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ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet....
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...and only had time to skim through the recipes so far, and I have to say from the looks of it just based on the recipes (though his back cover pic is cute!) I am a bit disappointed. There isnt anything that looks like Id make. Hemp flour? amaranth? and what's with all the coconut oil? I thought that was a major bad oil? Quinoa? ok I have seen it at Trader Joe's....carob? yikes.
It seems that some people here are super behind this...where do you shop? is it worth it? which recipes are good?

OK, maybe I should read the whole book first! but my initial impression is, I am not too thrilled. Esp with all the coconut oil?
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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I started to read the book last year and gave up on it because I felt like all he was doing was trying to sell me this shake thing he invented. I hate that and turns me off to a book very quickly. I'm willing to go back and take another look, though, since there has been such positive reviews here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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I think this is the Brendan Brazier one? I haven't actually looked at the book before, but between all the advertising of his products and shameless use of Bif Naked as a "spokesperson" for the "lifestyle", I think it's all a bunch of hoopla!


______________________________________
I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [cuds] [ In reply to ]
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yes I did get it because of the reviews here....and as I said, I have NOT read it yet....but just based on the recipes, I am not totally excited. Smoothie "procedure"? energy bar "procedure" etc?
Bif Naked? hadnt heard of her since I left Canada!....but since I paid for the book, I will go through it and hope there is something I can take away from it.
yes, its the Brendan B one....
Last edited by: kbee: May 6, 08 21:05
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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Keep us posted on your opinions as you read more. I looked for this book at our local library last night and since they didn't have it, I was going to order it. I think I might wait and here more about what you and others think.

I am not sure the authors recommended use for coconut oil is but it makes great popcorn. If pop on the stove with coconut oil it tastes just like movie theater popcorn. I read somewhere that coconut oil is the secret in recreating that evilness at home. It might not be healthy but it tastes great!
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [instigator] [ In reply to ]
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Quinoa is great! I love the stuff. It is like rice but it has a lot more protein. It tastes kind of nutty. You can use it like rice, but I've only ever seen it for sale at health food stores.

There is an entire school of thought out there on coconut oil - the pure, virgin stuff, not highly processed, that it is really really good for you. Here's a site, claims to have peer-reviewed research.
http://www.coconutoil.com/
I pretty much use coconut (virgin) or olive oil in my kitchen. Try the coconut oil in brownies, it's amazing!
Oh, and honestly, it makes the best moisturizer you have ever experienced! I just rub it on. Your skin will feel incredible. I haven't used it on my face, but I sure like what it does for my legs and heels.
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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I just got the book as well and I too was a bit overwhelmed when looking at the recipes, although I know where I can go to get some of those things, HOWEVER, I decided to but my stress about the recipes aside for a bit and actually read what he has to say and I am finding it pretty interesting. I'm on Chapter two which is about stress and he also talks about how people who work out a ton can still can weight, which I know was just discussed here not to long ago.

I will probably attempt a few of the bars, but I'm going to try and not get to caught up. I'm more interested in reading about how nutrition effects our bodies, etc and he seems to cover that pretty well thus far. As far as a sales pitch about his products, I haven't gotten that yet, but then again I'm only on Chapter 2.

I do like it so far, because I can understand it! I have read some other nutrition type books and they use some serious terminology that goes way over my head!!
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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quinoa is a fab grain...lots of protien...a very slight nutty taste to it. easy to make, just like rice.
i keep a container of cooked quinoa in the fridge and add it to salads, oatmeal, use as a side dish.
google it, and find out more.
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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For the record, I've never seen the book but I have tried Brendan Brazier's shake (Vega). It's nasty stuff. I was kicking around Whole Foods a few years ago looking for a meal replacement and the stuff I normally bought (which I can't for the life of me remember what it was) was unavailable - so I tried Vega. Horrible, horrible tasting stuff.

I'd never heard of the guy before, and looking up his race results it seems that he's a decent ultra-runner, but not that much of a (pro) triathlete - 3rd tier at best. Reading his bio it seems that he was just some kid who decided that he could perform better on a vegan diet, and who experimented with various things until he found something that worked for him - resulting in that foul tasting shake concoction. There isn't to my knowledge any scientific research behind what he's up to.

If you're already vegan or are interested in becoming vegan but fear that it might not be compatible with an extremely active lifestyle, Brendan seems to be proof that if can be done. But if you're a "normal" eater and are just looking for something better diet wise, this is a bit extreme. There may very well be some good things in his book (quinoa, for example, can be a great rice substitute) - but overall I don't think it has a huge amount of value for an athlete with a "traditional" (not vegan) diet.


