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Lead Stories: Tuesday, October 14, 2008

TFS Interview: Brendan Brazier, premier vegan athlete

Posted December 5th, 2006 at 11:59 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Running & Training, Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Vegetarianism, Special Features, Interviews

Brendan Brazier is a professional Ironman triathlete, the 2003 and 2006 Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion, a bestselling author on performance nutrition and the creator of an award-winning meal replacement and energy bar formula called Vega.

I had the luck of meeting Brendan at the ING New York City Marathon Health & Wellness expo this past November. I later had the opportunity to speak with him about his life, career, Vega and about being the world’s premier vegan athlete.

1. When did you decide to be a vegan and why?
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Veggie or not to veggie: Can athlete’s really be vegetarian?

Posted November 24th, 2006 at 4:00 PM by Jenna Sumara

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Vegetarianism, Health & Fitness, Exercise

When I hit my pre-teen years, I wanted to rebel, as most teens do, but by then I was already an active runner and soccer player, so I wasn’t looking to do anything that would be detrimental to my health. I decided to become a vegetarian. I figured it would be a pain for my mother to cook for me and it would at the same time be healthier for my body.

At first, I felt great. I had more energy and I just felt healthier all around. According to Enette Larson-Meyers, Ph.D.,R.D. and author of Vegetarian Sports Nutrition, that initial increase in energy is normal for many new vegetarians due to the fact they have decreased their fat intake and that digesting a plant-based diet is easier for their digestive systems to handle. But soon after my initial increase of energy, I started to feel the opposite effects. I was sluggish and noticed I didn’t have the same speed on the soccer fields any more. This side effect is, sometimes common for vegetarians, specifically vegetarians who are endurance athletes, can easily be avoided. Read the rest of this entry »

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VEGA nutritional products: Leading a healthy revolution

Posted November 23rd, 2006 at 4:00 PM by Jenna Sumara

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Supplements, Vegetarianism

vega logo.gif In a world of fast food, poor eating habits and vitamin deficiencies; VEGA, a new line of nutritional product from Sequel Naturals, aims to provide a well-balanced line of vitamins, bars and shakes to increase health and overall well-being. They call it, “Real Food. Fast.” Created by Ironman Triathlete Brendan Brazier, Vega products are a result of Braziers own personal difficulties with nutrition and his successes with these home-grown recipes.

After being told he couldn’t maintain a plant-based lifestyle and still be a premier althlete, Brendan began a long and difficult trial and error approach to nutrition; often feeling hungry, constantly needing to eat, reduced energy level’s and a decrease in athletic performance. Finally, after creating his own plant-based, vegan diet; Brazier has become a professional Ironman triathlete, author, public speaker and the founder of Vega. Read the rest of this entry »

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Glucosamine & Chondroitin: A Dynamic Duo for Young and Old

Posted October 28th, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Jonathan Faccone

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Nutrition, Supplements, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

One of the most talked about supplements today is glucosamine and chondroitin. People are buying it like its going out of style. So why is there so much buzz and what does it actually do?

According to WebMD, “Glucosamine, also called chitosamine, is a natural substance that is found in the covering of shellfish . . . Glucosamine is also available in synthetic forms . . . Chondroitin can come from natural sources, such as shark or bovine cartilage, or it can be made in a lab.”

Both of these substances are part of normal cartilage, which acts as a cushion between the bones in a joint. Unfortunately, both glucosamine and chondroitin not present in significant amounts in most diets.

A note from our Editor-in-Chief: For vegetarians, like myself, or those allergic to shellfish - there are vegan versions of glucosamine which I have found to be very effective in limiting joint pain during marathon training. Unfortunately, no such alternative exists yet for chondroitin.

Considering the physical demands placed on athletes and endurance runners, glucosamine and chondroitin supplementation should be taken seriously as a possible supplement to aid in joint health and injury prevention. Read the rest of this entry »

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