!

 

 

You have to be very careful popping amaranth. The stovetop method is only reliable and effective way to go about it in my opinion. Get the pan SUPER HOT before you start. Put only a small amount in at first, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover IMMEDIATELY. Once it's about done put it into a container or bowl. Repeat.

 

Don't hesitate to remove it even if it's just 90% done. If you put it on for a few seconds too long it will burn and if you're making a lot it can ruin a batch quickly. It will be messy, but the good thing is it's easy and quick to clean up. Try it with some almond milk and be amazed and how wonderful it tastes.

[Fallen_Horse]

I guess you can count me as one of those. Personally I don't understand your objection to Brendan Brazier sharing his knowledge of vegan performance nutrition to the world. Brendan makes it clear that he has spent a lot of time researching these things and putting them to the test in real world situations, i.e. his own training. I trust an accomplished, professional athlete's opinion on nutrition more than some scientist who is just running "studies." I mean come on, there's a study out there to prove just about anything. Studies are a dime a dozen.

 

But more than that, I think the lack of citation is irrelevant for one simple reason: if you read a text and it makes sense, matches up with what you already know, is full of common sense, and your own good judgment tells you that the author probably knows what they're talking about, I would listen to the advice and try it out for yourself, citations or no citations. If you read a text and it doesn't make sense, the information doesn't match up with what you already know, and your own good judgment tells you that the author probably doesn't know up from down, I would discard the information, citations or no citations.

 

Citing sources doesn't make good information better, or bad information good. Not citing sources doesn't make good information bad. Having a study to back up bullshit still makes something bullshit.

 

Brendan's book is well-written and he is well-informed. You indicate you haven't even read it but you're dismissing it. I find that a little unfortunate.

As long as you approach the book with the idea that it is one man's opinion and one man's experience. I would treat the information in his book about as well as I would treat the information of an athlete here. I would listen, but I wouldn't specifically dedicate my routine or nutrition around it...

 

You have to be very careful popping amaranth. The stovetop method is only reliable and effective way to go about it in my opinion. Get the pan SUPER HOT before you start. Put only a small amount in at first, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover IMMEDIATELY. Once it's about done put it into a container or bowl. Repeat.

 

Don't hesitate to remove it even if it's just 90% done. If you put it on for a few seconds too long it will burn and if you're making a lot it can ruin a batch quickly. It will be messy, but the good thing is it's easy and quick to clean up. Try it with some almond milk and be amazed and how wonderful it tastes.

Wait, you can pop other grains besides corn??? Why has no one told me of this????

[Im Your Man]

I guess you can count me as one of those. Personally I don't understand your objection to Brendan Brazier sharing his knowledge of vegan performance nutrition to the world. Brendan makes it clear that he has spent a lot of time researching these things and putting them to the test in real world situations, i.e. his own training. I trust an accomplished, professional athlete's opinion on nutrition more than some scientist who is just running "studies." I mean come on, there's a study out there to prove just about anything. Studies are a dime a dozen.

 

But more than that, I think the lack of citation is irrelevant for one simple reason: if you read a text and it makes sense, matches up with what you already know, is full of common sense, and your own good judgment tells you that the author probably knows what they're talking about, I would listen to the advice and try it out for yourself, citations or no citations. If you read a text and it doesn't make sense, the information doesn't match up with what you already know, and your own good judgment tells you that the author probably doesn't know up from down, I would discard the information, citations or no citations.

 

Citing sources doesn't make good information better, or bad information good. Not citing sources doesn't make good information bad. Having a study to back up bullshit still makes something bullshit.

 

Brendan's book is well-written and he is well-informed. You indicate you haven't even read it but you're dismissing it. I find that a little unfortunate.

I agree with you damdaman. I'm tired of people saying scientific studies are the Truth just because they tested stuff on rats ! I think Brendan is a more relevant subject than a rat. Every week I read about new studies made on garlic, green tea, dark chocolate and ginger, it seems like they done at least a thousand on each of those products, how many will they do before it means something ? They say something in those products is fantastic for health, but at the sametime those products are counter indicated for anyone at risk of heartburns. Or they say this or that is awesome to optimize health while at the sametime they advise pregnant women to avoid it like they would do with alcohol, cigarettes or other poisons !

When you read a book without any citation you need to be as much aware as when reading citations. When you read studies, you need to analyze how they've done it, don't just trust them. Most studies are made just trying to prove what they want to see, just like some doctors say what the patient wants to hear.

[Zack]

I'm all for scientific information, but personal experience goes a long way in my eyes as well.

[Im Your Man]

Yeah. There's stupid "scientific" studies and there's fair ones. There's ridiculous authors and there's brillant ones. It's not just black and white, we need to be careful and demystify truth from false.

 

On one anti-vegan/pro-meat website, there was this guy saying he lived all his youth working on the farm breathing tons of pesticides and herbicides but he says there's zero risk of cancers because... because he's still in perfect health while his whole family died of cancer! His conclusion was that those products may even have protected him and that his mother and sisters had cancers because they weren't exposed to pesticides. It doesn't come to his mind that maybe they all died because the house was on the farm and they breathed as much toxic products as him because of the wind, and that the only reason he didn't die is because he's just a bit more resistant.