Having a Goal..

So my time down here is not being spent in vane. I do have a goal and in order to reach that goal I have a pretty strict training routine. What is the goal you ask? Well before I tell you, you should know that I've been wanting to do this for a few years but never had the time to train, now I do, but that didn't mean I'd get in.

The Bridger Ridge Run in Bozeman, MT is known as the worlds hardest trail run. What have I got myself into? Something like this....

It's 19.65 miles with a total elevation gain of 6800 feet and a total elevation loss of 9500 feet. It's not easy to get into over 400 people apply every year and only 250 people get in via a lottery system. I got in and during a year that I could actually train! Given the intensity of the race, training is essential. So you may be wondering about this whole Vegan thing?

Don't get me wrong meat and other animal protein (dairy, eggs etc.) have a lot of nutrient value. I'm already allergic to dairy so that part is easy. So why get rid of the other animal protein? Given the intensity of training I'm doing I need all the energy I can get. Eating meat requires a lot of energy from your body to process, break down and secrete. So taking that out of your diet allows your body to focus on using the energy for training.

It's not quite that simple though. Eating vegan doesn't mean replacing meat protein with fake meat protein like tofu, tempeh or fake hot dogs and fake chicken strips. The goal for a nutritional advantage that feeds your body the energy it needs to use now is to eat nutrient rich food. Meaning a measure of the amount of nutrients a particular food has and whole food, not processed food.

Given that I have the time I'm finding a lot of very nutrient rich meals out there and it's been fun to make them. Here's an idea of some of the meals I've been learning to make and really enjoying, even Brice is super impressed.

Mexican Mushroom and Spinach Torte or basically a sandwich. The high nutrient value in the sandwich is the mushrooms, spinach, poblano peppers, cilantro and avocado. Another Spinach, Avocado Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms. Avocado is a great way to replace dairy and it's better for you. It's good fat and every body needs good fat. I even made lasagna Tofu, Spinach Lasagna. The tofu makes a ricotta consistency and adds protein. To make this even more nutrient I think I'll add brewers yeast and more veggies like mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and onions.

Finally one of my favorites Quinoa Veggie Burgers. Quinoa is a grain but it's better than all the other grains out there. Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is considered a super food because it's a complete protein, what that means is that it provides an adequate portion of all nine essential amino acids.

You don't have to be a vegan or even want to become a vegan to try something new. So pick a recipe and try it out, let me know what you think!