Vegan Pizza (Vizza) and smoothie night

Sunday through Friday my diet is flawless. On Saturdays I have a little fun. Believe it or not there are some fun vegan "junk foods."
Today Penny and I made vegan pizza and smoothies.
 Here's all you'll need for the pizza:

Best pizza dough around. Trader Joe's Garlic Herb. I could make my own but at $1.29 it's just easier to buy

Plain Marinara. This is my fave. Also from Trader Joe's

Daiya cheese. Best vegan cheese ever. Lots of shops are carrying it now. Whole food is your best bet.

Fresh veggies: Today we're doing pineapple, garlic, and mushroom

Chop it all up. Be sure your knife is good and sharp so you can slice the garlic paper thin "Good Fellas" style.

Be sure the dough is room temperature so its good and pliable. Spread it across whatever size pan you like depending on how thick you want the crust. Today i used a 15x 10 inch rectangle pan.

Spread the garlic and marinara 1st. I used 5 cloves. If you've cut the garlic thin enough it'll disappear into the sauce when it's cooked and will smell and taste amazing. Top with a full bag of cheese and toppings. Apply heat :)

Meh, I've made better looking pizzas. Tasted awesome though


For the smoothie: 1/2 frozen banana, handful of frozen strawberries, 1/4 large mango, OJ, and a blender

Find a hungry 5 yr old and enjoy

Spotlight "Jazz"

Working as a personal trainer has been one of the most rewarding things its been my privilege to do. I get to watch people make incredible changes in their lives. Whether its loosing weight, breaking through plateaus, or breaking personal records. Every time someone I've worked with accomplishes what it is they've set out to do, I go to bed at night knowing I've made a difference and feeling like a BOSS!

So once a month or so I'm gonna shine the spotlight on one of them. 

First up is a client who has put in serious work and has been born again HARD. 

I first met Chris "Jazz" Colthurst 1 year ago at my Memorial Day Beach work out. It was a brutal 2 hour session. 1 full hour run followed by 1 hour of drills and fitness oriented games in the sand (No easy task for the fittest of us) He'd just started a diet/ weight loss program at Sharp hospital and was turned onto me by another client of mine. Since then he has been a regular at my classes. Three times a week for a whole year! With the occasional skipped class for a trip out of town to run half marathons.  He's up to 3 and counting!

Jazz has lost a total of 150 lbs!!!

Jazz is a stand up comic and says the weight loss has given him a boost of confidence on stage.

So if you see a svelte new "Jazz" on a hiking trail, a run, or goose steppin'  around San Diego in his new jeans, shoot him a thumbs up, or give him the "bro nod" He's earned it!

High protein Tofu Sammy lunch

  "You're vegan!? How are you so big?? What do you eat??"

 I've heard that for years. Now that I've got a blog I can share the snacks, recipes, and meals I eat to stay lean and large.

It's Friday. Today is my heavy shoulder, quad, and calf day. Large muscle groups when trained hard require lots of protein to recover.

My lunch today was a Tofu sandwich, apples and peanut butter.

Here's all you need:

Super firm organic Tofu can be found at Trader Joe's. I've always said  "Judge a grocery store by the quality of  their tofu and peanut butter". In that regard Trader Joe's is king. I've tried every shop in San Diego, and with the exception of  "People's" http://obpeoplesfood.coop/, they've got the best tofu around. 1 lb!!, 14 grams of protein per serving, 5 serving per package $1.99

Vegenaise can be found pretty much anywhere. I never cared much for mayonnaise as a carnivore, but as a vegan I love it. Go figure.

Find a descent loaf of organic wheat bread. This is my favie. 5 grams of protein per serving, vegan, and reasonably priced at  $3.49. Most Grocery stores have a good selection of fresh breads in their bakery section. Stay away from the crap on the shelves. If there are more than 6 ingredients you're eating chemicals

Teriyaki. Self explanatory. I like the thin marinade. The thick stuff is full of sugar.

Fresh veggies. Sometimes I use spinach, onions, or peppers. Today i'm using Romaine lettuce, a Roma tomato, a small avocado and fresh garlic.

Slice up the tofu. I like thick slices.

Dice up the garlic, mix it up with the teriyaki, drop in the sliced tofu, stick it in the fridge and let it marinate.

Toast your bread, slap some Vegenaise on one slice, avocado on the other.

Romaine lettuce and Roma on one side, tofu on the other. Once the tofu is marinated you can serve in cold like lunch meat or pan sear it with a little olive oil. I had it pan seared today.

Slice up your favie fruit, (I had a granny smith apple today) drop a big arse dollop of natural organic peanut butter for dipping (the fruit)

Stick your pinky finger in the air and eat it LIKE A SIR!