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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [Kestrelkerri] [ In reply to ]
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Yes Im on the part about stress too...interesting, but nothing really groundbreaking.
Still I wish I had seen a copy before I bought it, I was hoping for some good vegan recipes and I dont think I will make anything in the book.
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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I ablsolutely love this book. It's what works for me.
The energy bar recipes are sooo yummy!





Come crawling faster
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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Funny. I haven't read the book, but your mention of: Quinoa, amaranth, hemp flour, and coconut oil - makes me want to buy it.

The North American diet, for the past half-century, has been all about unsaturated fats and corn, corn, corn, wheat, wheat, wheat. Look, a lot of that has been integrated into our diet because of savvy marketing, including by the unsaturated oils industry, as well as the political power of Big Agriculture (= subsidized corn production = cheap corn = corn is everywhere).

Now nutritionists are doing a 180 on the medium chain saturated fats (such as coconut oil). I cook exclusively with coconut oil, ghee, and butter now. It's great. As for grains, quinoa and amaranth are delicious and they are TOPS for nutrition! Minerals minerals minerals. Protein. I haven't used hemp flour, but should. I use hemp seeds in my salads and in hot cereals. Hemp seeds are second only to flax seeds as vegetable sources of omega 3's, and they are truly delicious. (And unlike flax seeds, you don't need to grind them up to make them digestible.)

I'm not vegan or vegetarian but now I want to read this book for the nutrition information anyway...and I'll just skip the smoothies/marketing part.
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Satisfied Customer [ In reply to ]
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My wife and I have been making recipes out of the book for about four months now.

I haven't used a commercial sports nutrition or hydration product for almost three months (which was one of my main goals - white powder in a plastic bucket is not food) and have exclusively used Brendan's power-bites and bars. Working towards the gels.

We've had good success with adding hemp and flax to smoothies, and making his power-bars, salad dressings, crackers, pancakes and nut burgers. In general it takes a few tries to figure out how to get the right consistency and portion size.

Popping Amaranth in a frying pan is a bit of a pain, and we always add a bit of whole-wheat flour to the pancakes or they never set-up.

I've been very happy with how this food makes me feel, especially starting big training days with his pancakes, and those-power bites (although messy) never let me down on long runs/rides.

Haven't had much success with anything containing sea-weed though - couldn't stand the taste.

I really like the book, although sometimes I wish there were more references to back up some of his statements

The food and preparation is different, which for us is part of the adventure, but once you have the basic ingredients most things are pretty straight forward and yes they are tasty.

My advice (which is also in the book) is start slowly and pick something easy and build from there. Most products can be found at Whole Foods or other organic stores.
Last edited by: kfc_bob: May 9, 08 15:23
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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Coconut oil is an EXCELLENT oil for endurance athletes! Don't shy away from it. Do some research on the internet and you will see more people are comming around to the belief that coconut oil is not bad for you and actually good for you. Now I use flax oil, olive oil and coconut oil for my main fats.

I have been using coconut oil my bike rides and I have been feeling great! No loss of energy on long rides. I put it in the sports drink recipe.

Qunioa is a really great grain. It is full of protein and VERY easy to make. Can you make couscous? Same method. Replace your rice/pasta/potatoes at lunch with quinoa and you will see that you dont need to snack in the afternoon.

Carob powder is very yummy and you use it like cocoa powder. You can also use cacao, but that is very stimulating. I use it in smoothies when I am craving chocolate.

I shop at my local health food store. You can also order everything online.

I tried the Vega powder and hated it. I don't buy any of his products. I dont need to. In this book, he gives you recipes for everything he sells....

I haven't made his pancakes yet...I have made the walnut burgers, smoothies, energy bars, and recovery puddings and energy puddings. That Energy pudding is so great! It really works.

Don't be so quick to judge. Start small. Make an energy bar or a recovery drink. The more greens and fruit you can eat with each meal the better. It's about changing to a healthier lifestyle. At first since its different it's going to seem like a pain. It will become easier if you want it to. It something new and will take a few months to incorporate into your life. I don't think anyone here does it 100%. I only use what I listed above and am going to incorporate more. Keep an open mind and ask questions.

For the record I am not a vegan. Just trying to eat the best food I can.

Good Luck!

--------------------
Jeanne Roth
Team Timex 2007/2008
http://jeannejeannie.blogspot.com/
Last edited by: jeanneroth: May 10, 08 10:18
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Re: ok, so I just got The Thrive Diet.... [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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at the first the whole idea and the recipes are very overwhelming.
but, if you go through the book, look at some of the recipes and pick and
choose, there is some really good stuff.
i am going to give some of it a chance, especially the pre-during and post work out ideas.
the salad dressings and the maca.
it's a start and every bit helps.
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