thrive is my life
According to the dictionary to thrive is to make steady progress, to grow vigorously, or to prosper. Who wouldn't want to do that? According to Brendan Brazier, thrive is a way of life and a way to improve the quality of life and performance for athletes. He is a triathlete who follows a plant-based vegan diet and claims it is the way to maximize energy and keep the body lean, strong and healthy. A friend of mine leant me his book Thrive and I wasn't able to put it down or stop trying the recipes.(Thanks Rusty!!!) I always get sh*t from people about being vegan and getting the proper amount of protein etc. Well, this book definitely proves that a plant-based diet, when prepared properly is actually better for muscle recovery, natural energy boosts, and overall health. The diet plan is a bit intense but most of us are not triathletes, so you can cater the information to your needs. Whole foods in their most natural state provide the most nutrients and many of the recipes incorporate raw veggies and nuts. Here are some of my favorites!
The first recipe that I tried was the buckwheat pancakes. Of course I went for the sweets first. The book had several pancake recipes but I wanted to try cooking with hemp protein powder. They turned out delicious and you could barely taste the hemp at all!
THRIVE Buckwheat Pancakes
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup hemp protein
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 banana
2 cups water
1/2 cup barely falkes
I actually left the barely flakes out because I didn't have any handy. I topped my pancakes with strawberries and organic maple syrup. Another morning or afternoon snack/meal are the many protein shakes and smoothies. My favorite shake (which I've been making almost every morning before ballet and feeling great) is the chocolate hemp shake. The chocolate hemp powder is wuite a bit more tasty than the regular hemp powder. I usually blend 1 cup almond mils, 1 banana, 1 date and 4 tbsp hemp powder. I made one for my sis this weekend before hitting Camelback Mountain-she highly approved!
I've also tried the Green Smoothie, which is not as tasty but very healthy- blend 3 kale leaves, 1 apple, 1 date, 2 cups water, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 tbsp hemp protein, and 1 tbsp tahini. I added a bit of almond milk and agave nectar to make it taste a little sweeter!
As far as dinner items go, there are lots of pizza and burger recipes. I tried the Almond Flaxseed Burger and was pretty blown away. I was surprised at how great it tasted considering the minimal ingredients.
In a food processor, blend the following ingredients. Mold into a burger shape and either serve raw or cook the patties stovetop with a bit of coconut oil.
2 cloves garlic
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp oil (cocnut, hemp, vegetable)
sea salt
I cooked my patties, out them on a sprouted wheat bun and top them with pickles, ketchup and mustard. And a little Spike-of course.
And finally, last but not least, dessert. Banana Coconut Pie. I struggled a bit with this recipe and was surprised at how long it took, but I was very proud at the end. My first completely raw cake/pie. My problem was the size of my food processor. It was a bit small and my kitchen seemed to be covered with nuts and seeds and green powder. I would tweek a few things in the recipe next time if I were serving this at a party or something. It is very dense! But it is very nutrient rich and guilt free!
Crust: 1 cup fresh or soaked dried dates, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup ground flaxseed, 1/2 cup hemp protein, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp lemon juice
Filling: 2 bananas, 1 pear, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, 1/4 cup hemp protein, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, 1/2 tsp salt
Topping: 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 tsp cinnamon
I also topped the pie with some extra banana slices, cinnamon, and coconut to make it pretty ! I had a lot of extra crust as well, so I made some hemp protein bars. Yum Yum.
Enjoy!