This Not That

This is my spin on the 2007 book "Eat This Not That" http://www.amazon.com/This-Thousands-Simple-Swaps-Pounds/dp/1594868549

Here are a few simple food swaps that will make a big difference:

1) White rice for Quinoa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa. A cup of cooked white rice has 200-250 calories, while a cup of cooked quinoa has about 175-220 and double the protein.

2) Organic peanut butter for regular. Regular peanut butter uses partially hydrogenated oil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat to keep it from separating, organic does not. Stir it up and throw it in the fridge and you're fine.

3) Field roast sausages http://www.fieldroast.com/products/ for hot dogs. Kids love hot dogs, but I will NEVER give my kid one. Take a look at this video and hopefully you never will either http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBBSY5Z5YVk. Field roast sausages are a healthy, vegan alternative I bring to birthday parties, and cook out so Penny doesn't feel left out.

4) Daiya cheese http://www.daiyafoods.com/ for regular or soy cheese. Dairy is just gross, and soy cheese doesn't quite have the taste I like. Daiya cheese is just the best for pizzas, tacos, burgers, and quesadillas (all vegan of course)

B.T.W. The picture at the top of the blog is not soft serve ice cream, it's what chicken nuggets are made of. 

Vegan vs. Paleo

Anyone who knows me knows that I am vegan and have been for 10 years. Anyone who knows me well knows that I have slipped up a few times :)
Truth be told, I did not go vegan for ethical reasons. I did it for the health benefits alone. While I do think things can be done to treat animals a little more humanly, ultimately they are being raised for slaughter and consumption, so the point is kind of moot. People have been eating animals for millions of years and they're not gonna stop any time soon.
 I had a friend cook a vegan meal for me a little more than 10 years ago.  At the point I was still heavy into bodybuilding. I weighed a lean 260 lb, worked out 6 days a week, and ate tons of meat with every meal.
 The last thing I would ever eat was tofu.   My friend turned me onto a  great book: Every Day Vegan http://www.amazon.com/The-Everyday-Vegan-Dreena-Burton/dp/1551521067  I read cover to cover, which  says a lot if you know me.
I was vegan from that day on. I did notice some loss of muscle mass but ultimately I felt great. My body started taking on a longer more athletic look. F.Y.I some of the most muscular creatures on the planet are vegan.

Recently there has been lots of talk about the Paleo diet:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet
I've done the research and it seems to be pretty legit. But after 10 years as a vegan, eating animals just seems gross to me.
Checkout this lecture on the Paleo diet and decide for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSeSTq-N4U4&feature=related

Drill of the day

Drill of the day:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj-Ij04GDRY&list=UUMoOW4VAi2mr6d6agqx5WRQ&index=1&feature=plcp


Today at boot camp we focused on (HIIT):http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=621 High intensity interval training.

I combined 2 of my favorite movements:

1) Front squat: http://stronglifts.com/how-to-front-squat-with-proper-technique/
2)Kettle bell swing through: http://breakingmuscle.com/training/kettlebell-swing-why-its-perfect-exercise
   with a 50 yard sprint.

We started with 45lbs Olympic bars for the front squat, and kettle bells ranging in weight from 15-25 lbs

6 participants:
   3 perform 1 minute of front squats
   3 perform 1 minute of kettle bell swing troughs.

 After 1 minute participants switch places and perform another minute of the other drill. Once all 6 participants have performed 1 minute of each drill, all participants set equipment down a sprint 25 yard out and back.

Rests for 1 minute, repeat 3 times increasing weight each set if possible.

Bustin' Nuts

While I do thoroughly enjoy preparing fresh meals for myself and my daughter daily, sometimes a quick snack is is just plain easier. In a world where Doritos, Slim-Jims, taco bell, etc.. are never more than a 2 minute car ride away, finding vegan snacks that are protein and nutrient dense, not processed and loaded with chemicals that are actually tasty can be challenging.

Which is why once a week I make a trip to Henry's Market http://www.henrysmarkets.com/html/ to load up from their bulk bins. 2 lbs pistachios, 2 lbs raw almonds, 2 lbs cashews, and 1 lb Brazil nuts (great source of seleniumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium).

Check out these articles on my favorite nuts:

Pistachios: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pistachio.html

Raw almonds: http://voices.yahoo.com/four-great-health-benefits-raw-almonds-3373300.html

cashews: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/7-health-benefits-of-cashews.html

Brazil nut: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/brazil-nuts.html

Reason #1,345,345 to stay away from pork

You'll never see an infected abscess in a block of tofu :)

My new blog

Hey Guys,
I've started a blog. I'll use this to share ideas, articles, tips, vegan recipes, etc...
Lots to come soon!